Chapter Sixty-One: It Turns Out to Be Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

A broad forehead, a straight nose, and fair skin—perhaps it was the torment of illness that had left his under-eyes swollen, with crow’s feet at the corners, though not deeply etched. His entire face was smooth, and his beard was sparse, which explained why Emperor Yang of Sui had once called Li Yuan “old woman’s face.” Looking at him now, he indeed bore some resemblance to a refined old lady.

“Father, Father…!” Li Jiancheng hurried to Li Yuan’s bedside. Seeing his father’s condition, he called out in anxious, trembling tones.

“Eldest son…! Weren’t you in Hedong? What brings you back?” The sight of Li Jiancheng seemed to reinvigorate Li Yuan. Yun Hao had never before seen eyes so bright and spirited.

“Father, you are ill, and Second Brother has been hurt. I was worried for our family.”

Li Yuan opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, his eyes glancing with suspicion at Yun Hao. He did not know this child, and there were things that could not be uttered before strangers. Rebellion was a perilous undertaking; history is littered with the corpses of failed rebels, and few ever succeeded. The greatest reason for such failure was the inability to keep one’s own counsel. Li Yuan resolved to learn from history and be a cautious conspirator, beginning first with guarding his tongue.

Seeing Li Yuan’s gaze on Yun Hao, Chai Shao quickly interjected, “This is the boy who treated Second Brother’s wounds. His name is Yun Hao. Jiancheng and I discussed it, and we thought it best to let him take a look at you.” Although they had already spoken to Li Yuan about this the previous night, they still felt the need to put on a show in front of Yun Hao. In truth, the world of the wealthy was very much like the world of the stage: others performed for them, and they performed for others—such is the theater of life.

“Oh! Just a child?” Though Li Yuan had been prepared, he was still taken aback at the sight of Yun Hao. This rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed boy, possessing such strange abilities—could he be one of those legendary immortal youths?

“I am but a child, my lord, and have only just begun to study medicine. How could I dare attend to your illness? I will take my leave at once!” The moment Li Yuan showed the slightest skepticism, Yun Hao’s first thought was to escape. Treating someone of Li Yuan’s stature was far too dangerous—if the treatment failed, the doctor was sure to die before the patient did.

“Heh! You jest, child. There is no order to learning; he who understands is first. A physician’s task is to cure illness, be he young or old. If a doctor can restore a patient’s health, he is a good doctor, whatever his age.” As Li Yuan spoke, a maid stepped forward, but Li Jiancheng was quicker, supporting his father and helping him sit up. Chai Shao, attentive as always, slid a cushion behind Li Yuan with the practiced ease of someone well-accustomed to the task.

Heavens! The great ones really were pragmatists. Li Yuan’s words echoed the old adage: “Black cat or white cat, as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat”—a sentiment that would one day be immortalized by the future Emperor Taizong. The phrase seemed to ring like a sacred chant in Yun Hao’s ears.

There was no escape now. Steeling himself, Yun Hao walked to Li Yuan’s side, searching for a way to wriggle out of this predicament. No matter what, he was determined not to treat Li Yuan.

As Yun Hao approached, Li Yuan suddenly adopted the look of a man on the verge of death—his eyes rolled back, his body swayed as if he might collapse at any moment. Yun Hao recoiled in fright, secretly relieved—thank goodness he hadn’t touched him yet! If he had, would he not be implicated?

“Father, Father! Quickly, come see him…” Li Jiancheng panicked, clutching his father’s arm and shouting at Yun Hao.

The maids and Chai Shao remained relatively calm; Chai Shao simply supported Li Yuan in silence.

Yun Hao had no choice but to step forward and pretend to take Li Yuan’s pulse, feigning expertise while inwardly plotting his escape.

After about a minute, Li Yuan suddenly recovered. Yun Hao couldn’t help but murmur in surprise—what kind of illness was this?

He lifted Li Yuan’s eyelid to examine his eyes and asked, “My lord, when your attacks come, do you feel as if the world is spinning? Even with your eyes closed, are you still dizzy?”

“Exactly so—the sensation is enough to claim my life,” Li Yuan replied, nodding before being struck by another wave of vertigo. Yun Hao silently counted the seconds; sure enough, after about a minute Li Yuan recovered once more.

“My lord, please don’t move. Tell me, have you been troubled by ringing in your ears lately, or a loss of hearing?”

“Hm! Now that you mention it, there has indeed been a buzzing in my ears of late, and my hearing has grown dull. Boy, can you truly cure my illness?” Li Yuan’s spirits lifted at Yun Hao’s accurate diagnosis. None of the previous doctors had managed to describe his symptoms so precisely.

“Do your hands and feet sometimes feel numb?” The moment Yun Hao posed the question, Li Yuan seized his hand.

“Can you really cure me? Quickly, examine me thoroughly—I can’t bear this torment any longer!” Clearly, Li Yuan had suffered greatly, and even a will of iron could not withstand such misery.

“My lord, please bear with me a moment.” Though alarmed and having guessed the cause, Yun Hao dared not be certain. Li Yuan was no ordinary man, and caution was the watchword for survival. After all, few risk-takers live to a ripe old age.

Gently, Yun Hao turned Li Yuan’s head to one side. Li Yuan cried out suddenly, slipping once again into a dizzy spell. This happened several times, with Li Yuan fainting and reviving repeatedly. Li Jiancheng’s fists clenched in fury, and when Yun Hao once more triggered his father’s dizziness and vomiting, Li Jiancheng finally lost his temper. Grabbing Yun Hao by the collar, he roared, “You little wretch! Men, drag him out and bury him!” At his command, several burly men rushed in. Chai Shao made as if to intervene but hesitated and remained silent.

“Stop! Since when do you give orders in this house?” Li Yuan roused himself from his dizziness and barked a command. In an instant, the strongmen vanished.

“Were you just treating me? It seems that each time, the attacks grew lighter.”

“My lord, your illness is called ‘ear stone disease.’ When eating fish, you must have noticed the hard stone-like thing inside the fish’s head. Humans have such things too—they are responsible for balance. The stone in your ear has shifted, but as long as it’s returned to its place, you’ll be well again!” Yun Hao smiled as he spoke, inwardly relieved. Had it been any other ailment, he would have been powerless, but this was one he knew well. In his previous life, he had suffered from this very condition, and some foolish doctor had misdiagnosed it as hypertension. The IV drip was so slow it nearly drove him insane—hours for a single bag. He wasted thousands and suffered greatly, yet found no relief.

Fortunately, a family acquaintance who was an experienced physician finally explained the true cause.

“You mean you want to crack open my father’s skull?” Yun Hao had barely finished his optimistic explanation when Li Jiancheng shot him a furious glare.