Chapter 222 Who needs a harem? One of her is enough.
Xiao Qidi said helplessly, "I really don't want you to serve me anymore, but it's not because I'm dissatisfied with you. I just feel that you're getting old and have been a eunuch your whole life. You don't need to live like this anymore. Don't you want to live a normal life?"
The old eunuch was stunned for a long time, a look of bewilderment appearing in his eyes. "For this old servant, serving His Majesty is just normal life."
Xiao Qidi's expression was complicated. "Don't you think there's anything wrong with castrating a perfectly normal person, turning them into an androgynous servant?"
"Ah...this..." The old eunuch's eyes trembled. "How dare this old servant think such a thing! This old servant only feels that being able to serve His Majesty is the greatest blessing!"
Xiao Qidi asked in a deep voice, "I order you to tell me the truth!"
The old eunuch had served three emperors in this palace, and before Xiao Qidi, no one had ever asked him such a question. He had no idea what the young emperor's intentions were.
However, upholding his loyalty to the emperor, how could he dare disobey the emperor's command?
He would accept being executed for telling the truth and angering the emperor.
"Your Majesty..." A sorrowful expression appeared on the old eunuch's face. "From ancient times to the present, it has always been the most normal thing to use castrated men as servants for the king, the king's harem, and even the royal family. This old servant... sometimes feels inferior and pained because he is no longer a normal man, but after so many years, he has gotten used to it."
Xiao Qidi pressed, "So, deep down you feel this approach is wrong, is that right?"
The old eunuch's shoulders trembled, and he lowered his head to reply, "Your Majesty... yes."
After answering, he closed his eyes tightly, awaiting death.
However, what Xiao Qidi responded with another question: "Just because it has always been this way, does that mean it's right?"
The old eunuch was stunned and didn't know how to answer.
Xiao Qidi continued, "Thousands of years ago, the people of the Central Plains were still eating raw meat and drinking blood. For them, this had been the case for tens of thousands of years before. Would their descendants continue to eat raw meat and drink blood like the people of that time? No, right? Then there was the slave system that lasted for nearly 1,600 years. Would their successors think that 'this has always been the case' and continue to maintain the slave system? No, right?"
"Does His Majesty mean..." the old eunuch asked cautiously, "...to abolish the eunuch system?"
Xiao Qidi said, "This system did not appear very early. It first appeared hundreds of years ago at the beginning of the end of slavery. Some male criminals who had been castrated were assigned to do menial work for princes and nobles. Later, when the feudal lords divided the world and established their own states, a set of rules gradually formed, which specifically recruited men to be castrated as servants. If I do not abolish it, this system will become more and more rampant in the next two thousand years, causing countless people to suffer and causing countless disasters in the future."
Thanks to Ning Jinli, he was able to read so many historical documents.
Only then could he truly realize how abnormal the existence of eunuchs was and how much of a problem they caused.
And he was able to nip this distorted system in the bud.
The old eunuch did not understand why this system would lead to the consequences the emperor had mentioned, and could only worry, "This old servant is dull and does not understand Your Majesty's profound thoughts. This old servant is only worried... if only palace maids serve Your Majesty in the future, I fear that women are too weak and powerless to take good care of you..."
Xiao Qidi laughed and said, "I have hands and feet, why do I need to take care of myself? Besides, now that the noble families of my Great Xuan no longer exist, this group no longer needs eunuchs and servants. Tell me, is it still necessary for the people of Great Xuan to be eunuchs?"
"This..." the old eunuch stammered, "Then... there's your harem. Now that you've been crowned and are ruling in your own right, you should consider continuing your lineage. If I may be so bold as to say that the Great Xuan royal family... now only you remain. If you successfully unify the world, you'll need to take in more women to help you have children, and at that time you'll need eunuchs to serve you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qidi's mind was filled with thoughts of Ning Jinli.
A harem? What do I need a harem for? She's enough.
He could no longer have room for any other woman in his heart; he didn't want to touch any other woman besides her.
"Don't mention royalty again," Xiao Qidi's tone turned serious. "I have already eradicated the system of royalty and nobility in the Great Xuan, and I myself am no longer a member of royalty! Since that's the case, why should I have any descendants?"
The old eunuch was quite frightened by these words and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! Even if... even if you never again consider yourself royalty, you are still a king! If you do not have many children, who will inherit your throne after your death? How can the Great Xuan Dynasty be guaranteed for thousands of years?!"
Xiao Qidi hesitated, then rubbed his forehead and said, "Forget it... Your mindset is too deeply ingrained to be changed, so I won't waste my breath. You can stay by my side, but you must do one thing for me."
