Chapter 31: The Heartless Scholar Who Abandoned His Wife and Child (9)

“Bring in the Wine ?”

Xie Hui paused for a moment upon hearing this familiar phrase.

Then, recalling that the female protagonist was a transmigrator, his lips curled into a mocking smile.

So, in the original plot, the so-called independent and self-reliant female lead resorted to such a disgraceful act of plagiarism to gain fame.

If it were just a coincidence of using the same title for a poem, Xie Hui wouldn’t believe it.

While purchasing a residence, he overheard some scholars discussing the poem even while walking. The familiar verses confirmed his suspicions.

Xie Hui had brought a considerable amount of silver, but due to strict regulations on property purchases in the capital, he had to settle for a somewhat remote location. However, the house was spacious.

The two wings of the residence were completely separate, allowing for cohabitation without interference.

Xie Mo had officially taken up his post, serving at the imperial court. His duties only came into play when the emperor issued decrees. Though his position was not high-ranking, the opportunity to meet the emperor was something many could only dream of.

Meanwhile, Li Shu, now heavily pregnant, stayed home to ensure a safe and peaceful pregnancy.

Xie Hui, on the other hand, took his five young disciples to treat patients, allowing them to gain practical experience quickly.

As he practiced medicine, he also pondered ways to thoroughly ruin the male and female leads.

But before he could make a move, they came knocking on his door.

One day, while he was treating patients, several guards blocked his path, announcing that the Fourth Prince requested his presence to treat the facial scars of a highly talented young woman in his residence.

If Xie Hui could completely remove her scars, the prince was willing to reward him with ten thousand taels of gold.

“Not interested.”

Xie Hui waved a hand and refused almost instantly.

The guards were clearly unprepared for this response. One of them, recovering from his shock, barked,

“Doctor, think carefully. In this capital, second-place scholars appear every three years—nothing special! But my master is the Fourth Prince! And the person you’re being asked to treat is none other than the gifted Lady Bai Li!”

Xie Hui calmly packed his medicine box, then left behind one sentence before turning to leave.

“I, Xie Hui, will never treat a despicable plagiarist, especially one who was once nothing more than a lowly slave.”

Since Xie Hui was out treating patients at the time, his words attracted a great deal of attention. The leading guard, realizing that the gathered citizens were starting to whisper among themselves, drew his sword, intending to intimidate Xie Hui into compliance.

Before Xie Hui could respond, Xu Fenghe swiftly threw a pouch of medicinal powder at the guard. The man collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, as Xu Fenghe let out a disdainful snort and supported his master in leaving the scene.

Because of the crowd present, the incident spread quickly. Rumors that the Fourth Prince had secretly taken in a slave girl reached even the emperor’s ears.

The emperor’s health had been declining for years, requiring daily medication with little effect.

Xie Hui only came to the emperor’s attention because of his exceptional medical skills. Previously, a noblewoman in a prince’s residence was on the brink of death, and her family had already begun funeral preparations. However, after receiving treatment from Xie Hui, she was recently well enough to personally visit a temple outside the city to offer prayers.

Now, with the emperor’s condition worsening, he had no time to deal with the Fourth Prince’s affairs. Instead, he ordered Xie Hui to be brought to the palace.

Unlike the Fourth Prince, an imperial summons was not something Xie Hui could refuse. Not that he intended to—he was actually quite curious about what kind of person the emperor was.

People often said that death wiped away all past grievances, but in the emperor’s eyes, he seemed to wish he could continue exploiting corrupt officials even beyond the grave.

Xie Mo, upon hearing that his father had been summoned by the emperor, did not react with the usual anxiety.

At some point, his perception of his father had changed.

No longer was he the silent, obedient man who followed his grandmother’s every word.

Now, he was a wise and insightful figure with his own unique perspective on all matters.

Moreover, after serving at the emperor’s side for some time, Xie Mo held the emperor in the highest regard. If his father was the person he respected most, then the emperor was undoubtedly second.

Upon entering the palace, Xie Hui found it quite different from his expectations. It was simply a larger version of a noble residence—far from the extravagance he had imagined.

Led by palace guards, he was taken to a hall where palace maids served tea and refreshments. A guard explained that the emperor was still reviewing memorials.

Xie Hui sat leisurely, sipping tea. Only Xu Fenghe accompanied him, standing nearby with the medicine box in hand.

After about an hour, the hall stirred with activity. As the noise grew louder outside, Xie Hui stood to greet the emperor.

Being a rural physician, he was unfamiliar with court etiquette. Thus, he simply offered a slight bow, refraining from excessive formalities.

“Doctor, there is no need for such courtesies. I summoned you to see if my illness can be cured.”

Once the emperor was seated, Xie Hui reached out to take his pulse.

