by N/A
"A little." Du Xiao Li said, "In the past, I used to live in the southwestern direction, not very far from the Miao border. Exiting our county, then cross another few hundred meters is the Miao borders. In the past, when there's nothing to do, I would study this, but not very deeply."
"You're very knowledgable in both medicine and poison already, but never thought you've also dabbled in gu arts." Qing Chen said with a sigh.
Du Xiao Li smiled. She actually didn't use that much time. Just, because her IQ was rather high, she could learn everything very quickly. Besides, her medical skills were from her past life, so she didn't spend too much time on this subject. More of her time was actually spent on researching poison. This gu is also indeed like she said, not a subject she studied in depth. She only understood some relatively basic and simple ones. The overly complicated gu arts, she also didn't know.
The gu in the Grand Empress Dowager's body should be the person relying on the fact that no one here understands gu, thus used the lowest level of gu.
Hu Yi Jian looked to Du Xiao Li in praise and then said to the Grand Empress Dowager, "Nevertheless, I should still take your pulse for you."
"Alright."
The Grand Empress Dowager extended her arm, letting Hu Yi Jian take her pulse. Hu Yi Jian went forward and meticulously took her pulse for a while. Afterwards, he let go and returned to his own seat, saying: "You body is quite well maintained, should be able to endure the impact of forcing out the gu."
"These are all thanks to your little disciple." Hearing Hu Yi Jian say this, the Grand Empress Dowager was also very happy and beckoned her hand towards Du Xiao Li. Once Du Xiao Li walked over, she pulled her over and sat her down next to her. "During this period of time, she has been using medicinal cuisine to help adjust my body, else this body of mine afraid wouldn't have many more days to live!"
"Grandma Han's words are too serious. Xiao Li is just did what a doctor and a younger generation should do, that's all. Moreover, grandma Han definitely can live a long life." Du Xiao Li said with a smile.
Fan Nuo'er, seeing everyone in the entire room all looking to Du Xiao Li, and then hearing Du Xiao Li's words, lowered her head and muttered, "Just know how to flatter!"
Hu Yi Jian asked about when they will remove the gu, and Du Xiao Li explained that she was currently concocting the medicine to inhibit the gu and needed two days' time. That's why the time was initially set for the day after tomorrow.
Learning that Du Xiao Li still needed to prepare the medicine, Hu Yi Jian and the others just had Du Xiao Li kicked back to the medicine room. And after Wang Ze and Nuo'er finished arranging the room, they had them go rest, while the three elderly gathered to reminisce about the past.
As Du Xiao Li was leaving, she looked to the three chatting and laughing, and smiled. To be able to remain friends for decades in this era is also a relatively hard to come by thing.
"Shishu, please wait a moment."
T/N: Sorry these chapters have been late, I haven't been well, I'll have the sponsor chapter finished tomorrow.
Ch. 079.2 – To Not Want Face When Given (2)
To Not Want Face When Given (2)
T/N: Chapter sponsored by Mochakat9 and Momoko! Thank you for sponsoring!
As Du Xiao Li was leaving the courtyard, about to return to the medicine room, she heard someone call for her. Turning around, she saw Fan Nuo'er and asked, "Fan Nuo'er disciple, do you need something?"
"Shishu, I want to go together with you to the medicine room, want to see how shishu is going to concoct the medicine for inhibiting the gu, is that okay? Perhaps, I can also help you!" Fan Nuo'er said, getting right to the point. However, why did her words not sound like a request, but rather more like an order.
Du Xiao Li smiled and said, "You all have been traveling for a few days, and must be very tired now. Why don't you go rest first. As for making the medicine, I can handle it myself. If there's the need, I will ask for your help. Xia Yuan, send disciple Nuo'er to go rest."
"Miss Nuo'er, this way." Xia Yuan walked out from behind Du Xiao Li and made a gesture at Fan Nuo'er.
"Then Nuo'er won't disturb you. Just, little shishu, sometimes when doing things, one should best act within one's own capabilities. One shouldn't randomly use the Grand Empress Dowager for experiments. Else, if something happens, it'll implicate the entire Medicine King Valley and Prime Minister Manor." Fan Nuo'er finished saying and left first, no longer looking at Du Xiao Li. Xia Yuan quickly went after her to lead her to her temporary residence.
