Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Pei Zhuo was no longer the clueless and naive college student. He immediately realized that his words could later be used as evidence to suspect he could bear children, so he quickly amended, "Imperial Physician Jiang, I need contraceptive decoctions for both men and women. Ideally, the one for men should make them no different from eunuchs, addressing the root cause."

Jiang Lu noted down Pei Zhuo's request and asked, "Would they still be able to perform marital duties?"

Pei Zhuo: "Hmm, I guess so."

Jiang Lu was convinced this was a more efficient lazy way to handle harem politics. The great beauty, in his laid-back way, had devised a permanent fix.

Well, this would save the imperial physicians some trouble too.

He glanced at the Emperor, as if to say, "You heard him, so don’t blame me later if you can’t have a son."

Xiao Xun's expression stiffened slightly. So, Pei Zhuo was still upset.

Pei Zhuo sent Imperial Physician Jiang away: "Go back and get started on the research now. I'll check on your progress later to see if you're slacking off."

Xiao Xun slowly walked to the bedside and took out a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle. "The distiller is ready. See if this matches what you meant by alcohol."

Pei Zhuo uncorked the bottle and sniffed. A strong smell of alcohol hit him, making him sneeze and his eyes water. "Yes, this is it."

Xiao Xun: "I’ve ordered some to be made for the Imperial Medical Bureau. If the summer harvest is good, we’ll produce more."

Pei Zhuo: "Good."

He felt a bit awkward under Xiao Xun’s gaze. To break the tension, he quickly brought up a new task: "I want to set up a Future Technology Museum in the capital, in the former Golden Pagoda Temple. We’ll display the distiller, steam engine, railway train, and the teaching models I mentioned. Open it to students in the morning and to the public in the afternoon."

Teaching should always focus on practical applications. Many of his blueprints weren’t ready for mass production, but they could guide a direction of thought.

Over the past month, Pei Zhuo had used the copper materials confiscated from the Golden Pagoda Temple to create many new gadgets.

When he saw the confiscation list from the Golden Pagoda Temple, he laughed so hard it felt like he lost fifty years of merit. Gold, silver, copper, and iron were expected, but they also found metals like tin and lead—it was like a pillow delivered just as he was falling asleep.

Xiao Xun naturally agreed: "Good."

Pei Zhuo: "Is the Golden Pagoda Temple cleared out? We could pick some female students to start a school there."

Xiao Xun: "Yes."

Pei Zhuo: "I don’t want their future confined to domestic life, so we need to screen for students with aligned intentions. Of course, I’m not saying they can’t marry and have children, but they shouldn’t be confined to the inner chambers."

Xiao Xun thought for a moment and understood the true purpose of Pei Zhuo’s contraceptive decoction.

He gazed at Pei Zhuo with a heavy heart, feeling a sense of loss.

Pei Zhuo rolled his eyes. Why was he still standing there? What did he want?

He racked his brains: "What if... we tried making some cement?"

"A type of mixed mud that hardens like bricks when dried, without needing to be fired in a kiln. It can be used for paving, building houses, and constructing dams..."

"Seventy percent limestone, ten percent clay, a small amount of iron ore and coal, and gypsum, ground into powder, mixed with water to form a slurry..."

"I think we could hire a team to search for mineral resources across Great Xuan, like sulfur mines..."

Xiao Xun, watching him recite like his distracted younger brother, let him off: "I’m going to the Imperial Study. Let me know if you need anything."

Pei Zhuo obediently lay down: "Alright."

In the Imperial Medical Bureau, a large pot was boiling with a dark, bubbling concoction.

Pei Zhuo, having slept well, slipped in through the doorway and found Imperial Physician Jiang, who was using a small scale to weigh various medicinal herbs before adding them to the pot.

Pei Zhuo stood on tiptoe to peer into the pot: "Can I taste it?"

Jiang Lu: "No way!"

Pei Zhuo reluctantly set down the long wooden ladle.

Jiang Lu: "This is Ye Er’s aphrodisiac potion. I’m currently diluting its strength."

Pei Zhuo immediately leapt back three feet: "No wonder it smells so recognizable. Why are you researching this?"

Jiang Lu: "I think its ability to ward off cold is quite good. It’s suitable for elderly folks with cold extremities in winter."

Pei Zhuo, recalling the lingering heat, said, "Then tone it down further."

Jiang Lu: "Naturally. I’ve divided it into two components: cold-dispelling and aphrodisiac. The former is affordable for the public, while the latter can be sold to offset the cost of the former."