The old eunuch was overjoyed and subconsciously wanted to kneel down to express his gratitude, but then he remembered that the emperor had repeatedly ordered him not to kneel, so he forced himself to suppress his habit, bowed and said, "This old servant will go through fire and water for Your Majesty without hesitation. Whatever Your Majesty asks of this old servant, this old servant will definitely do well."
Xiao Qidi nodded. “According to the palace’s custom, every spring, men are recruited to become eunuchs. You are the chief eunuch, and you have always been in charge of this matter. From now on, this custom will be abolished, and eunuchs will never be recruited again.”
"Ah?" the old eunuch exclaimed in surprise. "Your Majesty... this—"
"Didn't you just say you would definitely handle it well?" Xiao Qidi said quietly. "Don't worry, I will issue an order that anyone who interferes will be beheaded."
The old eunuch trembled. "Yes, this old servant... obeys the decree!"
"You may leave." Xiao Qidi waved his hand.
"Your Majesty, this old servant has something to report to you."
"Hmm? What is it?"
The old eunuch said cautiously, "This morning... another scroll of letters from the Shuncheng Palace was delivered, saying it was written to you by the Empress Dowager."
Xiao Qidi's face instantly darkened. "Didn't I tell you that I shouldn't ask me about the letters Jiang Peihuan wrote, but just burn them? Also, don't call her Empress Dowager in front of me!"
The old eunuch broke out in a cold sweat. "But this time, the messenger said that... Lady Jiang has been seriously ill recently, and I was also thinking that the weather is getting colder and colder... Perhaps Lady Jiang has something important to tell His Majesty."
Xiao Qidi sneered, "What important things could a convicted criminal have that's been imprisoned! You mean you're worried she'll die of illness and never see me again, right?"
The old eunuch was sweating profusely and dared not say anything more.
"Burn the letter for me, and don't let me see even a speck of ashes!" Xiao Qidi said gloomily as he got up and left.
Watching his resolute departure, the old eunuch could only sigh silently.
Just as Xiao Qidi reached the entrance of the main hall, he suddenly stopped, turned his head slightly and said, "Send a doctor to Shuncheng, and bring some clothes, bedding and charcoal."
The old eunuch was both surprised and delighted. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Xiao Qidi added, "Don't let anyone know that this was my arrangement, including that woman."
The old eunuch's emotions were in turmoil. "Yes... Your Majesty."
Xiao Qidi left the main hall alone, feeling a bit stuffy in his chest, so he went outside to enjoy the cold wind for a while.
Winter has arrived, but it has not yet snowed in the capital city of Da Xuan, though the north wind is already quite cold.
With each breath, it felt like ice needles were piercing my chest.
This actually made Xiao Qidi feel better. After regaining his composure, he went to the palace warehouse where the portal to another time was kept.
Although he couldn't change the connection path of the spacetime channel like Ning Jinli could, Ning Jinli had already adjusted the channel beforehand.
He changed his clothes, stepped across the fluorescent vortex, and arrived at the bottom of the Falling Eagle Gorge on Jade Peak.
In summer, Zhuiyingjian is often shrouded in thick fog, and the nights are especially damp and cold. However, in winter, it is warmer than other places, and the lush vegetation remains verdant.
"Busy person, you've finally arrived!"
A clear and pleasant sound rang out.
A tall and beautiful figure rushed over and threw herself into Xiao Qidi's arms.
Xiao Qidi hugged her tightly, lowered his head, buried his nose in Ning Jinli's hair, and took a deep breath of the familiar fragrance, which finally made him feel that his heart was not as agitated as before.
“You look very tired?” Ning Jinli looked up and noticed a trace of fatigue in his eyes.
Xiao Qidi smiled and said, "Yes, a little, but seeing you makes me feel less tired."
Ning Jinli raised her hand and touched his cheek. "You've lost weight again. Did you forget to eat on time without me watching over you? No matter how good your health is, you can't keep pushing yourself like this. Sigh, I wanted you to practice the Heavenly Profound Heart Sutra, but you didn't have time. I'll transfer some internal energy to you instead."
Xiao Qidi quickly said, "No need, no need, I'm not that weak."
Ning Jinli tilted her head and said, "Why don't you rest for a while and catch up on some sleep? I'll take you wherever you want to sleep, and you can come over after you've had your fill of sleep."
Xiao Qidi's eyes were full of tenderness, his smile helpless. "I promised you I would come and keep you company when I had time, how could I waste my time?"
