[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin":3,"chapter-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-135":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The First Iron Rice Bowl of Great Jin",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},151821,261,"Chapter 135: Medical Hall Targeted","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-135",135,"\u003Cp>Hua Changxi, as a chore overseer in the Chore Hall, couldn't shirk her duties for long even with the cover provided by Eunuch Jia and the other three. After returning from Wuzhi Mountain, she went straight back to the Medicine Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After making her routine inspection of the four bureaus—Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh—under the Third Office, she went directly to No. 6 Qihuang Hall to continue alchemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her current schedule was: alchemy at Qihuang Hall during the day, cultivation and body tempering at Lingguang Hall at night, and every few days she would summon Zhou Qiuyu and the others to No. 6 Qihuang Hall to guide them in alchemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Hua Changxi stopped attending classes, the Chore Hall suddenly fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many who had been watching her fell into deep thought upon seeing this move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Medicine Department building on First Street, Director Gu Qiming flipped through the *Complete Compendium of Common Plants* and *Canon of Herbal Processing* that Hua Changxi had had compiled. After reviewing them, he summoned Mu Qingying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've attended several of Hua Changxi's lectures at Qihuang Hall. Did you notice anything unusual?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying shook his head: \"Hua Changxi spoke earnestly every time. This disciple noticed nothing unusual.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming frowned: \"If what you say is true, does Hua Changxi lecture at Qihuang Hall simply because she enjoys it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying nodded: \"This disciple truly believes that. When she teaches, she talks endlessly, her face radiant, and she shares every detail without reservation. I could feel that she deeply enjoys the process of imparting medical knowledge to others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Gu Qiming looked back at the *Complete Compendium of Common Plants* and *Canon of Herbal Processing* on the table. The thoroughness with which these two books categorized medicinal herbs was something few available medical texts could match, and even the Medicine Department didn't have such a complete collection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: they involved far too many \"new medicines.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The physicians and pharmacists on Ninth Street—whenever they discovered the efficacy of a \"new medicine,\" they all kept it secret, only willing to share if offered equivalent value in exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to them, Hua Changxi truly held nothing back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hua Changxi was just a young girl who had only recently come of age—how could she understand and accumulate so much knowledge about the effects of these \"new medicines\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi must have received some kind of medical inheritance—that was certain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was highly probable that this inheritance came from Qihuang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming looked at Mu Qingying: \"When you go to listen to Hua Changxi's lectures, do you bring your wooden token?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying nodded: \"I wear it, Master. As you said, the wooden token might be the key to opening the Dan Sage Hall, so I've kept it on me and never taken it off. Senior Brother Yuan does the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming asked further: \"Then have you noticed any unusual phenomena with your wooden token?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying shook his head in shame: \"This disciple is dull; so far the wooden token has shown no unusual signs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming sighed: \"Tonight, you and your senior brother go and visit all eighteen Qihuang Halls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying seemed to understand something and asked in surprise: \"Eighteen wooden tokens, eighteen Qihuang Halls—Master, do you mean the wooden tokens are connected to Qihuang Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming: \"There was something very off about Hua Changxi insisting on teaching the chores at Qihuang Hall. Later, when I learned she had a wooden token, I went to investigate Qihuang Hall and indeed found that the token flashed green when brought close to the Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying: \"But… but every time I go to Qihuang Hall, my wooden token doesn't react at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming: \"My token didn't react at the nine Qihuang Halls in the Chore Hall either, but it did react at the nine Qihuang Halls in the Apprentice Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying hurriedly asked: \"Master, did you discover anything then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this question, Gu Qiming felt a bit frustrated: \"Aside from the green flash on the token, I found nothing else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he had silently allowed Hua Changxi to teach openly in the Chore Hall—to see if she had already uncovered the secret of Qihuang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You and your senior brother go explore the Qihuang Halls tonight, and come back to report your