Cui Yan Leaves the Palace

"Li Shaojun?"

As for the Empress Dowager, she still has the power to restrain the new emperor.

While praising the new emperor's bravery and predicting his imminent entry into the Divine Ability Realm, he also politely declined the new emperor's unreasonable request for numerous potent medicines.

However, the Empress Dowager seemed somewhat bewildered by the name the new emperor mentioned.

She seemed to have heard the name Li Shaojun a long time ago.

It could keep a great cultivator like the Empress Dowager, who was skilled in health preservation, feeling for a long time, spanning at least fifty years.

For Li Shaojun to have been able to hear her name fifty years ago, her abilities at that time must have been considerable, far surpassing those of the Empress Dowager at the time.

So many years have passed, and the Empress Dowager never expected to hear his name again, especially since Li Shaojun had saved the new emperor's life.

"He seems to be a descendant of Laozi and Daoist School. He must be 120 years old now, right?"

The Empress Dowager pondered for a few seconds and thought that Li Shaojun was truly resilient.

She couldn't treat Li Shaojun well, since he had asked for far too much, each item being rare and valuable, and there were as many as thirty-five different kinds.

Even if Li Shaojun asked for five qian of Sheng Gu Hua (a type of medicinal herb), that would still be a top-grade dose of medicine capable of healing the broken bones of nearly a hundred people.

Li Shaojun's act of saving the new emperor's life is worth this price, but payment can only be made if the Empress Dowager is in good health.

Her illness did not require these rare and precious medicines all the time, but if they were not available when needed, the Empress Dowager would undoubtedly be helpless and lose the opportunity to prolong her life.

The choice between herself and Li Shaojun was not difficult for the Empress Dowager.

"Things are all too coincidental. It's possible that this is a setup orchestrated with Gongsun Gui's life at stake. Your Majesty is still too young!"

The Empress Dowager murmured softly behind the screen.

"Could it be that they suspect I'm seriously ill and are testing me with these large demands?"

If we look at things from a different perspective, this act of saving the new emperor's life could be seen as a carefully orchestrated scheme.

Whether Gongsun Gui were genuine or not, the other party was a pawn in this game, and Gongsun Gui had no choice in the matter. The masterminds behind the scheme were Li Shaojun and his associates, or perhaps someone behind Li Shaojun.

"Unless Li Shaojun can present the formula for Longevity Pill to the imperial court, he might not be considered a member of the Immortal Court and could clear himself of suspicion of being part of a scheme!"

Li Shaojun lived a very long life, and the Immortal Court was a paradise for the long-lived, where anyone released would be over a hundred years old or even several hundred years old.

Although the Empress Dowager was blind, her mind was clear. When it came to matters involving intricacies, she would rather misjudge than let the matter go unpunished.

"Cui Yan!"

The Empress Dowager gave a soft exclamation, and an old eunuch quickly stepped forward.

"Your subject is here!"

"You've had a few dealings with Dongfang Shuo. There's a man named Li Shaojun living in his house. Go and find out about him. If Li Shaojun's health allows, invite him to Palace of Peace and Happiness as a guest!"

"I obey!"

The old eunuch nodded repeatedly.

Cui Yan had indeed dealt with Zhang Xuezhou several times, but each encounter left him unhappy, and in one serious incident, he even received twenty lashes.

However, among the many old eunuchs in the palace, he was the one most familiar with Zhang Xuezhou, and if anything related happened, he would be the first to step forward.

Cui Yan quickly accepted the order, but felt that this was not a good task.

These eunuchs, who served the Empress Dowager in Palace of Peace and Happiness year-round, also overheard the new emperor's report.

If the Empress Dowager refuses the new emperor but invites Li Shaojun instead, it proves that the Empress Dowager has become suspicious of Li Shaojun.

Doing this kind of thing wouldn't offend Zhang Xuezhou, but rather that making a mistake would offend the new emperor.

If a scapegoat is to be chosen to quell the conflict between the Empress Dowager and the new emperor, Cui Yan feels that receiving twenty lashes might not be enough.

