Chapter 36: Mithridates' Prescription (Part II)

Cesar hesitated, which was rare.

He had once been a doctor. In another world, people always thought there was an uncrossable chasm between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, but that was not the case; their courses, practices, and theories all had certain commonalities. Therefore, Cesar was very clear that some herbs utilized by people of this era were very likely to have a significant impact on the organs within the body, and some effects might even last a lifetime and be irreversible.

Of course, he still hadn't figured out the root and application scope of "Bestowal." Perhaps those chaplains kept by the Pope or the Patriarch could indeed cure liver and kidney damage, but this time was different from the perils he had encountered before—he wasn't sure if these potions contained large amounts of... to give the most direct example—Aristolochia... Colchicum...

The aristolochic acid in the former could directly harm the liver and kidneys, while colchicine could potentially lead to gastrointestinal bleeding and neuropathy.

And what made people laugh and cry was that precisely because poisonous plants could cause immediate reactions in the human body, they were instead considered effective and were widely and long-term used...

"I'll go first," Baldwin said, bumping Cesar with his elbow, signaling him not to speak. "Cesar has to serve me."

"A good reason." Heraclius said, and then he looked at Cesar. "And you?"

His gaze was unusually gentle, and his speech was plain, but Cesar's back was already covered in cold sweat. He wasn't sure if he wanted to take another risk. He looked at Heraclius, then at Baldwin. There were only the three of them in the room.

"My lord," he said in a low voice, so low that if Heraclius hadn't been standing right in front of them, he would barely have heard it. Of course, if there were someone eavesdropping outside, as long as they hadn't been "Blessed" or "Bestowed," they wouldn't have been able to hear either. "May I see the prescription?"

Heraclius's expression suddenly became dangerous. If a real nine-year-old child were sitting here, they would certainly have been trembling with fear and unable to speak. The chaplain leaned down. "The prescription? Can you understand these?"

The prescription was a minor matter; the problem was that Cesar hadn't undergone "Selection," nor had he been "Bestowed." What qualifications and opportunities did he have to come into contact with medical knowledge?

It was strange to say, but when we open scriptures and some rough records, we find that the profession of "doctor" appeared very early. In the time of Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian, preaching and practicing medicine were still separate. These two martyred saints were born in 300 AD, which means there were still doctors at that time.

But I don't know when it started, but as more and more chaplains and monks received "Bestowal," the Church gradually monopolized the "doctor" profession. They even declared that those who hadn't been "Bestowed," who weren't monks or chaplains, were bewitched by the devil, were either witches or possessed by hellish bastards. They would face trial, and then their fate would be decided based on the situation—that is, if they could pay the fine, it would be repentance and mass (for a fee); if they couldn't pay, it would be excommunication (generally targeting men), or burning (mostly women).

When Cesar came to Baldwin's side, he wasn't yet so clear about the myriad taboos of this era, so he had once inadvertently mentioned that a better doctor should be found for Baldwin's illness. As a result, as soon as Baldwin heard this, his face changed drastically, and he solemnly warned that such things must never be mentioned again. Cesar had lost his memory and was a person without a past or support; if heard by some people with ulterior motives who went to inform the monks, it would be a big trouble.

Ever since Cesar came to Baldwin's side, Baldwin had always treated him with care, and this was the first time he had been so stern, so Cesar understood the weight of this issue very well. But he had to ask, not only for himself but also for Baldwin.

"If I wanted to, this question alone would be enough to throw you into prison," Heraclius said gloomily. "No, I won't tell you, kid. What do you think a prescription is? If I were willing to take it out, there would be plenty of bishops and kings willing to buy it at the price of a pound of gold per word, unless..." He watched the two children immediately straighten their backs and finally couldn't help but laugh: "Unless you are my student..."

"I am willing to be your student!" Cesar said immediately, but he also had a bit of hesitation. "But if the blessing I receive is 'Blessed,' or if I am not selected..."

Heraclius pondered for a while. "It's not like there are no students who are monks but act as knights. If you aren't selected, there will indeed be a little problem, but I don't think the Church should be full of pigs. If it comes to that time," he said readily, "you can just offer this prescription. For the sake of this prescription, the Church's investigators will also show mercy." This was still under the premise that Cesar wanted to be a doctor; if he didn't want to, it would be even simpler, and it wasn't like every monk could receive "Bestowal."

It wasn't like there were no people who were selected but still had weak strength. Wasn't Witt one of them? Heraclius had already decided to kill him on the night of our Lord's birthday, lest Baldwin fail in the "Selection Ceremony" and someone use him to make an issue.

