The back hall of Qianqing Palace.
When Zhu Youtang woke up, the sun outside had already risen very high. The sunlight came in through the window paper. It was not dazzling, but also made Zhu Youtang feel warm.
"His Majesty."
Xiao Jing, who was standing by the dragon couch, saw the emperor opening his eyes and quickly stepped forward.
Zhu Youtang forced a smile, meaning that he was fine.
I heard someone in the outer hall still arguing: "...it must be a deficiency of qi and blood, and a cold spleen and stomach... A sallow complexion and weakness of muscles and bones are the symptoms. It should be supplemented."
"No, Your Majesty should be suffering from Shao Yang deficiency, so he should nourish Yin and Yang..."
Probably they knew that the emperor had fainted, and it didn't matter even if it was louder. It would be better to wake him up, which would save the need for needles and medicine.
Zhu Youtang couldn't help but frown after hearing this.
"Your Majesty, the soup has been boiled. You can take it while it's hot." Xiao Jing said and was about to get the soup.
Zhu Youtang stretched out his hand to indicate that there was no need.
Several imperial doctors outside haven't even figured out his condition yet, so the medicine is ready here? Can I drink this medicine?
Zhu Youtang was afraid of taking medicine.
"Where are the queen and the prince?" Zhu Youtang asked.
Xiao Jing said: "The Queen came to visit and learned that His Majesty was fine, and then returned to Kunning Palace. She also said that His Majesty should have more rest. The Crown Prince... didn't inform."
"Oh." Zhu Youtang asked again, "Have all the ministers in the front hall dispersed?"
Xiao Jing said: "Yes. All the ministers were very nervous when they saw His Majesty fainted. Liu Gelao lost his temper and reprimanded those officials in public, telling them to be careful in their words and deeds and not to make His Majesty's blood boil again. He also made them all Return to the Yamen and perform their respective duties."
Zhu Youtang nodded with comfort in his heart and said: "With Mr. Liu Ge and the others stabilizing the Chao Gang, I feel more at ease. I just didn't get a good rest last night. I was a little excited before. When I got up, I was too hasty and my blood was not up for a while. Rest now. After a while, my body gained strength. Go and bring Bingkuan to the palace."
"His Majesty?"
Xiao Jing doesn't understand. You are sick at this time. You don't want to ask the doctor, but you want to see Zhang Zhou?
Zhu Youtang would not explain why he did this, and waved his hand: "By the way, I have asked several imperial doctors to withdraw. I want to rest. Bingkuan will come and wake me up."
"yes."
Xiao Jing quickly covered Zhu Youtang with another layer of quilt.
Zhu Youtang closed his eyes, with a look of intoxication on his face as if he was murmuring: "It's so warm."
…
…
When Zhang Zhou was ordered to go to Qianqing Palace, none of the imperial doctors were left. At this time, Dai Yi and others were waiting in front of the back hall of Qianqing Palace after resting.
"Mr. Zhang, please come inside." Xiao Jing came out to greet him after hearing the news.
Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty is resting, so I won't go in and disturb you, right?"
Xiao Jing smiled and said: "Your Majesty has woken up and is having a meal. Hearing that Mr. Zhang was coming, he specifically asked him to go in and talk."
Only then did Zhang Zhou feel at ease to enter.
But Zhu Youtang was still on the dragon couch, but he had already sat down and leaned on the soft pillow. A young eunuch beside him was putting porridge into his mouth with a spoon.
"Is Bingkuan here? Come here!"
Zhu Youtang was very happy to see Zhang Zhou. He motioned for someone to take the porridge bowl aside. Then he called Zhang Zhou to him and reached out to take Zhang Zhou's hand.
Zhang Zhou was a little unnatural in his movements.
What kind of trick is this?
"Bingkuan, you are a rare talent in the Ming Dynasty. I admire you very much." Zhu Youtang said with a smile.
Zhang Zhou said: "I haven't paid any tribute to Your Majesty yet."
Zhu Youtang smiled and said: "No, I asked you to come here to diagnose my illness. Don't you have the art of rejuvenation? I want to hear your opinion on my illness."
"this……"
Zhang Zhou looked at Dai Yi and Xiao Jing around him.
