Chapter 50: What Purpose Could This Object Possibly Serve?

To show his utmost reverence for the Empress, that very afternoon Xue Zong arranged for more than fifty servants of the Xue family to set up free porridge stations outside the poorest village south of Xiao City.

That same day, Xue Zong assured Tian Yueying and her companion that these porridge distributions would continue indefinitely, until the Xue family could truly no longer afford to supply them.

Seeing that the citizens of Xiao City, led by the scions of wealthy families, were also beginning to perform acts of benevolence, Yang Chuan felt immensely gratified.

It seemed that the results of governing Xiao City this time were even more perfect than he had imagined.

The next day, he and Tian Yueying searched far and wide, finally finding a divine physician hidden deep in the mountains near Xiao City.

According to local folklore, this miracle doctor was renowned because he had spent his entire life studying Taoist immortal arts.

Upon hearing about the plight of the eldest daughter of the Xue family, the physician explained that her mental illness was caused by a fright she had suffered years ago, which had caused one of her spiritual souls to become detached and lost.

Human beings are naturally born with three spiritual souls and seven physical souls, which constitute the most fundamental essence of the entire body.

Normally, these souls are responsible for "tending to" the various internal organs within the body as well as governing the most basic human actions and behaviors.

If one were so unfortunate as to lose any single soul, abnormal behaviors would manifest in the body, leading either to illness or mental derangement.

Learning that the head of the Xue family was a benevolent person who frequently accumulated virtue through good deeds, the divine physician immediately agreed to leave the mountains with Yang Chuan to retrieve the lost soul of the Xue family's eldest daughter.

On the way back, the system that had long remained dormant suddenly spoke up.

[Ding! Detected that the host has accumulated considerable hidden virtue recently. Presenting one copy of "Comprehensive Ancient Medical Sciences". May the host continue to uphold his original aspirations in the future and save the suffering masses of the world!]

"Goodness, Comprehensive Ancient Medical Sciences? It seems this book must be a medical skill developed during the era of the Ancestor of Humanity."

Mentioning the Ancestor of Humanity immediately reminded him of a book in his original spacetime known as the foremost of all classics.

This book detailed the mysteries between humanity and nature, as well as between humanity and the universe.

Not only could it predict future events through divination, but its contents also allowed individuals to self-regulate their bodies, keeping themselves constantly tuned to the same frequency as the universe and making them immune to all hundred malevolences.

Pondering this, he suddenly realized that in this current world, legends regarding the foremost of all classics seemed entirely absent.

He raised his head to look at the sky; the blazing sun was high and fierce.

This was sufficient proof that although this was a parallel spacetime, the celestial bodies operating across the heavens were identical to those in his original world.

Why not take advantage of his free time to author a book similar to the foremost of all classics himself?

If such a book could be published, the common people of the current era could rely on self-study to regulate their bodies and even foresee the paths they should choose in the future, thereby indirectly helping him fulfill his grand ambition of unifying the Nine Provinces all the sooner.

However, writing such a profound and wondrous book could not be accomplished in a day or two.

Taking advantage of the newly acquired "Comprehensive Ancient Medical Sciences," he resolved to study it thoroughly upon his return, striving to develop some mastery in the field of medicine as well.

Upon returning to Xiao City, Yang Chuan brought the divine physician to the Xue residence.

He himself proceeded alone to a carpenter's workshop, intending to hand over the blueprints of the wooden ox and flowing horse that he had sketched throughout the previous night.

Once this machinery was constructed, the farmers of Xiao City would soon be able to save a vast amount of expenses and transport the grain they harvested to wherever they desired using the wooden oxen and flowing horses.

Upon meeting the legendary carpenter, Yang Chuan swiftly produced the blueprints, explaining the wondrous principles embedded within the wooden ox and flowing horse while asking whether the carpenter could finish crafting the first one within two days.

Gazing at the drawing resembling an old ox, the carpenter stroked his chin in contemplation for a moment before slapping the table in a decisive gesture.

"Rest assured, Lord Yang! All the materials required in this blueprint are available in my shop. As long as my apprentices do not slack off, I will present the wooden ox and flowing horse to you in two days!"

"Splendid."

Stepping out of the carpenter's workshop, and remembering that he still had to stay in Xiao City for a few more days, he decided to return, change into casual attire, and take Tian Yueying out to further explore the most prosperous city in all of Great Qi.

...

Two days later, within the Prime Minister's Manor in the capital.

Having received the message from the very last servant of the Yuan family, An Xunlu flew into a rage, sweeping all the tea sets off the table onto the floor in one violent motion.

"Humph! This Yang Chuan is simply too bullying!"

"Just think, who among these people would ever dare to arbitrarily sentence my subordinates? Clearly, Yang Chuan has already been stripped of his official post, yet the Empress still openly favors him, inventing yet another excuse to assign him a special position!"

"As things stand today, the entire Yuan clan is likely facing doom. However, this old man cannot tolerate Yang Chuan continuing to act so lawlessly. Otherwise, the future Great Qi will truly become a place where he has the final say in everything!"

Recalling Yuan Tianze, back in the day, the Prime Minister had personally recommended him for the post in Xiao City.

One of the reasons was that this man followed his every command.

Should he encounter trouble in the capital, Yuan Tianze would not hesitate to stand by his side, even if the enemy happened to be the reigning Empress.

Another reason An Xunlu grieved over the death of Yuan Tianze was the crucial position he held in Xiao City.

Leveraging his control over the national treasury, Yuan Tianze had sent An Xunlu no small amount of bribes over the years.

Just the gold and jewels universally accepted across the Nine Provinces amounted to ten full carriage loads.

When Great Qi previously needed to pay reparations to Great Kang, in truth, keeping just two carriage loads of gold and silver here with An Xunlu would have sufficed.

Yet it was precisely because of corrupt officials like them that the national treasury of Great Qi had become exceptionally depleted.

After paying the reparations, the remaining funds were insufficient even to sustain daily expenses for the latter half of the year.

Now that Yuan Tianze had fallen, it meant that An Xunlu's greatest treasury had vanished forever.

The more he thought about it, the angrier An Xunlu became.

He immediately summoned the ten deadliest assassins in his manor, ordering them to pursue Yang Chuan all the way to Xiao City and assassinate him before he could return to the capital.

As for the Empress, since he was already in his twilight years, he wished to avoid incurring the crime of regicide.

Before the assassins set out, he repeatedly admonished them that if they were fortunate enough to intercept the duo on the road, they were only to put Yang Chuan to death.

As for the Empress herself, absolutely not a single hair on her head was to be harmed!

Meanwhile, inside the Xiao City magistrate's office, the carpenter and his apprentices had toiled for two days and two nights, finally completing the construction of the first wooden ox and flowing horse.

In the courtyard of the magistrate's office, Tian Yueying and Li Yunshan stared eagerly at the wooden beast, falling into deep contemplation.

What use could this thing possibly have?

Yang Chuan claimed it could transport grain, but this contraption appeared quite thick-shelled. Even if there was some hollow space inside, how much grain could it possibly hold?

Furthermore, such a clumsy wooden ox, even if it could hold a few shi of grain, how could it be transported elsewhere?

"Yang Chuan, I think this endeavor of yours is somewhat redundant. Real oxen and horses pull carts to transport dozens of shi of grain—why bother inventing a wooden version?"