The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2202 Using a dragon to replenish a dragon, this is called the Earth Dragon.

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Of course!"

Of course there are hermaphroditic animals!
Wang Sheng was surprised that Feng Jiuxiao would actually say those words. It was both expected and unexpected! He knew Feng Jiuxiao would say that, but deep down he didn't believe that there were hermaphroditic animals in the world!

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his breathing became somewhat rapid. "What animal?"

Feng Jiuxiao said softly, "Earthworm!"

"Earthworms?" Wang Sheng looked surprised, then fell into deep thought.

Duanmu Yan and the others were also taken aback.

Xiong Mengyan laughed and said, "Really? I used to fish with earthworms when I was a kid, and I never thought about the question of whether earthworms are male or female."

Chili immediately chimed in, "Then tell me about it. When I was a kid, I would get goosebumps whenever I saw one, and I never dared to get close to it. Even now, I don't really know much about earthworms."

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Earthworms and maggots look similar, so it's normal that you don't dare to look at them."

Chili was startled, then felt a churning in her stomach, her face darkened, and she bent over as if she were about to vomit!
Yuan Zishan frowned slightly and scolded, "Why bring up maggots when you were talking about earthworms? Look how disgusting you've made the chili peppers!"

The air instantly plummeted to freezing point! It was even colder than when the wind was blowing!
Feng Jiuxiao looked innocent. "I was just using an analogy. Oh, okay, Chili, I'm sorry. I'll explain it to you properly. Zishan, pat her on the back."

Yuan Zishan gave him a cold glance. "Do you need to tell me? Nonsense." She placed her left palm on Chili's lower abdomen, and a warm current flowed in, instantly relieving Chili's discomfort. His complexion returned to normal, and he said angrily, "Speak properly, or I'll have Miss deal with you!"

Feng Jiuxiao immediately pleaded, "Okay, okay, no problem." He then put on a serious face, feigning solemnity, "I'll tell you all... uh... a story specifically for Chili Girl, a story about earthworms. Earthworms are those long, thin, snake-like little... soft worms that you often see in fields, along eaves, and in corners. They have another name, 'earth dragon.' Chili, do you know why earthworms can be compared to dragons?"

Chili remained expressionless. "I don't know." She thought to herself, "You think you can get my forgiveness with just a few words? No way!"
Feng Jiuxiao remained unconvinced, her smile unchanged: "It is said that this matter is related to Zhao Kuangyin."

Chili immediately became interested, her eyes lighting up! It seems that the urge to pry into other people's privacy is in every woman's nature!
"Really? What happened?"

"When Zhao Kuangyin first ascended the throne, he contracted a disease called 'sheep', and his asthma also flared up. At that time, the physicians of the Imperial Hospital racked their brains, but still could not cure him, and nothing worked. So, in a fit of anger, Zhao Kuangyin imprisoned all the physicians who had treated him."

What is "waist-encircling fire pill"?

"Also known as shingles! It gets its name from the clusters of blisters that are arranged like beads. This disease is caused by internal damp-heat in the liver and spleen, combined with external pathogenic factors. It is characterized by clusters of blisters arranged in a band on one side of the skin, accompanied by severe pain. It often occurs on the waist, ribs, chest, and face. It is common in spring and autumn and among people with weak constitutions. It is contagious to some extent."

The ancient medical text *Yizong Jinjian* describes its herpes lesions as being distributed like a string of beads, divided into dry and wet types. The dry type is red and itchy, while the wet type is yellowish-white and painful. *Wai Ke Qi Xuan* describes it as resembling spider sores. *Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng* believes the cause is related to disharmony between the heart and kidneys, and excessive liver fire.

"Oh, I see. What happened next?"

