“…Sigh, I’ll just have to research this further.” Qi Chengming let out a deep sigh.
If only the added value attracted the upper class’s admiration, then after creating soap, could he also add precious spices and medicinal ingredients to it, ultimately crafting a high-end luxury item with both superior cleaning power and considerable prestige?
If you can’t beat them, join them—and then surpass them in their own arena. That should make money, right?
This was his initial line of thought.
Qi Chengming wanted to ponder it further.
“Your Highness, these are Chrysanthemum Cakes.” Xiao Dezi had already returned, holding a box of pastries wrapped in oiled paper bearing the characters of the capital’s Guixiang Ju.
“…Where did you get these?” Qi Chengming looked up in surprise, taking the small package of pastries whose bottom still retained residual warmth. They were actually freshly baked.
An absurd guess crossed his mind:
The carriage procession hadn’t even left Jingjiao yet. Could Xiao Dezi really be so audacious as to have someone ride back to buy these fresh for him?
Surely not?
“No, no, this is…” Xiao Dezi started to say something but suddenly swallowed his words. He sneakily peeked outside, his eyes lighting up, then reported, “Your Highness, look!”
“Cousin—” a familiar young voice called out in a drawn-out tone.
Qi Chengming started in surprise, his mood shifting to delight as he unhesitatingly lifted the curtain: “Ah, now I see what you’re all up to.”
In Jingjiao, a pavilion was erected every ten li—the so-called Farewell Pavilion.
The carriage procession happened to be passing by this pavilion just then. Qi Chengming lifted the curtain to see Old Weiyong Bo and Old Madam Weiyong, along with Wang Shuo bouncing up and down trying to spot someone, and the familiar steward, all gathered beside the pavilion to see him off.
“Didn’t we say we’d already met once and there was no need to come see me off today?” Qi Chengming muttered this complaint, but the face he turned toward them as he leaned out wore a smile, his heart feeling warm.
He had been concerned about the two elders’ advanced age and the unnecessary fatigue of traveling this far to bid him farewell. He hadn’t expected them to come anyway—were they ultimately unable to set their minds at ease about him?
“Cousin! We heard you were hungry, so Grandfather bought you Chrysanthemum Cakes!” Wang Shuo waved exaggeratedly, gesturing toward the carriage procession.
Qi Chengming tilted his head to look—it was that old soldier his grandfather had assigned to him for covert communication, now accompanying them in the capacity of a guard.
He felt both exasperated and amused.
Well then, taking advantage of the fact that he hadn’t gone far yet—so this is how you’re using the communication channel, Wang Shuo, you rascal? You’ve really found creative ways to use it.
“Got it, I’ll remember to write to you,” Qi Chengming retorted with feigned annoyance. He felt that this young Wang Shuo was usually too lonely. Perhaps unaccustomed to losing both his older brothers, he had latched onto this cousin with sudden enthusiasm, regardless of Qi Chengming’s poor reputation in the palace.
“No, no, only write when you have free time!” Wang Shuo cupped his hands around his mouth, worried his cousin might misunderstand the priorities, “Take care of your health first!”
Qi Chengming couldn’t help but glance perplexedly at his Infrastructure System panel: “…”
His health level was at 6, while ordinary people were at 10. It was true his resistance was a bit weak, but was it really that obvious?
Wait a minute…
Qi Chengming suddenly discovered that in his system’s personal status, it currently displayed:
“Health: 6. (Fever)” (Healthy peers’ resistance: 10)
A fever?
Was he actually running a fever?
Qi Chengming hadn’t sensed it at all. He lifted his hand in confusion to touch his forehead—it was burning hot.
But he didn’t feel the slightest discomfort.
No weakness in his limbs, no dizziness or headache, no coughing or runny nose—he felt perfectly capable of immediately spending two hours memorizing books.
Puzzled, Qi Chengming repeatedly tapped the status panel a couple of times, trying to figure it out.
