After his hat was on, he still felt cold, so they spread two quilts over him. Qin Yu called for a fire, and a brazier of hot coals was brought in.
Then Qin Da called out that he was hot. They took out the fire, but he was still hot. Then they took off his clothing again. In short, he was hot and cold four or five times in all.
At this time it was not yet daybreak. Qin Da suddenly said that his head itched severely. “Quickly, someone, scratch it for me!”
Qin Yu came to him and began to scratch with his hand. To his surprise, the more he scratched, the larger Qin Da’s head became. In just a quarter of an hour it became as big as a basket used to measure a peck of grain. Qin Yu was terrified and did not dare to scratch any more. Everyone was standing around with eyes and mouth wide open. As soon as it grew light at dawn, Qin Yu said, “Quickly, send word to the east residence.”
When the news was brought to the east section of the estate, Prime Minister Qin was neither attending the morning audience at the palace, nor had he gone to ask for a leave of absence. He had been disturbed for more than half the night by hobgoblins, and he had not had an opportunity to question the monk. At daybreak he was trying to get some rest when a servant came in to report that the young master was sick. When the prime minister heard this, he was filled with paternal concern. Taking some people with him, he went at once to Qin Da’s pavilion in the flower garden.
Prime Minister Qin entered the room where Qin Da was lying on a brick platform bed. He was tossing and turning about with his head swollen to the size of a peck measure. The prime minister said in an exasperated tone, “You slaves are truly infuriating. With the young master as seriously ill as this, why did you not notify me at once?”
Qin Yu replied, “The honorable prime minister does not understand. Last night when the young master returned from the east residence, he was struck with a chill. When we brought him into the room, he said he was hot. When he was disrobed, he said he was cold. When he had his clothes back on, he was hot again. This happened several times. After that, he said his head itched. This slave scratched his head. The more I scratched, the bigger his head grew. This illness came on in a very strange way.”
Prime Minister Qin immediately instructed his people to invite a famous doctor to come to diagnose and treat Qin Da’s illness. The servants said that within the walls of Linan there were two such famous doctors. One was named Tang Wanfang. The other was Li Huaiqun. The household people quickly reached the home of the latter and asked him to accompany them.
When Li Huaiqun heard that the call was from the prime minister’s estate, he could hardly fail to go. Led by the household people, he quickly arrived at the prime minister’s gate. The prime minister felt as if his heart were on fire. He hastily asked the doctor in. As the prime minister did so, he noticed the doctor’s square cap, blue gown, and generally austere and remarkably dignified appearance and expression.
The doctor was taken at once to see Qin Da. Tea was served as the doctor felt the patient’s pulse. Li Huaiqun felt alarmed at seeing that the young man’s head was so big. There were, however, no other signs of a physical illness. After the doctor had observed Qin Da for some time, he could not discover any reason for the trouble with the patient’s head. Truly, Li Huaiqun had no medical remedy for Qin Da’s condition. He said, “My scanty learning is such that the prime minister should ask someone greater. I truly cannot cure your son.”
The prime minister asked, “How can I know what greater one to consult? Doctor Li, you must know some gentleman that you can recommend.”
Li Huaiqun thought to himself, “If I cannot cure him, Brother Tang Wanfang cannot cure him either, and what he cannot cure I cannot cure. Beyond the two of us who is there that I could recommend?” After thinking he said, “Honorable Prime Minister, I truly have no one whom I can recommend.”
As soon as Prime Minister Qin heard this, he was genuinely upset and said heatedly, “Since you cannot cure my son and there is no one whom you can recommend, you may forget about the possibility of leaving my estate today!”
Hearing this, Li Huaiqun was concerned only about the power that would soon crush him. Suddenly he thought, “Why do I not recommend Ji Gong?” As he thought this, he spoke: “If you wish to cure the young master, there is only one person I can name. That is the drunken Ji Dian, but his appearance is most untidy. I fear that the prime minister would take offense at him.”
“What would that matter, if only he can cure my child?” Prime Minister Qin countered.
“But he is a monk,” said Li Huaiqun.
“I do not care whether he is a monk,” Prime Minister Qin said, “if only he can make the sick well. Quickly, say his name again, please!”
“It is Ji Dian of the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat at the West Lake,” said Li Huaiqun.
When Prime Minister Qin heard this, he said, “Ah, so it is he. The mad monk is locked up in my east courtyard.”
The moment Li Huaiqun was told by the prime minister that he had locked up Ji Gong, Li Huaiqun suddenly understood the cause of Qin Da’s mysterious illness. “There was something strange about his head swelling up with no other symptoms. That was it!” he said to himself.
Prime Minister Qin immediately sent one of his household people to summon the mad monk. “If he can cure my son’s illness, I will pardon his crimes and let him go back to the monastery.”
The household people hurried to the east courtyards. When they arrived, all the monks stood up. A household person said to Ji Gong, “Monk, your luck has turned.”
Ji Gong said, “For a big cooking fire, one must waste a little firewood.”
The man then said, “Our prime minister has called you to cure the young master’s illness. If you can do it, he will release you to go back to the monastery.”
The monk said, “Your master had me locked up. If he sends an order for me to come, I will be there. If he asks me as a monk to cure illness, you must say that I said I am in disgrace.”
The household person said, “Good. I will take your message back to the prime minister.”
The men returned and, when they saw the prime minister, the household person reported: “Honorable Prime Minister, we have returned. I told the monk that the chief minister called upon him to cure illness. He replied that, if there is an order for him to come, he will be here. If, however, he is called upon to cure illness, he is in disgrace.”
The prime minister did not understand Ji Gong’s message and asked Li Huaiqun what the monk meant by “in disgrace.” Li Huaiqun half concealed a smile, saying, “This expression is really a kind of jest. If the prime minister wishes to have Ji Gong cure the illness, the prime minister might add the word ‘invite’ to the message.”
The prime minister, still concerned for his child, said, “Good. You people go and say that I invite him to come and cure this illness.”
The household people immediately thought, “The monk is really in luck,” and hurried to the east courtyard. Upon seeing the monk, they said, “Really, monk, you are putting on airs. Our prime minister told us to come and say that you are invited to cure illness.”
The monk said, “The position your prime minister holds is one conferred upon him by the three councils. Ordinarily, as monk I actually should not be exchanging visits with him. If he associates with Buddhist monks and Daoist priests and the imperial censors