Later, someone remembered a pharmacy owner in Luoyang who was skilled at treating this illness, nicknamed "Living Dongbin," and submitted a memorial recommending him. Living Dongbin came to the palace, and Zhao Kuangyin asked, "How is my illness?" Living Dongbin replied, "Your Majesty, do not worry, the common people have medicine; I will be cured in a few days." Zhao Kuangyin sneered, "Many famous doctors have been unable to cure me; how dare you boast so?" "If Your Majesty's illness cannot be cured," said the Living Dongbin. "I am willing to die for you," he said. "If it can be cured, please release the imprisoned imperial physicians." Zhao Kuangyin replied, "If it is as you say, I will grant your request." The Living Dongbin then went outside the palace, opened a medicine jar, took out several earthworms, placed them in two plates, sprinkled them with honey, and dissolved them into a liquid. He applied the liquid to Zhao Kuangyin's affected area with cotton, and Zhao Kuangyin immediately felt cool and comfortable, and the pain lessened considerably. He then presented another plate of earthworm juice for Zhao Kuangyin to drink. Zhao Kuangyin asked in surprise, "What kind of medicine is this? It can be taken internally and used externally." Fearing that telling the truth would frighten Zhao Kuangyin, the Living Dongbin cleverly replied, "Your Majesty is a true dragon descended to earth; how can common folk medicine be effective? This medicine is made from earthworms; using one dragon to nourish another dragon will surely be effective." Zhao Kuangyin was overjoyed and immediately took it. A few days later, the blisters disappeared, the cough and asthma stopped, the pain vanished, and he was able to attend court again. The Living Dongbin thus enjoyed immense wealth and honor.

Chili was taken aback. "How come I didn't know?"

Feng Jiuxiao mimicked her tone, saying, "Because you don't have any information channels!" Chili didn't mind Feng Jiuxiao deliberately imitating her tone, but instead thought that Feng Jiuxiao also had a court identity, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Imperial City Guard, so her information channels were naturally extensive, and knowing such things would be a piece of cake for her.

She was somewhat suspicious: "Is this true or false? Is Zhao Kuangyin so easily fooled? That person called an earthworm a dragon; isn't that the crime of deceiving the emperor?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "What deception of the emperor? This is called great wisdom!" He said calmly, "Do you think Zhao Kuangyin was stupid? He wasn't stupid at all! If he wanted to know the truth, he would definitely find out the truth. Because he was the emperor!"

If the emperor wanted to find out what medicine the doctor had given him, it would be a simple matter of asking a question.

Zhang Deyi suddenly said, "Sometimes playing dumb is a skill in itself! I bet Zhao Kuangyin knew the secret of the earthworms! He had spies everywhere in and out of the palace. Wouldn't it have been easy for him to find out what Huo Dongbin had added to the plate?!"
Chili nodded, "That makes sense!"

Zhang Deyi continued, "On another note, even if those imperial physicians couldn't come up with a remedy themselves, they could still smell the medicine when someone had it right in front of them. So I say, while Huo Dongbin certainly had a strong ability to adapt, this story wouldn't have happened if Zhao Kuangyin hadn't gone along with it and pretended to be confused!"

Chili frowned and said, "Then why is he pretending to be stupid?"

"Firstly, it demonstrates his magnanimity and wins over the loyal physician, thus adding another layer of protection to his health! If he falls ill again in the future, this physician is very likely to pull him back from the brink of death! Secondly, if he doesn't play dumb, things will become awkward, and the physician will become the first person to know his secret of eating earthworms! Once there's a first, there will be a second. If everyone knows he eats earthworms, what will become of his imperial authority? So admitting to eating earthworms preserves his reputation and gains him a renowned physician—a win-win situation, why not?"

Chili said "Oh," and then asked, "Let's get back to the topic, are earthworms really hermaphroditic?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Yes."

"How did you know?"

"What's the big deal? Animals in this world that are dioecious are easy to tell apart because males and females look very different. For example, peacocks, have you ever seen a peacock?"

"Of course I've seen it. It's kept in the General's mansion."

"Then let me ask you, what's the difference between a male and a female peacock?"

"Hmm..." Chili fell into thought, "A male peacock... oh, that's called a male peacock, right? The male's feathers seem to be more vibrant than the female's!"

"What about the lion? Have you seen it?"

"You've seen him before?"

"Also at General Lian's mansion?"

"Yes!"

"Then tell me, what's the difference between a male lion and a female lion?"

"Hmm... the male is more robust, with thicker hair on its head... many lion patterns on bronze artifacts seem to depict male lions..."

She suddenly realized that it seems like male animals are more beautiful. How come?