Chapter 250: 249 Xiao Dao is so arrogant

Words : 1629 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Chapter 250: Chapter 249 Xiao Dao is so arrogant Qin Liuxi looked at the visitor, an old man with both hair and beard white with age. He was not dressed like a rich man but in a dark blue Taoist robe reminiscent of an immortal. His ears were large and thick, his cheekbones prominent and high, his chin round, and his forehead bore the mark of nobility. This man must have once been a successful figure on the political stage, surnamed Wang, and from Qing State. Could it be the Wang Xiang who retired a few years ago? It was said that he had not even reached seventy when he retired, and it was only after three requests that he was granted an honorable retirement. While he was in office, he was indeed considered a wise Prime Minister, with numerous students. Even after stepping down, the Holy Emperor still often thought of him and awarded him during festivals, which showed he was highly favored by the Holy Emperor. Qin Liuxi’s eyes met with his, and she thought to herself that those who had served as Prime Minister were indeed astute. They knew when to let go, which ultimately benefited their descendants and caught the heart of the Holy Emperor. However, she couldn’t help but notice that he might be slightly lacking in spirit due to illness, as his complexion was pale with a whitish hue while his lips were particularly red. Moreover, just as the Qinglan Temple Master had said, he had a clean presence about him, free from any evil spirits. Qin Liuxi was eager to try her hand. “Temple Master.” Prince Wang was assisted by a servant as he approached, bowing slightly: “I have come to bother you once again.” “There’s no need for formalities, Prince Wang,” replied the Qinglan Temple Master, returning the bow and pointing to Qin Liuxi, “This is my Taoist niece, a disciple under the Qingping Temple from Ningzhou Licheng. She has a profound understanding of medicine and difficult diseases, so if you do not mind, letting her take your pulse might be worthwhile? Buqiu, this is the good man I have told you about.” “Old Prime Minister,” Qin Liuxi bowed and performed a Taoist ceremony. Wang Yanzheng, also known as Prince Wang, raised his eyebrows at this address and smiled, saying, “No one brought by the temple master is ever mediocre. I have no qualms about it, especially if it means curing my illness. I certainly don’t wish to be haunted by ghosts every day.” As he spoke, there was a hint of helplessness and irritation in his eyes. Anyone who suffers from an unknown illness that refuses to heal would naturally feel frustrated. If the illness persists for a day, the spirit suffers; over time, it’ll surely shorten the life expectancy. Despite having retired, he wished to live a long life. Otherwise, what was the purpose of his years spent studying Daoist longevity practices if not for the rise and fall of his family? So, as long as his illness could be cured, it didn’t matter who diagnosed it. “But before that, you mentioned that having these two doors open is detrimental to unity?” Prince Wang pointed to the two doors. Qin Liuxi nodded, “Opening dual doors in a single wall breeds gossip and conflict, and naturally hinders unity.” Prince Wang didn’t usually concern himself with domestic affairs but he was aware that women could create issues. He was particularly wary of discord being sowed between brothers through whispered pillow talk, so he instructed Manager Wang, “Seal them up. They are not to be used again.” “Yes, sir.” “Let’s go inside for some tea,” Prince Wang suggested with a smile. The group moved to the residential compound where Prince Wang lived and settled down in the west wing room designated for guests. After a couple of sips of tea, the Qinglan Temple Master suggested, “The morning is getting on; perhaps we should start with the pulse diagnosis?” Qin Liuxi nodded, “In addition, I would like to see the prescription previously prepared.” Prince Wang glanced at Manager Wang, who bowed and went off to fetch it. Qin Liuxi hadn’t brought her own medicine chest on this trip, but she did carry her silver needles with her. As for medicine pillows and inkstones, the Wang family had them on hand, and the servants were busy preparing a quaint medicine pillow on the table. “Old Prime Minister, please.” Prince Wang chuckled, “Everyone’s left now, so you can just call me Prince Wang, just as you do with Master Qinglan.” “Prince Wang,” Qin Liuxi stopped speaking and placed her fingers on his wrist. The pulse in both hands felt slippery and rapid; her expression unchanged, she then asked Prince Wang to open his mouth. She saw a thick white coat on his