Pei Zhuo: "Is it harmful to smell it?"

Jiang Lu: "See, I’ve been inhaling it too."

Pei Zhuo: "Since you can break down the formula, it shouldn’t be hard to find a solution, right? Is there a way to avoid the second or third times?"

Jiang Lu, reading the higher-ups' minds, refused: "There’s no way."

Pei Zhuo: "Then when will you research the birth control tonic?"

Jiang Lu: "I’ll start after finishing this. Master Pei seems very interested in it?"

Pei Zhuo sighed: "I came to suggest that you could first try it on some rats or sows. Feed them the medicine during their breeding season. If it works, stop the medicine, and observe whether the offspring in the next breeding season, without the medicine, have any defects compared to normal ones."

Jiang Lu’s eyes lit up: "Your idea sounds very interesting. I’ll request the Emperor’s approval for a few sows."

Sows seemed quite valuable; pork was expensive in Great Xuan.

Pei Zhuo: "Maybe we should use monkeys instead."

Jiang Lu: "Monkeys would be perfect!"

Jiang Lu, as if finding a kindred spirit, wanted to show Pei Zhuo around the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Pei Zhuo, too tired to move, declined: "You’re still brewing the medicine."

Jiang Lu: "It’s fine. It needs to simmer down anyway."

Pei Zhuo had no choice but to say: "I need to leave the palace."

Jiang Lu, surprised: "You don’t live in the palace?"

Pei Zhuo: "I have classes tomorrow."

Another dreaded Monday; I really don’t feel like teaching.

Jiang Lu, watching Pei Zhuo’s retreating figure, suddenly had an idea and ran up to him: "Can I take your pulse?"

Pei Zhuo was on high alert as he hid his hands behind his back: "What do you want to do?"

Jiang Lu stammered, "Just a brief examination."

Seeing Jiang Lu's hesitant demeanor, Pei Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. He recalled Jiang Lu's initial remark about him being "capable of bearing children" the first time they met. Could that have lingered in his thoughts?

"No."

"Just once, I'm just a bit curious."

Pei Zhuo: "Don't pry into things that aren't your concern."

Wait, was he being overly suspicious? Even in modern times, it takes over ten days to confirm pregnancy. He had just slept with someone last night; how could there be such an immediate effect?

Or was there something physically wrong with him that Imperial Physician Jiang had noticed but was too embarrassed to say directly?

Pei Zhuo, not one to shy away from medical advice, said, "Explain why."

Jiang Lu whispered, "Generally, men who undergo... experiences... might feel some discomfort. I observed that you've recovered quite well. My medicine shouldn't cause..."

Pei Zhuo's face suddenly turned red. Why did Xiao Xun tell the physician how many times they had been intimate?

"I must go."

Li Er quickly followed Pei Zhuo's steps and asked, "Will the enlightenment class continue?"

Pei Zhuo: "Yes, but I won't be teaching personally. I'll be occupied with the women's school for some time."

Li Er: "His Majesty has appointed Yao Jing to help you run the women's school."

Pei Zhuo blinked in disbelief. With a female zhuangyuan as both a role model and an overseer, he could simply send a student to teach and not worry about it.

Was Xiao Xun really being this thoughtful?

Pei Zhuo still remembered when he suggested sending Xiao Zuo to study, and Xiao Xun retaliated by setting up a class for royal offspring.

Had he really changed?

Pei Zhuo's lips curled halfway, but as he took a larger step, he winced due to the soreness in his thighs.

He couldn't laugh. It was unclear which "aspect" of Xiao Xun had changed.

Li Er, acting like Pei Zhuo's secretary, reported the accumulated matters after a day of his absence: "The Grand Tutor has sent a cart of xuan paper, saying it's a gift for the school."

"The printing house has produced a batch of ink, and the daily printing volume has tripled. Please go and check it out."

Pei Zhuo looked at Li Er with trust: "You handle the inspection for me."

"Yes."

Li Er added, "The Grand Tutor appears to be privately contemplating a separation from his wife, but it's kept quiet because their daughter is not yet married. The Grand Tutor says he wants to focus on his writings, so they are living apart, but he hasn't mentioned divorce."

"Mrs. Yang has inventoried the family assets and sent half of them in banknotes to you."

Pei Zhuo felt like a child of divorcing parents, prematurely inheriting their marital property.

But he had no right to inherit it.

