Chapter 60: Life and Death are Determined by Fate; Wealth and Honor Rest with Heaven

Everything was going full steam ahead, progressing precisely according to Li Shen’s blueprint. The brick and cement kilns had been completed and put into operation, while the previous earthen kilns had been demolished. The roads were nearly finished as well. Wang Hongfu had already organized a transport fleet to haul bricks and cement back to the Prince’s Estate, and batches of refined iron bars were being delivered to the estate as soon as they were forged, boosting the business of more than a dozen blacksmith shops in Chang'an.

To rush the construction, Li Shen had hired over a thousand workers from the villages outside the city. Such a large-scale commotion had even alarmed Emperor Li Shimin.

Because of this, Li Shen had been impeached several times, but Li Shimin simply ignored them all. During the final impeachment attempt, Li Shimin passed along a message from Li Shen, after which no one dared to impeach him again. Li Shen had declared that if there were any more impeachments, he would immediately dismiss the thousand-plus workers, tell them precisely which officials in the imperial court had tried to cut off their livelihoods, and even give them the exact address of his manor.

As soon as these words got out, the imperial censors and officials accused Li Shen of threatening ministers and acting like an arrogant profligate. But from that day on, not a single person dared to impeach him over the matter. They were terrified—over a thousand workers! Who knew when one of them might just happen to drop a brick on an official's head while walking down the street?

The military generals, on the other hand, greatly admired Li Shen for standing up so aggressively to the censors. Li Crown Prince Li Chengqian even made a mental note to use this tactic in the future; whenever he had built a residence in the past, many had impeached him, leaving him with no choice but to admit fault and halt construction. Now Li Shen had set an example for him: if they oppose you, fight back head-on.

Li Shimin had only agreed to relay the message after Li Shen explained his reasoning to him. Li Shen had told the emperor that the construction of his manor—including production, transportation, and building—employed around two thousand workers. Every single person received a minimum of ten wen a day, with the master craftsmen making up to a hundred wen daily. Two thousand workers meant two thousand families, with each earning at least three hundred wen a month. Upon completion, even the lowest-paid worker would earn at least two strings of cash—equivalent to more than a year’s yield from farming. The most skilled could make over twenty strings of cash, enough to buy meat for their children, sew a few decent sets of clothes, and have a little savings left over for medical care.

Hearing this, Li Shimin had been deeply moved. Li Shen had told him more than once that the common people only sought basic food and warmth. Although the emperor tried his utmost to keep grain prices low, many people still went hungry. Yet Li Shen pointed out that because he was building his manor, he was stimulating the transportation and blacksmithing industries, which in turn needed to hire more workers to meet the demand. Once these two thousand people had money in their pockets, they would spend it—buying rice, vegetables, meat, and fabric—which would ripple through countless other industries. Eventually, the commercial tax revenues of the Ministry of Revenue would naturally increase. Li Shimin felt there was truth to Li Shen's logic, which was why he had ultimately agreed to pass the message along.

***

Over at the Duke of Qin’s mansion, Duke Qin Qiong’s condition had worsened significantly today, and he began to exhibit symptoms of high fever and delirium. After diagnosing him, the imperial physicians concluded that an invading pernicious pathogen had deeply penetrated his body. Upon receiving the news, Li Shimin immediately brought the Crown Prince to visit. At this time, only Qin Huaidao was around to manage the household, but at merely fourteen years of age, he was completely at a loss, and Lady Qin was weeping uncontrollably.

"Imperial Physician Xu, how is Shubao?" Li Shimin asked the physician.

"Your Majesty, due to his years of campaigning in his youth, the Duke of Qi is covered in scars, and his vital essence and blood have been exhausted. Now that this pernicious pathogen has invaded his core, I fear his days are numbered," Physician Xu replied truthfully.

"How could this happen? It is all my fault that Shubao has come to this," Li Shimin's eyes turned red with self-reproach. "Back then, it was always Shubao charging ahead in the vanguard, always bearing wounds. I never imagined it would end like this."

"Is there truly no other way?"

"Your Majesty, the rest of us have just checked his pulse as well. It is simply that the Duke's vital essence is depleted and his body is extremely weak. Coupled with the invading illness, this is beyond the power of medicine and herbs," Physician Xu added.

"Beyond the power of medicine and herbs?"

These words instantly reminded Li Shimin of when the Empress Changsun had been critically ill, and the physicians had said the exact same thing. And that memory immediately led him to think of Li Shen.

