Dingbei Hou's doctor brother

Chapter 201: Fire in the Court

When Lu Ziqing stepped into the threshold of the Qianqing Palace, he saw civil and military officials standing on both sides. He suddenly felt a sense of solemnity and the atmosphere was so depressing that it made him feel uncomfortable.

He has not been to the court for a year since he came to the capital. Except for the time when he was on duty during the Emperor's birthday, this is his second time to be in the palace. Now that he has been summoned by the emperor, it must be no small matter.

He became cautious and walked to the front facing the officials' gazes. He exchanged glances with Xiao Yan and kowtowed to Emperor Shengzhi.

"Your Majesty, I, Lu Ziqing, the Chief Judge of the Imperial Hospital, pay my respects to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor."

Emperor Shengzhi stood up in response. He did not ask any questions immediately, but looked at Lu Ziqing quietly. The hall was silent for a moment, and the eyes of the court officials were all fixed on Lu Ziqing.

The atmosphere was very strange. Lu Ziqing could see from the corner of his eye that Xiao Yan was looking at him. After a while, he was the first to break the silence and ask a question.

"I wonder why the Emperor summoned me to the palace?"

Emperor Shengzhi then regained his attention and asked with a calm expression and a serious tone.

"The Imperial Censor has accused you of using sorcery to seek personal gain among the people. What is your response to this?"

Lu Ziqing's eyes moved, and he asked the first question in a roundabout way.

"Since Emperor Taizong, our dynasty has banned all sorcery and witchcraft. I am deeply troubled. I wonder where the Emperor's claims about witchcraft originate."

Emperor Shengzhi stared at him sternly. "Lord Fang was critically ill a while ago. Rumors had been circulating that he had a strange illness, with incomprehensible speech and delirious speech. The Imperial Hospital was helpless. But when you went to treat him that day, Lord Fang kept showing strange symptoms, like a woman screaming miserably. How do you explain that?"

Lu Ziqing understood and said in a steady voice, "Master Fang has indeed been bewitched."

With just a few words, your mother's heart was suddenly shaken. Emperor Shengzhi narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "So, you admit to using witchcraft?"

Lu Ziqing raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "I only explained the evil spell that the Lord was bewitched, but I did not admit that I used sorcery. The two cannot be confused."

Before Emperor Sheng Zhi spoke, Guan Feiling spoke first.

"Since Court Judge Lu has already admitted that Lord Fang was bewitched by some evil magic, then what else could possibly cure this illness but sorcery? Court Judge Lu was being ambiguous and unclear in court. Is he trying to deceive someone?"

"Master Guan, aren't you being a little hasty?" Zhang Tong continued. "The Emperor hasn't spoken yet, why are you so anxious?"

Only then did Guan Feiling realize that he had behaved impolitely in front of the palace. He glanced at Emperor Sheng Zhi cautiously, lowered his head and said nothing.

As he was speaking, Feng Qi came in from outside the palace and reported, "Your Majesty, the witness has been brought here and is right outside the palace."

Emperor Shengzhi summoned two people, who were dressed as housekeepers, to kowtow in front of him. He asked them questions.

"You two look up and see if you recognize the person next to you."

The two men looked up, and the thin man said, "Your Majesty, I recognize him. He is the red cloth doctor who treated my master."

These two people were the butlers of the fat Master Lu and Master Kang. Lu Ziqing also recognized them and he rubbed his fingertips faintly.

This chess game is aimed at him. As long as the rumors of witchcraft are confirmed, the only person in the court who will be affected is Xiao Yan.

As long as Xiao Yan is suspected of using witchcraft to sneak into the court, he will be charged with crimes such as misleading court officials, alienating the princes, and endangering the people.

The Xiao family behind him will also be affected, and in the end, he will be charged with conspiracy to usurp the throne. This move has a very long-range impact, and even if he doesn't die, he will be skinned alive.

Lu Ziqing listened silently as Emperor Sheng Zhi asked the two housekeepers.

"The Red Cloth Divine Doctor you're talking about is actually the Imperial Physician from the Imperial Hospital. Why are you two reporting that your master has been bewitched? Do you know what the crime is for openly slandering an official?"

The thin man trembled with fear and lowered his head, saying, "Your Majesty, I dare not lie. The Red Cloth Divine Doctor treated my master very effectively before, but later, for some reason, my master began to feel pain all over his body. The prescription is still the same. I consulted several doctors in the past two days, but none of them could help."

"Strangely enough, while cleaning the yard, the servant found a straw doll with my master's name and address, along with a small tuft of hair, in the dirt in the corner. My master hadn't consulted a doctor for a long time before the Red Cloth Miraculous Healer, and the package was also found before he consulted the doctor who came later."

"I didn't think of the doctor first. I heard that many people in the nearby houses had the same symptoms, and they all became so after being treated by the Red Cloth Divine Doctor. So I had to speculate on this matter."

"Yes, Your Majesty." said another butler.

"I'm only speaking the truth, absolutely not lying. Because of this incident, we've heard rumors that some unscrupulous doctors use sorcery to make people sick, then use it as a guise to treat patients and earn a fortune. We've heard this, and since so many people have experienced this, we've become suspicious."

Lu Ziqing looked at them sideways and asked, "Excuse me, both of you, when did I treat your master?"

The thin man thought for a moment and said, "Probably in September."

"September." Lu Ziqing said calmly.

"It's already midway through March of the following year, approaching April, which means it's been half a year. If I were to cast a spell to harm your master, then according to my purpose of making money, shouldn't the spell have taken effect shortly after I diagnosed your master? Why did you come to me for help? Why did you have to wait so long? And why did it take only these past two days to take effect? ​​Isn't that against common sense?"

"Furthermore, the radiation area is so wide, so I should have been treating patients and making money long ago. Why did all those who sought treatment wait until now to experience the so-called strange phenomena you mentioned?"

"This..." The thin man was speechless for a moment, and then said: "Since you can use witchcraft, you must choose the time to attack."

"Oh?" Lu Ziqing nodded silently. "Half a year, I didn't come early or late, but I chose to wait until two days before the Emperor came to summon me to let your master get angry? I passed up a great opportunity to make money, only to wait for the Emperor to find out? Don't you think this question is ridiculous?"

The two stewards were unable to answer, so Qian Shilang from the Ministry of War spoke up.

"As for the idea of ​​making money, the two stewards mentioned it just now. That's based on their hearing of many similar incidents and their reasonable speculation. Perhaps it's not about making money, but something else?"

This statement is just short of putting the label of treason on Lu Ziqing's head, that is, using sorcery to bring disaster to the world first and then seizing the country.

Lu Ziqing turned sideways and stared at him, then asked bluntly, "What do you want to say, my Lord Minister? Please be frank and clear. I am too stupid to understand."

Qian Shilang didn't dare to be the first to speak out for something that hadn't been confirmed, so he stammered and squeezed out a sentence.

"I am only making a reasonable guess, and I have no other intention."

"Qian Shilang's speculation is quite interesting," said Shen Wenlan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. "What direction is this alluding to?"

"Shen Shilang, please don't over-interpret this." Guan Feiling said, "Since we are investigating the case in the court, we can raise all reasonable questions to prevent any mistakes or omissions."

"If you gentlemen have no objection, I will continue." Lu Ziqing retracted his gaze and faced Emperor Shengzhi.