Isolated town in northern border region

After traveling for two days, Xiao Lie and his group arrived at a fork in the road.

Xiao Lie reined in his horse and looked at the two roads ahead.

One road leads eastward to Bingzhou.

According to Xu De, the three medicinal herbs that control the Panlong Guards are all specialties of Bingzhou, and half of the Mu family's medicinal herb business goes through Bingzhou.

Xiao Lie was determined to find out the truth, otherwise he would be letting down the people of Qingzhou who had suffered!

The other road leads west to Yongzhou.

Yongzhou is the most important place for Xiao Lie on this trip. It is the most prosperous prefecture in the Great Chu Dynasty besides the capital!

With trade routes connecting the north and south, powerful families had deep-rooted influence, including the top-tier Wang and Li families, and more than a dozen others.

By securing the trade routes to Yongzhou, products from the northern frontier could bypass the canal checkpoints and be sold directly to the south.

Xiao Lie sat on his horse, looking at the two roads, and remained silent for a while.

Xu De, carrying a medicine box, walked over from behind, stood beside him, followed his gaze, and then grinned.

"Your Highness, are you... unfamiliar with the way?"

Xiao Lie glanced at him.

"How could someone as capable as me, a commander who can lead troops into battle, not know the way?"

"I'm just wondering whether to go to Bingzhou first or Yongzhou first."

Xu De chuckled.

"Then take your time thinking about it. I'll take my leave now."

Xiao Lie was taken aback.

"Goodbye?"

Xu De tilted the medicine box upside down.

"I am very interested in the prescription I deduced from that leather-armored giant!"

"If Your Highness doesn't mind, I'd like to make the trip to Bingzhou on your behalf?"

"The Mu family is in the medicinal herb business. As a doctor, I have it much easier to get things done than the prince."

Xiao Lie frowned.

"you?"

"Going alone?"

"You're just a weak healer; if the Mu family really has connections with the Panlong Guard, you won't even have a chance to escape!"

Seeing Xiao Lie's worry, Xu De smiled and took out a small apricot-yellow flag from his medicine box.

The flag is embroidered with the character "Xu" in black thread and is edged with gold!

"Your Highness, rest assured."

"Over the years, I have traveled the world and saved many people."

"I don't care much about gold and silver, nor do I want to be involved with my beautiful wife and concubines. So, the patients gave me this apricot-yellow flag."

He raised the flag.

"No matter where I am, as long as I plant this flag at the busiest street corner, someone will naturally look after me."

"and……"

He blinked.

"I'm a doctor, more suitable than you to deal with the Mu family. I can spot adulterated herbs, incorrect prescriptions, and flawed drug combinations at a glance!"

Then, Xu De took out a sachet and tossed it to Xiao Lie.

"This was specially arranged by me. Your Highness only needs to stay in Yongzhou for a few days and wait for the message to be delivered by carrier pigeon!"

"Keep this sachet with you, and pigeons will be able to find you by following the scent."

Xiao Lie tossed the sachet aside, stared at him for a few seconds, and then suddenly smiled.

"I knew long ago that you were no ordinary doctor."

"I never knew you were a gangster boss!"

"Tell me, is he known by any nicknames in the martial arts world? Like 'The Life-Hunting Divine Healer'? Or 'The Ruthless Immortal Healer'?"

"If I ever fall on hard times, I can at least use your name to get a decent meal!"

Xu De's face visibly flushed red.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice urgent and rapid.

"Take care, Your Highness!"

"This concerns the people of Qingzhou, I'll set off immediately! Send a message by carrier pigeon if needed!"

After saying that, he picked up his medicine box and left.

Xiao Lie watched his retreating figure disappear into the distance and laughed so hard he almost fell over.

"Why are you running? I haven't finished asking my questions yet!"

"You're just too embarrassed to say that nickname, aren't you?"

"What's your name? Tell me so I can have a laugh!"

Xu De didn't look back and ran even faster.

After laughing enough, Xiao Lie turned and walked towards Jiang Min's carriage.

He knocked on the car window.

"Princess, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Jiang Min lifted the carriage curtain.

"Please speak, Your Highness."

Jiang Min thought Xiao Lie wanted to ask her about information about Yongzhou, and she had already taken out a booklet containing news from all walks of life in Yongzhou.

"Old Xu went to the Mu family's medicinal herb supply line in Bingzhou by himself."

"I'm worried about his safety. Could you perhaps ask the Bureau of Folklore to keep an eye on him along the way?"

Jiang Min was somewhat taken aback, but she didn't show it on her face and nodded with a smile.

"It's nothing."

"Doctor Xu is highly skilled and kind-hearted. He does not need Your Highness's help, and I will not allow anything to happen to him."

"Alright! Then please have more princesses!"

Xiao Lie continued.

"There's one more thing!"

"He ran incredibly fast just now; he probably has some kind of underworld nickname he's too embarrassed to mention!"

"Your Highness is very knowledgeable; could you please help me inquire about this..."

"My heart is itching like a cat is scratching at it; I desperately want to know!"

Jiang Min couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Your Highness...you're really in high spirits!"

"You seem quite concerned about your friend's unpleasant past!"

