My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1354 Searching
She looked at the unusual prince in front of her, her heart full of curiosity. Zhou Xing took out some herbs from his bag and treated Ling Xue's wound. Ling Xue looked at his skillful technique and couldn't help asking, "Why does Your Highness know all this?"

Zhou Xing smiled and said, "I know a little bit about medicine." In fact, he used modern medical knowledge. During the conversation, Zhou Xing learned that Ling Xue had followed her grandfather to collect herbs since she was a child and knew the herbs in the mountains like the back of her hand. The two had a great conversation, and a different kind of affection quietly grew in their hearts.

After returning to Cangwu County, Zhou Xing decided to use his knowledge of modern science and technology to bring about a revolution here. He began to improve farm tools and designed a lighter and more durable plow based on modern mechanical principles and material knowledge.

However, his new invention was questioned by local craftsmen. They believed that the method passed down by their ancestors was the most reliable and were full of distrust towards this new plow. Zhou Xing was not discouraged. He patiently explained the principle to the craftsmen and demonstrated how to use it himself.

Ling Xue also fully supported Zhou Xing. She took Zhou Xing over three mountains to look for a special ore. This ore can be used as a fertilizer additive to improve soil fertility. During the search, they encountered heavy rain and attacks by wild beasts, but they never gave up.

Finally, they found the ore. Zhou Xing mixed it with wood ash and made a simple fertilizer. He applied the fertilizer in the experimental field, and soon after, a miracle happened. The seedlings that were originally yellow and withered turned green and strong, which amazed the local farmers.

It was midsummer, and Cangwu County was hit by a rainstorm that had not been seen in a century. Floods were rampant, villages were submerged, and then a terrible plague spread among the people. People were infected, groaning in pain, and the death rate rose sharply.

Zhou Xing was extremely anxious, and he immediately thought of modern disinfection methods. He ordered his soldiers to collect herbs such as mugwort and atractylodes, and distilled them at high temperature to extract effective disinfectant ingredients. However, his practice aroused the dissatisfaction of the imperial envoy, who thought he was "confusing the public with lies" and did not believe these strange practices at all.

Ling Xue was anxious to see the people suffering. She risked her life to try the medicine. Under her guidance, some brave people also began to try it. As time went by, the people who took the medicine gradually got better, while those who refused to take the medicine had their ancestral halls filled with coffins.

Facts speak louder than words, and Zhou Xing's disinfection method was proven. The people were grateful to him, and the imperial envoy left in shame.

After the test of the plague, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue's feelings deepened. However, their love was not smooth sailing. The royal family sent an embroiderer to forcibly take Ling Xue into the palace, saying that they wanted to marry her to the prince.

Zhou Xing was extremely anxious when he heard the news. He chiseled ice to get water overnight and used the principle of making ice with saltpeter to build a crystal clear ice sculpture in front of Ling Xue's window. Their names were engraved on the ice sculpture, symbolizing their steadfast love.

After seeing the ice sculpture, Ling Xue was moved to tears. She refused the invitation to enter the palace and decided to spend her life with Zhou Xing.

On the wedding day, Zhou Xing gave Ling Xue a special gift - an astronomical instrument made from a telescope. In ancient times, stargazing was a mysterious and romantic thing. Ling Xue saw the bright starry sky through the astronomical instrument, and also saw Zhou Xing's deep love for her.

Zhou Xing's reputation grew and spread to the emperor's ears. The emperor began to look at him with new eyes and decided to give him a chance. At the Spring Hunting Ceremony, Zhou Xing shot down two eagles with a homemade gunpowder crossbow. This feat shocked the whole audience and made the emperor look at him differently.

However, some people in the court were jealous of Zhou Xing's talent and accused him of privately manufacturing weapons with the intention of rebellion. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were not intimidated by these false accusations. Ling Xue demonstrated the civilian value of gunpowder in court, such as opening mountains and building roads, blasting rivers, etc. After seeing the great effect of gunpowder, the officials changed their expressions.

In order to compensate Zhou Xing, the emperor gave him a red-lettered iron certificate. But Zhou Xing declined the reward and melted the iron certificate into twelve water wheels. These water wheels were distributed in various villages in Cangwu County, solving the local irrigation problem. The people cheered and called Zhou Xing a "living Bodhisattva."

The peaceful days did not last long. The northern barbarian army was approaching, and the border was in danger. Zhou Xing used his wisdom to burn the sails of the enemy ship by using the principle of mirror reflection of sunlight. The enemy army was immediately in chaos, but Zhou Xing also exposed his position and was attacked by assassins.

In order to protect Zhou Xing, Ling Xue was unfortunately shot by an arrow. The arrow was coated with a highly toxic substance, and ordinary antidotes were completely ineffective. Zhou Xing was extremely anxious, and he remembered the principle of modern immune serum and conducted a matching experiment with snake venom and herbs. After countless attempts, he finally made an antidote.

