The Officials' Children

Tian Tian was the son of Tian Fen, and Zhou Jiande was the son of Marquis Pingqu, Zhou Jian.

Marquis Tian Fen of Wu'an was a rising star in the court, a marquis who had been visited by the new emperor after his ascension to the throne. He was as influential in Chang'an City as Shen Pei and others, and had a good relationship with them.

Marquis Pingqu, Zhou Jian, was not particularly famous, but his elder brother was Grand Commandant Zhou during the reign of Emperor Jing, and his ancestors were also capable individuals, making his Lineage powerful and influential.

With Qu Nihou's verification and Chen Zhang's strong recommendation, Tian Tian, who had suffered a leg injury, and Zhou Jiande, who had been slashed in the back, were carried to the guest house the next day.

"That Li Guang is truly ungrateful. Our family offered him a hundred taels of gold to perform his magic, but he completely ignored us," Tian Tian said resentfully.

"Even our family couldn't persuade Commander Li to come. He said that guarding His Majesty's duties are heavy, and arbitrarily transferring him could easily incite thugs to attack and kill His Majesty!"

Zhou Jiande also sighed.

Li Guang's reasons were so compelling that they had nothing to say, and no one could take responsibility for the risks the new emperor might face.

Although they were both sons of high-ranking officials, they couldn't get Li Guang to treat them. They could only ask a physician to perform the procedure and apply medicine, and then they stayed home to recover.

This is why Chen Zhang was still able to wander around looking for a doctor, while the two of them did not come.

If they hadn't seen that Chen Zhang's injuries had healed, the two would have continued to stay at home.

"Divine doctor, ten taels of silver! If you cure me, you will get every single one!" Tian Tian cried, hugging his leg.

He injured the inside of his thigh and chafed his genitals. Tian Tian couldn't stand, watch the singing and dancing, or get close to women. His cultivation had to be stopped. This wound almost robbed him of all the joy in life.

For him, ten taels of silver was just a small amount of his usual pocket money; if it could help his wounds heal, that would be even better.

"I'm willing to pay ten taels of silver for medical treatment!"

Zhou Jiande lay on the wooden board, clearly displeased with his injuries.

He just went out to see the lanterns, never expecting to be slashed in the back by someone in the crowded area.

He can stand and sit now, but he can't lie down and fall asleep normally, and he's had enough of the torment.

If it weren't for the fact that Chen Zhang and Qu Nihou only spent ten taels of silver to treat their illnesses, he would have been willing to pay an even higher price for medical treatment.

"Hundred gold!"

Hearing Tian Tian mention that the price for asking Li Guang to help was a hundred gold pieces, Zhang Xuezhou was filled with envy.

Even though it's the same procedure of healing wounds, the price can vary depending on who performs the treatment.

Li Guang could easily earn hundreds of gold coins with just a casual gesture.

Different social strata lead to different ways of making money, and the amounts involved are also completely different.

Thinking back to how he had previously performed the procedure with only ten and a half taels of silver, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel envious.

But he wasn't overly greedy either.

Compared to when he first arrived in Chang'an, his current wealth is more than ten times greater.

If a few more of these suckers came along, Zhang Xuezhou felt he would live a very comfortable life.

He had considered his luck and felt that he should have no problem getting ten taels of silver for medical treatment.

Firstly, Qu Nihou, Chen Zhang, and others were second-generation members of Lineage of high-ranking officials in the imperial court, making them, in Zhang Xuezhou's eyes, almost like benefactors.

Secondly, compared to Li Guang's fees, his charges were merely normal expenses for these people, and were not excessive.

The third reason is that after treating these four people, Zhang Xuezhou must also raise his stall prices to avoid being criticized by them. This would cause him to lose a lot of ordinary customers, and he might not have any business for a long time.

But Zhang Xuezhou wasn't too bothered; this wave of business had been enough to sustain him for quite some time.

