The First Prince Liu Bian (born 176 AD) was the legitimate eldest son of Liu Hong and Empress He Lian.
Previously, Liu Hong had several sons, but they all unfortunately died young in the palace.
Empress He Lian, considering the low survival rate of princes in the Imperial Harem, decided to have Prince Bian fostered among the common people, specifically at the Shi Daoren Taoist Temple, which was run by a skilled Taoist priest.
On this very day, news arrived from Shi Daoren that Prince Bian had been seriously ill for a long time and was not recovering.
Upon receiving the news, Empress He Lian immediately panicked.
She was originally a palace maid who had fortunately gained Liu Hong's favor and was even more fortunate to give birth to a dragon son. It was only then that she rose from a palace maid to the head of the Imperial Harem, gaining prestige through her son.
It could be said that her son was her greatest reliance.
However, now Liu Bian's severe illness had persisted for a long time without recovery!
Empress He Lian panicked and immediately left the palace, bringing imperial physicians and traveling by carriage to the Shi Daoren Taoist Temple. Accompanying her was her brother, General He Jin.
At this moment, He Jin was also in a panic. He came from a butcher's background and owed his position as General entirely to his sister's influence, so he naturally understood Liu Bian's importance.
As the Empress's carriage left the palace, Zhang Shihao and Chun Ying followed with several Eunuchs and palace maids. The General waved his hand, and hundreds of Imperial Guards protected them, making for an imposing sight.
However, before Zhang Shihao could admire the scenery of Luoyang or take a stroll, the procession advanced at a rapid pace.
Helpless, Zhang Shihao could only abandon his thoughts.
Hongnong Commandery was near Luoyang, not far away.
Soon, the procession arrived at the Shi Daoren Taoist Temple.
"Bian'er, how are you? You must not have anything happen to you!"
Inside the Taoist Temple, the Empress quickly saw Liu Bian.
Five-year-old Liu Bian was very young. At this moment, he lay on the bed, pale and weak. Hearing the call, he groggily opened his eyes and said faintly, "Cough... cough, Mother..."
"Bian'er, don't scare Mother..."
"Imperial physicians, where are the imperial physicians? Quickly see what's wrong with the First Prince!" The obese and somewhat fierce General He Jin, standing nearby, was startled by Liu Bian's condition and said urgently.
Immediately, several imperial physicians busied themselves, discussing the matter.
Finally, an imperial physician with a grizzled beard approached Empress He Lian and General He Jin, saying with a wry smile, "Reporting to the Empress and General, the imperial physicians who were previously stationed at the Taoist Temple had already diagnosed it. The First Prince indeed contracted a severe cold. We will prescribe another dose of medicine and see how effective it is."
"What? Another dose of medicine, and then 'see how effective it is'?"
Hearing the imperial physicians' discussion, which resulted in an uncertain conclusion, Empress He Lian and General He Jin immediately exploded.
"Quacks! All of you are quacks! Can the First Prince's current condition wait any longer? I want an accurate conclusion!" He Jin's furious voice echoed through the Taoist Temple. He glared angrily at the old imperial physicians, and if he hadn't been mindful of their status, he would likely have punched them directly.
Zhang Shihao, standing not far from the sickbed, took in the situation in the room.
A severe cold, in ancient times, was undoubtedly a great terror.
Many people died from severe colds.
It seemed that during the Late Han Dynasty, there was no detailed prescription to cure severe colds.
Even the imperial physicians in the palace were probably helpless and could only rely on the patient to endure it.
However, as Zhang Shihao looked at the furious General He Jin and the panicked, helpless Empress He Lian, he thought of something, his eyes brightened slightly, and he asked the system in his mind, "System, what illness does Prince Bian have?"
"【Severe fever, severe cold, and coughing pneumonia.】"
Upon hearing the system's prompt, Zhang Shihao breathed a sigh of relief, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
He still remembered the 【Special Medicine for Headache, Cough, Pneumonia, Cold, and Fever】 that the system had previously rewarded him. This special medicine, in ancient times, could definitely be called a miracle drug, capable of curing almost all common illnesses. Curing Liu Bian's illness would definitely be a case of the medicine immediately taking effect.
It was just a pity that the system was so stingy, only rewarding him with one pill.
However, Zhang Shihao still decided to take it out to treat Liu Bian.
Because if he could save Liu Bian, he would definitely gain immense favor from Empress He Lian, and then the mission could be completed. The rewards were the lifelong medical skills of the divine physician Bian Que and the physical talent of Li Cunxiao, the fiercest general of the Five Dynasties! He coveted them too much.
Empress He Lian's immense favor, Bian Que's medical skills, Li Cunxiao's physical talent, and even, by extension, the General would likely develop a good impression of him.
Worth it!
Absolutely worth it!
"Empress, Xiao Haozi, I am confident I can cure the First Prince's illness!" Just as the imperial physicians in the room were frowning, General He Jin was raging, and Empress He Lian was panicked, helpless, and pitiful, Zhang Shihao's voice slowly rang out.
Gasp!
The chaotic room suddenly fell silent, and everyone was stunned.
Empress He Lian, who was in a panic and helpless, trembled even more, as if grasping at a life-saving straw, and hurriedly looked towards the source of the voice.
Xiao Haozi!
Seeing that the speaker was Zhang Shihao, the handsome and tall man she had promoted, Empress He Lian was momentarily confused.
