The scene is set for a downfall.
Lu Zhang’s gaze sharpened, and he shifted from a state of furious madness back to calmness in an instant.
The imperial guards, tasked with protecting the Crown Prince and ensuring his safe entry into the palace, were secretly alarmed and immediately rested their hands on the hilts of their swords.
The imperial physicians and palace maids within the hall, however, found nothing unusual in this.
“Is the second your pawn?” Lu Zhang endured the pain, and this bout of affliction he managed to survive, aside from his disheveled hair and the absence of his dragon robe, he once again embodied his usual imposing demeanor.
The palace maids rushed to support him, but Lu Zhang waved them off and stared intently at the Crown Prince, saying in a deep voice:
“…Sixteen years ago, when I first ascended to the throne, I appointed you as the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. Over the years, I have guided you with great care, hoping that after I am gone for a hundred years, you would be able to safeguard our Qi dynasty’s lands. Little did I expect that a fever brought on by a minor illness would ruin your health, shorten your lifespan, and this is somehow my fault? Even so, I did not strip you of your title as Crown Prince, yet you remain dissatisfied, committing such acts of disloyalty and unfilial behavior!”
Every word Lu Zhang uttered carried the weight of a thousand jun.
Several imperial physicians inside the hall couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Haven’t many princes died of fever throughout history? The Crown Prince’s health was already poor, and the fever acted like the final straw that broke the camel’s back – who could have known?
The demeanor of Steward Chen, who accompanied the Crown Prince, changed drastically, wishing he could grab a vase and hurl it at those physicians.
How could the illness of the Crown Prince be unknown to others when Steward Chen was well aware of it?
The Crown Prince was frail and often ill, consuming medicine three to five times a year. These mediocre physicians, accustomed to prescribing standard peaceful remedies, drafted their prescriptions based on old practices. With the Crown Prince’s fever persisting, they hesitated and passed responsibility around, claiming there was nothing wrong with the prescription. This delay worsened the Crown Prince’s condition.
On the surface, the Emperor wasn’t to blame.
But how did such a culture of avoidance and negligence develop in the Imperial Medical Bureau?
Was it not because low-ranking concubines in the palace died every year, while others, like the mother of the second prince, suffered frequent injuries? Over time, physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau became like deaf and blind men, diagnosing illnesses vaguely and prescribing equally vague remedies, since prescriptions needed to be archived.
Thus, injuries from falls were recorded as minor bumps treated with appropriate yet ineffective medicine, healing slowly.
Sprains were documented as muscle cramps, treated only with bone broth for strengthening.
Severe bruises were never shown to physicians; instead, they were described verbally, and the doctors would prescribe ointments for reducing swelling and dispersing clots. However, concubines couldn’t always smell of ointments; hence, fragrant powders were added to the ointments. The archived prescriptions were then labeled as beauty treatments or ointments for rash.
The newly appointed medical officers in the Imperial Medical Bureau could hardly discern the truth behind these practices.
In the previous dynasty, physicians diagnosed concubines’ pulses through a cloth barrier. In the Qi dynasty, this evolved into diagnosing pulses via a hanging thread.
Could a thread diagnose a pulse? Of course not, even Mo Li, a martial artist of unparalleled skill, couldn’t achieve such a feat!
The so-called diagnosis by hanging thread was merely for show; the real diagnosis had been inquired from the palace staff beforehand. Moreover, some concubines, injured on their faces, refused to be seen but were concerned about their appearance. Hearing about the miraculous method of diagnosing by thread, who wouldn’t agree?
Thus, the Imperial Medical Bureau’s practices deteriorated over time. They dared not employ these tactics before the Emperor, but with the frequently ill Crown Prince, negligence crept in. Initially, they didn’t take his illness seriously. When the situation turned dire, panic led to blame-shifting.
Steward Chen’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the physicians.
The Crown Prince, without showing any emotion, was neither angered by Lu Zhang’s words nor did he glance at the physicians hiding to the side.
Lu Zhang’s gaze suddenly swept to a pair of boots peeking out from under a distant curtain, clearly someone had sneaked in to hide there, with embroidery that was not meant for ordinary palace staff.
With little thought, Lu Zhang guessed who it was.
“I truly feel sorry for the second son; he obeyed you in everything, only for you to lead him to his death,” Lu Zhang said coldly, “The third son must have been deceived by you as well, and after today, he probably will be of no use to you.”
The figure behind the curtain trembled slightly.
