Chapter 106: So arrogant that even Sun Zhongquan can do nothing about it

"Are you Zhang Baicao, the Divine Doctor? I've heard that the Divine Doctor's grandfather was a Grand Master Zhang; I don't know if that's true."

"Even though I've already investigated, Sun Zhongquan still wants to ask in person."

"Regent King, you must be thinking of inviting my great-grandfather out of retirement; never mind that Grand Masters don't concern themselves with court affairs, and even if they did, you couldn't summon one."

"Zhang Baicao had actually already received Li Miaozhu's Flying Pigeon letter, which Shen Tianxing helped release, so it arrived only an hour or two before Sun Zhongqian's morning."

"Thus, facing Sun Zhongquan, Zhang Baicao remained calm, which is why he retorted with that sentence."

"\"Divine Doctor, you're joking; I just didn't expect a Divine Doctor who is a descendant of a Grand Master to not practice martial arts. \""

"Sun Zhongquan was still polite; there's no way to ignore having a Grand Master behind him, there's no grudge between us, and I'm here to ask for help, so being courteous is appropriate."

"\"Prince, you flatter me; my talent is modest, I've only just reached Seventh Grade First Layer, and compared to you I'm far inferior—let's skip the small talk; treating His Majesty's illness is what matters. \""

"As Zhang Baicao stepped forward, he naturally exuded a warrior's aura; Sun Zhongquan said no more and pointed to the empty sedan behind him."

"\"Please, Divine Doctor, board the sedan! \""

"Zhang Baicao showed no courtesy, nodded, went around Sun Zhongquan's sedan, boarded the rear one, and the party immediately left the slums of the North City District, heading for the Imperial Palace in the East City District."

"Soon the party entered the Imperial Palace, with Sun Zhongquan leading the way, bringing Zhang Baicao to the Young Emperor's Sleeping Palace."

"Sun Hua had been in charge of looking after the Young Emperor; upon seeing Sun Zhongquan bring Zhang Baicao, he broke out in a cold sweat, panicked, and knelt down."

"\"Greetings, Regent King. \""

"Sun Zhongquan gave him a cold glance, said nothing, while Zhang Baicao glanced at him and the corners of his mouth twitched up slightly."

"\"So you're an Imperial Physician; no wonder I couldn't find you—you stole my Sleep-Dream Continuing Life Pill, and now it seems you've used it on His Majesty. \""

"Upon hearing this, Sun Hua almost wet himself from fright, and Sun Zhongquan's face instantly sank."

"\"Divine Doctor, you know Sun Hua—did he steal your Pill? Is that right? \""

"\"Prince, spare my life; I, your humble servant, stole the Divine Doctor's Pill, but I also used it on His Majesty; I beg the Prince to spare me. \""

"Sun Hua confessed without being prompted, and Zhang Baicao merely gave a slight nod. At this moment, Sun Zhongquan felt as if he'd been played by someone for nearly a month; during that time he could hardly eat or sleep, and he nearly died from fury."

"\"In other words, you already knew of the Divine Doctor's existence, yet when I, the Prince, asked if you could cure His Majesty and requested you recommend an outstanding physician, you didn't tell me about the Divine Doctor. \""

"Hearing Sun Zhongquan's words, Sun Hua knew he was doomed; his plan was to prevent Zhang Baicao from appearing, for if Zhang Baicao cured the Emperor and rose to power, he would surely deal with him, the Pill-thief."

"He had thought that no one in the slums could possibly be known to Sun Zhongquan, but after all his scheming he still missed something; on the verge of death, he could only glare fiercely at Zhang Baicao."

"\"Even at death's door he shows no remorse—seize him, drag Sun Hua out of the Meridian Gate, and execute him by death by a thousand cuts. \""

"Sun Zhongquan wasted no words; if he weren't still waiting for Zhang Baicao to save the Emperor, he would personally go to see just how Sun Hua was executed by death by a thousand cuts."

