After unraveling Zhuang Tianer's psychological hint, Zhuang Li found several history books and local chronicles and flipped through them at a very fast speed.
This was a dynasty he was completely unfamiliar with, and many of the characters described in history books had never appeared in the world before. The emperor who had ruled this country had recently died, and the succeeding emperor was only three years old. He had not yet taken charge of the government and still needed the assistance of ministers and the empress dowager.
The village where Zhuang Li lives is called Luoxia Village, which belongs to Bazhou, an important city in the capital and the territory of the King of Qi.
The Prince of Qi was one of the regents, commanding an army of 800,000 men and responsible for the security of the entire northern border, which naturally included the capital. If it weren't for his protection of this border, the three-year-old emperor would have been devoured alive by his ferocious brothers.
Therefore, this country called "Jin" seemed to belong to the young emperor, but the real ruler was the King of Qi.
The King of Qi was strict in his military discipline, selfless, brave and good at fighting, and had great prestige among the people.
After reading this description, Zhuang Li once suspected that the King of Qi was his lover, but he denied this speculation when he turned to the next page.
The King of Qi is only 35 years old this year, but he already has an 18-year-old son. Doing the math, he should have become a father at the age of 17. This situation was not uncommon in ancient times, and many people became fathers at the age of 14 or 15.
If you have a son, you have a wife. If you have a wife, your backyard might be filled with concubines. So Zhuang Li immediately ruled out the King of Qi as a suspect.
According to local chronicles, the King of Qi doted on his only son very much. He brought him by his side and taught him personally since he was a child. Over the years, he gradually transferred the power in his hands to the son, and seemed to have the intention of retiring.
The Queen Mother also relied heavily on the Prince of Qi and often summoned him into the palace to accompany the little emperor.
In the past year, the King of Qi has become increasingly reclusive. The entire Qi Palace and even the court are under the control of the Crown Prince. He is the most popular figure in the State of Jin.
So, could this Prince of Qi be Ming? What kind of trouble would he encounter? Zhuang Li closed the book and speculated.
The cheerful barking of a donkey outside interrupted Zhuang Li's thoughts. He shook his head, smiled quietly, and then let go of the worry. What's the point of speculating about whether it's true or not? He'll know when he sees the real person.
He walked to the bed and woke Zhuang Jiuge with a gentle voice.
"Hmm, I fell asleep?" Zhuang Jiuge rubbed his eyes and sat up, then sighed sincerely: "Brother, I slept so comfortably this time. I felt so light that I felt like I could fly!"
He climbed out of bed and said excitedly, "Brother, I dreamed that I chased a jade rabbit to the Moon Palace. The fairy Chang'e turned me into a seed and scattered it on the ground. I grew up desperately and finally became the tallest and strongest tree in the forest.
"When I bloom, the sky is filled with my petals. When I shake, the sound of my leaves rubbing against each other fills the air around me. The whole forest belongs to me! I can overlook all the trees because they are not as tall as me! I hold the sky above my head and the earth under my feet, like an Optimus Prime!"
Zhuang Jiuge stood on tiptoe, raised his right hand, and gestured at a height. His once pale face now glowed with rosy radiance.
When we first met, he was gloomy, desperate and cynical; but now, he is cheerful, lively and carefree.
The child had just had a good sleep, but he had undergone such a huge transformation. 7480 was really impressed by the host's hypnosis. I wonder which one is better, his technique or Zhuang Tianer's golden finger.
Zhuang Li listened quietly to his brother's words. When his excitement died down, he pointed to the brush, inkstone, and paper and said, "Write a few words for me."
Zhuang Jiuge's rosy face immediately lost its color.
Zhuang Li casually suggested, "Try clenching your fists when you're scared."
Zhuang Jiuge quickly clenched his fists, and somehow he overcame the overwhelming fear in an instant. He walked to the window with firm steps and wrote stroke by stroke.
The handwriting that was once a terrible mess has now become elegant and beautiful, with the grace of a phoenix and a dragon. This scene not only made Zhuang Jiuge open his eyes wide in disbelief, but even 7480 was stunned.
