Zhao Ci rushed to Wangshu Palace, full of excitement.
As expected,
Wangshu Palace was empty.
Gu Xiangzhu had said she would be free in the afternoon. She was probably still busy with matters concerning the Pill Workshop.
Zhao Ci wasn't in a hurry. It was still early, after all. He sat in Wangshu Palace for a while before casually strolling to the Imperial Palace gates, harvesting an On-Spot Relief Charm from Huang Duzhe, and then returning to Wangshu Palace.
He ordered the Palace Maids and eunuchs to prepare some breakfast for him. After eating and drinking his fill, he sat down and began to meditate on the spot.
He had already fully grasped the Qi Sensing chapter of the Emperor's Extreme Body Refining Technique, allowing him to command the True Qi within his body as if it were an extension of his own limbs. His cultivation proceeded without any hindrance. Not only was his foundation solid, but his True Qi was also growing rapidly.
As long as Zhao Ci didn't slack off, his True Qi was certain to grow strong enough for him to enter the Body Refining Stage within ten days.
Cycle after cycle.
The feeling of his True Qi growing stronger filled Zhao Ci with immense satisfaction.
He was beginning to understand the feelings of those obsessed with fitness.
Developing one's body was, in itself, a very enjoyable process.
Whether it was developing someone else's...
...Or developing your own.
But the thought of being constantly watched by that Old Deng, Zhao Huan, made his skin crawl.
He had to find a way to break this deadlock. He had no desire to be hollowed out and turned into a cripple.
Those drained Princes either wasted away at home as invalids or took up civilian posts in the Imperial Clan Court, remotely meddling with the internal factions of the seven great clans.
This was clearly not the kind of life Zhao Ci wanted.
'Cultivate!'
'Cultivation level is the only real thing that matters. Last time, I relied on a Talisman Paper to make Zhao Yong lose face completely, but I can't rely on Talisman Papers forever.'
'Right now, aside from the empty reputation of being "favored by my Father Emperor," my status, power, and strength are all far inferior to even Zhao Yong's.'
'There probably won't be any direct conflict in the short term.'
'But it's impossible to avoid it completely.'
'I can't afford to slack off in the slightest.'
He cultivated straight through to noon.
After scrounging another meal for lunch, Zhao Ci decided to take a short afternoon nap.
He didn't know how long he'd been drowsing when he heard voices outside the door.
"Over the next few days, you all need to watch over the Pill Workshop more."
"The Gongdan Conference is in one month. Make sure they prepare sufficient materials."
"The conference will assess each family's ability to provide Tribute Pills, which requires on-site Alchemy. Tell those Alchemists to rest up and ensure they are in peak condition."
"And especially the Pill Furnaces from the Zhuge Family. We must secure that order. We're already behind when it comes to Alchemists; we have to make up for it with Pill Furnaces."
Gu Xiangzhu's speech was calm and unhurried, but Zhao Ci could faintly detect a hint of anxiety in her voice.
In the Elixir Realm, the core competitive advantage was, and always would be, the Alchemists.
When you had to rely on Pill Furnaces to close the gap, it meant you had already lost.
It was the perfect example of how a poor craftsman accumulates the best tools.
Still, to be fair, the Ba Shu Zhuge family was one of the seven great Merit Clans. Although they didn't get involved in the elixir business due to issues with their own Divine Treasure, their family's Metal Element Divine Treasure was extremely powerful. They were exceptionally skilled in Arrays and Artifact Refining, so they had wedged their way into the market and carved out a huge piece of the pie by selling Pill Furnaces.
An order for the Zhuge Family's Pill Furnaces—and a whole batch of them at that—was indeed a huge deal.
Zhao Ci had never experienced the effects of these Pill Furnaces firsthand, but they were said to be sacred items in the Alchemy Realm—like the Apple of the smartphone world, or the Fubo Le warning of the Aiwei Realm.
