The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Civil and military officials gathered at the Temple of Heaven and Earth.

The auspicious time had arrived, and Emperor Zhengde, accompanied by a group of eunuchs, arrived at the Temple of Heaven and Earth. All officials shouted "Long live the emperor" and saluted.

This was a magnificent sacrifice. The cabinet chief Yang Tinghe wrote a magnificent sacrificial text praising the emperor's civil and military achievements. After the ritual officials of the Ministry of Rites finished reading the sacrificial text in front of the altar, the emperor kowtowed to his ancestors according to the ritual system.

However, as soon as Emperor Zhengde knelt down, he felt stars in his eyes. He resisted the strange feeling in his body and kowtowed for the first time. After a while, he coughed violently, then retched and vomited blood, which sprayed in front of the Altar of Heaven and Earth.

Zhang Zhong, who was standing by, shouted, "This is terrible! The emperor, he, he, he, he is vomiting blood!"

There was chaos in front of the Temple of Heaven and Earth. Zhang Yong hugged Emperor Zhengde and yelled at Zhang Zhong: "Why are you shouting? How can the emperor's safety be disclosed to all officials? Call the imperial physician!"

Chang Feng was puzzled: The emperor was in his prime, vigorous and energetic. How could he suddenly vomit blood? Unless someone poisoned or assassinated him!
Thinking of this, Chang Feng shouted, "Don't make any noise! ​​General Han, come forward to protect the emperor! The Northern Pacification Office will immediately block the three-li radius of the Temple of Heaven and Earth!"

The four cabinet ministers Yang Tinghe, Liang Chu, Jiang Mian, and Mao Ji stepped forward. Yang Tinghe shouted, "Don't make a scene! Help the emperor to get on the imperial sedan chair first. Return to the palace immediately!"

Chang Feng saw the four ministers approaching. His first reaction was that if the emperor was assassinated, his life would be at stake. He was surrounded by only civil officials, so wouldn't the emperor's will be fabricated by the civil officials?
Chang Feng hoped that Emperor Zhengde would live a long life, but he had to be prepared for any eventuality.

Chang Feng shouted, "Duke Dingguo, Marquis Shouning, and Marquis Jianchang, come forward and serve the emperor!"

Xu Guangzuo, Duke of Dingguo, represented the military nobles in the court, while the two Zhang brothers represented the foreign relatives. When the emperor's life was hanging by a thread, if there were military nobles and foreign relatives around, I believe that the civil officials would not dare to fabricate the will.

Everyone worked together to lift Emperor Zhengde onto the imperial sedan chair and sent him back to the Leopard Room.

Half an hour later, in the Emperor's bedroom in the Leopard Room.

Empress Dowager Zhang, waited on by Liu Xiaoyan, anxiously awaited the results of the imperial physicians' diagnosis.

Yang Tinghe, three cabinet ministers, Chang Feng, Xu Guangzuo and others knelt in front of the hall.

The person who diagnosed the Emperor Zhengde's pulse was Lu Zhi, the director of the Imperial Hospital. This Lu was known for his "cautious use of medicines." For doctors, "cautious use of medicines" is another way of saying mediocre medical skills.

Soon, Judge Lu and five imperial doctors came out of the green gauze tent of the imperial bed and knelt in front of Empress Dowager Zhang.

Empress Dowager Zhang asked anxiously, "Lu Zhi, what happened to the emperor? What disease did he have? Why did he suddenly vomit blood?"

Lu Zhi was silent for a moment.

In fact, if it was a country doctor, it would be easy to diagnose that Emperor Zhengde was suffering from water-borne parasite disease.

But the imperial doctors were different. Water-gu disease was considered an evil disease—imperial doctors did not study, talk about, or treat evil diseases.

This is easy to understand. Most of the patients who got schistosomiasis were poor people. They worked in the paddy fields in the countryside all day and came into contact with schistosomiasis. Not to mention the emperor of the dynasty, even ordinary wealthy people rarely got schistosomiasis.

Empress Dowager Zhang was horrified when she saw Lu Zhi was silent: "Lu Zhi, tell me the truth! No matter how the emperor is, I will spare your life. If you don't tell the truth, I will let the Royal Guards kill your whole family!"

Lu Zhi looked around and said, "Please ask the Queen Mother to dismiss the others."

Empress Dowager Zhang ordered Liu Xiaoyan: "You and them go out first."

The civil officials, military officers, palace maids and eunuchs left the bedroom. The five doctors under Lu Zhi also left the bedroom.

The only people left in the bedroom were the dying Emperor Zhengde, the anxious Empress Dowager Zhang, and the nervous Judge Lu.

