Volume 1: Kyoto Winds and Clouds Chapter 14: Seeking Medical Help for His Son Huang Zhong Goes to War

  Liu Zhang and Liu Yan exchanged a smile, they were not afraid that Huang Zhong had conditions, but rather that he would refuse outright. So Liu Yan smiled and said: "I don't know what conditions the mighty Huang has, as long as it's not too excessive, I will definitely agree!"

  Actually, Huang Zhong didn't want to come to Luoyang. As the ancient saying goes, "people are attached to their hometown and hate to move", he was no exception. It's just that his son had contracted a strange illness, and after taking medicine for over a year, there was no improvement. All the famous doctors in Jingzhou couldn't cure him. Although Huang Zhong was only in his twenties, he already had white hair - that's how anxious he was! One day, a doctor passed by Jingzhou, and Huang Zhong, with the idea of "curing a dead horse as if it were alive", took his son to see him. The doctor immediately prescribed a treatment plan, and after Huang Zhong's son took the medicine, it actually worked! However, the medicinal materials were too expensive, and ginseng and deer antler were especially pricey - the more expensive, the better! The doctor also said that if he wanted to completely cure his son, he would have to take the medicine for at least two years.

  This is not taking medicine, it's clearly eating gold! Huang Zhong was just a military officer, how could he have so much money? Back and forth, he would be bankrupt! Just when Huang Zhong was at his wit's end, Liu Yan's envoy arrived! With the idea of trying his luck, Huang Zhong came to Luoyang, but Liu Yan actually wanted him to be a bodyguard, that is, a house slave! If it were usual, Huang Zhong would have left with a flick of his hand, but now he decided to exchange his freedom for his son's life!

  "I can be a house slave, but my son cannot!" Huang Zhong said solemnly: "My son is suffering from a strange illness and needs very expensive medicine. If you can provide funds for my son's treatment, I will sell my life to you! Even if my son dies, I will not regret it!"

  "Brother Han Sheng, with your abilities, it's a waste to be a house slave!" Liu Zhang said seriously: "Now that the great Han has no war, wherever you are, without a powerful background, you can't make any progress. And I need a guard, so I brought you from Jingzhou. If there is a war, I will definitely recommend you as a general! Moreover, I have told the emperor that I want to be the Huo Qubing of this dynasty, and Brother Han Sheng's abilities are just right to be my left and right arm! As for your son's illness, I said I would take care of it! Tomorrow I will go to the palace to ask the emperor to send an imperial doctor to diagnose and treat him, and you don't need to worry about the medicine. But I don't know if your son has arrived in the capital?"

  Liu Zhang asked, and Huang Zhong felt a bit embarrassed! Because not only did Huang Zhong's son come, but his wife also came! In order to treat his son's illness, Huang Zhong had already spent almost all of his family's wealth and still owed a lot of debt. If Liu Zhang didn't agree to his terms, he could only become a bandit and rob people's homes!

  Liu Yan also counted as a wise old man, he smiled and said: "Since you've come, move into the mansion to live. I'll have someone clean up a separate courtyard for your family! However, you must take good care of Zhu'er!"

  "Huang Zhong said with great gratitude: 'Don't worry, sir. From today on, I will be the young master's house slave. If anyone wants to harm a single hair of the young master, they must step over my dead body!'"

  Liu Yan left very satisfied, and Huang Zhong went to pick up his family. As for Liu Zhang, he returned to the study to practice writing and reading. In the evening, Huang Zhong's family finally arrived! In fact, in Liu Zhang's opinion, Huang Zhong's son didn't have much of an illness, at most it was malnutrition and overwork. However, Liu Zhang wasn't a doctor after all, and he didn't dare to treat Huang Zhong's son recklessly! If he messed up, that would be a big loss!

  The next day, Huang Zhong began to perform his escort duties! Originally, Huang Zhong was already majestic and dignified. In order not to embarrass Liu Zhang, he forced himself to put aside his worries about his son from his face. However, on the way to the palace, Liu Zhang told him not to pretend to be happy, but to look worried and sad, so that people could see at a glance that he was in trouble. Although he didn't know why Liu Zhang gave such an order, Huang Zhong was a soldier, and obeying orders was his duty!

  Liu Zhang enters the palace every day, and the guards are already familiar with him. But today he brought a big man with a worried face, and the guards didn't dare to let him in casually! After reporting, Liu Hong also gave Huang Zhong a waist card. Of course, this waist card can only be used to enter and exit the outermost palace gate, and then Huang Zhong can only go to the guard's rest place to wait for Liu Zhang. After all, the emperor's study is not a place where anyone can enter.

  Liu Zhang entered Liu Hong's study, went through the formalities, and began to listen to Cai Yong's lecture. At first, Cai Yong also didn't notice anything unusual about Liu Zhang, but when he was in the middle of his passionate speech, he found that Liu Zhang's mind was elsewhere, and suddenly felt displeased! Liu Hong saw that Cai Yong was displeased, and hastily gave Liu Zhang a signal with his eyes, but Liu Zhang seemed not to have seen it.

  "Slap!" Cai Yong's ruler fell on the table, startling Liu Hong. Then Cai Yong asked, "Zhuang'er, what did I just explain? What does it mean?"

  Don't think Liu Zhang is just playing around, Cai Yong is listening to the lecture! You know, Cai Yong's ruler in his hand is made of iron. Normally used to discipline the emperor, occasionally it will also come into close contact with Liu Zhang's delicate hands. Of course, Cai Yong doesn't dare hit the emperor too hard, but he has no such scruples when it comes to Liu Zhang! Helping someone get themselves into trouble is something only a fool would do!