A system introduction popped up:
[The Infrastructure System’s interaction with the world will cause the ‘systematization’ of some world data. Please pay attention to specific details.]
[Example:
Health points will decrease due to illness or injury. When it drops to 0, death occurs. Before death, the player will not suffer any negative effects. Health points/HP can be restored by purchasing medicine or natural recovery. (Infrastructure requires good physical condition.)]
Qi Chengming: “…”
The meaning was simple.
—So he actually had a health bar?!
Although he didn’t know why the Infrastructure System had bound to him, allowing him to shine in this succession struggle story, the system consistently referred to him as a “player.” As a player, having a health bar was perfectly normal, right?
If poor physical condition was a prerequisite, then carrying out infrastructure projects would be quite challenging, wouldn’t it?
So in the future, no matter how severe his injuries, as long as his health bar wasn’t completely depleted in one go, he could still be saved? And he would maintain his usual maximum combat effectiveness, feeling no pain or discomfort whatsoever.
This state had both advantages and disadvantages.
Within just a few seconds, Qi Chengming had rapidly considered several scenarios. He decided not to prepare any medicine for now, opting instead to closely observe and study how his health points actually changed.
“Your Highness, is something wrong?” Xiao Chengzi, sitting on the carriage shaft, asked nervously upon seeing this.
“It’s nothing.” Having made up his mind, Qi Chengming waved his hand in farewell to his maternal grandfather’s family and returned inside the carriage without mentioning anything.
Time passed until evening.
The journey was monotonous. While memorizing texts, Qi Chengming distractedly monitored his personal status values, checking them every hour. His health bar fluctuated between “6” and “7,” which seemed quite reassuring.
…It appeared the human body could recover slightly on its own. The fever was battling with his body, after all.
Qi Chengming pondered this.
But Xiao Chengzi couldn’t hold back any longer. He had noticed His Highness looking strange since morning, but His Highness’s nonchalant demeanor had misled him. By now, His Highness’s face was visibly paler, with abnormal red patches appearing.
“His Highness seems to be ill, but he won’t allow me to interfere… We must fetch the accompanying imperial physician,” Xiao Chengzi urgently discussed with Xiao Dezi.
Their Highness really didn’t know how to take care of his health!
Xiao Dezi, who was accompanying the carriage, was startled. He lifted the curtain for just a glance and immediately agreed without hesitation: “…I’ll go! If His Highness punishes anyone, say it was my insistence.”
Xiao Dezi usually liked to monopolize His Highness’s attention as the most favored Great Eunuch, but now was the time for him to shoulder responsibility. He understood the priorities of the situation clearly.
Xiao Chengzi jumped off the carriage and sprinted away.
“What’s going on?” Song Gu, sitting in the mule cart behind, was also startled by the commotion outside.
Upon hearing that His Highness was suspected of being ill yet remained unconcerned and unwilling to seek treatment, he sprang up in a fluster, leaped off the cart in an instant, and hurried over. With natural ease, he followed the imperial physician into the central carriage.
“Your Highness, please do not avoid treatment out of fear of the illness!” Xiao Song Zongguan entered and immediately prostrated himself respectfully, speaking with earnest persuasion.
“…Understood.” Qi Chengming looked at the carriage packed full of people, everyone’s face etched with anxiety. The imperial physician had already stepped forward unquestioningly to take his pulse.
He suddenly grasped the profound truth.
Although the health bar could keep him unharmed, all the symptoms remained.
…Then this could be used as an unexpected surprise move in the future!
Feigning weakness at critical moments: for instance, when he was assassinated, in danger, or needed to pretend illness in certain situations (Qi Chengming recalled the plot in the original story where the new emperor sent someone to kill the original body)—all these scenarios could make use of this!
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
What kind of Infrastructure System was this? Clearly, it was his ingenious system for seizing the throne!
Qi Chengming thought this, his heart blooming with joy.
Author’s note: