Chapter 392 Just Kidding

Gu Qianhan's indifferent voice rang out from above: "Are you thinking about how to repay my favor?"

Shen Wantang raised her head, looked directly into his eyes, and answered honestly, "Yes, six hundred taels is not a small amount, and I feel ashamed to accept it."

"I need some money lately, how about you lend me some?"

"How much does the Second Young Master want?"

"That's a bit much."

How much is "a little too much"?

"Five million taels!"

"What?!"

Shen Wantang's pupils dilated in shock: "Why do you want so much?"

The Ye Chongli embezzlement case shocked the court and the public before the New Year. He was a county magistrate who embezzled for six consecutive years, taking all the money the court used to control floods and repair dikes. He also accepted countless bribes, but it was only one million taels of silver!

Gu Qianhan, however, asked for five million taels of silver!

What does he want to do? Can't he ask for a receipt?

No, that's not right. Even the issuing bank wouldn't need that much silver. Five million taels of silver—the national treasury might not be able to come up with it all at once.

In a flash, Shen Wantang suddenly realized a possibility!

Gu Qianhan wanted money because he wanted to recruit soldiers and manufacture a large quantity of weapons and gunpowder!

To save his family, he decided to rebel!

And treason was precisely the crime that the emperor and crown prince of the previous life framed for the Gu family!

Shen Wantang stared blankly at Gu Qianhan, her mind racing with thoughts, but she couldn't utter a single question.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his sharply defined face. His features were undeniably handsome, yet his handsome face lacked that familiar coldness and signature indifference. Instead, there was only a faint smile and an air of nonchalant nonchalance.

Now he is imposing and seems as spirited as ever, as if unaware of the Gu family's fate of being massacred. This is a stark contrast to his previous life when he was tortured beyond recognition in prison.

At this moment, Shen Wantang sincerely did not want him to suffer the torment of his previous life again. She hoped that he could live on, and live with the same spirit he had now.

After a long while, Shen Wantang finally found her voice: "Second Young Master is joking. I don't have that much silver. Besides, your Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill only costs six hundred taels of silver. It's a bit unreasonable for me to lend you five million taels, isn't it?"

She sympathized with him, but she remained rational and clear-headed. Even if she could come up with five million taels, she wouldn't just give it to him like that!

Otherwise, if he rebels and fails in the future, not only will all her money be wasted, but she might also be implicated and die because she lent him money!

Gu Qianhan smiled: "I know you don't have that much money. How about you lend me 500,000 taels?"

"Not even 500,000 taels."

"Fifty thousand taels? Surely that should be enough?"

Shen Wantang looked at him suspiciously: "Isn't the reduction in this amount a bit too drastic? Second Young Master, are you testing me?"

"This is not a test."

What is that?

"Just kidding."

After Gu Qianhan finished speaking, she turned and walked outside: "I'm leaving. I said the medicine was a gift for you, so it is a gift for you. You don't owe me any favors, only I owe you one."

Shen Wantang held the porcelain bottle and watched him leave.

Qin Xin exclaimed with delight, "Your Highness, this is wonderful! We don't need to buy medicine anymore; we've got a bottle for free! Second Young Master Gu is such a kind person! He's nothing like the rumors say—cold on the outside but warm on the inside! Oh, no, he's not cold at all; he even smiled when he spoke to you!"

Du Juan looked puzzled: "Princess Consort, Second Young Master Gu said he owes you a favor? When did this happen? Have you helped him with anything recently?"

Shen Wantang shook her head: "I haven't helped recently."

He helped her in his previous life.

But he still remembers it now; he's already given her a thousand taels of gold, and now he's sending her an incredibly expensive ointment.

Shen Wantang lowered her head and smelled the ointment, then handed it to Du Juan: "Open it, take out a few portions, and soak them in water, burn them, and soak them in oil respectively."

Du Juan knew this was the important matter. She responded and asked the waiter for water, fire, and oil. Following Shen Wantang's instructions, she began testing the medicine.

As she was getting the medicine, Shen Wantang reminded her, "Be careful not to get it on your skin. The medicinal properties are still unknown. If it's toxic, it could harm your health."

Qin Xin also said, "That's right. No one in Aunt Chu's family knows medicine. If you say she can make medicine, I'm the first to not believe it. Who knows what kind of weird stuff she added to the medicine? Dujuan, you'd better be careful."

Du Juan was indeed very careful: "I also think there's something wrong with Aunt Chu's scar-removing medicine. Our Crown Princess's scar-removing medicine is already very powerful, but it doesn't have the miraculous effects they're talking about. If a cream has so many miraculous effects, it wouldn't exist in our mortal world; it would be a celestial medicine!"

After several ointments were tested according to Shen Wantang's requirements, Shen Wantang frowned: "This ointment does contain several precious medicinal herbs that can remove scars and smooth the skin, but it also contains lead oxide and ghost bone powder, which are harmful to the body, but can quickly whiten the skin."

Qin Xin said indignantly, "Aunt Chu really has no ability. She just likes to show off and to cheat and harm people!"

Du Juan pointed to the dishes and asked, "Princess Consort, why are there blue particles in all three dishes? They seem to be unable to dissolve in water, burn out by fire, or be ruined by oil. What are they?"

Shen Wantang was also looking at the blue particles in the dish. She said softly, "This thing is called Blue Gold, and it comes from India."

"As its name suggests, it is like blue gold, unafraid of water or fire. It is only afraid of one thing: vinegar."

"It is much harder than gold. When you grind it into fine particles and apply it to your face, it will give you an incredibly warm and comfortable feeling. It helps with the healing of scars and can also relieve pain."

Qin Xin's eyes widened: "There's such a thing? How come I've never heard of such a wonderful thing before?"

Shen Wantang smiled faintly: "Because this thing is a prohibited drug in Dafeng."

"Illegal drugs?"

"Yes, it has the same properties as poppies, it can be addictive, and in fact, blue gold is even more addictive."

Du Juan was shocked: "Then Shendantang dares to sell this scar removal cream? Aren't they afraid of being shut down?"

“Using small quantities is fine; haven’t you seen how strictly Shen Dan Tang controls the number sold? Besides—”

Shen Wantang paused slightly, her tone tinged with sarcasm: "The fact that Shendantang has become the number one pharmacy in the capital is due to a backer far stronger than you can imagine. It won't be so easily shut down."

In his previous life, Shendantang made a fortune by selling various so-called miracle drugs, causing the deaths of many people.

However, it remained standing until Shen Wantang died, and its business even flourished.

Shen Wantang had secretly investigated several murder cases, and the Divine Pill Hall was behind them all. Unfortunately, its backing was too strong, and she didn't dare to touch it, otherwise, she would be the one who died.