tongue with tooth marks, indicating spleen deficiency and phlegm-dampness. Qin Liuxi retracted her hand and asked with a smile, “Prince Wang enjoys his drink?” Prince Wang was taken aback, “How did you know?” He even lifted his arm to sniff at his clothing. It was still early, and he hadn’t drunk any alcohol; could there be a smell of alcohol? “There is none on the clothes, but I can smell it in the breath. You also drank yesterday, didn’t you? There is still a faint scent of alcohol lingering,” said Qin Liuxi. “If you drink alcohol all year round, more or less, it clings to you, just as the smell of tobacco does to those who smoke frequently. Moreover, when I entered, I happened to see a servant carrying wine, which they said was from your favorite tavern.” Qinglan Temple Master was surprised, he hadn’t noticed even this. “Is my illness related to this then?” By this time, Manager Wang had already handed over the prescription. Qin Liuxi took it, glanced through it, and said, “Your illness is indeed related to alcohol. You indulge in wine, so I believe you must have a small drink every day.” “This is indeed the case,” Prince Wang said, chuckling. “Since I returned to my old home for retirement, seeking Dao for health and also enjoying wine, I definitely have a small drink at lunch every day, and the same for dinner. As an elderly man, there aren’t many recreations, so I indulge in this.” “To maintain good health, sir, you cannot indulge in wine every day. A small drink is fine, but you must not over-consume,” Qin Liuxi remarked. “Alcohol generates dampness, which in turn aids the fire inside, which couples with the damp to produce phlegm. And when phlegm muddles the mind, that’s when you start seeing ghosts, right?” “This is also a saying?” Everyone was startled. Qin Liuxi smiled and continued, “Master Qinglan certainly must have told you that your house is calm and peaceful, devoid of demons causing mischief, and Prince Wang, being at a high position for many years, naturally carries an aura of integrity that no evil spirit dare approach easily. The so-called specter sightings are merely due to the phlegm clouding the mind, creating a hypnotic state.” In other words, you were drunk and experienced hallucinations! Prince Wang was silent for a while, then laughed heartily, “That makes sense. Temple master, what do you think?” Qinglan Temple Master looked at Qin Liuxi, “I hadn’t thought to factor in alcohol in this case. So, what do you think is the treatment?” “You’ve tried the phlegm-driving and wind-dispersing formula before and it was ineffective because the diagnosis wasn’t quite right. Plus, he hasn’t followed medical advice,” Qin Liuxi looked at Prince Wang with slight dissatisfaction. “To get better, you can’t be willful. Drinking medicine while sneaking sips of wine renders even the best medicines ineffective.” She picked out one prescription from the rest, which was prescribed by the Qinglan Temple Master. “The temple master didn’t say, how did you know this prescription was written by him?” Instead of being annoyed by Qin Liuxi’s accusation, Prince Wang was curious about how she could tell it was the Qinglan Temple Master’s handwriting. Qin Liuxi responded, “I have seen his ink treasures at his Daoist School, so I can recognize his handwriting.” Prince Wang stroked his beard, remarking, “Impressive eyesight.” “Now, please explain how you would modify this prescription,” the Qinglan Temple Master also chuckled. Without further ado, Qin Liuxi took pen and paper, and as she wrote, she explained, “Use ju hong bei mu, Ginseng, dried tuber-like stem of alismatis and ophiopogon japonicus... boil three bowls of water down to one.” She wrote very quickly, and in a short time, she had produced a prescription. She first showed it to the Qinglan Temple Master, then turned to Prince Wang and said, “Following this prescription, you’ll need to take two doses to dispel the hypnotic state. I can also assist you with an acupuncture treatment, to guide the dampness and soothe the fire, expel the wind, and transform phlegm. After that, two more doses of this prescription should restore you to your former self.” She then shifted her tone: “However, during the course of taking the herbal decoction, you must abstain from alcohol. Even a small drink is not allowed. Can you do that?” This assertive attitude made Manager Wang and the servants next to Prince Wang suck in a cold breath and glance apprehensively at their Old Master. Even his most beloved grandson would not dare to be so boldly inappropriate in front of him, and yet this young Daoist was so audacious?

Chapter 250: 249 Xiao Dao is so arrogant

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