Chapter 222: What need for a harem? Having her is enough

Xiao Qidi said helplessly, "I really don't want you to serve me anymore, but it's not that I'm dissatisfied with you; I just think you're old and have been a eunuch your whole life—you don't need to keep living like this. Don't you want to live a normal life?"

The old eunuch stared for a long while, a bewildered look in his eyes, "For this old servant, serving His Majesty is the normal life."

Xiao Qidi's expression was complex, "Don't you think it's wrong to castrate a perfectly fine person, make him neither male nor female, and turn him into a slave?"

"Ah…… this……" the old eunuch's eyes trembled, "How dare this old servant think that! This old servant only feels that being able to serve His Majesty is a great blessing!"

Xiao Qidi demanded in a low voice, "I order you to tell me the truth!"

The old eunuch had served three generations of His Majesty in this palace; before Xiao Qidi, no one had ever asked him such a question, and he had no idea what this young king intended.

Yet, out of loyalty to His Majesty, how could he dare not obey His Majesty's order?

If speaking the truth angered His Majesty and got him executed, he would accept that.

"Reporting to His Majesty……" the old eunuch's face showed a hint of sorrow, "From ancient times to now, using castrated men to serve the king, his harem, and even the royal household as slaves has always been completely normal; it's always been this way. This old servant…… occasionally feels inferior and pained for no longer being a normal man, but after so many years, I've grown accustomed to it."

Xiao Qidi pressed, "So, deep down you think this practice is wrong, right?"

The old eunuch's shoulder twitched, and he answered with his head lowered, "Reporting to His Majesty…… yes."

After he finished speaking, he tightly closed his eyes, awaiting death's arrival.

However, what he waited for was Xiao Qidi's another counterquestion: "Just because it's always been this way, does that make it right?"

The old eunuch was dazed, not knowing how to answer further.

Xiao Qidi continued, "Thousands of years ago, the people on the Central Plains were still eating raw meat and drinking blood; to them, that had always been the case for millions of years beforehand—should later generations continue to eat raw meat and drink blood just like those people? No, right? And then came a slave system that lasted nearly sixteen hundred years; would later people think 'it's always been this way' and keep the slave system? No, right?"

"What does Your Majesty mean……" the old eunuch said cautiously, "Abolish the eunuch system?"

Xiao Qidi said, "This system didn't appear very early; it began a few hundred years after the slave system ended, when some men punished with palace punishment were assigned to do odd jobs for the nobility; later, when the feudal lords divided the land and each founded their own states, a set of rules gradually formed, specially recruiting castrated men as servants. If I don't abolish it, over the next two thousand plus years this system will only grow worse, causing countless people to suffer and bringing innumerable disasters to future generations."

Thanks to Ning Jinli letting him see so many historical documents,

he could deeply realize how deformed the existence of eunuchs is and how great the problems they cause.

And he happened to be able to nip this twisted system in the bud at its early stage.

The old eunuch didn't understand why this system would cause the consequences His Majesty mentioned, and could only worry, "This old servant is dull and fails to grasp Your Majesty's far‑sighted thoughts; this old servant only worries…… that if only palace maids serve His Majesty in the future, fearing women are frail and weak, they might not be able to look after him properly……"

Xiao Qidi laughed, "I have hands and feet—why would I need looking after? Besides, the nobility of Daxuan no longer exists, and this group no longer needs eunuch servants; you say, is there still any need to let the people of Daxuan become eunuchs?"

"Well……" the old eunuch stammered, "Then…… there's still your harem; you have already been crowned and begun to rule, so you should also consider continuing the lineage. This old servant will say something offensive, but the Daxuan royal family…… now only you remain. If you succeed in unifying the world, you'll need to take in many women to bear children for you, and then you'll also need eunuchs to serve them."

Hearing those words, Xiao Qidi's mind was filled only with Ning Jinli.

"Harem? What need for a harem—having her is enough."

"In my heart there's no room left for any other woman; besides her, I don't even want to touch other women."

"Don't mention royalty anymore," Xiao Qidi's tone turned stern, "I have abolished the nobility system in Daxuan—I myself am no longer of royal status! If so, why would I need to propagate the line?"

The old eunuch was frightened by those words and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! Even if…… even if you never again consider yourself of royal lineage, you are still a king! If you don't propagate the line, after a hundred years who will inherit your kingly position? How can Daxuan last for ten thousand generations?"

