Miss Truth

On a piece of paper, a few sparse words summed up all of Su Fu’s past twenty-some years.

Su Fu, styled Ziqi, the second legitimate son of Medicine King’s Su Family, left home to study abroad at the age of fifteen, and returned to Suzhou at nineteen. He lived alone in the West Mountain, made a living by selling medicine, and seldom treated patients. He was reclusive and estranged from his kin.

Li Shimin put down the letter, frowning as he said, "Is that all?"

Ma Zhou, with due respect, replied, "Your Majesty, due to his rare public appearances, it is very difficult to gather more information about him personally. Regarding the other matters... there is something Prince Wei said that was not correct. Medicine King never intended to pass the position of family head to Su Fu; it was always designated to be the legitimate eldest son of the Su Family, who is the current head of the family. His mother was one of the Persian beauties sent to Su Chengbai by Empress Yang back then."

Li Shimin had several imperial consorts surnamed Yang, and Empress Yang, referred to by Ma Zhou, was indeed the birth mother of Li Ke.

"I recall Su Chengbai was the Chief Imperial Doctor during the third year of the Wude era?" Li Shimin tossed the letter onto the table, pondered briefly, then said, "Appoint Su Ziqi as an Imperial Physician, responsible only for Princess Jinyang’s diagnosis."

Despite the many uncertainties, diagnosing Princess Jinyang did not involve many risks. This person was introduced by Li Tai, and he was under his supervision within the palace; if Su Fu could truly stir up any trouble, Li Shimin pondered he might have to reconsider how he viewed Su Fu.

"What about Lady Endiang..." Ma Zhou hesitantly asked.

"It’s of no great concern; let her consult with Su, the Imperial Physician." Li Shimin flexed his fingers, then picked up his pen again to review the petitions.

Ma Zhou hesitated for a moment but then said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice has recently taken on a case concerning Lady Endiang."