poison doctor

Sporadic snowfall did not stop until early morning.

Chonglin coughed and tossed and turned sleeplessly all night, woke up Xiaoan, washed and changed clothes and went out.

The sun was not out yet, and the sky was still dark.Along the way, the palace was silent, and most of the maids and eunuchs hadn't gotten up yet.Xiao An yawned, thinking that it was not yet the time of the morning court, when she saw her master turning in front of Chengxian Hall and walking in the direction of Hesheng Hall.

The Hesheng Hall was originally a treasure hall for collecting gold and jade artifacts in the previous dynasty. After Emperor Heng came to the throne, he used it as a place for enlightenment and pure cultivation.

Emperor Heng worshiped Taoism and became crazy. He not only respected Taoist Bu Xizi as the national teacher, but also invited all officials to listen to the national teacher's sermons and study Taoist classics.In order to please the emperor, the concubines in the harem also set up places to practice Taoism in their respective palaces, pretending to pay homage every day.But in recent years, Emperor Heng's health has declined, and the Hesheng Palace has become less popular.

The panting accelerated by the sprint, slowly dispersed into the cool mist.The crunching sound of snow treading was too abrupt in the quiet morning, which startled the birds, chirping and flying.

Chong Lin asked Xiao An to wait outside, and entered the hall alone.

The huge Hesheng Hall is surrounded by cigarettes, and the decoration is very simple. There are only three statues of Taoist ancestors, a rosewood table, and a few plates of melon and fruit offerings. Under the candlelight, it looks very empty.Thinking that the eunuch on duty was negligent, the lights of the ever-burning lamps were all extinguished.Chonglin scooped up a spoonful of lamp oil, poured it into the lampstand and lit it, knelt down and closed his eyes with his hands together, and prayed silently for a moment.

I haven't been here for a few years, but this place is still the same as before. Probably the fastest changing thing is always people's hearts.Staring at the tall and solemn statue of Sanqing, Chonglin's mood gradually calmed down.The gold-foil painted statues of gods are majestic and majestic. Compared with the Qingxu Temple in Lingshan, they are much simpler, but their expressions are generally compassionate.

Whenever there is unbearable pain, he can't help but want to escape to the Taoist palace where the green smoke is curling up.Only in this way, there will be an inexplicable sense of peace of mind, as if the old dream is still there and has never woken up.

The first time I saw Du Heng was in the first lunar month nine years ago.At that time, the palace was decorated with lanterns and festoons, filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year, and the banquets and banquets continued all night long.Only Chonglin rested due to illness, except for the imperial physician and Chongjia who came here occasionally, the Dongli Palace was dead silent.

On that day, an unexpected guest came.

Chonglin still remembers the appearance of 15-year-old Du Heng Zensheng—he is not as tall as he is now, with rare and handsome features, and there is a bit of childishness in his eyebrows and eyes.Wearing a green shirt and a large purple-red cloak, he was dressed in a nondescript manner.The bun on the head is loose, and a few strands of hair hang down in a mess, which looks quite ridiculous.

The serving eunuch didn't report back, but this young man walked straight to his front with his head poking around, he must have sneaked in.

"Who are you?" Chonglin put down the scroll and looked at the person in front of him.

"My surname is Du, and my last name is Heng. It's really warm here, can you let me have a rest?" Without waiting for Chonglin to answer, Du Heng bent down and stretched out a pair of red hands from the cold to the charcoal stove in front of the bed, while roasting While rubbing, stealing glances at him from time to time.

Chonglin thought to himself: This man really doesn't know etiquette.But he didn't hate it, on the contrary, he felt that it was a bit cute, and unexpectedly patted himself off the bed. "Come and sit down?" As soon as the words came out, even I was startled.

Raising his hands to push the hair around his cheeks behind his ears, Du Heng blushed imperceptibly, but he still walked over and sat down beside him unceremoniously. "You are His Royal Highness, right?"

Chong Lin nodded, just about to say something, but a sweet smell came up in his throat, and he couldn't stop coughing a few times.

"It's the first time I entered the palace. I didn't expect the banquet in the palace to be so boring. There were too many noises and rules, so I ran away. I'm still comfortable with you." Du Heng shook his legs and smiled contentedly.

