Chapter Sixteen: The Crisis of Life and Death

  Zhilin's life was in danger, and Wang used Xuan to save him. As a result, his soul was tied to a single thread. King Li of Qi and Princess Chang Le sent medicine to rescue him. At midnight, he wandered between life and death, following the clouds. Wang spent the whole day without taking off his clothes or untying his belt, eating and sleeping in the cold garden. Those who heard about it all sighed in admiration.

  The Book of Southern Chu · Biography of Jiang Suiyun

  He forced himself to speak: 'How is Ziyun?'

  Xiao Shunzi turned around, his normally handsome face now twisted in a grotesque expression, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying to behold. He said, "Young master, I don't know how you still have a breath left in you. I used my true strength to revive you, and the guards have already gone to fetch the imperial physician."

  Li Zai's heart slightly widened, and he hastily said: "Go to the Wang Fei's place to retrieve the thousand-year-old ginseng that Father Emperor rewarded me with last year. Also bring some top-quality ginseng. First, brew some ginseng soup for Jiang Xian to revive his vitality a bit. If the imperial physician thinks it's feasible, then we can also brew the dark ginseng."

  Xiao Shunzi's eyes showed gratitude, but he didn't have the energy to speak. In a short while, several guards almost dragged two or three imperial physicians over. The physicians had already learned about the injury on their way and rushed into the house without greeting Li Ze. They immediately went to the soft couch and began treating Jiang Zhe's wounds. They busied themselves removing the arrow, treating the wound, and carrying out basin after basin of bloody water. A bowl of ginseng soup was also brought over in time, and after drinking it, Jiang Zhe's breathing gradually became a bit stronger. However, if not for Xiao Shunzi's internal energy assistance, he might still have lost his life at any moment.

  Several imperial physicians conferred with each other, then stepped forward and said to Li Ze: "Your Highness, the medicinal properties of that ginseng are too strong. Please have it decocted in three portions, taken at intervals of four hours, and not discontinued. Even with the best ginseng to sustain his life, this gentleman's life will be secure for at least half a month. This gentleman is indeed fortunate; his heart was offset by a fraction, so although the arrow injured his heart meridian, he did not die instantly. However, from now on we are truly powerless."

  Li Zai sat down in a chair with a thud, waving his hand: "Go and do it immediately." Someone took orders to go. Li Zai thought for a while, suddenly asking: "Who knows where the medical sage Sang is?"

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, the Medical Sage's whereabouts were elusive, like a divine dragon that appeared and disappeared suddenly. How could they know? Li Zuo said desperately: 'If we can find the Medical Sage, there is still a glimmer of hope, send someone to look for him immediately.'

  Xiao Shunzi suddenly shouted: "Your Highness, the young master is a disciple of the Medical Saint and is quite skilled in medicine. Can't we let him wake up for a while and have him write a prescription to sustain his life first?"

  Li Zai was overjoyed and said: "Really? Is Ruan Yun actually a disciple of the Medical Saint?"

  Xiao Shunzi nodded and said: "The young master used to study medicine under the Medical Sage, although it was not for long, but the young master's medical skills are indeed exceptional."

  Li Zai looked at several imperial physicians, they consulted with each other and said: "Your Highness, we can use a strong medicine to make Lord Jiang wake up for a moment, but this way may worsen Lord Jiang's injury."

  Li Zai said decisively: 'The Medical Sage's whereabouts are unpredictable, if you can't keep Mr. Jiang alive for a month, I'm afraid it will be difficult to wait for the Medical Sage to arrive. You should prepare the medicine first and wait for my orders. For these few days, you must work hard and not leave this place for a moment. If anything happens to Mr. Jiang, I will hold you accountable with your lives.'

  Several imperial physicians nodded in agreement.

  At this time, Dong Zhi hurried over and stepped forward to say: "Your Highness, it's very chaotic up ahead. Those guests are getting anxious. Zi You said, please give the order on how to handle this."

