There is a god in the sky

Chapter 343 Revenge 12

"Wangchuan, what are you doing?" Officials close to the Xiao family were all sweating bullets for him.

Mr. Xiao walked over, his expression also very solemn.

Xiao Ji bowed to the assembled officials and said, “Uncles, this matter was not arranged by your nephew. Although Shen Lan is my subordinate, I did not instruct her to do everything.”

Besides, she was speaking out for her own family member; it has nothing to do with me.

Naturally, no one believed it. Even if a woman was exceptionally talented, it was impossible for her to find so much evidence in just a few months after arriving in Beijing.

"Wangchuan, you'd better think this through. Offending the Tong family is the same as offending the Crown Prince. You are the most promising member of the Xiao family."

Someone patted Xiao Zhengyang's hand, signaling him to try and persuade him.

Don't ruin the Xiao family's bright future for a woman.

Shen Lan followed the emperor to the side hall, where the imperial meal had already been prepared.

The palace maids helped the emperor wash his hands and change his clothes. He removed his crown and sat at the dining table wearing only a yellow undergarment.

In an instant, the aloof emperor transformed into a kind and approachable old man.

But Shen Lan dared not treat him as an ordinary, kind old man.

"Come and sit down, and dine with me."

Shen Lan was indeed hungry, and the food on the table was truly tempting. She found a seat furthest from the emperor and sat down.

"Your Majesty, I am ignorant of etiquette and my eating manners are unseemly. Please do not take offense."

The emperor chuckled and said, "Eat up. Even if you, a young girl, indulge in a feast, it will still be a delight to watch."

Once the emperor started eating, Shen Lan didn't stand on ceremony, but she only ate the dishes in front of her.

It tasted good, but she wasn't really in the mood to savor it.

When they had almost finished eating, the emperor suddenly asked her, "Who taught you how to perform autopsies?"

According to the previous account, Shen Lan was "my adoptive father. He was a Taoist priest and also a folk fortune teller."

"Then you must have surpassed your master." How could a Taoist priest, who isn't even a proper coroner, possibly teach such a professional disciple?

“This humble servant has a talent for this field.”

"You are very talented in painting. Do you have any other skills besides that?"

Shen Lan hesitated whether to speak or not, when the emperor tentatively said, "The Shen family has been practicing medicine for generations. With your talent, if the Shen family were still around, you would surely be able to carry forward their medical skills."

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I am also able to access the collection of prescriptions accumulated by the Shen family over generations, except for the one that was lost."

The emperor was slightly shocked.

"You...know medicine?"

"Before the age of five, I was the best student in the family at learning traditional Chinese medicine."

A five-year-old child starts learning from the womb, but how much can they really learn?

But the emperor suddenly remembered some news.

Zhao Jinxiao said that after Xie Kenian was sent back to the Xie family, Shen Lan was asked to treat her.

He thought the Xie family was desperate and trying to make Xie Kenian's death more graceful, which is why they invited Shen Lan.

After all, she was an expert in burial makeup, and now that I think about it, perhaps they really did ask her to treat the illness.

He placed his hand on the table and said, "Come here and take my pulse."

Shen Lan hesitated, then uneasily declined, saying, "This humble servant dares not diagnose His Majesty's health. There are plenty of skilled imperial physicians in the palace."

"If I tell you to look, then look."

Shen Lan had no choice but to take his pulse, thinking to herself that even if she knew the emperor was unwell, she couldn't possibly cure him.

She is not a medical professional and therefore does not need to adhere to medical ethics.

The emperor's pulse seemed fine, steady and strong. The last time I heard a similar pulse was when Tong Yiwen had it.

She suddenly realized that perhaps she wasn't making a false accusation; Tong Yiwen had indeed stolen the prescription and was taking the same medicine as the emperor.

"His Majesty is in good health."

"Oh? No symptoms?"

"My medical skills are limited, and I cannot see it."

Actually, there is something there; beneath this steady pulse, one can detect a slight abnormality.

According to Shen Lan's guess, the prescription that her grandfather did not carry forward might have been flawed, otherwise why wouldn't the younger generation know about it?

Moreover, the emperor used human blood as medicine for many years, believing it to be a great tonic, but this was not the case.

Human blood contains some viruses to some extent. If someone ingests it raw, there may have already been some lesions accumulating in their body.

Whether the emperor believed it or not, he still trusted older doctors more when it came to healing and saving lives, as Shen Lan was far too young.

"Alright, get out. I will take care of things for you."

Shen Lan secretly pondered that the emperor meant he was going to use this case to punish the Tong family.

Does he intend to replace the crown prince?

"His Majesty is not acting on behalf of this humble servant, but on behalf of your subjects. Your illustrious name will surely be remembered for generations to come!"

Shen Lan wasn't exactly a master at flattery, but she had a sincere face.

The emperor put his dragon robe back on, donned his crown, and, after tidying his attire, walked out in a very good mood.

Shen Lan didn't really understand him, so it was hard for her to figure out what he was thinking.

She wondered what the Tong family would do next if they knew the emperor had already decided to kill them.

Eunuch Wu jogged over to help the emperor and whispered something in his ear.

Shen Lan didn't hear the whole thing, but he did hear the words "Crown Prince".

She followed the emperor back to the main hall, where civil and military officials were already lined up, and at the very front of the procession stood an elderly man with white hair.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

The courtiers knelt in obeisance.

The emperor looked down at his ministers, his gaze falling on Master Tong, and said in a loud voice, "Rise, Master Tong, come forward."

Tong Shanzhang took a few steps forward and stood in front of the steps.

The emperor stepped down, took his arm, and led him to the center of the court.

The ministers were terrified.

These two standing together really do raise some suspicions; Tong Shanzhang looks far too young.

“My dear minister, why don’t you share your secret to eternal youth with everyone? Look at Lao Bi, I remember he’s five years younger than you, and his face is all wrinkled up like a chrysanthemum.”

And then there's Dong Qing. He just turned forty this year, but looking at his face, you could easily believe he's fifty.

The minister whose name was called bowed his head in fear and trepidation, a silly grin on his face.

They didn't know whether to be grateful that the emperor still remembered their ages, or to feel sad that they looked old.

Tong Yiwen said self-deprecatingly, "I'm afraid my face will make everyone suspicious. It's just a matter of maintaining my health. You all work hard for the court and indulge in wine, women, wealth and power, so it's natural that you look older."

Does Your Majesty still remember Master Guanyun? He is ten years older than this humble subject, yet he has the same white hair and youthful face.

Taking this opportunity, Tong Xiuqing cried out in protest: "Your Majesty, you are wronged! My father and I are devoted to the court and loyal to Your Majesty. If we truly had any secret recipe from the Shen family, we would certainly have presented it to Your Majesty. How could we dare to keep it to ourselves?"

With his father's arrival, he felt more confident and even dared to imply to the emperor that they should either join forces with the corrupt officials or be ruined together.

"How could I doubt my own family? You are my most trusted and capable ministers!"

Tong Xiuqing knelt down to express his loyalty, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust. For the sake of Da Xi, I will dedicate myself to the cause until my dying breath!"

"Hehe, get up. Minister Tong has worked hard and made great contributions in managing the Ministry of Revenue all these years, and I have seen it all."

He abruptly changed the subject, pulled a memorial from his sleeve, and threw it in front of him.

"However, I recently received a memorial impeaching Minister Tong for embezzling public funds over the years. The accounts are even written down clearly. I cannot tell the truth from the falsehood. You should defend yourself."