'If they can secure it, it will definitely be a great thing.'
'But... can they actually get it?'
Just as he thought.
A eunuch hesitated. "Your Highness, about these Pill Furnaces..."
Gu Xiangzhu cut him off. "We must secure them!"
The eunuch: "...Yes!"
Zhao Ci: "..."
'Why does that sound so familiar?'
'Ben Bo'Erba, go and capture Tang Monk and his three disciples!'
SHUFFLE.
Having received Princess Consort Jing's order, the group dispersed.
Only then did Zhao Ci push the door open, his face a mask of filial piety. "Mother!"
To be honest, seeing Gu Xiangzhu again, he was still struck by her beauty.
She wore makeup appropriate for a married woman, giving her the alluring air of a mature beauty, yet her temperament was cool and aloof. With her flawless, fair skin, it was hard not to be captivated.
But appreciation was one thing.
Facing her, Zhao Ci still felt a little flustered.
'No matter how pretty the woman, she's still from the Demon Sect.'
'And he was certain that last time he'd hugged her, she had wanted to kill him.'
'It was only for an instant, but it was enough to confirm she was no saint.'
"Ci?"
Gu Xiangzhu's expression changed slightly, but she quickly returned to normal and said with a faint smile, "Ci, when did you arrive?"
She seemed to have reverted to that Kind Mother who was warm-hearted but poor at expressing it.
Zhao Ci bowed slightly. "Reporting to Mother! This morning, your son went to see Father Emperor to discuss the wedding date and the matter of establishing my own residence. I remembered I could accompany you this afternoon, so I came directly to Wangshu Palace!"
Gu Xiangzhu had no desire to spend time with this "son" of convenience.
But he was already here, and she couldn't just send him away.
Besides, maintaining the appearance of a harmonious relationship was an indispensable part of her mission.
It was just that this part of her mission might become much more complicated after Zhao Ci's declaration of filial piety.
'I have to find a way to avoid any unnecessary physical contact like last time.'
"Very good!"
Gu Xiangzhu nodded with a faint smile. "As it happens, I need to consult some texts. I can also check on your studies while I'm at it. Come!"
With that, she strolled toward the study.
Zhao Ci mused to himself, 'I didn't expect this Demon Sect woman to be such a workaholic.'
He looked at Gu Xiangzhu's head. The subtitles were purple.
[Gu Xiangzhu's Current Wish]: Make Xiang's Pill Workshop rise to prominence and open a financial channel for my Demon Sect. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +1000, Celestial Demon Body Refining Secret Technique.
'Holy crap!'
'One Pill Workshop is giving me three purple wishes?'
The Zhao Ci of yesterday could only sigh in helpless admiration at these wishes.
But now, he wanted them all.
'But... why Xiang's Pill Workshop?'
He thought back. It did seem to be Xiang's Pill Workshop. After the death of Marquis Zhonglie back then, Zhao Huan had always felt guilty and wanted to compensate the family. But Xiang Tiange's wife had become a nun and left no heirs, so he had always thought of supporting the Xiang Family's business.
The businesses handed over to Gu Xiangzhu to manage always seemed to include a share of the profits for the Xiang Family. Of course, he wasn't sure if this was the result of a power play with Gu Xiangzhu or due to the Emperor's guilt over Xiang Tiange.
Right now, Zhao Huan had two wishes: one was for the Royal Pill Workshop to rise, and the other was for Gu Xiangzhu to be a spoiler at the Gongdan Conference.
'It seems my guess was right. Zhao Huan really did make a deal with the Demon Sect. He supports them on the surface but is making subtle moves against them in the shadows.'
'Then again, it seems impossible to complete all three wishes at the same time.'
'Unless... there's a Pill Workshop that belongs to both the Imperial Family and the Xiang Clan.'
'Joint ventures exist, but that scenario seems a bit unrealistic here.'
'No need to rush!'
'I'll plan this out slowly.'
