TFSRSO Chapter 150 (Miracle Doctor 34 – END)

When she learned Lin Dan had agreed to her eldest son's proposal, Mrs. Xue almost jumped for joy. The Old Madam also agreed repeatedly and hurriedly asked someone to send a letter to General Xue, who was far away in the border area, and then went around to arrange the wedding arrangements. Currently, Lin Dan was not an orphan adopted by the Xue family, but a famous miracle doctor in the Qin State. Her value was far more valuable than gold and silver. Even if she didn't have a dowry, the Xue family would still be seen as taking advantage.

Not long after the wedding date was set, Xue Boyong was ordered to go on an expedition, and Wu Xuancao laid low for a while. However, later, Prince Su became ill and asked her to come over for treatment. She went boldly. Perhaps Wu Xuancao's treatment worked excellently, as she gradually gained the favor of Prince Su and often visited Prince Su's palace, which made Xue Jiming very unhappy.

Prince Su had a terrible reputation among the soldiers, having once killed hundreds of border residents to falsely claim military achievements. His subordinates had to charge into battle and risk their lives for him without receiving any benefits in return. He took credit for others' military accomplishments and used them to curry favor with the emperor, causing discontent among the troops.

He was also extremely cruel, often driving the border residents into the mountains as if hunting wild beasts, committing heinous acts with innocent women from respectable families. He mercilessly abused his attendants. He was ruthless and narrow-minded – if anyone offended him, no matter how minor the transgression, he would keep it in his heart and plot for an opportunity to seek revenge, regardless of the consequences. Over time, he developed a condition known as "headwind syndrome," and during his fits, he became even more manic, resulting in numerous deaths.

It is not known what method Wu Xuancao used to curb his headache and become a guest of Prince Su’s Mansion. Xue Jiming often quarreled with Wu Xuancao about this matter and tried his best to persuade her not to get too close to such a person, to avoid getting into trouble, but she refused to listen.

Gradually, the relationship between the couple grew thinner and thinner, to the point where they were practically strangers to each other.

A few months later, the emperor, who was still in good health, suddenly died in the palace, leaving behind an edict passing the throne to Prince Su. Meanwhile, the highly respected and virtuous Prince Yu was fighting at the border and couldn't come back in time for the funeral.

As soon as the news came out of the palace, Lin Dan frowned and hurriedly wrote a letter to her elder brother.

After a while, Xue Jiming came over on horseback, saying, "Lin Dan, the emperor has passed away. Prince Su wants to blockade the whole city and tighten defense. It's not safe for you to live here. Come back with me to the Xue residence. It's much safer for the family to be together."

Lin Dan nodded in agreement, but after mounting the horse, she stabbed the horse's neck with a silver needle, causing it to raise its hooves wildly and throw her to the ground. Because she failed to let go of the reins in time, her right hand was severely injured. As a doctor, an injured hand is a disaster. If it is not properly cared for, it could be a career-ending injury.

Xue Jiming quickly dismounted the horse to help her, sweating profusely. She whispered: "It's okay. I am a doctor myself; I can take care of it." After saying that, she walked into Xing Linchun, quickly treated the broken arm, and then told several doctors sitting in the hall: "A hundred days for the tendons and bones to heal. I won't be able to move this hand for three months. We'll temporarily close the clinic."

Several doctors nodded in agreement and urged her to take care of herself. The news of her injury spread throughout the city, with the seriously ill feeling despondent, while others didn't seem to care.

After returning to Xue Residence, Lin Dan took out the ancestral medical book, turned a few pages, and used a special solution to dissolve the ink, then rewrote the text and gave it an aged appearance with sulfur fumigation. Just as she finished these preparations, messengers from the palace arrived, requesting Lin Dan and Wu Xuancáo to come and treat the new emperor.

General Xue had once accused Prince Su of falsely claiming military achievements, which resulted in him losing his military power and being imprisoned by the late emperor. Given his vengeful nature, would he spare the Xue family? After taking office, could he effectively lead Qin and govern its people while strengthening the military to unify the Central Plains?

