The leader’s tiger’s mouth showed calluses, a clear sign of long-term martial arts practice.
Looking at his face, he exuded an imposing air without even needing to be angry, clearly indicating he was an official.
Could they be here for the naive girl?
“I’m not worthy of being called a miracle doctor. I am Xu Ping’an. May I ask why you are looking for me?”
It’s polite to be hospitable.
Regardless of their purpose, he had to be courteous.
“So you are the miracle doctor Xu.”
The leader seemed surprised by Xu Ping’an’s youth, but the expression quickly vanished, replaced by a smile.
“Miracle Doctor Xu, we are from the Prince of Zhennan’s manor. I am Zhao Pingzhi, a captain of the Third Battalion. We have come to invite you to examine our Crown Prince.”
“Ah, from the Prince of Zhennan’s manor. It’s an honor to meet you here.”
Upon hearing their identity, Xu Ping’an quickly became even more courteous.
It is well known that the territory of Great Qi is incredibly vast.
Due to its sheer size, relying solely on the central imperial army for governance would be impossible.
However, to entrust such a large territory and its military to those outside the royal family would make the emperor even more uneasy.
Therefore, Great Qi adopted a military enfeoffment system.
All civil official positions were directly appointed by the central government, i.e., the Emperor of Great Qi. Local military affairs in regions closer to the capital were directly managed by the Emperor.
For more distant regions, members of the imperial family would be directly appointed to govern.
Prince Li Can of Zhennan is currently the prince guarding Nanzhou.
He is also the Thirteenth Brother of the current Emperor.
In Nanzhou, the Emperor’s decrees might not always be effective, but a single word from the Prince of Zhennan was truly like divine pronouncements.
“Please come inside for tea, everyone. We can chat while we drink.”
Upon hearing that they had come for a medical consultation, Xu Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief.
If they had truly come for the naive girl, he, Xu Ping’an, would have had no choice but to act.
Although he was weak, dealing with a few soldiers wouldn’t be a problem.
After getting off the carriage, and then turning to help Pei Qingxuan dismount, those few people simply glanced at them and said nothing more.
“Husband, who are they?”
Pei Qingxuan was a little shy, clinging to Xu Ping’an’s side and secretly looking back at the people behind them.
“Oh, those people? They’re here for a medical consultation. Didn’t I tell you, your husband is a doctor?”
“Oh~”
Pei Qingxuan nodded, seeming to understand but not quite, yet she still looked back curiously at those few people.
“But, those few people have such strong vital energy. They don’t seem sick at all.”
“Really?”
My wife is indeed extraordinary.
How could an ordinary person have the ability to discern another’s vital energy at a glance?
Even with her severe injuries, she could still tell that these few people had vigorous vital energy.
This was clearly not something an ordinary person could do.
Who exactly is this naive little wife of his?
Could it really be as he suspected, a cultivator?
If she is a cultivator, then why is she so severely injured?
At this moment, Xu Ping’an felt like he was in a fog, unable to find his way.
Fortunately, at least his little wife was still by his side.
“They aren’t the ones seeking treatment; they are seeking it on behalf of someone else.”
“Oh…”
Pei Qingxuan nodded and said no more.
After entering the small courtyard, Xu Ping’an planned to arrange for Pei Qingxuan to stay in the inner room.
After all, this era emphasized the separation of men and women.
The problem was… Pei Qingxuan was unwilling.
Even when they returned home, she couldn’t bear to be separated from him for a moment, absolutely refusing to stay in the room by herself.
Left with no choice, Xu Ping’an had to let her stay by his side.
After brewing a pot of tea and inviting Zhao Pingzhi and his group to sit in the living room, he finally spoke:
“General Zhao, what ailment does the Prince of Zhennan’s Crown Prince suffer from? Have other physicians examined him?”
Xu Ping’an had encountered such house calls before; after all, he was quite well-known in Nanzhou.
However, he rarely left his home for consultations, so over time, fewer people sought his help.
“Most physicians in Jinling have already examined him, but whether his condition is good or bad, no one can cure him.”
Zhao Pingzhi was indeed true to his military background; his words were remarkably straightforward.
Xu Ping’an sighed, shaking his head.
“General Zhao, your bluntness leaves me at a loss for how to respond.”
Logically, if they wanted to invite him, even if they didn’t lie, they should at least conceal some of the severity of the illness, tricking him into going before revealing the full truth.
But this fellow just blurted it out, without the slightest bit of concealment.
“Miracle Doctor Xu… the Crown Prince suffers from a strange illness. What good would concealment do? Either it can be cured, or it cannot.”
“You’re direct, General.”
Hearing this, Xu Ping’an couldn’t help but feel a certain fondness.
Although Zhao Pingzhi’s words were blunt, they were sincere.
“General Zhao, could you describe the Crown Prince’s symptoms for me? Are there any prescriptions from other physicians? I’d like to take a look as well.”
“They’re all here.”
Zhao Pingzhi didn’t waste words.
He simply lifted his hand and handed over a satchel.
Before even looking, one could tell it contained a good amount of items.
It weighed at least two jin (approximately one kilogram).
Opening the satchel, he saw a neatly stacked pile of Xuan paper.
He casually flipped through them; they were all various prescriptions, some for headaches, some for nutritional supplements, and some just to prolong life.
Xu Ping’an merely glanced at the prescriptions, and he already had a few conjectures in his mind.
He picked up the topmost sheet of Xuan paper and unfolded it; it clearly recorded the case details and symptoms.
After carefully reading every word, Xu Ping’an put down the Xuan paper in his hand, closed his eyes, and pondered for a moment.
He wasn’t idly speculating; he was searching through the thousands of medical texts from different worlds in his mind.
“Hmm… I have a general idea of the Crown Prince’s illness.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Pingzhi’s face immediately lit up with joy, and he quickly praised, “As expected, your reputation is well-deserved. The title of ‘miracle doctor’ truly suits you, Mr. Xu. To be able to deduce clues just by looking at prescriptions and symptoms… Zhao Pingzhi is truly impressed. In comparison, those other doctors were truly just seeking fame…”
Patting the stack of prescriptions, Xu Ping’an shook his head helplessly.
“It’s not entirely the fault of those doctors. After all, the Crown Prince’s illness is basically incurable.”
“What?!”
“Say that again!!”
Before Zhao Pingzhi could react, the men behind him immediately stood up.
One of them even had his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if he would draw it and strike if Xu Ping’an uttered another unfavorable word.
“What are you doing?! Do you think this is a military camp or a battlefield?! Sit back down, all of you!!”
Seeing this, Zhao Pingzhi immediately became furious and quickly reprimanded them.
Only then did he turn back to Xu Ping’an.
“Mr. Xu, my subordinates have offended you.”
“It’s fine.”
Xu Ping’an’s expression was calm; he simply waved his hand and picked up his teacup, pretending to drink.
The message was already quite clear.
It was time for them to leave.