findings to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying immediately went to find Yuan Tianchou. That night, the two of them went to both the Chore Hall and the Apprentice Hall, inspecting all eighteen Qihuang Halls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the two left the Apprentice Hall, Zhu Qinghuan stepped out from a dark corner of the wall, watching their retreating figures with a solemn expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed they had also discovered the connection between Qihuang Hall and the wooden tokens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghuan stood outside No. 10 Qihuang Hall, frowning as she watched the green light on the wooden token in her hand flicker and vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly was the connection between the wooden tokens and Qihuang Hall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly had Hua Changxi discovered?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghuan looked defeated. She had discovered the link between the token and Qihuang Hall on the first day she obtained it, but after investigating for so long, she still hadn't uncovered the secret between the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she learned that Hua Changxi was lecturing at Qihuang Hall, she had even followed along in secret, gathering a group of apprentices from the Apprentice Hall to help them review their usual lessons inside the Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had tried all nine Qihuang Halls in the Apprentice Hall, but the wooden token never reacted at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghuan put away the wooden token and looked again in the direction where Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou had left. Now that the Director and the others had also discovered the connection between the wooden token and the Qihuang Hall, let's see what they could find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First Street, Medical Office Building, Director's Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming saw his two apprentices return and asked, \"Well? What did you discover?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianchou: \"The nine wooden tokens from the Apprentice Hall for the Qihuang Hall all reacted, but the nine wooden tokens from the Miscellaneous Servants Hall for the Qihuang Hall did not react at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming looked at the two of them: \"What do you think this means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianchou and Mu Qingying exchanged a glance and simultaneously shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming looked at the wooden token in his hand: \"Do you think the wooden token might be the key to the Qihuang Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianchou immediately said, \"But the wooden token also flashed green light when it passed through Nine Street.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely because the wooden token produced an anomaly when passing through Nine Street that they had focused all their attention on Nine Street, never thinking of the dilapidated row of Qihuang Halls behind the Apprentice Hall and the Miscellaneous Servants Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming fell silent. To be honest, at first he also thought the wooden token was related to Nine Street, but now he was increasingly leaning toward the belief that the wooden token was connected to the Qihuang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't Hua Changxi no longer teaching at the Qihuang Hall? You two go and teach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou both let out an \"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming: \"Teach at both the Qihuang Halls of the Miscellaneous Servants Hall and the Apprentice Hall. I refuse to believe Hua Changxi would teach at the Qihuang Hall for no reason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying hesitated for a moment: \"Master, actually, Hua Changxi had subtly hinted to me, Zhu Qinghuan, and Shen Qianfan before, asking us to teach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Gu Qiming said, \"Is that so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming immediately decided: \"Prepare yourselves. You will go teach at the Qihuang Hall in a couple of days. If teaching really makes the wooden token react, then I will go too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianchou seemed to have something to say but held back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming saw this: \"If you have something to say, say it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianchou: \"If my junior sister and I go teach, it might cause quite a stir. By then, people from the Nine Street pharmacies, the Disciple Hall, and the Apprentice Hall will probably all come, and the miscellaneous servants might not get to attend the lecture.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming: \"...That can't be helped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying, however, said, \"It's fine if the miscellaneous servants don't listen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yuan Tianchou looked at her in surprise: \"I thought you would rather teach the miscellaneous servants.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying looked at him: \"Many of the miscellaneous servants have heard Hua Changxi teach. If they come to hear us lecture, they'll realize we don't teach as well as Hua Changxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianchou wanted to argue, but he had also carefully flipped through *The Complete Register of Mortal Plants* and *The Canon of Herbal Processing*, and indeed could not lecture more thoroughly than Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming couldn't bear to have his apprentices inferior to Hua Changxi either, so he said directly, \"Hua Changxi teaches about mortal plants; you two will teach about spiritual plants.