  Li Zai furrowed his brow and walked out of the room, not wanting to disturb Jiang Zhe's treatment. As he reached the door, he caught sight of a guard standing at the entrance of another room. The guard immediately stepped forward and reported: "Your Highness, when the guards arrived, Commander Pei Yun of the Imperial Guard was also in the Cold Garden. Since Xiao Shunzi only said to take good care of him, I had the guards quietly detain him there and arranged for an imperial physician to treat him. It's said that he's covered in injuries, likely from protecting Su Yun."

  Li Zai said in surprise: 'How could Pei Yun be in Hanyuan?' He then turned around and walked in.

  This room was Xiao Shunzi's residence, decorated very solemnly. Pei Yun sat on a chair with his upper garment removed, revealing purple and green palm prints all over. An imperial physician was applying medicine to him. The two saw Li Zuo enter and both bowed in greeting.

  Li Zai waved his hand and said: "You continue." Before long, the imperial physician put away his medical box and bid farewell to leave.

  Li Zai looked at Pei Yun who was quite uneasy and sighed, asking: 'How did General Pei end up in the Cold Garden?'

  Pei Yun said, "Could it be that Lord Jiang sent someone to inform the Crown Prince that his guards who stayed in the Cold Garden were also killed?" He didn't ask much and just recounted the events in detail. It turned out that when Jiang Zhe was shot by an arrow, Pei Yun was also shocked and almost couldn't react. Just as he was about to help him up, he heard a sorrowful cry from Xiao Shunzi. His figure flashed like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived beside the two men. Xiao Shunzi had followed Su Yun for many years and knew some external injury medical skills. He knew that he couldn't easily pull out the arrow, so he could only press a few acupoints to stop the bleeding and then use his true energy to sustain Su Yun's life. He looked at Pei Yun with a cold expression, and Pei Yun knew from his movements that this young man's martial arts skills far surpassed his own. He hastily explained the situation in brief and concise terms. Xiao Shunzi carried Su Yun into the Cold Garden but found that the poisonous hand and evil heart had already escaped, leaving behind only some bloodstains on the ground.

  It wasn't long before the guards arrived, and Xiao Shunzi had them immediately go and invite the imperial physician. He then instructed them to take care of Pei Yun before entering the room himself. Pei Yun naturally knew that he was temporarily under house arrest, but being a straightforward person, he wouldn't be intimidated.

  Li Zai listened to Pei Yun's words, stood up and bowed deeply: "General Pei, you risked your life to save Jiang Sima today. Regardless of whether he lives or dies, I feel the same way as if it were myself. However, since the situation is unclear at present, please stay in the palace for a few days. Moreover, with such severe injuries, it's not convenient for you to return and worry your respected father. Do you have any senior fellow disciples here who can assist you? With their help, your injuries will be easier to treat."

  Pei Yun hastily said: "Your Highness, you are too serious. Pei Yun is willing to follow your orders. I have two masters who are currently in seclusion at the Floating Cloud Temple outside Chang'an City. Your Highness can send someone there, and they will surely come immediately as they care for me deeply."

  Li Zai nodded, most of the guards beside him were selected from the military, and some had extremely high martial arts skills, but they were stronger in external skills than internal skills. Now, with two Shaolin monks, he could rest assured about Jiang Zhe's safety.

  At this time, Gou Jian hastily walked in and said: "Your Highness, it has been confirmed that all the guards guarding the Cold Garden have been killed. One of them died on the road, apparently trying to escape. Apart from Hu Wei and others, the cook from South Chu is also missing. The rest are all in their positions, with alibis for each other, so we can basically conclude that no one else was involved."

  Li Zai coldly said: 'What about those guests?'

  Gu Yan glanced at Li Zai's expression and said: "At that time, Your Highness had already started the banquet, so almost all the guests were in the hall. However, there were a few people who were somewhat unusual. According to the servants, these few people were not at their seats when the incident occurred. They are likely to need Your Highness to inquire personally." He handed over a list.