With only one stroke left, Zhuang Jiuge's wrist began to tremble violently again. He was afraid that this was all just an empty dream, and when he woke up, he would still be the same poor guy who trembled at the sight of a pen.
He quickly moved the pen away to prevent the ink from staining the rice paper and dirtying the character. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and tears of despair slowly welled up in his eyes.
He knew that his illness could not be cured easily.
Zhuang Li saw through his fear and said calmly, "Give it a try by clenching your fist."
Zhuang Jiuge immediately clenched his left hand on the table into a fist.
Then, another miracle happened. His inner fear and physical trembling vanished completely in an instant. He was no longer a mere mortal, Zhuang Jiuge, but a giant tree with the blue sky above its head and the earth beneath its feet. The wind could not blow him down, nor could the torrential rain break him. His stance was more stable than a rock!
He wrote the last stroke neatly and immediately began to write the next word, each stroke more firmly and forcefully than the previous one.
He wrote line after line, his left hand clenched into a fist the whole time.
With the help of spiritual power, his handwriting improved dramatically in just three quarters of an hour. It went from flowing and graceful to majestic, from clear and beautiful to vigorous, just like a flying dragon or a startled phoenix ready to fly. Even his style had undergone a drastic change.
The saying "handwriting reflects the character of the writer" is nothing more than this.
Through these handwritings, we can see how indestructible Zhuang Jiuge's current state of mind is.
7480: “…”
"Master, you said you don't know any magic! You've turned Zhuang Jiuge into a completely different person!"
"This is not a spell, it's the effect of a heart anchor," Zhuang Li explained.
"What is a heart anchor?" 7480 scratched his head curiously.
"An anchor is a clue or marker that triggers a certain association in the subject. Just now, when I hypnotized Zhuang Jiuge, I had him clench his fist tightly before imagining himself growing into a towering tree. The clenched fist became the anchor that triggered this association.
"After he woke up, every time he encountered difficulties, he would immediately associate himself with a giant tree by clenching his fists. This tree was indestructible, and he himself became strong and resolute.
"From now on, he will be able to hypnotize himself every day by clenching his fists without my help. He will become more and more convinced that he is a giant tree, and this spiritual power will propel him to grow into a man who stands tall and proud."
Zhuang Li smiled at Zhuang Jiuge's straight back and said confidently, "He is naturally gifted. If he can grow in his determination, his future will surely be brilliant."
7480 opened the script and read Zhuang Jiuge's miserable ending. Then he looked at the man in front of him and once again felt a deep sympathy for the child of destiny.
Why does every child of destiny in every small world always run into the host's gun? Isn't this just courting death? When Zhuang Jiuge passes the imperial examination and becomes a high-ranking official, when the host becomes famous and known throughout the world, Zhuang Tianer's fate will surely be miserable!
Zhuang Jiuge practiced calligraphy with great enthusiasm. Whenever he recalled the past that he couldn't bear to look back on, he would clench his fists tightly and then summon all his fighting spirit. He felt like he was a brand new life, every inch of his skin and even every hair was filled with strength.
While dipping the ink, he looked at his elder brother who was leaning against the window and gazing at the magnificent sunset. A hint of doubt flashed across his eyes, but he said nothing.
Big brother will always be his big brother.
---
The two brothers spent their time together, one practicing calligraphy and the other enjoying the scenery of old age. Time passed by unknowingly.
As the red sun set and the sky grew dim, the Zhuang family members pushed open the gate and walked in one after another. Leading the way was old man Zhuang, whose face was covered with scars of weathering and whose spine was half bent from daily labor.
Following behind Old Man Zhuang was a thin man with a hoe on his shoulder. He had a satisfied smile on his face and was talking about this year's harvest.
Next to him stood a woman with a pretty face but very tanned skin. She was holding the hand of a boy of eight or nine years old.
The boy turned around and called out "sister" happily, and then Zhuang Tianer and Old Lady Zhuang came in.
"Look what this is! Today, Tian'er and I went to the mountains to dig wild vegetables and picked up a rabbit!" Old Mrs. Zhuang put down the backpack and took out a rabbit from it.