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianchou's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying wasn't very pleased either. Hua Changxi casually correcting her pill-refining technique was enough to improve her pill quality—her expertise in spiritual plants was undoubtedly profound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news that Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou would be teaching at the Qihuang Hall spread throughout the Medical Office the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing it, Hua Changxi's first reaction was that someone was coming to take over her territory, but then she remembered that her Buddha bead bracelet had been taken and the wooden token was no longer in her hands, and she deflated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Medical Office was now under government control, and the Director held absolute authority. If he wanted Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou to teach at the Qihuang Hall, she, a mere miscellaneous servant, had no right to object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could stop them by force, but that would be tantamount to opposing the entire government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought of all the trouble that might arise from opposing the government gave Hua Changxi a fierce headache. She cultivated hard for freedom, not to burden herself with problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using force was not the best strategy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was very agitated, but soon she calmed down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she had already taken control of the nine Qihuang Halls of the Miscellaneous Servants Hall. Since she wasn't using them now, they were empty anyway. Even if Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou went in to lecture, they couldn't take those nine Qihuang Halls away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, Hua Changxi steadied herself again. Now she just had to hold her ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou are going to teach at the Qihuang Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this news, Gu Jinfan looked at *The Complete Register of Mortal Plants* and *The Canon of Herbal Processing* and fell into deep thought as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, she got up and went to find Director Gu Qiming, indicating that she also wanted to teach at the Qihuang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming didn't make things difficult for Gu Jinfan and directly agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Gu Jinfan came out of the Medical Department building, a cultivator from the Duke of Xin's mansion came to find her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the visitor, Gu Jinfan's eyes flickered, and she quickly walked over: \"Uncle Chen, is there something the matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen said in a low voice: \"Seventh Lady, the Prefect of Jingzhao, Cao Jun, has been missing for almost a month. The Jingzhao Prefecture has no clues at all, I'm afraid he is already dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Gu Jinfan's heart trembled: \"The note I asked you to deliver to Cao Jun earlier, are you sure he saw it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen nodded: \"Yes, our people also discovered that Cao Jun sent people to investigate Hua Changxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Gu Jinfan took a deep breath. It's Hua Changxi, it must be Hua Changxi who killed Cao Jun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jun was a mid-Core Formation cultivator; if Hua Changxi could kill him, her cultivation must be above his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan really hadn't expected Hua Changxi's cultivation to be this high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Vermilion Bird Divine Art was the best fire-type cultivation technique in the Four Spirit Realm, Hua Changxi only obtained the technique about two years ago; how could her cultivation have improved so quickly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Chen, don't keep watch on Hua Changxi anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen looked at Gu Jinfan in confusion: \"Seventh Lady, didn't you say before that you wanted to know everything about Hua Changxi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan: \"...I misjudged some things before. Uncle Chen, call back the people you sent to watch Hua Changxi. If she discovers you, I'm afraid I won't be able to save you in time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Uncle Chen was shaken, surprised at Gu Jinfan's fear of Hua Changxi. \"Alright, I'll withdraw the personnel.\" He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Song Weimin, the magistrate of Nanxiang County, is Cao Jun's junior martial brother. After Prince Fu's people took over Nanxiang County, he has been suspended from duty at home, and has been busy searching for Cao Jun this entire time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Song Weimin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this name, Gu Jinfan's expression changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her previous life, it was this person who exposed Cao Jun's many evil deeds of slaughtering villagers and sacrificing innocent children. Because many matters implicated Prince Shou, he ended up dying miserably in the imperial prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen: \"Does the Seventh Lady know this person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan nodded: \"I've heard he is a practical and capable official.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen: \"He is indeed a good official. When he left Nanxiang County, many commoners voluntarily saw him off. Originally I thought his achievements would allow him to fill a vacancy directly, but unexpectedly, the Ministry of Personnel directly told him to go home and wait for notification.