Having received an answer that satisfied him, Heraclius decisively took out the prescription. Cesar looked down and indeed saw Aristolochia. Fortunately, there was no Colchicum. Although the other ingredients could also be called strange, like poisonous snake meat, at least they wouldn't cause huge damage to the human body. He read down one by one according to the names of the medicinal materials, and in some places, he had to ask Heraclius, because the prescription was written in ancient Greek verse according to current habits. "Bitumen... St. John's wort, lavender, rose, saffron, mint... black pepper and cinnamon, cardamom... myrrh, frankincense, turpentine... castoreum, styrax... gum arabic... Grind the balm, gum, and medicine with wine to make it fine, smooth, and soft, and then add a few ounces of honey."

"Is this Aristolochia necessary?"

"Can you really understand it?" Heraclius was surprised. "It can be replaced with datura or poppy milk."

Neither of these two was good stuff, and the latter was even more detested by later generations. "If replaced with datura, does the dosage need to be increased?"

"Depends on what you use. Halve the seeds, flowers and leaves don't need it, but the roots and stems need to be increased."

"Is it okay to replace it with flowers and leaves?" Cesar asked. "Will there not be enough time?"

Heraclius glanced at him. "By the time you think of this, it will be past the third watch (describing it as late)." He proudly took out two other bottles of potion.

"Did you guess I would ask about the prescription?"

"No, this is prepared to avoid you having strong reactions." Heraclius lifted a box placed under the table. Once opened, rows of crystal-clear small glass bottles dazzled them.

"Some people break out in rashes the moment they touch datura, others vomit uncontrollably when they touch Aristolochia, and still others cannot come into contact with any poppy milk; the moment they touch it, they have difficulty breathing and their hearts race. I have also changed some other main ingredients in a few bottles. You know, some people's taboos are always very strange..."

"You are thoughtful," Baldwin said with heartfelt admiration. What made him even happier was that Heraclius was willing to take Cesar as a student, which meant that even if Cesar couldn't be selected, Baldwin was selected, and his status would be enough to keep him by his side.

Heraclius smacked his lips. The performance of these two children today made him feel satisfied. He pulled out a drawer from the box, took out two cups only the size of a thumb, placed them on the table, opened the bottle wrapped with cloth strips (the cloth strips were filled with tiny names of medicinal materials), poured about a few drops into each, and then told the children to drink it.

"Wait, together?"

"I believe I can take care of two." Heraclius said.

In other words, asking them to choose who went first before was simply the chaplain's prank. Cesar was a bit helpless; he found that adults nowadays seemed to love teasing them more and more.

————————

"You're back?"

Heraclius was startled. Only then did he recognize from the familiar voice and body outline that the person waiting in his room was his master, Amalric I.

"Why not light a lamp, Your Majesty?"

"Darkness is sometimes more conducive to thinking." Amalric I turned to Heraclius. "How are they?"

"A bit feverish, vomited for a while, and also had hallucinations—but before I left, they were all asleep."

"Did you see the knights?"

"They will guard under the tower all night long. Unless there is your order, no one is allowed in, and no one is allowed out." Not seeing anyone for a week in a row was nominally "fasting," but there were too many eyes and ears in the castle, and the people behind them must also know that the first wave of tests for the "Selection Ceremony" had arrived. Baldwin was at his weakest, slowest, and most defenseless, and those with ulterior motives would inevitably take advantage of the situation.

"How is Baldwin?"

"He is very good, he is very strong." And full of confidence and benevolence, and his way of thinking was more comprehensive than in the past. He had already realized that his father did not want him and Cesar to be true friends. Although Amalric I said on his lips that Cesar should be treated as the son of a duke, he still hoped that Cesar could be a slave—the more Baldwin valued Cesar and treated him as an equal, the heavier Amalric I's murderous intent became.

"And Cesar?"

"He is taking care of Baldwin."

"He didn't vomit? Didn't have a fever?"

"What is there to be strange about this?" Only Heraclius could lie calmly in front of a suspicious old lion: "Cesar is the Prince's attendant, right? Do you expect me or Baldwin to take care of him?" In fact, it was Heraclius taking care of both, and then the two took care of each other when they felt slightly better.

"I hope he can be this loyal forever." Amalric I pressed his forehead. "I'll go back first."

"Wait a moment, Your Majesty," the chaplain said. "There is something you need to confirm—regarding your marriage..."

————————

"Amalric I's marriage? Would Manuel I really agree to him? If he had expelled Prince Baldwin from the beginning, Manuel I might not have hesitated, but he made it clear he wanted to keep this heir. Even if Manuel had several daughters—he would still hope that every marriage could get him a powerful bargaining chip... This marriage is definitely not going to happen."

