Dingbei Hou's doctor brother

Chapter 202 Self-certification

"Your Majesty, the timing of the two of them accusing me just now is extremely unreasonable." Lu Ziqing said.

"Furthermore, I would like to explain that the reason I was able to cure Elder Fang's evil illness was not due to any sorcery at all. It was simply a set of secret acupuncture techniques taught by my master. I don't know who spread such panic-stricken words."

"Acupuncture secret method?" Emperor Shengzhi glanced at the ministers who were discussing the matter and asked, "What acupuncture secret method can cure evil diseases?"

"Your Majesty doesn't know." Lu Ziqing explained calmly.

"This acupuncture method is called the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles. It was created by the legendary doctor Bian Que, the ancestor of medicine. It is now recorded in the medical books collected by famous masters. These precious collections have been passed down through the dynasties and can be consulted in the Imperial Hospital's library."

"Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles?" Qian Shilang interjected. "I'm not very familiar with this medical art, but just hearing the name of this set of acupuncture techniques sounds incredible and full of evil spirits."

Lu Ziqing said, "If the emperor doesn't believe it, he can ask Xu Yuanpan for confirmation, or he can have someone check the Imperial Hospital library."

Emperor Shengzhi thought for a moment and ordered, "Call Xu Shizhang to the palace."

Xu Shizhang was just outside the hall. A moment after Gao Jian summoned him, he entered the hall and kowtowed to Emperor Shengzhi.

Emperor Shengzhi asked him, "Lord Xu, you are the most senior doctor in the Imperial Hospital. What are these Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles?"

Xu Shizhang answered steadily.

"Your Majesty, the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles are a unique acupuncture technique created by the legendary doctor Bian Que. Although I haven't personally witnessed it, I have read about it in medical books during my teaching years. However, this acupuncture technique is very powerful and requires a master to pass on the knowledge. Therefore, few people have mastered it, and naturally it is not commonly seen in daily life."

Emperor Shengzhi asked, "So, this acupuncture technique isn't witchcraft?"

"Witchcraft?" Xu Shizhang smiled slightly.

"Your Majesty, this is something passed down by our ancestors as doctors. How can it be considered sorcery? There are many more profound and profound things that have been passed down without a single person passing them on. Each generation is left behind, which is truly a pity."

"However, our Imperial Hospital has undergone so many changes over the years, and we still haven't been able to fully utilize the knowledge left by our ancestors. This is also a deficiency. Lu Ziqing is still so young, but he has mastered this set of acupuncture techniques. It is truly not easy and even more rare."

Emperor Shengzhi's initial serious expression seemed to change as he listened, and he began to become interested. He asked Lu Ziqing.

"Is this acupuncture technique really that magical? Can it cure evil diseases?"

"Your Majesty," said Lu Ziqing.

"Master Guan just mentioned that the name of this acupuncture technique sounds quite sinister. However, it is specifically designed to treat evil diseases, hence the name Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles. It is related to ghosts and evil spirits. Elder Fang was indeed struck by the evil spell of a demon, so I happened to use this acupuncture technique to break it."

"As for the common people I have been treating, they have suddenly fallen ill in the past two days. This is also due to the evil man who persecuted Lord Fang. I don't know who has instructed him to take advantage of the people's ignorance and spread rumors in an attempt to frame me."

"What Judge Lu said is true." Xiao Yan continued to explain.

"That demon is the wanted fugitive I recently reported to Your Majesty. My knowledge of medicine is limited, so it's difficult for me to explain the treatment for this illness. To avoid unnecessary panic, I didn't report the truth. I never imagined this would cause so much trouble. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

The hall was silent for a moment, and Anyuan Hou Xiao Duo urged for a conclusion.

"Your Majesty, this evil man not only harmed the most important people in the court, but also maliciously murdered the people and framed the court officials. If such a demon who brings disaster to the world is used by those with ulterior motives, the consequences will be disastrous. He must be eradicated as soon as possible to prevent future troubles."

As soon as these words were spoken, all members of the Xiao family echoed them. Seeing the situation reversed, Guan Feiling glanced at Yan Qian and lowered his head in silence.

Yan Qian stepped forward to smooth things over.

"It turned out to be a misunderstanding. This evil person actually started to alienate the court officials. It's truly despicable. However, if Judge Lu had a reason, he should have reported it to the emperor immediately. Why would he diagnose the people, causing panic among them and causing such a huge misunderstanding?"

