Chapter 45: Is Dujiangyan still standing?
Zhang Zhongjing was about fifty years old, with half-white hair and beard. He was as thin and refined as depicted in history books, with a kind and gentle look in his eyes. When he spoke, he often looked around, seemingly out of curiosity.
Lu Xiaoqi's first impression was that Zhang Yisheng must be a very easy-going and good-tempered old man.
Sure enough, after chatting for a few minutes, her idea was confirmed.
Zhang Yisheng was a kind and approachable person, and he was very polite to both Lu Xiaoqi and Su Jun. After hearing Lu Xiaoqi's words of admiration, he was overjoyed. Although he said a few words of modesty, his face lit up even more, and he was obviously very happy, like a child.
The condition of the other Li Bing, the prefect, surprised her somewhat.
His hair and beard were completely white, and he leaned on a cane, clearly very old. Su Jun brought him a chair and helped the old man sit down. After sitting down, he seemed to improve somewhat.
"Please excuse my poor appearance, young lady," Li Bing coughed.
They have just exchanged greetings.
Lu Xiaoqi, flustered by a slip of the hand, said, "Prefect, there's no need for such formalities. If you're feeling unwell, would you like to be taken to the hospital for a checkup...?" She realized as soon as she spoke that there was a renowned physician present, and turned to look at Zhang Zhongjing.
Zhang Zhongjing smiled and said, "If Prefect Li does not mind my crude medical skills, I am willing to take your pulse."
Li Bing already knew from the casual conversation that this person, who was later revered as the Sage of Medicine and possessed the abilities of Bian Que, would not despise his medical skills.
He shakily stretched out his hand, but then laughed and said, "I naturally trust Zhang Yisheng's medical skills. However, my illness stems from the natural changes of all things in the world. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are things that no one can change."
Zhang Zhongjing remained silent, but simply placed his hand on the man's wrist to take his pulse.
Lu Xiaoqi and Su Jun stood to the side.
Su Jun said softly to her, "Prefect Li is already eighty-two years old this year, which is considered an octogenarian in ancient times, and is quite rare."
In his memory, it was rare for people to live to seventy, hence the saying "seventy is a rarity since ancient times," and even rarer for them to live to eighty. He had seen most people, even those from wealthy families, die in their fifties or sixties.
Therefore, he was very worried when he first met Li Bing.
Prefect Li was clearly not in good condition.
Lu Xiaoqi couldn't help but frown. She asked the system in her mind, "What's going on? Isn't an SSR a historical projection? It doesn't necessarily have to capture the state at the moment of death!"
Just like Zhao Feiyan, she was over forty when she died, but now she looks like she's in her twenties and in the prime of her youth.
Before the system could answer, Li Bing's eyes turned towards them.
Although his eyes were no longer clear, they gleamed with wisdom as he slowly asked, "Is the young lady asking about that deity regarding my body? Actually, it was my own request."
He was being held by Zhang Zhongjing with one hand and leaning on a cane with the other. He sat on the chair, shorter than everyone else present, yet he inexplicably gave off a sense of profound and imposing presence.
The system protested, "Yes, he asked for it himself!"
Its voice was filled with confusion and incomprehension. It had clearly told them that upon arriving in the new world, they would be given a second chance at life; if they chose to be twenty, their new life would begin anew at twenty. Such a wonderful thing—why did Li Bing still choose to be old and frail?
Humans can be truly incomprehensible at times.
Lu Xiaoqi didn't understand either. She squatted down in front of Li Bing and asked frankly, "Prefect Li, why did you make this choice?"
"Life is fleeting, like a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall." Li Bing spoke with a slight breathlessness, his eyes looking towards the sky, but his expression was extremely calm. "Why do we face birth and death? Because there is no place of death. Birth and death are merely the cycle of nature, and life is inherently like this."
"However, Lao Tzu also said, 'Man is born soft and weak, but dies hard and strong...'"①
He laughed. "However, I am not strong enough. When the gods came to me, I could not face death as calmly as I had always thought. I still had some obsessions in my heart."
Li Bing lived to the age of eighty-two. He felt that life had been long, filled with countless joys and sorrows, and witnessed the complexities of human nature. In his old age, he gradually began to gravitate towards Taoism, taking a detached view of life and death, believing that he had lived a life without any regrets.