  Li Zai took it over, with five names written on it: Wei Guo Gong Cheng Shu, Jingjiang Wang Junzhu Li Han You, Huwei General Qin Qing, Jinjun Tongling Pei Yun, and Dainei Deputy General Manager Xiahou Zuo Feng. Li Zai's face was gloomy.

  Gu Yan said: 'We found a strong bow and a bag of white feather arrows outside the garden gate, it seems that the assassin discarded them there.'

  "Your Highness, I once caught a glimpse of the assassin. He was slightly shorter than me, wearing a blue long gown and a silk scarf covering his face. Forgive me, but that's all I could see."

  Li Zai felt a stir in his heart and said calmly: "Guo Jian, I remember that Qin Qing was wearing blue clothes."

  Gou Jiangdao said, "Your Highness must not make rash judgments. General Qin comes from a renowned family and would never be involved in assassination." As he spoke, he glanced at Pei Yun. Pei Yun understood the hint and said, "My injuries are quite severe; may I ask Your Highness if I can temporarily withdraw?"

  Li Zai said: "Inside the Cold Garden, there are still several guest rooms that have been cleaned up. Please, General Pei, choose one for yourself. The two masters who came with you are also welcome to stay in the Cold Garden temporarily. I, the king, have some pressing matters to attend to, so please rest well, General." With that, Li Zai walked out of the room.

  Gu Yan hastily followed up. Li Zuo coldly said: 'If what Pei Yun saw was true, then Qin Qing's suspicion is the greatest?'

  Gu Yan said: "It can't be said like this, Qin Qing is indeed suspected, but..."

  Li Zai walked out of the room and looked at Gou Jian, saying coldly: "Xia Hou Yuanfeng's physique is similar to Qin Qing's, and his archery skills are equally impressive. It's possible that he was the one who did it. And then there's Jingjiang Wang's daughter, Li Han You. Although she is a member of the imperial family, she is also a disciple of Fengyi Gate. There are rumors that she is the ninth direct disciple of the master of Fengyi Gate. The master of Fengyi Gate is an expert in assassination, so if Li Han You was dressed as a man, it's possible that she was the person General Pei saw."

  Li Zuo stamped his foot and said: "No matter who it is, I will not let this person off. Later, you go and ask Pei Yun again, be sure to ask all the details clearly. This king will go see these people first, you go and let Zi You withdraw from the banquet, just say that this king Sima Yu was stabbed and has no heart for drinking. Immediately send someone to the military camp outside the city, have Sima Xiong lead a thousand imperial guards into the city, take over the defense of the Yong Wang Fu, and temporarily hand over the military affairs to Dong Zhi."

  Gou Jian hesitantly said: "Your Highness, the Duke of Wei is afraid that it would be inconvenient to detain him by force, and also privately mobilize troops to enter the city, fearing that he will be impeached."

  Li Zai said coldly: "The Duke of Wei doesn't need to be detained, I don't believe he would do such a thing. You don't have to worry about the mobilization of troops. I will now enter the palace to report to the Emperor, humph! In the imperial city of Chang'an, assassins are so rampant, the Prefect of Jingzhao should be punished."

  Guo Jian hastily said: 'Your Highness has thought deeply about this, I will go and take care of it.'

  After a while, the first dose of Xuan Shen Tang medicine was taken, and Jiang Zhe's breathing became stronger. He no longer needed Xiao Shunzi to constantly transfer energy to sustain his life. Xiao Shunzi immediately began to quietly cultivate his internal energy to recover his strength. By now, he had completely calmed down and would not act impulsively again before saving Jiang Zhe. Not long after, two elderly monks from the Shaolin Temple, Ci Ku and Ci Yuan, hurriedly arrived. After examining their junior's injuries, they finally felt at ease. Emperor Li Ze personally asked the two to guard the Han Garden in his place. Initially, they were somewhat hesitant, but Pei Yun whispered something in Ci Yuan's ear, and Ci Yuan agreed with a smile. Although he didn't know how Pei Yun had persuaded the two elderly monks, Li Ze thanked the three of them sincerely before hastily leaving the mansion to rush to the imperial palace on horseback.

