News of the third King of Medicines

"Pfft!"

In the west wing of Li Garden, Li Ziye had been drinking tea and chatting about aspirations with Little Red Riding Hood when he heard the message Li Youwei had sent through a young maid. He sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

"Yan Xiaoyu is coming to the capital?" Bai Wangyu asked in surprise.

"He's bringing a King of Medicines?" Li Ziye asked excitedly.

Bai Wangyu gave the youth beside him a puzzled look. Brother Li really did have a... unique angle on things.

Wasn't the Divine Son of the Divine Oracle Hall coming to the capital more important than a King of Medicines?

Before them, the pretty young maid nodded. "We just received word. Divine Son Yan Xiaoyu is already on his way to the capital. He should arrive in ten days."

"Old Bai," Li Ziye said, looking at Little Red Riding Hood beside him.

"Hmm?" Bai Wangyu asked in puzzlement.

"If I asked you to help me ambush Yan Xiaoyu and snatch that King of Medicines, would you do it?" Li Ziye asked, rubbing his hands together.

"..."

Bai Wangyu pretended not to hear. He really did not want to answer such an idiotic question.

"No loyalty at all. I'll go find Old Zhang."

Li Ziye voiced his contempt, immediately rose, and ran toward the inner courtyard.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Zhang Lata's deafening curses rang out from the inner courtyard.

"Get lost! Why don't you ask me to dig up the ancestral graves of the Divine Hall's master while you're at it!"

"I was only asking! Why is everyone getting so worked up?"

Li Ziye shouted with little conviction, then slunk out of the inner courtyard and returned to the west wing.

"Old Bai."

Li Ziye's smile became exceedingly warm. "Didn't the Law Confucian tell you to listen to me?"

"Brother Li."

Helplessness appeared on Bai Wangyu's face. "Yan Xiaoyu must be bringing a large number of Divine Hall experts to the capital. Never mind me-even if the Venerable Law Confucian came in person, it would be useless. Of course, if you could persuade the Head of the Confucians to act, there might be hope."

"Forget I said anything."

Li Ziye spoke in exasperation. He could not even meet the Head of the Confucians, much less ask him to act.

Why was his life so bitter?

Aside from silver, aside from money, he had nothing.

"Do you want that King of Medicines very badly, Brother Li?" Bai Wangyu thought for a moment before asking.

"Very, very badly," Li Ziye said, nodding vigorously.

"If I'm not mistaken, that King of Medicines is a tribute to the court. According to past practice, His Majesty will bestow such tributes upon meritorious court officials and several favored consorts in the palace. If you want it, Brother Li, you could try finding a way through them," Bai Wangyu suggested.

"That makes sense."

Hearing this, Li Ziye rubbed his chin. While the King of Medicines was with Yan Xiaoyu, he could not get his hands on it. But once it was offered to the court, he would not be entirely without options.

It seemed he would have to trade on his good looks.

Half a day later, at the Zhangsun Family residence.

Zhangsun Fengyu looked at his aunt before him, then glanced at the letter on the table. An odd expression appeared on his face as he said, "Aunt, the Li Family's legitimate son has invited you to go boating on a lake outside the city in three days. Don't you have something to say?"

"Zhangsun Fengyu, I see your skin is itching for a beating again."

A dangerous gleam flashed through Zhangsun Nanqiao's beautiful eyes as she spoke.

"Spare me, Aunt! I won't do it again."

Zhangsun Fengyu promptly admitted defeat, then reminded her, "But you should be careful, Aunt. Judging from my dealings with the Li Family's legitimate son, that fellow is crafty as a thief and difficult to handle. If he's approaching you himself, he must be after something."

"I know. I don't need a brat like you to remind me!"

Zhangsun Nanqiao answered, then seemed to remember something and asked, "Right, how is the matter I entrusted to you coming along? Talk some sense into that Fourth Prince cousin of yours. Tell him not to be so stubborn. Our Zhangsun Family has endured a thousand hardships to fight for power and influence for him, yet he pays no attention to anything. Instead of competing for the throne, he insists on practicing his blasted sword."

