Chapter 123: Courteous Treatment

Fujiwara no刷雄 was eventually "escorted" back to the official relay station under the coercion of Li Cui’s guards. Upon leaving, he repeatedly expressed his admiration for Zhen Qian and vowed to visit again the following day.

After Fujiwara no刷雄 departed, Li Cui offered a few more words of persuasion, mostly empty platitudes about serving the imperial court and the duty of those who eat the monarch’s grain. These remarks only served to make Zhen Qian realize how tight-lipped Li Cui was; he offered no critique of state affairs whatsoever, leaving his true stance a complete mystery.

Under the influence of fine wine and rich food, Li Cui eventually became dead drunk. Zhen Qian, relieved of the burden of playing the attentive host, finally managed to slip away to the front courtyard to enjoy the comforts of his household.

Zhen Qian rarely refused the allure of beautiful women; as for the "sugar-coated bullets" of life—he would gladly consume the sugar and return the shells without hesitation. Having enjoyed the company of a Western beauty just yesterday, he now curled up with a sentimental young girl and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, casting all thoughts of the Princess’s treatment to the back of his mind.

The saying that "a bed of gentleness is the grave of heroes" is never wrong. Whether it was from staying up too late talking with Li Cui or because Li Cui had simply forgotten about him, it was not until Zhen Qian had finished washing up and was eating breakfast the next morning that Li Cui appeared behind him. "The breakfast looks quite sumptuous. Is there a seat for this Prince?"

Zhen Qian was busy devouring a bowl of tofu pudding in one hand and a fried dough stick in the other. Hearing the voice behind him, he turned to see Li Cui standing there with dark, panda-like bags under his eyes.

"Your Highness, please sit. I assumed Your Highness had not yet risen, so I dared not disturb you!"

Li Cui snorted through his nose. "It was you who had not risen. I have been awake since the hour of the Rooster (5-7 AM) and sent people to check on you multiple times, only to discover you have the habit of sleeping in. Perhaps next time, I should send you a few beautiful maids to serve you in your sleep!"

"I would never refuse!" Though his heart desperately wanted to agree to such a blessing, he knew better than to say it aloud.

Li Cui was deeply dissatisfied with this irresponsible, mediocre doctor, who had not even bothered to attend to the Princess early in the morning. He was so angry he had nearly sent men to drag Zhen Qian out of his blankets.

Zhen Qian noticed that although Li Cui’s tone was cold, his complexion was decent, leading him to believe the Princess’s condition was not critical.

"If Your Highness truly intends to send a few beautiful maids, I would certainly not refuse!" Only a fool would turn away such an offer. To be honest, he had seen a few maids the day before who were far more beautiful than the international celebrities of later ages. Fortunately, while he had the desire, he lacked the gall; he could only drool in private, never daring to act on his impulses.

"In your dreams!" Li Cui sat down opposite Zhen Qian. Just as someone brought over a set of tableware to place before the Prince, an elderly, beardless eunuch arrived carrying Li Cui’s own luxurious service: imperial-grade celadon porcelain with ice-crack patterns and gold-rimmed edges, paired with gold-plated ivory chopsticks. The sight made Zhen Qian want to claim them for himself.

"The Princess’s complexion was quite good early this morning. Following your advice, she drank some rice porridge and fell back asleep."

"A patient should consume light, digestible food. As the saying goes, illness comes like a landslide but departs like pulling silk. The Princess’s body is currently very weak. Let her drink more rice porridge for now; once the root of the illness is removed, we can gradually introduce less spicy foods."

"I am aware of all this, but I did not expect you to be so well-versed in medicine."

"These were passed down by the Zhen family ancestors!" The Zhen clan was not only proficient in mathematics but also skilled in medicine. There was an ancient saying that if one could not be a good official, one should become a famous doctor. In the early Tang Dynasty, the brothers Zhen Quan and Zhen Liyan were renowned physicians who authored medical texts that were passed down to later generations. In that sense, the Zhen family was a medical lineage—it was just a pity he knew nothing of medicine himself.

"I have indeed heard that the Zhen family excels in both mathematics and medicine, producing many talents. The fact that you passed the mathematics examination at such a young age is proof of the Zhen family’s deep mastery of the subject."

Zhen Qian smiled. His own math skills had nothing to do with the Zhen family, but who would believe that?

Seeing that Li Cui did not again invite him to serve as an official, Zhen Qian felt much better. He began chatting with Li Cui about the local customs of Luquan County. Just as the conversation reached its peak, Feng Wannian appeared at the door once more to request an audience.

Feng Wannian did not want to come, but according to official protocol, local officials had to pay their respects to the Prince morning and evening—or rather, to this "plague god."

Upon hearing that Feng Wannian requested an audience, Li Cui refused without a second thought. "I am perfectly fine. Tell him to go back! Wait... tell him to keep a close watch on the Japanese envoys and ensure they don't wander about!"

Speak of the devil!

Hardly had they mentioned the Japanese envoys when Fujiwara no刷雄 showed up. This time, however, he did not come empty-handed; he brought some gifts for Li Cui. Unfortunately, Li Cui held them in utter contempt and casually tossed them to Zhen Qian, much to his delight—he wished the envoy would bring more such gifts often.

Now, Zhen Qian actually hoped Fujiwara no刷雄 would stay in Luquan County a little longer. In fact, when Feng Wannian had requested an audience earlier, he had also brought many local specialties, but Li Cui had rejected them all. Zhen Qian was so angry he cursed Li Cui under his breath for being a spendthrift—didn't he know he could just pass them on to someone else?

Of course, that "someone" would be himself.

It was unclear whether the relay station provided meals for the Japanese envoys. The moment Fujiwara no刷雄 entered, he began eating like a starving ghost. Ignoring Li Cui’s darkening expression, he continued to eat while clicking his tongue in praise: "If anyone were to tell me that Official Zhen’s culinary skills are the best in the world, I would certainly agree..."

"Do the Japanese not know that one should not speak while eating or sleeping?"

It was as if the man who had been chatting so freely at the table just a moment ago was not Li Cui himself. Zhen Qian found this strange; Li Cui’s attitude toward the envoys had been unfriendly from the start. Could there be something going on that he was unaware of?