"Thinking back now, it really does feel like a terrifying dream, haha."
The sun had already risen. I stood in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. It was seven o'clock, and outside, vehicles had arrived, apparently to pick up Rachel Lan for the Eastern District Administrative Hall.
Looking at the ingredients in the fridge, I decided to make fried eggs. The rice I soaked last night would take less than an hour to become a pot of light porridge. I often ate this when I lived alone. The taste wasn't great, but it was nutritious.
"Don't overcook the eggs."
Rachel Lan, still sleepy-eyed and dressed in white silk pajamas, stood behind me. I smiled faintly.
"Alright, half-cooked then."
I had heard bits and pieces about Rachel Lan. In her three years of governance, though her methods were ruthless, she had greatly improved the lives of the locals. Especially those criminals—she wiped them out completely, showing no mercy. She would catch and execute them on the spot.
After breakfast, Rachel Lan glanced at me coldly.
"Tonight..."
"Steamed fish, right? Don't worry, I'll marinate it at noon. It'll be ready for you when you get back tonight."
Rachel Lan wiped her mouth, got up, and left. Xu Fu, standing nearby, covered his mouth and laughed.
"What, have you become a servant now?"
"You can wash the dishes for me, damn it."
Without another word, I grabbed Xu Fu by the collar and pressed him toward the sink. He obediently started washing the dishes.
"Preaching often doesn't work as well as violence. The practice of making an example out of someone has existed throughout history. That little girl did well—she's talented and handles things flawlessly. But you, this isn't the way to go. Are you planning to just settle down and not care about anything anymore?"
I smiled, made some tea, and quietly watched Xu Fu.
"When did you first start wanting to live forever?"
I asked. Xu Fu paused, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Since I was ten, haha.
I was startled, staring at Xu Fu.
"No matter how powerful you are, as a human, you'll always end up as nothing but bones. I've seen too many people throughout the ages—kings and tyrants, masters of intrigue and cunning—who ultimately couldn't escape death. That's why, in those times, the search for immortality and the Dao was so popular, and it allowed frauds like us to enter the center of power, haha."
After the Queen took the ephedra brought by Xu Fu, she slept soundly that night, no longer waking in agony from the severe abdominal pain.
Early the next morning, King Tianjian was delighted and immediately rewarded Xu Qiu and his son with some money. Xu Qiu, feeling anxious, quickly expressed his wish to return home to the king. Though he tried to be indirect, King Tianjian's face changed instantly.
"Oh? Xu Doctor, isn't Her Majesty's illness still uncured?"
"Your Majesty, Xu Qiu only wishes to return home to find new medicines, hoping to help Her Majesty recover as soon as possible."
"No need to say more. Whatever medicine you require, the palace has it all. Just ask for it."
Back in the room, Xu Qiu grew increasingly anxious. After all, ephedra is addictive, and long-term use is not a solution. If anything went wrong, both their heads would be at risk.
"Father, this is all we can do for now. The Queen looked much better this morning. We'll give her ephedra at night, and use astragalus, notoginseng, and licorice during the day. It's been days with no harm, so it should be fine. Dad, you'd better think if there's any other medicine that can relieve pain."
Xu Qiu sighed helplessly. Though he'd sold medicine for years, he knew nothing about medicine itself. Now, at this critical moment, he could only consult medical texts.
Father and son studied all day, but couldn't be sure. After all, they didn't understand pharmacology; a careless mistake could be fatal.
A week passed, and the anxiety of father and son eased somewhat. They found that the Queen's condition seemed to really be improving, though she would still occasionally clutch her chest and abdomen in pain.
"Father, from my observation, Her Majesty might have poison inside her. The books say that when there is internal blockage, the poison seeps into the organs and becomes a serious illness. We should use some detoxifying medicine."
There were many detoxifying medicines, but neither father nor son knew which to use. Nor were they sure about possible side effects. Helpless, Xu Qiu once again asked King Tianjian for permission to return home to personally select the best herbs, then come back to treat the Queen.
At this point, Xu Fu paused, looking dazed as he stared at the steaming tea on the table.
"What's wrong? Even you can make that face?"
Xu Fu shook his head calmly.
