Chapter 97: Cooperation

Early the next morning, Chi Nan Yi arrived at Mo Junyan's estate.

Yun Tian and Yun Shui were both, unusually, standing at the entrance to welcome her.

"Miss Chi, you've arrived. Please come in, please come in." Yun Shui took the medicine chest from Chi Nan Yi's hands with both hands and said with a smile, "The Prince has been waiting for quite some time."

Waiting for quite some time?

It was only morning. By their account, could it be that their master had started waiting for her since last night?

"Miss Chi, have you had your morning meal? This subordinate just bought some food from your medicinal cuisine shop. If you haven't eaten, would you like a bite?"

"No need, I've already eaten."

Seeing the two of them behaving so unusually attentive, Chi Nan Yi felt somewhat on guard.

Unsolicited attentiveness means either treachery or theft.

These two were like dog-skin plaster stuck to her—what exactly were they after?

She made her way to outside Mo Junyan's study.

"Miss Chi, please enter."

Inside the study, Mo Junyan was drinking tea.

"Prince."

"Mm." Mo Junyan toyed with a pill in his hand.

Chi Nan Yi then understood what he wanted her here for today.

"Can these pills of yours be produced in large quantities?"

"How much does the Prince mean by large quantities?"

"Two hundred thousand pills."

Chi Nan Yi pondered for a moment. Based on the current daily output, producing two hundred thousand pills would not be difficult.

Each person could roll one thousand pills a day using a pill-rolling board; ten people would make ten thousand, requiring only twenty days to finish.

"It can be done."

Seeing her agree, Mo Junyan's lips curved slightly as he said with a smile, "The two hundred thousand pills This Prince mentioned—that many is needed every single month."

"Aside from the pills you delivered the other day, prepare the other pills in this same quantity."

"The others… does the Prince mean the pills for wind-cold and traumatic injuries as well?"

"Correct."

Chi Nan Yi waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, even if the pill-rolling board sparked from friction, we still couldn't produce that many!"

At that quantity, she wouldn't need to do anything else—she'd be preparing medicine in her space all day long!

"For each pill, This Prince will give you one tael of silver."

Chi Nan Yi's waving hands abruptly stopped.

One tael of silver?

Three types of pills combined—that would be… six hundred thousand taels!

That was no small sum. Even Meng Hui, who had ascended to the position of Left Minister, hadn't embezzled six hundred thousand taels.

This was simply a windfall from heaven.

"In silver?"

Mo Junyan produced a stack of silver notes: "This Prince never runs up debts."

A flicker of a smile flashed across Chi Nan Yi's face. She drew the stack of silver notes from his hand, putting on a show of coyness: "To share the Prince's burdens is this humble woman's honor."

Mo Junyan looked at her mischievous expression and couldn't help but laugh, "Only, I just saw that Miss Chi seemed somewhat troubled. If you feel you can't manage, This Prince could…"

"I can manage! I can manage." Chi Nan Yi hurriedly tucked the silver notes into her sleeve pocket. Now that the silver notes had entered her pocket, what reason could there be to send them back?

"This Prince will be returning to the capital in a few days. Once the pills are ready, simply hand them to Yun Shan. He knows where to deliver them."

"Understood." Chi Nan Yi nodded in agreement, her face showing not the slightest change of emotion.

Mo Junyan looked at her and gritted his teeth, "This Prince said, returning to the capital in a few days."

"This humble woman heard you." Chi Nan Yi blinked. Could it be that he wanted her to give him a parting gift?

"Never mind." Mo Junyan felt somewhat deflated. What exactly was he expecting?

Just then, a jade-like hand reached out before him, a porcelain vial resting in the palm.

"This is…"

"This is this humble woman's secret-formula medicinal water. If one suffers severe injuries or poisoning, taking it when life hangs by a thread can preserve one's life."

Inside was undiluted Spirit Spring Water. The medicinal cuisine and pills made on ordinary days were all diluted with water.

"Why give this to This Prince?" Deeply buried in Mo Junyan's eyes was intense pleasant surprise, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Chi Nan Yi, waiting only for her answer.

Chi Nan Yi felt unsettled under his stare.

What was wrong with Mo Junyan today? There was nothing on her face! Why did he keep staring at her?

What other reason could there be for gifting Spirit Spring Water?

Wasn't it just to keep him healthy, let him live longer, buy more pills from her, and most importantly—he was the sworn enemy of that dog Mo Junheng.

As the saying goes, the enemy of one's enemy is one's friend. Besides, he was Daqi's God of War. If he died, other nations would eye Daqi like a piece of fat meat.

Mo Junheng was no fool either. He naturally knew of Mo Junyan's deterrent effect on other nations, so in the previous life, even after he ascended the throne, he did not exterminate Mo Junyan—after all, Daqi relied on Mo Junyan.

"This humble woman…"

"You do not wish for This Prince to die."

Without waiting for Chi Nan Yi to answer, Mo Junyan stated a definite answer.

"This humble woman naturally does not wish for any harm to come to the Prince."

After all, she could never find another patron as generous as him.

After hearing her answer, Mo Junyan smiled with satisfaction, tightening his grip on the porcelain bottle: "This Prince will surely live well."

Chi Nan Yi forced out a smile that wasn't entirely sincere.

Just live, then live—what's there to tell her to do?

Over the next few days, Chi Nan Yi didn't see Mo Junyan again; later, hearing Yun Shan mention it, she learned that the Prince had already returned to the capital, and only then did she recall that Mo Junyan was supposed to leave.

"Miss, the Prince said to let his subordinate stay here to protect you."

Chi Nan Yi nodded indifferently; whether it was protection or surveillance, she didn't care—as long as it was useful.

Yun Shan not only has good martial skills, but most importantly, he is very perceptive.

Often, she didn't need to say much; a single glance was enough for Yun Shan to know what to do.

The medicinal food shop's business was booming; the Chi family couldn't bear to see her work hard every day, so all the men in the household came to help at the shop.

Chi Huai Qian looked at the fully packed upstairs and downstairs, couldn't help shaking his head: "My goodness, it seems everyone in town is here."

Chi Huai Jin also expressed surprise: "Who said women are inferior to men? I see my little sister as being stronger than all of us combined."

"How did our parents give birth to you, handing all the good things to the little sister?" Chi Zhiqiu shook his head: "Take another look at us—compared to her, we're like idiots."

Upon hearing that, Chi Huai Jin laughed and said: "Elder brother, be more confident—drop the 'like' character."

Chi Zhiqiu: "......"

As the medicinal food became known to more and more people, its fame grew; after experiencing its effects, many people came to the shop for meals almost unfailingly.

That day, Chi Nan Yi was looking at the account books in the upstairs private room when she heard Qing Feng's voice.

"Boss, it's terrible—a guest suddenly collapsed."

"Collapsed?" Chi Nan Yi hurried out: "What happened?"

"I don't know either—she only drank two sips of soup and then passed out; she's still downstairs!"

Chi Nan Yi rushed to the scene and saw a man lying on the ground with his eyes tightly shut, his face dark, his nails slightly tinged with blue‑purple, and blackish bloodstains around his mouth.

Poisoned.