The next day was the day when Zhang Zhou led his troops to the expedition. The emperor would go to Deshengmen in person to bid farewell to Zhang Zhou, but he did not ask his ministers to go with him.
Zhu Youtang knew that these ministers looked down upon Zhang Zhou. When he went to court that morning, none of the people who were going to fight, including Zhang Zhou, showed up at the court. Not even Zhu Hui, the new chief military officer of Xuanfu who accompanied the army, was not included. , so that the civil servants wanted to find someone to vent their anger on, but they didn't know who to turn to.
After the court meeting, Xie Qian was on duty last night and wanted to go back to rest, while Li Dongyang explained to Liu Jian that Zhang Zhou wanted to treat his son.
Li Dongyang could hide it from the government and the public, but he felt that he should not hide it from Liu Jian now.
"Uncle Zheng's illness has been lingering on him for a long time, so it is understandable to consult Bingkuan. Besides, it was ordered by His Majesty." As Liu Jian spoke, he agreed with Li Dongyang's choice under such circumstances.
Li Dongyang said helplessly: "I never want to explain it to outsiders. I can't explain it clearly with my long words."
What he meant was, how embarrassing would it be if others knew about this kind of thing? On the one hand, he looked down on Zhang Zhou, saying that Zhang Zhou was a traitor of the Ming Dynasty, and that treating the emperor was all nonsense, but now he asked him to Your son is treating a disease... You are playing around with your double standards.
Liu Jiandao: "Seeking medical consultation does not involve personal grudges or court disputes, so why worry about criticism from others? Since His Majesty has granted you leave, you don't have to stay here. You can go back home to visit."
Liu Jian seemed to be very supportive of Li Dongyang and asked Li Dongyang to go back and take a look.
After hesitating, Li Dongyang nodded and accepted.
He was still worried about asking his son to seek medical treatment from Zhang Zhou. Since some things might be known to others sooner or later, he didn't have to hide and avoid them so much. He had to face them anyway.
…
…
Zhang Zhouzheng took Zhang Lun to treat Li Zhaoxian.
The place Dai Yi chose was not a public place, but a private house in the south of the city close to the Jinyiwei Yamen. Li Dongyang's own residence in Beijing was in Dashi Yongfang, not far from the Jinyiwei Yamen.
Li Zhaoxian initially didn't know who treated him that day. Although he was pregnant with flowers, his condition had not yet reached the point where his skin could ulcerate or even make holes in his nose and eyes. He only had prickly heat-like red spots on his body. Even Li Zhaoxian had no idea who was treating him. The people who sent him here all avoided him. Obviously, people these days also know that this is an incurable disease.
Through the gauze curtain, Li Zhaoxian stretched out his arm, but Zhang Zhou did not diagnose him in the usual way.
"Your illness has reached the second stage, starting from the superficial level and starting to penetrate deep into the skin."
Zhang Zhou went to the countryside to follow the local customs, and the treatment techniques he used were those commonly used by ordinary doctors, with a bit of metaphysics.
But there's nothing wrong with what he said.
At the current stage of Li Zhaoxian's illness, the symptoms have begun to spread throughout the body, which is very different from the initial local symptoms. With the emergence of systemic symptoms, some internal symptoms such as fever, dizziness, nausea, etc. will also follow. Later, Li Zhaoxian no longer had the good spirits he had when he first got sick.
As the spirit is broken down step by step, the next step is that the symptoms will continue to worsen, and finally the whole body will fester, and finally die in pain...
Li Zhaoxian asked: "Sir, can my illness be cured?"
Anyone suffering from a terminal illness, even if he knows that his death is only a matter of time, still hopes to be cured, because there will always be news circulating in the world about some difficult and complicated diseases being cured, giving people the illusion that they can survive.
The two of them were separated by a gauze curtain.
Zhang Zhou felt that it was a bit awkward to speak like this, so he pointed to the curtain. Then someone from the Li family came over and removed the curtain between the two sides.
"Um?"
When Li Zhaoxian saw Zhang Zhou's true appearance, he was still a little confused.
No matter how you look at it, Zhang Zhou doesn't look like that kind of famous doctor who is willing to help the world. He doesn't have that old-fashioned demeanor. He even has a vague smile on his face, giving people the illusion that he is laughing.
And standing next to him... was actually Jin Yiwei, and a half-grown young man was staring at him with puzzled eyes, as if to say, where did you get this disease? Why don't I understand?