"She's just rather full of youthful vigor, don't take it to heart." Qing Chen came out from the courtyard and said to Du Xiao Li.
Du Xiao Li looked to Qing Chen, his head of silver hair shining under the sunlight. In addition to his fullbody white robes, and his calm expression, he really did somewhat give off the feeling of 'untainted by the mortal world'. She nodded her head at him and said, "I know."
(T/N: Qing Chen's name translates to 'clear of dust', so 'untainted by the mortal world' is synonymous with his name.)
Qing Chen looked to Du Xiao Li and felt she really was an unusual girl of the mortal world. She was neither arrogant nor impatient, calmly conducting herself in society, like she'd already experienced 'the blue sea turning into the mulberry fields'. Clearly she was the one that was younger, yet she was very tolerable of Fan Nuo'er's temper, like she was actually the older one.
(T/N: I really like the idiom 'the blue sea turning into the mulberry fields', it's one of my favorites. It means along the lines of 'great changes in the world'.)
"Do you need my help for preparing the medicine?"
"If senior brother doesn't have anything else to do, you're welcome to help me." Du Xiao Li replied.
The reason why she didn't agree to Fan Nuo'er was because she didn't see the intention to help from Fan Nuo'er's eyes. She merely just wanted to see how she was going to do it. Since her mind wasn't on helping prepare the medicine, then her going would just would only be a hinderance. But Qing Chen however really did want to help her, wanting to have the medicine developed as quickly as possible. That's why she was willing to invite him.
After the two went to the medicine room, they researched all the way into the evening. Right before dinner, Xia Yuan came to tell them to go eat, only then did Du Xiao Li and Qing Chen finally leave the medicine room. The specifics of the medicine have already been configured. The rest was just turning the medical ingredients into a pill tomorrow.
Arriving at the dining hall, Du Xiao Li saw the originally one able having already turned into two. She looked to the skies, 'How did it become this many people?'
"Your Highness, Ding Wang, are you thirsty? How about drink some water?" Fan Nuo'er's voice came through, attracting Du Xiao Li's attention. Du Xiao Li looked over, just happening to see Fan Nuo'er placing a cup of water in front of Han Ming Yi. Her body moving closer to Han Ming Yi with a seducing smile.
(T/N: Well someone's thirsty and it ain't Ding Wang------)
Du Xiao Li's mood instantly withered. She looked to those large weapons on Fan Nuo'er's chest, and then looked to her own little buns, can't help but to pout as she shot a glare at Han Ming Yi.
Han Ming Yi already knew Nuo'er's identity. He glanced to the cup she placed before him, but didn't move. Suddenly, he sensed a furious gaze, and when he turned his head to look, Du Xiao Li had already shifted her eyes, turning away. He immediately got up and walked towards her.
Seeing Han Ming Yi ignore her and walking over to talk to Du Xiao Li as soon as she appeared, Fan Nuo'er angrily stomped her foot.
"Li'er." When Han Ming Yi came to the flower gardens, he caught up with Du Xiao Li and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.
"What?" Du Xiao Li looked to that devilish good looks of his and suddenly wanted to draw a few turtles on there, seeing if that way, whether there will still be women jumping into his arms or not.
"You're angry?" Han Ming Yi said.
"Ah? What angry? What is there to be angry ab
out?"
Han Ming Yi held onto Du Xiao Li's hand, not letting her move, "If you're not angry, then how come you just left as soon as you saw me and that shizhi of yours?"
Du Xiao Li rolled her eyes at him and said, "I'm just going to bring two jars of grape wine for shifu. Since you're here, then let's go together."
"Bring wine?" Han Ming Yi heard Du Xiao Li's words, and the corner of his lips twitched. Normally, in this kind of situation, shouldn't one be jealous and angry? Just now, he'd clearly sensed she was upset.
"Are you going or not?"
"Keke, going, let's go then." Han Ming Yi coughed once.
The two went to the wine cellar to move two jars of grape wine. When they returned to the dining hall, everyone had already taken their seats. Du Xiao Li let Han Ming Yi put a jar of wine at each table, and then opened the seal. A burst of the sweet smell of grape wine filled the entire dining hall.
"Shifu, this is the grape wine that I previously had the people on the estate ferment, have a taste." Du Xiao Li let Bai Ning Yuan pour the wine for that table, while she herself poured wine for her table. However, the Grand Empress Dowager could only watch and couldn't drink.
