Chapter 316 Another Year of Bloodshed

Donghua Gate, heavily guarded.

Song Cheng, wearing a third-rank official uniform, lowered his head slightly in thought, and was walking slowly out of the quarantined courtyard. His expression at this moment was very solemn.

There was a new breakthrough in the investigation just now, but it was such a coincidence that Chuchun, whom he wanted to ask, died.

"Sir Song, according to the epidemic prevention regulations of the palace, you should wash your hands now!" The chief guard took the initiative to greet him, reminding him vigilantly and respectfully.

A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow, and now Song Cheng has a good reputation in the whole capital, so that the chief guard maintains respect for Song Qingtian.

Song Cheng seemed to have just returned from the sky, looking at the chief guard in front of him and asking seriously: "Who has been here today? Who has had contact with Chuchun?"

"We have been guarding here since the palace gate was opened, and no one has ever been here!" The chief guard was stunned, and then answered very affirmatively.

The two guards standing in front of the door also turned their heads to look at Song Cheng in confusion. This is now the most dangerous quarantine. Not to mention that they will not allow outsiders to enter, even if they are allowed to enter, they dare not enter.

This infectious disease can easily spread to people. Even if you don't die, you will get a pockmarked face, which is a consequence that no one wants to bear.

Song Cheng's face became serious, and he threatened immediately: "Do you know the consequences of deceiving me? Be careful, I will report to His Majesty and punish you now!"

"Sir Song, if no one has really been here, anyone who enters here must register. You can take a look!" Seeing that Song Cheng didn't believe it, the chief guard handed the list on the table to Song Cheng.

Song Cheng saw that the chief guard didn't seem to be lying, so he took the registration list.

But when he just turned to the first page, he was stunned when he saw the first name. It was his official title and name. But this naturally couldn't be himself, so he stayed and continued to check.

When I saw the second name, the fog that had been shrouding my mind slowly dissipated, and the real culprit was surfacing.

The sky of the capital was overcast, and this first month seemed to tell a different story.

The originally prosperous Beijing city seemed to be dead silent. Faced with the sudden epidemic, many people could not see the future at all, and they did not know how long it would last.

At this time, some people in the capital kept fanning the flames, encouraging the people to break through the blockade of the court, making the epidemic more complicated.

Xiyuan, the back hall of the Yangxin Palace, this is the temporary residence of the emperor.

A little eunuch bowed his body and took small steps to lead Cui Taiyi in.

Cui Taiyi was wearing a standard set of imperial physician clothes. He was now nearly 60 years old, with a dry and yellow skin and a beautiful goatee, looking mature and steady.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were many ways to become an imperial physician. Among them, recommendation and donation are not acceptable. Doctor Cui was originally the son of a famous medical family in the capital, and he entered the Imperial Hospital by taking the Imperial Hospital examination.

Like the officialdom, he, a doctor who passed the formal examination, has a more solid diploma, so he usually looks down on those doctors who use connections or money to get in.

Life has ups and downs, and he has been honestly in the Imperial Hospital for more than 30 years. Now he is approaching retirement age, and his life can be said to be dedicated to the Zhu family.

If there is any regret in life, it is that he could have served as the Imperial Hospital Envoy according to his qualifications, but Liu Wentai is very good at managing personal connections.

In the end, the position of the Imperial Hospital Envoy was taken away by Liu Wentai, a mediocre doctor, and he, a good doctor with only skills, has always been unknown in the Imperial Hospital.

Fortunately, as long as it is gold, it will always shine. During this epidemic, he was valued by His Majesty and became the most important doctor for the epidemic prevention in the palace.

"Your Majesty, this is a smallpox vaccination recipe that I found by chance. After many attempts, I have never been infected from beginning to end, and my family's tests have all been effective. For the sake of the people of the world, I ask Your Majesty to take the smallpox vaccination recipe!" Imperial Physician Cui knelt in front of the beaded curtain and presented the prescription very respectfully.

Liu Jin stood outside the beaded curtain and immediately relayed: "Your Majesty has seen Imperial Physician Cui's prescription. Since Imperial Physician Cui and his family have verified it, let's boil it!"

"I accept your order!" Imperial Physician Cui's eyes flashed with joy, and he immediately said respectfully.

The emperor's use of medicine not only has a strict medication process, but also requires someone to try it.

When Imperial Physician Cui saw Liu Jin handing the medicine to the palace maid for trial, the corners of his mouth could not help but rise slightly, but he knew that nothing would go wrong.

In the bedroom of the Yangxin Palace, sandalwood rose.

