TRAPPED IN THE DANGEROUS SITUATION

"Your residence is very crowded, Chen Xinyi. What are you doing right now?" Zhu Yunwen asked after he sat on his chair.

"Th... that... I invite them... I... want to cleanse the aura of this house..."

"Oh, so you are still afraid of Twelfth Uncle's spirit, huh? And you fall sick because of it? I am worried as I heard that you suffer from severe illness, so I visit you."

"Th... thank you very much for your attention, Sire! I... I am okay!..."

Chen Xinyi actually felt scared since he had brought Zhu Su into his residence. But indeed, no one would have thought that Zhu Yunwen would come personally to visit Chen Xinyi. Not only Zhu Su and Chen Xinyi, everyone also felt uneasy about Zhu Yunwen's presence.

Zhu Yunwen himself immediately noticed the odd atmosphere of their anxiety.

"I think... something strange has been happening here," Zhu Yunwen said slowly.

Everyone could feel their hearts almost jumped out. "Ah... h... how can Your Majesty..." Chen Xinyi tried to diminish Zhu Yunwen's suspicion.

Zhu Yunwen turned his sight to Li Heng and Liu Ku. He watched them so thoroughly, made them extremely nervous.

"Why do I feel that I know both of you?" Zhu Yunwen expressed his confusion. "Where did we meet before?..."

Oh, my Heaven! Please... don't let Li Heng and Liu Ku get caught! Zhu Su prayed fearfully in his mind.

"Well, Sire... they are the well-known Jianghu physicians... I bring them here, to heal me..." Chen Xinyi explained. Meanwhile, Zhu Su cheered silently, You are the best, Chen Xinyi! You save their lives, I will try my best so as not to let you disturbed by Bai's "Spirit"!

"Hmmm..." Unable to remember their identities, Zhu Yunwen reluctantly took his eyes off and turned it back to Chen Xinyi. Without doubt, Zhu Yunwen would not remember them. He only met with them once, that was, at the funeral of the Hongwu Emperor. Zhu Yunwen lived in Yingtian while Li Heng and Liu Ku domiciled in Kaifeng, their dwellings were separated by hundreds of kilometers. "Then, can they heal you?"

"They have given me the herbal prescription and after that, they will cleanse the "Aura" of this house."

"I see," Zhu Yunwen turned his eyes at Li Heng. "You are the oldest person here. You must be the Chief, right?"

Exerting his best to calm himself down, Li Heng saluted reverently. "Yes, Sire."

"May I know your name?"

"My name is... Li Heng, Your Majesty..."

Since Li Heng had a courtesy name - Li Bochang - and it was the courtesy name which became familiar among the noblemen as well as high officials, then different from Zhu Su, Zhu Yunwen could not recognize this name. That was why he deliberately mentioned it instead of his courtesy name, as a disguise.

"Physician Li, what do you think about Mr. Chen's illness?" Li Heng's strategy worked. Zhu Yunwen did not remember him.

"There is a turbulence of the Shen in the heart and gallbladder organs, the flow of Qi is unstable, therefore to calm his Shen I prescribe Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan."

"I also think the same, Chen Xinyi, you're just too scared! Twelfth Uncle's spirit doesn't exist! You see, I'm not bothered at all!"

If you can be bothered then how can you have the heart to launch the Politics of Xuefan, ruthless nephew!

"Xiang Wang is really angry with me, Sire! He even threatens to kill my young grand daughter! He said, I have ruined the lineage of the Great Ming, so in return, he will ruin my entire family!"

"You don't ruin the lineage of the Great Ming. Because I never try to kill my uncle, no any lineage of Ming is broken!"

"Pardon... Your Majesty... is it true... that you don't intend to sentence your uncles to death?..."

"Of course not! I just downgrade them all, and the only ones I exile are Fifth Uncle and Eighteenth Uncle," Zhu Su inevitably gasped as he heard Zhu Yunwen mentioned his name, "because I know, they're all innocent. I just... prevent the worst possibility... lest the prophecy happen..."

Zhu Su thought for a while. Thus, what Chen Xinyi said was correct, Zhu Yunwen had no intention of executing him. But if so, who has been so cruel by trying to kill me and my son?!

Don't tell me... It is Youxun?! How can that ungrateful son have the heart to kill his own father and brother?!

"But you have never been bothered by Xiang Wang?"

Zhu Yunwen shook his head firmly. "Never."

Chen Xinyi turned silent.

"But... or maybe that recent outbreak, is a curse from Twelfth Uncle?... because I have been so cruel, punish my other uncles?"

Zhu Su automatically stepped few inches to the front as he got surprised to hear the last sentence Zhu Yunwen said.

"The outbreak at Jiangsu's outskirts area?"

"Yes," Zhu Yunwen said lethargically. "A very terrible outbreak, many people have died because of it. And nothing we can do to stop it. The strange disease which weakens the stamina of capital residents is still not completely resolved, but now it is doubled with this new outbreak. It's still very far from the capital, but the people has become the tumult due to its presence. So does the palace. A eunuch went there, and I am forced to tell him not to return to the palace, being fearful that he may possibly spread disease in the palace." He sighed. "I just get relieved that the imperial army finally win against Fourth Uncle, but unexpectedly the epidemic appears. Not allowed to win the war, the severe epidemic appears, it is all like a curse - a curse for the Emperor who has been ruthless towards his uncles."

"Even the most outstanding physicians being sent there fail in eliminating the epidemic..."

"That's right," Zhu Yunwen said weakly. "So frustrating. You know, I am so frustrated to the extent that I am willing to follow any kind of advice. Someone gives me suggestions, he said that there is an outstanding physician miles away in Yunnan, he is dwelling on the mountain and is well-known for the ability to heal any kind of strange diseases. I want to summon him to resolve this epidemic."