Married Thrice to Salted Fish

Chapter 72

Xiao Li is the emperor’s youngest son and his only son by the Empress. Only fifteen years old this year, he was supposed to be the object of admiration in the palace, growing up loved and pampered. However, due to his lack of innate intelligence, he was regarded as a disgrace by the Emperor and left neglected in the provincial palace. No matter how much the Empress thought of her son, she was only able to see him twice a year — once during the Mid-Autumn Festival and once during the New Year.

“The Sixth Prince?” Hu Ji asked, “Why are you suddenly interested in the Sixth Prince?”

Lin Qingyu found the row where the prince’s medical records were stored. “I want to know how the Sixth Prince got sick.”

Although Xiao Cheng had great respect for the Empress, his dimu, he was, after all, someone who had a biological mother. Moreover, his biological mother was a noble concubine with a distinguished status. When Xiao Cheng ascends the throne in the future, both the Empress and Concubine Chen would be Empress Dowagers — one, a muhou Empress Dowager and the other a shengmu Empress Dowager. Having been in control of the harem for so long, naturally, the Empress wouldn’t want to share power with another woman.

Anyone who didn’t want Xiao Cheng to ascend to the throne could temporarily be his ally and to win over the Empress, Xiao Li was undoubtedly the best point of entry.

Xiao Li had been relegated to the provincial palace for more than ten years and the Emperor has kept his son’s dullness a secret. He was spoken of very rarely in the palace. Lin Qingyu and Hu Ji have only entered the palace in recent years and the only thing they know about the sixth prince was that he was a dullard; as to how severe the dullness, they had no idea.

Hu Ji helped Lin Qingyu find the medical records. He said, “I heard that the Empress called for famous doctors to diagnose and treat the Sixth Prince. But no matter whether it was the imperial physicians in the capital or miracle working doctors of the Jianghu, they were all helpless in the face of the Sixth Prince’s illness. Given the circumstances, it would seem that his dullness is innate. There is no cure.”

While Lin Qingyu agreed with Hu Ji’s statement, Xiao Li was still his biggest bargaining chip to control the Empress. Therefore, this matter was worth him expending a bit of time.

“I found it!” Hu Ji took out a thick and heavy case of medical records. “Take a look and see if this is it.”

Lin Qingyu took a look. “This is indeed the Sixth Prince’s medical records.”

The two immediately began reading it. Every doctor who examined Xiao Li said that his pulse was no different from that of any other person; they couldn’t even find the cause of his illness so how could they possibly treat him?

Xiao Li’s medical file was much thicker than others. At first, he was no different from the other princes. He was examined daily and before the age of two, he suffered nothing more serious than the occasional mild illness. But by two years of age, Xiao Li still could not speak. The Empress began to worry. More and more doctors were invited to the palace and more and more medical records were made. When Xiao Li was five years old, the Emperor gave up completely. Ignoring the Empress’ pleas, he insisted on sending his youngest son to the provincial palace.

On the day Xiao Li left the palace, another person came to examine him. This person was no imperial physician. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t any sort of doctor, rather it was the National Teacher of Dayu, Xu Junyuan. The last record in the prince’s file said: The National Teacher declares his illness to be a loss of soul and there is no cure for it.

“A loss of soul?” Hu Ji pondered, “I’ve heard my grandmother say that a newborn’s soul is unstable. Given a terrible fright, it may just scare the soul away…”

Lin Qingyu asked, “Do you believe that?”

Hu Ji smiled, embarrassed, “I know doctors shouldn’t believe this but there are many things that simply cannot be explained by common sense.”

Lin Qingyu closed the medical file. “I didn’t use to believe it. But now…”

Gu Fuzhou’s soul can fly all over the world, what was Xiao Li’s mere ‘loss of soul’ compared to that?

Hu Ji said, “If the Sixth Prince really has lost his soul then he is beyond help even if Hua Tuo were to be brought back to life.”

Lin Qingyu thought for a moment and said, “I still want to see it with my own eyes. — Who is the Medical Officer for the provincial palace now?”

Whenever people in the palace spoke of a provincial palace, they often referred to Jinyang Garden. It was but a day’s ride away; half if you spurred on a horse to full speed. Jinyang Garden was built facing the water and was used by the Imperial family as a summer retreat. In recent years, the Emperor has been in poor health and has not visited Jinyang Garden in a long time. In Jinyang Garden, apart from a few old concubines, there was only one master, Xiao Li. The maids and eunuchs who serve there were naturally not as dedicated as those in the palace; even the medical officer was the lowest rank in the Imperial Hospital.

Lin Qingyu told his father of his intention to visit the sixth prince in the provincial palace. Father Lin ask no further questions and quickly made the arrangements for Lin Qingyu. The capital already experienced its first snowfall and the days were becoming colder and colder. A lot of people got sick. Generally speaking, imperial physician were reluctant to journey to places like the provincial palace. Father Lin, on the grounds that they were short-handed in the palace, dispatching a doctor who had no official position but with real talent and practical knowledge would not incur much comment from others.

