Chapter 2: Giving Medicine

Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with His Majesty, the Feixuan Zhenjun, physically. When the eunuchs burst through the door, the Emperor was still able to shout loudly, his voice full of strength. However, His Majesty’s mental state seemed difficult to describe—Li Zaifang rushed into the hall and saw the emperor sitting on a meditation cushion, his hair disheveled. The floor and walls were littered with broken porcelain, gold, and silverware, and His Majesty was trembling uncontrollably.

Hearing the noise, the emperor suddenly looked up; his dragon face was red and swollen with rage. As for his eyes—oh my, his eyes were even more bloodshot than when Yang Shen had led people to lie in front of the palace gates to block a major ritual in the past…

Good grief, is the sky about to fall?

Li Zaifang’s legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

Zhenjun glared at his confidant so fiercely that Li Zaifang’s teeth chattered and his whole body trembled. After silently applying pressure for a quarter of an hour, the emperor finally spoke coldly, his voice still hoarse:

“Li Zaifang, has your Imperial City Division discovered anything unusual recently?”

Li Zaifang broke out in a cold sweat.

“Replying to His Majesty, how could I dare say anything about the Imperial City Division being mine? I am only watching over it for Your Majesty… but I am incompetent—truly, I have not found any disturbances.”

The emperor was known for his unpredictable and cryptic temperament. Rather than guessing his thoughts, it was better to speak honestly.

The Emperor snorted. He sent the Imperial Guard and Imperial City Division every day to inquire about the situation, so he knew well what was happening in the Beijing.

 From every angle, the Beijing had been calm recently, with no unusual stirrings, let alone anything that could be linked to rebellion, much less with this so-called “demonic book.”

After venting his fury in a hysterical outburst, the emperor gradually regained a bit of composure. 
After all, he had been a shrewd figure who, at the age of fifteen, could outsmart the current ministers to seize power. After a moment of thought, he immediately realized the key point—although much of the information in the demonic book was obscured by “privacy protection,” the leaks that were made were certainly not things that low-ranking officials could hear. They had to be from someone with high rank and authority, someone with access to state affairs. So, the list of suspects was not long…

He asked darkly:

“Who attended the cabinet meetings in recent days?”

Li Zaifang, unsure, answered cautiously:

“As usual, it was the several ministers, the chancellors, eunuchs from the inner court, the heir of prince of Mu Gou, the legitimate son of the prince of Zheng Guo, and other noble families…”

According to the traditional system, although most of the founding nobles had become ineffectual and could no longer balance the civil officials, to show imperial favor, the emperor still allowed high-ranking dukes, marquises, and earls to attend court meetings, although they were not allowed to speak.

The Emperor, disinterested, waved his hand:

“Increase the number of guards and spies from the Imperial Guard and the Imperial City Division. Have them keep an eye on everyone! Any news, report it immediately!”

Li Zaifang felt his scalp tingle, inwardly groaning—privately monitoring the ministers and nobles was something that even his position as the chief eunuch couldn’t easily bear. But no one dared to criticize the emperor when he was angry, so he could only bow and accept the orders.

Perhaps feeling more secure after increasing the surveillance, the Emperor regained some of his clarity. His eyes fixed on the ceiling, his face changing colors, but gradually he remembered the strange content in the demonic book—setting aside the inexplicable sarcasm, it seemed to mention some subtle matters, vaguely connected to the future…

Forget about “X Bottle Plum”, but the demonic book mentioned “salt patrols” and “three million taels of salt tax.”

Wait, three million taels of salt tax?

The emperor suddenly turned his head, glaring at his confidant:

“Di—Di Maoyan has arrived in Jiangnan?”

Li Zaifang, still not fully understanding, cautiously replied, “Your Majesty is correct.”

The emperor’s expression remained unchanged, but his mind raced—this demonic book was rebellious, but its organization was very well thought out. It included careful annotations beneath the main text, noting that Lord Di Maoyan became known as “the one who caused the earth to smoke” due to his greed for money. 

He had stripped the land bare, and it was said that he even made the ground smoke. It was precisely from this man that the state’s salt policies began to collapse, eventually leading to irreparable consequences.

However, the salt tax collected by the Salt Patrol should have been an absolute secret of the court. Only the Grand Eunuch, who directly handles it within the inner court, has access to such information. Even the ministers have no right to inquire about it. If the demonic book can learn even this…

The Emperor’s eyes flashed.

“How much salt tax do you think we will collect this year? Have your men followed the Salt Patrol’s ships and investigated?”

Li Zaifang said, “Your Majesty, according to the spies we sent, this year we can only expect around three million taels of tax revenue.”