Next comes the moment to shed this physical body and return the soul to the heavens and the universe.
However, when the system contacted him, he hesitated.
"A deity told me that I will travel two thousand years into the future, where someone will grant me one wish." Li Bing's aged eyes gazed at Lu Xiaoqi. "Young lady, is this person you?"
Two thousand years later, this point in time stirred his emotions.
He thought that even Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi could not resist such temptation.
Lu Xiaoqi nodded. She was still young and didn't quite understand what Li Bing was thinking, but she respected his decision and felt that people who could face aging and death with equanimity were truly rare and worthy of respect.
Li Bing said slowly, "My wish is very simple..."
His gaze was fixed on the distance, crossing mountains and rivers, until he arrived at the land of abundance, to which he had devoted half his life.
A glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he gripped his cane tightly: "Is Dujiangyan still standing?"
Lu Xiaoqi nodded hurriedly: "Yes! Dujiangyan is still here!"
Su Jun, standing beside him, couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "If it weren't for the Dujiangyan Irrigation System built by you, Lord Li, Sichuan would not have become the land of abundance and beauty it is today!"
For the Song Dynasty, the Shu region also held extremely important significance.
"The Land of Abundance? The Land of Splendor... Great!" Li Bing smiled broadly, his face relaxing considerably. "Then I want to go back to Sichuan and see what Dujiangyan looks like now!"
This was also his last obsession.
Which builder could resist such temptation?
Therefore, it's really not fair to blame him for not being strong enough in the face of death.
A "ding" sounded in Lu Xiaoqi's mind:
You have a new side quest to complete.
"Side Quest: The Wish of Li Bing, an SSR-level card character - Return to his old home and see Dujiangyan today."
"After the wish is fulfilled, the character's life form will solidify and gain a special ability."
Players will also receive corresponding rewards.
Li Bing had obviously received the relevant reminder as well. He opened his eyes and, from that mysterious feeling, said to Lu Xiaoqi, "The ability I can obtain is 'Eternal Elimination of Floods'."
This ability is explained in writing; it can only be applied within Qinghe Ancient Town. Regardless of whether there is drought or flooding outside, the water level in Qinghe Ancient Town will always remain at a normal level, truly ensuring that there will be no floods.
This perfectly matches one of his abilities.
Lu Xiaoqi discovered that SSRs' abilities were quite overpowered.
Li Bing sighed, "It's just that I'm sorry to you, young lady. I need your help to fulfill my wish, but I can't serve you for long."
Once his wish is fulfilled, his life will solidify, and he will then proceed to the end of his life, just as he did before he transmigrated. This is his own choice.
Lu Xiaoqi hurriedly waved her hand: "You're too kind. Even if you didn't have that ability, I would definitely help you."
It was her honor to be able to help Li Bing.
At this moment, Zhang Zhongjing had released his hand from taking Li Bing's pulse, and smiled: "Lord Li is fine, he just needs to rest well."
What he didn't say was that Prefect Li's current state was very strange. His vital energy was waning, he was old and frail, and he was on the verge of death, but outwardly he appeared to be a normal person. Perhaps, this was the work of a deity.
System: "Don't worry, his physical state will remain frozen at this moment until his life form solidifies, and there will be no change."
Lu Xiaoqi finally breathed a sigh of relief. She thought, this is the only way for now. Perhaps after Li Bing fulfills his wish, if he's willing, she can take him to the hospital for a full checkup.
She turned to Zhang Zhongjing: "Dr. Zhang, what is your wish?"
Zhang Zhongjing pondered for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I haven't thought of that yet, young friend Lu. Perhaps I should take another look at the world before I can give you an answer."
Lu Xiaoqi wasn't surprised; Yuwen Kai had been the same way before.
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears.
Yuwen Kai rushed in from outside: "I heard that Prefect Li Bing, who built the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, has arrived. Is that true?"
Lu Xiaoqi had never seen him so happy before, and even noticed with her sharp eyes that he had put his shoes on backwards, truly welcoming her with his shoes on the wrong feet.
Yuwen Kai had always greatly admired Li Bing, and the "fish mouth water-dividing method" he used on the construction site was a technique he had learned from Li Bing. Now, seeing his childhood idol standing right in front of him, his joy was beyond words.
