My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1448 Help
After class, he patiently and meticulously answered the students' questions. Soon, he became a highly respected figure in the academy.

One day, by chance, Zhou Xing passed by the kitchen and was drawn by a rich, delicious aroma. Following the scent, he saw Ling Xue adding noodles to a clay pot. The milky white bone broth bubbled and simmered, dotted with vibrant green scallions and pale yellow egg, its steaming heat releasing an enticing fragrance. "Is there anything special about these noodles?" Zhou Xing couldn't help but ask. Ling Xue paused slightly, then smiled. "These are my homemade broth noodles. I use a rich broth made from old hen simmered for hours, then add hand-pulled thin noodles and fresh vegetables. The flavor is absolutely delicious." She ladled a bowl and handed it to Zhou Xing. Zhou Xing took the bowl and chopsticks and tasted it. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the noodles were smooth and chewy. He couldn't help but praise, "Wonderful! Such deliciousness, truly a delicacy!" From then on, Zhou Xing often paid attention to the dishes Ling Xue prepared during meals, and sometimes he would discuss ingredient pairings and cooking techniques with her.

Gradually, the two became acquainted. In their spare time, Zhou Xing would come to the kitchen to help with small tasks, such as preparing vegetables or tending the fire. Ling Xue would take the opportunity to ask him about principles and cultural knowledge from books. Although she had not received a formal education, she was full of curiosity and had a high level of comprehension. Zhou Xing discovered that she had an extraordinary memory and sharp mind, so he would intentionally or unintentionally tell her more stories and poems. As the sun set, a scene could often be seen in the courtyard outside the kitchen: Zhou Xing sat on a stone bench reciting classic passages, while Ling Xue sat beside him listening attentively, sometimes bending down to take notes, sometimes looking up to ask questions. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, as if providing accompaniment for them.

However, the peaceful life was eventually disrupted. Su Yao, the daughter of a prominent family in the city, came to study at Donglu Academy, drawn by its reputation. She was beautiful, graceful, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. More importantly, she harbored feelings for Zhou Xing. Su Yao always found opportunities to get close to Zhou Xing, either under the guise of discussing academic matters to spend time alone with him or to express her feelings by giving him exquisite handmade pastries. Her appearance disrupted the original balance, and rumors about them began to circulate in the academy. Some people privately said that Zhou Xing would eventually be moved by this lady from a prominent family, after all, a marriage between equals was the proper thing to do. These rumors reached Ling Xue's ears like the wind, stirring up waves in her once calm heart.

Looking at her ordinary reflection in the mirror, Ling Xue saw her thin frame wrapped in coarse cloth, and burn marks from cooking still lingering on her hands. Then, comparing herself to Su Yao's delicate beauty in her fine clothes, she felt like an ugly duckling standing next to a swan. Every time she saw Su Yao smiling sweetly at Zhou Xing, her heart ached as if pricked by needles. But she refused to show it, silently continuing to do her job, only grieving alone in the quiet of the night.

One afternoon, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, followed by a torrential downpour. Many students were trapped in their classrooms, unable to return to their dormitories to get umbrellas. Seeing this, Zhou Xing immediately took off his outer robe and draped it over a sick student, escorting him back, while he himself was soaked to the bone. When he returned to his lodgings, drenched and drenched, to change, he happened to encounter Ling Xue, who had come to bring him ginger soup to ward off the chill. Seeing his disheveled appearance, Ling Xue felt a pang of concern: "Sir, how can you be so careless about your health?" she said, handing him the ginger soup she had prepared. Zhou Xing took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp, feeling the warmth rising within him. Looking at her tenderly, he said, "It's alright, the student's well-being is the most important." At that moment, their eyes met, and a subtle emotion seemed to fill the air.

Meanwhile, Su Yao meticulously planned a flower-viewing banquet and invited Zhou Xing to attend. The banquet was held in a garden pavilion, surrounded by blooming flowers and fluttering butterflies and bees. Su Yao, dressed in a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), danced gracefully, like a fairy descending to earth. She invited Zhou Xing to drink fine wine and compose impromptu poems to add to the festivities. Zhou Xing reluctantly composed a poem to get by, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. He was thinking of the steaming bowl of ginger soup Ling Xue had prepared for him and her caring gaze. Compared to the bustling and lively scene before him, he suddenly felt somewhat listless.

Sensing Zhou Xing's absent-mindedness, Su Yao was displeased but helpless. She tried to salvage the situation with even more ardent pursuit, but this only annoyed Zhou Xing more. Finally, one day, he approached Su Yao and bluntly told her, "You are exceptionally talented and beautiful, but I am unworthy and dare not presume to be your match." Upon hearing this, Su Yao burst into tears: "Why? Am I inferior to that cook?" Zhou Xing sighed: "Feelings cannot be forced. I have my own standards." With that, he turned and left.