"After all, I was born of a mother and father too. When I was ten, my father died, and when I was eleven, my mother passed away. Haha, back then I thought I was doomed. But heaven never blocks all paths."
This time, King Tianjian nodded and agreed to let Xu Qiu go home, but Xu Fu had to stay in the palace. Before leaving, Xu Qiu comforted Xu Fu.
"Don't worry, Fu'er, I'll be back soon."
At the palace gate, father and son parted. Xu Fu never expected that his father would never return.
Back at home, Xu Qiu was still under guard by soldiers. In the herb shop, some medicines were old and rarely used. Helpless, Xu Qiu decided to take the servants and head into the mountains.
However, what Xu Qiu didn't expect was that this time, the general assigned to watch him was a direct member of the Lin family, already bribed by them.
A week later, news arrived: after Xu Qiu went into the mountains to gather herbs, he never came out. The terrain was steep and complex—he might have escaped. The soldiers sent in hadn't found him.
This shocking news made the young Xu Fu immediately sense something was wrong. Whenever he and Xu Qiu went into the mountains, the places with special herbs were always marked. They had discussed which medicines to use, and the mountain always had them. They'd been there many times before.
His father, Xu Qiu, was always careful. Every time he entered the mountains, he'd carve marks on the trees. Xu Fu quickly reported this to King Tianjian.
Three days passed. The report was that no marks had been found. King Tianjian was furious—the Queen's illness had just begun to improve, and now Xu Qiu was missing. He ordered an investigation into false businesses and the herb shop.
"Your Majesty."
Xu Fu knelt on the ground, his small figure trembling violently.
"Hmph, your father has committed the crime of deceiving the king. It's been half a month with no sign of him. I'm afraid..."
"Fu'er will be responsible for curing Her Majesty."
The young Xu Fu kowtowed, looking earnestly at King Tianjian, but the king just burst out laughing.
"You're just a child, how could you..."
"Before my father left, he fully explained Her Majesty's illness to me, and I've memorized the necessary medicines. Please let me take my father's place. If anything happens to Her Majesty, I will accept any punishment."
Xu Fu was imprisoned. For two days, King Tianjian brought in other doctors, but none could figure out the illness. The Queen relapsed, and the anxious king, having no choice, released Xu Fu.
In just one day, Xu Fu stabilized the Queen's condition again using the previous methods.
Xu Fu lived in constant fear. As a child, he had always relied on his father, but now his father was missing, the family home sealed, and he was stuck in the palace. At that moment, a copy of the Huangdi Neijing on the table caught his eye.
"To survive, I have no other choice."
Xu Fu immediately requested a senior doctor as an assistant from King Tianjian, who quickly sent someone to arrange it.
But at that time in Qi, many doctors were terrified, especially of being summoned to the palace to treat the Queen. Her wisdom and virtue were recognized throughout the country.
The other five major states were resisting the Qin army, but only Qi stayed out of it. Though the nation's strength was weak, it was steadily recovering, thanks to the Queen's years of negotiations with Qin and the other states.
Finally, an old doctor over fifty was brought in. As soon as he saw Xu Fu, he beat his chest and stamped his feet in lament.
"Heavens above, earth below, it seems I, Huang Ren, am doomed to die here."
The doctor's name was Huang Ren, a man of good medical skill and ethics. He examined the Queen but couldn't diagnose her illness. He immediately saw through the medicines Xu Fu had used—just delaying tactics. One day, those medicines would stop working.
"Stop shouting, old man. If people outside hear you, it'll be trouble."
Xu Fu had personally chosen Huang Ren. King Tianjian had investigated many doctors, but only Huang Ren was known for his kindness and skill, so Xu Fu picked him.
"You brat, do you know the things you're using are just tricks? You'll be punished by heaven! Heaven cherishes life, you child..."
"Want to live? Old man, don't you want to see your grandchildren?"
Huang Ren's son had just taken a concubine, hoping to continue the family line. But at this critical moment, Huang Ren was summoned to the palace, knowing he was powerless to cure the Queen.
"For two years, I lived in constant fear. After all, two years later, the Queen died."
As Xu Fu spoke, I swallowed and quietly watched him. He looked calm and smiled.
"People will do anything to survive."