Chapter 116: A Countermeasure at Hand; An Aphrodisiac to Restore the Body

Di Renjie realized that his own influence was too limited, and the Crown Prince, currently nothing more than a figurehead, was in an even weaker position. If things continued as they were, within half a month, even the number of men Di Renjie could personally command would surpass those of the Crown Prince. Therefore, he had to look to the Pei family.

These top-tier aristocratic clans were immensely proud. One should not assume the Imperial family commanded absolute deference; if a princess’s conduct was poor, they would refuse her without hesitation. The Lu and Zheng families, for instance, would never deign to align with the royals. Even when it came to the Crown Prince selecting a consort, if the Prince were deemed unworthy, these families might well withhold their consent. Witness how Empress Wu killed Empress Wang, yet dared not touch a hair on the head of the Taiyuan Wang family—such was the weight of their heritage.

However, this Crown Prince was different. He was the renowned "Benevolent Crown Prince." In recent days, Pei Judao had appeared remarkably low-key, humble, and radiant with good spirits. Once, from a distance, Di Renjie caught a glimpse of the General’s expression and nearly vomited.

It was a look of genuine delight. If the Crown Prince did not object, not only would Pei Judao assist him, but the entire strength of the Eastern Branch of the Pei family could be placed at the Prince’s disposal. With proper maneuvering, the power of the other four Hedong branches—the Western, Xima, Southern Wu, and Central branches—could, in a sense, also be brought into the fold. After all, when people spoke of them, they simply said "the Hedong Pei family," without bothering to distinguish between the Xima or the Southern Wu branches.

At the very least, if asked to help track down these two types of people, they would not refuse.

As the conversation turned increasingly sensitive, even Bi'er was dismissed.

Suddenly, Li Wei said, "That won't do."

Even Wei Yuanzhong was puzzled; Di Renjie’s plan seemed sound, so why did the Crown Prince object?

The reason was simple: there was one thing Di Renjie did not know—the power of psychological suggestion in aiding recovery. Did the Imperial physicians in the two capitals truly lack the skill of Ming Chongyan? That was not the case. But first, he would perform a ritual—an act by a man of "ability"—and then administer the appropriate medication, which would indeed alleviate the Father Emperor’s illness. If one did not believe it, even if they summoned the legendary Sun Simiao, the "Sage of Medicine" himself, his results would not match Ming Chongyan’s, for the old master certainly did not possess the sorcery of Ming Chongyan.

One could try to invite a master of illusions to the palace to expose Ming Chongyan’s tricks, but Li Zhi would surely wonder what this young man was trying to do. Was he trying to sabotage the doctor and prevent the Emperor from recovering? Of course, once the illusion was shattered and the psychological suggestion lost, the Emperor’s condition would never improve again. But if the Emperor felt that way, he wouldn't need to wait for his own demise—at best, he would be deposed; at worst, he would end up like the son of Emperor Wu of Han.

Forced by his environment, Li Wei had finally learned to think. The art of statecraft was not hereditary; it was learned and forged through pressure. From Crown Prince to Emperor, how many heirs did not endure a miserable existence?

He didn't voice the rest, changing his tone instead: "Besides the Father Emperor’s misunderstanding, if his illness were to relapse, I would be deeply troubled."

Di Renjie and the others could hardly say, "Just let your father die sooner so we can get ahead." If Li Wei truly possessed such thoughts, these upright officials might well have left in disgust.

"Your Highness, are you saying that the witchcraft itself is ineffective, and it is merely a psychological effect that helps the patient recover?" Ximen Chong asked, perplexed.

"Exactly. The ways of Heaven are distant and profound; how could we mortals possibly control them? It is not that I do not believe in ghosts and gods, nor that I do not believe in sorcery. Ximen, consider this: throughout history, how many emperors have neglected state affairs because of occult practices? The nation has withered, and the people have suffered. Was it because these emperors were insincere in their devotion to the spirits? There are four seasons in a year. Spring arrives, the swallows return, and plowing begins. Autumn arrives, the swallows depart, and the harvest begins. As for people, there are distinctions between men and women, and the cycles of life and death. Men farm and fight; women weave and bear children. This cycle of the seasons and all things is the true way of Heaven. Using medicine to treat the sick is a human skill. But using sorcery is to rely on the power of ghosts and gods—it is to go against the natural order. Would the spirits truly lend you their power? And even if they did, they would lend it to a master like the monk Kuiji, not a man like Ming Chongyan. Are the gods truly so inverted in their judgment of good and evil?"

Although the explanation was somewhat strained, it left Wei Yuanzhong and the others speechless.

Whether gods existed or not, even if they did, aside from the divine armies, there were only a few thousand spirits the common people actually cared about. Even if one were to count every single thought, in a universe filled with countless stars and worlds, could it be that only Earth possessed intelligent life? Could the gods possibly manage it all? But this could not be explained. The people believed in either Heaven or Earth. Clearly, the moon, which was larger than Lingnan, contained only two broken huts and a laurel tree—it certainly wasn't as large as the Eastern Palace. And the stars, which were roughly the size of the sun, were certainly smaller than the rubies on his mother Empress Wu’s phoenix crown. How could one explain that?

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on this realization." Whether Li Wei’s logic held water or not, they offered their congratulations first.

***

The failings of fallen monarchs were always the same: a fondness for beauty—not that it was wrong, but one could not be like King You of Zhou, who lit the warning beacons just to see a beauty smile. Extravagance—King Zhou of Shang was the classic example. Or listening to the slander of alchemists, for which the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han committed many follies. Or being too weak, allowing eunuchs and in-laws to seize power. Or being too indulgent in play, ignoring state affairs. As long as these were avoided, one was essentially a good emperor. How good, exactly, depended on the Emperor’s own capability.

