227 We Will Develop in Secret
Xie Heng did not have any reason to lie to her.
Zhao Chuchu pondered for a moment and realized his words made sense. After all, members of the imperial family prioritized their own status in the court over their relationships as fathers and sons.
The Emperor had been in power for a long time. He would be unwilling to relinquish it.
Moreover, the family of Empress Yuan was very influential. The Emperor was probably worried that the Qiao clan would support the Third Prince, or Junjun, to be the next Emperor, so he decided to act first.
!!
“Understood. I will be careful,” answered Zhao Chuchu as she considered various possibilities in her mind.
Even if she neutralized the Third Prince’s poison, she would do it secretly. They could not let Imperial City learn about their involvement; otherwise, Xie Jun’s background would be easily exposed.
However, if the Third Prince could find out that Xie Jun was his younger brother in his previous life, it was possible that it would also happen in this life.
“Does he know who Junjun is now?”
“Not yet. He has yet to meet Junjun.”
“Then are we letting him meet Junjun?”
“No.” Xie Heng shook his head.
In his previous life, it was precisely because the Third Prince knew that his younger brother was still alive that he exerted all his resources on paving the path to the throne for the latter. Unfortunately, as a result, the Third Prince’s health worsened, and he passed away.
The love the Third Prince had for Xie Jun was beyond all doubt. Even after meeting Xie Jun a few times, he did not reveal any emotions that might cause others to suspect Xie Jun’s identity.
“If you have a way to prolong his life for several years, we will arrange for him to meet Junjun later. Otherwise, he will try to help Junjun with no regard for his well-being,” explained Xie Heng. “Chuchu, the Third Prince’s body cannot take such stress anymore.”
“Has his condition already deteriorated to such a state?” said Zhao Chuchu as she frowned slightly. “If I manage to heal him, will he pose a threat to you and Junjun?”
“He won’t,” confirmed Xie Heng decisively. “However, the people backing him will.”
Zhao Chuchu fell silent.
How was that any different from the Third Prince himself harming them?
The struggle for power was forever cruel. Even if one were unwilling, the people behind them would push them to act.
It was because once someone was in such a position, they represented more than just themselves!
“So, Chuchu, I hope you will not get involved in this. At least not for now. I am still not powerful enough to protect you,” Xie Heng said with a serious expression. He added, “The Third Prince is a good person, but his party will always have a conflict of interest with us.”
“Understood,” answered Zhao Chuchu as she nodded her head.
As long as the Third Prince was still alive, the people backing him would hope for him to be the next Emperor.
Even if the Third Prince himself were not interested, he would be forced by his supporters to seize the throne.
The war for succession was always savage. Regardless of how mighty Zhao Chuchu was, she was only capable in the field of medicine. Even though she had powers, she would not be able to put up a fight against the imperial army.
Moreover, Xie Heng was only a scholar, while Xie Jun was only ten years old.
Xie Heng advised Chuchu, saying, “Chuchu, our road ahead will be arduous. So, we can’t afford to keep a high profile. The nail that sticks up always gets hammered down.”
She replied, “That’s right. We need to develop in secret. We still have a long way to go. Da Lang, keep up with your good work!”
To achieve the goal of becoming an influential grand secretary, he only had himself to rely on!
Of course, Zhao Chuchu did not desire power. Her dream was to live happily with warm clothes and a full stomach. All she wanted was to leave her days of fighting zombies and struggling for her next meal behind.
The next day, Zhao Chuchu woke up bright and early. After eating breakfast, she left to visit other villages.
Before she left, she instructed the village chief, “Today, you must arrange for Dachuan’s house to be well guarded in case trouble arises. Some of the villagers are on the brink of going mad. They might resort to unscrupulous deeds out of desperation.”
When the village chief saw that Zhao Chuchu was so serious about this matter, he did not dare to be careless. He replied, “Alright. Mrs. Xie, do not worry. I will definitely make proper arrangements.”