Old Man Zhuang and others quickly gathered around, stroking the fat flesh of the rabbits one by one and laughing happily.
7480 whispered, "Master, look, Zhuang Tian'er is so lucky. She can pick up rabbits, pheasants, and ginseng just by walking on the street. This has nothing to do with hypnosis, right?"
"How can it be unrelated?" Zhuang Li chuckled. "This rabbit is limp and dead. There's a trace of blood on its neck, obviously it was killed by a hunter. Let me ask you, if the hunter killed the rabbit, why didn't he take it away?"
7480 scratched his head and guessed, "Did the hunter forget?"
Zhuang Li: "..."
"Rabbit meat can be eaten, and the skins can be collected and sold. Hunters make a living from this. Do you think he would forget his instinct to make a living?" Zhuang Li shook his head. "No, he wouldn't. So he deliberately left this rabbit there, waiting for Zhuang Tianer to pick it up. Why do you think he did this?"
7480 finally came to his senses and said with sudden enlightenment, "Because he was hypnotized by Zhuang Tianer, he always gives his prey to Zhuang Tianer. Master, am I right?"
Zhuang Li didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Zhuang Jiuge and asked casually, "Xiao Jiuer, have the hunters in the village shown any unusual behavior?"
Xiao Jiuer? This is another unfamiliar name.
Zhuang Jiuge was stunned for a moment, then he pondered and said, "Uncle Liu is fine, there's nothing wrong."
"Are there no changes in your life? For example, your income has dropped sharply, making it difficult to make ends meet." Zhuang Li pointed out.
Zhuang Jiuge clapped his hands fiercely. "That's right, that's true! I once heard Old Uncle Liu complain that he's had bad luck in recent years. He can't find prey in the mountains and forests, and often returns empty-handed. He also said that his family can't make ends meet, and he wants to go deeper into the mountains to see if he can find more prey.
"Our father often advised him not to take risks. There are packs of tigers and wolves in the deep mountains. If you go there, you may not be able to come back. I don't know if he listened to our father." Zhuang Jiuge became more and more worried as he spoke. His brows furrowed and he could no longer practice calligraphy.
He is a very kind child.
Zhuang Li looked at Zhuang Tianer who was holding the wild rabbit, and his eyes gradually turned cold.
"System," he asked sarcastically, "What on earth is Zhuang Tianer? A koi or a blood-sucking worm?"
7480 quickly replied, "A blood-sucking worm! A blood-sucking worm for sure! Master, kill her!"
Chapter 157 The Scientific Shaman VS the Lucky Fairy 06┃Zhuang Li: I will expose Zhuang Tianer’s true colors.
Zhuang Li closed the window to block out the laughter outside.
He knew without asking that the family that had just walked in was Zhuang Tianer's parents and younger brother, the first wife of the Zhuang family. The original owner's parents were from the second wife and had not yet returned.
"Besides hunters, have herbalists ever had similar experiences?" Zhuang Li sat at the other end of the desk, slowly flipping through his brother's homework.
Zhuang Jiuge thought about it carefully and nodded. "Yes, Doctor Dong often complains that all the herbs in the mountains have been picked by others, so he has to go to the deep mountains in the west. But he is the only doctor in our village. Who would go to the mountains to pick herbs? No one knows what herbs look like."
Zhuang Li nodded and stopped asking questions, but he sneered in his heart: "System, guess where the ginseng Zhuang Tianer picked up came from?"
No matter how low 7480's IQ was, he had figured it out by now: "Did that Doctor Dong give it to her?"
Zhuang Li praised: "System, you have become smarter."
7480 blushed shyly.
Zhuang Li tapped the table lightly, musing in his mind, "Everyone in this village is Zhuang Tianer's tool. The hunters are responsible for hunting meat for her; the doctors are responsible for collecting precious medicinal herbs for her; the Zhuang family members are responsible for providing her with food, clothing, shelter and transportation; even the animals can solve her problems.
"There are many more people who are ready to help her when she needs them. She can ask for whatever she wants from these people, and can also delete or even tamper with their memories. She is the underground ruler of this village.
