Wangshu Palace.
Behind the screen.
"Is that true?!"
Gu Xiangzhu, who had been resting, shot upright.
She had been away for the past few days. Using the Demon Sect's intelligence network, she had found the ruins of a previous dynasty on the border, a site related to elixirs.
After a perilous exploration, she found a number of secret techniques related to alchemy. If she used them to train alchemists, she was certain she could elevate their skills to a whole new level.
The only problem was that the results wouldn't be immediate.
But if she missed this Gongdan Conference, she would have to wait at least another year to expand her enterprise.
After all, the biggest consumer of elixirs in the world was, and always would be, the state.
One year.
It wasn't that she couldn't wait.
But she really didn't want to.
She had traveled through the night to return and hadn't gotten enough sleep before she had to get up, fix her appearance, and meet with a female steward from the Zhuge Family to inquire about the pill furnaces.
She never expected that after just a short nap before heading out, Li Shu of the Li Family would request an audience.
And then she heard the two pieces of major news.
Zhao Yong was indeed going to compete for the pill furnaces. This wasn't unexpected, because besides herself, his was the only new power in the Elixir Realm in desperate need of top-grade pill furnaces.
She just hadn't expected Zhao Yong to have a conflict with Zhao Ci. Now, the other side would surely show no mercy.
This was about Zhao Yong's achievements after establishing his own princely mansion.
The Crown Prince Faction intended to groom Zhao Yong into the Crown Prince's right-hand man, so they would definitely go all out this time. Plus, Zhao Yong was backed by the reputation of the Zhu Family's elixirs.
Competing for these pill furnaces was going to be difficult.
Gu Xiangzhu felt a headache coming on. She never imagined she would get dragged into the murky waters of the succession struggle. Even though she wasn't deeply involved yet, it was still incredibly vexing. 'All I want to do is establish a financial pipeline for the Demon Sect, why is it so hard?'
Fortunately, there was also a piece of good news.
"My father saw it with his own eyes. There's not a shred of falsehood in it."
Li Shu was also thrilled. If Gu Xiangzhu could really land a huge order, their Li Family could ride her coattails and profit handsomely.
Gu Xiangzhu was moved.
Zhao Ci... he...
No!
'My dear son is truly a dragon among men!'
With this liquid, the yield of a single furnace of elixirs increased by more than double, and the alchemy cycle was shortened by at least a factor of three.
Combined, that was a yield increase of more than six times.
If she had a sufficient supply of the liquid, even if the elixir quality wasn't up to par, she could still land a huge order at the Gongdan Conference.
The benefits within the Elixir Realm were far more significant than the money from ordinary business.
"However..."
Li Shu's tone shifted.
Gu Xiangzhu's heart tightened. "However what?"
Li Shu hesitated for a moment before recounting everything that had happened at Li's Pill Workshop.
Gu Xiangzhu's brows furrowed slightly. "This..."
Li Shu couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, what should we do?"
"Don't rush."
Gu Xiangzhu calmed down and said with a faint smile, "Just have your father do his best to prepare. Ci is my son. You can leave him to me."
With that, she stood up. After dismissing Li Shu, she boarded a carriage to leave the palace. First, she would meet with the female steward from the Zhuge Family.
...
Tenth Prince's Mansion.
Zhao Ci was in high spirits, although the low quality of the elixirs made him a little anxious.
But no matter how low the quality, as long as he secured the order, it would be a significant achievement for him.
It had been seven days since he established his mansion, and he hadn't recruited a single Mansion Official. Forget about people showing up to apply; even that pain in the ass Feng Kucha had anticipated and rejected his recruitment offer.
It was all because they saw no future with him.
Establishing a mansion was like a team-based game; you really couldn't do it without followers.
After this Gongdan Conference, he should finally be able to escape the predicament of being a general without an army.
As for the elixir grade,
he wanted to improve it too, but it was currently beyond his abilities.
Besides...
he needed to firmly grasp this wave of benefits for himself first.
"Time to eat!"
Feeling great, Zhao Ci immediately scarfed down several large bowls of rice. After a short rest, he began to cultivate.
Honestly, he'd had to mentally prepare himself before tearing into Zhao Yong earlier, afraid he might break Zhao Yong's composure and get a beating for it.
Fortunately, Zhao Yong was a man of some decency.
'People with decency are the easiest to deal with.'
However!
He still needed to properly improve his own strength. These past few days, he hadn't wasted any time on those minor wishes; all his energy was focused on medicine extraction and cultivation.
