No Effect Is a Good Effect

In response to the Zerg, the Tull region suspended shipping lanes.

Turkalando's aircraft was basically destroyed due to factors such as the sea flood and the giant moth, so the group returned to Shuangliu Airport by taking a black boat that was secretly sailed at night.

This journey back to China was rather unpleasant.

Although they had a smooth journey thanks to Turkalando's abilities, it was still a long way from the one or two days of sobriety Zhang Xuezhou had imagined after returning to China.

While still swaying on the ferry crossing the sea, Zhang Xuezhou had to open his eyes in another world.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that he rarely had a relaxed and leisurely time, whether in the real world or in this world.

It just so happens that he spent a lot of time traveling in the real world, and this world was no different.

Twelve days passed, Zhang Xuezhou thought he should be on a carriage by now, but to his surprise, he was still lying in the Pingyang Marquis's residence.

"Cousin, you're really something! You actually managed to stay at the Marquis of Pingyang's residence!"

He had barely opened his eyes when Rong Tianding's hushed voice came through.

As long as Zhang Xuezhou wasn't beaten to death on the spot, Rong Tianding felt he didn't need to worry at all, after all, he had already witnessed Zhang Xuezhou's tenacious vitality.

Zhang Xuezhou lay in bed for twelve days, Rong Tianding also spent twelve days comfortably.

They were fed and drunk to their heart's content; the Pingyang Marquis's residence provided them with excellent supplies.

Zhang Xuezhou was now fully conscious and could eat immediately; everything had been arranged in advance by Rong Tianding.

"Haven't we gone with His Majesty to pay respects to our ancestors yet?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"People outside say His Majesty will stay at the Marquis's residence for half a month. We should set off again in two or three days," Rong Tianding said.

"We have to ride in a carriage again!"

Zhang Xuezhou muttered a complaint, but had no choice but to accept that the rest of the journey would still be spent in a carriage.

"That physician from the Marquis's residence, Dr. Du Luo, said you ate something wrong, but he hesitated and wouldn't say what it was. He only said that your stomach was constantly expelling foul gas, and that it even made Grand Historian Sima faint. This sounds very unreliable," Rong Tianding said. "I didn't have any foul gas when I came here."

"I took a pill, then I was carried here, and then I passed out. I can't remember what pill I took!"

Zhang Xuezhou shrugged.

He glanced at Rong Tianding.

Rong Tianding's words were meant to be a general statement, but they also carried several layers of meaning.

One meaning is genuinely asking for the reason; another meaning is telling others.

If the matter could be discussed, Rong Tianding would have a better understanding of the details. If the matter couldn't be discussed, Zhang Xuezhou could tell others by asking Rong Tianding.

When Zhang Xuezhou's perfunctory words reached him, he couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart.

Without knowing the properties of the pills or their medicinal effects, Zhang Xuezhou would never have taken them indiscriminately. Although Zhang Xuezhou was only a half-baked Alchemist, Zhang Xuezhou knowledge far surpassed that of many others.

With just one sentence, Rong Tianding knew that Zhang Xuezhou must have identified the elixir, but the elixir might indeed have some problems.

He wisely stopped asking, and almost simultaneously, another knock sounded on the door.

When Rong Tianding opened the door, he saw the physician Du Luo, followed by several people dressed in fine clothes.

"Your Majesty, Princess, Lord Marquis, Dongfang Shuo has indeed regained consciousness on time, and he seems to be fine now!"

The physician, Du Luo, bowed to the people behind him, which allowed Rong Tianding to distinguish them clearly.

Zhang Xuezhou's jet lag upon waking was impossible to hide, and Rong Tianding had no choice but to reveal it when questioned.

At this time, these people would come to check on the situation as scheduled.

Rong Tianding originally thought that only the physician Du Luo might be outside, but he did not expect so many people to come at once.

He considered bowing and paying his respects, but Zhang Xuezhou, who was in the room, also managed to sit up and bow.

"I never expected that this pill would not only fail to cure your illness, but also almost cause Scholar Dongfang to suffer. I am truly ashamed. Don't worry about us, quickly eat and recover your health," Marquis Pingyang said first.

Marquis Pingyang has been having a lot of headaches lately.

He spared no expense to ensure a good occasion for the new emperor's welcoming banquet.

But the Marquis of Pingyang never expected that such a huge investment would turn into a huge loss.

Ordinary servants would die if they were to test medicine, but the ones testing the medicine were officials of the imperial court.

Zhang Xuezhou, a minor official, wouldn't normally be a problem, but the new emperor's team happened to have a Grand Historian named Sima Tan who loved keeping accounts.

And this guy was even knocked unconscious by the fumes.

After Sima Tan was rescued and regained consciousness, he began to rant about how the Marquis of Pingyang had poisoned the ministers around the new emperor.

This charge is too serious, too serious for the Marquis of Pingyang to bear.

If it weren't for Sima Tan, the matter could have been easily resolved by downplaying it. However, because Sima Tan recorded it, future generations would know about his poisoning of a minister close to the new emperor even centuries later. If the new emperor hadn't punished him, he would have also gotten himself into trouble.

The Marquis of Pingyang was indeed having a hard time lately, the new emperor felt things were also going badly, and Princess Yangxin was even more unable to resolve the issue of the Grand Historian recording historical materials.

Of course, a foolish way would be to kill Sima Tan, but no matter what method was used to kill Sima Tan, it would mean that they were suspected of killing a historian, and thus would be cursed by the officials in charge of the Grand Historian for generations.

These people would inevitably pay attention to their descendants, and would record any misdeeds they committed. Even if the emperor were to bestow any rewards, once the censor-in-chief reviewed these records, the rewards would be impossible to continue, and they might even face severe punishment, making it difficult for their descendants to have a peaceful day from then on.

The act of poisoning a minister can remain in people's memories decades later, while killing a historian can ensure that they will be criticized for centuries to come, causing even more trouble.

Zhang Xuezhou cannot die, nor can Sima Tan.

This situation even forced the new emperor to postpone his trip.

Marquis Pingyang could only be thankful that the fellow had indeed woken up on time, thus getting rid of the trouble.

"It seems this medicine really has no effect," the new emperor said, stroking a fine hair on his chin.

"No effect is a good effect," Princess Yangxin said with a smile, covering her mouth.

Zhang Xuezhou's skull hadn't healed, and he remained in a coma for twelve days. This was a terrible condition, but at least the Marquis of Pingyang was safe.

This avoided an awkward situation for everyone.

Once the physician's examination confirmed the diagnosis, and Sima Tan examined the patient, the matter was severed from the Pingyang Marquis's residence. As for who Zhang Xuezhou would seek medical treatment from afterward, that was no longer the Pingyang Marquis's concern.

"I really feel a little sorry!"

The new emperor sighed repeatedly.

He wanted young, capable, and loyal people, but the new emperor felt he had to add a supplementary condition: these people had to live a long life, less than thirty years was not considered acceptable.

Zhang Xuezhou had many merits, but his short lifespan negated them all.

This made the new emperor want to mentor Zhang Xuezhou, but he also felt that the rewards of such mentorship were not worth it.

He placed Zhang Xuezhou on the marginal list, but the new emperor also showed him some consideration.

If there were any effective treatments, he would prioritize Zhang Xuezhou.

Once the root of Zhang Xuezhou's mental problem is cured, he will definitely cultivate him seriously, and may even let him enter a real position of power in the court in the future.