Chapter 100: Equal rights and responsibilities

The day after obtaining the third wooden plaque, Hua Changxi began teaching the laborers under her the tricks and methods for cleaning herbs in the second Imperial Physician Pavilion.

The wooden plaque lit up just as Hua Changxi had expected!

Hua Changxi was full of energy and lectured for three days, but found that the white glow on the wooden plaque remained faint until she accidentally answered a few questions about herb processing, at which point the white glow suddenly became stronger.

The first Imperial Physician Pavilion taught content such as herb types and properties; the second Imperial Physician Pavilion taught methods and techniques for herb processing.

After knowing what the second Imperial Physician Pavilion taught, Hua Changxi was in a dilemma again.

The Third Department was mainly responsible for cleaning herbs. Teaching laborers how to identify and clean herbs could be said to be for improving their work efficiency, but now teaching them how to process herbs—anyone could probably sense that something was wrong.

Don't look at how Eunuch Jia and the other two politely gave up the Imperial Physician Pavilions; Hua Changxi discovered that after she took over, several groups of people were secretly watching her.

At this time, if she took the initiative to do anything else, it would definitely make those in the dark even more suspicious of her.

"Yunchu, I see you seem very interested in herb processing? You asked several questions about this during class."

"Changxi, did I delay your lecture time? I won't ask next time."

"Don't, I like students who ask questions. In the future, if you have any questions about herb processing, you can ask me during the lecture."

"Does it really not delay your time?"

"It doesn't. Teachers like students who ask a lot of questions."

"Changxi, I won't hide it from you, I just want to learn more. If I learn how to process herbs, when I get older and can't work in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall anymore, I can go home and open a small workshop, relying on herb processing for a living."

"Since you want to rely on this for a living, then ask more. Whatever I know, I will definitely teach you."

"Really? Thank you, Changxi."

"Changxi, do you know? The people in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall are very grateful to you. In the past, although we cleaned herbs every day, we knew very little about their medicinal effects and properties. Once we left the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, we couldn't make a living from this."

"Now it's better. You've taught us so much knowledge about herbs. Even if we can't write prescriptions like doctors, whether we pick herbs to sell ourselves or find work in pharmacies, we can still find ways to make a living after leaving the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall."

Hua Changxi looked at Wang Yunchu's face, which was shining with longing, and was silent for a while: "... The content I taught is still too little. I will continue to teach in the future."

Most of the people working in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall were from poor backgrounds. Many cherished the opportunity to learn real skills.

Therefore, in the subsequent lectures at the second pavilion, with Wang Yunchu's active questioning, many people joined in the study of herb processing.

Laborers communicated with each other privately. Influenced by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus, laborers from other bureaus of the Third Department knew that Hua Changxi didn't mind people from other bureaus attending class, so they also took time to attend lectures at the first and second Imperial Physician Pavilions.

On the twentieth day of the fourth month, Hua Changxi stood in front of the stone pillar at the entrance of the second Imperial Physician Pavilion, looked at the sword pattern marked on it, curled her lips, shook off the several groups of people following her in secret, and walked lightly toward the old square courtyard again.

Half an hour later, under Gu Xing's silent gaze, she took away the fourth wooden plaque.

Confirming the content taught in the third Imperial Medical Pavilion took a lot of effort. It wasn't until she had tried almost all the contents of the alchemy inheritance that she realized the third Imperial Medical Pavilion taught how to plant and cultivate herbs.

Learning that Hua Changxi had built a herb garden in the third Imperial Medical Pavilion and was teaching laborers how to cultivate and plant herbs, the several groups of people secretly monitoring her all felt baffled and unable to understand.

On the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month, Eunuch Jia, Eunuch Zhou, and Eunuch Zhao called Eunuch Yu, and the four of them gathered together.

"Eunuch Yu, you were the first to come into contact with Hua Changxi. Why exactly is she asking for the Imperial Medical Pavilions?"

"Hua Changxi said she wanted to lecture in the courtyards. As for the rest, I don't know."

"Eunuch Jia, Hua Changxi was recruited by you and promoted by you. You also told us not to go against her. What is her background?"

"I can only say that she has a big backer behind her. As long as she doesn't infringe on our interests, let her do whatever she wants."

"Let her? What kind of talk is that? The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall is our territory. You really have no opinion about letting a little lady like Hua Changxi stir up trouble in our territory?"

"But what can you do? You can't beat her backer, and you can't beat her. Besides letting her be, what else can you do?"

"Alright, alright, Hua Changxi's matter is a small matter. Let's think more about ourselves. Don't you know how much fighting there is on the First Street?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all four of them fell silent.