This person’s hiding spot was precisely in the Crown Prince’s blind spot.
Lu Zhang continued to provoke: “I am also deeply disappointed. These unworthy sons are all foolish, only you and the sixth son have some intelligence. You, as their elder brother, have been taking care of them, merely to appear wise and benevolent, using or eliminating these brothers who might threaten your position as Crown Prince. I thought you wouldn’t be able to resist moving against the sixth son, but you are indeed smart, knowing that the real threat is the third son.”
The Crown Prince slightly furrowed his brows but remained silent.
“……Cowardly, incompetent, yet with the identity of a prince, ministers prefer to support such puppets. Crown Prince, wisdom alone will not gain you the support of the civil and military officials.”
The figure behind the curtains trembled even more.
Steward Chen caught sight of it and immediately lowered his head, intending to inform the Crown Prince.
Lu Zhang raised his hand and drew a sword from beside the bed. The Jinyiwei who escorted the Crown Prince immediately went on alert, and Steward Chen, too, out of instinct, stepped in front of the Crown Prince and failed to complete his sentence.
“What a loyally loyal dog.” Lu Zhang suddenly burst into loud laughter, articulating each word, “Chen Cai, what are you waiting for?”
Chen Cai is Steward Chen’s name. Everyone was shocked and quickly turned their heads to look at Steward Chen.
Steward Chen stood motionless, still hunched over, without any sign of oddity.
Lu Zhang sneered, his tone full of contempt. He tried to see the expression of betrayal and anger on the Crown Prince’s face, but the Crown Prince was instead scratching the chin of the civet cat.
It was warm inside the palanquin, and with the storm raging outside, Ah Hu naturally nestled in the Crown Prince’s arms.
Now, at the Emperor’s sleeping quarters, which were spacious and not cold, the cat became restless.
The Crown Prince didn’t want the cat to run around; he had brought it for warmth. Despite wearing thick clothes and a fox fur cloak, and even with a warm jade pendant on his chest, his hands remain cold.
Ah Hu was better than a heater.
Warm and cozy in his arms, especially effective.
Seeing that the Crown Prince still had the mood to play with his pet, Lu Zhang almost couldn’t suppress the anger in his heart. He took a deep breath and said coldly, “Chen Cai, I placed him by your side. Since you became the Crown Prince, he has been reporting your every move to me.”
The Crown Prince, while stroking the cat’s fur, said indifferently, “Father Emperor’s concern for his son, I have yet to thank Father Emperor for his painstaking efforts. What’s one Chen Cai? There’s also the Crown Princess!”
Everyone was astonished.
Meng Qi, who had sneaked onto the roof of the palace, raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Meng Qi had tied his outer garment, but the wind blew his sleeves vigorously because he wore nothing underneath his outer robe.
He ran out, not just feeling guilty about damaging his clothes but also uneasy about the situation in the palace.
Well, being uneasy was just an excuse; he wanted to enjoy the show.
Perhaps, if he recounts the events to Doctor Mo, the latter might be pleased enough to spare him from bitter medicines.
Meng Qi smoothly infiltrated the palace and began surveying the surroundings, spotting a group of Jinyiwei in their uniforms. The Jinyiwei from the North and South Commanderies had slipped away during the Crown Prince’s bombardment of the Wanhe Hall, and the Jinyiwei commander, who had secretly communicated with the Second Prince, had been imprisoned and tortured but was likely released by now.
Besides the Jinyiwei, there were the Imperial Guards.
The Imperial Guards’ formation was somewhat loose, with not many turning to support the Crown Prince, most hesitating and giving up resistance under the threat of the artillery.
Meng Qi also saw a group of court officials being “escorted” over.
They stood outside the hall, shivering in the cold wind, some looking fearful, others full of resentment.
Then, Lu Zhang’s voice came from inside the hall again.
“It’s laughable! The Crown Princess’s family background indeed isn’t noble, but since the foundation of our dynasty, whether selecting consorts for the harem or brides for princes, we have favored families of minor officials or even commoners. And once selected, they are immediately dismissed from office and granted titles and rewards, with their direct descendants barred from holding office within three generations. This is to prevent the calamity of powerful in-laws. I know you’re dissatisfied with your wives because their families offer you no support…”
The court officials outside the hall vaguely heard the gist, their expressions varying.
“Meow!”
Wait, where did that cat’s cry come from?
