Wei Xiaobao's Three Kingdoms Adventure

Chapter 52 Wei's Knockout Potion

Wei Xiaobao didn't remember how he walked out of Dong Zhuo's treasure room, nor did he remember how he said goodbye to Jia Xu. When he came to his senses, he was already walking on the Imperial Street of Luoyang with his horse.

Wei Xiaobao couldn't help but curse, "His grandfather, Hong Antong, can I ever go back?"

Wei Xiaobao rode his horse back to the palace in one breath and went straight to Liu Xie's Ye Ting Palace.

Liu Xie was sitting on the bed meditating when he heard Wei Xiaobao's voice from outside. He hurriedly opened the door and let him in.

Wei Xiaobao gasped for breath and said, "That old thief Cao Cao stole all the jade from the Seven Star Sword."

Liu Xie inquired about Wei Xiaobao's experience in Dong Zhuo's secret room, then thought for a moment and asked, "Could it be that Dong Zhuo took the gem himself?"

Wei Xiaobao shook his head and said, "There are so many treasures in his secret room. There is no need to do this. Now the Seven Star Sword is just an ordinary dagger. It is not even as good as my precious dagger!"

Wei Xiaobao took out his precious dagger from his arms and cut off the corner of the table in one go, but he still couldn't get rid of the loss in his heart. He squatted on the ground and chopped the fallen wood into pieces.

After venting his anger, Wei Xiaobao stood up and said, "I have to go find Cao Cao!"

Liu Xie asked hurriedly, "What should I do then?"

Wei Xiaobao said, "Dong Zhuo still wants to keep you as a puppet to control the court. He won't do anything to you. It would be safer for you to stay in the palace. But before I go to Cao Cao, there is something we must try."

Liu Xie asked, "What's the matter?"

Wei Xiaobao said, "I met Tang Zhou at Dong Zhuo's house today."

Liu Xie was surprised and asked, "Is this traitor still alive?"

Wei Xiaobao didn't dare tell Liu Xie that he had already met Tang Zhou. He said, "I heard him tell Jia Xu that your talisman water can cure diseases because it contains medicine. Is this true?"

Liu Xie was a little embarrassed, but still nodded.

Wei Xiaobao then asked, "Have you studied medicine?"

Liu Xie said, "In addition to teaching me Taoism, the Immortal Nanhua also taught me medical skills, but they are just superficial and can only treat some common diseases."

Wei Xiaobao said, "There's something called a knockout drug. I wonder if you can make it. It's the kind that makes people fall asleep after taking it. You could bury them alive and they wouldn't even know it."

Speaking of this, Wei Xiaobao recalled the scene when he dealt with Liu Yizhou that day and couldn't help but smile, but when he thought of Fang Yi again, he couldn't help feeling sad.

Liu Xie nodded and said, "I haven't heard of the knockout drug you mentioned, but I know there's a medicine that has this effect."

Wei Xiaobao asked hurriedly, "What medicine?"

"Mandragora!"

Wei Xiaobao asked, "What is this?"

Liu Xie continued, "The Datura flower, also known as the Belladonna flower, originates from the Western Regions. Legend has it that General Huo Qubing, during the reign of Emperor Wu, used this flower as a pain reliever for wounded soldiers during his campaign against the Xiongnu. Later, the Datura flower was introduced to the Central Plains, where it was often used to treat ailments like headaches. However, this flower is highly toxic, so most folk healers hesitate to use it."

Wei Xiaobao asked, "Where can I find it? How do I use it?"

Liu Xie asked, "What are you going to do with it? If you want to kill someone, then I can't tell you."

Wei Xiaobao cursed, "Damn it! The three of us are almost dead, and you're still worried about me harming others! Cao Cao has been recruiting soldiers since he escaped Luoyang. He must have a group of people under his command now. If I go to him alone to ask for the jade, wouldn't that be like asking for death? Do you think I'm Zhao Zilong at Changbanpo? I have to prepare some knockout drug or something to make him sleep at the critical moment so that I can take action." Liu Xie said, "I only know how to prepare Datura flower powder, but I've never made it before, let alone know how effective it is."

