Decades ago, the young Old Carponsa, by chance, saved a young monk, thus forging a karmic connection.
Under his secret sponsorship, this monk entered a renowned temple in the northern part of the Kingdom of Tilan.
Decades later, with his exceptional aptitude, this monk had become the abbot of the temple.
Just over a year ago, this eminent monk went abroad to perform religious services, and Old Carponsa subtly arranged for an encounter.
Upon meeting his benefactor, the monk was overjoyed. After catching up, Old Carponsa asked him for a favor.
The monk agreed without hesitation.
Shortly thereafter, news arrived that the Queen was pregnant. To ensure the healthy growth of the fetus, the Queen devoutly traveled to various temples.
It was at this time that Old Carponsa had someone spread the word that the temple in the Kingdom of Tilan was exceptionally efficacious, capable of granting any wish with sincere devotion.
Thus, the Queen visited the temple, and the monk with whom Old Carponsa was acquainted personally presided over the blessing ceremony for the Queen.
However, this was not a blessing, but a curse!
Through a secret method, the monk allowed the vengeful spirit of a deceased child to enter the Queen's womb. This spirit immediately killed the fetus and then usurped its place.
Thus, a ghost fetus was nurtured within the Queen's womb.
Ghost fetuses are extremely overbearing, desperately absorbing the Queen's bodily nutrients. Despite the Queen eating a great deal each day, she grew increasingly thin and had to be injected with nutrient solutions to sustain her life.
Especially as the fetus grew larger, its movements within the Queen's body became more pronounced, which finally drew the attention of the royal family.
This was precisely as Ling Tian had analyzed: whoever benefited the most from this situation was the mastermind behind it!
Old Carponsa had not anticipated that Ling Tian would diagnose the Queen's true condition. This caused the situation to spiral slightly out of his control. However, the old fellow was quick-witted and decided to play the role of the accuser, directly pinning the blame on Ling Tian.
The charge of cursing a member of the royal family and attempting to harm the future heir was enough to condemn Ling Tian to a fate worse than death!
Moreover, he had delivered this accusation with righteous indignation, leaving others with no room for criticism.
At this point, Old Arroyo spoke.
"Your Majesty, as the Queen's father, I am most concerned about my daughter's health. However, Dr. Ling Tian's diagnosis is not without basis. Today, there are also diagnoses from several other individuals, which indirectly support Dr. Ling Tian's judgment.
I suggest we wait until we have heard the opinions of others before making a decision."
King Hajif tapped the table with his hand, signaling to Young Arroyo to continue.
So, Young Arroyo read out the diagnostic results of everyone else. By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat.
Arroyo knew well that this King, while appearing very low-key, was decisive and ruthless, like a crocodile lurking in the water; once it struck, it was a thunderous blow, delivered without mercy!
"Your Majesty, I believe that Dr. Ling Tian's diagnosis has a certain basis!
I think preserving the Queen's life is more important!"
When Old Arroyo spoke, the foreign officials were taken aback. These two old rivals in court seemed to be speaking from opposing stances.
Take the Arroyo family, for instance. It would certainly be more advantageous for their family to ensure the King's offspring were born safely, even if it meant sacrificing the Queen's life.
But now, Old Arroyo seemed to want to save the mother and disregard the child.
And Old Carponsa, on the other hand, should have been the last to want the child to be born, as that would mean the future heir to the throne would naturally favor the Arroyo family.
Yet, that old fellow was fully supporting the birth of the child...
The struggle between the two families was actually being subtly instigated by the King from behind the scenes. This was a method of checks and balances for a monarch; otherwise, if these two families united, the King would be marginalized.
Following this, the entire conference room devolved into a chaotic argument, like a marketplace. The ministers of the kingdom's high echelons offered their opinions, with some supporting the Arroyo family and others supporting Old Carponsa. Of course, there were also many who played the role of peacemakers and remained non-committal.
When everyone had largely expressed their views, Old Carponsa spoke again.
"Your Majesty, this matter has gone beyond the scope of ordinary medicine and is not something we ordinary people can comprehend. I believe that professional matters should be handled by professionals.
I suggest we invite the National Preceptor to offer his views on this matter!"
King Hajif pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Very well. Tomorrow morning, you few will accompany me to the National Preceptor's. I wish to consult him personally!
Furthermore, Arroyo, tomorrow morning, bring that doctor named Ling Tian, and that woman from Wōguó, to the National Preceptor's. I want them to confront each other!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
The next morning, Arroyo sent a car to pick up Ling Tian and Ali, and then picked up Yu Gongyui. Together, they headed to Mount Wuludu, thirty kilometers outside the capital. This was the highest mountain in the Kingdom of Darusaran, though its elevation was less than 400 meters.
The temple of National Preceptor Duran was located halfway up this mountain.
When Ling Tian and his companions arrived, Ling Tian noticed that the road leading to the temple was lined with vehicles, many of which bore royal insignia, and there were columns of soldiers armed with live ammunition.
It was clear that important figures were present today, and it was highly likely to be King Hajif.
At this moment, King Hajif had already met National Preceptor Duran in the temple's main hall.
Although this old monk was over 60 years old, his eyebrows were still black, and his overall demeanor was similar to that of someone in his early forties.
The monk's robe he wore was embroidered with gold thread.
"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the honor of your visit? Is there anything I can assist you with?"
"National Preceptor, you are too kind. It is regarding the Queen's illness, which has presented a peculiar situation.
I wish for your esteemed guidance..."
Thus, the King signaled to Old Arroyo to relay Ling Tian's diagnosis to National Preceptor Duran in its entirety.
"Esteemed National Preceptor, this is the situation. We are currently at a loss and do not know if what the doctor named Ling Tian said is true. We implore you to tell us the truth!"
"Absurd, utterly absurd! This is a curse, a conspiracy against the royal family!
Your Majesty, I advise you to execute this doctor who spreads falsehoods immediately!"