Chapter 45: Du Chengfeng’s Tears Move the Court

As soon as Cheng Yaojin heard Yuchi Jingde mocking him, he was so furious that he stomped his feet in rage. He paid no mind to the fact that they were still in the Hall of Supreme Harmony; he turned on Yuchi Jingde and cursed loudly, "Yuchi Black Charcoal, damn it, you can insult me, Old Cheng, but you cannot insult those fallen soldiers. Which eye of yours saw that I was pretending? This is... this is grief, alright!"

The more Cheng Yaojin spoke, the more agitated he became. He had intended to use a proper idiom to describe his state, but alas, he barely knew any, and in the end, he failed to conjure a fitting phrase.

The officials, both civil and military, burst into hearty laughter at the sight of Cheng Yaojin jumping around in anger.

"Enough! Silence, all of you!" Li Shimin scolded, his brows furrowed in anger. A bunch of clueless brutes—did they not see that Du Chengfeng's words were not yet finished, that he still held another medicine in his hand?

Seeing the emperor’s displeasure, the crowd quickly fell silent.

"Du Chengfeng, continue," Li Shimin said, calming his expression and softening his tone.

Du Chengfeng took up another bottle and continued, "Your Majesty, I shall call this medicine 'Treasure Pill' for now. It is taken internally. If the injury is severe and the life-saving pill is not required, this one can be applied both externally and taken internally for faster results. Moreover, both medicines are effective in the early stages of swelling and sores. They also work well for women’s blood disorders—such as profuse menstruation, abnormal discharge, and postpartum blood stasis. Furthermore, what the common folk call tumors can be somewhat prevented by this medicine."

"However, before applying the powder to a wound, it is essential to disinfect with the liquor I used earlier; only then can infection and inflammation be prevented." Having said this, Du Chengfeng took out the liquor he had used to clean the wound and shook it before Li Shimin.

"Du Chengfeng, did you say that bottle contains liquor? Does liquor have such properties?" Li Shimin questioned, skeptical upon hearing that liquor was to be used for disinfection.

Du Chengfeng uncorked the bottle of liquor, and at once a fragrance richer than that of the famed Immortal Wine of Chang'an filled the hall.

"Heavens, is this truly liquor? Why does it smell even better than Immortal Wine?" The strong aroma quickly stirred the cravings of those fond of drink; some with a stronger thirst found themselves swallowing hungrily.

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"Your Majesty, ordinary liquor will not suffice. Only this kind will do. I call it 'alcohol,' and its concentration is nearly double that of Immortal Wine. Remember, though—it must never be consumed. Too much would be fatal. In a few days, I will entrust my elder brother to sell it in Chang'an. For the sake of the people, we will sell it at cost—1,500 coins per jar."

Seeing the crowd of drinkers eyeing the alcohol greedily, Du Chengfeng exaggerated its side effects, lest anyone succumb to temptation and drink it, causing unnecessary trouble.

"Excellent! This is truly wonderful!" Li Shimin laughed heartily. With these two medicines, whether for the people or the army, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

"Your Majesty, that is the purpose of my visit today—to present these two recipes for the benefit of the people. Later, I shall hand over both recipes, along with detailed instructions and precautions," Du Chengfeng said calmly.

Li Shimin was inwardly overjoyed at receiving such miraculous medicines, and he was not surprised by Du Chengfeng’s selfless generosity. With the high-yield rice and sweet potatoes as precedent, it was expected that Du Chengfeng would offer medicinal recipes as well.

Yet, Du Chengfeng’s initiative in coming to court and presenting these miraculous medicines before all the officials aroused Li Shimin’s curiosity. Though as emperor he could guess some of Du Chengfeng’s intentions, he still wondered.

"Du Chengfeng, I am curious—why do you offer such precious recipes to the court? Anyone with these recipes could partner with any pharmacy and amass unimaginable wealth. Why are you unmoved by this?" Li Shimin asked in surprise.

Indeed, many officials shared this question, greatly interested in Du Chengfeng’s motives. In the face of such immense wealth, few people would not be tempted.

At the emperor’s sudden question, Du Chengfeng grew somber, recalling his deceased grandfather.

An old man, lonely, who had cared for him and his only grandson with tireless effort all his life, saving seven hundred coins, all of which he could not bear to spend, and leaving them all to Du Chengfeng.

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At this thought, Du Chengfeng’s eyes brimmed with tears. He let out a heavy breath and spoke mournfully, "Your Majesty, you must know—I am an orphan. Since childhood, I have not known my parents. It was an old man in Du Family Village who raised me. Not long ago, I happened upon these recipes, and after much testing, confirmed their miraculous effects. Yet even possessing such wondrous medicines, I could not save my grandfather’s life."

"Does Your Majesty know how the old man who adopted me died? He fell and suffered a wound that became infected and suppurated; with no medicine to cure him, he died in pain. Does Your Majesty realize how many poor people have lost their lives to minor injuries because they lacked such medicine? Or as General Cheng said, how many soldiers in the army have died from a mere knife wound? All of them—including my grandfather, those people, those soldiers—should not have died!"

As Du Chengfeng spoke, sorrow overcame him, and tears quietly slid from the corners of his eyes. He did not know why; as a former soldier, his resolve and willpower were many times greater than most, and after strengthening with serum, his fortitude far surpassed ordinary men.

He tried to control his emotions, but the tears would not stop. Perhaps, deep down, he was still an emotional soldier. Or perhaps, as the saying goes, a true man sheds tears only at heartbreak.

Moved by Du Chengfeng, many officials who had endured similar experiences were deeply affected—some wept openly, some soaked their collars with tears. Even Li Shimin was so touched by Du Chengfeng’s words that his eyes filled with tears.

Most dramatic of all was Cheng Yaojin. Whether Du Chengfeng’s words truly struck a painful chord, or simply moved him deeply, Cheng Yaojin, with no regard for his dignity, threw himself onto Qin Qiong’s shoulder, wailing and lamenting, "Brother Qin, our soldiers died such unjust deaths. If only this medicine had been discovered earlier, our Tang Dynasty would not have lost so many brave men. Brother Qin, Old Cheng’s heart truly aches!"

"There, there, it’s all in the past. Things will be better from now on," Qin Qiong said helplessly, patting Cheng Yaojin’s shoulder to comfort him.

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