R:DSAT Chapter 149: The Arteries are Already Injured

When Imperial Physician Wei arrived in a rush to the Senior Official’s residence, the sky was already bright.

After Luo Wei returned to his room, he only let Wei Lan into the inner room to care for him. Leaning over the side of the bed, Luo Wei spat out another mouthful of blood, and only then felt the discomfort lessen a bit in the area around his solar plexus. 

Wei Lan invited the doctors who had diagnosed Luo Ze over. These two doctors specialized in treating trauma and external wounds. After seeing Luo Wei’s situation, they suspected that Luo Wei was suffering from internal injuries. They only gave Luo Wei a pill to staunch bleeding, and urged Wei Lan to find another doctor.

Luo Wei felt a bit more comfortable and wanted to try to be brave. He refused to let Wei Lan or the doctors tell others about his condition. 

While this stalemate was going on, a steward led Imperial Physician Wei over. 

Wei Lan looked at Imperial Physician Wei as if he was his savior, and hurriedly invited him into the inner room. At the same time, he whispered to Imperial Physician Wei, “The wounds on the young master’s back don’t look good, and he vomited blood.” 

Imperial Physician Wei’s heart trembled. If something happened to Luo Wei, Emperor Xing Wu would not forgive him. But the patient still hurt himself practically every day. Wasn’t he just making his doctor’s job difficult? Imperial Physician Wei really wanted to point his finger at Luo Wei and scold him, giving this person who didn’t take his own health seriously a good lesson. However, he didn’t have the courage to do so. 

As soon as Luo Wei saw Imperial Physician Wei he said, “His Majesty made you come?”

When Imperial Physician Wei looked at Luo Wei’s complexion, he felt that they were already off to a bad start. He felt Luo Wei’s pulse and replied, “His Majesty ordered this subordinate official to see the young master.” (T/N: Traditional Chinese doctors touch the pulse not just to measure the heart rate, but also to infer other bodily conditions). 

“Why does His Majesty treat Luo Wei so well?” Luo Wei asked Imperial Physician Wei. 

Imperial Physician Wei also wanted to know why the emperor valued this prime minister’s son so much. “Young master is His Majesty’s student, naturally he cares for the young master,” Imperial Physician Wei picked out the words that he could say. 

Luo Wei was suspicious. His father also had many students, and Xie Yu was one who lived in their home. He did not see his father pamper his students like Emperor Xing Wu did Luo Wei. Even the death of an imperial grandson could be overcome after Luo Wei made trouble. Where exactly did the Emperor’s favor stem from? 

This time Imperial Physician Wei took a long while to feel Luo Wei’s pulse. 

Wei Lan stood at the back and did not even dare to breathe too loudly. 

“Young Master, let this subordinate official look at your back injury,” Imperial Physician Wei said to Luo Wei with an ugly expression, having finished feeling his pulse with great difficulty. 

Wei Lan came over to help Luo Wei undress.

Physician Wei’s palms sweated. Luo Wei suffered from internal injuries. The four executioners struck to kill, damaging the arteries of Luo Wei’s heart. How long did Luo Wei have to live in this condition?

“If you can cure it then cure it.” Luo Wei regarded himself with indifference. “If you can’t cure me, I won’t blame you. However long I can last is however long I can last,” he said to Imperial Physician Wei. 

Physician Wei didn’t speak. After seeing Luo Wei’s back injury, his hand shook for a moment.

“Imperial physician, how is my young master’s injury?” Wei Lan couldn’t wait any longer.

“Don’t break the skin,” Imperial Physician Wei said to Wei Lan, “I’ll prescribe medicine, go and get it right away.”

Wei Lan took the prescription and went out. 

Imperial Physician Wei called his disciple to his side and whispered something. The disciple looked at Luo Wei lying on the bed, then nodded at his teacher and ran out.

“What’s he going to do?” Luo Wei asked.

“He’s going to report your injury to His Majesty,” Imperial Physician Wei answered.

“How is it?” 

“Do you want to hear the truth?” Imperial Physician Wei had interacted with Luo Wei for some time, and he knew that Luo Wei was not easy to fool.

“It’s an internal injury?” Luo Wei asked. He’d just vomited; he knew he was injured internally.

“Internal injuries are not difficult to cure,” Imperial Physician Wei said, “young master, the arteries in your heart are injured.”

