Chinese dining table

Chapter 1236 The greater the power, the more careful
As a high-ranking official, Yun Chu naturally knew about the important event that Li Chunfeng was appointed as the Du Shui Ling.

After Wu Sansi denied several possibilities for the underground spring water in Chang'an County, Yun Chu felt that Wu Sansi was right. If the natural factors were eliminated, the rest would be simple and clear: there would only be human factors.

If the Du Shui Ling was someone else, Yun Chu might not have thought of Li Chunfeng. Since the person in charge of the water veins of the Tang Dynasty became Li Chunfeng, Yun Chu's first suspect was him.

He even believed that if there were any incomprehensible mysterious events in the Tang Dynasty, they should just look for Li Chunfeng directly. There couldn't be a second person. Even if he wasn't the one who did it, it must have something to do with him.

Therefore, Yun Chu already had a hint of anger in his eyes when he spoke to Li Chunfeng.

Facing Yun Chu's pressure, Li Chunfeng said calmly: "Du Shuiling will make his own decision."

Yun Chu nodded and said, "Very good. Since the officer believes that this is the Du Shui Ling's business, then I also agree that it is the Du Shui Ling's business and will not ask about it anymore. However, there is a prerequisite. Do not harm the people of Chang'an."

Li Chunfeng frowned and said, "Under the Way of Heaven..."

Before Li Chunfeng could finish his words, Yun Chu interrupted him and said, "What do you want to say, that under the laws of heaven, all things are ants, or do you want to say that the mighty rivers choose their own course, and that plants, trees, beasts and insects can turn into fish and turtles?

You must listen to me clearly. If you damage people's houses, you must remember to compensate them. If you damage people's livestock, you must also remember to compensate them. If you damage people's bodies, I will hold you criminally responsible. If you damage people's lives, I will kill you."

Li Chunfeng said expressionlessly: "This matter is of great importance, Your Excellency should not take it lightly."

Yun Chu said: "Don't tell me what big thing you are doing. I have already told you clearly about my Chang'an affairs. Don't think that this official is scaring you. Over the years, you should know what kind of person I am.

More than 8,200 people have died in this imperial city. Since it is not under my jurisdiction, I can pretend not to see it. If... humph, even if you have supernatural powers, I will definitely kill you and uproot you and expose you to the sun in broad daylight."

"My Lord, you are accusing me of something I haven't done yet."

"I don't care. If you don't like your opponent, just take your knife and chop him. If you win, it's your ability. If you lose, it's your fault. Don't sacrifice the common people to achieve your ulterior motives. I am a sheepdog sent by His Majesty to herd sheep in Chang'an. I can't lose any sheep in my sheepfold."

Li Chunfeng frowned and asked, "How can you be sure that the spring water in Chang'an County is related to me?"

Yun Chu said: "Du Shui Ling, all rivers, lakes, and streams in the world are under your control, and underground springs are no exception."

Li Chunfeng smiled and said, "I'm afraid it's more than that?"

Yun Chu looked at Li Chunfeng meaningfully and said, "I don't believe in such ridiculous things as filial piety moving heaven, crying to bamboo to make bamboo shoots grow, lying on ice to get carp, strangling a tiger to save one's father, letting mosquitoes suck one's blood, and making carp jump out of a spring. I believe your Excellency won't believe it either.

Since the beginning of the imperial examinations in the Sui Dynasty, the practice of selecting filial and honest officials has been gradually abandoned, and such stories have become less and less common. I don't want these stories to reappear in the Tang Dynasty, especially in Chang'an.

If it must happen, I hope it will be something like tasting feces and worrying about it, or nursing a wet nurse. Although it is a bit perverted, I can accept it.

Last but not least, if the prince is not the one who wants to do this, you'd better give up."

Li Chunfeng remained silent, and it seemed that he had no intention of listening to Yun Chu's advice.

Yun Chu added: "Since you are no longer a Taoist priest and are preparing to become an official, then don't use your old Taoist profession to get involved in officialdom. Such things can only deceive the ignorant. Who among the smart people will be fooled?
In addition, can you tell me how you made the spring water gush out from the ground? If it is not a trick, please tell me. The drought in Guanzhong has not completely stopped yet. This thing may be able to save a lot of seedlings."

Li Chunfeng shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Yun Chu nodded and said, "That's just a trick. When we get back, I'll have the people dig up all those springs. If you dare to destroy Chang'an's water circulation system, I will not let you off."

Li Chunfeng asked, "Why bother?"

