Chapter 48

The winter in Chang'an is long, and this prolonged cold is accompanied by the fluttering of snowflakes. The official road outside the city is covered with deep snow, which blocks the traffic. Horses' hooves sink deep into the snow, and long white breaths float in front of the noses of several fine steeds. The knight on the horse is even more anxious, for he is now responsible for the life of the emperor's favorite princess.

Not far behind the leading steed is a carriage, its wheels deeply embedded in the snow. No matter how hard the driver tries, he cannot make the carriage move forward. This year, the Tang Dynasty is hit by heavy snow, which has turned Emperor Li Yuan's hair white with worry. The entire Hebei region, half of Longxi, and even Huainan have all reported bad news, with urgent messages sent by fast horses, many of which have died from the journey.

While some are worried, others are happy. Emperor Li Yuan, seated on his dragon throne, is troubled by these issues, but Li Er appears quite pleased, as Sun Simiao is about to arrive in Chang'an. This means that Li Xiuning's injuries can be treated. When he heard that Sun Simiao was still over fifty miles away from the capital, he couldn't help but smile.

However, these fifty miles are difficult to traverse, with the snow on the official road reaching half a meter deep. In such weather, one can hardly travel twenty miles in a day. Therefore, it will take Sun Simiao at least two more days to arrive. Li Er can't wait that long. He wants Sun Simiao to ride a horse, but that would be disrespectful. If Sun Simiao is unhappy, a slight tremor of his hand could be disastrous, as this concerns the person closest to him in the royal family, and he cannot afford to be careless.

In fact, Li Er is being overly suspicious. To Sun Simiao, as long as it's a patient, he will do his utmost to save them. This is the first duty of a doctor, which is medical ethics. However, although Li Er, born into the royal family, knows that Sun Simiao is unlikely to care about such things, he still believes it's better to be cautious. This thought makes him distracted.

At this moment, Li Lizhi is blowing on Li Xiuning's wound, saying innocently, "Auntie, Lizhi is blowing for you, it won't hurt anymore! Lizhi is a little fairy!" The little girl firmly believes her second brother, and if he says she is a little fairy and blowing can heal, then it must be true. The world of children is so simple, and it is this simplicity that makes it particularly precious.

"Is that so? Lizhi has such skills?" Li Xiuning, who is not usually calm, teases Li Lizhi half-jokingly.

"Of course! Yesterday, Lizhi blew for Second Brother, and he didn't hurt anymore!" The little girl nods her head seriously.

Li Kuan listens to the conversation between the two with a black line on his forehead, his head filled with a flock of crows: "Caw, caw, caw..."

Li Xiuning teases the little girl with a smile, trying not to look at Li Er. A servant had just come in to report something to Li Er, and his expression had changed. It seems there is something difficult to solve, so it's best not to bother him. Li Xiuning is not naive enough to think it's nothing serious; she is too familiar with that iron-blooded aura!

Li Kuan can't stand it anymore. He wants to leave, but the timing seems wrong. He can't approach Li Xiuning, or he will be tortured. Li Er is deep in thought and shouldn't be disturbed. But leaving without saying goodbye would be even worse!

Just as he is in a dilemma, Li Er comes to his senses. He directly asks Li Xiuning, "Third Sister, Sun Simiao is not far from Chang'an. Your injuries will definitely be cured by Sun Shenyi, but the snow has blocked the road, and it may take another two days. After all, we can't let Sun Shenyi ride a horse, as it would damage the royal dignity." Li Er's words interrupt the affectionate moment between Li Xiuning and Li Lizhi. Li Xiuning turns to look at Li Er, realizing that he was troubled by this matter, not something else. If she hadn't guessed that Li Er was thinking about something related to her other two brothers, she would have asked earlier.

"If that's the case, then I'll wait two more days. I've already waited for half a month, so these two days don't matter!" Li Xiuning is very open-minded. She had already lost hope, and now things are much better than before!

"Father, I have something to say!" Li Kuan interjects.

"Oh! What does Kuan want to say?" Li Er didn't expect him to speak up at this moment, but he lets him speak, thinking he might have a good idea, especially since he has a mysterious scientist behind him.

"Actually, Sun Shenyi can arrive in Chang'an very soon, if we do this..." Li Kuan starts to explain his idea. During his visit to a classmate's home in the northeast, it was also a snowy season, and his classmate had come to pick him up with a sled, which left a deep impression on him. After observing for a while, Li Kuan found that the Tang Dynasty seems to lack sleds, or they are not widely used.

Sleds have a strong load capacity and save animal power. What takes two horses to pull with a carriage can be done with one horse on a sled in the snow. If it's too slow, hunting dogs can be used to pull it, and a couple of people can be carried by three or five dogs. Using a sled to pick up Sun Simiao outside Chang'an would be very convenient, and it can be equipped with some coverings, making it no less comfortable than a carriage.