"Your servants even know how to do this?" Fan Nuo'er lifted the wine cup and took a sniff, and then said in a strange tone, "Isn't this the Li family winery's wine? Little shishu, could it be that you took someone else's wine and said it was fermented by your servants?"
The atmosphere in the dining hall that was still considered warm instantly turned somewhat stiff. Wang Ze looked to Fan Nuo'er and berated, "Nuo'er!"
"I'm just telling the truth as it is!" Fan Nuo'er innocently looked to Wang Ze and said, "Besides, shifu, you were the one that told me, this grape wine is the fruit wine solely produced by the Li family winery. Aside from the Li family winery, no other winery know how to produce it. Although little shishu has grapes here, she still can't say that this is fermented by her servants!"
"Shut up! Little junior sister, Nuo'er is young and senseless, don't take her words to heart." Wang Ze looked to Du Xiao Li and apologetically said.
Again with young and insensible!
This was her second time today hearing this excuse. Du Xiao Li coldly scoffed inside. In the afternoon, Qing Chen at the time couldn't come out, so didn't stop Fan Nuo'er's words in time, but Wang Ze was here right now, yet waited for Fan Nuo'er to finish before coming to say she was 'young and senseless'! The meaning in this, how could she not understand.
"En, speaking of which, disciple Nuo'er is only older than me by five six years, indeed rather young." Du Xiao Li pretended to carelessly say, "Since senior brother already said she's young and senseless, I can't nitpick too much about it, right?"
Du Xiao Li's words made both Wang Ze and Fan Nuo'er's faces turn red. Her meaning was also very obvious. Fan Nuo'er was older than her by five six years, yet you used young and senseless to brush over her behavior, are you all not embarrassed!?
"I didn't say anything wrong, could it be that this isn't the Li family winery's uniquely produced grape wine?" Fan Nuo'er glared at Du Xiao Li and questioned.
Ch. 079.3 – To Not Want Face When Given (3)
To Not Want Face When Given (3)
After Du Xiao Li finished pouring everyone wine, she finally returned to her own seat and said, "Who said only the Li family's winery has this grape wine?"
"It's something everyone all knows, what is there for you to deny?" Fan Nuo'er glanced to Du Xiao Li and said in disdain.
"Since everyone all knows this grape wine is produced by the Li family winery, then do you know where the recipe for this grape wine came from?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"Don't tell me it's yours?" Fan Nuo'er said with a scoff.
Du Xiao Li didn't reply and continued asking, "Do you know where this grape came from? And who's the first person that planted it"
"How would I know?!" Fan Nuo'er said.
"This grape I discovered six years ago in the mountains behind Du village. Afterwards, they were transplanted out of the mountains and grown in mass, rapidly developing in these last six years. They've spread all over in both the north and south. Since the grapes were discovered by me, then for me to know the recipe for fermenting grape wine is only a logical thing, right?" Du Xiao Li slowly said.
"You say grapes are discovered by you, so it is?" Fan Nuo'er said with a skeptical look, "I can even say it's discovered by me!"
"This grape is indeed first discovered by little junior sister. At that time, when she gave us some, we didn't even know!" Niu Jing said, "That's right, the first time we drank grape wine, it was even personally fermented by you, right? At the time, young general Ji drank half a jar at once!"
"I also heard Leng Er say this before, said big brother Liu Feng drank a lot all at once. In the end, it was big brother Yi that stopped him, else everyone else wouldn't have drank any." Du Xiao Li recalled back to that time and also found it funny.
"Ha, I hear someone talking bad things about me." Ji Liu Feng's voice suddenly came in from outside, startling everyone in the room. Following which, Ji Liu Feng in ivory white robes walked in from outside.
"Big brother Liu Feng, what are you doing here?" Du Xiao Li said as she got up.
"Haha, I naturally came to catch you red-handed! See, just happened to let me hear you say bad things about me!" Ji Liu Feng said and then bowed towards the Grand Empress Dowager.
"Liu Feng, you've come, haven't seen you since mid-autumn!" The Grand Empress Dowager waved her hand at Ji Liu Feng.
"Liu Feng has been handling matters at the army barracks this whole time, and heard that Du Xiao Li has an estate here. This is also my first time coming!" Ji Liu Feng replied, then seeing there was poured grape wine on the table, he very consciously lifted the bowl and began drinking.