The emperor’s face suddenly changed. In an instant, the pain from the humiliation by the demonic book and the anger at his subordinates’ exploitation surged together, so overwhelming that he couldn’t tell which was more provoking. In the midst of old grievances and new rage, he finally broke down, roaring loudly in front of his servants:

“My money! He dares to touch my money! The earth is smoking, the earth is smoking! I’ll strip the skin off him—!”

The roar was deafening, echoing through the palace. All the eunuchs in the quiet room immediately dropped to the ground, not daring to lift their heads.

After venting his anger with such a roar, the emperor decisively gave an order:

“Send the imperial guards to surround that bastard’s house! When that son of a bitch returns to the capital, seize him immediately, raid his den—don’t let a single fly escape!”

Damn it, if I can’t catch the one writing the demonic book, I’ll still catch you for the smoking earth?!

The eunuchs kowtowed repeatedly, not daring to voice any objections. Although Lord Di usually attached himself to Yan Ge Lao and bribed palace officials with large sums, now that the emperor was in such a rage, even the King of Heaven wouldn’t be able to save him.

Since he couldn’t be saved, it would be better to start thinking early about how to profit when the raid happens.

The emperor was gasping for breath, shaking his head in frustration, venting his anger. But when his eyes scanned the room, they suddenly fixed on a plate of golden pills—according to the emperor’s usual routine, he took a golden pill in the middle of the night to calm his mind, but today the eunuchs rushed in so hurriedly that they brought the plate of pills along.

Seeing the bright red, glittering cinnabar-made pills, the emperor’s eyes flared with fire—he immediately thought of the curses in the demonic book, like “old wall lamps,” “exploding gold coins,” and “chemistry experts,” and he couldn’t contain his anger. But as he seethed, he also remembered the book’s repeated mention of “heavy metal poisoning” and “biochemical monsters.”

Though he didn’t fully understand, he got the general idea: these golden pills… perhaps something is off?

The Emperor, always sensitive and suspicious, felt a sinking sensation in his chest.

Of course, the emperor had trusted the golden pills and their alchemy for a long time, and he wasn’t about to change his mind based on a simple mockery. He thought for a while, still undecided, before he made up his mind after looking at the plate of pills:

“Give today’s batch of golden pills to the grand ministers.” With a wave of his sleeve, he decisively issued an order, “Have the grand ministers taste them carefully and write a report of their experience for me!”

Although the quiet room in the Qingliang Hall was turned upside down in the middle of the night, with the emperor’s strict order to suppress any leaks, no eunuch dared to let anything slip. By early the next morning, Li Zaifang, accompanied by his personal disciples, personally delivered the golden pills to the homes of the various grand ministers.

There was no way around it; the emperor wanted a response, so they couldn’t delay.

When faced with the same box of golden pills, ministers of different status showed different subtle attitudes. The venerable Summer Chancellor, when presented with the pills, hesitated for a moment, only accepting them after hearing the emperor’s message—after all, at nearly seventy years old, with his retirement near, he really didn’t want to take any risks. Meanwhile, the younger minister Xu, though, only accepted the gift after the eunuch urged him and still asked about the emperor’s intentions—after all, as a leader of the righteous faction, he found it hard to lower his face immediately in front of the emperor’s will.

But it was the bold, headstrong Yan, the minister at the helm of the turbulent faction, who, after hearing the imperial decree, immediately knelt in gratitude and then, without hesitation, grabbed two or three golden pills and tossed them directly into his mouth.

Li Zaifang, who was about to explain the method of consumption, could only watch in astonishment: “………”

Yan Ge Lao’s white beard trembled as he chewed the golden pills loudly, praising them enthusiastically as he chewed:

“Your Majesty’s grace is truly as vast as the heavens, and I, your humble servant, can never repay it even if I give my life! This elixir is truly extraordinary; it even has a sweet taste as I chew it…”

If Mu Qi had the chance to witness this, he would probably sneer: “Of course, fresh mercuric sulfide and lead oxide—it couldn’t not taste sweet!”

However, the method of consumption still shocked Li Zaifang. It was well known that while the emperor loved his elixirs, he only dared to take one pill every three days, accompanied by strong liquor, to gradually disperse the medicine’s power without harming his body. Yet here, Yan had taken two or three pills at once and was even chewing them…

Carefully, Li Zaifang asked, “How do you feel, Ge Lao?”

“Naturally, my blood flows freely, and my muscles feel stronger,” Yan said with a wide smile. “What you don’t know is that I’ve had a bit of an old cold ailment for a while. After taking this elixir, I feel a warmth spread through my body and no longer feel cold…”

Before he could finish his sentence, two streams of blood began flowing from his nose, running directly into his beard.

Li Zaifang: !??!!

Yan maintained his expression, still smiling despite the blood flowing down his face. “Please thank His Majesty on my behalf.”

Li Zaifang, deeply shocked and feeling his scalp tingle, dared not look at Yan’s face any longer. He hurriedly bade farewell and left with the other eunuchs.

