"Father, you have truly brought shame upon me!"
After two months of studying in the palace without even catching a glimpse of the Fourth Princess, Qin Kuan returned home filled with resentment—rumors said the princess was busy, but others claimed she only wished to see the four who entered with fanfare and drums, while she detested those like him who were bound and brought into the palace at midnight, so much so that she refused to study with them.
This deeply saddened Qin Kuan, a young man with budding affections. Moreover, in the palace, the attitude of the minor attendants from the princess's residence toward him was worlds apart from their treatment of Mo Qi.
Mo Qi was the son of the Minister of Revenue, sixteen years old and less handsome than Qin Kuan, yet he was the most popular in the academy. Qin Kuan believed this was because his own father opposed the Fourth Princess, while the Minister of Revenue supported her.
Thus, he couldn't even direct his resentment elsewhere—he could only blame his own father.
Qin Kuan felt he had fallen in love with Her Highness at first sight and ached to see the princess so exhausted every day. Moreover, having heard certain things in the palace, he had already been thoroughly indoctrinated.
In short, as an admirer of the princess, he now felt deeply aggrieved on her behalf: Why would his father harm such a wonderful princess?
His father, General Qin, veins bulging faintly on his forehead, cursed in frustration, "Get out! I should have killed you long ago and sent your elder brother into the palace instead!"
Qin Kuan grew somewhat smug. "Send him into the palace? A mere illegitimate son—is he worthy of Her Highness?"
He even felt a touch of inferiority. "To be honest, my mother is so beautiful. If not for your unattractive looks, Father, and the unfortunate features you passed down to me, I could have been even more handsome. Father, you have no idea—that Mo Qi lad has such rosy lips and fair skin—"
General Qin was on the verge of striking him.
Having fathered this youngest son only in his thirties, the family had always doted on Qin Kuan, holding him in the palm of their hands. In the past, it was tolerable—he was merely disobedient and a bit foolish. But as the youngest son, they could simply leave him more of the family estate, ensuring his lifelong wealth without requiring him to achieve great deeds.
Who could have known he would sire such a scourge? Thinking himself unlucky, only to find the imperial family's luck even worse. For generations, they had only single heirs, one after another, until the current emperor finally managed to father three sons in one go. Overjoyed, he would daily boast to his ministers about his imperial sons—until, after speaking of them too often, they all perished.
Such luck was truly unparalleled.
Now, only the Fourth Princess remained as the sole heir. Did they want her to become the Imperial Crown Princess?
In truth, the Fourth Princess becoming the Imperial Crown Princess was the inevitable trend, and everyone knew it. But before that, certain interests still had to be fought for. The emperor was a fierce tiger, and a highly aggressive one at that. The Qin family had already offended the emperor during his childhood, and General Qin could guarantee that if he retreated even a single step, the emperor would devour his entire clan alive.
Yet the emperor was also a contradictory man, mindful of the bigger picture. With neighboring countries stirring restlessly and the court still unstable, he dared not take drastic action.
After all, General Qin reflected inwardly, he still held considerable value.
The Qin family had long commanded the great army at the southwestern border. Although General Qin was in Jing Du, if anything happened to them in the capital, the border would be difficult to defend.
In the end, everyone was merely striving for a better life.
General Qin clenched his fist, his mind preoccupied with thoughts, not actually intending to hit Qin Kuan—after all, if he beat his youngest son, it wouldn’t be long before his own mother came to beat him, and his wife would skin him alive.
However, Qin Kuan was determined to court disaster. Having grown up accustomed to arrogance, seeing his father clench his fist didn’t frighten him in the slightest. Instead, he rushed forward, rubbing his face against his father’s hand while shouting.
“Go ahead, hit me! Aim for the face! Tomorrow I’ll still be going to the palace to study! Let everyone see how the mighty general beats his own son!”
General Qin: “…”
He truly must have committed some grave sin in a past life to have been saddled with such a scourge!
Unable to strike him, he could only speak with unwavering resolve: “At the end of the former Qin dynasty, a great drought lasted three years, stirring widespread discontent among the people. The provinces rose in rebellion, splitting into seven kingdoms. Our Yu Guo, secluded in a corner, occupies the regions of Yun Zhou and Qing Province, and is considered among the weakest of the seven kingdoms in terms of national strength.”