"\"Prince, please give me a quick death; don't subject me to death by a thousand cuts...... \""

"Unfortunately, Sun Hua hadn't finished speaking when guards rushed over, covered his mouth, and dragged him away."

"Zhang Baicao's expression remained blank; Sun Zhongquan made a gesturing invitation, whereupon Zhang Baicao slowly entered the Sleeping Hall to examine the Young Emperor's condition."

"\"Imperial Physician Zhang may be unremarkable, but this medicine was administered in time; Prince, please step out—I'll give His Majesty acupuncture, and he'll recover within three days. \""

"\"Bold—you actually dare to tell the Prince to leave; do you have a death wish? \""

"Eunuch Wang would naturally never miss a chance to flatter, but this time Sun Zhongquan stopped him and merely gave a slight nod."

"\"I, the Prince, trust the Divine Doctor; you all leave, and I'll wait outside as well. \""

"\"Your servant obeys. \""

"Eunuch Wang could only obediently lead the eunuchs and palace maids out of the Sleeping Hall; Sun Zhongquan also returned Zhang Baicao's salute before turning and leaving."

"\"Prince, this Divine Doctor may truly be able to cure His Majesty, but judging by his demeanor he seems arrogant—such a person is hard to control, and moreover he has a Grand Master behind him. \""

"We should guard against such people more carefully; we can't simply oppose them head-on, but we must ensure they pose no threat to us. In my humble opinion, we either find a way to kill them, though that has nothing to do with the Prince,"

"or we could make him a member of the Prince's household; if we want him easier to control, the only way is to make him the Prince's son-in-law, so that we'd all be one family—the Prince and the Grand Master as well."

"Eunuch Wang's ability to thrive like a fish in water in the Imperial Palace and become a valued aide of Sun Zhongquan shows he's clever; this idea of his truly hit the mark with Sun Zhongquan."

"\"The idea is not bad, but you also said that someone like the Divine Doctor is arrogant—how can we make him the Prince's son-in-law? \""

"\"Prince, that's not hard at all; once he's cured His Majesty, the Prince will hold a banquet, get him drunk, and after a night of debauchery he certainly won't shirk responsibility—the more arrogant someone is, the less likely they'd do such a thing. \""

"Sun Zhongquan stared at Eunuch Wang, making him feel a chill deep inside, and then, unusually, he smiled."

"\"Good, do as you say; if it succeeds, there will be rich rewards. He is a Divine Doctor, so don't tamper with his food or drink—just make sure he drinks plenty, understand? \""

"\"Prince, rest assured; there's still plenty of Divine Immortal Drink left in the palace, and it's the finest wine for entertaining guests. \""

"\"Hahaha...... \""

"Sun Zhongquan laughed with satisfaction, and Eunuch Wang smiled and nodded."

"\"You're just a eunuch—how can you understand all this? I, the Prince, really ought to look at you with new eyes. \""

"\"Being able to serve the Prince is my honor as a servant; I'm willing to go through fire and water for him, sparing no effort. \""

"The two of them were getting along quite well, and just then the door opened and Zhang Baicao walked out."

"\"I'm afraid I'll disappoint the Prince; I don't like drinking, and even if I did, as long as I hold a specially prepared pill in my mouth, not even Divine Immortal Drink could get me drunk. \""

"\"His Majesty's illness is already cured; I have nothing else to do, so I'll head back. Of course, if the Prince ever feels unwell, you can come find me—but don't count on scheming like this. \""

"\"My marriage has already been arranged by my family, and even my great-grandfather agreed to it; if the Prince insists on doing something that would displease my great-grandfather, then even I couldn't help him. \""

"Having said that, Zhang Baicao flicked his sleeves and headed straight for the palace gates, paying no heed to Sun Zhongquan."

"A cold gleam flashed in Sun Zhongquan's eyes; Eunuch Wang also gritted his teeth, but nobody said anything, nor did anyone try to stop him— they just watched Zhang Baicao walk away."

"\"What a Zhang Baicao—someday the Prince will make you pay for your arrogance. \""