Yang Lianting revised his prescription three times, finally halting this cholera's spread. At the time, the imperial court could not provide the large amount of herbs necessary, so Zuo Canglang could only lead the troops to gather them from the mountain.
Wenqi also pulled even more troops from Suye city to help, and within Daji city, there was the pervasive scent of medicine. The six imperial doctors all had bad facial expressions, as in this situation, they had been beaten to the cure by a young doctor, which was not a situation to be proud of.
In the night, Wenqi had Zuo Canglang go and invite Yang Lianting over to drink booze. When Zuo Canglang went over, Yang Lianting was currently in the middle of cleaning up his medicine box, putting his golden needles, his silver knife, etc. one by one back into the box. Zuo Canglang said, "The army will return to Suye to garrison the city tomorrow, and marshal Wen wants you to grace the feast with your presence."
Yang Lianting said, "Marshal Wen preparing a feast, I should naturally go."
Zuo Canglang sat on the wooden counter that had held the discected corpse, saying, "Hurry up, I'll wait for you, godly doctor Yang. This time, you can't brush it off."
Yang Lianting took a look at her, and got up to wash his hands. He washed his hands over and over, and Zuo Canglang was finally impatient, standing beside him, asking, "Still not clean? Do you need me to help you peel away your skin?"
Yang Lianting's lips trembled, and pulled a cloth to wipe his hands, saying, "Let's go."
Zuo Canglang followed him out, arriving at the feast.
Military folks weren't particular about things, and were currently all just at the open ground outside the city. Yang Lianting was led to Wenqi's side, and the big and small officials of Daji city all slowly got up, inviting him to his seat.
Yang Lianting walked around meeting everyone, and then sat down by Wenqi's side. Although the six imperial doctors all looked bad, but they still all got up to toast him. Zuo Canglang sat by Wenqi's left side, and saw that Yang Lianting was in the center of the crowd, but had a forced smile.
At the end of the tenth month, the weather cooled, and the plague was finally halted. The great army pulled back, and returned to Suye city. Wenqi ordered people to send Daxi Cheng and Daxi Qin to Jinyang, and Murong Yuan actually didn't make matters difficult for them, but rather gave Daxi Cheng the title of Shan Yang Gong, and gave him a residence in Jinyang. And currently the lands of former Yu were still in chaos, with Western Jing competing for cities with Gu Zhu, still blaming each other. Tuhe had gained eight additional cities, but wasn't sated yet, and desired for Western Jing and Gu Zhu to immediately continue hostilities, so they kept on trying to fan the flames.
Shan Rong and Hun Zhou, although they didn't have sufficient forces, but they kept wandering the land, trying to also get additional pieces of the pie.
In the near future, Great Yan's danger had greatly diminished.
Murong Yuan was greatly pleased, and recalled Wenqi and Yang Lianting, awarding them for their merits. Zuo Canglang accompanied Wenqi to return to Jinyang city. At that time, it was already the beginning of the eleventh month, and Jinyang city actually had an indescribably air of joy permeating it. Wenqi had just arrived at the western Hua gate when many court officials came to receive him, and even the crown prince had come personally.
Naturally, Yang Lianting had been walking with Wenqi, and everyone knew, after this event, Yang Lianting's name would really represent a national doctor's godly hands. Wenqi and Yang Lianting knelt along with all the courtiers, paying respects to the crown prince.
The crown prince first helped Wenqi up, and then he helped Yang Lianting up, and then ordered the others to rise. Zuo Canglang rose, and took a look around, but did not see Murong Yan.
In this type of event, he still did not appear.
Wenqi and Yang Lianting, as well as Xu Lang and the others, would definitely need to enter the palace to receive their rewards. Originally, Zuo Canglang did not plan on going, because Wenqi's intentional or unintentional hampering was a matter she wasn't oblivious to. However, at this time, rather than entering the palace, she even more so wanted to go to Qian Yi marquis's estate, to see that person.
As the crown prince walked with Wenqi, they quietly talked, and Zuo Canglang was just about to leave, when suddenly, Wenqi said, "Ah Zuo, come over here."
Zuo Canglang was startled, and could only approach. Wenqi brought her before Murong Ruo, and actually said very seriously, "This is this subject's military observer, Zuo Canglang, who is extremely talented. Ah Zuo, still not paying respects to his highness the crown prince?"
Zuo Canglang could only lower her head, kneeling, "This soldier pays respects to your highness the crown prince."
In the past, when she stood behind Murong Yan, she had already met Murong Ruo, but what was Murong Ruo's identity? Of course he wouldn't remember a nobody by Murong Yan's side. Only, with Wenqi's serious and important recommendation, he couldn't help but bring a smile, saying, "Rise, someone who is recommended by Marshal Wen, must be both skilled in knowledge and in martial prowess."
Zuo Canglang cupped her hands, saying, "Your highness exaggerates his praise."
Saying thus, she couldn't leave anymore, and could only follow Wenqi and Yang Lianting, behind Xu Lang, entering the palace together.
Within the Yan palace, Murong Yuan personally summoned some people, towards the leader of the troops, those who had picked the herbs, those who had merit, and even Xu Lang and Zuo Canglang received rewards. It wasn't anything extraordinary but some pearls and jade ornaments, and didn't have any sincerity to them. But towards Yang Lianting, he was gifted a sign, "Shu Jing Qi Huang" which was personally penned by the king. It was practically saying, within this Jinyang city, there was no doctor who had received such a glory.
At noon, king Yan kept them in the palace to eat with him, and his mood was not bad, and in his words and actions, he had an aura of joy, creating a scene of benevolence. Under this type of behavior, Zuo Canglang, Yang Lianting, and Xu Lang actually seemed a bit serious and overly tight, as they were after all, still young. And opportunities for directly meeting the king were few.