Li Wei was not perfect, but he possessed concepts from the future that were far more democratic than the current era. Thus, while Di Renjie and his companions were constantly racking their brains for him, they did so with a sense of purpose. What would such a Crown Prince be like as an emperor? This was a recurring fantasy for them.

However, this realization blocked Di Renjie’s previous plan. Yet, after a moment of contemplation, he said, "It is not entirely without a path. If it is sorcery, I am helpless."

He didn't know if such things truly existed, but there were some—like Pei Xingjian, or Li Chunfeng and his master Yuan Tiangang—who were men of immense talent. If they encountered true magic, or these rare, unbelievable individuals, even Di Renjie would be powerless.

But Di Renjie added with proud resolve, "As long as it is a human act, I can surely bring the truth to light. This time, I will let it pass, as his accomplices are likely within the Imperial Palace, and I lack the means to investigate there. However, he is a man who practices sorcery; he cannot perform in the palace forever. He has come to the Eastern Capital alone, and the accomplices he borrows can only be the trusted subordinates of Scholar Xu in the Eastern Capital. As long as he practices his sorcery outside the palace, I can intervene from these two angles and surely uncover the truth."

This was not only a solution, but it was more effective than the previous plan, as it would dismantle the conspiracy from within. With solid evidence of having deceived the Emperor, the Empress, and the entire court, even if Xu Jingzong were determined to protect him, he would still face the executioner's blade.

"A brilliant plan," Yao Yuanchong remarked.

"It is not entirely brilliant. As His Highness said, as soon as we move against Doctor Ming, it will surely invite the Emperor’s wrath. Let us wait." They would wait to see if, once Xu Jingzong was toppled and Ming Chongyan was left isolated and helpless, he would change his ways. If he did, they would simply treat him as a pampered divine dog kept by the Emperor.

But even Wei Yuanzhong began to admire Di Renjie more and more.

News of the affairs at the Ministry of Justice began to spread. Though they were backlog cases, none were trivial matters. In truth, some cases required even a genius like Di Renjie to dispatch men to investigate for days before closing them. However, he did not need to personally oversee every detail. While his subordinates gathered evidence, he continued to process other cases, maintaining a steady and rapid pace.

Of course, only someone with his intellect could pull this off. Anyone else would have surely faced disaster.

Watching the four men leave, Li Wei let out a sigh. "It is truly exhausting."

Since transmigrating into the body of the Crown Prince, he hadn't enjoyed much luxury; instead, he had been physically and mentally drained for months.

Xu Jingzong listened quietly to his old servant’s report. When he heard of the Crown Prince inviting Ming Chongyan to the palace, he muttered, "This Crown Prince is becoming quite troublesome."

The old servant replied, "Master, it is not necessarily him, but the four advisors he keeps. Especially that Assistant of the Ministry of Justice—he is formidable at investigating cases; he can resolve hundreds in a day. I was thinking on the way here: perhaps Doctor Ming’s sorcery is indeed a sham."

"If it is a sham, that is good. If it were real, I could not control it. Precisely because it is a sham, he must rely on the men I have given him, and thus he cannot escape my grasp."

"But Master, I worry that if that Legal Officer Di discovers the flaws..." The servant hesitated. That was the crime of deceiving the Emperor. If it were traced back to Xu Jingzong’s instigation, or to Xu Jingzong’s men, his master would be in grave danger.

"That is true. Go to the Eastern Capital for me once more. Tell Ming Chongyan to be careful."

"Yes!" The old servant replied, though he felt a sense of resentment. He thought of the long journey by fast horse. He was old, and his master was old; the constant back-and-forth was unbearable. Yet, he understood his master’s plight. These matters were of great consequence; his master dared not even write a letter, trusting only him with the message because he had served him for so many years.

"Wait. I have one more thing to ask you. Think carefully."

"What is it, Master?"

"How many times has the Emperor summoned Ming Chongyan to the palace?"

"It seems to be every day, to diagnose the Emperor."

"Is the Empress present?"

"I did not ask Doctor Ming, but the Empress is always concerned for the Emperor. I imagine she must accompany him during the consultations."

"Go and tell Ming Chongyan that the Empress is also ill."

"But the Empress is in good health."

"Is it you who decides that, or Ming Chongyan?"

"It is Doctor Ming who decides." Regardless of whether the sorcery was real or not, his medical skills were genuine.

"The Empress works hard for the nation, and her body is drained; she needs some aphrodisiacs to replenish her vitality. However, if this leaks out, it will invite criticism. Tell Ming Chongyan to be subtle and careful; no one must discover it. In any case, he is very well-versed in the properties of medicine."

"But Master, what do aphrodisiacs have to do with replenishing one's health?" The old servant was stunned. The Empress was in her forties—the age where a woman is at her peak—but the Emperor was sickly and struggling to satisfy her. Adding aphrodisiacs would only cause chaos.

"The Empress is a good woman. She has labored so much for this nation, yet the world does not understand her. It is a great injustice to her. Even in the days of Emperor Taizong, she was not fully cherished. The Emperor’s health has never been good. But Ming Chongyan is quite capable; he has talent, knows both medicine and sorcery, and is very witty and robust. Yet, Ming Chongyan possesses this advantage and does not know how to use it. When I first saw him, I took note of his appearance. I suspect his sorcery is mostly fake; it is his appearance and his medical skill that are his true strengths, the true path to his success. Alas, he is still a bit dull and needs my guidance. But this is not urgent. You have followed me for many years and are getting on in age. You can take this trip slowly and consider it a chance to relax..."

Before Xu Jingzong could finish, the old servant rolled his eyes and fainted from shock.