“I will be heading to Chen Village today. If you need me, you can find me there.”
Zhao Chuchu informed the village chief of her whereabouts and then left Heyang Village with Xie Heng and Xie Jun.
Chen Village was not far from Heyang Village. Only two patients there required surgery.
Knowing Zhao Chuchu’s rules, the villagers of Chen Village did not dare to offend her and were very respectful to her. They provided her with whatever she needed without a second word. This was to prevent her from leaving them to their own deaths in a rage if they offended her.
After all, people from the town and Heyang Village had proven that Zhao Chuchu could actually treat big belly disease.
Zhao Chuchu completed the surgeries and similarly educated the villagers of Chen Village about the cause of the illness. She also helped them seek out the infected water areas and taught them how to treat them. Finally, she instructed them to follow Heyang Village’s example.
In the following days, Zhao Chuchu traveled between the various villages. She was so busy that she lost weight.
In the blink of an eye, August came. The cases of big belly disease in Qiaoyi Town finally disappeared gradually due to Zhao Chuchu’s treatment.
The disease did not see widespread transmission. When the imperial physician finally rushed over to Qiaoyi Town, he was astonished by Zhao Chuchu’s medical skills.
However, he lamented that it was not Xie Heng who had the medical skills but Zhao Chuchu. Otherwise, he would have recommended that he join the imperial physician academy.
“Mrs. Xie, we thank you for treating this strange disease in Qiaoyi Town. If it weren’t for you, who knows how things would have turned out?” The imperial physician thanked her. He was not as arrogant as Doctor Jiang. Even if he was not too eager to deal with a young maiden, he at least maintained a level of professionalism.
“You are too kind, sir. I merely treated their illnesses after getting paid. There is no need to thank me. It is only right and proper to do what you are paid to do,” said Zhao Chuchu with a smile. She knew that he looked down on women.
However, since he had been professional about it, she would not expose him in public.
The imperial physician asked, “Based on local reports, aside from Qiaoyi Town, there are still patients with big belly disease in other areas. Mrs. Xie, could you hand over the prescription for treating this disease to the imperial court?”
Zhao Chuchu was speechless.
It was one thing for her to do so willingly. However, the imperial physician had actually asked her directly.
Even Qiao Heting had not asked her to surrender the prescription for treatment. So who did the imperial physician think he was?
He asked her to give up her prescription for free. In this era, it was the greatest taboo to ask for the secrets of others. Yet, this imperial physician truly took her for granted!
Zhao Chuchu had initially planned to give the imperial court the prescription.
However, this imperial physician was such a hypocrite. He looked down on her, yet he shamelessly asked for her prescription.
She replied, “Since Mr. Qiao paid me, this prescription is technically his. If you want it, why don’t you ask him? Pardon me for not being able to betray the trust given to me by Mr. Qiao. You understand my predicament, right? After all, every physician will have their own secret prescription.”
...
The face of the imperial physician turned red after he heard what she said.
She was just one step away from spelling out loud that he was shameless.
He was at fault, to begin with. Flustered that Zhao Chuchu had seen through his intentions, the imperial physician chided, “You should be honored that the imperial court is interested in your prescription. If your selfishness results in the deaths of patients in other places, can you bear the consequences?”
Zhao Chuchu retorted, “I disagree with you. You are paid by the imperial court, so you have to help them solve this crisis. But, on the other hand, I am a nobody from the countryside. I came here because someone invited me here. If all physicians should contribute everything they have selflessly, why don’t you share with me all of your skills first?”
Her words greatly angered the imperial physician.
He pointed a finger at Zhao Chuchu. He stuttered for a long while, “You…you…”
Zhao Chuchu added fuel to the fire, saying, “You are very good at exploiting the generosity of others. So why is it that you are so enraged when it’s your turn to be generous? You seem rather familiar with such double standards. Could it be that you also practice this in the imperial physician academy?”
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