Xiao Qidi wanted to speak but held back, rubbing his forehead, "Forget it…… your mindset is deeply ingrained and hard to change, so I won't waste more words. You may stay by my side, but you must do one thing for me."

The old eunuch was overjoyed, instinctively wanting to kowtow in thanks, but remembering His Majesty's repeated orders not to kowtow, he suppressed the habit, bowed with clasped hands and said, "This old servant would not hesitate to go through fire and water for Your Majesty; whatever you ask this old servant to do, I will surely accomplish it."

Xiao Qidi nodded, "According to palace custom, every spring men are recruited to enter the palace as eunuchs, and you, as Chief Eunuch, have been in charge of this; from now on, this custom is abolished—we will never recruit eunuchs again."

"Ah?" the old eunuch exclaimed in shock, "Your Majesty…… this——"

"You just said you would surely do it, didn't you?" Xiao Qidi said softly, "Rest assured, I will issue an edict: if anyone interferes, they will be beheaded directly."

The old eunuch trembled all over, "Yes, this old servant…… will obey the edict!"

"Step back." Xiao Qidi waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, this old servant wants to report something."

"Hmm? What is it?"

The old eunuch said carefully, "This morning…… another scroll arrived from the Shuncheng Traveling Palace, said to be a letter from the Empress Dowager written to you."

Xiao Qidi's face instantly darkened, "Didn't I tell you that letters from Jiang Peihuan should not be shown to me—just burn them! And don't call her Empress Dowager in my presence!"

The old eunuch broke out in a cold sweat, "But this time the messenger said…… the Madame Jiang has recently become very ill, and I was also thinking that the weather is getting colder…… perhaps Madame Jiang has something important to tell Your Majesty."

Xiao Qidi snorted coldly, "What important matter could a imprisoned criminal have! Are you suggesting you're worried she'll die and fear she'll die without ever seeing me?"

The old eunuch sweated profusely, not daring to say anything else.

"Burn the letter, don't let even a speck of ash meet my eyes!" Xiao Qidi, face grim, rose and walked away.

Watching his resolute departing back, the old eunuch could only sigh silently.

Just as Xiao Qidi reached the hall's doorway, he suddenly stopped, turned his face slightly sideways, and said, "Send a physician to Shuncheng, and bring some clothes, bedding, and charcoal."

The old eunuch, both surprised and delighted, replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Qidi added, "Don't let anyone know this is my arrangement, including that woman."

The old eunuch's emotions went up and down, "Yes…… Your Majesty."

Xiao Qidi left the hall alone, feeling a slight tightness in his chest, so he went outside to blow some cold wind for a while.

Winter has arrived; the capital of Daxuan has not yet seen snow, but the north wind is already bitterly cold.

Each breath felt like ice needles piercing his chest.

This actually made Xiao Qidi feel a bit better; after regaining his spirits, he then went to the imperial storehouse where the Time‑Space Gate is kept.

Although he cannot alter the Spacetime Portal's connection route like Ning Jinli can, Ning Jinli had already adjusted the portal beforehand.

He changed his clothes, crossed the Fluorescent Vortex, and arrived at the bottom of Zhuiyingjian Valley beneath Yujifeng Peak.

Zhuiyingjian Valley is often shrouded in thick fog in summer, especially damp and cold at night, but in winter it is actually warmer than elsewhere, and the lush vegetation remains verdant.

"Busy person, you've finally come!"

A clear, pleasant voice rang out.

A tall, beautiful figure flew over and threw herself into Xiao Qidi's embrace.

Xiao Qidi held her tightly, lowered his head, buried his nose in Ning Jinli's hair, inhaled the familiar fresh scent deeply, and finally felt his heart no longer as agitated as before.

"You look tired?" Ning Jinli lifted her head, noticing a hint of fatigue in his brows and eyes.

Xiao Qidi smiled, "It's a bit, but when I see you I'm no longer tired."

Ning Jinli raised her hand and brushed his cheek, "You've gotten thinner again; is it because I'm not watching over you that you forget to eat on schedule? No matter how good your physique is, you can't push yourself like this. Sigh, I wanted you to practice the Tian Xuan Heart Method but you have no time, so I'll give you some Internal Strength."

Xiao Qidi hurriedly said, "No need, no need, I'm not that weak."

Ning Jinli tilted her head and said, "Then why don't you rest a while and take a nap? Wherever you want to sleep, I'll take you there; after you're fully rested, come back."

Xiao Qidi's eyes were full of tenderness, his smile helpless, "I promised you that when I'm free I'll come keep you, how could I waste time."

