Chapter 1131: Reunion with an Old Friend [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Gu De's eyes flickered slightly: "Zikuan, but you..."

Xiahou Yu closed his eyes.

The two had known each other for many years, and Gu De was all too familiar with his various little tricks—his closed eyes meant he didn't want Gu De to try to persuade him anymore. Don't be fooled by Xiahou Yu's usual amiable and easy-going demeanor; when he gets stubborn, not even eight oxen can pull him back.

Gu De sighed, "Actually, I've gotten used to it."

Even if Wenxin can be unsealed, it won't make much difference.

The day Quqing Academy was reduced to ashes in a fire, his literary spirit lost its meaning. Even if he tried every means to unravel it, what difference would it make? His state of mind was no longer what it once was; his path had already led to a dead end.

Xiahou Yu asked, "Are you really used to it?"

Gu De remained silent.

Xiahou Yu said to himself, "But I'm not used to it."

His past elegance and purity were merely a result of his privileged family background, allowing him to avoid the cutthroat competition of others. He could achieve wealth unimaginable to most without ever navigating the world of fame and fortune. Because of his noble birth, he could choose a simple, contented lifestyle, teaching at an academy and attracting renowned scholars and gentlemen. No one would question his ability to impart knowledge simply because of his age. If he ever grew weary of such pursuits, he could simply relinquish his status as a noble young master.

He believed that he had upheld morality through his abilities.

Until the oppression of the Qu Kingdom, until he was imprisoned in the dungeon, until the country was destroyed and his family perished, until the great fire that engulfed the Quqing Academy...

"...Becoming an ordinary person, unable to even protect the wet nurse who treated me like her own child, struggling to make a living, and barely able to save my life...I find that I have never reached the state of mind where a simple meal and a drink are enough..." Xiahou Yu said these words with some difficulty and embarrassment. He had seen Gu De's admiration and respect for him over the years. These words undoubtedly tore away the beautiful facade completely, exposing the rotten flesh and bones that had been festering and infested with maggots beneath the skin to the light of day.

Falling from the clouds and into the mire, he realized how luxurious and rare it was to "work at sunrise and rest at sunset," and how many people had borne the burden for him behind his carefree life of seclusion. For ordinary people, even surviving a single day requires countless efforts.

Gu De did not show any disdain or surprise, but rather felt sorry for him.

Zikuan has been very heartbroken these past two years.

"...In chaotic times, how many ordinary people have their own lives in their own hands? How many are under their own control?" Xiahou Yu thought a lot that day, especially after learning that Gu De was still alive, his thoughts were particularly strong. "You Rong, I want to rebuild Quqing Academy."

Rebuild Quqing Academy?

These six words were like a tinderbox, igniting a light in Gu De's eyes.

"Rebuild Quqing Academy?"

"Yes, Quqing Academy was burned down, but we are still alive and can rebuild it. As long as we are here, Quqing Academy has never disappeared." Xiahou Yu dreamed of returning to the past, burning incense, playing the zither, and brewing tea around the stove, a peaceful and idyllic life.

Xiahou Yu's proposal was fatally attractive to Gu De.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted.

but--

"...The Imperial Seal is no ordinary object..."

That clever monkey from the north—no, that female ruler from the north—might not be the owner of the Imperial Seal. Zikuan's earlier speculation was too subjective and bold; the probability of him being right was almost the same as Zhai Xiaofang finding the contraceptive formula. Xiahou Yu has a solution to this problem.

"It's simple."

It wouldn't be too difficult to verify whether Shen Tang possessed the Imperial Seal.

Shen Tang never expected that in the short time she went out, another life would be tied to her. She went to the pharmacy as agreed yesterday, where a man dressed in ordinary clothes had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Shen Tang, he mistook her for a beggar who had come to the pharmacy, and gave the pharmacy owner a displeased look.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up when he saw Shen Tang, and he smiled obsequiously at the man: "My esteemed guest, this is the person we were talking about yesterday."

The man immediately stood up, feeling both angry and embarrassed.

He scolded, "You dishonest old man, don't you even know how old this child is? What could she possibly know?"

The Lord requested a secret contraceptive formula.

How old is this child?

There's still a long way to go before my first period.

The shopkeeper narrowly dodged the teacup thrown by the man and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Honorable sir, how could I, a humble commoner, dare to deceive you?"

As he spoke, he frantically gave Shen Tang meaningful glances.

Shen Tang was still hoping to accumulate more start-up capital, so naturally she wouldn't let this easy target slip away. Without batting an eye, she began fabricating a story. She gave herself the false identity of the granddaughter of a renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and to increase credibility, she even fabricated a story that her family had been practicing medicine for generations and possessed a wealthy medical background. Not only that, but her entire family specialized in andrology!