Hua Changxi lecturing laborers in the Imperial Medical Pavilions really wasn't a big deal. Come to think of it, it didn't touch their interests. Compared to the battle for pharmacies on the First Street, where all parties were almost fighting to the death, it really wasn't worth mentioning.

"The First Street is a battlefield for the powerful. Let them fight to the death; it has nothing to do with us."

"It doesn't mean it won't have anything to do with us in the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed? Ever since the two lanterns on the First Street were lit, the Medical Department has become different from before."

"The air seems to have become fresher..."

"Not just that. In the past, after working for a day, no matter how easy the work was, the body would be exhausted. But recently, have you felt physically exhausted?"

"Now that you mention it, it's true. I find that living at home isn't as refreshing as living in the Medical Department."

Eunuch Jia sighed heavily: "Benefits that we can discover, there's no reason others can't. After the First Street battle is over, I'm afraid other places will also become targets for everyone to fight over."

Eunuch Yu looked at the three of them and hesitated before saying: "I heard a piece of gossip."

Hearing this, the three of them looked at him. Eunuch Yu had channels in the Eastern Depot, and the Eastern Depot was specialized in handling secret matters for the Emperor, so the information was definitely more reliable than other channels: "What news?"

Eunuch Yu: "Someone was spreading rumors before, saying that the Medical Department was a holy land in ancient times." As he spoke, he looked at Eunuch Zhou, "Eunuch Zhou, why did you want to snatch the old square courtyard before?"

Eunuch Zhou: "I didn't know anything, I was just following orders, and it was messed up by Hua Changxi. The nobles in the palace were very angry. If the lanterns on the First Street hadn't been lit that night, the Minister of the Heavenly Department would have been brought in the next day, and the nobles would definitely have ordered me to deal with Hua Changxi."

Hua Changxi was a cultivator; how could he deal with her?

To be honest, he was quite grateful to the thief who broke into the Medical Department. If it weren't for him, he would definitely have clashed with Hua Changxi.

Eunuch Zhao frowned: "The old square courtyard has been targeted. It's only a matter of time before the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall is targeted. By then, can we still stay in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall?"

Eunuch Jia suddenly said: "Let's give Hua Changxi a push."

Hearing this, the other three quickly looked at him.

Eunuch Jia: "If the Medical Department really is the holy land that Old Yu mentioned, then Hua Changxi's purpose in occupying the Imperial Medical Pavilions is definitely not just to teach laborers medicine. She must have other motives."

"Since we can't find out her purpose, let's just join her. No matter what her purpose is, if we become one side with her, we can always get a share of the soup, right?"

Hearing this, Eunuch Zhao was tempted. Eunuch Yu was already doing this. Only Eunuch Zhou was a bit hesitant.

After all, he had had a conflict with Hua Changxi before.

Eunuch Yu saw Eunuch Zhou's concerns: "Hua Changxi, as long as you don't offend her to death, there is always room for maneuver in her actions."

Eunuch Zhou had the least seniority in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall. He knew that Eunuch Jia and the others were just trying to stabilize the situation by pulling him in. In any case, the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall was a whole, and with outsiders eyeing them, they couldn't be in chaos internally.

"Fine, I agree too. But if Hua Changxi makes things difficult for me, you must speak up for me."

As Eunuch Jia and the other three who had climbed up from thousands of eunuchs, they were all decisive people. After discussing it, they went directly to Hua Changxi.

"What? Let all the laborers in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall come to listen to my lectures?"

After Hua Changxi knew why Eunuch Jia and the other four came to her, although she was ecstatic inside, she still pretended to be in a dilemma on the surface.

Eunuch Jia looked at her: "Changxi, the people from the First and Second Departments are just coming to listen. How you taught the Third Department before, just teach the same way later. It won't delay your time."

Eunuch Yu also followed: "The laborers in the warehouse also want to learn more. Whatever you teach, they will listen."

Hua Changxi looked at the four of them and asked with a smile: "Four eunuchs, you didn't think highly of me lecturing in the Imperial Medical Pavilions before. Now your attitude has changed so much that I feel uneasy."

Eunuch Jia and Eunuch Yu looked at each other and decided to tell the truth: "Changxi, we won't hide it from you. The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall... is probably going to be completely reshuffled."

Hua Changxi's expression indeed changed: "Why do you say that?"

Eunuch Jia: "Have you been paying attention to the First Street recently?"

Hua Changxi really hadn't paid attention to this; her energy was all spent on unlocking the Imperial Medical Pavilions: "What happened to the First Street?"