"Alright, I'll show you the research institute built here."

Ning Jinli took his hand and walked upstream along the river, eventually entering a building that was almost fused with the surrounding scenery.

This research institute was established to study the ecological environment of Zhuiyingjian and to collect snake venom.

Without damaging the original environment, they try to make the local resources as useful as possible.

Especially the purple‑bellied golden‑spotted snake.

This poisonous snake, which had become extinct in Ning Jinli's era, has venom with great medical value; previously Zheng Jiaoshou's friend suffered a rare disease and was on the brink of death, and only a secret formula in the Shennong Bencao Jing that required this venom as an ingredient saved his life.

Now, Ning Jinli's pharmaceutical company can mass‑produce the special drug that treats that rare disease.

Although the cost is extremely high, and because it is a rare disease only a few hundred people worldwide develop it each year, Ning Jinli does not think of selling it at a sky‑high price for profit; as long as a patient needs the medicine, she provides it for free, treating it as a charitable out‑of‑pocket expense.

Under Ning Jinli's guidance, Xiao Qidi toured the process of collecting the purple‑bellied golden‑spotted snake's venom.

"Look, those who just returned are the Tian Shu Sect disciples my mother selected," Ning Jinli pointed at a group carrying special boxes, "they are in charge of finding and catching snakes; after the institute staff finish extracting the venom, they mark the snakes and release them back to their original spot."

At that moment, Ning Jinli saw the institute's head walk out of the office.

"Director Hua!"

She pulled Xiao Qidi along, went over to greet the person.

The head, appearing to be in his sixties, had a stern look; when he first emerged his expression was especially grave, but upon seeing Ning Jinli he broke into a kindly smile.

"Miss Ning, hello. This is…"

The head adjusted his reading glasses and looked seriously at Xiao Qidi.

"Let me introduce," Ning Jinli said to Xiao Qidi, "this is Professor Hua, a top‑level expert specially dispatched by our nation's senior officials, a very accomplished medical specialist."

Then she introduced to Professor Hua, "This is my boyfriend, Xiao Qidi."

Professor Hua instinctively blurted out, "Xiao Qidi? Could it be that you share the same name and surname as Emperor Xuanzu?"

For a variety of reasons, both the state and Ning Jinli have so far not told the expert who arrived here what this place is, so Professor Hua does not yet know that he is in Huaxia of more than two thousand years ago in a parallel world, and therefore he has no idea who Ning Jinli's boyfriend is.

Ning Jinli laughed brightly, "Hehe, indeed the same name and surname."

Professor Hua's eyes showed a strange color, he surveyed and said, "He's tall, robust, and has an extraordinary aura; although I don't know what Emperor Xuanzu actually looks like, when I see you I inexplicably feel that perhaps that ancient emperor in his youth was just like you."

Xiao Qidi smiled and replied, "You flatter me."

"By the way, Professor Hua," Ning Jinli asked, "how has the collection of purple‑bellied golden‑spotted snake venom been going these past days?"

Professor Hua sighed, "Alas… now we can stably produce about a hundred kilograms per day, but if we push it further it will affect the snakes' survival; still, a hundred kilograms a day is far from enough."

Hearing this, Ning Jinli's expression also grew solemn.

"Ning Jinli, I remember you told me that only a tiny amount of snake venom is needed to make that special drug, and the number of patients worldwide isn't many; so why isn't a daily output of a hundred kilograms of venom enough?"

Ning Jinli explained, "Because the venom of the purple‑bellied golden‑spotted snake can not only be used to make that special drug, but also to produce another medicine that treats a blood disease; this blood disease is relatively common yet hard to cure, especially among us yellow‑raced people; the few countries where yellow‑raced people are the main population together see several million cases each year."

Xiao Qidi then asked, "Before you discovered this snake, weren't those patients left without any medicine?"

"That's not the case," Professor Hua adjusted his glasses, "before this, a certain European country had already developed a drug that can effectively control the symptoms of this blood disease; although it can't cure it, as long as you follow the treatment regimen, you'll never have a flare‑up in your lifetime. Our country also tried to develop one, but…"

Speaking of that, Professor Hua's face darkened further; after a pause he continued:

"However, our country tried all sorts of methods, even independently developing a formula that doesn't infringe the other party's patent, but the most critical natural component, which cannot be avoided, is only producible in Europe; other places have none at all, so we have to spend a sky‑high price each year importing it from that country. For the health of our people we had to accept it, but what's infuriating is… the other side has recently begun using this thing to threaten us…"