After a while, Zhao Feng slowly said, "Perhaps you're right, Mr. Chen. But I still wish to return home as soon as possible to fulfill my filial duties. How can the service of others compare to that of a son? For my mother, my presence in the army causes her endless fear and anxiety, and for my part, I am constantly worried about her."
The main reason why Zhao Feng did not fully focus on obtaining promotions and titles was that he was always thinking about returning home, which was why he was assigned to the Logistics Army in the first place.
Master Chen looked helplessly at Zhao Feng, not knowing what to say. Since ancient times, filial piety had been a tradition in Huaxia, even during the current Warring States Period, before the nation had entered the culturally unified Qin Dynasty.
"Are you and your sister twins?" Master Chen asked.
"Yes," Zhao Feng nodded. "It is precisely because we are twins that my mother nearly lost her life giving birth to us."
"The physical toll of childbirth is extremely difficult to recover from, and a complete cure is even harder to find. However, I know of a miracle drug that can not only provide a complete cure but also prolong life," Master Chen said suddenly.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng was immediately intrigued.
He had been reborn in this world for fifteen years, having regained his past life's memories at the age of ten, so he truly regarded this world's mother as his closest kin. Seeing her weak and powerless as a child, and her suffering during the cold seasons, pained him deeply. His mother was a medical practitioner herself and knew well that this kind of physical deficit was incurable. But deep down, Zhao Feng held onto the wish to heal her.
"What is this miracle drug? Where can I find it?" Zhao Feng asked eagerly.
"The Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng."
"Have you heard of it?" Master Chen asked with a smile.
"No," Zhao Feng shook his head.
However, Wang Yan, who was standing to the side, gave Master Chen a strange look. In a flash, though, she seemed to have a thought and remained silent.
"The Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng is stored within the Daqin National Treasury, and there is only one in the entire world," Master Chen stated.
Hearing this, Zhao Feng glanced at Master Chen and said exasperatedly, "I say, Mr. Chen, that's as good as telling me nothing at all. It's stored in the Daqin National Treasury—are you suggesting I should go steal it?"
Even so, that idea was truly taking root in his mind. The Royal Palace's security must be extremely tight, but if I can increase all my All Attributes to over two thousand in the future, then the palace will be virtually defenseless against me! Besides carrying corpses, killing enemies is an even better way to increase attributes. As long as I keep getting stronger, I'll definitely have a chance to obtain this Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng.
At this moment, Master Chen smiled. "Sneak into the National Treasury to steal the Blood Ginseng? I can't believe you'd say that. The Royal Palace's security is rigorous, protected by tens of thousands of Imperial Guards. Forget about just you; even an army of tens of thousands couldn't breach it. What's more, the National Treasury is forged from copper and iron, impossible to open with brute force without the key. However, you do have a chance to obtain this Blood Ginseng."
Zhao Feng glanced over. "Mr. Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"It's simple. You've just performed a great service for Qin and for the Great King. By killing so many enemies and slaying Bao Yuan, you resolved the threat to our army's supply lines. This has made the Great King remember you. If you perform more great deeds for Qin in the future, slaying a few more War Generals, it's not impossible that this priceless Blood Ginseng could be bestowed upon you," Master Chen said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng understood.
"Mr. Chen, you're just trying to get me to accept the transfer willingly, aren't you?" Zhao Feng said with a slight smile.
"You're too preoccupied with your worries, kid. That's not a good quality on the battlefield, where a moment's distraction can cost you your life. Although I've only known you for a few days, I consider you a little brother. Moreover, I'm not speaking nonsense. Although the Blood Ginseng is a great treasure of Qin, the current Great King is a virtuous and wise ruler. If you one day reach a high enough position and he learns that your mother needs the Blood Ginseng for treatment, I'm certain the Great King would not refuse," Master Chen said reassuringly.
"Indeed, the King of Qin is a virtuous and wise ruler," Zhao Feng nodded in agreement.
In this era, the wisdom of the King of Qin was perhaps only understood by his own ministers. But in later generations, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's fame would echo through the ages, eternal and undying. Who would dare call him an incompetent ruler?
"This Blood Ginseng offers you hope to heal your mother and fulfill your filial duty. But the key point I want to make is this," Master Chen continued, his tone growing serious. "If the Great King really issues a Royal Edict to transfer you to the main battle camp, no Citizen of Great Qin would dare to defy it. To defy a Royal Edict is equivalent to the crime of treason, which implicates one's entire clan. Under royal authority, all subjects must obey. No one can disobey. Even if you want to refuse, you cannot go against his will." His words were laced with an unspoken reverence for the crown.
This was an era where royal authority reigned supreme. Beneath that power, all people were like ants.
Zhao Feng nodded calmly in response to Master Chen's words. As a reincarnator with knowledge of thousands of years of history, he did not feel the same awe towards royal power. Of course, his own strength was also a source of his confidence.
Royal power was indeed formidable. "When a ruler is angered, corpses lie for a thousand miles." From ancient times to the present, this was not idle talk but a hard fact, a statement that captured the absolute authority wielded by a monarch.
"Mr. Chen, I will take your advice today to heart," Zhao Feng said with a smile, then added with firm conviction, "And I am determined to obtain that Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng."
Just as Master Chen had said, if the King of Qin truly issued a Royal Edict to transfer him to the main camp, Zhao Feng would have no way to defy it.
Desert the army? I'd be demoted to hard labor and worked to death. I could perhaps flee to another country, or even outside of Shenzhou, but what about my mother and sister?
Zhao Feng saw the situation with perfect clarity. Since he could not defy the order, he could only obey. Besides, Master Chen's mention of the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng was exactly what he desired. It was a great treasure of Qin, and using it to heal his mother had always been his deepest wish.
"It's good that you've come to understand," Master Chen said with a relieved smile, hearing Zhao Feng's words. He had been genuinely worried that Zhao Feng might be an ignorant hothead.
Nearby, Wang Yan also sighed silently in relief, seeing that Zhao Feng had apparently come around.
"However, until the transfer order arrives, I'd still like to stick with you for a while, Mr. Chen," Zhao Feng said with a smile.
"I couldn't be happier!" Master Chen laughed heartily. "If the order takes a month to arrive, you'll stay with me for a month. If it takes two months, you'll stay for two."
"Okay," Zhao Feng replied, equally pleased.
He looked forward to treating and saving people in the Wounded Soldier Camp even more than fighting on the battlefield. The slaughter of the battlefield and the act of saving lives were two extremes. Watching the wounded soldiers recover at his hands and accruing Merit Points for himself brought him a kind of enjoyment.
"Thank you for delivering the message, Junhou," Master Chen said, turning to smile at Wang Yan. "Mr. Zhao and I still need to treat the wounded, and the stench of blood in the camp is too strong. You should head back for now."
…