The next day, three uninvited guests arrived at the Qianji Pavilion. This time, there was no pretense; they were brought in by Cheng Yichen, all dressed as imperial physicians, appearing to be in their thirties, mature and steady. However, upon seeing Rong Zhi, an inappropriate astonishment flashed across their mature faces. She looked so much like… so much like her!
Rong Zhi leaned against the bed, her gaze sweeping across their faces one by one. "Chu Lu, Wei Zhiwen, Shang Que, what are you staring at? Are you debating whether to call me Master or Valley Mistress?" Calling her Master would imply a continued master-disciple bond, while calling her Valley Mistress would signify their allegiance to the Tian Que Kingdom, severing all ties with Medicine King Valley.
The three exchanged glances, a hint of doubt lingering on their faces. Although Jiang Nuo had firmly insisted she was their Master, they couldn't be entirely certain. "You claim to be our Master, what proof do you have?" Shang Que, the boldest, ventured to ask.
Rong Zhi sneered, pointing at the three of them. "Shang Que, you were illiterate. I taught you to read and write. You always mixed up 'Bai Zhi' [Angelica dahurica] with 'Bai Zhi' [white paper]. Wei Zhiwen, you were originally the legitimate heir of your family. I happened to pass by your home, and you wanted to learn medicine from me. Your father disagreed, insisting you inherit the family's escort agency. You lied to your father, saying I was the foremost swordsman in the martial arts world, and only then did he allow you to leave. You haven't dared to go home all these years. And Chu Lu, you stole money in the marketplace and were nearly beaten to death. I saved you from the bystanders."
As she spoke, each word deepened the astonishment in their eyes. These were essentially secrets known only to themselves. If another person knew, it could only be their Master. Chu Lu and Wei Zhiwen cried out "Master," their knees buckling as they prepared to kneel, but Shang Que stopped them.
"Wait a moment. Since you are our Master, your disciple dares to ask: your life is now owed to the King of Tian Que. Do you wish to work for the Tian Que Kingdom, or continue to be a wandering doctor outside?" His question clearly laid out his stance.
Rong Zhi scrutinized him. His appearance still held traces of their past, yet the person who once called her Master now stood in opposition to her. "If I work for the Tian Que Kingdom, what benefits are there?"
"If Master remains in the Tian Que Kingdom, the position of Chief Imperial Physician will be yours. You will have wealth and honor from now on, and Medicine King Valley can be returned to you." Returned? As if it wasn't hers to begin with. She had poured so much effort into founding Medicine King Valley, painstakingly taught her disciples, and now, thirteen years later, things had changed so drastically.
"I understand. I will consider it carefully. You may leave!" The other two had been constantly signaling Shang Que during the conversation, but he seemed oblivious. Times had changed. In this impregnable Qianji Pavilion, what was the former Valley Mistress of Medicine King Valley truly worth? He, Shang Que, had spent over a decade in the Imperial Hospital and his medical skills surpassed his Master's. Why should he bow and scrape to her like a servant? The other two wanted to say more, but Rong Zhi had already turned away.
"The three of you, can you now discern the true Valley Mistress?" The three had no objections. They had prepared many words when they arrived, but unexpectedly, their Master had proven her identity with a single sentence. As they were leaving, Rong Zhi said to them, "Since you have all achieved success, from this day forward, you are no longer my disciples, and I am no longer your Master. You may consider yourselves disciples of Medicine King Valley, but do not say in the future that your Master is Rong Zhi."
"Master…" Chu Lu and Wei Zhiwen looked back in disbelief. Shang Que hesitated for a moment before leaving without looking back.
"You may go!" Cheng Yichen helped Rong Zhi see them out. "How was it? Meeting old acquaintances, doesn't it stir up quite the sentiment in your heart?" He closed the door and looked at Rong Zhi mischievously.
Rong Zhi scoffed, "Imperial Advisor, you are truly tasteless. You seem quite pleased to witness the severing of master-disciple ties."
"It is unavoidable. When one lives too long, some things are bound to change. The Emperor has decided to host a banquet in three days to welcome you and announce to the entire realm that the Valley Mistress of Medicine King Valley has reappeared." Rong Zhi said nothing, merely calculating the days in her mind. Three days later, Xia Yunting should be executed. Jiang Nuo, she hoped, was handling matters diligently enough to meet the deadline.
For the next two days, Rong Zhi needed rest. The royal family did not send any more disciples. In fact, Jiang Nuo's initial words had been sufficient to prove her identity; the arrival of the three disciples was merely a confirmation. Now it was certain she was the Valley Mistress of Medicine King Valley. The royal family kept this news under wraps, and its unified announcement would undoubtedly be a sensation.
However, before the banquet could even commence, a major event occurred within the royal family. The Emperor's personal attendant, a eunuch, suddenly fell victim to poisoning. His face became unrecognizable overnight, his once supple skin turning like dried bark, his entire face contorted. When he appeared before the Emperor that morning, his appearance terrified the Emperor, turning his face ashen. Even more terrifying was the spread of this strange illness within the palace. Initially affecting only a few attending eunuchs, it soon spread to palace maids, concubines, and finally, the Emperor himself. This bizarre sickness had infiltrated the entire imperial palace.