Li Zhaoxian wore black gauze on his head to prevent exposure to the sun. This was also because a doctor said that people with Hualiu disease should not be exposed to the sun.
It may be that the doctors of this era thought that the disease should be a skin disease, and most skin diseases are taboo against sun exposure, so they gave this advice.
Zhang Zhou said: "Master Li, you are polite."
Li Zhaoxian asked: "Your Excellency...want to treat me?"
After all, Li Zhaoxian was a scholar and a student of the Imperial College. However, he had not gone to the Imperial College for more than a year and had been recuperating at home. However, Li Dongyang still opened a book club for his son so that he could have a symbolic job.
Li Zhaoxian is twenty-five years old, which is about the same age as Zhang Zhou. Based on his experience in dealing with people, he feels that Zhang Zhou is not like a doctor.
Zhang Zhoudao: "Actually, I shouldn't reveal my identity, but since both Your Majesty and Your Majesty know that I'm coming, you should also guess my identity, right?"
"You...are you Zhang Bingkuan?"
Li Zhaoxian was immediately surprised.
Zhang Zhou's name is known to everyone in the capital. Of course, Li Zhaoxian also knows that his illness must be treated by a doctor who can take the wrong approach, and Zhang Zhou is exactly the one who can treat it.
In this era, the raging smallpox was controlled by a talented person. When he guessed Zhang Zhou's identity, he couldn't help but feel excited.
It is the excitement of seeing hope in a desperate situation and finding life in a desperate situation.
Zhang Zhou did not answer directly. He said: "The cause and condition of your illness are not secret, and there is no need for me to give you a detailed diagnosis. I only need to prescribe medicine."
"Is there really no need for... further diagnosis? That means, after taking the medicine..."
Li Zhaoxian was so excited that he couldn't even speak clearly.
In front of others, even in front of his father, he can pretend to be fearless. It is said that when his father wrote "Today's Liumo, tomorrow's flower street. Burning ointment and following the dial, the scholar is a scholar" to lament that his son fell ill because of looking for flowers and willows.
He can also write "Today is yellow wind, tomorrow is black wind. Correct yin and yang, husband and wife, husband and wife" to pay tribute to his father.
The father and son sang together like this, and finally the white-haired man came to send the black-haired man away.
When it comes to issues of life and death, when there is hope of survival, no matter how generous a person is, he will desperately grab at straws to save his life.
Zhang Zhou said: "The disease must be cured slowly and not get worse. It is good to live a few more years and provide for the Li family. This is your Majesty's expectation for me. I think it is also your father's greatest hope, right?"
"Haha." Li Zhaoxian smiled bitterly.
My son's life can't be saved, but I want to keep a grandson first... It sounds cruel, but it's also reasonable.
When Zhang Zhoudu said that it couldn't be cured, he should just wait to die.
Zhang Zhou changed the topic and said: "If we cooperate well, it is not impossible to live for another thirty to fifty years."
"Ah?" Li Zhaoxian looked over in surprise.
Before he knew it, Zhang Zhou was pulling his emotions into a rollercoaster-like ups and downs.
"You all should go out. There are some things that I will only tell Master Li. Others don't need to listen." Zhang Zhou said.
Li Zhaoxian and the surrounding Jin Yiwei, Zhang Lun and others were very curious.
How can you treat a disease without letting others hear about it? Could it be that... Zhang Zhou is afraid that the secret recipe will be leaked? The confidentiality of the treatment is very good.
…
…
After everyone left the room, Zhang Zhou specially asked people to close the doors and windows.
Li Zhaoxian put his hand on his belt and asked: "Zhang... Sir, do you want to see your sick body?"
"Oh, that's not what I meant." Zhang Zhou smiled bitterly.
What's so good about your body that's suffering from Hualiu disease? What about disgusting people?
Zhang Zhoudao: "I let them go out because the prescriptions I gave you are very powerful. Generally speaking... it's just to fight poison with poison. Because some medicines may involve external use and involve privacy, so I will talk to you alone."
He said, after you go back, you can refer to the opinions of your father or other doctors and decide whether to use it or not."
"this……"
Li Zhaoxian frowned and sighed, "Shi Zhang, this disease is not a secret. It has been known to outsiders for a long time. There is no need to be so secretive."
Zhang Zhou said rudely: "You don't need to be secretive. I still need it. If people knew that I was tormenting you like this, they might think that I was going to abolish the public for personal reasons and take the opportunity to retaliate against you."
"ah!?"
