inspire-indiana Chapter 1010 Fellow Villager?
Chapter 1010 Fellow Villager?
"Sigh..." Li Che sighed unconsciously, his grip tightening as his annoyed mood returned.
"Ouch!"
The little pine beneath him let out a pitiful whimper, its huge tiger head turning around, its amber beast eyes looking pitifully at Li Che.
Li Che snapped out of his daze and looked down.
Good heavens, the small patch of colorful tiger skin on Xiaosong's back had been repeatedly and vigorously brushed by him unconsciously, leaving a small bald spot of fur.
"Sorry, sorry, I was daydreaming." Li Che reached out and rubbed Xiao Song's forehead to comfort him. "I'll give you an extra meal tonight, two extra fat sheep."
Xiaosong, whether he understood "extra meal" or "fat sheep," made a satisfied gurgling sound in his throat and rubbed his big head against Li Che's leg in a flattering manner.
Just then, Huai En hurried in, carrying a carrier pigeon: "Your Majesty, there is an urgent secret report from Qiongzhou."
Xiao Song, who had been lying down, suddenly perked up, thinking that the extra meal had been delivered ahead of schedule.
He immediately flipped over like a tiger and was about to pounce, which frightened Huai En so much that his face turned pale.
Li Che reacted swiftly, grabbing Xiao Song's thick tail and laughing as he scolded, "You silly tiger! This is my messenger, not your snack!"
He casually picked up a piece of raw meat from the side and tossed it over. Xiao Song immediately abandoned the carrier pigeon, happily snatched the meat, and ran off to enjoy it.
Li Che asked Huai En, "Are you alright?"
Huai En forced a smile: "This servant is fine, Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Of course he's fine.
It should be noted that when Li Che was fighting on the front lines, it was Huai En who helped feed Xiao Song and Xiao Tuan, knowing that these two fierce beasts would not harm people.
But after all, it was a ferocious beast raised by the emperor. If a eunuch acted as if he wasn't afraid, where would that leave the emperor's face?
In other words, if you, Huai'en, are not afraid of the emperor's tiger now, will you not be afraid of the emperor in the future?
Therefore, Huai En naturally had to show a look of fear.
That's emotional intelligence!
Li Che then took the carrier pigeon from Huai En, untied the letter tube, and took out the letter inside to read it carefully.
Upon seeing this, the slight ease on his face instantly froze, and his pupils suddenly contracted to needle size!
The letter was written in Hua Chang'an's own handwriting, the characters neat but slightly hurried:
Your humble servant, Hua Chang'an, respectfully reports:
Xu Jiezi, a disciple of Guiguzi, suddenly arrived in Qiongzhou, seeking to alleviate the plague.
Judging from his words and actions, he is indeed no ordinary person.
However, when he learned that the method of "smallpox" used in Qiongzhou originated from His Majesty, his expression changed drastically.
It is said that this method is also recorded in the classics of his school, with no discrepancy whatsoever!
I was suspicious, so I pretended to ask for advice on how to treat the already ill patient.
He blurted out that 'supportive care' should be used, and mentioned words such as 'bacterial infection' and 'antibiotics'.
These are all secrets kept by the Imperial Medical Academy, known only to His Majesty and a select few!
From this perspective, the Guigu School likely possesses a deep understanding of the core medical principles of our medical school. However, the origin of these principles is unknown, and whether they have been leaked is something I dare not presume to judge.
Xu Jiezi has now boarded a boat and headed north, stating that he wishes to meet the Emperor to present his case.
Your Majesty should make preparations as soon as possible, or perhaps conduct a secret investigation inside and outside the medical school to see if there are any oversights.
Your subject from Chang'an bows twice and urgently submits this memorial.
Li Che slowly put down the letter, his whole body seemingly frozen in place as if under a spell.
His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and even his breathing became heavy.
Huai En, who was standing to the side, was terrified.
He had served His Majesty for many years, experienced palace coups, and faced thousands of troops. He had never seen His Majesty show such a discomposure.
What major event could have occurred that would cause His Majesty, who remains unmoved even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, to behave in such a manner?
Li Che was completely oblivious to the stares of others; his mind was in a whirl, as if countless thunderclaps were exploding within it.
Smallpox, bacteria, antibiotics!
In this world, no one but him, the transmigrator, could possibly know these words.
Because that's a knowledge system from another world!
As for the medical school leaking information, Li Che thought it was unlikely.
Medical schools have very strict confidentiality measures and offer excellent benefits, so medical students and teachers don't need to do this.
Moreover, if Xu Jiezi really got the news from the medical school, why would he be so foolish as to tell Hua Chang'an about it?
Then, an utterly absurd idea began to grow wildly in his mind, causing his heart to race.
Could it be that besides me, there is another... time traveler in this world?!
Moreover, this time traveler is very likely hiding within the Ghost Valley sect!
Perhaps, one of the predecessors in the Guigu School was from his hometown?
Upon considering this possibility, Li Che's adrenaline surged to its peak, and he felt a rush of heat to his head, almost making him dizzy.
"Huai'en!" Li Che suddenly stood up. "Issue the decree! Closely monitor the northward route. Once the ship carrying Xu Jiezi is spotted, immediately receive it with the highest honors, without the slightest negligence!"
"Here."
Li Che stopped Huai En, who was about to leave, and added, "Wait! Summon Lin Qingyuan to the palace immediately!"
His mind raced. Lin Qingyuan was a disciple of Xu Jiezi, so perhaps he could get some clues from him indirectly.
Seeing Li Che's attitude, Huai En naturally dared not delay and immediately accepted the order and left.
Before long, Lin Qingyuan, dressed in a blue official robe, followed the eunuch to the Imperial Garden.
Upon entering the garden, Lin Qingyuan first saw a fierce tiger lying beside the emperor, lazily licking its paws.
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but there was little fear.
The Yunmeng Mountains are home to many beasts, and the sect has masters skilled in taming and commanding exotic animals, which he has seen many of since childhood.
These ferocious beasts may seem terrifying, but they are actually simple-minded. As long as you do not invade their territory, they will not usually harm people without reason.
His gaze quickly fell on the emperor next to the tiger.
Upon seeing this, Lin Qingyuan was startled.
Although His Majesty was sitting before him, his eyes were somewhat unfocused and his brows were shrouded in a look of bewilderment and dejection.
Although Lin Qingyuan had only been an official in the court for a short time, as a close advisor to the emperor, he saw the emperor every day.
Throughout his life, His Majesty had always appeared calm and composed, with a clear understanding of the situation.
When have I ever looked so restless?
Could it be that some earth-shattering event has occurred in the court?!
Countless thoughts raced through Lin Qingyuan's mind in an instant. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject Lin Qingyuan greets Your Majesty..."
"Let's skip these formalities." Li Che snapped out of his reverie and waved his hand somewhat irritably.
Lin Qingyuan straightened up as instructed, stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, and his doubts deepened.
Li Che did not speak immediately, but instead looked Lin Qingyuan up and down carefully.
The gaze was so direct and focused that it made Lin Qingyuan feel uneasy, his back tingling with unease, yet he dared not make a move.
Just when Lin Qingyuan was about to collapse, Li Che finally spoke:
"Cough cough cough... Odd changes, even remains the same?"