Zhu Yanyi ignored their reactions. The next day, the members of the Dagger Squad emerged, smiles on their faces. Depending on their aptitude, their cultivation had increased by up to forty years—more than Xuan Yuan Cheng’s gain. Even the lowest increase was twenty years, proving the pills’ effectiveness.
Zhu Yanyi then handed some pre-organized internal cultivation manuals to Fu Huai and Xuan Yuan Cheng. Aside from providing these resources, she stayed out of sight, letting them handle the affairs. She avoided direct involvement because she knew she would eventually leave. Moreover, it was time to clean up the court.
She had agreed with Yuan Yanqiu: one would handle external matters, the other internal. She would not break her word.
"Based on my clues, the Left Chancellor is a member of the Mo Family. She is a decent man, but her fourth son is a severe corrupt official. As the Chancellor’s son, she has embezzled over a million taels of silver. You must investigate this secretly," Zhu Yanyi told Fu Huai. "Fu Huai, you take charge of this. Xuan Yuan, your task is to return and persuade your brother to assist the Emperor."
Although the Xuan Yuan family served the military and was loyal to the Emperor, their loyalty was somewhat discounted. Zhu Yanyi noticed they had not done their utmost. If they had, the court would not be in such a state after the State Preceptor’s emergence.
"Yes," Xuan Yuan Cheng nodded immediately, then asked, "What will Your Majesty do in the coming days?"
"I will go out for a walk. Court affairs are important, but so is the livelihood of the people. I need to see the situation myself. I will return in five days. Of course, if there is an emergency, throw this pill into the sky." Zhu Yanyi handed them six signal pills, three each. "I will not go far. Seeing this signal, I will come directly."
"Yes," Fu Huai and Xuan Yuan Cheng agreed promptly.
After giving her orders, Zhu Yanyi left. She changed her attire before going out. She wore no mask, dressed in the common clothes of a girl in the Dayu Dynasty. No one suspected that this ordinary girl was the mysterious Divine Physician, the Imperial Seat.
She carried a medicine basket on her shoulder, looking like a herb gatherer. Although the Dayu Dynasty did not fully trust medicine, some places still needed it, just as alchemy required herbs. Thus, the herb-gathering industry remained prosperous.
Zhu Yanyi went out and gathered some common herbs. Since they were unprocessed, she needed a place to prepare them. Fortunately, these herbs required only simple treatment. Some needed roots and stems, which just needed washing; others required flowers or seeds. Zhu Yanyi found a temporary spot, built a thatched hut, and made it her temporary residence.
Looking at the hut she had built, Zhu Yanyi felt a sense of accomplishment. She had always used tents when traveling; this was her first time building a thatched hut. Although it was makeshift, it provided shelter. Moreover, the hut was merely for show.
Once inside the hut, Zhu Yanyi would enter the Ruyi Space to rest. She set up an array in the hut; if anyone entered, an alarm would trigger, and she would know immediately.
Zhu Yanyi stayed there for two days, processing the herbs before heading out to the city to sell them. She believed that to understand each stage of life, one had to experience it. Although this plane was secular, it differed from her previous world. It was still a monarchy, and the environment was harsh. The closer one got to the lives of the poor, the more insight one gained.
Zhu Yanyi looked at the sky. Although the State Preceptor had been driven away, she was not eliminated. People knew she was abnormal, but since they had not seen her evil deeds, they did not believe she was wrong. Thus, the former State Preceptor still had followers. Furthermore, the Imperial Star remained hidden, leaving the sky in darkness.
The gray, gloomy sky created an indescribable oppression. Although it was daytime, the sun was blocked by layers of clouds, making it hard to see clearly. Living in such an oppressive atmosphere, people’s frustration would eventually explode, leading to fights and brawls.
As Zhu Yanyi entered the city, she encountered several groups arguing. Fortunately, the situation was not yet severe, but if it continued, people’s emotions would reach a breaking point. No one knew what would happen then.
"Oh, my son!" A sudden sorrowful cry made Zhu Yanyi pause. She asked an old man nearby, "Uncle, what happened?"
The old man sighed. "That woman is a widow. Her husband’s surname was Zhang, and her maiden name was Cao. She had a hard life. Her mother died in childbirth when she was three. Her father remarried, and the stepmother sold her to the Zhang family as a child bride when she was six. Fortunately, the Zhang family was kind, and the young man was good. When she came of age, they held the ceremony and became true husband and wife. A year later, they had a son. When the son was five, her husband died accidentally while trying to stop a clan dispute. She was left alone with her son. It seemed they could survive with the son, but she was conscripted at sixteen. Five days ago, news came that she died in battle. So she cries every day."
Zhu Yanyi considered herself cold-hearted, but hearing this story stirred a trace of pity in her heart.
"How will she live in the future?" Zhu Yanyi asked. "Does the government not provide for her?"
"Provide what? In these times, who knows when chaos will break out? They gave her fifty taels of silver as a settlement. But she is a lonely widow. When she grows old and dies, she will have no descendants." The old man sighed deeply. "But this is normal. Who here has not tasted the pain of family destruction? Even I, my second son died in battle last year." she sighed again.
Hearing this, Zhu Yanyi looked up and said, "When will the souls of those who died in battle return home?"