It's a cure for all kinds of stubborn male ailments! She's too young to have learned the basics herself, but she's memorized some secret formulas. Contraception is a piece of cake!

The man asked skeptically, "A physician?"

Because the threshold for becoming a healer is extremely high, very few have passed the examinations of the Medical Temple over the years, resulting in a pitifully small number of practitioners. Most are absorbed by the Kang Kingdom in the northwest. With few people, low profile, and weak presence, many countries are unaware of their existence, let alone the common people. And this child not only knows them, but she's also the granddaughter of a healer?

Shen Tang nodded: "Mm."

The man asked, "Where are your elders?"

Instead of looking for Shen Tang, it's better to look for her elders.

Shen Tang said sadly, "Waaah, medical disputes are deadly."

There were faint glimmers of tears in her eyes.

The man asked in disbelief, "Dead?"

"...They said that Grandpa was an evil spirit and a sorcerer..."

Just as Chu Yao had feared, in some regions, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners were indeed besieged. Firstly, powerful figures wanted to possess them for themselves, and if they couldn't have them, they wouldn't let others have them either. Secondly, the practitioners' training methods were rigorous, and if someone went astray, it would affect the entire group; the common people's fear of them outweighed their gratitude. In some places, such individuals who possessed strange methods of healing and killing could indeed bring about their own demise.

The man felt his heart bleed upon hearing this.

That's a renowned physician!

A single physician could potentially save countless soldiers who died after the war! But once the person is dead, there's no use in getting angry. The man deliberately tested Shen Tang on the names and effects of certain medicinal herbs, and Shen Tang answered fluently, so he believed him to be 80-90% of the time.

I'll trust you this once.

The man led Shen Tang away, giving her various instructions along the way to prevent her from being impolite and offending important people she shouldn't. He didn't care if she died, as long as it didn't jeopardize his future.

"Oh, I've got it."

Before officially meeting Sha Dachun, Shen Tang was forced to take a bath. Her stench was overwhelming, like she'd escaped from some pigsty. The man handed Shen Tang over to a servant and brought her a set of clothes that were a bit loose but still relatively clean.

The man looked at Shen Tang, whose skin was now fairer, but he was still not satisfied.

This child was born too thin and too ugly.

"Go, shave her head too."

Why are you still keeping those few sparse hairs?

It would be better to shave it all off; it would look better that way.

Unexpectedly, Shen Tang covered her hair, determined to protect Miao Miao, her only remaining hair, as taking her hair was tantamount to taking her life!

Seeing this, the man could only wave his hand and say, "Never mind."

Time is precious; any further delay will make it too late.

As the ruler of a country, His Majesty has a schedule for each of the twelve hours of the day, while Shen Tang is merely a commoner. Naturally, His Majesty wouldn't make a special effort to meet him. The man could only arrange for the two of them to meet whenever His Majesty had free time.

Shen Tang followed the man to a training ground.

The air was filled with the occasional hum of bowstrings and the sound of arrows piercing the sky, followed by the crackling sound of targets being violently blasted through.

Shen Tang's expression grew increasingly strange.

"My lord, the man has been brought."

The man bowed to the man in tight-fitting clothes on the training ground.

The man in the tight-fitting clothes was watching a girl in a red robe shoot an arrow. Hearing the sound, he turned around and saw that it was one of his trusted men. He instantly realized that the task he had assigned her had been put into action. He put away his bow and arrows and instructed the girl in the red robe to concentrate on her practice: "I have other important matters to attend to. Shoot three hundred arrows first, and I will check your studies later..."

"Yes, Father."

The girl in the red robe did not see Shen Tang.

The man in the tight-fitting clothes saw it, and Shen Tang was also looking at him.

At this moment, Shen Tang felt like a thousand alpacas were stampeding through her mind, and her pupils were trembling slightly—who could tell her that the silly Da Chun she had been complaining about and being curious about all along was actually Zhai Xiaofang?! She looked decent enough, but she couldn't do it?

Zhai Le immediately recognized her as the girl riding a pig on the mountain road, who was also one of the fugitives who had come into contact with his daughter.

Interesting, I've fallen into his trap.

Zhai Le went to the other side of the training ground, where a sizable space had been cordoned off with cloth. The interior was simply and practically furnished, even exuding a somewhat grim atmosphere. An ordinary person would be terrified at the sight of a rack of knives, but the girl before him was not. Zhai Le calmly observed Chen Tang and asked, "So, you're the one who wants to present the secret formula? Is this formula useful?"

Shen Tang nodded: "It's useful."

This formula has been tested in clinical trials for many years and is reliable.

According to data submitted by medical offices throughout Kangguo, the infant mortality rate has declined significantly, gynecological cases among women have decreased year by year, and the overall population is showing a promising upward trend. This demonstrates that the policies implemented by Shen Tang under pressure back then were indeed remarkably effective. Women were able to catch their breath after frequent childbirths, recover from the exhaustion of pregnancy, and have more energy to care for other children and manage their families' livelihoods. Although it was still far from Shen Tang's expectations, at least this step was taken, which can be considered a good start for the future.