The answer was clear to everyone, and they weighed the situation carefully. Prince Su had already executed over a dozen high-ranking officials before officially ascending the throne. If it weren't for General Xue still commanding a substantial army at the border, Prince Su might have already targeted the Xue family. If he succeeded, Qin would suffer, and the Xue family would be in even greater peril. In such circumstances, the elderly matriarch couldn't possibly allow her two daughters-in-law to go and treat him willingly.

However, imperial orders could not be disobeyed. Despite her numerous reservations, the elderly matriarch dared not speak out and could only wave her hand, saying, "Go and fetch Wu Xuancao and Lin Dan."

Sitting beside the elderly matriarch, Xue Jiming appeared to be lost in thought but secretly harbored suspicions. How could things be so coincidental? Lin Dan broke her hand right after being summoned to the palace. Could she have predicted this and deliberately caused the injury?

As he pondered this, Lin Dan entered with her arm in a sling and said to the two palace guards, "I'm truly sorry, gentlemen. I broke my hand, and I can't enter the palace to treat the Emperor."

"So, you broke your hand just after the Emperor summoned you. Is this a coincidence?" Wu Xuancao entered with a cold smile. Over the past few months, she had become increasingly hostile, as if she were a different person.

Xue Jiming saw her and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. He replied coldly, "When I went to fetch Lin Dan, she already had a broken hand. The decree had not been announced in the palace at that time. How could you accuse her of doing it deliberately? Is she clairvoyant? If you don't believe it, you can ask people in the streets."

The two palace guards stared at Lin Dan's swollen fingertips and sternly said, "We will investigate the truth ourselves. If anyone disobeys the imperial order or shows disrespect, we will report it to the Emperor for judgment. Since Doctor Lin cannot go, we shall request Doctor Wu to accompany us."

These two guards were originally Prince Su's personal soldiers but had now joined the Imperial Guard. Their attitudes were naturally more haughty. However, in the presence of Wu Xuancáo, they showed great respect, for only she could control the Emperor's headaches.

Wu Xuancáo had combined the acupuncture and moxibustion techniques left behind by Zheng Zhe with the internal methods from "Peach Blossom Spring." This unconventional approach had yielded miraculous results and earned her the favor of Prince Su. However, she had never forgotten about Lin Dan's unique inheritance. Now was the time to seize it, and she left for the palace without paying any heed to the Xue family's resentment.

After she departed, the elderly matriarch closed her eyes and sighed, "What a calamity! Out of all the choices, you had to pick a daughter-in-law like her! Our Xue family will meet its doom at her hands sooner or later."

Xue Jiming was filled with regret but had to console his family, saying, "Grandmother, don't worry. She's not skilled in medicine, and she won't be able to treat Prince Su's illness. The last time I saw him, he looked deathly pale and emaciated, already on the brink of death. He won't last many years. Once he's gone, Qin can have a new, wise ruler. Besides, Father and Elder Brother are still leading troops in battle outside, and he wouldn't dare to harm us at this moment."

Mrs. Xue entered the main hall slowly and expressed her concern, "I'm afraid he might have bribed the officers on the frontlines, plotting against your father and elder brother to prevent their return to the capital. If they are defeated, Duke Yu will still be stuck in the mire."

Xue Jiming understood this logic, but he continued to reassure his family, "Don't worry; we are all in good health and can definitely outlast him." Since there were no servants present in the room, he wasn't concerned about their conversation being overheard.

Lin Dan remained silent, eating her fruit without a trace of worry on her face. Seeing Lin Dan's hand bound with a wooden board and bandages, Mrs. Xue immediately forgot her own worries and approached her to inquire about her (LD) condition.

As evening approached, Wu Xuancao had not yet returned home. However, a eunuch from the palace arrived, requesting that Lin Dan hand over the family's ancestral medical book, as the book contained methods for treating the emperor.

"Doctor Lin, if your hand wasn't injured, the emperor wouldn't press you. But your hand will not be healed for two or three months; you can't possibly force the emperor to wait for you right? Please hand over the family's medical book, and others will study it. Afterward, you can treat the emperor as well. Rest assured, once they've learned it, we will return the book to you intact," said the eunuch with a seemingly respectful smile, though it annoyed the Xue family.