"Based on this, if she's not lucky, who is?"
Zhuang Li closed his homework book, closed his eyes and said, "Zhuang Tianer, this monster, I will take him in."
Zhuang Jiuge looked at him nervously and asked worriedly, "Brother, is your head hurting again?"
Zhuang Li opened his eyes and said softly, "Don't worry, Big Brother has already broken Zhuang Tianer's magic, so your hands don't shake anymore, and my headache doesn't hurt anymore."
Zhuang Jiuge was overjoyed and whispered in his eldest brother's ear, "When did you learn magic?"
"I don't know which book you read it from, I've forgotten." Zhuang Li casually said a few words, rubbing his brother's head and earnestly admonishing him, "Your essay is very well written. As long as you write neatly, you will definitely pass the next imperial examination. So you must work harder in the future. I believe you will grow into a towering tree."
Zhuang Jiuge nodded happily, and there was no trace of gloom in his eyes anymore.
---
A few quarters of an hour later, Zhuang Lao Er and his wife walked into the house under the starry sky. Instead of going to the west room to visit his parents, they went back to the east wing to check on their two sons.
Zhuang Laoer was a towering figure, his arms thick with muscles, glossy black with sweat. He looked incredibly strong. Besides farming, he also worked at the docks, moving goods.
Merchants, seeing his strong physique and honest character, hired him to guard their warehouses to prevent theft. He was never dishonest or embezzling anything from his clients, and he worked diligently and attentively, earning him a good reputation over time.
All the wealthy businessmen who often walk around the docks know that Zhuang Lao Er is reliable and trustworthy. Whenever there is any work at hand, the first person they think of is him.
As a result, Zhuang Laoer never had to worry about not having a job, and he could always earn four or five taels of silver a month. Otherwise, he would not be able to support his two sons' education.
Zhuang Laoer's wife was also very capable. She made pancakes at home and took them to the dock to sell, earning dozens of copper coins every day.
The couple lived a prosperous life, unlike the eldest brother of the village who worked in the fields all day but could barely fill his stomach with the crops he produced. Seriously speaking, the entire village actually depended on the second wife for support.
"Dabao, does your head still hurt?" Zhuang Lao Er bent down and walked into the east wing, asking a little anxiously.
The already cramped house became even smaller due to his intrusion.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Zhuang Li shook his head.
Zhuang Jiuge said excitedly, "Dad, let me tell you..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw his elder brother shaking his head slightly, so he immediately changed the subject, "I took him for a walk today, and he's feeling much better now."
"That's good. Go out more often in the future and don't stay at home all the time. As long as you two brothers still want to study, dad will support you to continue your studies. No matter what outsiders say, dad believes that you will have a bright future. At worst, go to town and be a teacher for the young masters of rich families. You can earn several taels of silver a month, which is much better than a rough man like dad." Zhuang Lao Er said in a muffled voice.
His wife Liu Chunhua came in carrying a basket with a mysterious smile on her face: "Dabao, Erbao, look what good things mother brought back for you."
As she spoke, she lifted the cover from the basket.
Zhuang Li and Zhuang Jiuge walked over to take a look, and saw a big, fat, juicy roast goose lying in the basket, steaming all over, and the rich aroma of sauce wafted into their noses.
"Gudong!" - This is the sound of Zhuang Jiuge swallowing his saliva.
Liu Chunhua was amused by what she heard. She grabbed her youngest son's ear and said angrily, "Look at how greedy you are. You are such a loser! Let's go to the west room to eat with your grandparents first. After you finish eating, come back and the four of us will finish the roast goose."
"Okay! I'll go wash my hands right away!" Zhuang Jiuge cheered and rushed out.
As soon as the family walked into the west room, they were scolded before they had even sat down on the stools.
Old Mrs. Zhuang was the first to speak out: "Ergen, Dabao gets a headache when he studies, and Erbao's hands hurt when he writes. There's no hope for their future. In my opinion, you should stop supporting them in their studies and let them work in the fields. Don't ruin these two healthy people."
"The disease can be cured. What do you mean there is no hope?" Zhuang Lao Er retorted with his eyes as big as copper bells.