Moreover, if he doesn't do business dealing with sprains and bruises, he can do other things, and once this whole thing calms down, he can go back to his old profession.

"Please don't worry, I'll heal your injuries once I recover some of my Law Power!"

Tian Tian was Technique Method, but her cultivation level was lower than Zhang Xuezhou's, so the treatment was not difficult for her.

Zhou Jiande is at the Body Transformation Realm, with cultivation comparable to Wei Shao'er, and Zhang Xuezhou is adept at treating martial artists of this level.

He agreed to the matter, which immediately put Tian Tian and Zhou Jiande at ease.

"Then who will you treat first?" Tian Tian asked.

"I can only treat one person at a time. Is there anyone among you who has the gentlemanly spirit to wait?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"I have!"

Tian Tian reluctantly agreed.

He had intended to present Zhang Xuezhou with a choice to see how discerning the other party was and who he leaned towards, but he never expected that Zhang Xuezhou would dig a pit for him to fall into.

But the way Zhang Xuezhou offered her wasn't bad; Tian Tian felt she could at least gain some fame.

The pain was still unavoidable and had to be endured, so Tian Tian could only chat aimlessly with Chen Zhang to pass the time.

"Brother Chen, you usually stay at your residence practicing swordsmanship, it's rare to see you go out. What brings you here today?" Tian Tian asked curiously.

While it's important for the children of officials to interact and build friendships, everything they do is built on the foundation laid by their parents. If their parents fall from power, any friendships among the children of officials become meaningless.

For the friendships among the children of officials to be effective, the children themselves must be outstanding and have the ability to gain influence in government; only then is an alliance possible.

Some children of officials couldn't see through this connection and spent their days indulging in things like bird-walking and horse racing, but Tian Tian saw it very clearly, and Chen Zhang should have seen it very clearly as well, and this even included Zhou Jiande and others.

Tian Tian was somewhat surprised that Chen Zhang was being so friendly.

"Actually, I... I came with you mainly to see a woman!"

If it were an ordinary son of an official, he might have simply brushed it off, but Chen Zhang was really not good at this.

After much hesitation, he finally spoke and revealed his thoughts.

"Looking at women? You don't go to brothels to look at women, but come to an inn to look at women?" Tian Tian asked curiously. "Most of the people in inns are from out of town doing business. Even the women there are usually weary from their travels. You're actually interested in this kind of thing?"

"You have no idea what I saw yesterday. She had such bright eyes and white teeth that even the sun and moon paled in comparison," said Chen Zhang.

"I'm glad you like it!"

Tian Tian thought about it and realized that she had already given birth to a son, while Chen Zhang was still unmarried. She felt that Chen Zhang was too ignorant in this regard, and that he had actually developed an interest in women of the night, and even longed for them day and night.

Tian Tian also liked beautiful women, but he certainly wouldn't use beauty as a factor when choosing a wife or concubine.

For large Lineage, there is a set of standards for what kind of woman to marry, which involves etiquette, knowledge, speech, Lineage relationships, etc. Only a marriage between equals can meet their needs.

Moreover, if Tian Tian wanted a beautiful woman, he could simply spend money to visit a brothel.

He certainly wouldn't be interested in finding a beautiful woman.

Thinking of Chen Zhang's reputation as a "martial arts fanatic," Tian Tian couldn't help but feel that Chen Zhang's brain had become dull from practicing martial arts so much.

"But this guy isn't very bright, though he's incredibly perceptive when it comes to right and wrong. He always says Dad is hypocritical and unreliable!"

Chen Zhang may stumble when it comes to women, but his judgment when it comes to men is extremely accurate.

Many people praised his father, Marquis Tian Fen of Wu'an, but his own family knew only their own affairs.

If there wasn't a need, his father wouldn't have been so humble that even Tian Tian felt it was fake.

But at present, only a few people, such as Master Chen, a martial arts fanatic, know the true nature of their father.