Chapter 7

Mu Hongyu could not stand by and watch her husband's condition, so she directly summoned several doctors from the Marquis's mansion to diagnose Shen Gongao.

These three doctors, although not considered miraculous healers, were undoubtedly top-notch physicians chosen from thousands.

After all, the Shen Gong family was now a top noble clan, and the doctors who remained here were certainly not ordinary.

The three doctors conducted a thorough examination using the four diagnostic methods: observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse-taking.

They spent over half an hour diagnosing, and then their faces turned grim.

Mu Hongyu asked, "How serious is the Marquis's illness? Can you cure him?"

The three renowned doctors knelt straight and shook their heads in pain.

Mu Hongyu stood up abruptly and said, "What do you mean?"

The three doctors bowed their heads and said, "We report to the Marquis and the Lady, we... we don't know what this illness is."

Mu Hongyu angrily said, "You can't even identify the illness? You usually claim to cure any disease with a single dose of medicine. The Shen Gong family has treated you well for twenty years, and now you tell me you can't identify the illness?"

The three doctors trembled and said, "We have thoroughly examined the Marquis, and it is truly bizarre. We can't see any signs of illness. In fact, we find the Marquis to be incredibly robust and vigorous."

Mu Hongyu angrily said, "Quacks! Look, does this look like a robust and vigorous state?"

The three doctors were indeed puzzled. According to their examination, Shen Gongao was indeed not ill and could even be described as robust as a tiger. However, he was lying on the bed, barely able to move.

Shen Gongao said, word by word, "My entire right leg is completely paralyzed and cannot move."

The three doctors trembled and said, "We... we really don't know why."

Liang Hongyu felt a chill all over her body. Although she verbally berated the quacks, she knew that these three doctors were highly skilled. They could cure common and even very complex illnesses in the mansion.

This time, not only could they not cure the illness, but they couldn't even identify it. It was clear that her husband's condition was not a simple and difficult illness.

"You are not to leave this courtyard for the time being," Mu Hongyu said calmly.

"Yes," the three doctors trembled, knowing that unless Shen Gongao was cured, they would never leave and might even be killed to keep the secret or buried alive.

Suddenly, one of the doctors said, "We should invite the divine healer Lin Daomiao. He should be practicing medicine and teaching in the Tianshui Province."

Another doctor said, "Yes, Lin Daomiao is the founder of the Medical Department at Tianshui Academy, the top healer in the south. If anyone can cure the Marquis, it would be him."

The Academy! It is considered the most transcendent force in the entire world, without regard for national boundaries or races.

The Academy is divided into the Academy of Literature and the Academy of Martial Arts.

Whether it is the Northern Tianqi Empire, the Central Plains' Daxia Empire, the Western Dahong Empire, or even the Southern Dalin Kingdom, Daliao Kingdom, and other ethnic groups, they all have Academies of Literature and Martial Arts.

Every yin-yang expert, sorcerer, healer, scholar, and advisor in the noble families comes from the Academy of Literature.

And every top general, assassin, and military strategist in the noble families comes from the Academy of Martial Arts.

The Sky Academy oversees all the Academies of Literature and Martial Arts in the world.

The Academy of Literature has several departments, and the Medical Department is one of them.

All legitimate doctors in the world graduate from the Medical Department of the Academy.

Lin Daomiao, the chief master of the Medical Department at Tianshui Academy, is known as the top healer in the south.

Hearing this name, Shen Gongao couldn't help but frown.

A doctor said, "Marquis, there's no need to worry. A healer's heart is like a parent's. Lin Master is kind and loves challenging illnesses. Once he hears about such a strange illness, he will certainly come to treat it."

Another doctor said, "Every student in the Medical Department must remember the ancestral teachings: even if your patient is a devil, you must do your utmost to treat them. After treatment, you must forget the patient completely. So he will certainly keep the secret and not reveal a word."

"Lin Master once taught me; I can write a letter to him."

Saying this, the doctor wrote a letter on the ground and then handed it to Mu Hongyu and Shen Gongao for review.

After a long silence, Shen Gongao said hoarsely, "Someone!"

Instantly, a figure appeared in the room.