Meng Qi, originally planning to sneak into the hall and watch the drama from the rafters, heard Ah Hu’s cry and suddenly felt that the roof outside was quite a good spot too.
“The support from a wife’s family, Father Emperor understands all too well. Without Mother Empress, how could Father Emperor have had a smooth official career and left the frontier for the capital?”
“You!”
The Crown Prince, unfazed by Lu Zhang’s fury, stated, “Marrying the daughter of an official, in the early years, you treated her with cautious respect. As your position rose, you became increasingly unkind to your wife, taking several concubines from the families of high officials of the Chu dynasty. For the sake of greater ambitions, you did not hesitate to degrade yourself for glory, serving the Emperor of Chu by day, and your backyard was always open…”
“Shut your mouth, unfilial son!”
Lu Zhang roared, gasping for breath. The residual Qi in his body acted up again, causing him immense pain.
The court officials outside looked at each other. They did not question the Crown Prince’s words, as it was well known that the Second Prince’s mother was one of Lu Zhang’s concubines before his ascent to the throne, with relatives who had served as officials in the Chu dynasty’s Ministry of Revenue.
Such women from official families, if not born to concubines, were from declining households, raised on family charity. They were typically used for marriage alliances, a means of connecting families, regardless of whose concubine they became, always a transaction of official interests, easily abandoned in case of any mishap.
One of the chief ministers of the Chen dynasty even married his granddaughter to a political rival, only to betray him later.
“Preventing chaos from powerful in-laws is a sound rationale, but what Father Emperor truly wishes is to control all his sons. You threatened the Crown Princess with the lives of her family; as the Emperor, you can silence them without a trace, while in-laws and nobles are already unpopular with the court officials. You forced the Crown Princess to send messages, and she can only recite prayers all day, pretending to care for nothing, suffering silently though she dares not speak. Liangdi, young and fierce, is a piece you haven’t played, fearing she might ruin your plans.”
The Crown Prince sighed and continued, “I thought you only played this game with the Eastern Palace, but I didn’t expect it to extend to my second brother’s wife…”
Meng Qi immediately remembered the Second Prince’s failed conspiracy, betrayed by someone close.
It seems the Second Prince’s wife had no choice.
“Father Emperor holds the world in his hands, yet resorts to such despicable means, truly an eye-opener for your son.”
Lu Zhang, unable to contain his anger, stared at Steward Chen, then turned his head and said fiercely, “Good! I underestimated your ability to win people’s hearts, deceiving not just the second and third brothers, but even making the dogs by your side so obedient! Chen Cai, your brother has only one son, and it seems neither his family’s lives nor those of your parents matter to you! I still have loyal followers; as soon as the news of the Crown Prince’s court appearance at dawn breaks, they will be sent to the netherworld!”
Steward Chen slowly raised his head, his expression strange.
With a smile that was part humble and part mocking, he said,
“Your Majesty, being sent to the Eastern Palace to serve the Crown Prince ten years ago is what I am most grateful to you for. As for winning people’s hearts, you jest, Your Majesty. I have never been threatened by you from the start. How could you think that parents who sold their child into the palace, a brother who lives off me while indulging in pleasures… would I care about their lives?”
Not only was Lu Zhang stunned, but the other palace staff also showed surprise.
Eunuchs and maids most looked forward to adopting a child to continue their lineage after death.
Like Steward Chen, many were sold by their parents into the palace. Even if they harbored resentment, how could they ignore the life of their own nephew?
Steward Chen, with a forced smile, said, “After my death, I do not wish for such a false son attracted by money, nor do I care for ancestral temple plaques or memorial tablets—just lies to squeeze money from us poor souls. As for the lineage of the Chen family, it has nothing to do with me.”
The author has a message to say:
The practice of diagnosing by hanging a thread over the patient is false; the imperial physicians can’t see the patient directly and diagnose based on descriptions from the eunuchs and maids, combined with years of medical experience… Relying on such practices would surely lead to misdiagnosis and deaths.
The trope of capturing family members to threaten others was a popular plot in ancient dramas, but it’s more complex for characters with deep familial ties, like the Crown Princess and the Second Prince’s wife, who were likely raised with love by a senior family member. However, for palace maids and eunuchs, it’s harder to say.
In palace intrigue novels, capturing a family member to coerce someone often seems to immediately bring the other party to their knees, willing to act under duress, and it appears to work every time, a surefire tactic.
Steward Chen: Feel free to kill them; if I even frown, I lose.
