Jinting Han people

Chapter 55: The Dream of Five Stones Powder (Additional Update)

During the first three days at the Imperial Academy, Liu Xian deeply understood what it meant to waste time and have a lack of academic spirit.

On the first day, Liu Xian met Jia Mi, Shi Chao and others. As mentioned above, they were just drinking;
When Liu Xian returned to the Imperial Academy the next day, he discovered that the group had brought along zithers, harps, and hujias, along with several maids, who were drinking and singing. In the poem "Yan Ge Xing," the maids danced gracefully in the school building, just as when Mr. Ruan took Liu Xian on an outing for fun.
On the morning of the third day, Liu Xian arrived at the Imperial Academy, intending to attend Dr. Xie Heng's afternoon lecture on the "Five Elements." These noble sons had become somewhat quieter, bringing neither alcohol nor maids. But Liu Xian was surprised to find that they seemed to have ingested something strange. Though they hadn't drunk alcohol, their faces flushed and their bodies heated. By the end, they were undressing in an unruly manner.

Liu Xian was wondering at the side, and Shi Chao waved to him and said, "Come, Bi Ji, come and take the powder too!" Then he handed him a packet of powder. When he opened it, he saw that it was full of powder in colorful colors: yellow, red, green, white, and black.

Then he heard Shi Chao say, "This is the Five Stones Powder developed by He Pingshu (He Yan) back then. It not only cures illnesses and strengthens the body, but also allows one to communicate with the spirits and feel as if they were floating in the air. Those who practice Taoism say that swallowing pills and taking medicine, and practicing fasting, is the way to immortality!"

After that, he told Liu Xian how to take it. To put it simply, it was to boil it in hot water, stir it evenly, and drink it while it was hot.

Liu Xian held the packet of powder, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.

Before parting ways with Li Mi the previous year, Li Mi had specifically mentioned Wushisan (Five Stone Powder). He explained that this powder had once been popular in Wen County, with mixed results: some felt clear-headed, while others went mad and became insane. Even a miracle doctor like Huangfu Mi experienced a drastic change in his temperament after taking Wushisan, and at one point contemplated suicide. Therefore, Li Mi specifically warned Liu Xian that it was important for people to be clear-headed and self-aware, and to prioritize themselves. Never touch this substance.

When Li Mi first mentioned the Five Stone Powder, Liu Xian thought it was a distant possibility. After all, legends were just legends, and he had never seen one in person since he was a child. Unexpectedly, not long after their marriage, he actually saw it in the Imperial Academy.

Seeing that Liu Xian was hesitant, Shi Chao took the initiative to bring him a bowl of cooked five-stone soup and stuffed it into his hand without giving Liu Xian a chance to refuse.

Now he had no choice. Looking at the bowl of turbid medicine in his hand, Liu Xian closed his eyes, tilted his head back and drank it.

The effect of Wu Shi San was very obvious, like a heavy punch that hit Liu Xian's stomach wall with great force.

How can I describe this taste? It tastes like a bitter, intensely hot wine. Then, after it enters my throat, it becomes a sharp, steely knife, and when it strikes my stomach, it's like a surging sea, like a dragon transforming into a dragon.

How could a mere mortal afford such a blessing? Therefore, not long after Liu Xian drank it, he bent over and vomited out all the food he had eaten the previous night.

After vomiting, Liu Xian felt dizzy and staggered a few times. His eyes turned black and he fainted on the ground.

Shi Chao was shocked and immediately sent someone to call Xi An and Zhang Gu over and send Liu Xian home. He didn't even care about the doctoral lecture in the afternoon.

When he woke up again, Liu Xian opened his eyes dazedly and saw his wife wiping his sweat. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why are there three Ah Luo?"

Cao Shangrou said angrily, "If you drink another bowl of Hanshi Powder, you'll be able to see your mother!" Then she couldn't help but complain, "What kind of bad friends do you have? It was your first time drinking Hanshi Powder, and one sip was enough, but they actually watched you finish a whole bowl!"

Liu Xian was mentally retarded at this moment, feeling a sudden chill and heat in his body. It took him a long time to react. He smiled and said, "They are indeed a bunch of bad friends, but this matter cannot be blamed on them."

Cao Shangrou patted his face lightly and said angrily, "Why don't you wake up and make excuses for them?"

"A'Luo, even though I've never had it before, it's not like I haven't heard of it. It's because I knew about it... that I deliberately drank it all in one gulp."

"You don't want to die!"

"There's no other way..." Liu Xian frowned, trying to regain awareness of his body as he said, "If I take the first sip, there will inevitably be a second and a third... I can't waste my time on this..."

"Then why don't you just drink it all in one gulp, scare them, and then you can avoid it later?" Ah Luo understood Liu Xian's thoughts and calmed down for a moment. But even so, she couldn't help but feel a little bit of blame in her heart. She rubbed Liu Xian's head with the wet wipe in her hand, not acting like a lady at all.

"That scared me too." Liu Xian said with a wry smile, "I really didn't expect the Five Stones Powder to be so potent..."

"How big is it?"

"There are four A-Luos now..."

Ah Luo was startled when she heard this. She quickly became gentle with her hands and washed them. Then she quickly brought a bowl of soothing soup from the kitchen and asked, "Do you want to drink it or should I feed you?"

Liu Xian looked at the dozen or so sparrows in the bowl in front of him and fell into deep thought.