Zhu Youtang did not expect that the efficiency of the Ministry of War was so high that it had already handed over the candidate for the commander of the Nanyang Luzon Guard, and it was Yu Yuanzan, the Tongzhi of Jianzhou Qianwei.

Facing this candidate, it was actually what he wanted.

In the Enke military examination, although Yu Yuanzan seemed to win unfairly, he was able to exploit the loopholes in the rules and was also a talent who could be flexible.

He successfully rescued refugees as a thousand households of the grain transport, and then he was transferred to Liaodong to participate in the war and also made some achievements. Now he is indeed a candidate for the military general to go to Luzon.

Zhu Youtang knew that if he wanted to cultivate the fields well, he had to let the cows eat grass, so he immediately issued an instruction: "Promote Yu Yuanzan, the Tongzhi of Jianzhou Qianwei, to the commander of the Nanyang Luzon Guard, and return to Beijing to select elite soldiers and strong generals to go there, and the treatment is similar to that of the Donghai Guard!"

From various feedbacks, it is known that although many soldiers miss their hometown because they are far away from their homeland, the current Donghai soldiers are not willing to return at all, but hope to stay on the Donghai Island forever.

This Donghai Island is not the island east of Leizhou Peninsula, but the predecessor of Canzhi Island. Although the two county officials are still Koreans, it has been changed to the sole rule of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, the medicine has been boiled!" Liu Jin led a little eunuch to bring in the medicine pot, and seemed to remind softly.

Zhu Youtang looked at the black medicine pot in front of him and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.

Although history has proved that only Emperor Guangxu died of arsenic, history has always been written by the victors. Who can be 100% sure that the short-lived emperors of the Ming Dynasty are not abnormal?

In this era when the civil service group has infiltrated all aspects of the dynasty, it is really hard to say which will come first, the accident or tomorrow.

Even the emperor who is high above is actually a mortal after all. If you really want to wipe out a living life, it is just a bowl of medicine soup.

At this moment, he doesn't hate Xu Pu and Qingyun Hou's arrogant people so much.

Compared with the ministers who want to bully him openly, this kind of scheming minister is more hateful, so he has to deal with it carefully.

"Put it aside!"

Zhu Youtang put down the affairs in his hands and ordered lightly.

Although he is very anxious now, and the preventive prescription mentioned by Cui Taiyi is very tempting, fortunately he knows that preventing smallpox is not something that can be effective with drugs.

Like the new crown in later generations, let alone ordinary drugs, even vaccines are helpless. The best effect is always to produce antibodies after infection.

In the face of this kind of smallpox that can kill people, if you don't have antibodies in your body, everything is in vain. So the preventive prescription must be a trick, and this Cui Taiyi has a big plan.

"Your Majesty, I just told Cui Taiyi that you have taken it!" Liu Jin came in from outside and reported cautiously.

Zhu Youtang stretched his lazy waist and suddenly asked seriously: "Since Shuyi moved to Xiyuan, she has been running to Baicao Garden?"

"It is true. Shurong comes from a medical family and likes to dry some hay on weekdays! Although there are no medicinal seedlings in Baicao Garden now, she seems to be looking for seedling roots. I don't quite understand!" Liu Jin was stunned at first, and then answered honestly.

Zhu Youtang knew that his concubines did have their own strengths, so he ordered lightly: "Since she understands medical theory, you can call her tonight!"

"Your Majesty, Doctor Cui said that you should abstain from sex!" Liu Jin swallowed his saliva and said with a scalp.

Zhu Youtang's face sank slightly, and he said impatiently: "I am not as bad as you think. I have other things to do with Shurong!"

"As you say!" Liu Jin didn't know what the emperor was up to, but he felt that his emperor couldn't help it, but he still said respectfully.

It was at this time that Imperial Doctor Cui and Song Cheng asked for an audience.

Zhu Youtang was slightly stunned at first, then he said calmly: "Send it!"

"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you the best!" Song Cheng and Imperial Doctor Cui came in together and greeted him politely.

Zhu Youtang sat behind the pearl curtain and sipped tea, and said calmly: "Why do you two want to see me?"

"Your Majesty, after taking the medicine soup, you may have body heat in the next few days. I am willing to stay in the West Garden and serve Your Majesty at all times!" Imperial Doctor Cui answered first, and said loyally.

This...

Liu Jin immediately looked at Imperial Doctor Cui with complicated eyes. This matter was not mentioned at all just now. This was clearly forcing the emperor to agree to let him stay here.

Zhu Youtang raised the corner of his mouth slightly, and looked at Song Cheng through the beaded curtain and said, "Mr. Song, why are you here again?"