The scene is set for a downfall.
Lu Zhang’s gaze sharpened, and he shifted from a state of furious madness back to calmness in an instant.
The imperial guards, tasked with protecting the Crown Prince and ensuring his safe entry into the palace, were secretly alarmed and immediately rested their hands on the hilts of their swords.
The imperial physicians and palace maids within the hall, however, found nothing unusual in this.
“Is the second your pawn?” Lu Zhang endured the pain, and this bout of affliction he managed to survive, aside from his disheveled hair and the absence of his dragon robe, he once again embodied his usual imposing demeanor.
The palace maids rushed to support him, but Lu Zhang waved them off and stared intently at the Crown Prince, saying in a deep voice:
“…Sixteen years ago, when I first ascended to the throne, I appointed you as the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. Over the years, I have guided you with great care, hoping that after I am gone for a hundred years, you would be able to safeguard our Qi dynasty’s lands. Little did I expect that a fever brought on by a minor illness would ruin your health, shorten your lifespan, and this is somehow my fault? Even so, I did not strip you of your title as Crown Prince, yet you remain dissatisfied, committing such acts of disloyalty and unfilial behavior!”
Every word Lu Zhang uttered carried the weight of a thousand jun.
Several imperial physicians inside the hall couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Haven’t many princes died of fever throughout history? The Crown Prince’s health was already poor, and the fever acted like the final straw that broke the camel’s back – who could have known?
The demeanor of Steward Chen, who accompanied the Crown Prince, changed drastically, wishing he could grab a vase and hurl it at those physicians.
How could the illness of the Crown Prince be unknown to others when Steward Chen was well aware of it?
The Crown Prince was frail and often ill, consuming medicine three to five times a year. These mediocre physicians, accustomed to prescribing standard peaceful remedies, drafted their prescriptions based on old practices. With the Crown Prince’s fever persisting, they hesitated and passed responsibility around, claiming there was nothing wrong with the prescription. This delay worsened the Crown Prince’s condition.
On the surface, the Emperor wasn’t to blame.
But how did such a culture of avoidance and negligence develop in the Imperial Medical Bureau?
Was it not because low-ranking concubines in the palace died every year, while others, like the mother of the second prince, suffered frequent injuries? Over time, physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau became like deaf and blind men, diagnosing illnesses vaguely and prescribing equally vague remedies, since prescriptions needed to be archived.
Thus, injuries from falls were recorded as minor bumps treated with appropriate yet ineffective medicine, healing slowly.
Sprains were documented as muscle cramps, treated only with bone broth for strengthening.
Severe bruises were never shown to physicians; instead, they were described verbally, and the doctors would prescribe ointments for reducing swelling and dispersing clots. However, concubines couldn’t always smell of ointments; hence, fragrant powders were added to the ointments. The archived prescriptions were then labeled as beauty treatments or ointments for rash.
The newly appointed medical officers in the Imperial Medical Bureau could hardly discern the truth behind these practices.
In the previous dynasty, physicians diagnosed concubines’ pulses through a cloth barrier. In the Qi dynasty, this evolved into diagnosing pulses via a hanging thread.
Could a thread diagnose a pulse? Of course not, even Mo Li, a martial artist of unparalleled skill, couldn’t achieve such a feat!
The so-called diagnosis by hanging thread was merely for show; the real diagnosis had been inquired from the palace staff beforehand. Moreover, some concubines, injured on their faces, refused to be seen but were concerned about their appearance. Hearing about the miraculous method of diagnosing by thread, who wouldn’t agree?
Thus, the Imperial Medical Bureau’s practices deteriorated over time. They dared not employ these tactics before the Emperor, but with the frequently ill Crown Prince, negligence crept in. Initially, they didn’t take his illness seriously. When the situation turned dire, panic led to blame-shifting.
Steward Chen’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the physicians.
The Crown Prince, without showing any emotion, was neither angered by Lu Zhang’s words nor did he glance at the physicians hiding to the side.
Lu Zhang’s gaze suddenly swept to a pair of boots peeking out from under a distant curtain, clearly someone had sneaked in to hide there, with embroidery that was not meant for ordinary palace staff.
With little thought, Lu Zhang guessed who it was.
“I truly feel sorry for the second son; he obeyed you in everything, only for you to lead him to his death,” Lu Zhang said coldly, “The third son must have been deceived by you as well, and after today, he probably will be of no use to you.”
The figure behind the curtain trembled slightly.