“The seven kingdoms have stood in a delicate balance for seventy or eighty years now. In recent years, while each kingdom appears to be recuperating and rebuilding on the surface, minor conflicts have been constant, and schemes are brewing in the shadows. If, in a little over a decade, the world descends into chaos, how many people would trust a young woman? Where could she lead Yu Guo? Would our kingdom be doomed to perish? Now that His Majesty is in good health, shouldn’t we ensure that the Fourth Princess gives birth to a royal grandson as soon as possible, so His Majesty can begin grooming him to become the ruler of Great Yu? Wouldn’t that inspire greater confidence among the people of Yu Guo and across the land?”
“In times of peace, this might not matter, but in such precarious circumstances, how can we, as ministers, not consider the future of Yu Guo? Moreover, His Majesty is only forty this year and could still father more princes.”
Indeed, General Qin and his faction also hoped to send some of their daughters, nieces, or granddaughters into the palace.
This argument couldn’t withstand close scrutiny, but by juxtaposing “a woman’s status” with “war,” it was enough to silence a young man like Qin Kuan.
After all, since ancient times, there had never been a concept of women defending the nation on the battlefield; it was widely believed that women could not safeguard a country.
Qin Kuan was momentarily left speechless by the question. He felt something was off but couldn’t find the words to refute it. He stood there stammering, his face flushed red with frustration.
General Qin grew even angrier at the sight of him. While his own father was on the verge of bashing his head against the throne in the Golden Hall, this son of his was busy pitying others. So, he drove him out, cursing him as a “little beast,” before solemnly picking up a sheet of paper from his desk to examine.
On it were written two large characters: Resume.
He studied it intently for a long time, then, as if struck by a thought, called for a servant. “Go and invite the strategist here.”
“There’s no need for Your Excellency to summon me; this old man was already on his way to see the General,” the strategist said, stroking his beard with an air of profound mystery. “The General is aware of the things the Fourth Princess has been doing these past two months, isn’t he?”
General Qin nodded. “Initially, when she established that medical college, I didn’t pay much attention. It wouldn’t have mattered whom she tried to win over, but recruiting physicians—it seemed utterly useless. However, since this was the first time she had stepped into the public eye, I couldn’t help but take a closer look. And then I discovered that our Fourth Princess is truly a remarkable person.”
First, she built the medical college, and while doing so, she began recruiting students. It was at this point that he sensed something unusual.
“Resumes, interviews, classrooms, dormitories—these are all extraordinary concepts.”
"Master, look at this thing called a resume. It seems simple, yet it provides a detailed account of a person's life. It's quite useful. And see, the princess ordered these number tags made, along with her interview process guide, the bunk bed diagrams, and those hearing aids—"
He hadn't paid much attention at first, but as more and more novel items came into his hands, he grew restless.
The master directly interrupted General Qin, shaking his head. "General, resumes and interviews are indeed useful, but compared to what I'm about to tell you, they're hardly worth mentioning."
Hearing this, General Qin immediately straightened up. "Is there something I don't know?"
The master nodded. "Yes. General, are you aware that some time ago, the princess suddenly claimed she remembered a secret formula for a miraculous medicine from an ancient text? She then assigned Imperial Physician Yu from the Imperial Hospital to Chanming Palace to research the ingredients of this formula and even posted guards there."
General Qin exclaimed, "Ah, Master, just say what you have to say! Why beat around the bush, asking me questions with every sentence?"
Knowing General Qin's temperament well, the master took a deep breath and said, "I've learned that the formula has been successfully developed. It's said to be able to snatch people back from the King of Hell… They say that if a bit of this miraculous medicine is used when treating battlefield injuries, even the King of Hell would show some respect. General—"
General Qin laughed. "Master, do you really believe such talk?"
If such a medicine truly existed in the world, it would be a blessing for all people.
The master sighed. "Originally, I didn't believe it either. But today, I just found out it's true. Soldiers at the Yun Zhou border have already used it—those who were certain to die have survived."
The general leading the troops at the Yun Zhou border was a member of the Shen family, a trusted confidant of His Majesty. It was no surprise to General Qin or the master that they received the first batch of the medicine.
Exchanging a glance with the master, General Qin took a deep breath. Neither of them were children; they naturally understood what this meant and grasped the master's implication. After a long pause, he finally said, "We must have this medicine."
The master nodded gravely.
"Exactly. General, we soldiers march and fight with our lives on the line. If we had such a miraculous medicine for use on the battlefield, imagine how many of our brothers could survive. But I fear—"
You've just stepped on the princess's toes, and now you want her medicine?
