"May we report, Your Majesty! As you order, we have took The Outstanding Physician of Mount Laojun to seek your audience, and he is now waiting in the Front Yard!"
Reading seriously the report of the Jingnan Campaign, Zhu Yunwen looked up. His face gleamed as he saw the seven emissaries he ordered had now returned. "Thanks Heaven! I am just worried that he will reject me! After all, it's indeed the nature of strange hermits, they don't like nobles and politics!"
"But... errr... Sire... the physician is..."
The expression of the seven emissaries hardened. However, the topsy-turvy Zhu Yunwen was totally unwilling to be bothered with their agitation. "Yes, I know, it is indeed the nature of mountain hermit, he must be an odd person, right? No problem. I really need his help regardless. Whether he is an arrogant little kid, or a strange old man, or even a magical spirit, I will still accept him!"
"W... well... then..." The emissaries bowed respectfully, then hailed, "His Majesty invites the Physician of Mount Laojun to come in!"
Zhu Yunwen was so eager to meet with the physician. He tried his best to be well-prepared to have the meeting, and he was ready even if the physician was a strange-faced creature or a scary-looking wizard. In fact, he somehow hoped that God would help him personally, just like the great tales in ancient sage which stated that the Gods were willing to go down to the Earth and help the wise emperors. He leaned forward, so eager at "The Outstanding Physician" who was now entering the Palace Hall.
A second later, Zhu Yunwen's enthusiastic expression disappeared completely from his face. His eyes went so huge as if they almost bulged out. Because for him, the figure of "The Outstanding Physician" was even far more shocking than the worst demon.
"Fifth... Uncle..." Zhu Yunwen blinked. The sound coming out of his lips was no more than a whisper.
Standing in the Palace Hall, Zhu Su gave a confident smile. He put his hands in front of his chest, then bowed down to salute. "Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor. It is a great honor for me, a petty mountain hermit, to be trusted to help you. What kind of help may I offer to you?"
Zhu Su's voice was calm and clear. His eyes glittered sharply, and his lips kept on giving a smile full of confidence. Judging from the first glance, Zhu Yunwen apparently seemed to be afraid of Zhu Su. And Zhu Su had won the psychological warfare from the young emperor.
Zhu Yunwen immediately realized this unnatural atmosphere. He also curved a smile. "How are you, Fifth Uncle?... I am so shocked, because I think you should still be in prison, and only occasionally come out to serve the punishment of working in the fields? You aren't supposed to be a mountain hermit who can have the opportunity to stand in the Palace Hall, are you?..."
Zhu Su's smile turned wider, now formed a cynical smile. "Ah... if you are mentioning Zhou Wang, Zhu Su, then of course he will never have the chance to stand here. Because he has died. Beheaded by your orders!"
Zhu Su's words were a great surprise for Zhu Yunwen. "What do you mean?! I've never given any order to kill my uncles! And if you were beheaded, then how could you still be alive and standing here?! Such an outrageous slander!" He punched the table. "Fine! Then I will prove your words! I will call the guards to behead you right now!"
"You dare do it?"
"Why not?"
"Do you forget that the reason I can be here is because of your request?"
Zhu Yunwen was speechless. Zhu Su was totally correct.
Zhu Su gave an insulting smile. "The Great Jianwen Emperor! You punish your uncles, even force one of them to die miserably! Then now, you say that you need the help from an outstanding physician of Mount Laojun to help the people, but after the physician comes, you want to kill him instead! Huh! How will Ming become triumphant under a "great" leader like you, who have the heart to slaughter the innocents just because of momentary lust?!" He folded his hands together. "Alright, just execute me! After all, I know that you do want to kill me! But with you condemning me to death, then that deadly epidemic can't be solved, hmm?" His eyes narrowed. "Do you wish to be recorded as the silliest emperor in the whole history of The Great Ming?"
Zhu Yunwen's hand was hung stiffly in the air. His face went white. He hesitated.
Fang Xiaoru came forward. "Your Majesty, the brilliant physician is not only Zhou Wang himself! We will look for others, so don't worry..."
"Fang Xiaoru, have you assigned the royal physicians to deal with the epidemic? Can they solve it?" Zhu Su immediately asked.
Fang Xiaoru tut-tutted, very annoyed. He knew what actually Zhu Su meant by asking this question - even the greatest physician was incapable to diminish the epidemic.
"As far as I know, the royal physicians are using Xiu Zhen Fang as their references. Such a big honor for me, even the well-known physicians have great respect for Xiu Zhen Fang," Zhu Su said calmly. "Xiu Zhen Fang itself is written not only by me or Physician Li, but by many other contributors, we use real experiences, we interact with the sick people and look for the medicinal herbs directly from nature. And now I even get few more years of medical experience, the Team of Wellbeing has accepted more members, and the patients we are handling now number in hundreds every day - they come not only from Yunnan, but also from Guizhou, Suzhou, Jingzhou... and Yingtian. Of course, my team is very different from your royal physicians who are only taking care of nobles and royals, right?"
The whole palace hall was now in total silence. All officials indeed just kept quiet, but deep inside their hearts, they believed that Zhu Su was not only boasting. They had to admit that Zhu Su's ability in medical science was unmatched by anyone during this era. Xiu Zhen Fang was indeed proven successful in filling so many vacancies in Chinese medical science, and later, it was only during the Ming Dynasty that Xiu Zhen Fang would be printed dozens of times since many people needed this mini-but-very-useful book.
Moreover, Zhu Yunwen was his nephew who had been very close to him. Of course he was doubtless of his fifth uncle's talent.
"Alright... Fifth Uncle..." Zhu Yunwen said weakly. "I request the help of Fifth Uncle to diminish the epidemic in the suburban of Jiangsu."
"Wait." Zhu Su interrupted. "Do you think I will definitely help you?"
Zhu Yunwen was startled. "Wh... what do you mean?!"
"Just now you intend to behead me, how can I feel at ease to work under your command?"
This time Qi Tai ran forward. He even raised his sword and pointed it directly at Zhu Su's neck. "Zhou Wang, don't you dare be impudent! You dare insult His Majesty, this is enough to execute you!"
Zhu Su kept standing still. Instead of worrying about Qi Tai's threatening sword, his eyes were now staring straight at Qi Tai's eyes. His expression was dull, even though the tip of Qi Tai's sword was pressing into his neck.
"Stop it, Qi Tai!" Zhu Yunwen called out. "Fifth Uncle... I diminish that order. And..." He was stammering. "And... I also... cancel the order which put you in exile... temporarily..."
Very angry, Qi Tai pulled his sword. He unsheathed it, did not stop cursing.
But the amnesty from Zhu Yunwen did not make Zhu Su bow down excitedly or thank reverently. He only said, "Oh, one more. I am not a god. If I can't diminish the epidemic, then you have no right to sentence me to death! Keep that promise!"
This time, Zhu Yunwen punched the table wrathfully. "Don't talk nonsense anymore! Just go to the suburban of Jiangsu and solve that case!"