Once they started talking, they went on and on.
If Zhang Zhongjing hadn't reminded Prefect Li not to overexert himself, Yuwen Kai could have continued speaking indefinitely.
As darkness fell quickly, Su Jun had already arranged accommodations for them.
After settling the residents of Xiangjia Village, there were still more than a dozen houses left in Zone 4. Yuwen Kai had arranged for people to clean and tidy them up one by one. Although the houses were bright and clean, and the facilities were not yet complete and there was not much furniture, there were beds, bedding and other items, so they were perfectly habitable and just waiting for the newlyweds to be summoned to move in.
On the contrary, Lu Xiaoqi's other apartment in the city center was now vacant. Fortunately, it was only a short-term rental, and she didn't plan to cancel it. It could serve as a place for them to stay when they occasionally visited the city center.
Li Bing and Zhang Zhongjing were assigned to live in the same building, while the Han sisters lived in another building.
Seeing that Su Jun had arranged everything in an orderly manner, Lu Xiaoqi was happy to slack off.
On the way back, T remembered something and asked curiously, "Then why don't you stay in the ancient town? Why do you insist on squeezing in with Liu Chan?"
Su Jun coughed lightly, seemingly a little embarrassed: "...because the network signal is better over there."
Lu Xiaoqi blinked: ......
This was quite unlike Su Jun's answer; she had thought he would say it would make it easier for him to integrate into society. However, this reason was instantly obvious.
All she could say was, "It'll be fine once the internet here is fixed."
The project is currently underway.
The two walked down the steps side by side, turned a corner, and headed towards the office building together.
Lu Xiaoqi: "So, the task of integrating them into the family is now in your hands?"
Wow, she no longer has to be a kindergarten teacher. Now she can legitimately hand over these tasks to Su Jun. The thought of this made her very happy, her joy evident in her words.
Su Jun nodded enthusiastically: "Don't worry, Miss Lu."
This job is much more interesting than researching or contacting companies.
“I trust you completely with your work,” Lu Xiaoqi said casually. Then, remembering something, she stopped and, looking at Su Jun’s retreating figure, blurted out, “Su Jun, haven’t I asked you about your wish yet?”
Although he is only an SR, he could potentially be upgraded to an SSR if his wish is fulfilled.
Lu Xiaoqi felt a little annoyed, realizing she had really done something wrong. Ever since Su Jun arrived, she had been making him do this and that, but she had never asked him what his own wishes were.
Perhaps it was because he was usually gentle and always appeared to be a gentleman that she felt he was easy to "bully"...
She felt guilty and somewhat apologetic.
Su Jun turned around and met her apologetic gaze. He was taken aback for a moment, then a smile appeared on his handsome face, as gentle as a spring breeze: "It's alright. Actually, I just realized what I was supposed to do."
"What are you doing?" Lu Xiaoqi asked curiously as she caught up.
Su Jun sighed softly: "Perhaps... I want to go and see what Bianliang is like now, and then travel to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun."
Although he loved mechanics, he wasn't obsessed with them. Especially after coming to the modern era and finding that mechanical knowledge was readily available, he became more relaxed. Therefore, this couldn't be considered an obsession.
However, the conversation he had with Sister-in-law Song about the Jingkang Incident and their escape south still haunts him to this day.
The men of the Northern Song Dynasty always had some spirit in their hearts.
But now, this fighting spirit has nowhere to go. Regardless of which Song dynasty it was, it's all history, irretrievable. And so, there's always a sense of helpless frustration.
"I came across this video the other day." Su Jun took out his phone and showed it to Lu Xiaoqi.
It was a short video showing stone carvings from the Northern Song Dynasty imperial tombs standing silently in a golden wheat field, scattered across the landscape. Farmers were harvesting wheat at the foot of the carvings, which had remained silent for a thousand years.
The glory and splendor of emperors eventually return to dust, and the humiliation of nations and the hatred of family and country eventually subside into peace. Only the wheat seedlings grow and mature year after year.
Standing opposite the stone carving, Su Jun suddenly felt a strong urge to go and take a look.
Take a look at your homeland, and see the path you came from.
Li Bing's choice further solidified his idea.
