Chapter 30: Snatching Lives from the King of Hell—Who Says Zhang Yi Is a Harbinger of Misfortune?

Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao were just about to leave when they were stopped by the inspectors.

Hearing that the Chang family had approached the Pure Heart Temple, Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat surprised. Although he had kept Zhang Yi in the capital, he had done his best to minimize the child's presence, ensuring no one paid attention to him. The Chang family and Zhang Yi had absolutely no connection—why would they seek him out?

“That little fellow knows nothing of rites for the dead. Lady Lan’s women’s intuition...” The emperor had been monitoring Dragon Tiger Mountain for many years and was generally familiar with its affairs. That the Chang family sought out Zhang Yi to conduct rites for Chang Sen? What could Zhang Yi possibly know of cultivation? The boy had been isolated since childhood—while others recited scriptures, he played; while others studied, he played as well. If Zhang Yi truly knew the Zhang family’s arts, Zhu Yuanzhang himself would already be able to catch ghosts.

Zhu Biao laughed and replied, “Last time I went to offer incense for the Chang family’s younger brother, Lady Lan’s mental state was poor—she likely hasn’t emerged from her grief. And, as you know, since Father has imposed strict controls on monks and Daoists, everyone is unsettled. Even if the Chang family wanted to find a master for guidance, none would come. In truth, their turning to Zhang Yi is partly because of Father. By the way, Father, there’s something I don’t understand: you’ve publicly issued orders suppressing monks and Daoists—aren’t you afraid that Zhang Yi will see through our identities?”

“What’s there to fear? His father is there to take the blame for you and me...” Zhu Yuanzhang had already considered this. He recalled a memorial, one that Zhang Zhengchang had passed along through Jiangxi officials. When Zhu Biao heard this, he couldn’t help but laugh. Father’s maneuver was ruthless; not only would Zhang Zhengchang suffer, he’d have to shoulder the blame as well.

Yet, because of this, Dragon Tiger Mountain had a chance to catch its breath. Zhu Yuanzhang’s recent decree granted the mountain some special privileges—though they were as meager as scraps, it was better than nothing.

“Father, should we warn Lady Lan and Chang Mao not to go too far? If Zhang Yi meets that profligate Chang Mao, they’re sure to cause trouble!” Mentioning Chang Mao, Zhu Biao’s face instinctively betrayed a trace of disdain.

Thinking of the Chang family’s eldest son, Zhu Yuanzhang’s expression soured too. When Chang Mao drove his horse through the city last time, had he been any other noble’s son, Zhu would have already disciplined him—at the very least, issued a reprimand by imperial decree. But with Chang Yuchun involved, things were complicated. After all, Chang Yuchun was risking his life on the front lines for Ming, making it difficult to punish his family. Besides, the Chang family was related to the Crown Prince by marriage, and such action would reflect poorly on Zhu Biao. Not to mention Zhang Yi’s prophecy concerning Chang Yuchun’s fate, which left Zhu Yuanzhang feeling guilty toward him.

All these factors combined made Zhu Yuanzhang reluctant to act, which was why Chang Mao had remained unscathed all month. “Chang Yuchun married a fine wife...” Zhu Yuanzhang’s tone carried a hint of complaint, which Zhu Biao clearly heard. He felt a bit awkward, since the woman his father was grumbling about was his own future mother-in-law.

Speaking of Lady Lan, her beauty was exceptional. Uncle Chang married this lovely woman, cherishing her as if she might melt in his hands. Yet, his future mother-in-law’s temper was hardly commendable; while Uncle Chang was a fierce general outside, at home he was thoroughly subdued. Lady Lan’s character was stubborn and extreme, especially when it came to raising children—her efforts left much to be desired. Fortunately, the Chang family’s younger daughter received little attention from Lady Lan and thus had a character that stood out among her peers.

Thinking of the Chang family’s little sister, Zhu Biao’s mood brightened. With the reassurance Zhang Yi had given him, he looked forward to the future.

“I’ll have people keep an eye on Zhang Yi—he won’t get into any real trouble! For now, let’s focus on our real business!” Zhu Yuanzhang’s business was exactly what Zhu Biao hoped for.

Father and son, surrounded by guards, made their way to a secluded corner of the imperial palace. The area was heavily guarded, and upon entering, Zhu Yuanzhang saw Imperial Physician Li running toward him in excitement.

“Your Majesty, it worked! It worked!” Seeing Li’s excitement, both emperor and crown prince felt their hearts surge.

“According to Your Majesty’s instructions, after we obtained the prescription for smallpox, we selected two groups of condemned prisoners for comparison. One group, using Your Majesty’s method, was inoculated with the pox!”

“And the results?” Though he knew the answer, the emperor couldn’t help but ask.

Imperial Physician Li was jubilant as he replied, “Those who were inoculated initially showed mild symptoms of smallpox, but they recovered within a day and will never contract smallpox again! The other group, however...” Li didn’t finish, but Zhu Yuanzhang knew their fate.

Smallpox was a test sent by heaven to mortals; once infected, survival rested on destiny. About thirty or forty percent would die from the virus, and the survivors were scarred for life.

But Zhang Yi’s nasal inoculation method, along with the technique of variolation, allowed people to contract a mild form of the disease, granting permanent immunity. The key was, these people wouldn’t be left with scars.

Should this method be widely adopted, the emperor could already envision countless Ming subjects freed from the grip of disease.

Zhu Yuanzhang, born into poverty and chaos, lost both parents to starvation at fifteen or sixteen, forcing him to become a monk. In his wandering days, he saw countless people starve and many perish from epidemics.

“This prescription benefits generations!” The emperor’s face flushed with excitement. Who said Zhang Yi was a harbinger of calamity? He was clearly Ming’s lucky star!

Privately, the inoculation method might spare the emperor’s future grandchild from disaster; publicly, it could free the people of China from the torment of smallpox forever.

“Crown Prince, do you know what chance one has to survive smallpox?” Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked. Zhu Biao was stunned; he truly had no idea. “Only sixty or seventy percent!” Zhu Yuanzhang wasn’t expecting an answer—he was merely venting his exhilaration.

“On this land, every day, commoners die because of smallpox. Countless children never live to adulthood—do you know how many?”

Zhu Biao still couldn’t answer.

“Tens of thousands! These people should have been Ming’s citizens, enjoying the rare peace of the past decades. They should have...” Zhu Biao fell silent. Ming, after the chaos at the end of the Yuan dynasty, was desperately short of people. He hadn’t realized smallpox claimed so many lives each year.

If these people survived, they would be the foundation of Ming. Zhang Yi’s prescription truly benefited generations.

“So, if anyone calls that boy a bringer of disaster again, I’ll take issue with them! Those commoners—he snatched them from the jaws of the King of Hell for me...” The emperor’s words were deeply moving.

Imperial Physician Li wiped away tears. In his life, he’d lost a son to smallpox; even his grandson couldn’t escape its reach. The people of China had long grown accustomed to coexisting with smallpox, accepting that only those who had survived it truly counted as living.

Yet now, that era seemed on the verge of ending.

The true reason for Zhu Yuanzhang’s excitement, however, was not limited to this alone.