All the imperial physicians were summoned to attend to the sick, but none could identify the cause of the illness, nor did any possess a cure. The situation quickly reached a stalemate. At this point, someone approached the Qianji Pavilion.
"Grandmother, did you do this?" Cheng Yichen asked Rong Zhi after seeing off the eunuch who delivered the news. Rong Zhi weakly pointed to her throat, "I've been bedridden, unable to even go out. How could I have poisoned anyone? Could it be my disciples?" Cheng Yichen recalled the three arrogant, indifferent, or dull disciples and quickly dismissed the possibility.
"If it wasn't you, do you know the cure?" With the situation escalating, the only ray of hope was this so-called divine physician, the Valley Mistress of Medicine King Valley. Rong Zhi sighed, "Treating an illness requires observing, listening, inquiring, and palpating. I haven't even seen the patient yet, how can I diagnose the symptoms and administer treatment?"
"That's not difficult. Bring a young eunuch for me to examine, and you'll see immediately." Rong Zhi didn't object, so Cheng Yichen decided to find a sick young eunuch. Currently, only a small number of palace maids and eunuchs serving outside the inner chambers remained unaffected. The Emperor, concubines, princes, and princesses within were all isolated. Finding a sick young eunuch from within without contaminating those outside was no easy task.
Before leaving, he glanced back at Rong Zhi, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. Was it really not her? All the Emperor's food and drink had been meticulously examined by imperial physicians and eunuchs. Previously, Jiang Nuo had given the Emperor a prescription. To ensure absolute safety, this prescription had undergone thorough scrutiny by the entire Imperial Hospital. None of the disciples from Medicine King Valley had handled it, so there should be no issues. Could she truly possess such immense skill as to deceive all the imperial physicians? Impossible. The Imperial Hospital of the Tian Que Kingdom was already a gathering of the best minds. She was merely a divine physician, not an immortal; she couldn't possibly deceive everyone.
Cheng Yichen brought a young eunuch who was responsible for sweeping. This eunuch rarely saw the faces of princes or consorts, yet he had been infected with remarkable speed. The speed of transmission made one question if the initial source of the illness was indeed the eunuch attending the Emperor.
Rong Zhi covered her face with a white veil and had the room sprinkled with vinegar several times before allowing the young eunuch inside. Despite his severe illness, the young eunuch's physical condition was not dire; he could still walk, though his face looked horrifying. It was like the first time she had seen Yu Cheng. Rong Zhi examined his face, secretly praising, "This condition appears to be deep poisoning, but in reality, it causes little harm to the body. Jiang Nuo has done well."
After her examination, she had the young eunuch dismissed and said to Cheng Yichen, "This is a slow-acting poison. It requires a counter-poison to attack the poison, and it also needs the cooperation of someone with strong martial arts and internal energy to expel the poison from the body. Medicine alone is insufficient. I will write a prescription first. You find several experts with profound internal energy in the palace, and I will tell them the detoxification method."
She wrote the prescription. Cheng Yichen was shocked upon reading it. It required so many highly toxic ingredients; was she really trying to poison them? Furthermore, things like scorpions and centipedes—how could the pampered consorts in the harem endure them? "Rong Zhi, tell me honestly, are you trying to poison the Emperor?"
"If you don't trust me, you are welcome not to fetch the medicine." Rong Zhi had a renowned reputation in her previous life and never took advantage of her opponents. This was a basic tenet of being a physician. With no other options, Cheng Yichen sent someone to fetch the medicine and prepared to report to the Emperor about finding experts in internal energy. In the imperial palace, there was no shortage of individuals with profound internal energy; Xiao Jianli was among them.
Before long, a group of imperial guards arrived at the Qianji Pavilion. Rong Zhi's gaze swept over them, and when it fell on Xiao Jianli, she gave him a reassuring look, letting him know she was alright. Xiao Jianli had been extremely worried. He saw that Rong Zhi's figure had thinned and her complexion was haggard, as if she had endured much suffering. He felt immense guilt for not having stayed by Rong Zhi's side.
"Come here," Rong Zhi said to Xiao Jianli. Xiao Jianli approached, and Rong Zhi took his pulse, channeling a trace of internal energy into him and guiding it to circulate within his body according to her past detoxification methods. This was all for show. Xiao Jianli had long since mastered this technique and learned quickly.
Rong Zhi released his hand. "Have them first take the medicine according to the prescription, and then use this method to expel the toxins from their bodies. Remember not to force it. If the person is weak, they might not be able to withstand it. If it doesn't work once, try several times." The other Plum Blossom Guards remained skeptical. Wasn't internal energy used for combat, not healing? However, Xiao Jianli believed her completely, and they had no opportunity to question it.
After they left, Rong Zhi looked at Cheng Yichen. "If you hadn't summoned Ghost to harm me, I could have personally gone to detoxify them now."