Yun Chu sneered and said, "I don't want the people to think that all the officials are liars who talk nonsense."

Li Chunfeng stopped talking.

After coming out of Du Shui Ling, Yun Chu had already confirmed that the spring that appeared in Chang'an County was caused by Du Shui Ling's people. It was unknown who they were trying to help this time.

If Li Chunfeng did not have the magic power to truly change the underground water veins, the underground spring must be man-made. Since it was man-made, Wu Sansi would be able to find clues if he conducted a careful investigation.

More than 8,000 people died in the imperial city, and the people of Chang'an were in a panic. At this moment, a miracle suddenly appeared under everyone's eyes... It would bring great trouble to the management of Chang'an and Wannian County. This would be a fight with the government for the right to speak, and Yun Chu naturally could not allow it.

Back then, Zhang Daoling's Five Pecks of Rice Sect did the same thing. At the beginning, they created some miracles, saying that it was a celestial being descending, and used healing as a starting point to spread the doctrine. When the people believed in it without a doubt, they had to pay five pecks of rice before they could join the sect... There were countless Five Pecks of Rice Sects...

Thinking of this, Yun Chu turned back to Dushuiling and said to Li Chunfeng, who was as still as a mountain, "I think you left Taoism to create a new sect. You don't want to use Chang'an as the starting point for your sect, right?"

Li Chunfeng said: "Why not?"

Yun Chu saw that Li Chunfeng seemed to no longer conceal his true feelings, so he smiled and said, "If I didn't know, you might have succeeded. Now that I know, if you dare to do anything wrong again, be careful or I will teach you what it means to be a county magistrate who destroys a family and a prefect who exterminates a clan."

Li Chunfeng said: "The young sprouts that break through the soil cannot be suppressed by huge rocks, and the overflowing rivers cannot be blocked by high mountains. Your Excellency thinks too highly of yourself."

Yun Chu felt that he had made his words very clear, so he left Du Shui Ling.

Arriving at the Imperial City's Tianjie, Yun Chu looked at the deserted streets, let out a long sigh, rode his horse for a while, and found a eunuch lying on a garbage dump rummaging through things. When he got closer, he discovered that one of the eunuch's legs was so ulcerated that he needed an amputation to save his life.

The eunuch looked up at the majestic Yun Chu, with no respect for the noble in his eyes. His tattered eunuch clothes were dirty, his hands were like chicken claws, and there was half a bone of unknown substance in the corner of his mouth, which he licked from time to time.

People who have nothing to lose are usually very courageous.

Yun Chu grabbed the eunuch's belt and lifted him up, and in order to prevent him from dirtying his new clothes, he deliberately spread his arms and kept him away from himself.

The eunuch was being held by Yun Chu, and he continued to chew the bones in his mouth, as if what was happening in front of him had nothing to do with him.

Arriving at the Imperial Medical Bureau, Yun Chu threw the eunuch to the medicine boy and said, "Wash, prepare the skin, disinfect, and prepare for surgery."

After hearing what Yun Chu said, the eunuch who was thrown on the steps by him stopped chewing the bones in his mouth and looked at Yun Chu again.

Yun Chu is now the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau. His position is just below the Imperial Physician Order and the Imperial Physician Deputy. He is a very high-level doctor in the Tang Dynasty. As soon as he gives an order, someone will immediately prepare an operating room for him.

By the time Yun Chu finished the disinfection and walked into the operating room filled with a strong smell of alcohol wearing a thick mask and raising his hands, the eunuch had already been stripped naked by the medicine boys and all the hair on his body had been removed.

Taking a look at this guy's body, he looks extremely miserable, with frostbite all over his body, and the lower half of his left leg has turned black. However, looking at this guy's body, his bones are thick and his muscles are very strong. He should have been a military eunuch in the past.

Yun Chu didn't bother to ask him why a dignified military eunuch would end up like this. He just looked down at the eunuch and said, "Chilblains may seem serious, but they are not fatal. Your left calf is completely necrotic. If it is not amputated as soon as possible, you will not live for more than ten days."

After that, without waiting for the eunuch to speak, a medicine boy stuffed a funnel into the eunuch's mouth and poured a large bowl of light yellow medicine into it. Then, there was a long wait.

The effect of the anesthetic was obviously not very good. Yun Chu waited for an incense stick of time, but the eunuch still stared with his big eyes and refused to faint. Yun Chu had no choice but to chop his neck with his palm.

Sawing legs was not unfamiliar to Yun Chu. Back when he was in the Western Regions, he had sawed off countless legs. Now, he was very familiar with sawing bones with the sound of a saw.