“The arteries in my heart? No wonder I feel uncomfortable in the pit of my stomach,” Luo Wei replied simply. 

Imperial Physician Wei waited a long while, thinking that Luo Wei still had more to say. With damaged heart arteries, a person would find it hard to live long. He didn’t imagine that Luo Wei would only say these few words. Imperial Physician Wei restrained himself and then restrained himself again, and only then managed to prevent himself from having an outburst at Luo Wei. Often, doctors like him had to give their blood, sweat, and tears to save a person, so what they loathed most were people who didn’t cherish themselves. Was it that this Luo Wei was young and didn’t know to be afraid, or was it that he didn’t fear death? Imperial Physician Wei couldn’t make heads or tails of him. 

“What should I pay attention to ordinarily with damaged heart arteries? Tell me,” Luo Wei lay on his side in bed and asked Imperial Physician Wei. 

“Young master!”

“Everyone endures difficulties,” Luo Wei saw that Imperial Physician Wei was anxious, and said, “I am very capable of enduring, and I am not afraid of pain. I can live a long time.”

Imperial Physician Wei didn’t know why, but listening to Luo Wei’s words made his heart sour. A young master in a prime minister’s household should live a life of luxury (T/N: lit.: have brocade garments and jade meals). Why should he have to endure difficulties? But he was only a lowly imperial physician, and couldn’t manage too many matters. Even if something happened to the prime minister this time, Imperial Physician Wei thought that he would not be able to help. “In the future young master cannot have too many swings in his mood, he must relax his heart and not think too excessively.” Imperial Physician Wei began to give medical advice. He could only try to preserve Luo Wei’s body.  

“At this time, His Majesty and the rest of them should have begun the hunt,” Luo Wei looked at the moon window suffusing with white and said. 

Imperial Physician Wei had only finished half of what he meant to say and felt anger rise. It turned out that he’d spoken for so long while this person was completely preoccupied with other matters. 

__________________________

In the Western Mountain hunting grounds, Crown Prince Long Yu and Long Xuan rode their horses side-by-side. “I don’t know how Luo Wei is,” Long Yu suddenly said. 

“Yeah,” Long Xuan replied, “His health was originally poor. I don’t know if his injuries this time are serious.”

“Second younger brother,” Long Yu smiled at Long Xuan apologetically, “I know that Luo Ze had fault this time, but Emperor Father has punished him. Do you think that…”

Long Xuan waved his hand at Long Xuan. “Big brother, don’t speak of it. I don’t want to bring this matter up again.”

“Ai!” (T/N: 唉, either a sigh or something along the lines of “alas”) Long Yu exclaimed. “Having something like this happen, you didn’t have to come today.”

“The Western Mountains hunt is important,” Long Xuan replied, “If I didn’t come, I’d be afraid of Emperor Father blaming me.” 

As the sons of Emperor Xing Wu, both knew of his temper, so Long Yu could only say, “This has wronged you.” 

“Luo Ze and Luo Wei were also wronged,” Long Xuan said, “and Minister Luo also suffered Emperor Father’s criticism for no reason. Ultimately this incident occurred because I did not govern my household strictly, and harmed many people. Big brother, I’m apologetic at heart. The child is gone because of my lack of virtue.”

“Little brother,” Long Yu sighed heavily. “What does this have to do with you? Lady Xu is a daughter from a general’s family, so it’s not strange that she would be a bit unruly. Now that we’ve come to this point, don’t think about it too much.” 

Long Xuan shook his head, “I’m only afraid that after this incident, the Luo family will loathe me more right? Especially Luo Wei, I’m really a little afraid of him now. Eldest brother should also see that Emperor Father really pampers him. I now have the feeling that in front of Emperor Father, people like us, people in the imperial court and chancellors, could say a thousand words which would not compare to one sentence from Luo Wei.” 

Long Yu thought about Long Xuan’s words before asking Long Xuan, “Are you saying Xiao Wei will harm you?”

“Maybe I’m thinking too much,” Long Xuan said, even as his expression filled with worry. 

“You had a good relationship with Xiao Wei in the past,” Long Yu replied, “how can it be like this now?”

“His father is Luo Zhi Qiu, and my uncle is Liu Shuang Shi. His hostility towards me is normal.”

Long Yu looked to the front and did not speak.

“Big brother, haven’t you thought about why Emperor Father would treat Luo Wei so well?” Long Xuan suddenly asked Long Yu.