The trip and back from Jinyang Garden would take Lin Qingyu two days by carriage. After Gu Fuzhou found out, he wanted to go with Lin Qingyu but was ruthlessly rejected, “Don’t you need to attend morning court? Discuss government affairs?”

“I do.” Gu Fuzhou said bitterly, “But I’m sick, you see? I’ll wither if I don’t see Doctor Lin for even a single day.”

Lin Qingyu asked, “Will this disease affect your sleep?”

“That’s a good question.” Gu Fuzhou rubbed his chin and said, “The last time I lost sleep was the last time.”

Lin Qingyu looked at Gu Fuzhou as though he were looking at a fool. Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “I meant back when I was in Yongliang. At that time that son of b*tch Emperor refused to let me come back. I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep.”

Lin Qingyu calmly packed his medicine box. “It’s obviously nothing big if it’s not going to affect your sleep. — I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Gu Fuzhou knew that Lin Qingyu was going there for business and he was simply all talk when it came to his complaints — in the end, he would definitely let him leave.

Lin Qingyu went unimpeded all the way. Once the guard at Jinyang Garden checked his identity, he was allowed through with a few cursory questions.

In Jinyang Garden, there were stacked up hills and chiseled out ponds; there was continous running water. It was outfitted with numerous pavilions, scattered high and low. It was a splendid sight in summer; in winter, only a sense of bleakness was left. Walking through the garden, only a handful eunuchs and maids sweeping the grounds could be seen. It wasn’t even as lively as the General’s Mansion.

Lin Qingyu followed the eunuch who led the way to the medical building. There was only one medical officer on duty — a fat man, his stomach almost bursting out of his official uniform, roasting sweet potatoes by the charcoal fire. Hearing footsteps, he didn’t lift his head, saying, “There is no medicine here. If you are sick, you can either go out and find a doctor or you can concont the medicine yourself.”

The eunuch-guide said, “Imperial Physician Huang, someone from the Imperial Medical Office is here.”

When the medical officer surnamed Huang heard the words “Imperial Medical Office”, he immediately stood up. Seeing Lin Qingyu, he was given another shock. “You are…”

“My surname is Lin.”

There were very few with the surname Lin within the Imperial Medical Office and the person in front of him was of such outstanding looks that he easily guessed his identity with only that bit to go on. Imperial Physician Huang smiled and said, “Ah, it’s the General’s wife. Please excuse my rudeness.”

“You said just now that this clinic is out of medicine?”

“It’s but natural.” Imperial Physician Huang sneered at Lin Qingyu’s icy expression. “With the coming of winter begins, lots of people get sick. For Coughs and colds, naturally, the medicine I have simply isn’t enough. ”

“Then in case His Highness falls ill, do you expect him to ‘either go out and find a doctor or concoct the medicine’ himself?

Imperial Physician Huang was momentarily at a loss for words. “This… what is the General’s wife saying? His Highness the Sixth Prince is in good health.”

“I said, ‘in case’.”

“We-well then we will definitely find a way. His Highness is the Emperor’s son. Even if we each had nine heads more than one, we would not dare to neglect his condition.”

When Lin Qingyu had served as an official in the palace for a long time. He was long accustomed to dealing with people who insist on acting wilfully, showing outward devotion but inner opposition. “Where is His Highness now?” he said, “Today, I have come to examine His Highness.”

Imperial Physician Huang complained bitterly in his heart. But for fear that Lin Qingyu would blab to the Yuan Pan, maybe even reporting to the Empress, he had no choice but to carefully try his best to please, “Yes, I ask the General’s wife to please come this way.”

Lin Qingyu reached the pavilion where Xiao Li resided. As soon as he entered the gate, he saw a young man dressed in black brocade squatting in the snow, his head lowered, playing some unknown game. It was such a cold day, yet the boy didn’t even have a cloak on.

Lin Qingyu asked the eunuch who guided their way, “Is this His Highness the Sixth Prince?”

The eunuch readily affirmed, “Yes…”

Though there were people talking nearby, Xiao Li gave no response. He inserted his hand, red from the cold, into the snow. He dug up a handful of snow and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Your Highness!” The eunuch rushed to Xiao Li’s side and grabbed his hand, “You can’t eat this.”

With the eunuch’s pull, the snow in Xiao Li’s hand fell to the ground. He stared blankly at the ground. He then slowly stood up and looked at Lin Qingyu.

When their eyes met, Lin Qingyu was slightly startled.

Xiao Li was born with outstanding physical qualities. With a slender figure, at the age of around fifteen or sixteen, he was as already as tall as Lin Qingyu. His brows were delicate and evenly-spread, his facial features imposingly handsome. However, his eyes were blank. He appeared lifeless and dull. No matter how unsurpassed his appearance, his spiritless manner lowered its overall quality.