Xiao Haozi could save Liu Bian?
At this moment, all the imperial physicians, Shi Daoren, General He Jin, Empress's personal maid Chun Ying, and even the few Little Eunuchs and palace maids in the room stared blankly at Zhang Shihao, who was dressed in Eunuch attire.
This Little Eunuch claimed to be confident in curing Liu Bian, an illness that even the imperial physicians were unsure about?
"Nonsense! A severe cold is a major illness; even we are not certain, yet you dare to speak so presumptuously?"
"Exactly! The Prince's illness is not a trifle. If you can cure a severe cold, isn't that a huge joke?"
"If you can cure it, then what do we do?"
...
In an instant, the white-bearded imperial physicians were so angry that their beards trembled, and they unequivocally refuted Zhang Shihao.
The imperial physicians reprimanded Zhang Shihao for his "wild words," seemingly to uphold their dignity as imperial physicians. Chun Ying also tugged at Zhang Shihao's sleeve, anxiously whispering a reminder: "Xiao Haozi, are you crazy? Don't mess around!"
Facing the reprimands of the imperial physicians, Zhang Shihao's expression remained unchanged, even bearing a faint, confident smile. He didn't look at the imperial physicians but patted Chun Ying's small hand, signaling that she needn't worry. He then turned to the confused Empress and affirmed, "Your Majesty, Xiao Haozi has a medicine that can completely cure the First Prince within one hour!"
"This..."
In an instant, Empress He Lian was shocked, General He Jin was also shocked, and the imperial physicians were even more in an uproar.
This Little Eunuch not only claimed he could save Prince Bian.
He even said he could make Prince Bian fully recover within one hour?
"Impossible! What a huge joke! One hour? Even a Golden Immortal reincarnated couldn't do that!"
"Nonsense! This is utter nonsense! Your Majesty, you must not listen to this Little Eunuch's deceptive words!"
...
(One ancient hour = two modern hours)
The imperial physicians completely disregarded Zhang Shihao's affiliation with Empress He Lian and directly began to verbally abuse him.
Wasn't this a severe humiliation to them as imperial physicians, a challenge to their professional competence?
They weren't even sure if they could treat it, yet Zhang Shihao claimed he could, and even, complete recovery in one hour!
The room was in chaos. Empress He Lian's exquisite face showed a serious and dignified expression. She looked at the confident and calm Zhang Shihao and said sternly, "Xiao Haozi, do you know what you are saying?"
"Xiao Haozi knows!" Facing Empress He Lian's solemn reminder, Zhang Shihao's face still held a smile, and he said with a slight smile.
Looking at Zhang Shihao's calm and confident demeanor, for some reason, Empress He Lian couldn't bring herself to get angry at him.
Her beautiful eyes stared directly at Zhang Shihao, filled with complex emotions, and in her mind, she even recalled the unspeakable scene from her dream last night.
Taking a deep breath and giving Zhang Shihao a profound look, Empress He Lian said, "Alright, since you have confidence, then, I approve."
"I don't require you to cure the First Prince within one hour. As long as you can cure him, I will grant you a lifetime of wealth and honor, and I will personally request a commendation from His Majesty for you!"
As Empress He Lian's voice rang out, everyone in the room was instantly stunned.
"Your Majesty, no!"
"Empress..."
Another series of imperial physicians' voices rose, but the Empress directly raised a hand to stop them from speaking further.
Empress He Lian naturally knew something about the dangers of a severe cold, and coupled with Liu Bian's current dire condition, she decided to trust Zhang Shihao this once.
Seeing the Empress's resolute attitude, the imperial physicians were immediately speechless.
They couldn't understand why the Empress would believe a Little Eunuch.
At this moment, General He Jin also stepped forward, patted Zhang Shihao's shoulder, and said gruffly, "Since the Empress wants you to treat him, then treat him! If you succeed, whatever you want, we'll give it to you!"
"However, if you fail..."
"Thank you, Empress! Thank you, General!"
Zhang Shihao didn't care about everyone else's state of mind. With the system's special medicine in hand, he had no fear at all.
As long as he could gain the Empress's favor, he could obtain the system's reward and increase his chances of survival. Zhang Shihao naturally wouldn't sit idly by.
Under everyone's gaze, Zhang Shihao called for a bowl of warm water and took out a capsule from his cloth pouch.
He twisted open the capsule, and under the suspicious gazes of the crowd, poured the powder into the warm water, stirring it evenly.
This scene made General He Jin's mind race, and he almost kicked Zhang Shihao over.
However, seeing that the Empress remained still, He Jin could only suppress himself.
Empress He Lian was also very nervous.
If she hadn't clearly known Zhang Shihao's family background, and known that Zhang Shihao had no motive to harm Liu Bian, and considering Liu Bian's current condition, she would have stopped Zhang Shihao.
Zhang Shihao dissolved the special medicine in water and handed it to Chun Ying, who, trembling, went to feed it to Liu Bian.
Soon, a bowl of medicinal water entered the stomach of the First Prince Liu Bian, who was already delirious from fever.
Only then did Empress He Lian truly panic, and with a hint of helplessness, she asked Zhang Shihao, "Xiao Haozi, can he really save Bian'er?"
"Yes!" Zhang Shihao gave a definite answer, his gaze also somewhat nervously fixed on the pale-faced Liu Bian on the sickbed, while in his heart, he said, "System, give it some strength, don't let me down."