Murong Yuan looked at Yang Lianting, asking, "Doctor Yang's medical prowess is exceedingly great, and his age is young, but manages to excel past all the imperial doctors. With this type of capability, staying in the public, it is ultimately a bit of a waste. Have you never thought of attaining a royal office?"
Yang Lianting knew that when facing the king, he couldn't directly oppose the ruler's words, but he still raised his head, looking at Murong Yuan's smiling face. It was just eight years ago, that this man had listened to the words of the treacherous, and personally passed an edict, causing the entire Yang family to be executed.
He personally watched his closest relatives being beaten until they died, how they all fell at the executioner's platform. And he could only change his name, living like an abandoned dog, desperately clinging to life.
He tightly gripped his right hand, and lowered his head, looking into the cup of wine before him, lightly saying, "Responding to your majesty, this peasant is a rural and wild person, and is used to being free to move about. But luckily with my profession, whether it is in court or in the wild, I could still serve Great Yan, and there isn't any difference."
Hearing these words, Murong Yuan actually greatly praised his words, "A heart without ulterior motives, not seeking fame, indeed, it is the promising future of my Great Yan."
Yang Lianting didn't reject his words or overly oppose them, "Your majesty is exaggerating, this peasant feels embarrassed."
Right at this moment, suddenly the sound of a bell reverberated from outside. Everyone was startled, and couldn't help but look over. They only saw behind the door, a woman was slowly proceeding forward. Her head was waiting a silver headdress, and she was wearing a reddish white indigenous dress, and on her chest was an exaggerated peacock's necklace. And on her shoulder was a silver bracelet, and as she walked, there would be the tinkling noise accompanying her.
Murong Yuan smiled, saying, "Bai Yu sect's people usually rarely enter the palace, and today, the holy maiden has come from afar here; what is the matter?"
The one who came was exactly Bai Yu sect's holy maiden, and she had slowly walked into the hall, facing Murong Yuan, saying, "Your majesty, I've heard that there was a doctor Yang that had controlled Daji city's plague, Ah Fei dares to enter the palace, hoping to exchange lessons with doctor Yang, so hopes that your majesty does not blame this one."
She had Yi tribe's womens' frankness, as though she didn't feel that coming to see a man was anything to be embarrassed over.
Murong Yuan laughed aloud, saying, "Holy maiden, please rise. Come, men, assign her a seat." The eunuchs began once again setting up the feast seating, and the holy maiden's seat, originally should have been by Murong Yuan's side, but Murong Yuan waved his hand, saying, "Since the holy maiden wants to be acquainted with doctor Yang, then place her seat by doctor Yang's side."
Ah Fei acknowledged this, and really sat in the seat beside Yang Lianting.
Yang Lianting had known about Bai Yu sect, and had heard that within the sect, everyone was familiar with the practice of medicine, and normally medical practitioners would have a lot of dealings with them. However, currently, the holy maiden had come her personally, and didn't even bother hiding that she had come for him, was still a matter that he found a bit odd.
However, he quickly thought of Murong Yan's words. Why did Murong Yan want him to come to Daji city, and why did he charge him thrice not to mind the cost? Why did he send Jiang Xing over to assist him?
Could it be that he was waiting exactly for this moment?
Indeed, what he wanted done was to change the heavens and the earth, so a small doctor, even if he had a brilliant medical technique, what use was he?
Thinking this way, he couldn't help but be distracted. The holy maiden by his side, Ah Fei, spoke to him, "Doctor Yang, this little girl, Ah Fei will toast you first."
Yang Lianting recovered from his distraction, and raised his cup, saying, "No no, let this one first toast you as a show of respect."
The two of them drank a cup, and although Ah Fei was the holy maiden, but she entirely didn't put on airs, saying, "I heard my godfather say that you only used half a month to cure Daji city's cholera, and I had thought you must have been a doctor over fifty, and an old man, but who would have thought you were actually so young. And you look so handsome, too."
Originally, Yang Lianting's heart was feeling heavy, and was thinking of all the blood that had been spilled through the knife cuts. But hearing the last sentence, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. After all, compared to when he was a young master, it had already been many years. Eight years, and this was the first time someone used handsome to describe him. He said, "Holy maiden, you've exaggerated, it was only luck."
Ah Fei drank another cup with him, saying, "Our Bai Yu sect has many people who are familiar with medicine, and if you have an opportunity, come to our Gu She mountain to be a guest. Bai Yu sect still has many sicknesses that even now, are unsolved, and has many scrolls of ancient diseases, and every year, we will organize the doctors' conference, so after I return, I will have someone send you an invitation. You've gotta come."
Her pair of eyes seemed as though they were about to ooze water, and Yang Lianting was afraid to reject, only saying, "Based on your holiness's invitation, Lianting will definitely come and pay respects."
Ah Fei was very pleased, nodding, and then rose to say, "Uncle Wen, I will also toast you a cup."
Wenqi was actually familiar with her, and rose to drink a cup with her. Ah Fei rose after drinking this cup, and lightly bowed to Murong Yuan, saying, "Your majesty, godly doctor Yang has promised to attend the doctors' conference, so I will leave first."
She was cool and decisive, and even if she was being a little bit rude, nobody bothered with stopping her. Murong Yuan said, "Just go."
She turned around, and left the hall. The sunlight fell on her intricate robes. She had come in with resplendent colors, and left with an equally radiant glow, and the hall that had lost her presence, turned into a gloomier shade of gray.
No comments:
Post a Comment