It seems that he was invited into the palace for a banquet, and he must be the son of some high official.He didn't say anything, and Chonglin didn't really want to ask.It doesn't matter which family he is, but what he cares more about is that Du Heng actually said that being in his deserted Dongli Palace is better than a lively palace banquet.

"Do you eat melon and fruit snacks?" Chonglin pointed to the rosewood round table beside it, which was filled with various small snacks and fresh melons and fruits sent by the imperial dining room.In the twelfth lunar month of winter, fruits are rare and precious. They need to be transported eight hundred miles from the south by express horses, and they will freeze to death later.If it weren't for high-ranking officials and dignitaries, it would be difficult to buy with silver.

Du Heng glanced at the fruit plate, went to pick a pear, picked up the knife on the tray and sat back by the bed.His fingers are long and slender, with slightly protruding knuckles, dexterous and powerful, and he is surprisingly skilled in peeling the pear skin.

"Do you like pears?" Watching Du Heng peel the pears with great interest, Chonglin leaned up and sat up, coughing uncontrollably.

"Come on, open your mouth." Slicing the peeled and translucent pear flesh into his hands, Du Heng said, "If you cough, you will know that you have asthma, phlegm and blood stasis. Eating pears is the most effective."

Just eating a few slices of pears with Du Heng's hand, Chong Lin's dry throat felt better, so he smiled at him, and Du Heng also smiled.The two faced each other and giggled for a long while, each having fun in their hearts, they turned their eyes away at the same time.

Throwing away the pear core and washing his hands, Du Heng casually wiped his wet hands dry on his body and sat back, raising his eyes to see the book on the bedside. "What book are you reading?"

"..."Southern China Sutra." Chonglin's voice was like a mosquito.

"You like this?" Du Heng made no secret of his surprise.

Chonglin's ears turned red, and he shook his head hurriedly.It's not because he likes it, but because the Taifu only preaches the Taoist scriptures, and the father only allows the princes to read the Taoist classics.Kings and grandchildren are often not as free as ordinary people in the market. With a little money, they can go to the street to buy books and read freely. There are chapters, legends, ghosts, and beautiful stories.But living in the palace, he had no choice at all.

"Ha, no wonder you look sluggish. Every time I'm forced to read Taoism scriptures, I'm so sleepy." Du Heng uttered the forbidden words in the palace without any intention of repentance. Raising his eyebrows, he leaned closer to Chonglin and whispered, "Next time I'll bring you a few good books, it's guaranteed to be interesting."

"En." Chonglin nodded. "Remember what you said."

The two kept their heads together, talked a lot, and smirked at each other from time to time.It was obviously just meaningless chatting, but I felt extremely happy.Until the eunuch came in to add charcoal to the fire, he was frightened by the extra teenagers who screamed.

After the death of the mother and concubine, Chonglin lost his protection, as if suddenly falling from the sky to the ground, having tasted the warmth and coldness of the palace, she was used to wearing a mask to disguise herself.He is on guard against others, even the eunuchs and maidservants serving nearby.Only the lazy boy who broke in suddenly, ignored the rules but was really free and easy, easily opened his heart.

From the very beginning, he never cheated on Du Heng.

After that day, Du Heng found an opportunity to steal four or five times and brought him picture books and novels.The two nestled on the bed laughing and chatting, peeling some fruits from time to time and sharing them, and the time spent together was extremely happy.

Chonglin suffered from cough and asthma since he was a child, but it was not enough to kill him.Not long after Concubine Hua's death, Concubine Zhao Gui, who took care of him on his behalf, reassigned Du Tingxiu to be his attending physician in the Left Hospital of the Imperial Hospital.The prescription that Chonglin knew and prescribed - Donglingcao Huangcen Decoction that regulates Qi and tonifies it.He had taken this medicine since he was a child, and he had long remembered the bitterness in his heart, but when he tasted it again, he felt a slight difference.

Suspicious in his heart, he tried every means to reduce the amount of medicine he took, even if he drank it, he would vomit it behind his back.It happened that Chongjia sent a canary, and Chonglin fed it water dripped with medicinal soup.Over the course of several months, the bird became weaker and weaker, and finally died.