Wei Xiaobao asked, "Do you know where I can get this thing?"

Liu Xie nodded and said, "The Imperial Medical Bureau in the palace should have this item."

Wei Xiaobao said, "Let's do this. Hurry up and have the Imperial Medical Bureau send you some datura flowers. I'll go find something for you to test the efficacy of the medicine."

Liu Xie immediately ordered the Imperial Medical Bureau to send all the datura flowers stored in the palace and the necessary medicine-making instruments to the Yunting Palace.

The imperial physician had no idea what the young emperor was up to, but he didn't dare disobey. He could only remind Liu Xie to be careful of the poison of the Datura flower, then quickly ran to Dong Zhuo for help. Dong Zhuo, upon hearing this, thought Liu Xie was just being playful, and knowing the imperial physician already had the antidote, he didn't take it seriously and let Liu Xie go on with his antics.

Liu Xie summoned Shuang'er to help him refine medicine in the Ye Ting Palace. Busy with the recipe, Liu Xie skipped court for several days, leaving all matters to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo relished this opportunity and even ordered the imperial physician to play with the young emperor.

Wei Xiaobao, who had disappeared for several days, finally appeared with a sack on his back.

When Liu Xie saw Wei Xiaobao, he pointed to the white medicine powder on the table and said, "I refined some first, I don't know if it can be used. There is more in the medicine furnace, but it will have to wait until tomorrow."

Wei Xiaobao came closer to examine it carefully. He gently picked up a tiny amount with the nail of his little finger and put it under his nose to smell it. He asked, "My knockout drug is sour, but why is your powder tasteless? Does it work?"

Liu Xie said, "I added some saltpeter and other things, so it has no taste. You have to try it first to see if it works."

Wei Xiaobao smiled, opened the sack and reached in.

Shuang'er and Liu Xie stared at Wei Xiaobao's movements and saw him pull a mouse out of the sack. The mouse was pulled by the tail by Wei Xiaobao and kept spinning in the air.

Shuang'er was so scared that she hid aside and said, "Xiaobao, you haven't been catching mice these days, have you?"

Wei Xiaobao smiled and said, "I'm almost as good as a cat. There were only a few mice in the palace, and I caught them all in one day. Then I went outside the palace to catch mice for a few days, and finally caught this half sack. It should be enough."

Wei Xiaobao asked Shuang'er to write a few strips of cloth with numbers on them, and then tied these strips to the tails of different mice. He also fed each mouse a different dose of medicine powder, and after the mice fainted, he waited quietly by the side.

A few days passed quickly. During this time, Shuang'er helped Liu Xie make medicine. Wei Xiaobao tested the medicine on rats and threw the corpses of the rats he had poisoned out of the palace.

The palace maids and guards of the Yunting Palace had no idea what the little emperor did in the palace every day. They only saw the newly appointed West Garden Captain Wei Xiaobao carrying a sack in and out every day.

Finally, on this day, the palace maids and guards heard a shout of "Success" coming from the emperor's bedroom, followed by laughter.

Two brave palace maids quietly approached the palace gate and eavesdropped.

Liu Xie's voice came: "Those two at the door, come in."

The maid trembled as she pushed the door open and saw Wei Xiaobao holding two glasses of water. She said, "This is a gift from the Emperor. Drink it."

How could the two palace maids dare to disobey the order? They took the wine and gulped it down. Before they put down the cup, they felt dizzy and fell to the ground.

Liu Xie quickly stepped forward to check his breath and asked, "Are you sure he's not poisoned to death?"

Wei Xiaobao smiled and shook his head, saying, "My Wei's knockout drug is so precious, I can't bear to put too much. I just want to see how many hours they can sleep."

(End of this chapter)