"Stop pushing me, Aunt. I've already done my best."

Zhangsun Fengyu smiled bitterly. "It's not as though you don't know Cousin Mubai's temperament. If he were so easily persuaded, we wouldn't have had to work so hard all these years."

"Born into the imperial family, a prince who refuses to do what a prince should do. I truly don't know how my sister gave birth to such a disappointing son," Zhangsun Nanqiao said, furious at his lack of ambition.

"Aunt."

Zhangsun Fengyu's expression suddenly became rather odd. "Didn't the Li Family's legitimate son say he only wanted to become a sword immortal? Cousin Mubai happens to share that ambition. Why not arrange for them to meet? Perhaps those birds of a feather will appreciate each other and help us bring the Li Family over to our side."

"We'd be lucky if they didn't start fighting, never mind appreciating each other."

Zhangsun Nanqiao said irritably, "That brat Mubai has finally encountered an opponent. How could he possibly let it go? The Li Family's legitimate son was personally taught by the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, so his swordsmanship presumably isn't weak either. If either of them got hurt, it would be a huge problem. Stop coming up with rotten ideas. Go cool off somewhere else."

"Haha, I was only making a suggestion. You have a point, Aunt. Forget it, then. We'd better not take that risk," Zhangsun Fengyu replied with a laugh.

Zhangsun Nanqiao paid no further attention to the fool before her. Looking at the letter on the table, an unusual glint flashed through her beautiful eyes.

That fellow's sudden invitation had truly caught her by surprise.

Could he have changed his mind?

In the imperial palace, at the Ninth Princess's residence.

The siblings Mu Rong and Mubai were playing a board game.

The woman was as lovely as a flower, the man as keen as a sword.

Even their exalted status as members of the imperial family could not obscure their own exceptional brilliance.

"Brother, you've lost again."

Mu Rong placed her piece, deciding the game, and spoke with a radiant smile.

"My skill at the game is inferior to yours," Mubai said frankly, setting down his piece.

"It isn't your skill that's inferior, Brother. Your heart simply isn't calm enough."

Mu Rong smiled sweetly. "If I hadn't dragged you into playing with me every day lately, you would probably have gone to challenge the Li Family's legitimate son to a sword match long ago."

"He was taught by the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal. His swordsmanship must be extraordinary. What's wrong with testing it?" Mubai said calmly.

"But why have I heard that the Li Family's legitimate son isn't particularly accomplished in cultivation? Apparently, he only opened his First Divine Treasure recently," Mu Rong said.

"Cultivation isn't important."

Mubai said indifferently, "If he hasn't been cultivating for long, there's nothing strange about his cultivation being insufficient. I only intend to compare swordsmanship with him, not cultivation."

"Brother."

Mu Rong said helplessly, "I understand how you feel, truly. But just because I understand doesn't mean everyone else will. Blades have no eyes. If you accidentally injure the Li Family's legitimate son, you will surely give people ammunition, making the world mistakenly believe our imperial family is deliberately bullying the Li Family. Right now, with the Li Family having only just entered the capital, things are at a sensitive juncture. Please be patient a little longer, Brother."

At her words, Mubai frowned slightly. After a long while, he nodded and said, "I heard Yan Xiaoyu is coming to the capital too."

Mu Rong's hand paused as she gathered up the pieces. She looked up at her brother, her beautiful eyes full of warning. "Brother, you absolutely mustn't act rashly. Yan Xiaoyu is coming as a representative of the Divine Oracle Hall to visit the court and the Imperial Academy. If you hurt him, our Great Shang will have no way to answer to the Divine Oracle Hall."

"Don't worry. I'm not that unreasonable."

Mubai said calmly, "This capital is becoming more and more boring. Everyone is bound by so-called rules, unable to be their true selves."