After this incident, Zhou Xing realized that his feelings for Ling Xue had transcended the boundaries of ordinary friendship. He decided to confront his inner thoughts and confess his love to her. One full moon night, he invited Ling Xue to the mountaintop viewing platform behind the academy. The moonlight shone like water upon them, and the distant mountains stretched endlessly. Zhou Xing mustered his courage, took Ling Xue's hand, and said, "I have enjoyed spending time with you these past few days, and I have discovered that I have fallen deeply in love with you. Although I know that our social statuses are different and I fear it will cause gossip, I wish to spend the rest of my life with you." Ling Xue stared at him in shock, speechless for a long time. After a long while, she replied in a trembling voice, "Sir, you must be joking..." Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Xing interrupted her, "I am serious!" He then inserted a self-made wooden hairpin into Ling Xue's hair as a token of their love.

The news quickly spread throughout the academy, causing a great uproar. Some supported this love that transcended social classes, believing true love is priceless; others opposed it, accusing Zhou Xing of violating professional ethics and disgracing the academy. Upon learning of this, the dean summoned the two to inquire about the situation. Faced with the criticism, Zhou Xing firmly stated, "I know this is against the norm, but it's rare to find someone you truly love in life. It would be a great pity to give up because of worldly opinions." Ling Xue added, "I am willing to follow you, sir, to wander the world and never regret it." Seeing their resolute attitude, the dean pondered for a moment and then slowly nodded, "In that case, I will grant your wish. I hope you will not betray each other in the future."

After gaining recognition, Zhou Xing resigned from his position as a teacher and left Donglu Academy with Ling Xue. They settled in a picturesque village. Zhou Xing opened a school to teach and impart knowledge, while Ling Xue used her talents to run a small restaurant. The couple lived a simple yet happy life, supporting each other. Although the restaurant was small, it became famous because of Ling Xue's superb culinary skills, attracting many diners. Among them were many literati and artists who, after tasting the food, wrote poems and painted pictures to praise this seemingly perfect couple.

Years later, on a winter evening, an elderly man with white hair strolled hand-in-hand with an elderly woman along a country path, followed by several lively and adorable children. The old man was Zhou Xing from years ago, and the elderly woman was Ling Xue. Their silhouettes, supporting each other, stretched long and thin in the afterglow of the setting sun as they walked into the distance…

The biting cold felt like countless fine needles piercing her body, and Ling Xue struggled to open her heavy eyes. She found herself immersed in a pool of icy water covered with a thin layer of ice; her thin, plain dress was already soaked through and clung tightly to her body. Every breath felt like a sharp blade cutting into her throat.

Just as she was filled with despair, a flood of memories, not her own, rushed in. It turned out she had transmigrated to the Qing Kingdom, becoming a discarded concubine banished to the cold palace. The original owner of this body had died from poison, thus giving her the right to use this one. Ling Xue endured the discomfort, struggling to climb out of the icy pool and return to the dilapidated palace.

Inside the palace, several eunuchs were brazenly skimping on the already meager charcoal and food supplies. Seeing Ling Xue return, they wore mocking smiles: "Oh, we thought you'd died out there. This is all we have left, take it or leave it." Ling Xue was burning with anger, but at this moment, she was more concerned about her health. Using her knowledge of modern medicine, she keenly sensed that she had been poisoned with a slow-acting, deadly toxin.

Under the cover of night, Ling Xue began searching for medicinal herbs. In a secluded corner of the palace, she unexpectedly discovered some abandoned herbs. Overjoyed, she quickly used them to brew an antidote. After taking the antidote, she felt the toxins in her body gradually dissipate, and her strength returned somewhat.

However, the danger was far from over. In the dead of night, a masked assassin silently infiltrated her bedchamber. The assassin's blade gleamed coldly as he lunged at Ling Xue. In that split second, Ling Xue displayed astonishing reflexes; she dodged to the side, avoiding a fatal blow. Then, she swiftly grabbed a silver needle and precisely pierced the assassin's body. The assassin instantly collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. Emperor Zhou Xing rushed in with his guards. He looked at the subdued assassin on the ground and the unharmed Ling Xue, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Zhou Xing had been reborn three months earlier. He had originally thought that banishing Ling Xue to the Cold Palace would prevent the tragic palace coup of his previous life, but now it seemed things weren't going according to plan. He silently observed Ling Xue's actions, his doubts deepening. The next morning, Zhou Xing suddenly contracted a strange illness. The imperial physicians were all helpless and extremely anxious. Someone suggested trying Ling Xue, who was in the Cold Palace. Although Zhou Xing hesitated, he tacitly agreed.