“Bianliang…” Lu Xiaoqi scratched her head. It was a place that Song Wusao and Su Jun both wanted to go, but they were only SRs and couldn’t go that far.
"It's alright!" she said with great enthusiasm, patting Su Jun on the shoulder. "I'll upgrade the ancient town properly, and once your freedom level increases, we'll go to Kaifeng together!"
Su Jun looked at the confident Lu Xiaoqi and smiled slightly: "Okay."
......
As dawn broke, Han Yunshang was woken up by her older sister, Han Yushang.
She opened her eyes and almost thought she was still in the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City... Han Yunshang jumped out of bed, panicking, "Sister, sister, the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards are coming! Run! Run!"
Han Yushang held her head, feeling her trembling, and comforted her repeatedly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we are no longer in the palace. We are hundreds of years later, in the future, do you remember?"
Han Yunshang slowly calmed down. She looked around and realized that it was not a palace she was familiar with, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
Yes, they have been rescued and are far away from that terrifying place.
Han Yushang pushed open the window beside her, and what came into view was the river below, its surface rippling, though the water wasn't exactly crystal clear. In the distance, she could see layered buildings and the towering Qinghe Tower. This was the area of the ancient town. Looking further into the distance, however, she saw something she couldn't comprehend.
Black lines crisscrossing the sky, towering gray-white objects...
But these unfamiliar things made her feel incredibly safe.
Han Yunshang squeezed in and, looking at the river below the window, suddenly said, "It really reminds me of my hometown."
Both sisters were from Jiangnan. Because of their skillful hands, they were selected to work in the Imperial Clothing Bureau and gradually rose to prominence. They originally planned to stay for another seven or eight years, earn some honor and save some money, and then retire to their hometown, thus making room for their descendants.
Who would have thought that something like this would happen later!
Han Yunshang's eyes were filled with tears: "I wonder how Consort Duan and Jin Ying are doing..."
When the emperor is enraged, millions will die.
Han Yushang closed her eyes, sniffling to suppress the tears welling up. She knew perfectly well that assassinating the emperor would not end well for them.
Not everyone is as lucky as them.
Even now, Han Yushang still can't believe that she escaped like this, all because the gods took a liking to her weaving skills.
The most ridiculous thing is that the emperor was obsessed with alchemy and immortality, and paid countless prices for it, burning through the people's hard-earned money and even the lives of palace servants, but he never had such a miraculous encounter.
Han Yushang almost wanted to burst into laughter at the thought.
God has truly opened his eyes!
She calmed herself down, looked at her sister, and said seriously, "Don't bring up the past again. Keep it in your heart, understand?"
Although she had arrived in the new world, she was filled with great fear and felt it best to be cautious. Moreover, this matter was, after all, insubordination and plotting against the monarch. Who knew if the master here would think they harbored malicious intentions and committed treason?
Han Yunshang nodded and said softly, "Don't worry, sister, I understand."
Han Yushang let out a long sigh, as if she wanted to expel all the pent-up emotions from her chest.
She continued, "Since that powerful deity and the master of this place have taken a liking to our skills, we must do our best and not be negligent in the slightest. This is both to repay their kindness and to plan for our future, do you understand?"
Han Yunshang nodded again: "I understand. Sister, yesterday I saw a peaceful atmosphere here, so Miss Lu must be a good person to get along with. Moreover... there seems to be no distinction between superiors and inferiors here."
Miss Lu would greet everyone with a smile, but the young girl who was clearly her subordinate would shout and giggle in front of Miss Lu, which made her a little confused.
Han Yushang didn't quite understand either. She paused for a moment and said, "In any case, it's always good to be cautious."
Especially before you understand the rules here.
While the Han sisters were quietly discussing their future plans and trying to cover up their past, they didn't expect that Lu Xiaoqi had already learned about their experiences from the system.
She had no choice but to understand her employees' resumes.
"You mean they are survivors of the Renyin Palace Coup?" She was genuinely shocked.
She knew about the Renyin Palace Incident!
The only assassination attempt on the emperor planned by palace maids in history, although it ultimately failed.
The main reason was that Emperor Jiajing was an inhuman being, with a violent and suspicious nature. The palace servants were tormented by him to the point of wishing they were dead. It is said that more than two hundred palace servants died during his reign due to his punishments and torment.