  When it happened, Li Yuan was playing chess with Empress Longsun in the palace, Princess Chang Le sat beside watching, the three of them enjoying a happy family time. Although the news of the Yong Wang Fu incident had spread within the imperial city, it hadn't reached Li Yuan's ears yet. Just as Li Yuan was deep in thought, suddenly there was a commotion outside the palace. Li Yuan angrily asked: "What's going on? Who is making noise outside?" Before anyone could be sent out to check, Li Zuo rushed in, his face furious, clothes disheveled. He rushed to Li Yuan's side and suddenly knelt down and burst into tears.

  Li Yuan was shocked. This son had always been tough, and since he was ten years old, he had never seen him cry again. Why today? He couldn't help but get angry, and hurriedly got up to support him, saying: "Zai'er, what happened? Tell me slowly, your father will take charge for you."

  Li Zhe refused to get up, and wept: "Your Majesty, I, your subject, today summoned a banquet to bid farewell to the swift son, but someone took advantage of the opportunity to break into the mansion, killing 21 guards and two eunuchs, and seriously injuring Jiang Sima, the commander of my mansion. Now Jiang Sima is critically injured and his life is in danger. Your Majesty, I have endured so much, yet still brought about great disaster. How can I still live in Chang'an? If you permit it, I will leave Chang'an and go to Youzhou to guard the border."

  Li Yuan's anger flared up, and he shouted: "Summon the Imperial Censor and the Commander of the Imperial Guard to come into the palace immediately. How could he have handled things so poorly as to allow an assassination attempt in the Yongwang Palace?"

  Li Zai sneered inwardly, knowing that the Emperor did not intend to pursue the matter further, as it was highly likely that the Crown Prince was involved. He decided to let it go and said: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I think the assassin is a top-notch expert, so the Prefect of Jingzhao may also be powerless. However, I am really worried about the safety of the palace, so I beg Your Majesty to allow me to deploy 1,000 Imperial Guards to reinforce the security of the Yongwang Palace. There are also several guests suspected of being involved in the assassination, please allow me to investigate this matter."

  Li Yuan calmed down and said, "Alright, a thousand Imperial Guards is not too many. You must arrange them properly and make sure they do not violate military laws and regulations. As for the suspected guests, you can handle them yourself. However, if you want to execute officials of the third rank or higher, or imperial relatives, you need to obtain my edict first. How is Jiang Sima's injury? He is the number one scholar of South Chu. If he dies like this, I'm afraid someone will take advantage of it and spread rumors that Da Yong is powerless to protect surrendered ministers. Who would be willing to surrender then?"

  Li Zai said with a sullen expression: "The arrow pierced Jiang Sima's heart, if it wasn't for the fact that his heart was slightly off-center, he would have died immediately. Now, his life is still uncertain. I've already used the xuan shen given by His Majesty to save him, and I've also sent someone to find Doctor Sang Sheng. If we can't find him, Jiang Sima's life will be in danger."

  The Emperor sighed and said: "I will issue an imperial edict immediately, ordering all provinces to search for Mr. Sang, you can rest assured."

  Li Zai bowed his head in gratitude and said: "The affairs of your humble servant's household are complicated, I need to return to take care of them."

  Li Yuan nodded and said: "You go."

  Li Zai got up and was about to leave when Princess Chang Le stood up and said: 'Father, I'll see Second Brother off.'

  Li Yuan simply waved his hand in agreement. Li Zuo looked over and saw that Princess Chang Le's face was pale, her expression extremely uneasy. The two of them walked out of the palace, and Princess Chang Le asked in a low voice: "Second Brother, is Jiang's life really in danger?"