However, this war made Zhou Xing realize the weakness of the imperial family. He angrily advised the emperor to open the sea ban and develop maritime trade. In the court, he had a fierce debate with the ministers. In the end, the emperor was moved by his words and agreed to his suggestion.

Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were not satisfied with the status quo. They established the first government-run medical school to train medical talents. Ling Xue explained the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases and germ theory in class, which opened the students' eyes. Zhou Xing taught the relationship between the periodic table and alchemy in the next classroom, combining modern scientific knowledge with ancient academic knowledge.

When a drought struck, Zhou Xing led the people to build a 100-mile-long siphon pipeline. Water from distant rivers was continuously introduced into the farmland through the pipeline, solving the irrigation problem. The people carved the four characters "Holy Traces of Husband and Wife" next to the pipeline to express their gratitude to them.

During the autumn harvest celebration, hot air balloons appeared in the sky. The hot air balloons carried food to the western border, spreading their harvest results and scientific knowledge. Ling Xue looked at the starry sky and suddenly found that the position of the Big Dipper had slightly adjusted. She knew that this was a sign of time and space changes, but their love and career had already taken root in this era.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye Zhou Xing and Ling Xue have become gray-haired. The imperial seal given to them by the emperor was melted down and cast into bronze bells for the twelve schools. Whenever the bells rang, the children's clear reading voices echoed in the campus.

The envoys of the two countries brought a world map with the words "New Song" marked on it. It turned out that their technology and civilization had spread to neighboring countries and influenced the entire world.

Before they died, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue lay together, holding the pulleys they had made. Outside the window floated the kites they had invented when they were young, with test papers of students from past generations wound around the spools. They looked back on their lives, filled with emotion and relief. They knew that their efforts had not been in vain, and that the world had become a better place because of their arrival.

At the Qionglin Banquet, the lights were on and the wine was flowing. Zhou Xing, the illegitimate son of the Prime Minister's Mansion, was sitting quietly in a corner in plain clothes. Although he was talented, his status as a illegitimate son made him look out of place among the rich and powerful.

During the banquet, the sons of the nobles chanted poems and composed essays, showing their elegance. Someone took "snow" as the theme and wrote a poem with a limited rhyme. For a moment, everyone frowned and thought hard. Zhou Xing's eyes flashed with intelligence. He slowly stood up and said loudly: "The snowflakes in Yanshan are as big as mats, and they are blown down to Xuanyuantai."

As soon as this heroic and magnificent poem came out, it was like dropping a huge rock into a calm lake, shocking everyone in the room. Everyone turned their eyes to this usually inconspicuous bastard of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Ling Xue sat beside the Queen Mother, the pearls on the phoenix hairpin shone between her brows. She was slightly startled, and secretly admired the poem in her heart. At this time, the Queen Mother gently adjusted Ling Xue's bun and whispered: "The Queen should have such a demeanor."

Zhou Xing noticed everyone's gazes, especially those of the Empress Dowager and Ling Xue at the top. His heart tightened and he pretended to be drunk and staggered out.

It was late at night, and Zhou Xing came to the Imperial Garden alone. The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on the flowers and plants in the garden. He strolled along the path, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him. Zhou Xing looked closely and found it was Ling Xue. She was wearing a white cape and looked like a fairy in the moonlight.

Ling Xue also saw Zhou Xing. She frowned slightly and questioned, "Mr. Zhou, is his drunken state fake?" As she spoke, she waved her hand lightly, and the silver scissors in her sleeves shone coldly.

Zhou Xing was shocked. He didn't expect Ling Xue to be so smart. But he quickly calmed down and said, "Excuse me, young lady. I am really worried and I am escaping under the pretext of being drunk."

Ling Xue looked at him, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes: "What worries you so much?" Zhou Xing hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "As a bastard, I have many difficulties in this aristocratic family. Today's poem is just a momentary emotion."

Ling Xue looked at him quietly without saying anything. Zhou Xing felt a little awkward and was about to leave. At this time, Ling Xue took out a handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to him: "Wipe the sweat off."

Zhou Xing took the handkerchief and felt it was cold to the touch. The plum blossoms embroidered on it seemed to carry a faint fragrance. He was moved, thanked her, and left in a hurry.

A few days later, Zhou Xing was invited to write a congratulatory letter for Ling Xue. He wrote in his study, but after finishing, he found that half of the poem "Partridge Sky" was stained on the rice paper where the ink was not yet dry.

"The golden house is decorated with the favor of the Han emperor, the cold Changmen is the concubine's deep love..." Ling Xue looked at this half-line poem, her face suddenly changed. She stretched out her hand to tear up the poem, but Zhou Xing grabbed her wrist.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the figures of the two. Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue with a firm gaze: "Miss, don't worry, this is just a casual work."

Ling Xue pulled her hand back, straightened her clothes, and said coldly: "Mr. Zhou, there are some things you can't write casually."

