Fang Er watched his son’s performance with mixed feelings.
It was out of the question for Fang Xin to marry Gao Yang. For one thing, what if they had another idiot child?
But in this situation, could he argue with Li Shimin?
Wouldn't that result in his son being… well, neutered immediately?
Refuse to marry a princess, and you might as well pee on the Emperor’s face. Did the Emperor still have any dignity left?
Marry her, and it would be a family matter.
Don't marry her, and it would be a full-blown incident!
Forget it, he’d get through this hurdle first. He could find a chance to educate his son properly later.
With that thought, he stopped watching from the courtyard and let Li Shimin have his fun.
He ambled out of the backyard and headed towards Yuan’s courtyard.
The ammunition issue for the hovercraft needed to be resolved sooner. With ammunition, more launchers could be built.
Katyusha’s carpet bombing would definitely crush any opponent’s will to resist.
Upon arrival, Fang Er was surprised to see a plaque hanging outside the courtyard.
The upper couplet read: "Asking heaven, asking earth, asking miracles."
The lower couplet read: "Observing stars, observing the moon, observing humanity."
The inscription read: "Asking Heaven Observatory."
Damn it, was Old Yuan publicly declaring his sovereignty at his residence?
This was preposterous!
He pushed open the courtyard gate with both hands, and after taking two steps, he heard voices from inside.
“Daoist priest, be gentle later, this servant is afraid of pain!”
“Don’t worry, drink this, and I guarantee you won’t feel any pain at all!”
Fang Er was stunned for a moment. It sounded like Sun Simiao and a woman. What was going on?
Old Sun, has he finally broken free from worldly attachments?
He quickly stopped, held his breath, and listened intently to the subsequent events inside. Heh heh heh heh, this couldn’t be considered eavesdropping, could it? You didn’t even bolt the door.
“I’m starting now… it doesn’t hurt at all, just a little bleeding, and it’ll be fine soon.”
“Mmm, Daoist priest, begin.”
“Don’t be so nervous, come, relax.”
~~~~
“Alright, only a little blood was shed. I’ll prescribe some medicine to replenish you later.”
“Oh~~ Heh heh, it’s out!”
“Here’s some paper for you to wipe yourself. There, all done!”
Fang Er: ???
It hadn’t even been ten seconds, and it was already over?
Standing there in a daze for more than ten minutes, he cleared his throat twice before walking inside.
In the courtyard, a woman sat by a stone table, blushing as she pulled her shoulder clothing up.
Old Sun stood beside her and smiled as he greeted Fang Er upon seeing him.
“Hahahaha, young friend, please sit. Let this poor monk finish preparing the medicine for this lady, and then we’ll chat.”
He led Fang Er to the stone table and had him sit opposite the woman, then went directly into the house to prepare the medicine.
Seeing Fang Er, the woman quickly stood up. “This servant greets Your Grace!”
“Alright, sit down and take care to rest.”
Fang Er smiled and nodded slightly at her. The woman was dressed in the attire of the Tianying tribe. He wondered if she was a new mother or a caregiver attending to one.
Upon hearing his words, the woman sat back down with some hesitation, her gaze avoiding Fang Er.
Feeling a bit awkward sitting there, Fang Er made small talk. “How long has it been?”
“Ah?” The woman hadn’t expected Fang Er to chat with her and was startled by the sudden question.
She instinctively replied, “Not, not long, two days.”
Fang Er: ???
Damn it, Old Sun brought someone home after only knowing her for two days?
And in his courtyard too?
This development was too fast!
He glanced around the courtyard. Yuan Tiangang wasn't there either. Had Old Sun kicked him out to make space?
He was having way too much fun!
Old Sun soon emerged from the house carrying a bundle of medicinal herbs wrapped in paper and handed them to the woman. “Take this back and decoct it. One dose daily.”
The woman took the medicine packet and smiled slightly. “Thank you, Daoist priest.”
Then, she bowed to Sun Simiao and Fang Er. “Your Grace, Daoist priest, this servant will not disturb you further. Farewell.”
After she left, Sun Simiao sat down and smiled at Fang Er.
“Hahahaha, young friend, do you know what harvest I’ve had these days?”
Fang Er couldn’t help but roll his eyes. What harvest could he have had, other than… messing with both sisters?
Before he could answer, Old Sun eagerly said, “I’ve figured out the Mafeisan!”
“And, it’s even more effective than legend says!”
As he spoke, he took a wooden tray from the side and placed it on the table.
“Young friend, please look. This is a carbuncle that was just dug out from this lady’s shoulder. I only gave her a small cup, and she felt no pain at all during the entire process.”
Fang Er looked at Old Sun’s ear-to-ear grin and asked, “So, you were digging this out just now?”
“That’s right. And it wasn’t just her. Her sister had a corn on her foot. Yesterday, I also had her take Mafeisan, then directly dug it out with a knife and stitched up the wound.”
“With this Mafeisan, performing surgery will be much easier in the future!”
Speaking of Mafeisan, Old Sun was incredibly happy. This was something he had worked on for several months.
He mentioned Mafeisan twice, and only then did Fang Er react. He jumped up, looking at Sun Simiao in disbelief.
“You just said, Mafeisan?!”
“That’s right, Mafeisan! Would you like to try some? It tastes sweet and sour, I guarantee you’ll want a second cup after the first.”
Old Sun, uncharacteristically, made a joke.
“Mafeisan, this is a groundbreaking item, an absolutely excellent thing!”
“With this, think of how many people can be pulled back from the brink of death!”
“Old Sun, your merit is immeasurable! This item will definitely benefit all the people!”
“Titles like ‘True Man’ or ‘Daoist Priest’ are completely unworthy of your achievements, Old Sun. With the advent of Mafeisan, you deserve the title of Medicine King!”
“Come with me, let’s go see the Emperor!”
Saying that, Fang Er pulled Sun Simiao outside.
Old Sun’s title in later generations was indeed the Medicine King, but that was an honorific bestowed by later generations. He couldn’t be addressed as such now, as it would be presumptuous.
However, with Mafeisan, something that benefited all people, and given Li Shimin’s style, being enfeoffed as a king wouldn't be difficult.
After all, Sun Simiao was merely a person outside the influence of the state, and the perfect candidate for the ‘buying a thousand-li horse with a hundred pieces of gold’ strategy.
“Young friend, that’s not appropriate, not appropriate!”
Sun Simiao broke free from Fang Er and sat back down on the chair with a smile.
“Although I walk in the secular world, I am ultimately a practitioner of cultivation.”
“My purpose in practicing medicine and saving lives is for the common people of this world, not for fame or fortune.”
“To be able to study medicine and teach people to save lives here with you, this old Taoist is already content.”
“Therefore, the title of Medicine King is best forgotten. Please do not mention it again in the future.”
Fang Er’s expression turned solemn with respect. He bowed deeply to Sun Simiao. “Old Sun, your integrity is admirable. This junior is deeply impressed!”