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan sneered: \"He won't be able to wait for a vacancy. Now all factions are desperately planting their own people everywhere, with the imperial family leading. Unless Song Weimin pledges allegiance to some powerful figure, he will wait at home until he dies of old age, and the day of reinstatement will never come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen looked worried: \"If this continues, I'm afraid chaos will ensue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan looked at him: \"The signs of chaos have long begun. Are there few villages and towns that have been seized of their ancestral lands and inexplicably disappeared?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Chen fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gu Jinfan added: \"It will get better, it will definitely get better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tenth day of the seventh month, Mu Qingying, Yuan Tianchou, and Gu Jinfan began teaching at the Qihuang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three were famous figures in the Medical Department. Their teaching immediately attracted widespread attention. On the first day of their classes, the Qihuang Hall where each of them taught was packed with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Qihuang Hall No. 6, Hua Changxi watched Qihuang Halls No. 1, 2, and 3, which were completely surrounded by people, and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou are the director's prized disciples, and Gu Jinfan also studied under a famous master. It's only natural that they are popular. Hua Changxi, don't be jealous now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Duan Yuyan's teasing laughter, Hua Changxi glanced lightly at the approaching Seventh Prince Chu Junhao and Duan Yuyan, who were walking together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junhao walked up to Hua Changxi and said with a smile: \"Yuyan likes to joke. Manager Hua, please don't mind her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at him: \"But I do mind. What now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, a look of surprise crossed Chu Junhao's face, then he gave a wry laugh, turned to Duan Yuyan, and said: \"Manager Hua did teach us after all. Yuyan, you were presumptuous just now. Apologize.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yuyan felt somewhat displeased. She admitted that Hua Changxi's lectures were indeed good, but Hua was just a menial servant; how could it be worth her, a lady of a ducal mansion, apologizing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing the warning in Chu Junhao's eyes, Duan Yuyan spoke reluctantly: \"Manager Hua, I was presumptuous just now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled faintly: \"I am a petty person and can't take jokes. Seventh Prince and Miss Duan, please don't mind me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yuyan wanted to roll her eyes. Usually, others accommodated them, but now this Hua Changxi actually dared to make them accommodate her. Did she really think that knowing a little medicine could disregard the distinctions of rank?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junhao wasn't surprised that she directly pointed out his identity, and said with a smile: \"I have read the 'Complete Manual of Common Plants' and 'Canon of Medicinal Materials Processing.' They are compiled very thoroughly. I heard that Manager Hua occasionally gives guidance on alchemy in Qihuang Hall No. 6. I wonder if Yuyan and I could sit in and listen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi appraised Chu Junhao. A prince being so courteous to a humble person—if she refused, it would seem very ungrateful. She immediately smiled and said: \"My previous lectures were like a communal meal, while guiding alchemy is like a private kitchen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the special lessons, naturally not everyone can have them. What are the Seventh Prince and Miss Duan willing to offer in exchange?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Duan Yuyan was stunned. This was the first time she had seen someone so brazenly ask a prince for a favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junhao, however, laughed and said, \"What does Manager Hua need? Anything I can give, as long as you name it, I am willing to offer it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi sneered inwardly and tossed the question back: \"That depends on how much the Seventh Prince wants to attend my alchemy lessons. Also, I am a cultivator, so mortal things are out of the question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Junhao gave Hua Changxi a deep look, then flipped his wrist, and a set of cyan robes appeared in his hand. \"Manager Hua is exceptionally elegant. This set of fire- and water-resistant Dharma robes suits you perfectly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yuyan's eyes flickered when she saw the Dharma robes. She glanced at Hua Changxi and gave a meaningful smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi indeed needed Dharma robes, and she noticed Duan Yuyan's expression. But she was not afraid that the Seventh Prince might play tricks, so she took the robes directly. \"In the future, when I hold alchemy lessons at No. 6 Qihuang Hall, I will send someone to inform Master Chu and Miss Duan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",3076,"2026-05-29T04:10:26.746Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","f79763284a9ecb41ea4593a92d1f1cb7bb69a0342602a45e3a5a6d890a829e83","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-136","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-134",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]