Ling Xue was taken to the emperor's bedchamber, where she carefully took Zhou Xing's pulse. Using modern medical diagnostic methods combined with traditional Chinese medicine theory, she was astonished to discover that Zhou Xing was suffering from a disease caused by artificially cultivated malaria parasites. This disease was extremely rare and difficult to cure.

To further confirm the cause of the illness, Ling Xue used the pretext of collecting herbs to actually investigate the situation in the inner palace. She unexpectedly found burnt remnants of artemisia in the Imperial Garden, and the answer immediately dawned on her. It turned out that someone had deliberately spread items carrying malaria parasites throughout the palace in an attempt to assassinate the emperor.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xing was also secretly observing Ling Xue's actions. By chance, he stumbled upon Ling Xue dissecting a dead sparrow, studying the parasites inside its body. Ling Xue's focused expression and professional technique moved Zhou Xing. He began to realize that this woman he had banished to the cold palace was no ordinary person.

When Ling Xue mentioned "artemisinin extraction method," Zhou Xing's pupils constricted sharply. In his past life, it was this very drug that changed the course of the war, allowing the Qing Kingdom to win a crucial battle. He never imagined that this woman, forgotten by everyone in the cold palace, would know such an important secret.

News of a large-scale plague outbreak in the Jiangnan region hit the capital like a bombshell. The people were gripped by fear, and the court was thrown into chaos. Ling Xue volunteered to go to the plague-stricken area to treat the people, and Zhou Xing, after some consideration, approved her request.

Upon arriving in the epidemic area, Ling Xue immediately threw herself into the intense work. She established quarantine zones, used distillation to produce alcohol for disinfection, and promoted the method of boiling drinking water. These modern epidemic prevention measures caused quite a stir locally, with many conservative officials questioning and opposing her approach.

However, disaster struck again. Torrential rains washed away the medicine warehouse, burying large quantities of medicine under the rubble. Faced with this predicament, Ling Xue did not back down. She led everyone to work through the night to manufacture makeshift ventilators to save patients struggling to breathe. In the dim light, her figure appeared exceptionally busy and resolute.

Just as everyone was fighting the plague with all their might, Zhou Xing came to the disaster area incognito to inspect the situation. He watched Ling Xue's tireless figure from afar, and a strange feeling welled up inside him. When he saw the wounds on Ling Xue's hands from her long hours of labor, he involuntarily reached out to touch them. But in that instant, Ling Xue suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Zhou Xing hurriedly picked her up and carried her to the makeshift medical tent. While caring for Ling Xue, he inadvertently discovered a jade pendant she wore close to her body—the very token he had given to his beloved in his past life. This discovery brought his doubts to a fever pitch, making him even more curious about Ling Xue's identity.

The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet proceeded as scheduled. The atmosphere was initially harmonious, but suddenly several noblewomen collapsed from poisoning. Chaos erupted throughout the banquet hall. Ling Xue remained calm and swiftly initiated first aid measures, using her exceptional medical skills to temporarily stabilize the patients' vital signs.

After careful investigation, Ling Xue pointed out that the source of the poison came from the hidden compartments of wine barrels that had been presented as tribute from the Western Regions. This conclusion caused a huge uproar and also brought to light a ten-year-old cold case of a series of poisonings on the border. Various forces were secretly plotting, each wanting to take the opportunity to suppress the other.

At this moment, a foreign envoy stepped forward, demanding that the matter be decided by force. Zhou Xing knew this was a trap, but he couldn't refuse. Just as everyone was holding their breath for him, Ling Xue stepped forward and accepted the challenge in the emperor's place.

On the competition field, Ling Xue cleverly used her knowledge of modern anatomy to counter her opponent's deadly move. Her agility and exceptional intelligence amazed everyone present. In the end, she narrowly defeated her opponent, upholding the dignity of the Qing Kingdom.

At the post-match celebration banquet, Zhou Xing, emboldened by alcohol, grabbed Ling Xue's wrist and asked sharply, "Who exactly are you?" Moonlight streamed through the window, casting their intertwined shadows. At that moment, a tense yet ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.

The war in the north was critical, with the enemy advancing with overwhelming force. Zhou Xing decided to personally lead the army into battle, and Ling Xue, disregarding everyone's objections, insisted on accompanying him. On the battlefield, smoke filled the air, and corpses littered the ground. Ling Xue moved among the wounded, busy performing field surgery.