Since then, not only did Chonglin's health not improve, but he became more and more ill, and he was often so sick that he was bedridden for many days.

The national teacher calculated that Chonglin's life would bring auspiciousness and honor, but he committed the evil of Haisi, and if the brilliance is too prosperous, it will bring disasters and diseases.At that time, the crown prince had not yet been established. In order to save his son's life, Emperor Heng promised not to make him the crown prince, and asked him to rest in peace.

Ke Chonglin knew well that Concubine Zhao must have deliberately murdered her.He was terrified and terrified, and he knew that this matter was life-threatening, and he must never tell anyone about it, so he could only secretly guard against it, like drawing a bow full of strings, and mustered all his strength to protect himself.I never thought that I would reveal the fragility of my heart to a person I only met a few times.

"I... can't trust the attending physician, nor can I trust the people around me. Du Heng, I'm afraid of death, I'm really afraid..." It was the first time Chonglin cried in front of people after the death of Concubine Hua.

Du Heng tightened his arms and gently embraced him, as if he was holding a rare treasure. "Then, do you believe me? If... How about I be your imperial physician? I will definitely not let you die."

Although Chong Lin took him as a joke, he still nodded vigorously, and the words he spit out seemed to be praying. "If it's you, I won't be afraid."

But after that day, Du Heng never came again.

And in just a few days, Chonglin learned from the third brother that the young man he had been with with all his heart was actually the champion of the new department, and that his father was his attending imperial physician—Du Tingxiu from the left court of the imperial hospital!

When we met again, it was in the Zhaode Hall of the Sanjia Yuqian Saint in the new branch.The 15-year-old No. [-] scholar who made a sensation in the government and the public and was known as the genius of the ages actually gave up his fame and asked for it on the spot, and all the officials were shocked.

The disgraceful behavior aroused Hengdi Longyan's fury, and he ordered him to be pulled out of the hall and punished with fifty sticks to wait for punishment.This sentence is half life if not death, even Du Tingxiu dared not excuse his parents and children under Long Yan's fury with trembling hands.Du Heng didn't show the slightest fear, he just stared at Chonglin with a smile on his face.

When Ting Wei came to fight, Chong Lin finally couldn't help but rushed forward, knelt down on the ground, and kowtowed for him repeatedly, begging for mercy and saving his life.

A year later, Du Heng argued again in front of the imperial court against the elders of the imperial hospital, and once again broke the hearts of the world with his undoubted talent.

And the place where they reunited was the Qingxu Temple in Lingshan, where Chonglin lived temporarily to recuperate.Those six months became the happiest time of his life.

However, the more beautiful it is, the harder it is to stay, just like a dream of flowers in the moon and mirror, which will be blown away by the wind.

In the blink of an eye, eight years have passed, and the face of the person has not changed, and the relationship between people has changed.I just don't know, is the Qingshan Taoist temple still in place?

The emperor stayed in Huarong Palace last night, which was very rare since he was lingering on the sick bed.

The morning hours dragged on until noon, and a group of civil and military officials began to beat their shoulders and legs, and then Emperor Heng walked tremblingly with the support of Eunuch Liang.His face was full of sleepiness and tiredness, his face was ashen and ashen, and he looked like he had stepped into a coffin with one foot.

When Emperor Heng sat down, the eunuch in charge announced as usual: "All the ministers have something to report, and if there is nothing to do, leave the court."

"Report to the emperor, my minister Wang Luofu has a book, please play it." An old minister came out holding a wat.

The ministers frowned secretly.This Wang Luofu is a veteran of the two dynasties, he always contradicts the emperor because of his loyalty, he does not please the emperor.Ever since Emperor Heng ascended the throne, he has been demoted three ranks in a row, and he still insists on not changing his mind. He will go to the book every now and then, and every little thing like drought, flood, thieves and famine will bother the Holy Majesty, and all officials will avoid it.

"Long live my minister, the construction of Wangxiantai on Wuling Mountain is absolutely impossible. The stones and timber used in Wangxiantai are expensive and rare, and in addition to the long-distance transportation, Wuling Mountain's terrain is strange and dangerous. The drought in the two counties of Bashu is severe, refugees are everywhere, fertile land is barren, and taxes have not been reduced but increased because of the construction of the platform. It is not a blessing for the common people..."