"Where was I saying bad things about you? I was just describing what happened that time." Du Xiao Li let Qiao Zhu add a stool for Ji Liu Feng and then continued their conversation just now.
"Wasn't that because the grape wine you made back then was too tasty, so I unconsciously drank more than half a jar!" Ji Liu Feng argued back, "At that time, when I heard you say the Li family winery wanted to buy your recipe, I even thought you were joking. Never thought that in the end, you really gave them the recipe."
"I didn't give it to them alright, that was a partnership." Du Xiao Li said.
"Alright, partnership. Anyways, it's just you working together with them, right?" Ji Liu Feng said, and then strangely looked to Du Xiao Li, "Say, what is that head of yours made of? At the time, how old were you only, to already know how to ferment grape wine!?"
Du Xiao Li saw Wang Ze and Fan Nuo'er's faces turning somewhat unsightly and secretly laughed to herself inside. Ji Liu Feng really was too generous. On the surface, he pretends to be criticizing her for making fun of what he did in the past, yet in his words, he revealed that she was actually the fruit wine's creator. This was much more effective than directly just saying that grape wine was created by her! Slapped Fan Nuo'er's face, yet on the surface didn't even harm their faces.
"Enough you, what my head is like, why don't you pry it open and see?" Du Xiao Li slyly shot a glare at Ji Liu Feng, "You still haven't eaten, right? Xia Yuan, bring big brother Liu Feng a set of bowl and chopsticks."
When Qiao Zhu had gone to add a seat for Ji Liu Feng, Xia Yuan had already went and prepared Ji Liu Feng's bowl. Hearing Du Xiao Li's words, she had the bowl and chopsticks brought over.
"Haha, then I'll help myself." Ji Liu Feng took the bowl and chopsticks and began eating with everyone.
As for the matter regarding the grape wine, they also didn't continue down that line any longer, because continuing would only make Fan Nuo'er lose face. For better or worse, she was still a guest, and also someone of the Medicine King Valley, it's not like they can completely disregard this.
With Ji Liu Feng, this living treasure, present, the atmosphere in the dining hall livened up again. After learning that he and Han Ming Yi, as well as Du Xiao Li,
were all acquainted in the past, Meng Jiang Zhuo had him talk about things in the past.
Meng Jiang Zhuo's suggestion received everyone else's approval. The Grand Empress Dowager was also somewhat curious as to what happened back then to have made this somewhat cold grandson of hers become this dead set on her.
Thus, this evening meal became Ji Liu Feng's personal talk show. He had Du Xiao Li's matters back then all recounted once, like Du Xiao Li saving Han Ming Yi and getting kicked by him, and then also kicking him back. He talked about when she went into the mountains and picked up a wolf, naming it Silver, talked about when she studied how to distinguish medical ingredients with Niu Jing, digging up medical herbs to sell, and also talked about when she planted grapes, fermented grape wine, and bought a mountain to plant fruit trees, especially at the time, many guards of the imperial family went to become farmers to help her plant tangerine trees. That was really a sight to behold. He even mentioned talking about the kiddy engagement back then.
"Oh? Turns out, you two already had an oral agreement back then!" Meng Jiang Zhuo and the others happily listened to Ji Liu Feng talk about their days back in the Du village, and upon hearing about the kiddy engagement, she teased with a laugh.
"Hehe, so the Emperor bestowing the marriage can be considered realizing the oral agreement back then." The Grand Empress Dowager contently looked to Du Xiao Li.
Although Han Ming Ze was the Emperor, her favorite was still Han Ming Yi. He was also the grandson she heartached over the most. Seeing Han Ming Yi continuously unwilling to take a consort, they once also thought of bestowing him women and whatnot, but in the end, were all refused by him. It was also because of this that the rumor of him not touching women spread.
Afterwards, she had Han Ming Yi called to the forbidden palace alone to ask him. And Han Ming Yi told her, he had a girl in his heart, and was waiting for her to enter the capital. He didn't want to have any other women before her, else she would disdain him.
At the time, the Grand Empress Dowager was quite angered. A dignified wangye, never mind wanting three thousand beauties, instead, for the sake of one woman, refused all other women. But Han Ming Yi was resolute in his stance, not willing to yield a single step. Afterwards, he said something that made her chose to respect his decision.