"Quickly, go to the palace and bring the Prince of Ji here," Li Shimin instructed Wang De.

Upon hearing this, Physician Xu and the other medical officials twitched the corners of their mouths. Back when Consort Yan fell into the water, and later when Empress Changsun fell ill, they had been the ones examining them—it was a familiar scene and a familiar flavor. In every case, they had been helpless and unable to provide a cure, yet the Prince of Ji had managed to pull them back from the brink of death every single time. Surely it wouldn't happen again this time, would it? Physician Xu hurriedly sent someone to notify the Head of the Imperial Medical Service, Li Xiuwei, because Li Xiuwei had previously given strict orders that whenever His Highness the Prince of Ji was treating someone, he must be informed immediately.

Half an hour later, Li Shen arrived at the Duke of Qi's mansion, accompanied by his attendants and Wang De. Without waiting for Li Shen to speak upon seeing him, Li Shimin immediately urged, "Li Shen, come and see how the Duke of Qi is doing. The imperial physicians have diagnosed him as incurable by medicine. See if you can think of a way."

Li Shen stepped forward to examine the patient. Qin Qiong was lying on the bed as pale as paper, breathing faintly, and unconscious. Feeling his forehead, Li Shen found he still had a slight fever. Li Shen quickly took the medical case from Shi Tou, drew out a syringe, and gave Qin Qiong an injection.

He then turned back to Li Shimin and said, "Father, I have given the Duke an injection, but that cannot solve the fundamental problem. The root of the Duke's illness is a severe deficiency of vital essence and blood; we must replenish his vital essence."

"Can vital essence and blood be replenished?" Li Xiuwei, who had just arrived, asked upon hearing Li Shen's words. Li Shimin also looked at Li Shen with inquiring eyes.

"Father, I have long been aware of the Duke’s condition and have been searching for a solution. Since his vital essence and blood are deficient, we can simply replenish them directly. We can use someone else's vital essence and blood for the Duke. However, this method carries risks, and not just anyone's blood will do," Li Shen explained.

"Give him someone else's blood? This... sounds somewhat like the blood-drinking practices of certain cults," Li Shimin remarked.

"Your Majesty is right, it does sound rather unusual. Since such a method has never been heard of before, we cannot know if it will be effective," Li Xiuwei chimed in.

"Father, human blood is divided into several types. Not everyone's blood is the same, and it is not about drinking it—it is infused directly into the body. Currently, the most suitable donors I can think of are direct blood relatives, specifically father and son. But there are still risks involved," Li Shen replied.

"Your Highness the Prince of Ji, why don't you use my old Cheng's blood? I'm big and burly, I've certainly got plenty of blood to spare!"

"That's right, we have plenty of blood! Use ours!"

Cheng咬金 (Cheng Yaojin) and Yuchi Jingde were sworn brothers to Qin Qiong, which was why the two of them had arrived very early upon hearing of Qin Qiong's critical condition.

"My two uncles, it's not a matter of just using anyone's blood. I have experimented on animals; if the blood type does not match and is transfused into the Duke, he will die. The only viable candidate at present is Brother Huaidao. Furthermore, whether it succeeds or not will also depend on luck, so you must discuss it amongst yourselves and decide whether to proceed," Li Shen laid out the consequences clearly and waited for their decision.

"Huaidao, you heard what Shen'er just said. As the eldest legitimate son of the Duke of Qi's household, you must make the decision," Li Shimin said to Qin Huaidao.

Qin Huaidao was torn with anguish. Li Shen's words meant he was gambling with his father's life, and even Li Shen could not guarantee a cure. The Head of the Imperial Medical Service had also stated that such a practice had never been heard of before, yet the imperial physicians had also declared that his father had very little time left and advised them to prepare for the funeral. Finally, after conferring with his two uncles, Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde, Qin Huaidao turned to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, I have decided to proceed with His Highness the Prince of Ji's method of treatment. Since my father has already reached this state, the worst that can happen is merely dying a few days earlier. I would rather take a gamble and fight for my father's life."

"Very well. True to being Shubao's son, you have grit. Li Shen, then you may begin," Li Shimin ordered.

"Alright. Prepare a small room with good sealing against the outside air. Shi Tou, go find Wang Hongfu and get the things I asked him to prepare. Have the servants bring a large pot, plenty of vinegar, and water. Also, place a single bed inside the room."

Li Shen began issuing his orders. Whether they succeeded would depend entirely on Qin Qiong's own fate. Life and death are dictated by fate, and wealth is in the hands of heaven.