Lu Ziqing said, "Master Yan is absolutely right. It is my fault for not considering things carefully."

The two stewards were escorted out of the palace by the guards, and Emperor Shengzhi asked Lu Ziqing again.

"Lord Lu, you just said that you learned this from your master. Who is your master?"

Lu Ziqing replied, "Your Majesty, my master is Xi Huai."

The court officials were shocked again, including Emperor Shengzhi, who stood up and looked at Lu Ziqing in disbelief.

"You said your master is Xi Huai? Is he Xi Huai, the former director of the Imperial Hospital?"

"That's right." Lu Ziqing said.

Emperor Shengzhi slowly walked down the steps and looked at Lu Ziqing. After a while, he exclaimed in satisfaction.

"Well, no wonder you are so skilled in medicine at such a young age. It turns out you are Xi Huai's disciple. Xi Huai was a miraculous doctor during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He taught a good disciple. Not only did he save a high-ranking official of our dynasty, he also cured many difficult and complicated diseases for the imperial concubines. He also saved the people of Meizhou from hardship, which is also a meritorious service. Reward."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan secretly laughed. He saw Lu Ziqing kowtow respectfully to express his gratitude, and then saw Emperor Shengzhi sit back on the dragon throne and speak.

"As for your private diagnosis of the common people, I will not pursue the matter any further. The common people have their own doctors. Lord Lu only needs to be responsible for the affairs of the court and the harem."

Outside the Qianqing Palace, the square was full of red and green, and ministers were heading towards the Qianqing Gate in a large crowd.

Xiao Yan and Lu Ziqing walked side by side. He looked at the glazed tile eaves and said, "Before you came, I was worried. Fortunately, nothing happened."

Lu Ziqing said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord. I had a premonition before I came here. It's just a minor obstacle that can be overcome. When they brought up the sorcery, I knew what was going on."

Xiao Yan smiled slightly, "Today is your first time attending the court. You remained calm and composed from beginning to end. I told you that you are outstanding."

Lu Ziqing also laughed, looked around, and whispered to Xiao Yan. At this moment, he looked a bit like a child whispering.

"However, I really don't like this court. So many people standing there just arguing, and whoever wins the argument gets to listen. Is this how court is always?"

This was the first time Xiao Yan saw Lu Ziqing like this, and he even commented on his personal preferences. He kept looking at Lu Ziqing's sneaky look from the side, and felt that he was a little cute in a different way than usual.

"There's nothing special about attending court. It's just about reporting daily affairs. Often, as you said, when there's an argument, whoever wins gets to listen. Lord Fang fell ill after arguing with them in court. Fortunately, you're here. The demon must be hidden now, and there's no clue where he is."

Lu Ziqing thought for a moment and said, "As long as they are still in the city, it will be easy. I will check again at night to see if I can find them."

Speaking of this, Xiao Yan became interested again and laughed softly.

"I feel like you are an immortal. What you do is beyond our comprehension. If I hadn't encountered that strange thing in Shuzhou before, I would have found it hard to believe that you are so proficient in such magic. It is truly incredible."

There were only the two of them left at the back of the square. Lu Ziqing walked slowly past the Qianqing Gate and asked, "Strange thing? Are you saying that the contents of that cloth bag were used?"

Xiao Yan hummed, then said with a smile, "I've seen many dead people in my life, but this is the first time I've seen a ghost, and a female ghost in a red wedding dress. I'm lucky to have you, otherwise I wouldn't be able to come back to see you."

"Such a thrilling thing, isn't your Majesty afraid? You sound so relaxed when you say it." Lu Ziqing said, "At that time, I was just giving you a precaution, but I didn't expect it would actually be used."

"As for whether you're afraid or not..." Xiao Yan asked, "Do you want to hear the truth?"

Lu Ziqing nodded silently. Xiao Yan said, "As the saying goes, if you have done nothing wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking at your door. However, as a mortal, when you truly face something that is different from you, you will still feel a little fear. But as long as I think about coming back to see you, I am not afraid."

Lu Ziqing couldn't answer such a question, so he could only avoid the topic and then say in a concealed manner that the Imperial Hospital had important matters to attend to and he had to leave first.