"I can't accept these banknotes."

Li Er: "The Grand Tutor said the children will be split equally, so you should accept it. If you don't, Mrs. Yang’s conscience would be troubled, and she might end up donating it to other temples."

Pei Zhuo looked at the banknote Li Er handed over, somewhat surprised. His father in the modern world was just a poor teacher, occasionally earning a few thousand in bonuses for coaching top students in college entrance exams. All those bonuses combined paled in comparison to the rewards he received in Great Xuan for teaching the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was worth a fortune.

Pei Zhuo: "When will your master produce a Crown Prince for me to teach?"

The Emperor said he would observe a three-year mourning period, which was enough time to pave Pei Zhuo's path to becoming the Empress. Li Er recalled what Li Ruyi had said—if the Emperor insisted on being with Pei Zhuo, there might be no heirs, and it would likely end with the throne passing to a brother. Xiao Zuo's age seemed appropriate.

Li Er vaguely replied, "If you count it, there is one, and teaching has already begun."

Pei Zhuo: "Where is there one? Who has one?"

So far, Xiao Xun had only shared his bed, right? He certainly didn't have one!

Li Er: "Don’t worry, sir. It’ll all come to light in time."

Pei Zhuo felt a bitter taste in his mouth: "Have you been spending time with Prince Qin?"

Who taught you to talk like that?

...

Pei Zhuo had never felt a week fly by so quickly. In the blink of an eye, five days had slipped by, and only five days were left until the next detoxification.

If he didn’t settle this matter over the weekend and dragged it out until the last day, it would likely be Wednesday. By Wednesday, a worker’s mind and body were already worn out, and then...

Pei Zhuo closed his eyes. Saturday was the best option.

Rest one day, then rest another.

But wait, if Xiao Xun had him set the time, didn’t that mean he had to invite Xiao Xun over?

Damn, it was a trap. Xiao Xun, that scheming dog, made him handle such an awkward task while staying clean!

This wretched drug would also act up a bit when he was anxious, pushing him to find someone to detoxify with.

On Friday night, Pei Zhuo tossed and turned the whole night, telling Li Er to wake him up at sunrise the next day.

Then, Pei Zhuo forced himself to stay awake all day, skipping his usual sleep-in. By late at night, he felt like he’d fall into a deep sleep the moment he closed his eyes.

Perfect.

Pei Zhuo handed a small note from his pocket to Li Er, yawning as he said, "Take this to His Majesty."

The note said: 3:45 a.m.

In Great Xuan, court began at 5:00 a.m., and there were eight ke in an hour. 3:45 a.m. was five ke before 5:00 a.m.

It would take Xiao Xun a ke to return, meaning he had at most four ke, or one hour.

One session should be enough; any more would delay the morning court.

Having arranged everything, Pei Zhuo fell asleep peacefully.

By the time he woke up the next day, the matter would be settled. As long as he didn't know about it, the embarrassment wouldn't be his.

Li Er carefully followed the instructions, delivering the note to the palace at 3:30 a.m. Li Ruyi, who was on duty outside, asked in confusion, "What are you doing here at this hour?"

Li Er followed Pei Zhuo's routine, not rising as early as the chickens.

Li Er: "I’m delivering a letter for Master Pei."

Li Ruyi: "Is it urgent?"

Li Er: "Master Pei told me to deliver it right at this time."

Li Ruyi: "Okay, I’ll go wake His Majesty."

After all, Pei Zhuo was probably just sending a breakfast menu, and His Majesty would probably be happy about it.

Xiao Xun was awakened by Li Ruyi, thinking there was an urgent matter. He grabbed the clothes at the foot of the bed and put them on, looking as alert as if he were ready to meet his ministers.

Li Er presented a note: "Master Pei said His Majesty would get it as soon as he sees it."

Xiao Xun read the words on the note and fell silent.

He thought Pei Zhuo would wait until the fifth day.

Xiao Xun was baffled: "Why now?"

Li Er dutifully relayed the message: "Master Pei said he’s being considerate of His Majesty’s busy schedule and picked a time that wouldn’t clash with the morning court. He’s asking His Majesty to squeeze in some time despite his busy schedule."

Xiao Xun: "Is he really willing to wake up at the crack of dawn?"

Li Er was puzzled: "Master Pei only slept for two hours and said His Majesty shouldn’t bother waking him."

Xiao Xun thought for a moment, "..."

Honestly, he’d never seen anything like it before.