"Dabao's head has been treated for more than half a year, right? Is he healed? Did you hear any results from the money you spent?" Old Mrs. Zhuang asked one after another.
Zhuang Jiuge really wanted to say that both of us brothers were cured, but his hand hidden under the table was gently held by his brother and shook slightly.
Zhuang Jiuge quickly shut his mouth, suppressing the urge to retort. Yes, that enchanting woman, Zhuang Tianer, was sitting across from them. If she knew they were together, she'd definitely pull the same old tricks! No wonder Big Brother had to keep it a secret from even Dad.
"I earn the money, and I can spend it however I like. There are ten people in our family, and I support them all by myself. I usually provide you with good food, good drinks, and a good place to live. Do you still think it's not enough? Do you want my two sons to work in the fields to support you?" Zhuang Lao Er slammed the chopsticks on the table and asked angrily.
Old Mrs. Zhuang was frightened and didn't dare to speak for a moment.
Zhuang Tianer reached out and gently patted her back. For some reason, she mustered up her courage again. "Let me be frank, Dabao and Erbao's illnesses are incurable in this lifetime! If you don't teach them to work quickly, what will happen to them when you're old? Are you waiting for them to starve to death?"
"Starting next month, don't send Dabao and Erbao to school anymore. The tuition fees you gave to the teacher can't be wasted, so send Haisheng instead! Our Haisheng is very smart and will definitely be successful in the future! Don't Dabao and Erbao still have plenty of pens, inkstones, paper, and inkstones? Bring them all over for Haisheng to use!"
Old Mrs. Zhuang stroked Zhuang Haisheng's head with a loving smile on her face.
Zhuang Haisheng is nine years old this year. He is Zhuang Tianer's younger brother. He has never attended a private school and cannot read.
Zhuang Lao Er shook his head decisively. "Back when Zhuang Haisheng was five or six, I asked my eldest brother if we could send him to school together. I would pay for the tuition, but he refused. Now that he's changed his mind, let him pay for it himself. Why should he sacrifice the future of my two sons? I won't do it!"
"We are all family. If Haisheng becomes successful, you will also benefit from it." Old Mrs. Zhuang persuaded earnestly.
"Zhuang Tian'er earned one hundred taels of silver from selling ginseng, but my eldest brother's family hid it well and never let me take any advantage of it. My eldest brother's family is so wealthy, how could he have the nerve to save my son's tuition and send his son to school? My eldest brother, do you have any shame?" Zhuang Lao Er asked, slamming the table.
Mrs. Zhuang looked at her second son in astonishment. She had never expected him to know about the ginseng. They had clearly kept it a secret from anyone!
Old man Zhuang coughed repeatedly to hide his embarrassment.
Boss Zhuang blushed and lowered his head to avoid his brother's gaze.
Everyone felt guilty, including Zhuang Tianer. The look she gave Zhuang Laoer had changed from contempt to fear.
Zhuang Lao Er sneered, "How do you think I got the nickname 'Bazhou Tong'? I deal with traveling merchants all day long, so I have very sharp ears and eyes! Mother, as soon as you and Zhuang Tian'er sold the ginseng, I got the news from the pharmacy."
"I have been keeping silent about this matter these days, waiting for you to tell me. I never expected that not only would you not tell me, but you would also plot to take away the tuition of my two sons. Have you ever been so bullying?
"Hasn't the money I've paid to the public treasury been enough over the years? Who in this family doesn't rely on me for support? What's wrong with me feeding my two sons? Why is Zhuang Tian'er jealous? Why is she complaining that I'm mistreating her? And why is she asking everyone in the village to ostracize me? I've worked myself to death outside, and I've raised an ungrateful person!
"Divide the family! I can't live like this for even a day. My heart is already fucking cold!" Zhuang Lao Er flipped the table and shouted, "Da Bao and Er Bao, let's go!"
The cups, bowls, and pans on the table clattered and broke to the ground, and the dishes were scattered everywhere.
When Donkey Egg smelled the aroma of food, he immediately ran into the main room and licked the food on the ground with a panting sound.