"Alright, let me show you the research institute that has been built here."
Ning Jinli took his hand and walked upstream along the river until they entered a building that blended almost seamlessly with its surroundings.
This research institute was established to study the ecological environment of Falling Eagle Gorge and to collect snake venom.
Without damaging the original environment, we should make the most of the resources here.
Especially the purple-bellied golden-spotted snake.
This type of venomous snake, which was extinct in Ning Jinli's time, has a venom that has great medicinal value. Professor Zheng's friend was critically ill with a rare disease and was saved by a secret recipe from the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica that required this venom as an ingredient.
Now, Ning Jinli's pharmaceutical company is able to mass-produce effective drugs to treat that rare disease.
Although the cost is extremely high, and because it is a rare disease with only a few hundred people worldwide contracting it each year, Ning Jinli did not intend to sell it at an exorbitant price for profit. She provided it free of charge to any patient who needed the drug, considering it a form of charity funded out of her own pocket.
Led by Ning Jinli, Xiao Qidi observed the process of collecting venom from the purple-bellied golden-spotted snake.
“Look, those people who just came back are all disciples of the Tian Shu Sect selected by my mother,” Ning Jinli pointed to a group of people carrying special boxes. “They are responsible for finding and catching snakes. After the people in the research institute collect the venom, they will mark the snakes and put them back in their original places.”
At this moment, Ning Jinli saw the head of the research institute come out of the office.
"Director Hua!"
She pulled Xiao Qidi along and walked over, greeting the people.
The person in charge appeared to be in his sixties, with a serious demeanor. His expression was particularly solemn when he first came out, but he immediately showed a kind smile upon seeing Ning Jinli.
"Miss Ning, hello. And this is..."
The person in charge adjusted his reading glasses and looked at Xiao Qidi intently.
"Let me introduce you," Ning Jinli said to Xiao Qidi. "This is Professor Hua, a very capable medical expert specially appointed by our country's top leadership."
Then she introduced him to Professor Hua: "This is my boyfriend, Xiao Qidi."
Professor Hua blurted out instinctively, "Xiao Qidi? Could it be that he shares the same name as Emperor Xuanzu?"
Due to various factors, neither the government nor Ning Jinli has informed the experts who have come here about this place. Therefore, Professor Hua is currently unaware that he is in a parallel world of China more than two thousand years ago, and he also has no idea who Ning Jinli's boyfriend is.
Ning Jinli chuckled and said, "Hehe, indeed we share the same name."
Professor Hua looked at you with a strange expression and said, "You are tall and imposing with an extraordinary air. Although I don't know what Emperor Xuanzu looked like, when I saw you, I had a strange feeling that perhaps that great emperor of all time looked like you when he was young."
Xiao Qidi smiled and replied, "You flatter me."
"By the way, Professor Hua," Ning Jinli asked, "how's the venom collection from the purple-bellied golden-spotted snake been going lately?"
Professor Hua sighed, "Alas... Right now we can stably produce about 100 kilograms a day. If we produce any more, it will affect the snakes' survival. But 100 kilograms a day is still far from enough."
Hearing him say that, Ning Jinli's expression also became serious.
Xiao Qidi couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Jinli, I remember you told me that only a small amount of snake venom is needed to make that kind of special medicine, and there aren't many patients in the world who need it. If that's the case, why isn't producing 100 kilograms of snake venom a day enough?"
Ning Jinli explained, "Because the venom of the purple-bellied golden-spotted snake can not only be used to make that kind of special medicine, but also to make another kind of medicine to treat blood diseases. And this kind of blood disease is a relatively common but difficult to treat disease, especially since people of Asian descent are more likely to suffer from it. In several countries where people of Asian descent are the main population, the number of patients each year is as high as several million."
Xiao Qidi then asked, "Before you discovered this snake, wouldn't so many patients have been left without a cure?"
“No, that’s not it,” Professor Hua adjusted his glasses. “Before this, a certain European country had already developed a drug that could effectively control the symptoms of this blood disease. Although it couldn’t cure it, as long as the treatment was followed according to the prescribed course, the patient would never develop the disease again. Our country also tried to develop one, however…”
At this point, Professor Hua's expression darkened further. He paused, then continued:
"However, despite our efforts to develop various methods, including formulas that don't infringe on the other party's patents, the most crucial and unavoidable core natural ingredient can only be produced in Europe. It's simply not available elsewhere, forcing us to import it from that country at exorbitant prices every year. For the sake of our people's health, we have no choice but to accept this. But what's infuriating is that... recently, they've started using this stuff to threaten us..."
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