Tang Dynasty: Feeding Chang Le, Emperor Li Er exclaimed that she was a true immortal!

Qin Huaidao's shout caused an uproar throughout the entire Imperial Medical Academy.

The message traveled upwards at an incredible speed.

Imperial Medical Academy – Imperial Pharmacy – Inner Palace Attendants' Office – Ganlu Hall.

Each step progresses faster than the last.

Emperor Li Shimin was reviewing memorials in the Ganlu Hall, with a stack of bamboo slips more than two feet high in front of him, which gave him a headache.

In the early years of the Zhenguan era, the Tang Dynasty was in dire need of reconstruction. The daily reports of disasters and civil unrest from various regions were enough to cause headaches.

"His Majesty!"

The palace doors were pushed open, and the chief eunuch, Zhao Dequan, jogged in, panting as if he were working a bellows.

"What is it?" Li Shimin asked without even looking up.

"The Imperial Physician Qin Huaidao is requesting an audience outside the palace, saying... saying that Princess Chang Le has experienced a divine miracle!"

Li Shimin's pen tip drew a line of ink on the bamboo slip.

He suddenly raised his head.

"What did you say?"

"Physician Qin said that Her Highness's illness has improved significantly overnight, and her pulse is completely different from yesterday! He also brought something, saying it was... a gift from an immortal!"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up.

The chair slid back half a foot and hit the screen with a dull thud.

Without saying a word, he strode out.

The dragon robe wasn't even properly tied up, and one of the shoes was crooked.

I walked briskly, almost jogging, all the way to Chang Le Palace.

Qin Huaidao was already kneeling outside the palace gate, waiting.

Upon seeing Li Shimin, the old imperial physician presented the aluminum-plastic package with both hands.

"Your Majesty, please look!"

Li Shimin took it.

My first impression upon handling it was that it was light.

It's unbelievably light.

Then there's the tactile feel.

Smooth, cold, uniform.

He flipped it over to look at the other side, where some red powder remained on the transparent side.

Li Shimin tried to pinch it with his fingernail, but couldn't.

I tried to tear it again, but I couldn't.

When you put it under your nose, it doesn't smell like any herbs.

What kind of materials hasn't he seen in his entire life? Gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, jade, emerald, agate—he's dealt with them all.

But he couldn't name the thing in his hand.

"What is this?" Li Shimin's voice turned somber.

"This old minister does not know," Qin Huaidao said, kneeling on the ground, his voice trembling. "Her Highness the Princess said it was the outer shell of an elixir bestowed upon her by an immortal in a dream."

Li Shimin's pupils contracted slightly.

A celestial being enters my dream?

As an emperor, he had heard countless stories of deception about immortals and sorcerers throughout his life.

But this thing in my hand can't lie.

The Tang Dynasty could not find a single craftsman who could create this material.

He held the aluminum-plastic packaging in his hand, remained silent for three breaths, and then pushed open the door to the bedroom.

Chang Le had already changed her clothes and was sitting upright in the inner hall waiting.

Her complexion was much better than yesterday. Although she was still a bit pale, her eyes were clear and her breathing was steady.

Li Shimin took three steps at a time to walk to his daughter and reached out to touch her forehead.

It's not hot anymore.

He then grasped her wrist. Although he didn't understand medicine, he could feel that her pulse was strong and steady.

This relieved him greatly, but also brought him to the peak of shock.

"Chang Le, tell the truth."

Li Shimin sat down opposite her, his imperial gaze like a sharp blade.

What exactly happened last night?

Chang Le lowered her head, feigning surprise and delight.

The person she feared most in her life was her father, the emperor.

But today, she has someone backing her up.

"Father, last night I dreamt of an immortal. The immortal was dressed in strange clothes and surrounded by an unusual light. He gave me two elixirs and a pot of immortal water, saying that my life was not meant to end."

Chang Le spoke in a very formal and measured manner, because Lu Ming had taught her this set of words before she went to see the imperial physician.

"The elixir is these red pills. The elixir water is clear and sweet, and after drinking it, one feels completely refreshed. After waking up, my daughter felt much lighter."

Li Shimin stared at her for a long time.

He was trying to determine whether his daughter was lying.

But Chang Le's eyes were clear and devout, showing no trace of guilt.

Moreover—

The facts are right in front of us.

The princess's illness has subsided, her high fever has gone down, and her pulse has improved.

This was confirmed by the Imperial Physician himself.

The "miracle drug shell" made of an unprecedented material is something that no human could create.

If it's a scam, then the cost of this scam is unbelievably high.

Li Shimin pondered for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

"This matter ends here."

He stood up, his voice low and decisive.

"No one is to be mentioned to anyone about immortals. I will order a news blackout, and I will personally suppress Qin Huaidao's claims."

"Father is wise."

Li Shimin glanced at the aluminum-plastic packaging again, but ultimately put it into his sleeve.

Then he strode away.

The moment the palace doors closed, Chang Le's shoulders relaxed, and she collapsed onto the bed.

Acting is so tiring.

A soft laugh came from the other side of the light screen.

"Your dad is pretty smart; he knows how to keep the news under wraps."

Chang Le rolled her eyes at that direction, annoyed. "Of course. Father Emperor is an emperor who rose from the ashes; how could he be an ordinary person?"

"Alright, alright, your dad is the best." Lu Ming waved his hand dismissively, then picked up the golden phoenix hairpin from the table and examined it repeatedly under the light.

"I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back tonight."

"What are you going to do?"