Li Zhaoxian was extremely shocked.
Will using a medicine be considered as retaliation? So...how terrible is this medicine?
Zhang Zhoudao: "The medicine I prescribed for you is for external use. It is commonly known as mercury, but I call it mercury. Apply it... to the affected area, but you must be careful. This is a highly toxic substance that will cause irritation when it comes into contact with the skin."
There are many reactions, so each application time must be controlled within a reasonable time range.”
"mercury……"
Li Zhaoxian smiled bitterly.
How poisonous this thing is, but anyone who has read the book or has heard about it knows that even if it does not seal the throat with blood, it will still kill people.
And my small body is already extremely thin. If I continue to use such strong medicine...I am afraid that I will be cured before I am cured.
He also seemed to understand why Zhang Zhou wanted to shun everyone first, because this treatment method was really not something that ordinary people could use.
Zhang Zhou asked: "Is it possible?"
"But...it can be done..." Li Zhaoxian was not the kind of person who kept his illness under wraps and avoided medical treatment. He knew that he was about to die, and of course he also knew what it meant to treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor.
Zhang Zhoudao: "This is just an appetizer. The internal medicine I'm going to talk about next is very powerful..."
Li Zhaoxian asked: "Is it more poisonous than mercury?"
"Yeah." Zhang Zhou said, "The medicine taken internally is commonly known as arsenic..."
Li Zhaoxian couldn't stand listening anymore and asked: "Sir, will this medicine be too strong? I'm not questioning the way you use the medicine, I just wonder whether my sick body can bear it."
Zhang Zhou squinted at this peer and said: "Don't say you don't question. Even if you question, I can only prescribe this medicine. I have no better way. It is impossible for a trace amount of arsenic to poison you to death at once.
It depends on whether you want to die peacefully or live a tossing life... No, you should choose a tossing way of death or another tossing way that may lead to a way to survive."
"..."
Li Zhaoxian was completely speechless.
Zhang Zhou's description... sounds terrifying.
If you don't treat it or choose other methods to treat it, you will die, and it will be very painful, the kind of pain that tightens little by little.
If you want to treat it, you need to apply mercury externally and arsenic internally...
He thought to himself, this is indeed very troublesome.
Zhang Zhoudao: "Because the medicinal properties are too strong, I asked you to go back and consider whether to use it. I listed the usage and dosage for you last night. As for the arsenic for internal use, I will give it a little after I arrive at Xuanfu.
You can improve it and reduce the toxicity to ensure that no one is poisoned to death before you can get rid of the disease..."
Li Zhaoxian smiled bitterly and said: "Master Zhang, why do you have to be so direct?"
Zhang Zhou sighed: "It won't work if you don't do it directly. After I entered the court, there were some misunderstandings between me and your father. Everyone in the court always had opinions about me, thinking that I was using the magic of the alchemist to bring chaos to the country. If anyone knew that I was using mercury and arsenic,
If I come to treat your illness, everyone will think that I am retaliating. Then I will say all the ugly things first. If I want to harm you, I can ignore your illness or find some gentle medicine for you.
Use it, let your condition worsen, and you can still earn a reputation of benevolence and righteousness, so there is no need to torment you like this."
"this……."
Li Zhao thought for a while, nodded and said, "That's right."
He had figured out that if Zhang Zhou really wanted to retaliate deliberately, watching him die would be more direct than torturing him with poison.
"As for your Majesty... Alas! I don't care what he thinks of me. Anyway, His Majesty said that after the completion of the "Huidian" revision, I will be promoted to the position of Bachelor of Attendance. Now I am going to the Northwest General Administration to promote military affairs. I should not be the Attendant of the University.
It’s not that urgent to be a bachelor, it’s not impossible to get a title later and become a marquis in the town!”
After Li Zhaoxian heard this, he frowned even more.
This kind of Versailles...
Hearing this makes people envious and jealous. At the same age, he is already the number one scholar in the Ming Dynasty with the rank of three yuan. He has gained the emperor's trust and respect, and his official position is like riding a rocket.
But based on his experience in dealing with people, he knew very well that Zhang Zhou was not showing off in front of him on purpose.
Zhang Zhou said this with a strong purpose, that is, to tell him, or to tell the Li family behind him.
I, Mr. Zhang, are so awesome now, why should I have trouble with your son, Mr. Li Ge? Do I have to torture him with poison when he is terminally ill? Just for fun?