Xue Jiming didn't need to think to know who wanted to learn Lin Dan's family medical techniques; it was undoubtedly Wu Xuancao. She coveted Lin Dan's knowledge and used Duke Yu's influence to forcefully take it. Her methods became increasingly despicable, making Xue Jiming utterly disgusted with her.

At this moment, Xue Jiming had no remaining affection for her. He was about to refuse when he saw Lin Dan take out a brocade box and said calmly, "This is something Wu Xuancao has been wanting for a long time. Take it with you."

The eunuch carefully inspected the contents of the brocade box, verifying that the entire set of books was intact, before hastily returning to the palace to report.

After the eunuch left, Xue Jiming angrily overturned the table and said through gritted teeth, "Grandmother, Mother, I want to divorce Wu Xuancao."

The elderly matriarch and Xue's wife paid him no heed, as they were both too exhausted. They each retired to their rooms to rest, and the next day, they fell ill. Only Lin Dan continued to eat and drink, unaffected by the turmoil.

Wu Xuancao, delighted with the medical book she had obtained, spent the night in the palace eagerly studying its contents. Prince Su's headache had long been controlled by her using acupuncture, and she was confident it had little impact on the body. Little did she know that people outside were eagerly anticipating Duke Yu's demise, unaware that she would ensure his longevity.

After two months of study, she began to treat Prince Su according to the book's instructions, and the results were remarkable. With his newfound robust health, Prince Su began ruthlessly purging dissent within the court. Many high-ranking officials were executed, and the halls of the imperial palace flowed with blood daily. He also took in many beautiful women, constructed grand palaces, and imposed heavy taxes, causing great suffering among the people. If this continued, Qin, a once-mighty nation, would be completely destroyed within two years.

The courtiers' attempts to advise him were futile, and instead, they turned their focus towards Wu Xuancao, accusing her of bringing disaster to the country and the people, that she was a monster and should be beheaded. Instead of standing up to defend her, Xue Jiming wrote a letter of divorce, severing his ties with her.

After receiving the divorce letter, Wu Xuancao felt depressed for a few days but then cheered herself up to continue treating Prince Su. She had abandoned her loved ones and friends, so where could she go back to? As long as Prince Su was well, she could live freely without any other concerns.

Suddenly, one day, while she was giving Prince Su acupuncture, he suddenly began to vomit blood profusely and then started screaming in a frenzied manner while clutching his head. The gold needles that had not been removed were accidentally pressed deeper into his flesh, causing even more intense pain. In just a few breaths, he transformed from a living person into a corpse with a distorted face and blood leaking from his seven orifices.

"Something's wrong! The emperor has passed away!" palace attendants screamed and scattered.

Wu Xuancao trembled all over, her expression horrified, and she couldn't come back to her senses.

After a while, the sound of soldiers and swords could be heard outside the hall. A tall, sturdy man with a handsome face and a calm gaze slowly walked in, accompanied by Xue Boyong, who had blood-stained hands and a cold expression.

"Your wife asked me to send troops today. Could it be that she had expected this?" the handsome man turned around; unexpectedly, it was Prince Yu.

Xue Boyong chuckled lightly, "Unjust will be met with destruction. This foolish king was unkind and has been punished by God." After saying that, he looked at Wu Xuanli and said word by word: "You took something you shouldn't have taken. Now you should return it to its original owner, right?"

A bolt of realization flashed through Wu Xuancao's mind, causing her to jump up, searching for the medical book. As she smelled the faint, almost dissipating smell of sulfur, she suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. "It's Lin Dan! She tampered with the medical book and used me to kill the emperor to ensure I would suffer endlessly, right?! She's so ruthless! All that talk of compassion and medical ethics is all rubbish!"

Xue Boyong sneered, "You snatched the medical book yourself. Did she force you to do it? If you hadn't coveted something that didn't belong to you in the first place, nothing would have happened. Medical skills can save lives if used properly, but they can also take lives if used wrongly. You should have understood that a long time ago."

Wu Xuancao collapsed to the ground, unable to comprehend anything. After today, what awaited her was either to be shattered into pieces or a fate worse than death...

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