Before the words were finished, there was already a gasp in the hall.Does Wang Luofu not want his head anymore?

Cultivating Wangxiantai is Hengdi's lifelong wish, to climb high and look at immortals, and then ascend to become immortals and live forever.It was not easy for the national teacher to find out through divination on the altar that Huping Peak in Wuling Mountain is a place where immortal energy gathers. Yesterday, the Holy Majesty hastily ordered the construction of Wangxiantai.Although all the ministers knew it was wrong, none of them dared to ruin the Emperor's happiness.

"What's the meaning of this, Master Wang?" Before Emperor Heng could speak, Dazai Min Shixian challenged with a somber expression. "Wangxiantai is a necessary place for my emperor to cultivate immortality. The people of my dynasty are all people who follow the Tao, and they will be full of joy for this move of Long Live. What is it that wastes people's wealth and is not a blessing for the common people? Sir Wang's words are too unreasonable."

Min Shixian is the eldest brother of Concubine Zhao, who holds great power and has many party members in the court. It is he who recommended Bu Xizi, the national teacher, to Emperor Heng and won the sacred heart.All the officials heard that Dazai came out to speak, and they all bowed their heads in agreement.

"I agree with Dazai, what do the three princes have to say?" Emperor Heng looked at the three princes on both sides.

"Report to Father Emperor." Prince Chongning's tone was neither high nor low, but what he said was exactly in line with Emperor Heng's wishes. "In order to build the Immortal Terrace, I ordered the Ministry of Industry to recruit skilled craftsmen to mine the best dolomite from Yunnan for stone materials. The wood must also be made of Qingcheng Mountain's thousand-year-old spiritual wood. The materials will be delivered soon and the construction will begin."

"Very good. Where are Jia'er and Lin'er?" Hengdi nodded and turned to look at the two beloved sons.

Chong Jia was unprepared, he was at a loss for words for a while, and he hesitated: "My son, my son also thinks that it is right for the father to build Wangxiantai, there is nothing wrong with it." Losing to Chongning in front of the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, Chongjia was annoyed again He was unwilling again, but before he finished speaking, his forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he hurriedly wiped it off with his sleeve.

"Return to father," Chonglin stood up and bowed - because of his frail body, he had given him a seat in the early court. "Building the Immortal Tower is indeed a meritorious deed, and it will benefit thousands of years. In order to show the sincerity of the people of our dynasty, so as to be heard by the heavens, I think that the 800 million taels raised for the repair of the tower should not be limited to the border areas of Berkshire and Shu The county can order the Ministry of Households to collect according to the circumstances of the 36 prefectures in the north and south of the country according to the situation of each place, so that with the favor of the father and the emperor, the people of our court will also admire the Tao."

His words sounded like Puji Tian'en's grace was high-sounding, and it turned out that most of the disasters that had gone to the people of Bashu and Shu counties.The amount of 800 million taels is so huge that if only the two counties are squeezed out to increase taxes, it may spark a civil uprising.Distributed to the whole country, although the implications are wider, the local burden is not so heavy.What's more, Shu County is the boundary of the country, and there are many Hmong and Tibetans in the county, all of whom are warlike.Now that the two counties have not seen rain for several months and the people's hearts are loose, if there is a disturbance, it will be difficult to deal with it.

"What Lin'er said is very true, let's act according to it." Regardless of whether the officials still have the playbook, Heng Di felt tired and got up and left.

As soon as the emperor left, the court boiled like boiling water.

Min Shixian walked up to the sighing Wang Luofu, and said viciously: "My lord, if you put your head on your neck for a long time, you will inevitably get tired. But if you really remove it, it will be chilly." After saying that, he left with a flick of his sleeves. They also dispersed one after another.

Seeing this, a young man in a dark green gown with no grade of wat board in the corner hurried forward to support the trembling old minister Wang Luofu. "Please ask the villain to take you home."