Li Kuan describes the sled from his memory, and Li Er understands it: two large wooden planks with a few connecting strips in the middle. This makes him curious, "Can such a thing really travel on snow? Is it more convenient than a carriage?"

"I don't know if it's true, but my teacher mentioned that in a place called Siberia, where it snows for most of the year, people use sleds for travel!"

"Second Brother, why don't we try making one? It's not a big deal to try. If it works, we can go out and play in the winter, as riding horses is too cold, and carriages are too slow!" Li Xiuning, upon hearing about this new mode of transportation, thinks of playing.

But Li Er, upon hearing this, thinks of the difficulty of communication during the snowy season. If sleds are used, this problem can be solved. Moreover, according to Li Kuan, sleds can carry more than carriages, which would greatly facilitate winter military operations!

Thinking of the various uses of sleds, Li Er believes it is necessary to promote them. However, the timing seems wrong. This simple structure can be easily replicated, and if introduced too early, the enemy might learn it, losing the element of surprise. Li Er plans to use sleds for a surprise attack on the Turks in the winter!

"Let's hold off on the sleds for now! This thing is as good as an army, so its first appearance should be a surprise, especially when used against the enemy!" Li Er rejects the idea of using sleds to pick up Sun Simiao. He wants to secretly send a trusted person to test it and see if it works as he imagines!

"Then, consider it as if I never said anything!" Li Kuan wisely closes his mouth. Since Li Er sees this as a key to victory, Sun Simiao will have to take the carriage. Besides, the distillation apparatus still needs to be made, which will take some time.

After staying in Li Xiuning's room for nearly half an hour, Li Er leaves the Imperial Medical Institute with Li Lizhi, who is reluctant to leave, and Li Kuan, who looks like he's avoiding a plague.

Time sometimes passes slowly, and sometimes it flies by. Two days pass in the blink of an eye. During these two days, Li Kuan's life is peaceful. Apart from the little girl coming to play and listen to stories every day, he spends most of his time in his courtyard. He practices his boxing twice a day, exchanges some tonics, and sets up a sand pot to simmer them, filling the courtyard with the aroma of medicine. The little girl, who comes to play, always pouts: "Second Brother loves to drink bitter medicine!" So early in the morning, the little girl sends a bowl of her own medicine to him because he loves it.

When Li Kuan receives this special gift, he can't help but imagine Li Lizhi shaking her head, unwilling to drink the medicine, and having a servant bring it to him to drink for her: "This little girl, Second Brother has pampered you in vain, making him drink your medicine. No story today, we'll see if you dare to do it again!" Li Kuan mutters to himself.

On the morning of the third day, just after the hour of Si, around the hour of Wu, a carriage enters Chang'an, escorted by over a dozen riders. After entering the city, someone asks the person in the carriage, and the carriage then heads directly to the Imperial Medical Institute. One of the riders gallops towards the imperial city.

Li Er, upon receiving the report that Sun Shenyi has entered the city, rushes to the Imperial Medical Institute. He carries the book "Qing Nang Jing," which he has prepared as a gift for Sun Shenyi. With this, Sun Shenyi will definitely treat Li Xiuning! Li Er thinks to himself.

When he arrives at the Imperial Medical Institute, Sun Shenyi's carriage has not yet arrived. This is what Li Er hopes to see; otherwise, it would be impolite if Sun Shenyi had already arrived and he had just arrived. Adjusting his attire, Li Er waits at the entrance of the Imperial Medical Institute.

Finally, Sun Shenyi arrives at the entrance of the Imperial Medical Institute. Looking at the towering gate, he takes a deep breath: "This is not a place for a healer. Staying here will only cloud the mind and prevent one from seeing the suffering of the world!"

Hearing this, Li Er is even more respectful: "This Sun Shenyi truly deserves the title of a divine being revered by the people. Such a broad-minded person is far superior to those court physicians!"

Thinking this, he steps forward: "Li Shimin greets Mr. Sun. Because my sister's injuries are not suitable for long travel, I have taken the liberty of inviting you here. It is my fault, and I offer this medical book as an apology. I hope you will not be angry!" Li Er takes out the "Qing Nang Jing" from his chest and hands it to Sun Shenyi with both hands.

This is a strategy, a direct and powerful move to dispel any displeasure in Sun Shenyi's heart and to show the dignity of the royal family. By giving away the "Qing Nang Jing," he demonstrates that he has nothing to hide, leaving Sun Shenyi to consider what else he might have.

Sun Shenyi was about to refuse, but upon seeing the three characters, his eyes widen in excitement, and he is speechless.

PS: Thank you, Scholar Chu, for the 100 Qidian coins!