"Make money."

modern.

At 10:30 a.m., Lu Ming, wearing a baseball cap, walked into the largest pawn shop in the city center.

He did not go directly to the jewelry store.

The buyback prices at gold shops are too transparent, and they require proof of origin for items weighing more than a certain weight.

Pawnshops are different, especially the long-established ones that do high-end business.

As long as the item is genuine, they won't ask too many questions.

Lu Ming placed the phoenix hairpin on the counter.

The pawnshop owner, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, froze when he saw the phoenix hairpin.

He picked up a magnifying glass and examined it closely for a full five minutes.

Then he slowly took off his glasses and gave Lu Ming a deep look.

"Young man, where did you get this from?"

"It's a family heirloom," Lu Ming said without changing his expression.

The boss glanced at the phoenix hairpin again, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

The craftsmanship of this level of handmade goldware is outrageously exquisite. The texture of every feather on the phoenix's head is clearly discernible, and the bead held in its beak is perfectly round and lustrous—it's a craft that modern machines could never produce.

If it is a genuine antique, its value is immeasurable.

But pawnshops don't deal in antiques; it's too sensitive.

"I'll just sell it as gold jewelry." Lu Ming saw through his concerns and directly blocked any way out. "Just charge the price of gold."

This kind of thing will likely become more and more common in the future.

There's no need to fuss over trivial matters now and disrupt his future schedule.

The boss hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

Put it on the scale.

64 grams.

The purity appears to be over 99%, requiring further testing, but the boss has already made a judgment based on his experience.

The final transaction price was 72,000.

cash.

Lu Ming put the money in his backpack, walked out of the pawnshop, and headed straight for the nearest electronics store.

A small, silent gasoline generator, 4,800.

A 1500-lumen LED table lamp costs 230.

A tactical high-powered flashlight (with strobe mode), 350 yuan.

One set of infrared thermal imaging cameras (four channels), 1200.

A case of bottled water, a case of pure milk, a case of instant noodles, and various snacks.

And—a whole box of commonly used medicines.

Ibuprofen, amoxicillin, cephalosporins, cough syrup, fever-reducing patches, adhesive bandages, iodine solution, medical gauze.

Everything was loaded into the trunk of the taxi.

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror: "Brother, are you planning to go into the mountains and live like a wild man?"

"almost."

Lu Ming smiled but didn't explain further.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when I got back to my rented room.

On the other side of the light screen, Chang Le was kneeling in front of a low table, practicing calligraphy.

Dipping a brush in ink, each stroke is elegant and beautiful.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Lu Ming carrying a huge cardboard box as he walked in from outside.

Then comes the second one.

The third.

the fourth.

the fifth.

"How much stuff did you bring back?"

"Not much." Lu Ming put the last box of medicine on the ground, clapped his hands, and said, "They're all necessities."

Chang Le curiously peered inside, but through the light screen, she could only see the colorful patterns on the boxes and words she couldn't understand at all.

"Don't worry, I'll show you something good tonight."

Lu Ming kept everyone in suspense and began unpacking the box.

Chang Le pursed her lips and continued practicing calligraphy with her head down.

But his eyes kept drifting toward the light screen.

Time passed by, second by second.

As darkness fell over the Tang Dynasty, the sky gradually darkened.

The maids came in and lit the lamps, placing oil lamps in the four corners of the bedchamber.

The dim, flickering light spread throughout the hall.

Chang Le dismissed the maids and sat alone on the edge of the bed, gazing at the light screen.

It went dark on Lu Ming's side as well.

He turned off the lights in the room.

Both timelines were plunged into darkness.

"Lu Ming?" Chang Le called softly.

His voice came from the darkness: "Close your eyes."

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up when I tell you to, stop talking nonsense."

Chang Le hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes.

Three seconds later.

Click.

A very faint sound.

Then--

light.

A strong and steady light, which could be felt even through the eyelids, suddenly exploded from the other side of the light screen.

Chang Le subconsciously opened her eyes.

His pupils contracted to their maximum size in an instant.

A lamp.

A lamp that needs no oil, no fire, and no candle.

It stood steadily on the table opposite the light screen, emitting a pure white light.

The light was without smoke, without flickering, without the slightest pulsation.

Constant, bright, dazzling.

It illuminated the entire sleeping quarters as if it were daytime.

Every single eyelash of Chang Le's was clearly visible in the light.

She suddenly stood up, instinctively took two steps back, and bumped into the bedpost.

"What...what is this?!"

Her voice was trembling.

It's not fear.

It is an instinctive reaction that goes far beyond the boundaries of cognition.

In the Tang Dynasty, the best lighting was provided by high-quality candles and lamp oil.

But those light sources were always dim, flickering, and smoky.

And this lamp in front of me—

Its light was so pure that it seemed otherworldly.

Chang Le slowly walked to the light screen and raised her hand to touch the light.

A fingertip can't pass through, but light can.

The white light pierced through the barrier of time and space without any hindrance, shining on the back of her hand, warm but without any burning sensation.

"sun……"

She murmured to herself.

"Is this the sun? Did you pluck the sun down from the sky?"

"What kind of sun is this? It's just a lamp." Lu Ming sat next to the LED table lamp, legs crossed, amused by her reaction. "I have one of these in any room I live in. It's worthless."

They're in any room.

It's worthless.

These words struck Chang Le's heart with a weight heavier than that ray of light.

She slowly knelt in front of the light screen, looking up at the lamp.

His gaze was devout.