He had to admit, the cultivation efficiency in the harmonious state was terrifyingly high. The True Qi in his body was now incredibly pure. In three days at most, he would be able to undergo his first Body Refining.
'Nice!'
Zhao Ci quickly became immersed in his cultivation.
One cycle, and then another.
Midway through,
he sensed someone appear beside him but paid them no mind, simply continuing to cultivate.
Only when he felt the faint sensation of exhaustion did he gather his True Qi back into his Dantian and slowly stop.
He opened his eyes and looked at the newcomer.
'As expected!'
'That old fox Li Fugui really sold me out.'
'I've been waiting for you.'
His eyes instantly lit up with a look of pleasant surprise.
"Mother Consort! What are you doing here?"
"Ci!"
Gu Xiangzhu sat there quietly. The setting sun slanted through the window, casting a serene and gentle glow upon her faintly smiling face.
Paired with her stunning profile, a single glance was enough to inspire feelings of affection and reverence.
She was very satisfied with Zhao Ci's reaction.
'This is just simple psychological suggestion, but it's incredibly effective. I've mastered many evil arts that can bewitch the mind, but I disdain to use them.'
'Psychological suggestion is enough. The simplest methods are the most reliable and effective.'
'I was planning to avoid contact with Zhao Ci as much as possible, but it seems this "mother-son bond" is worth cultivating.'
'Everything for the Demon Sect!'
"I was away on a long trip for the past few days and only just returned to Lingge last night. It's been many days since I last saw you, so I wanted to see how you were doing. After finishing my business, I came by to check on you. I didn't expect you to be cultivating so diligently, so I couldn't bring myself to disturb you."
[Gu Xiangzhu's Current Wish]: To take possession of the Essence Extract Liquid's method. Wish Completion Reward: Insight +100, Cunning and Robbing Talisman x1.
'Whoa!'
'Woman!'
'Your name is Greed.'
Zhao Ci put on a serious expression. "Since I've decided to be a filial son to Father Emperor and Mother Consort, how could I possibly slack off? Mother Consort, rest assured, I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance in the future."
Gu Xiangzhu: "..."
She sensed a change in Zhao Ci's mentality.
Ever since he decided to establish his own mansion, Zhao Ci's entire personality seemed to have changed.
For example, he had secluded himself for so many days and developed the Essence Extract Liquid.
For example, he had been cultivating so diligently just now.
For example, he had verbally torn into Zhao Yong this morning.
For a moment, she actually felt a flicker of appreciation for his talent.
'If it weren't for his terrible aptitude, with this child's disposition, he wouldn't be a bad prospect.'
'What a pity...'
"I am very content that you have such determination, Ci!"
Gu Xiangzhu seemed quite moved, but then she got to the point. "Right! I heard from Shopkeeper Li that you went to the Pill Workshop today and even took out a bottle of extremely valuable liquid..."
"What?!"
Zhao Ci looked both shocked and angry. "How could Li Fugui do that? I specifically told him not to say anything!"
Gu Xiangzhu asked with a smile, "It's clearly a good thing, so why couldn't you talk about it?"
Zhao Ci suddenly seemed to grow anxious. "Mother Consort! Your son had two reasons."
"Don't get agitated. Speak slowly."
Gu Xiangzhu, who usually had a cool and detached air, appeared exceptionally gentle and charming while bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
'Can't deny it,'
Zhao Ci was a little dazed by her beauty. He collected himself before sighing, "The first reason is that the Essence Extract Liquid isn't easy to mass-produce. Your son worked for a long time just to refine a single jar. Before I could confirm it could be mass-produced, I didn't dare make any grand promises, for fear of getting your hopes up for nothing, Mother Consort. To think that Li Fugui would..."
'So there's hope for mass production!'
Gu Xiangzhu wanted to immediately ask how to refine this Essence Extract Liquid, but right now she was playing the part of an understanding, kind mother. She couldn't be too hasty.
She simply smiled and asked, "And the second reason?"
"Second..."
Zhao Ci wore a look of shame. "Mother Consort! Your son was being selfish!"
He grabbed Gu Xiangzhu's hand, his expression anxious and tense, as if he had done something wrong and was begging for forgiveness.
Gu Xiangzhu: "..."
'Why is he touching me again?'
'Fortunately, it's just holding hands this time, and the emotion behind it is simple. Thinking of this, her discomfort faded a little.'
She gently patted the back of Zhao Ci's hand. "What is it? It's all right, Ci. Just tell me slowly..."
Zhao Ci took a deep breath. "Then I'll tell you..."
'I have no money, no men, and no connections.'
'You're the only one I can rope into this!'