The Patriarch of Jerusalem paced back and forth in the room, almost uncontrollably muttering to himself.

"Why not?" The visitor asked in return. He was dressed in black, like a simple monk, but the gold cross hanging inside his robe showed that he was not a poor man. "Manuel I has always wanted to attack Egypt. If he hopes to get a powerful alliance, marriage is the best way to conclude it—"

"But Prince Baldwin..."

"He can only live to be thirty, and precisely because of this, Manuel will agree—we can all see Amalric I's intentions. He has taken a new wife and is in his prime, completely capable of having another son. And before this child comes of age, the one who will hold the throne for him is Prince Baldwin. The most wonderful thing is that by the time his little son comes of age, Baldwin should be dead."

The current Patriarch of Jerusalem turned to look at the Papal Legate—he had come silently, leaving no trace. When he was brought before him by two monks, not only did he not kneel and kiss his feet, but he stood proudly and took out the Pope's token and proof of identity. The Patriarch of Jerusalem was truly shocked.

What people were most familiar with in the Christian Church were the Eastern and Western Churches, Constantinople and Rome, but it could not be denied that the uniqueness of the Holy City of Jerusalem far exceeded these two cities. It was the most sacred place, the place where Jesus Christ and countless saints were martyred. Everything one saw was a holy site. People bent down, picked up a stone, and brought it back to their own city, and this stone from Jerusalem would be revered as a holy relic, enshrined in a church or monastery.

How was Jesus Christ sent to the cross by the Isaacite priests, his own countrymen, if not for profit and the right to speak?

Urban II, who faithfully promoted the "Papal Supremacy" Cluniac reform policy of his predecessor Gregory VII, when he walked toward the kings and nobles and delivered a passionate speech, using bloody intimidation and honey-sweet temptation to incite people's hearts, asking them to fight for God, while he certainly thought of God and the saints, he must also have thought of gold and land.

The First and Second Crusades could both be said to have been pushed by the Roman Church. Indeed, they gained certain benefits. First, the Crusaders' conquest effectively struck at those pagans and heretics, and the waning power of the Papacy was strengthened again; second, the East-West trade that was once monopolized by the former two now became the property of European merchants and guilds; finally, the Crusader knights also brought back a large amount of wealth and resources from the East, and a large part of these assets and connections fell into the hands of the Church.

But would the Church be satisfied because of this?

No, they wouldn't. They hoped to get everything, but the leaders of the Crusaders, namely the King of Jerusalem, the Count of Tripoli, and the Prince of Antioch, did not intend to spit out the delicious meat they had in their mouths—especially the King of Jerusalem. When the first king, Baldwin I, needed to hold a coronation ceremony, even though the bishop at the time was hiding in a cave, he still sent soldiers to drag him out and forced him to anoint him (a necessary step in the coronation ceremony).

Faced with the Church's questioning, he would rather fight for a month in a row, fighting southeast to Egypt and east to Petra, than make concessions to the Church, cutting off the Pope and Cardinals' delusion of turning Jerusalem into a theocratic state.

Not to mention later. Every King of Jerusalem had to go back and forth with the Church after ascending the throne. The king's attitude was tough, and the Church was even more unscrupulous—things like bribing or bewitching the chaplain who performed the last rites for the king, forcing the dying king to agree to offer Jerusalem to the Church, had all happened...

Prince Baldwin contracted leprosy, the culprit was known to everyone, and Amalric I's bizarre reaction, which was close to unreasonable, was more like a declaration of war against the Church.

The Patriarch was almost persuaded. "But if I do that, it will be equivalent to completely offending Amalric I."

"Do you think that if you refuse to treat his son Baldwin, it won't count as offending him?" The Papal Legate said. "When Baldwin dies, we can punish him with the charge that the leper desecrated the Holy Land and brought down God's punishment. In order to redeem the sins on his body, he will also try his best to show his piety and loyalty in these few years, and then... it will be our chance."

He gave a sharp laugh. "Don't worry, even if he marries the Byzantine princess immediately, his child won't be able to come of age in a day."

"Amalric I is not the type to let things go."

"That's true, but we are thousands of miles away. As for you," the Papal Legate clicked his tongue. "You don't have many choices. What, are you going to kneel down at the feet of Amalric I and Prince Baldwin and ask them to forgive you? Even if your chaplain is willing to treat Baldwin, whether he can be cured is still a question. Are you sure he doesn't know who the mastermind behind his illness is?"

He raised a finger again. "Besides, even if he recovers, he is still a Baldwin I. That was the reason we took action in the first place."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 37 =====