Zhou Xing felt a little annoyed, but he could only apologize. At this time, the Queen Mother gave him the incense of love. Ling Xue was changing clothes beside the incense burner, and Zhou Xing inadvertently saw the hideous burn on her collarbone.

That was an old scar left when he was a child because he blocked an assassin. Zhou Xing's heart tightened, and he was about to ask, but he saw Ling Xue carefully covering the scar with cinnabar ointment. Her movements were a little unfamiliar, but she was stubborn.

The spring hunting ground was bustling with activity. Suddenly, a startled horse ran towards Ling Xue. Zhou Xing didn't have time to think and rushed to save her. He held Ling Xue and rolled down the grass slope. The golden hairpin in his arms broke her hair.

The remaining scent of agarwood in Ling Xue's hair lingered in Zhou Xing's nose, and he was a little dazed for a moment. Ling Xue broke free from his embrace, straightened her clothes, and said softly, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for saving my life."

Zhou Xing scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "I'm glad that Miss is okay."

At the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, Ling Xue was chosen to play the zither. She sat in front of the zither platform, plucking the strings with her fingers, and the melodious sound of the zither echoed in the palace.

Zhou Xing stood aside, watching Ling Xue. Suddenly, he found something wrong with the strings. Upon closer inspection, he found that they were ice strings mixed with horsetail from the northern border. This was a deadly hidden weapon!

Zhou Xing was startled, and pretended to be drunk, knocking over the piano table. The moment the ice string broke, his palm was cut, and blood stained the white jade steps red.

Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing with gratitude in her eyes. Zhou Xing smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, Miss. I'm here."

The imperial physician came to treat Zhou Xing. Ling Xue stared at the silk cloth he used to bandage his wound, and suddenly remembered the blood-stained handkerchief that day. She had an idea and quietly replaced the medicine bottle with the Xiyu tendon-reinforcing powder she had secretly kept.

Under the moonlight, overlapping shadows were cast on the window lattice. Ling Xue stayed by Zhou Xing's bed, looking at his sleeping face, and a ripple appeared in her heart.

Soon after, the Empress Dowager's imperial decree for marriage arrived. Zhou Xing refused the marriage in the palace. He knelt on the ground with his back straight and said, "I am a worthless person, and I dare not defile the Empress's body."

Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing with mixed feelings. She suddenly bit her finger and carved the word "Zhou" in blood on the inside of the phoenix crown.

The news of the battle in the northern border shocked the imperial court. Zhou Xing volunteered to escort the grain. When Ling Xue learned about it, she asked for the tiger talisman overnight and hid it at the bottom of the dowry box.

With red eyes, she stuffed the warm jade into Zhou Xing's hand and said, "If you return victorious, I will prepare wedding wine for you; if you die on the battlefield... I will give you my life as compensation."

Zhou Xing looked at the warm jade in his hand, and a warm current surged in his heart. He held Ling Xue's hand tightly: "Miss, don't worry, I will definitely come back."

The battlefield was filled with smoke. Zhou Xing led his soldiers to fight bravely, but his identity made him suffer a lot of exclusion. After being demoted to a fireman, he still did not forget to find a way to defeat the enemy.

By chance, he discovered that the enemy had used sheep dung to seal the stove, so he had an idea to use vinegar to stimulate methane and blow up the enemy's granary.

When the firelight illuminated the night sky, Zhou Xing took out the blood-stained silk handkerchief that he kept close to his body. The plum blossoms embroidered on it seemed to carry the breath of Ling Xue.

When the good news reached Beijing, Ling Xue was copying the sutras. She was so happy to hear the good news that she accidentally knocked over the inkstone, staining the Filial Piety Classic with ink. But she smiled in relief, muttering, "That's great."

Zhou Xing returned triumphantly, but was accused by the censor of embezzling military pay. When Ling Xue learned about this, she presented the detailed account books in court. She spoke passionately, each sentence was powerful, and she argued with the scholars.

However, her forehead hit the dragon pillar and blood flowed out. But she still gritted her teeth and persisted to clear Zhou Xing's injustice.

Zhou Xing was deeply moved, and he became more determined to protect Ling Xue. While investigating the corruption case, Zhou Xing found an important clue. He and Ling Xue exchanged secret letters in the secret passage of the cold palace.

Ling Xue took off her phoenix robe, revealing her old wound. Zhou Xing used charcoal to trace the northern border defense map on her back. The two of them looked particularly determined in the dim secret passage.

On a rainy night, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory falsely accused the Purple Star of moving abnormally. In order to protect Ling Xue, Zhou Xing took the initiative to admit that he was the one who brought bad luck to his wife. When Ling Xue found out, she smashed the Phoenix Seal and shouted angrily, "What does it have to do with you that I bring bad luck to my husband!"

After all kinds of twists and turns, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue's feelings become deeper and deeper.