  Li Zai sighed: 'If we use Xuan Shen to suspend his life, he can be safe for half a month. However, in order to make him temporarily clear-headed and prescribe medicine for himself, I'm afraid it will only last ten days.'

  Princess Chang Le's face turned pale, and she said in a low voice: "In ten days, Mr. Sang's whereabouts are uncertain, I'm afraid he won't be able to make it." She suddenly grabbed Li Zuo and said: "Wang brother, I also have a stalk of ginseng given by the emperor, half of which I must leave for the empress dowager, her body is not good, I need to be careful. The other half I will give to you, and there is also a pair of bear gallstones that the emperor gave me some days ago, I have been keeping them in ice blocks, but haven't used them yet, Wang brother, take them with you together."

  Li Zai was overjoyed, as Xuan Shen and Xiong Dan were both rare and hard to come by, only occasionally available as tribute gifts from the Emperor. He had not expected the Emperor to bestow these precious medicines on his sister, and he bowed deeply, saying: "This king thanks Princess Jiang for saving his life."

  Princess Changle pulled Li Zuo towards the Cui Luan Hall, walking and saying: "Imperial brother, if Jiang Sima has a chance to sober up, you'll thank him on my behalf, he'll understand." Although Li Zuo didn't understand Princess Changle's meaning, he was overjoyed at unexpectedly obtaining the precious medicine and didn't think much of it.

  Returning to the Wang Fu, Li Zai went to see Jiang Zhe's injuries without stopping for a moment. Entering Jiang Zhe's residence in the Han Garden, he saw Xiao Shunzi sitting beside Jiang Zhe, carefully tending to his wounds. Li Zai approached and took a look, and the imperial physician who was waiting on the side came forward and said in a low voice: "Just now, Lord Jiang almost stopped breathing, fortunately this Shun Gong Gong saved him back, but he no longer needs to be resuscitated."

  Li Zai said in a low voice: 'I brought back half of the Xuan Shen and a pair of bear gall, do you have any confidence to extend for a few more days.'

  The imperial physician smiled and said: 'If so, I, a humble doctor, dare guarantee that at least ten more days can be added.'

  Li Zai nodded and said: "I will give you the medicine, you must do your best to save Jiang Sima, if you can rescue him, I will reward you heavily."

  The imperial physician thanked him repeatedly, but Xiao Shunzi seemed to have not heard and continued to stare at Jiang Zhe. He was filled with endless regret in his heart, regretting that he should not have left Jiang Zhe's side. His heart was full of murderous intent, wishing to cut his enemy into a thousand pieces.

  The following days were like a nightmare, Jiang Zhe was critically ill several times, and the imperial physicians could only barely keep him alive. Twenty-seven days after Rui Yun's assassination, Li Zuo finally made up his mind to let the imperial physician use strong medicine to revive Jiang Zhe. When Jiang Zhe opened his eyes, he saw Xiao Shunzi and Li Zuo's pale faces. Xiao Shunzi quickly said: "Young master, your life is in danger, if you can't wait for the medical saint to save you, it's likely that you won't be able to survive. Now, young master, do you have any way to delay for a few more days? There are still three taels of ginseng left in the palace, and there is also a pair of bear gallbladders sent by Prince Qi. What should we do?"

  Jiang Zhe understood the situation and said in a low voice: "Go get my golden needle, remember the execution needle technique I taught you?"

  Xiao Shunzi nodded desperately and said: 'I remember, I remember very clearly.'