"I'm going to die!"

Cui Yan muttered to himself and had no choice but to run out of Palace of Peace and Happiness.

As a close attendant of Palace of Peace and Happiness, Cui Yan's cultivation was not bad; the fact that he could still walk and express his gratitude after receiving twenty lashes proved his strength.

As Cui Yan swiftly entered various parts of the palace, he saw the new emperor's carriage returning to the Weiyang Palace, and officials leaving the palace in an orderly fashion.

On one side is the emperor, on the other is the empress dowager, and on the other side are many court officials of the Great Han Dynasty. They were originally a closely connected group, but now they seem to be doing their own thing.

Cui Yan glanced at it several times and felt that everything in the Great Han Dynasty was in complete chaos.

"Is Lord Cui out of the palace on official business?"

Only after a crisp sound rang out did Cui Yan shake his head and turn around to look.

"Who are you?"

A female physician carrying a wooden box walked about ten meters away, also leaving the palace.

This situation was not unusual for officials. The Great Han Dynasty implemented a five-day rest policy for its officials, meaning that many officials had to stay at their respective offices for five days before being allowed to go home.

The female physician must have reached her day off and gone home for her rotation.

However, Cui Yan had no recollection of the female physician, which made him hesitate and ask a question.

"I serve as a physician to the Empress Dowager. I met you when I accompanied her to Palace of Peace and Happiness last time, and many people praised Lord Cui as a favorite of the Empress Dowager!"

"Haha, you flatter me!"

Cui Yan chuckled.

Although it was difficult to arrange for him to leave the palace and could potentially cause a lot of trouble, he was indeed a favorite of the Empress Dowager.

The fact that he could serve the Empress Dowager for more than ten years was proof of Cui Yan's goodwill, and he was quite pleased that these people in the palace knew what was good for them.

"Are you on your day off and heading home?" Cui Yan asked.

"Yes, I'm just about to go home. Is Lord Cui also returning home on his day off?"

"I'm not as lucky as you guys. I still have to run errands even after leaving the palace!"

"If things aren't urgent, Lord Cui, you might as well take a trip home while you're there!"

"Urgent, urgent!"

Cui Yan waved his hand repeatedly and even waved for a carriage.

However, a slight thought crossed his mind. The task he was handling today could easily lead to trouble, and he would likely have to take the blame if problems arose. Cui Yan was extremely serious and meticulous in handling this matter.

He glanced at the female physician, and couldn't help but reach into his pocket.

Going home on the way was out of the question, but he could ask the female physician from the Empress Dowager's side to check on Li Shaojun. This would give him a much better understanding of Li Shaojun's condition and make things much more reliable.

Among those who could serve as the Empress Dowager's personal physician, aside from the older generation of female physicians who served in Palace of Peace and Happiness, the physicians serving the Empress Dowager were undoubtedly second in rank.

These female physicians were skilled in gynecology, pediatrics, and treating difficult and complicated diseases, and were not much less capable than the top doctors in the Imperial Medical Hall.

The most crucial issue is that the other party is currently on vacation, and Cui Yan cannot easily mobilize the veteran physicians of the Imperial Medical Hall to run errands and help.

"Esteemed physician," Cui Yan invited, "I happen to be leaving the palace to see a patient. I wonder if you have time to take a look at him?" "Just a quick check-up," Cui Yan replied, "Whether I can cure him or not is secondary. It won't take up much of your time. I would be extremely grateful!"

He felt in his pocket, then took out a Little Jin weighing about an ounce and handed it to the female physician.

Li Shaojun requires expensive medicines to treat his illness, and Cui Yan doesn't expect the female physician to solve his condition.

Cui Yan only hoped to learn more, so that he could understand just how badly Li Shaojun's health had deteriorated and whether he could still be carried to Palace of Peace and Happiness.

He had previously carried Zhang Xuezhou to Palace of Peace and Happiness and even flicked the soles of Zhang's feet to stimulate blood circulation, which almost drove Zhang insane and resulted in him being punished with a beating.

This time, Cui Yan was clearly much more cautious in his actions.