The amputation surgery performed by the Imperial Medical Bureau of the Tang Dynasty was not much different from that of twenty years ago. The main difference was that the doctors of the Tang Dynasty finally understood how to use clamps to seal the large blood vessels in between sawing off the legs. This way, the amount of bleeding was relatively small when sawing off the legs, and the doctors would not become like butchers with poor skills.

Another difference is that when sawing off the leg, you know to leave an extra circle of skin, and then use the extra skin to wrap the broken end after the leg is sawed off.

A person who was knocked unconscious, even a man of steel, would wake up when his legs were sawed off. This eunuch seemed to be particularly patient. Even though he was sweating profusely and had crushed the bamboo tubes on both sides of the operating table with his hands, he remained silent.

After the operation was completed, Yun Chu treated his frostbite again. Finally, holding the sawed-off calf, he smiled maliciously at him and said, "Look, you've lost something again. For a little bit of wealth and glory, you made yourself look like a ghost, and now you've lost half a leg. Do you regret it?"

The eunuch stared at his own half leg for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said to Yun Chu: "No regrets!"

This answer made Yun Chu want to throw him out, but he still instructed the medicine boys: "Give him liquid food for three days, with lots of minced meat. After twenty days, when the wound has healed, kick him out of the Imperial Medical Bureau."

What we did today was done on impulse. This guy was obviously one of the people who followed Ruichun and others into the imperial city to kill. I don't know why he was abandoned by Ruichun and others. Logically, those who were abandoned should be killed. This guy should have a good story to tell if he survived.

What has been done has been done, and Yun Chu has nothing to regret.

After having one of his legs sawed off, Yun Chu’s thoughts became clearer, so he once again came to the Du Shuiling Yamen.

"Your Excellency visits the Du Shui Ling three times a day. I believe it is beneficial to our Du Shui Ling?"

Li Chunfeng swept away his previous gloomy look, and became free and indifferent, like a hermit.

"I just thought about it for a long time, and I found that it is better for me not to get involved in your affairs. If I don't get involved, it means that Chang'an will not get involved either. In other words, you can do your thing, but not in Chang'an.

Look, I am explaining it this way, can you understand it?"

Li Chunfeng laughed and said, "That's natural."

Yun Chu smiled and saluted towards Li Chunfeng, then left Du Shui Ling again.

There must be a limit to meddling in other people’s affairs!

The Tang Dynasty today is completely different from the one ten years ago. The era when everyone was planning for the Tang Dynasty is gone forever. Nowadays, not only is there a dark cloud from top to bottom, but everyone is trying to protect themselves. They don't have the extra energy to consider issues wholeheartedly from the perspective of the Tang Dynasty.

Ten years ago, the Tang Dynasty was a good time when everyone was vying to become a prime minister or a general. Now, the Tang Dynasty is a good time when everyone wants to retire from the army, return to the countryside, and continue farming and studying to pass on their family traditions.

Of course, it was also a bad era with demons rampant.

Ten years ago, Yun Chu dared to kill the insatiable Huangmen Minister Chen Zheng in public, and then brought his head to the court to question him. Ten years ago, Yun Chu dared to immediately kill the evil-minded Li Chunfeng, and warned the Emperor Li Zhi.

Now, he could only vent his frustration by using the injured leg of a poor abandoned eunuch.

When leaving the imperial city, Yun Chu met the Yellow Gate Minister Chen Zheng, who was sitting in a warm shed sipping tea from a high-end teapot produced by the Yun family. When he saw Yun Chu coming, he did not take the initiative to step forward to greet him.

"Lord Yun, His Majesty has issued an edict praising this humble official."

Yun Chu scratched his head and said, "Congratulations."

Chen Zheng added: "Your Majesty issued an edict to reprimand the Minister of Justice Zhou Xing."

Yun Chu scratched his head and said, "Congratulations."

Chen Zheng asked again: "Has your majesty given Yun Hou the order to kill me?"

Yun Chu scratched his head and said, "No!"

Chen Zheng came to Yun Chu's horse and said, "So, Yun Hou is not favored by your majesty."

Yun Chu scratched his head and said, "That's what happened."

Seeing Yun Chu scratching his head, Chen Zheng asked, "Why, did this subordinate give Yun Hou a...difficult...question?"

Yun Chu looked at Chen Zheng's fat head flying horizontally and answered seriously: "Do you know that a certain family has the right to do whatever it wants in Chang'an?"

(End of this chapter)