Chapter 100

Li Shimin was a man so self-assured and narcissistic that he would never think himself inferior to Luo Shixin. But when he put himself in Luo Shixin's shoes, he realized that it was no small feat to achieve such results in such a harsh environment, facing Yi Ji Wende, a renowned general known as a "military god." Apart from Luo Shixin, he could not think of anyone else who could have done it. Whether it was he, Li Shiji, or Li Jing, or even Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde, none of them could match Luo Shixin in this regard.

After all, in such a dire situation, intelligence alone was far from enough; both wisdom and bravery were essential. Although he boasted of his martial skills, he still fell short compared to Luo Shixin. He knew he could not match Luo Shixin's ability to move freely among thousands of soldiers.

Li Shimin, Li Jing, and Li Shiji had sufficient intelligence but lacked martial prowess. Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde were as brave as Luo Shixin, but they lacked the strategic acumen.

Only Luo Shixin possessed both the strategic mind and the unparalleled bravery.

Luo Shixin began to wonder why Li Shimin knew so much. Then he realized that someone must have returned ahead of time.

Luo Shixin inquired about the situation of Princess Pingyang.

Li Shimin shook his head and sighed, "It's not looking good! Doctor Lu has gathered all the imperial physicians, but they still haven't found an effective treatment. As he said, the imperial physicians, who serve in the palace, lack a clear understanding of such severe and chronic illnesses, and they are at a loss. They can only barely maintain her life. Now, we can only hope that the divine doctor Sun Simiao can find a way to remove the blood clots." He then added, "If General Luo Shixin hadn't insisted on bringing my sister back to Chang'an despite the pressure, we would have no hope left. General, you made an incredibly correct decision. If my sister can overcome this, you will be a great benefactor to the Li family."

Li Shimin invited Luo Shixin to visit the Northern Peace Palace together.

The Northern Peace Palace was a luxurious palace specially built by Emperor Yang Guang during his tours of the empire.

Luo Yi, who rebelled against the Sui in Beiping and declared himself independent, had taken over the palace. After submitting to the Tang, he returned the palace, and no one had lived there since. As a princess, and needing a quiet environment for recuperation, Princess Pingyang was settled in the Northern Peace Palace.

Emperor Yang Guang loved the beauty of the south, and the Northern Peace Palace was designed in the style of the southern water towns, with courtyards, pavilions, streams, and artificial hills, all richly decorated.

The western courtyard of the palace was the most serene, making it the best place for rest and recuperation.

As the two men walked to the western courtyard, they saw that the surrounding houses were filled with exotic flowers and bamboo. The garden was ingeniously designed with no main paths, only winding, secluded trails that connected in a picturesque manner, blending emotion with the scenery.

Li Shimin, familiar with the place, led the way along the small paths. As they walked, they heard a heated argument ahead.

The two men quickened their pace and arrived at the entrance to the annex.

It turned out that after thoroughly understanding Princess Pingyang's recent condition, Sun Simiao had proposed an unconventional treatment method, which carried significant risks.

The imperial physicians, who were trained in orthodox medicine, had always looked down on the unconventional methods Sun Simiao had learned from his travels. Moreover, they were treating Princess Pingyang, who was on the brink of death. They had no courage to let Sun Simiao experiment.

Sun Simiao, after diagnosing Princess Pingyang, found her condition worsening. Continuing to maintain her life in this state would only delay the last chance for treatment. He insisted on his approach. The two sides disagreed and began to argue.

"How can we use an untested remedy on Princess Pingyang? It's too risky!" Wang Zhi, the current chief physician, glared and said bluntly.

Sun Simiao remained calm and said, "As a doctor, one should treat the disease, not the person. All patients are equal, and each should be treated as if they were the doctor's own family. The risk is indeed great, but in treating patients, one must prioritize the severity and urgency of the condition. For minor illnesses, use medicine; for serious ones, use qi; for chronic ones, use physical treatments; for critical ones, use unconventional methods. Princess Pingyang's illness is difficult to treat and requires a special approach."

His tone was calm but firm.

Another physician angrily retorted, "It's easy to say, but what if the princess suffers any harm? Can you take responsibility?"

Sun Simiao's tone grew more serious, "As a doctor, if one is afraid of causing harm and refuses to treat, what kind of doctor is that?"

Wang Zhi coldly said, "Don't talk big. If something goes wrong, will you take the blame for the princess's life?"

Sun Simiao shook his head, "The imperial physicians are no better than this. Life is precious, and the princess's life is as valuable as mine and everyone else's. As a doctor, I will do my best to treat the patient, but I cannot take the blame for death due to my limited skills. I have no guilt towards the dead, so why should I take the blame? I do not think my life is higher or lower than anyone else's."

"Spoken well!" Luo Shixin couldn't help but clap in approval. He didn't understand the medical arguments, but Sun Simiao's final words resonated with him. A true doctor should value life, whether it's the patient's or their own. Only those who respect life can understand its value and give the utmost importance to every life.

Truly causing a patient's death is not the doctor's fault, but if a doctor's lack of respect for life leads to a patient's death, that is a grave sin, and such a doctor does not deserve the title.

Li Shimin also felt the same way and strode into the courtyard, saying, "Arguing like this is unbecoming." He approached the group of imperial physicians and asked, "Have you found a way to treat my sister after all these days?"

Wang Zhi stammered, unable to respond.

Then Li Shimin turned to Sun Simiao and said, "Doctor Sun, go ahead and treat her. From now on, everyone here will follow your instructions, including me. I believe you will do your best because of your respect for life. If anything goes wrong, I, Li Shimin, will take the responsibility."

Luo Shixin was impressed by Li Shimin's decisiveness and courage.

With Li Shimin's decision, the imperial physicians had no more objections.

Sun Simiao, with a calm demeanor, bowed deeply to Li Shimin and immediately ordered the preparation of the necessary herbs and instruments, beginning the treatment.

As for Li Shimin and Luo Shixin, Sun Simiao had them leave the courtyard, not even allowing them to see Princess Pingyang.

Luo Shixin was taken aback. This guy really takes things seriously!

Thinking this, he walked out of the courtyard with Li Shimin.

Just as they left the gate, a guard rushed over, looking distressed, and said, "Your Highness, your beloved steed Qingzhui was kicked by General Luo's horse."

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