  Liu Zhang stood up and repeated what Cai Yong had said, then explained it again, adding his own understanding. Cai Yong saw that he was not distracted and stopped being angry. However, both Cai Yong and Liu Hong were puzzled - normally Liu Zhang was very focused, so why did he seem absent-minded today? After the lecture ended, Liu Zhang also didn't have his usual liveliness, which made Cai Yong and Liu Hong even more perplexed. So Liu Hong asked: "Imperial brother, you seem a bit unhappy today, are you ill or have you encountered some difficulties?"

  "Reporting to the Emperor, I've recruited a highly skilled bodyguard!" Liu Zhang said absent-mindedly: "This bodyguard has exceptional martial arts skills, unfortunately he has conditions..."

  "What is it?" "Is he after an official position, wealth, or a beautiful woman?" Liu Hong asked with a smile.

  "If all these are easy to handle, it's just a matter of money!" Liu Zhang sighed: "His condition is to cure his son's illness. It's said that he visited famous doctors in Jingzhou for his son's illness but couldn't be cured! Later, a doctor gave him a prescription, and it actually worked, but the medicine on the prescription was too expensive, and he couldn't afford it!"

  "Ha!" Liu Hong laughed: "Is it that the Emperor's uncle is short of money?"

  "It's not a matter of lacking money!" Liu Zhang said with a bitter smile: "Your Majesty, think about it, even if the doctor's prescription is effective, can it cure the root cause? I want to find a few more famous doctors to take a look at that child, but I don't know where there are good doctors. Taking a step back, even if the doctor's prescription is really effective, but it needs to be taken for two years, and most of the things on it are like hundred-year-old ginseng and deer antler, which are basically priceless, even if we can afford it, we can't get them in time!"

  Liu Hong smiled and said, "This is easy! If you say that thousand-year-old ginseng is hard to find, hundred-year-old ginseng is used in the palace, packed in sacks. I'll have someone send a few sacks over soon! As for doctors, which doctor is better than the imperial physician?"

  "Really?" Liu Zhang wanted exactly this effect.

  "You're kidding!" Liu Hong smiled and said: "But you used such a great price to help him, is it worth it?"

  "Liu Zhang hesitated, after all, he didn't know how good Huang Zhong's martial arts were. Suddenly, Liu Zhang saw Wang Yue standing beside the emperor, and his eyes lit up: "Why not let him have a trial with Wang Shigong, perhaps we can see his strengths and weaknesses!"

  "This is a great idea!" Liu Hong also liked to watch the excitement, and he smiled at Wang Yue: "I don't know if King Wang is willing to help the emperor try out his guards?"

  A martial artist loves a fight, and Wang Yue was no exception. He smiled and said, "If you're a master, then let's give it a try!"

  Liu Hong nodded and said: "Go and call Huang Zhong in!"

  Huang Zhong arrived at the place where the guards were resting, and he was drinking tea while waiting for Liu Zhang. However, his heart was still worried about his son, so he had a bitter face. When he heard Xiaohuangmen announce that he had come to pay respects, Huang Zhong was startled. He knew it must be something Liu Zhang had done, so he tidied up his clothes and followed Xiaohuangmen!

  Liu Hong saw that Huang Zhong was quite majestic, but his face was sorrowful and bitter. He knew that Liu Zhang's words were not false, so he smiled and said: "Huang Zhong, is it? My younger brother asked me to ask you for a doctor, but my imperial physician is not something that ordinary people can use! You are just a military officer, and you don't have the official rank to use an imperial physician. However, I've decided to give my younger brother some face! If you can defeat my guards, it's as if you've fought him to a draw. In that case, I'll send an imperial physician to treat your son's illness. What do you say?"

  In Liu Hong's eyes, Huang Zhong was definitely not a match for Wang Yue. After all, Wang Yue became famous at a young age, and at the age of 18, he roamed the world alone, entering He Lan Mountain to take the head of the Qiang people's leader, killing hundreds of people by himself, making his opponents dare not block his way. Huang Zhong was just a military officer, it was unknown whether he had fought in battles or killed anyone before. In Liu Hong's opinion, if Huang Zhong could withstand Wang Yue for dozens of rounds, he would help Liu Zhang win over Huang Zhong!

  "Huang Zhong glanced at Liu Zhang and saw that he nodded heavily towards him. For the sake of his son, Huang Zhong gritted his teeth and said: 'Your Majesty, I am willing to engage in a martial contest!'"

  Liu Hong was very satisfied. For the future, it's okay if you don't have great abilities, but if you don't even have courage, then there's no value in staying. Liu Hong smiled and asked: "What weapon do you use?"

  Huang Zhong bowed and said: "Give me a sturdy ring-headed knife!"

  Liu Hong's reading place was the Weiyang Palace, and behind it was a small school field for him to rest and exercise. Under the guidance of Huang Men, everyone came to the school field, and Huang Zhong picked up a knife on the rack and played with it: "Good knife! I'll use it!"

  The things in the palace are basically all fine, so Liu Hong didn't object either. Only to see Huang Zhong use his hand to wipe the side of the knife, and with a fierce swing, a strong momentum was born. Wang Yue suddenly felt a pressure, and his gaze towards Huang Zhong also changed!

  Wang Yue grasped the treasured sword in his hand, making a motion with it. Perhaps the sword-drawing technique of later generations originated from Wang Yue. The momentum was inexplicable and unclear. However, through their momentum, Wang Yue and Huang Zhong instantly understood that they were both warriors of the same level. The two confronted each other, their momentum continuously escalating, and a fierce battle erupted at any moment!