Empress Dowager Zhang asked, "Tell me! What happened to the emperor?"

Lu Zhi said something that went down in history: "Winter has summer pulses, which cannot be cured according to the law. I wish to appoint a crown prince to ensure the stability of the country."

According to the theory of Huangdi Neijing, the pulse of a person is different in each season. If a person gets a summer pulse in winter, then the patient has an incurable disease.

Lu Zhi, the director of the Imperial Hospital, was also a civil servant. He held the sixth rank. His advice to Empress Dowager Zhang to "establish a crown prince to stabilize the country" was not presumptuous. Empress Dowager Zhang asked with a trembling voice: "Is there really no cure?"

Lu Zhi replied: "Your Majesty, I am incapable."

Empress Dowager Zhang wanted to cry but had no tears. How could her son be so young and have a terminal illness? Besides, where could she find a crown prince when she had no son?
Empress Dowager Zhang knew that the news of the emperor's critical illness must not be spread. So she lowered her voice and said, "Lu Zhi, the emperor caught a cold, which triggered a stomach disease. Vomiting blood is caused by the cold triggering a stomach disease, which leads to hemorrhage, right?"

Gastric hemorrhage is gastric bleeding. It is not a terminal illness.

Lu Zhi kowtowed: "My lord, if the emperor collapsed due to 'stomach disease and bleeding', everyone in the Imperial Hospital must die to apologize."

Empress Dowager Zhang said, "I am giving you an imperial decree. No matter how the emperor's health is, the Imperial Hospital will not be held responsible."

Lu Zhi kowtowed: "Thank you Queen Mother for your grace. Yes, the emperor has a stomach disease and bleeding."

Empress Dowager Zhang said: "The people from the Imperial Hospital must serve the emperor at all times. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, I don't need to ask you to do this."

Lu Zhi said: "I will do my best."

Outside the bedroom, Yang Tinghe and Chang Feng were kneeling on the ground, waiting for news.

Finally, Lu Zhi came out and said, "Your Majesty has a stomach disease and bleeding. He will be fine after a few days of rest."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Lu Zhi secretly winked at Yang Tinghe.

Lu Zhi, the chief judge of the Imperial Medical Bureau, was recommended by Yang Tinghe for the position ten years ago.

Yang Tinghe stood up and said, "Since the emperor is not seriously injured, the cabinet colleagues should return to the duty room and handle official business first."

The four ministers left. Zhang Yong came out: "The Queen Mother summoned Xu Guangzuo and Chang Feng."

Zhang Heling was a little dissatisfied: "Eunuch Zhang, my sister didn't summon us brothers?"

Empress Dowager Zhang knew that her two younger brothers were good at making trouble instead of doing good. When faced with major events, the Cining Palace still had to rely on Chang Feng and Xu Guangzuo.

Chang Feng and Xu Guangzuo entered the bedroom.

Empress Dowager Zhang said, "If you spread even a single word of what I am going to say, your entire family will be executed immediately. It doesn't matter if you are a duke or a marquis!"

Chang Feng and Xu Guangzuo said in unison: "Yes."

Empress Dowager Zhang said, "The emperor has pulses from the summer in the winter, I am afraid his life span will not last long. The emperor has no children, if he dies, there will be chaos in the world. I asked you to enter the palace today to discuss a solution with you. The group of civil officials outside are unreliable. I can only rely on you."

The "method" that Empress Dowager Zhang wants to discuss concerns the foundation of the country!

It is not the place where ministers can casually make suggestions on matters of national importance.

At this moment, Emperor Zhengde actually lifted the green gauze tent and walked out as if nothing had happened: "What do you mean by destiny is not long? Mother, what are you talking about?"

Empress Dowager Zhang was stunned. According to Lu Zhi's statement, her son was almost dead. How could he suddenly look radiant and look like nothing had happened?
Chang Feng was also happy to see that Emperor Zhengde was safe and sound. However, Empress Dowager Zhang was about to prepare for the emperor's funeral. The scene in front of him was awkward.

Chang Feng was smart. He quickly tried to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother. Lu Zhi is really a quack! Your Majesty is very strong and vigorous. He just got a minor illness today at the Temple of Heaven and Earth."

Emperor Zhengde said, "I am also confused. Why did I feel dizzy and vomit blood today at the Temple of Heaven and Earth?"

Emperor Zhengde seemed to be safe and sound. This made Empress Dowager Zhang and Chang Feng feel relieved. Naturally, the two of them no longer had to worry about whether the country was strong or not.

However, the vomiting of blood at the Tiantan Temple on the 13th day of the twelfth lunar month was only the beginning of the symptoms of Emperor Zhengde's illness. (End of this chapter)