The two were equally stunned.
Not to mention Zhang Zhou, even Dai Yi and Xiao Jing now understood that the emperor urgently needed to find a new sustenance after losing his "spiritual sustenance" in Li Guang.
And this candidate naturally fell on Zhang Zhou, who crushed Li Guang in all aspects of strength and had been in the limelight recently.
The emperor was probably very insecure when he was a boy. When he grew up, he had the habit of being mentally dependent and always liked to find some human and material sustenance.
Zhang Zhou wanted to say it.
Your Majesty, you have a mental illness and you should see a psychiatrist. I can't.
Besides, you have a wife and children, why are you entrusting them to me?
Don't think that I am a fairy.
I am just a poor scholar, very stingy.
Zhang Zhou said seriously: "Your Majesty, I don't know how to treat your illness, and I'm not good at it either."
"hehe."
Zhu Youtang couldn't help laughing when he heard this, "You don't know how to consult, but you treat the princess and prevent the common people in the capital from the plague. Even the British prince, you ask Zhijie to deliver prescriptions? Everyone else does everything. Maybe you say you are capable, win the respect of others, and win my trust, but why do you look down on yourself?"
Zhang Zhou sighed: "Your Majesty, when I treat the princess's illness, it is not about hanging a pot to save the world, but because I know how to prevent the disease. As for the illness of the British prince, it is because I know the cause of the disease. As for your majesty's illness... please forgive me. I'm disrespectful, I know the root cause, but I don't know how to deal with it."
Zhang Zhou's face was serious, different from his usual cheerful appearance.
Seeing this, Zhu Youtang knew that the situation was serious and became cautious, saying: "It doesn't matter if you just say it."
Dai Yi also said nervously: "Mr. Zhang, if you don't tell me, how can we prevent and cure it? Tell me quickly."
Everyone in the room looked at Zhang Zhou with eager eyes.
Because Zhang Zhou had previously treated the little princess and predicted fire, he truly became a worldly expert in the eyes of others. Others could no longer take his words as a joke.
"Your Majesty, let me tell you the truth. Your Majesty is not ill, but poisoned."
Zhang Zhou came up and gave everyone present a strong dose of medicine.
"ah?"
Many people present looked stunned and frightened. Dai Yi's hand holding the memorial was trembling. Only Zhu Youtang's expression looked normal.
"Say." Zhu Youtang said.
"Yes." Zhang Zhou said, "His Majesty was poisoned by lead pills. To put it bluntly, it was due to his long-term use of pills containing lead over the past few years. This pill may have invigorated your majesty at first, and boosted your physical strength and energy. They can all be guaranteed, but after taking it for a while, you will become mentally depressed. Then you have to continue to rely on it, gradually eating away at your Majesty's body, making your body worse day by day..."
After listening to Zhang Zhou's words, the people around him did not dare to speak.
Zhang Zhou was clearly targeting Li Guang.
It was said that the emperor was poisoned by the chronic poison administered by Li Guang.
Zhang Zhou was not without aim. He knew very well that looking at ancient civilizations around the world, whether it was ancient Rome or the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, heavy metal poisoning represented by lead has become a killer of nobles. Europe likes to store wine in lead barrels, while ancient China Civilized bronzes contain lead residues during smelting.
Because the texture of lead is soft in the mouth, as a vessel, it can make drinks and food more delicious, so many nobles are flocking to it.
Ordinary people are not able to enjoy this kind of poisoning treatment.
So much so that this "aristocratic disease" makes it difficult for the aristocracy to live past thirty, with an average age of twenty-five.
By the Ming Dynasty, lead was rarely seen in daily utensils, but it is strange that almost all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty believed in immortality, so they basically took elixirs, and elixirs required the use of heavy metals such as lead in the refining process. , which also caused Ming emperors to generally die in their prime.
Strong medicine gives you temporary relief.
Why did Zhu Youtang have no children after the age of twenty-five? It's not because Queen Zhang can't give birth, or because he has no concubines.
But because he is really weak.
The more deficient you are, the more you want to take supplements, but the more supplements you take, the worse your body becomes, forming a vicious cycle, and you will only live to the age of thirty-five.