Eunuch Jia: "In order to win the opportunity for their own alchemists to refine pills on the First Street, the powerful have used various means, causing many things to happen and many people to die."

Hua Changxi looked surprised: "So intense?"

Eunuch Jia: "There is news that the Medical Department is a holy land, and all parties are eyeing it. After the battle on the First Street comes to an end, I'm afraid our Miscellaneous Affairs Hall will also fall into the vortex of the battle."

"The Medical Department is a holy land?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes flickered. Alchemy Saint Hall, a holy land for alchemy?

If that were the case, many things would make sense.

Seeing Hua Changxi silent, Eunuch Yu said: "Changxi, if outsiders really eye the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, we must stick together."

Hua Changxi was puzzled: "If the people above want to remove your positions, can you resist?"

Hearing this, the expressions of Eunuch Jia and the other four changed.

Eunuch Jia asked directly: "Changxi, if the people above ask you to leave the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, will you leave?"

Hearing this question, Hua Changxi thought highly of the four eunuchs in front of her. Such a keen sense of crisis, such a strong desire to survive, such decisive action.

Her silence, in the eyes of Eunuch Jia and the other four, meant that she would not be threatened into leaving the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

"We don't want to be kicked out of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall like dogs. Now that the fighting hasn't spread to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, we are willing to stand on your side and help you fully control the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall."

Hua Changxi looked at the four of them and pondered.

If she had their help, unlocking the Imperial Medical Pavilions would indeed be much easier.

During this time, she had been thinking that someone had already taken the wooden plaques before her. She could unlock the Imperial Medical Pavilions, and others could too.

If someone really eyed the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and discovered the Imperial Medical Pavilions, would they come to snatch them from her?

Unlocking the Imperial Medical Pavilions took a certain amount of time. If Eunuch Jia and the other four helped her cover during this period, it could buy her some time.

But these four people had others behind them. How could such people be used?

Hua Changxi: "Four eunuchs, your intentions today are beyond my expectations. I need to think about it carefully."

Seeing that Hua Changxi didn't agree immediately, Eunuch Jia and the other four looked at each other and had no choice but to get up and leave.

Once they left, Hua Changxi flew to the old square courtyard.

Seeing Hua Changxi come again, Gu Xing's eyelids twitched. Seeing that she didn't linger by the wall where the wooden plaques were hung, he breathed a sigh of relief.

This girl had already taken four wooden plaques, and now there were only six left on the wall. If she really took them all, what would other destined people take when they came?

"Old man, I just heard some news. They say this is a holy land. Is it true?"

Gu Xing was silent for a moment: "The original name of the Medical Department was the Alchemy Saint Hall, and the central avenue of the Nine Streets is called the Pilgrimage Road."

Hua Changxi understood what he meant, her eyes shining: "In other words, this is a holy land for alchemy."

Gu Xing didn't answer.

Hua Changxi continued to ask: "Is the person who took the wooden plaque bound to the Alchemy Saint Hall?"

Gu Xing didn't speak, which was considered tacit consent.

Hua Changxi asked again: "Now I have the wooden plaque in my hand. If someone else, for example, the Department Head, wants to drive me away..."

Gu Xing interrupted her: "Only the owner of the Alchemy Saint Hall can strip and drive away those who possess the Teaching Order."

Hua Changxi: "Who is the owner of the Alchemy Saint Hall?"

Hearing this question, Gu Xing was speechless: "I don't know either. I'm also waiting for the owner of the Alchemy Saint Hall to appear."

Hua Changxi was silent for a while: "Old man, what do you think of me?"

Gu Xing was stunned: "Not bad."

Hua Changxi: "Can I be the owner of the Alchemy Saint Hall?"

Gu Xing was silent: "... The owner of the Alchemy Saint Hall is not something I can choose."

Hua Changxi: "To be the master of this holy land, there must be a price to pay, right?"

Gu Xing answered very simply this time: "Of course."

Hua Changxi: "What price?"

Gu Xing shook his head.

Hua Changxi: "Do you not know, or do you not want to say?"

Gu Xing: "Some things, if you know them in advance, may not be good for you. It will affect your decision-making."

Hua Changxi touched her chin: "It seems this price is quite heavy."

Gu Xing stopped talking and even closed his eyes, looking like he didn't want to deal with Hua Changxi anymore.

"Old man, sorry to bother you. I'm leaving."

Hearing the footsteps fade away, Gu Xing opened his eyes, and then 'swoosh' stood up. The force was too great, pulling his back, and he shivered in pain.

Another wooden plaque on the wall was missing! ===== CHAPTER 101 =====