Of course, Zhai Le is no ordinary person.

He doesn't need the benefits of national fortune; he can be self-reliant.

Unlike the young Zhai Le she remembered, the Zhai Xiaofang in front of her showed no smile at all. Even her once amorous peach blossom eyes seemed cold and indifferent, her pupils revealing a slight chill: "Oh, tell me what your plan is. If it works, there will be a generous reward!"

Shen Tang couldn't help but complain. His friend was indeed wealthy; when would he be able to confidently utter the words "generous reward" like him?

"This method is quite simple."

Shen Tang recalled that night in the deep mountains outside Xiaocheng City years ago.

Why aren't the mosquitoes biting you?

[Ding, why isn't it ringing?]

Back in the day, Zhai Xiaofang was a magnet for mosquitoes, and every summer he was tormented by them. But ever since he learned to project his martial energy, he's mastered the art of condensing it into a thin layer that clings tightly to his skin. How could a mosquito's tiny proboscis possibly penetrate that defense and bite him?

From then on, it was warm in winter and cool in summer, impervious to heat and cold.

Shen Tang concealed her smile deep in her eyes and said seriously, "Judging from your abundant blood and energy, and your strong and vigorous body, your breath is in harmony with heaven and earth. You must be a highly skilled martial artist. If you want to prevent a woman from getting pregnant, you only need to condense your qi into a protective aura during intercourse to intercept your kidney essence. As long as your kidney essence does not come into contact with the woman, she will not be able to conceive."

We don't even need to buy diaper bags for babies; we produce and sell them ourselves.

Zhai Le fell into a silence.

He was seriously considering the feasibility of this behavior. He was even more curious about what the first person who used martial arts protective techniques for marital relations was thinking; it was truly mind-boggling. Zhai Le voiced his doubts, and Shen Tang replied, "I heard it was inspired by a friend."

"A friend...inspired me?"

Forgive him for imagining such unpleasant scenarios.

Shen Tang continued in a serious tone: "It is said that he was inspired by seeing a friend use martial arts to avoid mosquito bites. This is common in the Northwest region, and that's where my grandfather learned it."

Zhai Le's expression shifted subtly for a moment.

I couldn't help but blame myself for having dirty thoughts.

"You mean it's very common in the Northwest?"

"Yes, every word is true."

Zhai Le's brows furrowed at times, then relaxed, then furrowed with worry: "This method is not appropriate. If scholars or warriors use this method to harm the innocent, wouldn't we have no evidence at all?"

Now it was Shen Tang's turn to look at Zhai Le in a different light.

After many years apart, Zhai Le had surprisingly become clever, immediately realizing the drawbacks of this move—it was tantamount to opening the door for criminals. However, there was no need to worry about that. Shen Tang said, "I've heard that the government offices in the Northwest are most adept at getting people to talk."

Word magic is a good thing.

The endless stream of bizarre cases spurred the Ministry of Justice to intensify its efforts in developing the art of torture and interrogation; there was nothing others couldn't imagine that they dared not think of. Not only did the common people tremble at the mention of the Ministry of Justice, but even civil and military officials were terrified of its people, fearing they would fall into their hands.

Zhai Le: "...That's good."

He wasn't an unreasonable person; the method this man offered was indeed effective, far better than the methods he had previously gathered—eating cinnabar, lead, safflower, using pig stomach, sheep stomach, fish maw…—so a reward was naturally in order. However, Zhai Le didn't overlook other things.

"Besides the reward, is there anything else you want? I have some influence among the powerful figures in the court. If you or your family have any grievances, I can help you," Zhai Le probed.

The girl in front of me is a fugitive.

The young man next to the girl was also a fugitive.

Shen Tang thought for a moment: "Can we bring it up?"

Zhai Le nodded: "Okay."

"I am not greedy, but it would be even better if the reward could be doubled."

Zhai Le: "...Just a reward?"

Shen Tang affirmed, "Yes."

Zhai Le agreed without hesitation, being exceptionally easy to talk to, much like the simple-minded Da Chun. Shen Tang followed the others down to collect their reward, and Zhai Le watched her disappear around the corner of the tent: "Investigate."

"My lord, is there something wrong with her?"

Did she bow to me after she came in?

Prior to this, Zhai Le had sent people to investigate Shen Tang and his companion, and the findings were quickly placed on his desk. Detailed information about Shen Tang's disguise was included, though this section was brief; the rest concerned Gu De: "Qu Qing Academy?"

"Gu Yourong?"

"I remember there was also someone named Xiahou Zikuan, right?"

|ω`)