Zhuang Tianer looked at it in disbelief.
Donkey Egg noticed this gaze, looked up, and his clear eyes were immediately filled with crazy hatred. He bared his fangs and pounced forward, grabbing one of Zhuang Tianer's arms and biting it madly.
Since Donkey Egg is a dog, Zhuang Tianer did not delete its memory of being hypnotized.
Donkey Egg remembered everything. The pain of being controlled, abused, deprived of food and freedom burned its brain like a branding iron, leaving an irreparable scar on its loyal heart.
It hates this woman!
Everyone was so shocked by this scene that they didn't rush over to rescue him immediately.
You know, Donkey Egg usually listens to Zhuang Tianer the most and only eats the food given by Zhuang Tianer. Anyone may hurt Zhuang Tianer, but it won't.
But it just happened to hurt, and it was very manic.
Zhuang Tianer rolled on the ground after being bitten, wailing, and her miserable appearance was exactly the same as that of the middle-aged woman who was bitten by the black dog during the day.
The first wife's family rushed over to rescue the man, while the second wife's family stood a little further away.
Zhuang Li whispered in his brother's ear, "Did you see that? Zhuang Tianer's retribution has come."
Zhuang Jiuge was stunned for a long time before he covered his mouth and smiled secretly.
Seeing that Boss Zhuang was about to raise a bench to hit Donkey Egg, Zhuang Li immediately snapped his fingers.
For Donkey Egg, this was its anchor. Hearing the snap, it would instantly snap out of its frenzied state, release Zhuang Tianer, run under Zhuang Lao Da's crotch, and disappear into the pitch-black night.
Zhuang Lao Er snorted coldly, "What lucky star? He still got bitten by a dog! Tomorrow morning I'll invite a few uncles to come and divide the family. If you don't want to divide it, that's fine. Ask the eldest brother to take out the 100 taels of silver from the ginseng sale, and I'll take 70% and he'll take 30%. Don't say it's unfair. If you really want to argue, I've supported their family for decades, and I've paid all the money from the public treasury. The difference is more than 100 taels!"
Zhuang Lao Er waved his hand and said in an extremely casual manner: "Da Bao and Er Bao, let's go back and eat roast goose!"
The family left in a grand manner.
After returning home, Zhuang Laoer finished half a roast goose by himself, then energetically moved a pile of stones, mixed them with mud, and built a wall overnight to separate the east and west courtyards.
After a stroll outside, Donkey Egg secretly ran back, went into the east courtyard, pushed open the door of the east wing with his nose, and went into Zhuang Jiuge's arms, humming happily.
Zhuang Jiuge quickly hugged Donkey Egg tightly and praised him, "Donkey Egg, you're amazing today! Come, have some roast goose. I saved this for you."
He took out a roast goose leg wrapped in oil paper from under the table, tore off a little bit of the skin to taste it, and gave the rest of the meat and bones to Donkey Egg.
The two little ones have established a revolutionary friendship.
Zhuang Li shook his head, walked to the window, looked at Zhuang Laoer, who was working hard to build the wall with his bare chest, and smiled and sighed in his heart: "This family is great, I accept it."
7480 asked curiously, "That's strange. How come your parents weren't hypnotized by Zhuang Tianer? They live so close and see each other every day. There's no way they could escape Zhuang Tianer's clutches."
Zhuang Li explained, "There are two types of people who are not easily hypnotized: those with low IQs and simple minds; and those with mental disorders. My father belongs to the former. His IQ is not low, but his mind is simple and he is not easily affected by hypnotic instructions. My mother's situation is probably similar."
"In fact, people with higher IQs are more easily hypnotized because they possess rich imagination and comprehension, both of which are essential for entering a hypnotic state. Contrary to popular belief, the ease with which one is hypnotized has nothing to do with willpower. Soldiers with exceptional willpower are, in fact, more susceptible to hypnosis because they are accustomed to following orders."
Zhuang Li looked towards the west courtyard, where candlelight was still burning, and said with interest, "Starting tomorrow, I will gradually expose Zhuang Tianer's true colors."
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