Zhao Ci followed Gu Xiangzhu into the study. As soon as he entered, she pushed him down in front of a desk to test him on his studies.
No new wish formed, but he could faintly guess that this pretty vixen from the Demon Sect was afraid he'd try to cop a feel.
So he put on a show of going through the motions. His schoolwork was, as usual, a complete mess. He then pretended he couldn't take the torture any longer and slumped onto the desk to catch up on his sleep.
Seeing Zhao Ci slump over and even begin to snore softly,
"Phew..."
Gu Xiangzhu felt a sense of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted. She had never been afraid of anything, except for Zhao Ci's displays of "filial piety."
'Fortunately, he's just a simple-minded boy. I can handle him easily!'
She rubbed her fair temples and took down several thick volumes from the bookshelf. These were all Elixir Medicine Collections from the Royal Library Pavilion.
When it came to Elixir Medicine Collections, apart from the Zhu, Feng, and Yang families, the Imperial Family's collection was the most profound and extensive. It had been a great help to her.
She had been consulting them constantly during this period, focusing on a single core problem: how to improve the quality and yield of elixirs when her Alchemists weren't up to snuff.
She had actually managed to find quite a few methods; otherwise, it would have been impossible to unite all those small-time Alchemy organizations.
However... while these methods worked, they were just a drop in the bucket for the problems she was facing.
She searched.
And she searched for over two hours.
She didn't find any new breakthroughs, but she did end up mentally and physically exhausted, her back aching slightly.
"Sigh!"
Gu Xiangzhu sighed. She suddenly felt that life just wasn't worth the trouble.
'I clearly mastered the art of killing, yet I came to the palace to do a desk job for seventeen years. My body has gone rusty.'
'I have to deal with an old man who's constantly thinking about Dual Cultivation with me, struggling to carve out a source of revenue for the Demon Sect right under his nose.'
'I even have to fight with several old, established Alchemy Clans for a piece of the pie.'
'For the Demon Sect...'
'I've really worried myself sick.'
"Mother!"
"Ah?"
Gu Xiangzhu turned her head. "Ci, you're awake?"
Zhao Ci sighed, his face a picture of heartache and sympathy. "Just now in the Imperial Study, I heard Father Emperor say that you were worried sick over the Pill Workshop, but I never expected you to be this exhausted.
Your son wants to share your burden, which is why I mustered the courage to ask Father Emperor to establish my residence yesterday. It's just that I am dull-witted and couldn't think of a way to solve the Pill Workshop's dilemma even after a whole night of thinking!"
Gu Xiangzhu: "..."
'Have Zhao Ci solve the Pill Workshop's dilemma?'
'The very idea was laughable, but this foolish boy at least meant well.'
'Zhao Huan is truly ruthless. To limit the Demon Sect's development, he's willing to push this fool out to attract attention.'
She waved her hand. "Solving the Pill Workshop's situation is no easy task. This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to get involved."
[Gu Xiangzhu's Current Wish]: My dear son, please wake up and don't hold me back. I would be very grateful. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +10, Hindrance Charm.
'She doesn't want me to hold her back?'
'Then I'll do just that!'
Zhao Ci's rebellious streak surfaced. "But Mother, your son wants to ease your worries!"
Gu Xiangzhu retorted, "And how do you plan to do that?"
Zhao Ci looked at her fair, elegant, fragrant shoulders and stealthily stuck the Rubbing Talisman, which only he could see, to the palm of his hand.
"Mother, your son has no other skills, but I can rub your shoulders for you!"
"This..."
Gu Xiangzhu's face stiffened.
Zhao Ci's eyes were filled with filial devotion as he repeated earnestly, "Your son wants to rub your shoulders for you!"
Developing a body is a very enjoyable process.
Whether it's developing someone else's...
...Or developing your own.
He had already developed his own body during his morning cultivation.
Now, it was time to develop someone else's.