Xiao Lie spoke with righteous indignation.

"This is called deepening understanding and enhancing feelings."

Jiang Min smiled but didn't reply.

A few days later, when she received a reply from the Bureau of Folklore, she remained silent in the carriage for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Then she put down the letter, lifted the curtain, and called out to Xiao Lie.

"Your Highness, I have found out."

Xiao Lie rode his horse closer.

"What? What? Speak up!"

Jiang Min's expression was somewhat subtle.

"Dr. Xu's background is quite extraordinary; he is the last disciple of a contemporary medical master!"

His nickname in the martial arts world is "The Imperial Physician of the World".

Xiao Lie was stunned.

"What?"

"With his skinny arms and legs, he thinks he's the best in the world?"

"Could he be a hidden master?"

"That's not right! He's panting like an old dog just carrying a stove!"

Jiang Min suppressed a laugh.

"It's the 'emperor' as in 'emperor' and the 'medicine' as in 'medicine practitioner'!"

"It is said that it was because he left his name on his medical kit when he first practiced medicine as a child."

"Later, because he treated more and more patients and his medicine cured them quickly, this nickname spread throughout the medical community!"

"I heard that because of this incident, Dr. Xu was confined to his quarters for six months by the head of the medical school!"

Xiao Lie was so happy he almost fell off his horse.

"Hahaha!"

"The Imperial Physician of the World?"

"How could he possibly call me that?"

"Those were truly unbearable memories!"

Jiang Min folded the letter carefully.

"According to the director of the Cultural Center, he now loathes this nickname and will get angry with anyone who mentions it."

Xiao Lie laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

"Good heavens! I'll have to write this down!"

"Next time we meet, I absolutely have to call him 'Imperial Physician Brother' in person!"

After laughing enough, Xiao Lie remounted his horse and looked towards the road to the west.

"This will keep me entertained for days!"

"Let's go! First, to Yongzhou!"

"Waiting for our 'Imperial Physician Brother' to send a message via carrier pigeon!"

Xiao Lie mounted his horse and rode forward happily, while Jiang Min's personal maid muttered in the carriage behind him.

"Princess, isn't this future prince consort a bit too frivolous?"

"What kind of prince acts like this!"

Jiang Min lowered the carriage curtain, smiled, and shook her head.

"Isn't this great? What's the point of being so bitter and resentful all the time, plotting and scheming?"

The caravan continued its journey westward along the official road, entering the territory of Yongzhou.

Yongzhou's wealth was indeed well-deserved.

On both sides of the official road were endless wheat fields. It was the height of summer, and the green wheat waves rolled in the wind, looking like ocean waves from a distance.

On the ridges of the fields, some people were weeding, some were carrying water, and some were resting by the roadside. Even at noon, under the blazing sun, no one stopped.

Everything seemed fine, but Xiao Lie's brows furrowed slightly.

He noticed that the people on the roadside instinctively hid away when they saw his group.

Someone was bending over to work, and when they looked up and saw them, they quickly looked down and pretended not to see anything.

Someone was carrying a child and walking into the woods by the roadside.

Some people were resting by the roadside. When they saw them coming, they quickly stood up and retreated a few steps into the depths of the field.

There was an indescribable wariness in his expression, as if he were avoiding something he shouldn't be near.

"Am I that scary?"

Xiao Lie muttered to himself, then turned and shouted to the soldiers behind him.

"Relax, everyone. Put your weapons away. Don't frighten the civilians!"

"Here you go!"

At this moment, Bisu hurriedly fiddled with the reins and came to Xiao Lie's side.

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry."

"That's how ordinary people are; they live cautiously, it's not because of the prince."

"I remember that everyone around me was like this before I entered the palace."

Xiao Lie frowned, nodded, reined in his horse, and looked around.

Not far away, a little girl was walking on the edge of the field, carrying a large basket on her back.

The basket was bigger than her body, making her bend over and her face covered in sweat.

Xiao Lie dismounted, took the water pouch from Bi Su's hand, walked over, and squatted down in front of her.

The little girl was so frightened that she took two steps back, and the basket on her back wobbled, causing several things to fall out.

Xiao Lie looked down.

It was a steamed bun made from a mixture of chaff and wild vegetables. It was dark, hard, and didn't look appetizing at all.

He hesitated for a moment, then handed over the water bag.

"Don't be afraid, child."

"I'm not a bad person. It's so hot, have some water."

"Be careful not to catch a heatstroke!"

The little girl hesitated for a while before carefully taking the water pouch and taking a sip.

Xiao Lie asked.

"Where are your family? Why are they making you carry so much stuff all by yourself?"

The little girl bit her lip and didn't say anything. She returned the water pouch to him, squatted down to pick up the steamed buns on the ground, and then ran away in a flash.

Bisu walked over and said in a low voice.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Xiao Lie stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.

"It's nothing. Let's keep going."

He mounted his horse, but his mind was still on the little girl and the steamed buns made from chaff and wild vegetables in her basket.

Yongzhou is so prosperous, the crops in the fields are growing so well, and there haven't been any natural disasters this year, so why is she still eating that kind of food?

He didn't say anything, but he had already made a mental note of it.