This person’s hiding spot was precisely in the Crown Prince’s blind spot.
Lu Zhang continued to provoke: “I am also deeply disappointed. These unworthy sons are all foolish, only you and the sixth son have some intelligence. You, as their elder brother, have been taking care of them, merely to appear wise and benevolent, using or eliminating these brothers who might threaten your position as Crown Prince. I thought you wouldn’t be able to resist moving against the sixth son, but you are indeed smart, knowing that the real threat is the third son.”
The Crown Prince slightly furrowed his brows but remained silent.
“……Cowardly, incompetent, yet with the identity of a prince, ministers prefer to support such puppets. Crown Prince, wisdom alone will not gain you the support of the civil and military officials.”
The figure behind the curtains trembled even more.
Steward Chen caught sight of it and immediately lowered his head, intending to inform the Crown Prince.
Lu Zhang raised his hand and drew a sword from beside the bed. The Jinyiwei who escorted the Crown Prince immediately went on alert, and Steward Chen, too, out of instinct, stepped in front of the Crown Prince and failed to complete his sentence.
“What a loyally loyal dog.” Lu Zhang suddenly burst into loud laughter, articulating each word, “Chen Cai, what are you waiting for?”
Chen Cai is Steward Chen’s name. Everyone was shocked and quickly turned their heads to look at Steward Chen.
Steward Chen stood motionless, still hunched over, without any sign of oddity.
Lu Zhang sneered, his tone full of contempt. He tried to see the expression of betrayal and anger on the Crown Prince’s face, but the Crown Prince was instead scratching the chin of the civet cat.
It was warm inside the palanquin, and with the storm raging outside, Ah Hu naturally nestled in the Crown Prince’s arms.
Now, at the Emperor’s sleeping quarters, which were spacious and not cold, the cat became restless.
The Crown Prince didn’t want the cat to run around; he had brought it for warmth. Despite wearing thick clothes and a fox fur cloak, and even with a warm jade pendant on his chest, his hands remain cold.
Ah Hu was better than a heater.
Warm and cozy in his arms, especially effective.
Seeing that the Crown Prince still had the mood to play with his pet, Lu Zhang almost couldn’t suppress the anger in his heart. He took a deep breath and said coldly, “Chen Cai, I placed him by your side. Since you became the Crown Prince, he has been reporting your every move to me.”
The Crown Prince, while stroking the cat’s fur, said indifferently, “Father Emperor’s concern for his son, I have yet to thank Father Emperor for his painstaking efforts. What’s one Chen Cai? There’s also the Crown Princess!”
Everyone was astonished.
Meng Qi, who had sneaked onto the roof of the palace, raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Meng Qi had tied his outer garment, but the wind blew his sleeves vigorously because he wore nothing underneath his outer robe.
He ran out, not just feeling guilty about damaging his clothes but also uneasy about the situation in the palace.
Well, being uneasy was just an excuse; he wanted to enjoy the show.
Perhaps, if he recounts the events to Doctor Mo, the latter might be pleased enough to spare him from bitter medicines.
Meng Qi smoothly infiltrated the palace and began surveying the surroundings, spotting a group of Jinyiwei in their uniforms. The Jinyiwei from the North and South Commanderies had slipped away during the Crown Prince’s bombardment of the Wanhe Hall, and the Jinyiwei commander, who had secretly communicated with the Second Prince, had been imprisoned and tortured but was likely released by now.
Besides the Jinyiwei, there were the Imperial Guards.
The Imperial Guards’ formation was somewhat loose, with not many turning to support the Crown Prince, most hesitating and giving up resistance under the threat of the artillery.
Meng Qi also saw a group of court officials being “escorted” over.
They stood outside the hall, shivering in the cold wind, some looking fearful, others full of resentment.
Then, Lu Zhang’s voice came from inside the hall again.
“It’s laughable! The Crown Princess’s family background indeed isn’t noble, but since the foundation of our dynasty, whether selecting consorts for the harem or brides for princes, we have favored families of minor officials or even commoners. And once selected, they are immediately dismissed from office and granted titles and rewards, with their direct descendants barred from holding office within three generations. This is to prevent the calamity of powerful in-laws. I know you’re dissatisfied with your wives because their families offer you no support…”
The court officials outside the hall vaguely heard the gist, their expressions varying.
“Meow!”
Wait, where did that cat’s cry come from?
