Chapter 74: Mercury Mixed with Arsenic

In the Qi family workshop.

“Father, the business at our Qi family tavern has been quiet these past few days. No one comes anymore!”

“I know. Everyone’s gone off to listen to the tale of Journey to the West. It truly is captivating.”

“Father, I’ve just asked the storyteller to write down their Journey to the West. If we have them retell it at our tavern, perhaps we can recover some losses!”

“That’s a fine idea, but their ale and dishes can’t be stolen, and stories are only novel for so long. Once everyone’s heard it, retelling won’t draw a crowd.”

“I have a more ruthless plan. That Princess Protector of the Nation is only out for fame, so why not...”

“Hm,” Lord Qi nodded repeatedly as he listened to his son’s whispered words, a glint of coldness in his eyes. “In for a penny, in for a pound. Once this is done, Minister Li on the right will be pleased. Take fifty taels of gold and see it done!”

“Yes, Father, rest assured and await good news at home!”

Qi Sanlang left the Qi family workshop in high spirits, carrying fifty taels of gold. He kept twenty for himself and placed the remaining thirty in front of two Manichaean followers.

Meanwhile, as Wu Yue Ling had just sent off a merchant, the Divine Physician Sun Ruowen arrived.

Welcoming the Divine Physician to a seat, Wu Yue Ling abandoned her previously relaxed posture, sitting upright and proper, uncomfortable though it was, for it was a host’s basic etiquette.

“Princess, I wholeheartedly agree with your proposal. But may I ask, what are your plans?” Sun Ruowen, his white beard neat and clean, his face rosy and full of vitality, inquired.

Drawing a list from her manuscript, she handed it to Sun Ruowen. “These are the names of students with exceptional records, all under twelve, who have attended my classes and know their basic characters. I’d like the Divine Physician to teach them the art of medicine. What do you think? After all, a single healer’s power is limited. If a group, trained by you, were to offer free treatment on the streets of Chang’an, I believe there would be no one unable to afford medical care.”

Sun Ruowen carefully read the names and nodded slightly. Indeed, a healer’s abilities are limited. To think a woman could have such foresight—it was remarkable, quite unlike the rumors circulating in the city.

Seeing the old physician silent and deep in thought, Wu Yue Ling pressed forward, “Aside from these names, the Princess’s Residence will seek apprentices in medicine from outside, so it won’t be to our own profit. And when their studies are sufficient, you can lead these young physicians out to treat people.”

Sun Ruowen looked at the woman before him, outwardly composed but inwardly moved. He worried about who would inherit his medical skills; his son and grandsons lacked the talent and would only be ordinary doctors. The Princess’s proposal was a rare opportunity.

“I am willing to follow the Princess’s arrangements. When shall we begin the lessons?”

Wu Yue Ling’s smile grew with satisfaction—this matter was settled. “Please move into the Princess’s Residence, and classes will commence tomorrow!”

“Very well...”

Sun Ruowen was about to respond when a commotion erupted outside. He frowned and peered through the window in confusion.

“My brother, my brother!”

“He drank the ale, and now he’s foaming at the mouth—he’s dying! Someone’s dead! Someone’s dead!”

“This ale is poisoned, poisoned!”

As the cries grew, people gathered in a circle, discussing the victim lying on the ground, foaming and with a pale, ashen face.

A Manichaean follower crouched beside the poisoned man and suddenly leapt up, smashing a stone hidden in his sleeve onto the wooden platform, shouting for justice for his brother.

The stone hurtled toward the storyteller on the stage, but Yao Zi’ang flipped backward, dodging the attack, and some in the crowd applauded his agility.

Wu Yue Ling watched the scene from the third-floor window. Her good mood was ruined. She could endure slander, but when trouble came knocking, she would not tolerate it. She turned to Sun Ruowen—wasn’t the Divine Physician here?

Sensing the Princess’s gaze, Sun Ruowen was ready to act. These two were clearly here to cause trouble for the tavern, and thus for the Princess herself.

Moreover, the Princess was currently under scrutiny, yet she cared for the people and sought to pass on medical knowledge. He longed to spread his craft, and through the Princess’s backing, he could achieve his wish. Since someone was feigning poisoning, he should investigate and use his reputation to clear the Princess’s name.

Wu Yue Ling led Sun Ruowen and the others outside, only to be greeted by crude insults from the Manichaean, who pointed and cursed at her.

“Could the ale truly be poisoned?”

“If it is, we’ve all drunk it...”

Hearing the crowd’s gossip, the Manichaean became more brazen, spouting further abuse.

“You rustic Princess! Selling fake ale to poison my brother! Even a Princess must pay for murder...”

Before he could finish, Wu Yue Ling stepped forward and slapped him hard, sending him sprawling. She then approached the poisoned man, asking Sun Ruowen to examine him.

“You...” The man was silenced by Hua Chuer, who pinned him to the ground and ground his face against the earth until his skin was scraped raw.

“You can’t hit people!”

“You can’t...”

The burly guard beside Sun Ruowen swung his staff, its sound thick and resonant, targeting the troublemakers in the crowd. He knocked one instigator down and dragged him out, planting the staff firmly on his head to keep him from stirring up more trouble.

Soon, Sun Ruowen took a glance and knew the poisoning was not severe. He sent his son, Sun Yimin, to buy medicine, gave simple instructions, then reached into the poisoned man’s throat and induced vomiting, dirtying the ground with filth.

Wu Yue Ling saw that the old physician was fatigued and went to assist, calling for others to follow his orders.

She summoned for clean water, pouring it into the man’s mouth repeatedly, washing his stomach as per the physician’s request. After tea arrived, she continued, flushing the poison until his breathing steadied.

Only then did Sun Ruowen wipe sweat from his brow, sit to rest, and examine the filth retrieved from the man’s stomach. At a glance, he saw arsenic and mercury!

Sun Ruowen first saluted the Princess, then explained to the crowd, “Princess, everyone, this man was poisoned by ingesting arsenic and mercury—not by the ale!”

“You... you’re lying!”

The Manichaean pinned by Hua Chuer struggled and shouted, unwilling to accept defeat. That was his own brother; for thirty taels of gold, he risked his life—how could he let it go?

“I swear by my name as Divine Physician: this man took both mercury and arsenic. Yet his poisoning isn’t deep, and since you call him brother, you didn’t use a lethal dose. Tell me, is that so?”

Wu Yue Ling watched as the physician righteously cleared her ale’s name, warming to him. The old man’s skills must be widely spread and not wasted.

The pinned Manichaean’s eyes flickered. Indeed, they were greedy but valued their lives, so he only swallowed half the dose, not all, leaving room for recovery.

Seeing his hesitation, Sun Ruowen spoke at length. Once his son finished brewing the antidote and fed it to the poisoned man, he asked the Princess to forgive them. Wu Yue Ling, using Sun Ruowen’s intervention, let them go—after all, the lesson had been taught.

However, Wu Yue Ling quietly instructed Hua Chuer to follow them, tracing the plot back to its mastermind: the Qi family!

Since they dared to provoke her, she placed them on the blacklist. When those taverns with dwindling business sought her cooperation, forming the Journey to the West company, the malicious Qi family would be excluded—they had no right to work with the Princess’s Residence in the tavern business.

The two Manichaean followers, having failed their mission, fled Chang’an with the gold. But barely had they gone fifty miles before the leader of the Three Teachings caught up and killed them, leaving their bodies abandoned in the wild.