Chapter 57: The Calligraphy of the Liu Family

  "After discussion with all colleagues, we have a risky plan that may help the empress to get through this difficulty. However, for this plan, we cannot guarantee absolute safety." Wang Ziku knelt on the ground and reported the result of their discussion.

  "Tell me, what is the good way?" Li Shimin walked down from the bed and gently helped Wang Ziqi up, saying: "My dear, you can speak freely!"

  "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Prince Wang Qi stood up and replied: "We think of adding a supplementary medicine - arsenic - to the herbal medicine used by Her Majesty the Empress."

  "Mercury?! " Li Shimin's eyebrows furrowed, he knew these imperial physicians would not joke about the Empress's life, they didn't dare to, nor did they have the guts. But this mercury was a highly toxic substance, how could it be used to treat people? What if there was an accident...

  "No way!" Li Chengqian jumped down from the bed, reacting extremely violently. He shouted at Wang Zikuai and the other imperial physicians: "Wang Taizhong! Arsenic? How dare you people think of it! Do you want to poison the Empress Dowager to death?"

  The crown prince's one sentence made all the imperial physicians kneel down on the ground and kowtow: "Your subjects dare not!"

  For the imperial physicians, this prescription is also too risky. If it were used on ordinary people, it would be fine, but now the medicine is for the empress, the mother of a country, how can they not be careful? However, on the other hand, if there was no other way to cure her, why would they take such a risk? No one would be willing to gamble with their own heads.

  Li Shimin didn't understand medicine, but he understood people. After so many years of commanding troops and governing the country, he was still very skilled in the art of handling people.

  So when Li Chengqian yelled at the imperial physicians, he didn't stop him. Giving these imperial physicians some pressure would make them more careful.

  After a while, seeing that the imperial physicians were all frightened, Li Shimin finally spoke up and rebuked Li Chengqian: "Crown Prince, the imperial physicians would never dare to harm the Empress. Don't speak nonsense, step aside!"

  "Yes, Your Majesty." Li Chengqian bowed his head in response, not daring to refute, and after glaring at the imperial physicians, he returned to Empress Longsun's side.

  "Everyone, please get up." Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "The Crown Prince is also too worried about the Empress Dowager. When he speaks, it's inevitable that he'll be a bit thoughtless. Everyone, don't take it to heart."

  "We dare not!" The group of people who had just gotten up knelt down on the ground again. The prince was the future emperor, and even if they wanted to, they didn't have the guts.

  "Alright, Wang Xu, you are the head of the Imperial Medical Office. Tell me, how do you plan to treat the Empress? What is your level of confidence?" Li Shimin anxiously asked about the Empress's illness, directly calling out his name.

  The prince looked around at his colleagues and bowed to Li Shimin, saying: "In response to the emperor's words, we are prepared to use ephedra, cassia twig, pinellia ternata, asarum, dry ginger, schisandra chinensis, almond, hoelen, licorice root, and a small amount of mercury, decocted in a gentle fire, five bowls reduced to three bowls, administered to the empress in installments. This medicine can nourish yin and tonify yang, treat cold evil qi, warm lungs, scatter cold, transform phlegm, stop coughing, and calm panting. However," Wang Ziku carefully looked at Li Shimin and said: "Whether this powerful medicine will be effective or not, we have only a 30% guarantee."

  "Only thirty percent?!" Li Shimin's heart suddenly skipped a beat. The imperial physicians dared to use the highly toxic mercury, and they only had a thirty percent chance of success? Li Shimin looked at Empress Longsun who was still unconscious on the bed, and with a wave of his hand, he said, "Very well, follow Minister Wang's instructions...go prepare..."

  Three-tenths is better than one-tenth.

  "Wait!" Li Chengqian stepped forward once again, calling back the imperial physicians who were about to leave.

  Liu Yitiao's occipital bone had just touched the pillow when he was woken up again by Liu Ertiao.

  This time, Liu Er Tiao was carrying a lantern in his hand.

  Yellow undershirt, big red cloak, shiny head, fat smiling face. Dumb and lovely, smile is kind.

  "Maitreya Buddha?" Seeing this strangely styled lantern, Liu Yitiao blurted out, this lantern was incredibly similar to the Maitreya Buddha of his past life. But, had the Maitreya Buddha already appeared at this time?

  "Haha, I didn't expect Brother Liu to be a Buddhist too, and he can even recite the title of this Buddha." A hoarse but energetic voice sounded from outside the door. Then an old man in a hemp robe walked in from outside, smiling and praising: "This Buddha was painted by a Western monk and has not been circulated in China, Brother Liu can recognize this Buddha, it's clear that his knowledge is vast and extensive."

  Liu Yitiao saw that there were still guests arriving, and he secretly gave Liu Ertiao a glance. This kid is so careless, someone's coming and didn't even give a heads up? He hastily put on his clothes, got out of bed, and bowed to the old man: "This elderly gentleman, please forgive me, I don't know what to call you?"

  "Mr. Liu is polite, visiting in the middle of the night and disturbing Mr. Liu's good dream, I hope you can forgive me!" The old man returned the courtesy: "I am Gong Sun Wenda."

  Liu Er Tiao also chimed in from the side: "Big brother, Gong Sun's old fellow is the one who sold me the lantern. He has come specifically to see you."

  "Gongsun Wenda? Gongsun Wuda's younger brother, a famous landowner in San Yuan County?" Originally still puzzled by the old man who knocked on the door at midnight, Liu Yitiao suddenly became spirited. He hastily bowed and greeted: "So it was Mr. Wenda who came to visit, what an honor! Please sit down, Mr. Wenda."

  The old man didn't stand on ceremony, casually finding a chair in the house to sit down, and smiling at Liu Yitiao said: "Liu Xiaoge doesn't need to be polite, I and Bo Fang are old acquaintances, this Yang Fu may not be more familiar with me than you! Don't be polite to me. If Liu Xiaoge doesn't mind, just call me Old Man."

  "Ah, just like that, one stroke is enough!" Seeing the old man's excitement, Liu Yitiao took another step forward, bringing their relationship a little closer.

  "Alright, alright, come on in, my two nephews! Come sit down together!" Gong Sun Wenda was extremely enthusiastic in his greeting. He seemed just like the master of the house.

  After waiting for the two brothers to sit down, the old man took out a scroll of calligraphy and painting from his bosom and carefully spread it out on the table beside the chair.

  At a glance, it was the one he had written for Liu Ertiao earlier.

  Gongsun Wenda pointed at the words on the painting and asked Liu Yitiao, "Nephew Yitiao, is this couplet written by you?"

  Liu Yitiao humbly said: "It's really a work of mediocre talent, the writing is simple and the words are clumsy, it will make Uncle Gongsun laugh."

  Gongsun Wenda waved his hand and said, "One of my nephews is too modest. Whether the couplet you came up with is ingenious or not, we won't discuss for now. The font you used to write it is also quite extraordinary, very similar to a popular style of calligraphy in the capital these days, known as Liu's Calligraphy."