For some reason, Lin Qingyu always felt that Xiao Li’s appearance was somewhat familiar.

Lin Qingyu saluted Xiao Li, “Student Lin Qingyu greets Your Highness.”

Xiao Li still did not respond. He squatted back again, repeating his previous action of digging and eating snow.

Lin Qingyu said coldly, “Where are the momos who look after His Highness?”

The eunuch was so nervous that he broke out in a cold sweat. “I’ll go find them now!”

Lin Qingyu stood beside Xiao Li, watching him for a while. He then stretched out his hand and helped the young man up. “Your Highness, let’s go inside.”

Xiao Li let him support him up, neither crying nor making trouble, like a walking corpse. Lin Qingyu asked him to sit on a chair then took out a wrist pillow to diagnose his pulse. The only thing he could glean was that Xiao Li was suffering from a cold. However, other than that, he was indeed no different from any other person.

Lin Qingyu finally understood what was meant by “a loss of soul”. The Sixth Prince, Xiao Li, truly was left with only an exquisite body; his inner essense was gone.

After a while, the maids and eunuchs serving Xiao Li arrived, each sporting an ugly expression.

These were all Xiao Li’s long-term servants. Although this Sixth Prince was the Emperor's son, he was shunned by the Emperor and the Empress is able only to see him twice a year. The Sixth Prince couldn’t speak, he couldn’t speak up even when he was being treated harshly. So long as they went through the motions whenever the Empress sent someone to inspect, they could go lazing about all the other days.

Lin Qingyu didn’t even ask where they were just now. His ordered, “His Highness is cold. Go and cook a bowl of ginger soup.”

While everyone was busying about, Xiao Li sat there motionless, as though he didn’t exist in this world.

Lin Qingyu wrote out a prescription for Xiao Li to ward off the cold. He asked the eunuch to hand it over to Imperial Physician Huang. “I know that there is no medicine in the clinic. I will ask my father to inform the Empress about this and have her send more medicine.”

This single sentence cost them nearly half their lives. “Doctor Lin, these servants know we’ve done wrong. We shall definitely serve His Highness well in the future… We beg you…”

Lin Qingyu smiled compassionately, “You may tell this to the Empress later.”

Lin Qingyu didn’t stay in Jinyang Garden for long. He drove through the night and returned to the capital the next day.

“Doctor Lin is finally back.” Gu Fuzhou had just arrived home, still in his official uniform. He welcomed Lin Qingyu at the door, “It’s true what they say, ‘ A separation of two days feels like a separation of two days. ‘”

Lin Qingyu frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Gu Fuzhou held back a smile: “It’s nothing.” He took the fox fur cloak that Lin Qingyu took off and hung it on his arm, “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each toher. Could it be that there’s something you want to tell me?”

“Yes.” Lin Qingyu stepped into the room, “But I will have to inconvenience the General to make me a cup of tea first.”

After drinking the tea made by his husband, Lin Qingyu recounted to Gu Fuzhou everything that had happened at Jinyang Garden. “Tomorrow I will go to see the Empress again. I believe she will want to see me this time.”

Gu Fuzhou listened absent-mindedly, “What else?”

“What else?”

“What else do you want to tell me?”

Lin Qingyu thought for a while and asked, “What did you look like before?”

Gu Fuzhou hadn’t expected for Lin Qingyu to suddenly ask this. “Really? Didn’t you see it in the dream?”

Lin Qingyu felt inexplicably guilty. “I forgot.”

Gu Fuzhou raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t you say you have a highly-retentive memory? How could you forget what I looked like?”

Lin Qingyu made no change in his expression “How can dreams and the real world be compared? Looking at people in dreams is like looking at the moon reflected on water or at flowers through a fog. It’s always separated by a layer. It’s only normal that I would forget.”

“Well, I don’t know how to describe it to you.” Gu Fuzhou said, “Besides, I haven’t been in my original body for so long. It’s been two years. I myself have probably forgetten my original appearance. .”

Lin Qingyu was lost in thought. The Gu Fuzhou in his dream had once made his eyes shine. Compared with Xiao Li, he gave him a far different feeling but he was also a handsome young man. Too bad, he was a dullard.

Gu Fuzhou looked at Lin Qingyu for a long time. He sighed: “How annoying.”

Lin Qingyu came back to his sense. “What’s so annoying?”

“Because, for the past two days, it seems like you didn’t miss me at all.”

Lin Qingyu: “…”

Gu Fuzhou had just been casually complaining. He wasn’t actually expecting a response from Lin Qingyu. They’d been discussing for so long and he was begining to feel sleepy when suddenly, he heard Lin Qingyu say, “Not necessarily.”

Gu Fuzhou was slow to respond, not fully realizing it yet, “…Huh?”

Cheeks warm, Lin Qingyu quickly changed the subject, “I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

The author has something to say: Salted fish: Where is zhen's imperial translator? What does ‘not necessarily’ mean?

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