Chapter 95: Take Care of Yourself

In the Imperial Medical Bureau’s Physicians’ Hall, old Physician Luo walked in with a dazed expression, found a seat, and sat down. He even forgot to respond when others greeted him.

As he recalled what Eunuch Gao had just told him, Physician Luo felt as though he were dreaming.

“Li Yi... Li Bo’an...”

He kept murmuring the name under his breath, unable for a long while to calm his heart. Even his voice trembled faintly.

Some days ago, after returning from the Du residence, Physician Luo had taken the initiative to suggest to Emperor Taizong that Li Yi be invited into the Imperial Medical Bureau as a physician.

But because General Li Jing had politely declined on Li Yi’s behalf, the matter had come to nothing.

Unexpectedly, last night the emperor had already issued an edict ordering Li Yi to come to the Imperial Medical Bureau to serve as a physician.

And this morning, the emperor had even specially sent Eunuch Gao to remind him of it.

Thinking of this joyous news, Physician Luo could not help feeling excited.

“That little brat Li Bo’an has finally come to my Imperial Medical Bureau!” Luo sighed repeatedly, his face beaming with delight.

He was thoroughly impressed by Li Yi’s astonishing medical skill.

He was not a narrow-minded man.

Ever since he had seen Li Yi cure the Duke at the Du residence last time, Luo had understood that there was indeed truth in the saying: there is always a higher mountain, and a greater man beyond the next.

Though there had been some minor misunderstanding between him and Li Yi, Luo Jihai believed he could handle it.

“Haha!” Thinking that he would be able to learn some new medical techniques from Li Yi, Luo Jihai stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

At once, he instructed the young apprentice at his side with solemn emphasis, “Go and wait at the Physicians’ Hall. The moment you see any sign of Li Bo’an, come tell me immediately. Do not fail!”

The apprentice beside Luo Jihai could not help freezing at this, then asked curiously, “Master, that Li Bo’an... has he really come to the Imperial Medical Bureau?”

“Mm, that’s right!” Luo Jihai nodded with a smile. His grin was especially bright and festive as he waved him away. “Go quickly. Do not fail!”

“Yes, Master!” The apprentice grinned and hurried off at once.

He had previously accompanied Luo Jihai to the Du residence, so of course he had seen Li Yi. He had also watched with his own eyes as Li Yi brought the Duke back from the brink of death. During these past few days, he had heard Luo Jihai mention Li Yi over and over again.

Naturally, he understood how much Luo Jihai valued Li Yi and did not dare be negligent in the slightest.

At the same time, Luo Jihai immediately called over all the physicians, discussing how, once Li Yi arrived at the Imperial Medical Bureau, he should be invited directly to the Physicians’ Hall and need not go to the Physicians’ Office at all.

...

At the entrance of the Physicians’ Hall, the moment Wei Zichao heard Li Yi smile and say, “Are you sure?” and saw that Li Yi showed no fear at all, even smiling with complete composure, a flicker of unease could not help rising in his heart.

But that moment of panic vanished in an instant. He quickly recovered, and a look of scornful contempt appeared on his face.

He did not remember ever having seen Li Yi before.

In Wei Zichao’s view, the newly arrived physician before him was surely some inexperienced scholar who had never seen much of the world, and absolutely not some noble son of an official household.

Wei Zichao had never heard of any noble young master who would be so bored as to forsake a life of ease and pleasure and instead run into the palace to suffer as a physician.

Thinking of that, Wei Zichao’s confidence rose several notches.

“Hmph!” Wei Zichao sneered coldly.

Then, with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, he fixed his eyes on Li Yi, flicked his sleeves, and said in a pressing tone, “I will ask you one thing. Will you hand over today’s tribute, or not?”

It was precisely Wei Zichao’s aggressive tone that caused everyone in the hall, who had been busy at their tasks, to pause at once and turn their attention to the two of them.

“Ah... why must this new physician be so stubborn? If he just handed over a little tribute to Officer Wei, wouldn’t that settle it?”

Everyone felt sympathy for him in their hearts, but not one of them dared step forward to say a word on Li Yi’s behalf.

This sort of thing—having to present a tribute to the officer upon reporting for duty—was something each of them had gone through.

Though they hated it to the core, Wei Zichao’s uncle was Yang Lin of the imperial elite guard.

With such a powerful backer behind him, how would any of these physicians dare provoke him?

All they could do was sigh inwardly for Li Yi, shake their heads, and continue with their work as if nothing had happened.

As though no incident at all had taken place.

In the Imperial Medical Bureau, a seventh-rank physician was not much of an official to begin with, and his words carried little weight.

After all, they had worked hard to enter the bureau in the first place. No one wanted to offend a creature like Wei Zichao, so every one of the physicians chose to swallow their anger in silence.

Li Yi naturally saw the silent reaction of the physicians.

He had not expected that merely a small sixth-rank officer could make all the physicians keep their mouths shut.

“So this officer must have quite the backing in the palace,” Li Yi thought to himself, though he was not the least bit afraid.

He had been personally appointed by the emperor as a physician.

Besides, he was Li Jing’s son, a nobleman’s son at that. Why would he need to offer tribute to some petty officer?

Ridiculous beyond belief.

“Heh...” Looking at Wei Zichao, who was strutting and bullying him, Li Yi could not help but laugh. He then asked evenly, “As the officer in charge of the Physicians’ Hall, you are actually extorting tribute from a newly appointed physician. If this were to reach the Emperor’s ears, what do you think would happen?”

Yet upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Wei Zichao suddenly laughed.

“Haha!”

After laughing shamelessly and triumphantly twice, Wei Zichao spread his hands, looked at Li Yi with great interest, and let his expression turn cold as he said with a mocking edge, “If you have the ability, go complain to His Majesty yourself!”

“Hmph. I, a mere sixth-rank officer, do not even have the qualifications to be received by His Majesty, let alone you, a little physician.”

“Since you are so ignorant of what is good for you, then do not blame this official for being merciless!”

Wei Zichao pointed at the mountain of medicinal herbs piled in the corner and said with a cold laugh, “You will sort out that pile of herbs for this official by today. If by tomorrow morning I do not see it finished, I will drive you out of the Physicians’ Hall!”

His tone was overbearing, full of the arrogant airs of an official lord.

Li Yi glanced at the herbs stacked in the corner, and his brows knit slightly. With so much medicinal material, not to mention him, even if any one person worked through the night without rest, it would still be impossible to sort it all out.

It was plainly obvious that Officer Wei Zichao was trying to work him to death.

But Li Yi did not move rashly. Instead, he looked at him with a darkened expression and said, word by word, “Your official career ends today. I wish you the best of luck.”

Having thrown out those words, Li Yi turned and was about to leave.

But at that moment, Wei Zichao’s face darkened, and he immediately flung his sleeve as he roared, “Men! Arrest this herb thief and send him to the chief clerk at once!”

“Yes!” The few lackeys beside Wei Zichao surged forward immediately and surrounded Li Yi in an instant.

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