……

But to be realistic, although the Five Stones Powder caused Liu Xian to have a lot of hallucinations, he did also feel like he was floating in the air.

After drinking the tranquilizing soup, he fell asleep again. But even in his dreams, he could clearly sense his own existence: in the vast darkness, he seemed to have escaped the confines of his physical body, his consciousness constantly drifting in the void. Although it was clearly a candle flame, Liu Xian felt a sense of fullness that was about to burst forth at any moment, illuminating the universe.

It seems that the infinite universe and the infinite distance only require one "I".

Then, Liu Xian began to float in the chaos, moving forward continuously, moving forward for no reason.

As he walked, a white dot appeared before his eyes, then gradually expanded into a dazzling patch of light and shadow. It seemed to represent every person and event in his brief life. The whispers and expressions of many people emerged one by one, a complex and chaotic scene. But Liu Xian's expression remained remarkably calm. He stood before the light and shadow, quietly waiting for it all to pass.

Then, the light and shadow transformed into a mirror, and in front of it, he saw himself. This was another self, both of them shared the same perception, the same soul, only now, in a dream, they faced each other, examining each other.

He heard himself ask:

"What's bothering you?"

Liu Xian did not answer, but he immediately thought of Jia Mi, Shi Chao and others, and then a feeling of distress surged up in him.

He immediately heard himself reply:

"This isn't a solution. If we continue to hang out with them, we can only stop them temporarily, but not forever."

“Sometimes taking shortcuts in life is like borrowing money. You may feel comfortable now, but it may be difficult to repay later.”

"It's time to find some new friends, like-minded friends whom I can trust with my life."

……

When Liu Xian woke up again, it was already early morning the next day. The sky outside was hazy and it was not yet bright.

The previous illusion had dissipated, and Liu Xian could clearly see Ah Luo sleeping beside him, one arm around him. Her gentle breathing was like willow branches brushing against his neck, tickling him. Liu Xian carefully moved his wife's hand away, then put on his clothes and went out into the courtyard to enjoy the breeze.

After waking up, the dream scene was still vivid in his mind. He recalled those words in his mind. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it was already daybreak.

Suddenly, Wang Qi ran to Liu Xian and said breathlessly, "Sir, someone is looking for you outside."

"Who's looking for me?" Liu Xian was a little puzzled. Although it was daybreak, the sun hadn't risen yet, so it was clearly not yet the hour of dawn. Someone was looking for him at this hour, and without any prior notice. Could something serious have happened? Was the teacher ill, or had the Ruan family suffered a disaster?

Wang Qi shook his head and said, "I don't know him, but his clothes are extremely gorgeous, they seem to be from the palace."

"From the palace?" Liu Xian was stunned, but did not dare to delay and immediately rushed to the hall.

As soon as he entered, the originally seated guest suddenly stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "I am Qi Sheng, the attendant of Prince Shiping. I pay my respects to the Prince of Anle."

Qi Sheng? Prince of Shiping? Liu Xian pondered, remembering meeting him at his teacher Chen Shou's house over a year ago. His name, perhaps Sima Wei, was more outspoken than the other princes who arrived that day, but his informality also made him approachable. However, that was likely the only meeting between the two. Why would he suddenly send a servant to see him after all these years?

Then he looked at Qi Sheng, the official in the Shiping Palace. He was probably only two or three years older than him. Although he had grown a beard, he still looked very young. He pursed his lips, his narrow eyes searching his eyes, giving him a very shrewd look.

Liu Xian returned the greeting and said, "Mr. Qi, you are too polite. I am still dressed in white. Please take a seat."

After they sat down, Liu Xian asked, "What advice can you give me, Mr. Qi?"

Qi Sheng bowed his head respectfully and sincerely and said, "I have come to see the prince this time not to teach him anything, but because of the order of the master."

"Order?"

"To be precise, it's the emperor's decree."

Seeing Liu Xian startled, Qi Sheng quickly explained, "Your Highness, you may not know that in recent years, the Emperor has paid close attention to the academic performance of the princes. He believes that it is difficult for one person to complete a study, and that friendship is more important than books. Therefore, he has ordered the Ministry of Rites to select talented and learned students from the Imperial Academy every year to serve as companions in the princes' palaces."

"This way, the prince gained a good friend, and the student gained family connections. It's a win-win situation. And these past few years, the prince has been in mourning, and then studied under a famous teacher. His reputation has risen rapidly, so the Ministry of Rites reported his name to the Imperial Household, and he was selected to join our Shiping Palace."

Liu Xian thought about his dream and couldn't help but think to himself, "Whatever you think comes true. I was just thinking about how to get rid of Jia Mi and the others later, and now I have a ready-made excuse."

After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "I see. Qi Jun came here to invite me to go with you?"

Qi Sheng immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Indeed, the imperial edict was issued yesterday. According to custom, it should have been sent to the Imperial College before informing you. However, His Highness was very happy when he heard the news. He said that the Crown Prince was an honored guest and insisted that I bring him there today."

"Is that so?" Liu Xian pointed at himself and said, "Qi Jun has seen it too. I just woke up not long ago and haven't washed or had breakfast yet. Please wait for a moment, Qi Jun. I'll get ready and then go with you."

"Of course I can wait for that. Please do as you please, my lord."

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(End of this chapter)