He was also obsessed with cultivating immortality, believing that pills made from young girls' menstrual blood could help him achieve immortality. Therefore, when palace maids had their periods, they could not eat rice but could only eat mulberry leaves and drink dew.
In short, they didn't treat people like human beings.
The palace maids couldn't bear it any longer and decided to strangle him while he slept. Unfortunately, these girls were weak and not well-fed, and in the end, they failed and lost their own lives.
Lu Xiaoqi asked repeatedly, "Then the Han sisters are among these palace maids?"
Weren't they female officials?
"No," the system said. "They were not the masterminds, nor did they participate in this palace coup. However, the leading palace maid, Yang Jinying, was their sworn sister. Moreover, the handkerchief that the palace maids used to strangle Jiajing was handled by them."
Emperor Jiajing was furious, and anyone involved in the matter, even those with only the slightest connection, was thrown into prison.
Cries of grief filled the palace, and chaos reigned amidst the fighting.
The Han sisters were rescued from prison by it.
Lu Xiaoqi frowned, clearly dissatisfied: "Didn't you save the people of Xiangjia Village before? Why didn't you save those dozen or so palace maids?"
It saved those unskilled people in Xiangjia Village along the way, so why can't it save these palace maids?
System: "...They have already made their mark on history. Saving them risks changing history."
Lu Xiaoqi remained silent.
After thinking about it for a while, I realized it was really dark humor.
Countless women have existed throughout history, but only a few have left their names in the annals, even empresses and princesses. These girls, though merely lowly palace maids, etched their names into history through their courage to rebel.
Isn't this another kind of justice that history has given us?
"Okay, I understand." She felt a pang of pity for the Han sisters. "Let them rest and recover first, then we'll talk about it."
Having gone through something like this, they must all be left with psychological trauma.
She stretched and got out of bed to wash up, humming a song the whole time—it felt so good to not have to worry about anything and to know that someone would take care of everything.
Is this the joy of being a boss?
Just then, she heard the system ask, "Player, when do you plan to fulfill Li Bing's wish?"
Lu Xiaoqi rolled her eyes in annoyance: "Did you have to come and ruin my happiness so soon?"
The system felt completely innocent: ...
Lu Xiaoqi waved her hand dismissively: "No rush, at least let him rest for a while to recover. He can't go on the road in his current condition."
There seemed to be nothing wrong with what was said, but the system felt something was off; it seemed the player was hiding something.
Lu Xiaoqi did have her own ulterior motives—since Li Bing's life would begin to solidify after he fulfilled his wish, the gears of time belonging to him would continue to move forward from the moment before his life ended, and then he would face death.
Let's just keep it in its current state and not let it solidify!
No player would miss out on exploiting a system bug!
After washing up, Lu Xiaoqi lay down at home for a while, which she hadn't done in a long time. Then she went to Song Sao Fish Restaurant to visit Fifth Sister and chatted with the regular customers for a while, fully enjoying the happiness of being a capitalist who didn't have to go to work.
Until she met He Guihua in the neighborhood.
Since dining at Song Sao Fish Restaurant, He Guihua has become a die-hard fan, praising it to everyone she meets in the neighborhood. She's now an active member of the regular customer group. Lu Xiaoqi is quite familiar with her now.
He Guihua is a warm-hearted person, and every time she sees her, they chat for a long time. Thanks to her, even though Lu Xiaoqi doesn't go out much in the neighborhood, she still knows all the gossip that's been happening there lately.
But this time, He Guihua exclaimed in surprise as soon as she saw her:
"Oh dear, Xiao Lu, have you been too busy lately? You look terrible."
Lu Xiaoqi touched her face: "Is it bad?"
"Oh dear, look at your dark circles. You really need to get some rest."
Lu Xiaoqi turned on her phone's camera and found that He Guihua was right; her complexion did indeed look bad. She then picked up her phone and checked her symptoms.
What should I do about persistent heart palpitations, back pain, dark circles under my eyes, and insomnia?
Soon, a page popped up:
Palpitations are a precursor to a heart attack.
Lu Xiaoqi was no longer happy. With a mournful face, she said, "I'm going to see Doctor Zhang!"
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