Forensic Imperial Concubine

"Your Highness, does a Longevity Pill actually exist?" asked the guard. He had begun to doubt whether the legends were true.
Many people had been shut outside, but there were also many people who were granted entrance and then got what they came
for. This fact suggested that the physician was actually not a mean man, and that the only reason why he refused to give them
the Longevity Pill was that it did not exist anywhere in the world.
"Felix said there is such a pill; therefore, the physician must have it. Moreover, I'm sure you have smelled this remarkable scent
over the past few days," Walden said, taking a deep breath. A faint medicinal fragrance floated out of the old physician's
mansion.
"That's the herbal fragrance," the guard exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, it is, and it smells thicker than before," Walden said in excitement. "The Longevity Pill will be ready soon!"
"Can the Longevity Pill really prolong one's life as the rumor says?" the guard asked again with curiosity, as if he found it hard to
believe.
"Have you ever heard of the Reviving Pill?" Walden countered.
"Yes, I've heard of it. It's a secret pill and His Majesty has it," the guard replied unhesitatingly.
"The Reviving Pill was created by this physician's old master. I'm sure you have witnessed its effect. When Aunt Harper was
dying, she took the Reviving Pill and she recovered. Rumor has it that this physician has created a kind of pill which is even
better than the Reviving Pill, and that pill is none other than the Longevity Pill," Walden replied confidently. "The question is, how
can we get the Longevity Pill?"
"That physician is short-tempered. The last time we saw him, he didn't even spare us a polite glance. Should we visit him
courteously again?" the guard asked again.
"Of course we should. I'm not one to give up so quickly. Let's pay him a few more visits," Walden said, scoffing at the idea of
despairing so soon. "He will give me the Longevity Pill without a doubt."
The crowd waiting outside the physician's house suddenly smelled a strong medicinal aroma from inside, and they heard a
happy voice inside the house. Upon hearing that, Walden threw aside the empty wine bottle and said, "He just made it!"
"Your Highness!"

"Let's go and request the pill!" Walden said with a smile. "You two follow me in, and the rest of you wait outside for my signal."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Walden knocked on the door again, and the physician's apprentice opened the door. Upon seeing him, he frowned and said,
"What? It's you again! My master said he doesn't have what you want. Please leave."
One of the guards immediately pressed his foot against the door and said, "Please go to tell your master that we are here for the
pill, and we are willing to offer as much gold as he wants."
The young man wanted to close the door, but he was prevented by the strong guard exerting all his strength to push the door the
other way. The guard succeeded in pushing the door open quickly enough. The young man was so angry and anxious that his
eyes almost turned red. He had never seen such rude guests before.
"Go and tell your master what he just said," Walden said in a slow and mild voice, looking at the young man who was on the
verge of tears.
The young man could do nothing other than stamp his feet. He could see that he was powerless to stop them, so he led them to
the main hall and said, "Please wait in the main hall here, and I will go to inform my master."
Walden nodded gently. After the young man left, he walked in the direction of the smell. There was no doubt now that the
Longevity Pill had been refined successfully. If the physician refused him again, he would not be so polite and would take the pill
by force.
The physician was overjoyed to have successfully made the Longevity Pills. As he filled the box with the pills one by one, his
young apprentice rushed in and said, "Master, that man is here again. He is in the main hall now..."
But before he could finish his words, Walden's voice came. "Physician Scott, it seems that your Longevity Pills have been
created successfully." Walden strode in and fixed his eyes on the box in Scott Wei's hand. The box was filled to the brim with
pills. Walden had the object of their journey within his sight.
Scott Wei frowned and instinctively covered the box and hid it behind his body. "Mister, I've already told you that I don't have the
Longevity Pills. Please go back now."
"Physician Scott, I'd like to offer you ten thousand taels of gold for those pills there," Walden said with a large grin. "Look, why
don't you just hand over the box you are holding now? What do you think?"

"No, I can't give it to you!" Scott Wei refused indignantly. He had put all his heart and soul into the making of these pills, so he
would not surrender to them so easily.
"You can stipulate any terms that are in my power to fulfill. All I need is the box in your hand now. I'm a man of word," Walden
offered once more. He was absolutely determined to accomplish his mission.
"No matter what you offer me, my decision is fixed. I need these pills to deal with other things!" Scott Wei said with absolute
certainty. "There is no room for negotiation. Please go back."
"Physician Scott, I suggest you reconsider that decision," Walden said in an icy tone. The Longevity Pills were right in front of
him, and it was out of the question to return empty-handed. If Scott Wei didn't hand them over, Walden would be determined to
snatch the pills by force.
"I've no need to reconsider. I've said that I won't change my mind. I will neither give away, exchange, nor sell the pills to anyone!"
Scott Wei stated decisively, with an unmistakable firmness on his face.
"Well, since you are so unmovable, I can't persist anymore. Goodbye," Walden said as he turned away all of a sudden and
walked out. Even his attendants found his behavior was inconceivable. Since when did he become such an agreeable person? It
was just too shocking to be true, that he would turn away compliantly after the physician's refusal.
But they didn't dare to speak up. After Walden said he would leave, they followed him out the door promptly. Scott Wei was
worried that Walden might come back again, so he sent his disciple to watch them in secret. When he confirmed that they had
gone indeed, he breathed a sigh of relief.