Meng Qi, originally planning to sneak into the hall and watch the drama from the rafters, heard Ah Hu’s cry and suddenly felt that the roof outside was quite a good spot too.
“The support from a wife’s family, Father Emperor understands all too well. Without Mother Empress, how could Father Emperor have had a smooth official career and left the frontier for the capital?”
“You!”
The Crown Prince, unfazed by Lu Zhang’s fury, stated, “Marrying the daughter of an official, in the early years, you treated her with cautious respect. As your position rose, you became increasingly unkind to your wife, taking several concubines from the families of high officials of the Chu dynasty. For the sake of greater ambitions, you did not hesitate to degrade yourself for glory, serving the Emperor of Chu by day, and your backyard was always open…”
“Shut your mouth, unfilial son!”
Lu Zhang roared, gasping for breath. The residual Qi in his body acted up again, causing him immense pain.
The court officials outside looked at each other. They did not question the Crown Prince’s words, as it was well known that the Second Prince’s mother was one of Lu Zhang’s concubines before his ascent to the throne, with relatives who had served as officials in the Chu dynasty’s Ministry of Revenue.
Such women from official families, if not born to concubines, were from declining households, raised on family charity. They were typically used for marriage alliances, a means of connecting families, regardless of whose concubine they became, always a transaction of official interests, easily abandoned in case of any mishap.
One of the chief ministers of the Chen dynasty even married his granddaughter to a political rival, only to betray him later.
“Preventing chaos from powerful in-laws is a sound rationale, but what Father Emperor truly wishes is to control all his sons. You threatened the Crown Princess with the lives of her family; as the Emperor, you can silence them without a trace, while in-laws and nobles are already unpopular with the court officials. You forced the Crown Princess to send messages, and she can only recite prayers all day, pretending to care for nothing, suffering silently though she dares not speak. Liangdi, young and fierce, is a piece you haven’t played, fearing she might ruin your plans.”
The Crown Prince sighed and continued, “I thought you only played this game with the Eastern Palace, but I didn’t expect it to extend to my second brother’s wife…”
Meng Qi immediately remembered the Second Prince’s failed conspiracy, betrayed by someone close.
It seems the Second Prince’s wife had no choice.
“Father Emperor holds the world in his hands, yet resorts to such despicable means, truly an eye-opener for your son.”
Lu Zhang, unable to contain his anger, stared at Steward Chen, then turned his head and said fiercely, “Good! I underestimated your ability to win people’s hearts, deceiving not just the second and third brothers, but even making the dogs by your side so obedient! Chen Cai, your brother has only one son, and it seems neither his family’s lives nor those of your parents matter to you! I still have loyal followers; as soon as the news of the Crown Prince’s court appearance at dawn breaks, they will be sent to the netherworld!”
Steward Chen slowly raised his head, his expression strange.
With a smile that was part humble and part mocking, he said,
“Your Majesty, being sent to the Eastern Palace to serve the Crown Prince ten years ago is what I am most grateful to you for. As for winning people’s hearts, you jest, Your Majesty. I have never been threatened by you from the start. How could you think that parents who sold their child into the palace, a brother who lives off me while indulging in pleasures… would I care about their lives?”
Not only was Lu Zhang stunned, but the other palace staff also showed surprise.
Eunuchs and maids most looked forward to adopting a child to continue their lineage after death.
Like Steward Chen, many were sold by their parents into the palace. Even if they harbored resentment, how could they ignore the life of their own nephew?
Steward Chen, with a forced smile, said, “After my death, I do not wish for such a false son attracted by money, nor do I care for ancestral temple plaques or memorial tablets—just lies to squeeze money from us poor souls. As for the lineage of the Chen family, it has nothing to do with me.”
The author has a message to say:
The practice of diagnosing by hanging a thread over the patient is false; the imperial physicians can’t see the patient directly and diagnose based on descriptions from the eunuchs and maids, combined with years of medical experience… Relying on such practices would surely lead to misdiagnosis and deaths.
The trope of capturing family members to threaten others was a popular plot in ancient dramas, but it’s more complex for characters with deep familial ties, like the Crown Princess and the Second Prince’s wife, who were likely raised with love by a senior family member. However, for palace maids and eunuchs, it’s harder to say.
In palace intrigue novels, capturing a family member to coerce someone often seems to immediately bring the other party to their knees, willing to act under duress, and it appears to work every time, a surefire tactic.
Steward Chen: Feel free to kill them; if I even frown, I lose.
