"Fu Wang! Thank Heaven, you are fine!"
Zhu Youdun and Gao Qing had been welcoming Zhu Su and Hu Nayin even when they were just stepping into the front yard. Their faces were filled with happiness.
"I am so worried since I heard the news that Fu Wang and Miss Nayin were imprisoned!" Zhu Youdun's cheeks turned crimson as he was so delightful.
Zhu Su smiled, assured his son. "Yes... an incident has occurred... but now we have been free and can return home... just for a while..." He said this last sentence with a gloomy face.
Gao Qing joined in, "Actually, what happened?"
When they had entered the house and sat in the living room, Zhu Su told him at length what he and Hu Nayin had experienced. Everything, in much detail. Including the racist behavior of senior officials towards him.
"It reminds me of a sentence in the Hexagram of The Wanderer which is exactly the same with my current situation, "The bird's nest was on fire, at first the wanderer laughed, but finally became sad, he lost buffalo, this was truly a disaster"." Zhu Su was gazing away. "What my teacher has said before is totally correct. Unless we are in our own homeland, we will be always considered as foreigners. Just make a little problem and the natives will immediately exaggerate it. As it happens right now."
"If I am allowed to give an opinion," Gao Qing opened his mouth, "What you are experiencing right now, can be experienced by anyone even if they are not a stranger."
"No, Sir... it is more severe..."
"Do you think the natives won't get into trouble if they fail to heal the royal family?"
Zhu Su was unable to answer this Gao Qing's question.
"I tell you; Anyone who possesses more brilliant talent will certainly get two things from others - admiration, and jealousy. You are smart and brilliant, it attracts admiration from the King and other royal families. But on the other hand, the senior officials who feel threatened by your presence, envy and hate you. Isn't this what makes your nephew exile you? Because he is afraid that you will threaten his Emperor's position? And at that time you're in your own motherland... more severely, you and your nephew are still of the same blood, right?"
Zhu Su moved forward a few inches as he was intrigued by what Gao Qing said - it was totally correct, anyway.
"It's just that the label of "foreigner" is more easily used as provocation, Sir Gao. And it will make anyone who hear it feel uncomfortable," Zhu Youdun continued.
"But not because you are labeled as a foreigner then you should succumb to them. Fight for what you have to fight for. You can't run away from all this, you have nowhere to run anyway. This is your place, you have to struggle here. You must fight till the end!"
Zhu Su gasped. Gao Qing was correct, he should not give up so easily. This was not over yet, in fact, this was the most important stage.
The stage, which would determine his future destiny.
***
The king stared at Zhu Su thoroughly. "Queen Dowager says, she feels no progress whatsoever. Her arm and leg are still palsied," He said sharply.
"Please be patient, Your Majesty. It takes time." Zhu Su answered in a respectful manner.
"Until when?"
"Until Queen Dowager's Qi is fully collected. At that time, she will automatically move her arm and leg."
"And when will it be realized?"
"It depends on the metabolism of Queen Dowager in digesting the medicine."
A strong wind suddenly blew through the window as the senior official said, "Mr. Su, you only have one chance. If you make a mistake again..." His eyes narrowed, "... prepare to bear the consequences according to royal law."
"This is how the tonic medicine works; slow and time-consuming. Especially if the patient's condition is very weak. This is an inarguable process, if you are impatient and force us to follow your own ego, then don't expect the goal you want can be achieved," Zhu Su said stiffly.
The senior official replied to him with an annoyed snort.
***
One day had passed, and another day had passed again. But there was still no any expected progress at the queen dowager.
"What on earth is going on, Mr. Su? The Queen Dowager still can't move the right part of her body?" It was obvious that the princess was worried. The princess could talk to him because Zhu Su accidentally met with her in the queen dowager's bedchamber (it was impossible for him to avoid her there).
Zhu Su's brows knitted, he was also perplexed. Queen dowager still appeared as before, no noticeable changes appeared on her body. He muttered confusingly, "Do I need to change the composition of the concoction?"
"Don't do that." Unexpectedly, the queen dowager uttered. "I believe in this medicine. If you change it, perhaps it won't be as good as this one."
Both the princess and Zhu Su now gazed at the queen dowager with great enthusiasm. "Is there any good improvement for your arm and leg?"
"Not yet." Zhu Su and the princess looked disappointed. "But I feel fresher and healthier than before."
"Really, Queen Dowager?!"
Queen dowager nodded. "Before, just waking up for a while will make me drowsy, but now it doesn't. My concentration is also sharper and I can't forget things easily."
"Ah, that's good. I am very happy to hear that." Actually, Zhu Su did not expect that his medicine would lead to this effect, it was not his purpose after all. What I am looking for isn't fulfilled, what I don't seek is instead manifested! Oh well, everything will be good as long as Queen Dowager is not antipathy to my treatment!
***
"There was still no meaningful progress, Sir. But the Queen Dowager trusts my concoction," Zhu Su reported happily.
The five-o'clock evening sunlight was glowing on Gao Qing's face as he replied, "The most important thing in treatment is to make patients trust their physicians. Some even say; If you can make patients trust you, even if you give a leg pain medicine for their headaches, they will still get well."
Zhu Su chuckled. "It is far less extreme as what you've said, Sir. Still, reliable competence from the physician is needed in professional treatment."
"Then! You have the competence for sure, right?"
"But evidently... much slower than my presumption..."
Black-bluish clouds started to cover the sun. The wind blew hard, making the three of them who were sitting in the backyard shiver in cold. Gao Qing stood up. "It's getting darker. Looks like it'll be very cold tonight. Come on, go inside the house."
However, right at the time when they were stepping into the door, a peculiar shout came into their ears.
"It's true... it's His Highness!"
This shout... is in Chinese?! Zhu Su turned back at once, and suddenly stunned.