"Abu, you go to Tianshui Academy yourself. When there is no one around, give this letter to Lin Daomiao," Shen Gongao said.

"Yes, Master!" the black figure said, and with a flash, he left.

Shen Gongao lightly waved his hand, and the letter shot into Abu's pocket.

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In recent days, rumors had spread widely, and even Shen Wuque had heard them multiple times.

"Have you heard? Lord Shen Gongao is ill, and it's incurable."

"He once fainted on the battlefield, convulsing uncontrollably."

"This is definitely due to excessive killing, with thousands of ghosts haunting him."

"I heard that the Marquis's mansion is already preparing for the funeral."

"Shen Dajunzi and Shen Erjunzi have secretly entered Zhenhai City. As soon as the Marquis passes away, they will immediately vie for the Marquis's position."

The entire Zhenhai City was seething with hidden currents.

Although Zhenhai City nominally belonged to Shen Gongao, and he was the City Lord,

there were at least three major forces here.

The Shen Gong family, the Mi family, and the Daxia Empire, none of which could completely control the city.

At this time, Shen Gongao had been ennobled as a Marquis, and the court was measuring the new territory he had conquered. The new territory for the Shen Gong family was about to be granted, and the news of Shen Gongao's serious illness was spreading, clearly with the help of multiple parties.

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The Magic Stone City!

This was a brand new city, still under construction, but already showing a grand structure.

Tall walls, a sturdy castle, and a strategic location.

The newly built Shen Gong Mansion was not a residence but a military fortress.

Although the Marquis's mansion was in Zhenhai City, the foundation of the Shen Gong family was in Magic Stone City.

The core of the Shen Gong family's rule, covering over ten thousand square kilometers, was also in Magic Stone City.

This was a city that Shen Gongao had personally conquered from the Southern Barbarians, completely belonging to the Shen Gong family.

According to the original agreement, Zhenhai City would eventually be returned to the Mi family.

Shen Gongao, a former barbarian who had been assimilated, had pledged allegiance to the Mi ruler in the past, possessing a title but no land.

When the Mi family destroyed the Ying family and took over the entire Tianshui Province, Shen Gongao's contributions were the greatest. He won several major battles, and the emperor allowed the Mi ruler to lend Zhenhai City to Shen Gongao.

Now, after so many years, Shen Gongao was highly favored by the emperor, ennobled as the Grand Commander of the Southern Campaign, and had won countless battles, becoming a formidable force, even surpassing the Mi family.

But Shen Gongao deeply knew that a family without land had no foundation.

All his land was conquered from the barbarians. According to the emperor's decree, one-quarter of each conquered territory belonged to the Shen Gong family.

Thus, Shen Gongao's territory increased almost every year, now reaching over thirteen thousand square kilometers, with a population of several hundred thousand.

This time, after a major victory, Shen Gongao gained over ten thousand square kilometers of land from the Dalin Kingdom. According to the agreement, one-quarter of this land, about three thousand square kilometers, belonged to the Shen Gong family.

Compared to the thirteen thousand square kilometers of the Shen Gong family's fief, three thousand was not a large number. However, these three thousand square kilometers included vast, fertile farmland and a population of three hundred thousand, which was of utmost importance to the Shen Gong family.

In other words, if they obtained these three thousand square kilometers, the Shen Gong family's farmland would double.

Therefore, Shen Gongao kept his illness a secret until the imperial decree for the fief was issued, to prevent any unforeseen complications.

At this moment, on the highest point of the newly built Shen Gong Mansion in Magic Stone City, a refined young man was overlooking the entire city.

He was the pride of the Shen Gong family, the second son, Shen Wuyu.

The eldest son, Shen Wuzhuo, was leading the army on the front lines, facing off against the Dalin Kingdom, and supervising the court's measurement of the new fief, even secretly occupying it.

The second son, Shen Wuyu, was fully responsible for the construction of Magic Stone City and the administration of the over ten thousand square kilometers of the fief.

One was invincible in civil affairs, the other in military affairs.

One managed finances, the other the army.

Both sons were performing exceptionally well!

Thus, Shen Gongao could confidently entrust the army and the fief to his two sons, while he focused on dealing with the court and the Mi family in Zhenhai City.

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