Li Zhaoxian said: "I can clearly see your benevolence and righteousness, sir, and I will tell my father clearly about it."
Li Zhaoxian was also a little moved when he saw Zhang Zhou treating himself so "regardless of past suspicions". He even began to believe that those poisons could really cure his disease gradually, or at least delay it so that he could recover.
Live a normal life for a few years.
"No, I have no benevolence and righteousness in my heart," Zhang Zhou said.
"ah?"
Li Zhaoxian saw that Zhang Zhou's way of speaking was different from ordinary scholars, and he was almost depressed.
Zhang Zhou said seriously: "There is no doctor in the world who is willing to take the risk of being reviled by the world to cure a disease that is almost completely incurable, and to face a colleague who never wants to see him. If it hadn't been for Your Majesty's consideration,
I, Li Ge, have only a few sons and will not send me here... If not for His Majesty's instructions, I would never take the initiative to undertake such a thankless task."
"This is."
Li Zhaoxian lowered his head.
He had avoided Zhang Zhou a lot before.
If nothing else, Zhang Zhou's identity and position in the court was very embarrassing. Even Li Zhaoxian had previously looked down on people like Zhang Zhou who used so-called secrets to rise to power. He even regarded Zhang Zhou as a near-sycophant who brought disaster to the country and the people.
But after hearing Zhang Zhou's almost panting words, he began to understand Zhang Zhou's state of mind.
"Sir, you don't have to say it. It's precisely because of your benevolence that you don't avoid suspicion. In fact, my fate has already been decided, so you don't have to force it." Li Zhaoxian said.
Zhang Zhou nodded.
Zhang Zhou treated Li Zhaoxian without any guarantee because he saw in Wang Yue a sense of helplessness after changing his fate against fate. In the end, Wang Yue should leave.
But there is no chance at all, at least Zhu Xiurong is living well now.
I can only say that... Li Zhaoxian's illness was more complicated than that of Wang Yue and Zhu Xiurong. If medicine had developed hundreds of years later, whether it was a combination of Chinese and Western medicine, antibiotics, and targeted drugs, the same would apply to syphilis and gonorrhea.
It is difficult to cure, but it still makes people look bad.
What Zhang Zhou said is correct.
The use of arsenic to treat Li Zhaoxian's illness was more to prolong Li Zhaoxian's life. Without the certainty of curing him at once, there was no way for him to have a full family of descendants.
…
…
After Zhang Zhou consulted Li Zhaoxian, he explained all the prescriptions orally.
In the end, even the recipe with the usage and dosage compiled by Zhang Zhou was taken away on the spot.
It means... If you are willing to listen, you will be treated. If you are not willing to listen, then I will not be treated... Anyway, I will not leave any paper evidence to say that I intend to harm you.
It all depends on the choice of you and your father.
When Li Dongyang returned to his house, his son had not come back yet. After waiting for a long time, he saw Li Zhaoxian coming back with brisk steps.
Li Dongyang's first thought was...that his son had recovered from his illness so quickly?
But when the father and son sat down and talked about the treatment alone, including Zhang Zhou voluntarily revealing his identity and the prescription Zhang Zhou prescribed, Li Dongyang frowned, and he first felt a wave of excitement.
Angry at being fooled, he then fell into deep thought.
"Father, Mr. Zhang took the initiative to reveal his identity because he was concerned that the prescription used was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Only by telling his identity will my son listen carefully."
Li Zhaoxian took the initiative to speak for Zhang Zhou.
He still calls Zhang Zhou "Sir" in front of his father to show his trust in Zhang Zhou and to take the initiative to try Zhang Zhou's prescription of fighting poison with poison.
Li Dongyang said: "What else did he say?"
Li Zhaoxian said: "He said a lot, but in the final analysis, it is just that he does not need to undertake this matter. Even if the son is cured, the father may not remember his contribution. What are the shortcomings and pros and cons of the son's treatment?
The father will still hold a grudge because of this... The son is willing to believe him, so I ask the father not to mind his uprightness and let the son take the medicine with peace of mind."
"No, no..."
Li Dongyang is not as free and easy as his son.
Lao Li obviously endured more than Xiao Li when it came to treating his son.
Young people don't know the importance of the family's incense, but Lao Li knows that the Li family's incense cannot be cut off in his own lineage... He would rather let his son slow down his illness and leave him a grandson than let his son use any poison.
Incense is Lao Li's heart.
Because the most likely result of taking the medicine... is to die prematurely, and even the hope of having a grandchild is gone.