Treatment was certainly possible. Even if it wasn’t, he would find a way to make it so. As long as the emperor remained alive, the Fourth Prince would remain just that—a prince, nothing more.

If he could extend the life of an old woman on the brink of death for several more months, then the emperor, who was still far from that stage, was certainly within his capabilities.

After completing the pulse diagnosis, Xie Hui immediately identified the cause of the emperor’s persistent illness.

Years of excessive stress had led to irreversible damage, meaning his condition couldn’t be cured outright, only carefully managed over time.

“Your Majesty, your illness is not severe. With proper medicinal care, a regulated diet, and early nights, I assure you, you will live to a hundred.”

The emperor, who had been resting his head on his hand, abruptly opened his eyes at those words.

He had harbored little hope from the start and had never blamed the imperial physicians for their failures. Having heard of this doctor’s renowned skills, he had merely decided to try as a last resort.

Among emperors, he was considered long-lived, but because none of his sons were competent, he remained constantly worried.

“Is this true?”

“As a humble physician, I would never dare deceive Your Majesty.”

“Excellent, excellent!”

Overjoyed, the emperor invited Xie Hui to stay for a meal in the palace.

Normally, once he started handling memorials, he would lose track of time, and his meal schedule was indeed irregular. But now, in front of the physician, he immediately ordered his personal guards to remind him to eat on time in the future.

At lunch, the table was set with seven dishes—three meat dishes, three vegetarian dishes, and a soup, all in moderate portions.

The emperor showed none of the usual imperial arrogance. He even beckoned Xu Fenghe to sit and join them.

Seeing these dishes, Xie Hui suddenly understood why, during one of the emperor’s undercover inspections, he had been so enraged upon witnessing an official feeding leftover chicken gizzards to a dog.

Even the emperor himself did not indulge in such extravagance.

Although Xie Hui had not yet prescribed any medicine, the emperor, now filled with hope, already looked much more spirited.

After the meal, the emperor even took Xie Hui for a stroll in the imperial garden.

Because of his persistent health issues, the emperor had rarely visited the harem in recent years. His concubines were already few, and as he aged, he would at most visit them for conversation.

“Physician, should I take up horseback riding and archery for exercise?”

Halfway through admiring the garden, the emperor suddenly brought up the question, leaving Xie Hui momentarily puzzled. He suppressed his doubts, nodded, and replied,

“If Your Majesty is willing, that would indeed be beneficial.”

“I would like to practice regularly, but every time I mount a horse, the jolting gives me a terrible headache.”

Recalling the pulse diagnosis from earlier, Xie Hui advised,

“Your Majesty might consider sleeping earlier at night.”

Upon hearing this, the emperor furrowed his brows even deeper and sighed,

“I wish I could, but the memorials pile up on my desk. If I don’t finish today’s, tomorrow’s will just add to the stack until they overflow.”

Having been an emperor himself in his past life, Xie Hui understood all too well how busy a ruler could be.

Naturally, he couldn’t advise the emperor to neglect state affairs, so instead, he planned to prescribe additional tonics to strengthen his health.

Xie Hui originally thought that after touring the garden, he would be free to leave.

With Li Shu heavily pregnant—her first child, no less—he couldn’t help but worry. In modern times, childbirth was already a brush with death, let alone in this era with its primitive medical conditions.

No matter how well-prepared they were, he would not feel at ease until the baby was safely delivered.

Unexpectedly, the emperor enthusiastically pulled him into the study, inviting him to see firsthand the volume of memorials he had to process daily.

The sheer number of political documents was immense, but the real burden came from the reports submitted by various officials.

Xie Mo was extremely tight-lipped around others, but when it came to his father, he often sought advice on court matters. Over time, Xie Hui had become quite knowledgeable about state affairs.

The emperor had even set up a private department, with officials who answered only to him. These individuals served as his eyes and ears, traveling to different cities to ensure he wasn’t deceived while confined within the palace.

Every half-month, these secret reports would arrive. The sheer number of documents from various cities piled up like snow on the emperor’s desk, creating an intimidating sight.

Seated at the table, Xie Hui was served tea while the emperor resumed reading through memorials.

After some time, feeling fatigued, the emperor engaged Xie Hui in a casual discussion about health preservation.

Somehow, the conversation drifted toward the talented young woman residing in the Fourth Prince’s manor.

A nearby guard, noticing the emperor’s interest, chimed in,

“That Lady Bai Li composed ‘Bring in the Wine (《将进酒》)’—even I have memorized it.”

Since the emperor had been unwell for some time, this matter had never reached his ears.

Upon hearing this, he abruptly froze mid-sip, then sharply lifted his head.

“‘Bring in the Wine (《将进酒》)’?”

“‘Heaven has endowed me with talents, surely they will be put to use; a thousand gold pieces spent, but they will come back again’?”