  "In my study, there is a handwritten copy of the Golden Needle technique. Originally, I created this technique to take one's soul, with thirteen sets of needle techniques in total. The first twelve sets are used for torture, while the last set can force out all of a person's potential and save them from the brink of death. When using these techniques, it is possible to cause pain without killing, but the higher your martial arts skills, the harder it is to avoid life and death. I had wanted to teach you this final technique, so that if you were in danger, you could use it to save your life. That's why I've scattered some of the needle techniques throughout our lessons. This set of techniques can force out all my life potential, at least preserving my life for nine days. However, once used, there are no other techniques left. Since we still have the mystic ginseng and bear gall, I'll give you a prescription - after using the needles, take this medicine to extend your life by several more days."

  After Jiang Zhe finished speaking, he saw that the imperial physician had already recorded it down. Xiao Shunzi was in tears, but Jiang Zhe always thought of himself at every moment. He left Jiang Zhe, leaving him with serious injuries. Jiang Zhe stretched out his hand to wipe away his tears and said softly: "Don't be sad, if I unfortunately die, you will tell the prince about my plan, let the prince make a decision, so as not to lose everything because of one mistake. You also don't have to avenge me, take Ruo Lan back to Nan Chu to live in seclusion, remember, bring my ashes back and bury them with Madam."

  Xiao Shunzi saw Jiang Zhe's distracted expression and suddenly shouted: 'Young master, you must wake up! Do you remember that the murderer who killed your wife is still at large? Miss is young and weak. If you die, I can only risk my life to avenge you, but I'm afraid it will be a futile effort. If I die, who will take care of the poor and helpless miss? Young master, it's not possible! Without you, I really don't know how to avenge her. You must live on for your wife and daughter!'

  Jiang Zhe's expression solidified, and he nodded slightly before fainting again.

  Xiao Shunzi hastily wiped away his tears, seeing that Jiang Zhe would not be in immediate danger. He hurriedly went to fetch the medical book. Next, he administered acupuncture and medication, and Xiao Shunzi could feel Jiang Zhe's skin trembling again. This set of acupuncture techniques was still imperfect, so the person receiving treatment still felt pain. Until he administered the new prescription that Jiang Zhe had just written, Xiao Shunzi saw that Jiang Zhe's breathing had become even, and only then did he put his mind at ease. Suddenly remembering something, a fierce glint appeared in Xiao Shunzi's eyes as he looked towards the imperial physician. Just now, what they had discussed was all confidential; if outsiders were to find out, it would likely lead to trouble.

  Li Zai had been pondering the conversation between Jiang Zhe and his servant, but he couldn't make sense of it. He didn't understand why Jiang Zhe never mentioned the death of his wife or the revenge of the Qiu family. However, Li Zai was a deep thinker and knew not to ask too many questions. Now that he saw Xiao Shunzi's eyes gleaming with murderous intent, he couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. He said, "Xiao Shunzi, don't worry, this Dr. Jia is also someone our king trusts, he won't go around spreading rumors."

  Xiao Shunzi gave Li Zai a glance, and these days Li Zai had been doing his best to save him, he also felt the same way, couldn't help but sell Yong Wang's face, so coldly said: 'Taishang, if you say one word or half a sentence, don't blame me for not being polite.'

  As soon as he finished speaking, his finger pointed at the bookcase, and the hard red pine desk immediately left a one-inch deep hole. Dr. Jia's body trembled, and he hastily said: "The young doctor will keep his mouth shut like a bottle."

  The following days were even more unbearable, Jiang Zhe was always weak and pale, Xiao Shunzi attended to him every day with a cold expression, as if everything had nothing to do with him. And the people of Yong Wang also looked worried, on this day, the imperial physician came to report that Jiang Zhe's life might be in danger tonight, Li Zuo sat down dejectedly and couldn't say a word, Crown Prince Li Jun had already gone to his fiefdom, Shi Tiao also followed him. If Jiang Zhe passed away, Li Zuo felt a chill in his heart, what should he do? Just as he was anxious, Gou Rong suddenly ran in excitedly and shouted: "Your Highness, Your Highness, Mr. Sang has arrived."

  Li Zai was overjoyed and just about to stand up when he felt his hands and feet go soft and couldn't get up.