Seeing the eunuchs disappear from the door, Yan finally couldn’t hold on any longer. He let out a groan and collapsed back into his chair, the elixir’s effects stronger than expected. In such a short time, the seventy-year-old Yan felt his heartbeat race, his breathing labored, and he nearly fainted.

His close relatives, frightened, rushed to help him. Even his son, Yan Donglou, who had been hiding in the treasure hall, hurriedly rushed out, wiping the blood from his father’s face and helping him regain his breath.

As Yan’s face turned red, his son couldn’t help but complain:

“Father, why did you have to do this to yourself?”

Yan Ge Lao groaned in response but didn’t answer his son’s question. He leaned on a servant and slowly sat upright in the chair, his color gradually returning to normal.

“What do you mean by ‘father’? I’ve told you many times, whenever the emperor sends a gift, it’s as though it’s from the court,” Yan whispered. “In the court, there is no such thing as father and son. We must always address each other by our official titles when on duty!”

Yan Ge Lao had no choice but to yield reluctantly.

“Ge Lao, why do you have to go this far?”

Yan Ge Lao sighed slowly and glanced at the box of elixirs on the zitan wood desk. Perhaps his mind was muddled, as he unexpectedly spoke with some sincerity:

“I have no other option. Donglou, I am simply too eager to progress…”

At this point, even though he was suffering from the effects of the medicine, a glint of light appeared in Yan Ge Lao’s eyes!

This wasn’t surprising. Yan Fenyi and the current Prime Minister, Xia Yan, were both from the same hometown, the same examination class, and had entered government service together as close friends. However, after decades of rising and falling in the political world, Xia Yan had received imperial favor and soared to the top, becoming Prime Minister at the age of fifty, holding power for over a decade. In contrast, Yan Fenyi’s career had been much less fortunate. 

After years of suppression, he only finally earned a position in the cabinet near his seventieth year, and his power and influence couldn’t compare to his friend’s.

As the saying goes, one fears both their brother’s hardship and their brother’s success as Prime Minister. Watching his younger, same-class friend rise and thrive, while he himself struggled amidst constant turbulence, how could Yan Ge Lao not feel resentment?

Moreover, seeing Xia Yan about to retire honorably and return home, with a new Prime Minister to be selected from within the cabinet, how could Yan Fenyi, who had endured for decades, allow his good friend to flaunt his success and even let a younger generation, like Xu Shaohu, a man in his fifties, step over him?

How could such a man, a dignified figure, bear such humiliation?

At this thought, Yan Ge Lao’s heart swelled with ambition, and all his frustrations were cast aside. He grabbed his son’s sleeve and spoke in a deep voice:

“Donglou, now the wise emperor reigns, but the court is full of unscrupulous ministers, and the cabinet is rife with conflict. We cannot afford to be careless. I am old and weak, lacking in energy, talent, and courage compared to Xia Yan and Xu Shaohu, but there is one thing that you and the others can never compare to me. And it is this very thing that will secure the world in one move. You must remember this.”

Yan Donglou humbly asked, “Please, father, tell me.”

Yan Ge Lao continued, “For the sake of power, they all wish to flatter the emperor. But, being scholars, they are too proud and don’t dare to act without shame. I am different. I will do whatever it takes to serve the emperor, and I will do so well! Now, who do you think the emperor will favor?”

Yan Donglou was deeply moved, his heart full of respect. “The Minister is wise.”

“And that’s why this box of elixirs cannot be missed!” Yan Ge Lao said decisively. “They all care about their reputation and dare not openly take the elixir, which would be a direct defiance of the emperor’s decree. But Donglou, you must understand that this elixir is not just a simple elixir; it represents the loyalty of the minister, the conscience of the work, and the fervent loyalty to His Majesty. Resisting the imperial decree is indeed a great crime, but following it strictly without showing our deep loyalty would be insufficient. 

The emperor’s decree says we must finish it in a month, but we can finish it in ten days and demonstrate our loyalty to the emperor ahead of everyone else, without giving others a chance.”

Yan Xiao, the young minister, was silent for a moment.

How should he put this? Yan Ge Lao’s profound and intricate reasoning indeed resonated with the young minister’s own views, aligning perfectly with his moral standards that were at an all-time low. But… finishing such a large quantity of elixir in ten days, wouldn’t that lead to…?

He worried, “But Minister, what about your health?”

Though the Emperor’s favor was important, taking too much could result in a huge mess.

Yan Ge Lao reassured him:

“It’s fine. Although the elixir is potent, we’ll work together as father and son. You take half; I take half. This amount of elixir won’t be a problem. Here, you take five pills back with you, and tonight, take a few and see how it works.”

Yan Donglou gasped, his face turning pale.