"Brother, don't let our youngest aunt hear that, or she'll accuse you of lacking ambition again," Mu Rong said with a smile.

"That woman is mad."

The mention of Zhangsun Nanqiao gave Mubai a headache. This youngest aunt alone left him utterly helpless.

She was only a few years older than him, yet belonged to the generation above him, and became completely unreasonable when she flew into a rage. Prince though he was, he could only take a scolding before that madwoman Zhangsun Nanqiao.

Meanwhile, news that the Divine Oracle Hall's Divine Son was coming to Great Shang spread through the capital as swiftly as though it had grown wings.

Thus, this sudden major event completely supplanted the farce involving the Merchant Alliance and the Yin Family Bank, becoming the hottest topic in the capital.

Nobles, commoners, and storytellers alike were discussing Yan Xiaoyu's visit to the capital.

"Have you heard? That Divine Son is coming to the capital to challenge His Highness Mubai, a fellow member of the world's Four Great Heavenly Prodigies."

"Really? Why did I hear that the Divine Son is coming to visit the Imperial Academy and exchange martial insights with Bai Wangyu, the Confucian School's eldest disciple, while he's here?"

"Neither of your stories is reliable. If the Divine Oracle Hall's Divine Son wanted to challenge His Highness Mubai or Bai Wangyu, he would have come long ago. Why wait until now? According to reliable information, Yan Xiaoyu's target on this trip isn't either of them."

"If it isn't His Highness Mubai or Bai Wangyu, who is it?"

"Have you forgotten who has been the most talked-about person in the capital lately?"

"You mean the Li Family's legitimate son?"

"That's right, Li Ziye. I have a relative in Yangzhou City, which is very close to Yuzhou. He said he'd already heard about Li Ziye in Yangzhou-an unparalleled genius who rivals the Four Great Heavenly Prodigies. He was born clutching a sword and could create his own sword techniques at ten. It was precisely because the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal took a fancy to his aptitude that she made a special trip to Yuzhou City to take him as her disciple."

"Gasp! Is Li Ziye really that formidable?"

"Of course. Think about it. Li Ziye had only been in the capital for a few days when that Divine Son followed him here. Isn't his target obvious?"

"Now that you put it that way, it does make sense. That Li Family of Yuzhou City really is extraordinary. Not only is their wealth equal to a nation's, they've also produced such an unparalleled genius."

"The Li Family is going to rise!"

"Had Heaven not birthed me, Li Ziye, the eternal sword Dao would be dark as night!"

Rumors, more rumors. At Li Garden, Li Ziye sprayed out another mouthful of tea upon hearing the rumors raging outside.

"This... this time it wasn't me."

With an expression that said they had misunderstood him, Li Ziye tried to argue his way out.

These people really are uncultured. It was "Had Heaven not birthed Zhongni, eternity would be one long night." How could they tamper with the classics!

Beside him, Bai Wangyu still wore the air of a lofty expert who kept aloof from matters that did not concern him, calmly eating melon.

Zhang Lata took a sip of wine and gave a smile that did not reach his eyes. These days, he did not believe even a punctuation mark of what Li Ziye said.

Hongzhu passed by carrying a plate of dried fruit, casually tossed a piece each to Bai Wangyu and Zhang Lata, then drifted away.

The young master's words? Just listen and leave it at that.

Anyone who believed them was a fool.

"You!"

Li Ziye's face was full of resentment. This was too much bullying!

Which bastard had spread those rumors? He had finally wanted to keep a low profile for once, only to be pushed back onto the crest of the storm.

On the third floor of the Flower Cultivation Garden, a young man dressed as a servant entered and said respectfully, "Tower Master, the rumors have been spread according to your instructions."

"Understood. You may go."

Inside the room, Li Qingzhi, dressed in loose silver-gray robes and a cloak, nodded and spoke indifferently.

The servant acknowledged the order, turned, and left.

Li Qingzhi walked to the window and looked out over the bustling capital. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his stern face.

Little brother, are you pleased with this gift from your second brother?