The man in green was Su Qingling.It was Chongning's confession to follow the court this time. He said that he was allowed to get acquainted with the officials. In fact, it was to show that Su Bangyan had become a minister under the curtain, and he had a clear relationship with Chongjia's party. Unexpectedly, he experienced this turmoil.

Seeing that the imperial court had been reduced to such absurdity, Su Qingling gritted her teeth and bowed to Chonglin, not thinking of saying goodbye to the prince.He knew that if the sixth prince hadn't been quick-witted this time, he was afraid that Wang Xiantai would lead to an unimaginable disaster.

Wang Luofu looked at the strange man beside him in surprise, and he still let him help him out of the court hall.

Chong Ning watched Su Qingling leave coldly, without hiding his anger, he turned and left from the apse.

The dispersal of officials is a big scene, officials in twos and threes go out of the hall together, chatting with colleagues nearby from time to time.At this time, the people were almost gone, and a few people who were patronizing and chatting lagged behind, but there were people who were more idle than them——

Du Heng walked slowly with leisurely steps like a drunken dream, his long hair was half tied up, and the open purple robe was loosely draped over his body, the sleeves were vacant, giving him an air of dust.Xiaodi pushed him hard behind with the medicine box in his hand, but he didn't see him walking a little faster.

"A big man, wearing brightly colored clothes, with disheveled hair hanging out into the main hall, how decent is he?" Mr. Ge, the elder of the Ministry of Punishment, frowned.

"Princess Du is well-known for being romantic and famous. All the oirans in Fengqilou are fascinated by him. I heard that they have a home and don't go back. They stay in the brothel every night." Lu Shilang, the Ministry of Rites, was full of contempt, but he couldn't hide his sour taste. .

"The reputation of the Supreme Hospital has been completely ruined by him. Fortunately, his father Du Tingxiu is still sentenced by the court, but his son is quite frivolous."

"You are proud of your talents, you can do some monster things with a handsome face."

"I heard that the court ladies and concubines are rushing to seek medical treatment from him, and Imperial Physician Du never refuses anyone who comes."

"It's been notorious for a long time..."

Ministers, you talk to me, and the more you talk, the more lively you are.Du Heng was not surprised by this scene long ago, he glanced at Chonglin at the end as if he hadn't heard anything, and walked away with a lazy smile.

"This Du Heng is too arrogant, I will definitely report to my father to punish him!" Chong Jia was already suffocating because of the incident just now, but seeing Du Heng now, he recalled the crown prince's support for him in every possible way that day , and even more angry.

Chonglin was thinking about looking at Xiantai before, but he was disturbed by Du Heng's stare. Hearing this, he couldn't help turning cold, and his words were out of proportion, and he rarely became bitter. "What's the use of venting your anger on him? If you hit him today, aren't you afraid that he will pay back ten times to the prince?"

Being poked in the sore foot, Chongjia became even more angry. "So what, my majestic third prince is still afraid that he will fail? Just because he is the prince, he dares to openly hook up with the imperial physician and find a man to sleep with him, such a lowly..."

"Enough! This is the Zhaode Palace!" Chong Linmeng's loud roar hurt his lungs, and he coughed and panted in pain, his face was pale and lifeless.The body that was already stricken by the wind and cold is now agitated, and it is difficult to sustain the outbreak.

Slowly speaking, several officials and guards not far away were stunned. Even Chong Jia, who grew up with him since he was a child, had never seen his sixth younger brother get angry and blush, let alone lose his composure and yell in front of others. .Seeing that he was coughing badly, Chong Jia hurriedly ordered someone to call the imperial physician.

Pressing the third brother's hand, Chonglin panted for a long time before intermittently whispering: "Just now, I'm sorry... to fight the prince, you need... to put in more effort, don't do everything... to fall behind..."

"I know, it's all up to you, don't drink the cold wind!" Chongjia didn't care about the prince at this time, he only cared about his brother's body.

"Listen to me... Su Qingling, recruit him to the military department... Please order, hurry up..." As soon as the words were barely finished, Chonglin's eyes darkened and he passed out.

The last shout resounding in his ears seemed to be Du Heng's voice, not "Your Highness" but "Chonglin", as if returning to the past... Consciousness sank into the dark pool, but he felt relieved and nostalgic.