General Qin's expression stiffened. "The princess is a princess of Yu Guo, and the soldiers are warriors of Yu Guo. Would Her Highness withhold such a miraculous medicine from the soldiers who risk their lives for her?"
The master gave him a meaningful look.
If that were the case, then the general, as His Majesty's servant and a subject of Yu Guo, wouldn't he also be clamoring to crash into the Golden Hall and defy the imperial decree?
Feeling a chill in his heart under the master's gaze, General Qin stiffened his neck. "At worst, I'll crash into the Golden Hall again."
In any case, he must get his hands on that medicine.
The master: "…"
What a mess this is.
The master took a deep breath: This Fourth Princess, usually quiet and unassuming, but when she acts, it's with thunderous force.
"You just spread the news like that?" Emperor Yu ate a piece of fruit. "Aren't you afraid that old scoundrel Qin will have no shame and not only refuse to support you as Imperial Crown Princess but also crash into a pillar to force you to give him Penicillin and other medicines?"
Zhe Qing also picked up a piece of melon to eat. These past few days had truly exhausted her, and she was genuinely afraid of suddenly dying again.
The matters of the medical academy no longer needed her attention, and the construction of the clinic building was proceeding according to the designs she had found online. However, just the task of steel smelting alone was enough to wear her out completely.
Xuesheng, that girl, was truly clever, but after all, one cannot become fat with a single bite. Through gradual experimentation and rapid learning, she finally managed to produce a batch of scrap steel. Still, scrap steel is still steel—as a recyclable resource, it could still be used. Progress would come slowly.
Thus, she breathed a sigh of relief and sneaked off to Emperor Yu’s place to slack off. Hearing his words, she replied, “He should have run into a pillar by now, but matters on the southwestern border cannot be delayed either.”
She smiled and said, “Your daughter doesn’t want to deal with General Qin, but since Your Majesty has been sparring with him for so many years, whatever terms are needed to negotiate with him, please handle it as you see fit. Your daughter will learn from behind.”
Emperor Yu patted her head and said, “Don’t worry, leave it all to your father.”
Then he reminded her, “Go take a look at the academy and spend more time with your peers.”
Zhe Qing had no choice but to put down the melon and leave. When she arrived at the academy, it was bustling with noise inside. The teacher was not in the room, and the one called Qin Kuan stood at the front, speaking incessantly while the other seven people stood quietly around, listening.
Curious, Zhe Qing hid by the door to eavesdrop.
“As a member of the royal family, the princess is inherently the Imperial Crown Princess designated by heaven.”
“The princess has already suffered enough. With her three elder brothers gone, she not only has to face the pain of losing them but also care for the grieving Emperor.”
“For the sake of the common people, so that they have medicine when they fall ill and treatment when they are seriously ill, she even used her own money to build a school for those students and taught them medicine.”
“We have been studying here for two months, but the princess, for the sake of the common people, hasn’t slept properly for two whole months!”
“Yet, despite being so virtuous, the princess still faces suppression! Since she cannot step forward herself, should we just stand by and let her be bullied?”
“However, given our status, we cannot openly act for the princess. So, we can only stand quietly behind her, unable to do anything.”
“You all know that the princess plans to open a clinic, right? I thought about it all night. This is the first time the princess is undertaking such a task. We may not be able to contribute labor, but we can contribute money.”
His speech was rhythmic and full of emotion, quite persuasive. The listeners below wore serious expressions.
However, someone still raised a question. A young man in red said, “But doesn’t the princess have more money than us? What’s the point of us contributing money? Besides, the amount we can contribute isn’t much either.”
Their funds all came from their families.
Qin Kuan glared at him fiercely, feeling that he had ruined the atmosphere, and scolded, “What do you know? The princess opening a clinic is an act of her benevolence. She doesn’t need our money, but we can purchase medicines and distribute them to the commoners near the capital, telling them about the princess’s deeds. It’s like disaster relief, understand?”
He said bluntly, “The princess is already having a hard time. We must help her.”
Zhe Qing: “…”
Wow, why does this person seem like a brain-dead fan of hers? Or rather, like the leader of a fan club. Was that speech just now what they call “fan manipulation”?
Zhe Qing thought that although this person didn't have the glittering reputation of a top-tier genius, they seemed to have pioneered the concept of "fan operations."
Promising. Definitely worth utilizing.