"I am here to report the emperor's order!"

"What order?"

"I have found the source of smallpox in the palace!"

...

Song Cheng answered, and his face looked extremely serious.

Huh?

Liu Jin's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't expect Song Cheng's efficiency to be so high, and he actually found the source of smallpox so quickly.

Zhu Youtang spat a mouthful of tea and asked with some interest, "Who?"

"Imperial Doctor Cui!" Song Cheng's face suddenly turned, and he immediately pointed out.

Imperial Doctor Cui was just about to see a good show, but found that Song Cheng pointed the finger at him, and immediately said angrily: "Sir Song, don't spit blood!"

"Imperial Doctor Cui, her menstruation is irregular in early spring, but the prescription you gave her specifically requires fresh fish soaking?" Song Cheng didn't even blink, and asked seriously.

Doctor Cui's heart skipped a beat, but he asked calmly: "It is true! These are all the conditioning methods of our imperial doctors. What can this prove?"

"If it is just Chuchun, it really doesn't prove anything! But I checked all the infected people in the palace, and the seriously ill people were all treated by you for complications, and they all required fresh fish bubbles. Is it just a coincidence? Chuchun is not the first source of infection in the palace epidemic. On the contrary, it makes things reasonable to identify you as the first source of infection!" Song Cheng has a good talent for criminal investigation, and he immediately revealed the truth.

Doctor Cui was horrified, but he still said he was wronged: "You are making such random speculations without any basis, and you are clearly slandering me here!"

"I originally wanted to verify the situation of Chuchun's contact with you, but I found that the person was dead in the quarantine center!" Seeing that Doctor Cui still wanted to quibble, Song Cheng pointed out another thing.

When Doctor Cui learned that the person was dead, he seemed to be fearless and said, "The dead cannot be resurrected!"

"The medicine that Chuchun took today was prescribed by you, right?" Song Cheng had just verified a lot of things and asked directly.

When Dr. Cui saw Song Cheng biting him, he said coldly, "What do you mean?"

"I have just found out: due to the special situation, all the patients' medicines will not be checked by the palace, so you put the heartbreak grass, which is very similar to honeysuckle, in the medicine for Chuchun!" Song Cheng took out the medicine residue from his sleeve and said seriously.

"Your Majesty, it's unjust! I am loyal to your Majesty and I have no such malicious heart. The heartbreak grass must have been done by someone else! Your Majesty has accepted my anti-acne prescription. I am afraid that your Majesty has a fever, so I beg your Majesty not to believe Mr. Song's unwarranted speculation. Please allow me to protect the emperor's body first!" Dr. Cui's forehead was sweating, and he immediately grasped the last hope.

This is an imperial society after all. As long as he can become a useful person next to the emperor, not to mention that Song Cheng has no substantial evidence, a little palace maid is insignificant at all.

Zhu Youtang took a deep breath, but said with a bit of sarcasm: "Doctor Cui, you don't need to worry about this matter, your medicine is still here!"

"Ah? Your Majesty, why did Eunuch Liu just..." Doctor Cui looked at Liu Jin standing in front of the beaded curtain, looking unbelievable.

Liu Jin's mouth corners slightly raised, but he said jokingly: "Originally, Your Majesty just suspected that there was something wrong with your medicine soup, but now seeing your reaction, this medicine is indeed problematic!"

"Your Majesty is wise! Such evil medicine must not be taken!" Song Cheng immediately expressed his position when he learned that there was such a thing.

"Pull open the beaded curtain!"

The beaded curtain and the curtain were slowly pulled open, and Zhu Youtang seemed to be sitting there safely, and the whole person had more and more majesty of the emperor.

This...

It was the first time that Doctor Cui really saw the emperor, and he immediately felt an unprecedented chill, and the black medicine jar was indeed placed on the table.

Zhu Youtang saw the reaction of Cui Taiyi and said directly: "Cui Taiyi, your anti-acne medicine is added with the patient's acne fluid!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, how did you know?" Cui Taiyi's eyes widened, and he never thought that the emperor had the same wisdom as Song Cheng.

"How can such a small trick be hidden from Your Majesty!" Liu Jin immediately mocked with disdain.

Zhu Youtang saw that the matter had been thoroughly confirmed, and said calmly: "Speak! As long as you confess the person behind the scenes, I can let your whole family go, otherwise no one in your three clans will survive!"

As soon as these words came out, murderous intent came from all directions.

Cui Taiyi trembled all over, as if he saw the scene of his family bleeding like a river, and finally realized what a terrifying existence he had provoked.