Chapter 89: Lanxin’s Guessing Game (Please Subscribe)

The moment he returned to his room, Fang Xian took out the system panel at once. Last night, after his bout with the Princess, he had vaguely heard the system's prompt, but he had been too exhausted to pay it any mind.

"Congratulations to the host for toppling the Princess. System reward: the complete classic compendium."

Fang Xian opened it and found that the reward contained the writings of the world’s sages and scholars—histories, philosophical works, and literary collections—along with explanations and annotations, encompassing nearly everything needed for the imperial and civil examinations.

Although Fang Xian had inherited some of the books and learning from the former owner of his body, much of it had been only half-understood. After studying the complete classic compendium, he became the most erudite and perceptive scholar of the age.

At that point, Fang Xian’s personal information changed: system host Fang Xian, courtesy name Mingda; skills: medicine, poison, archery, classical scholarship, Ten Thousand Stars Technique, Star-Turning Fist, Starlight Sword, Starstep, and Star Eye; pets: Falcon King and Tiger King; items: Life-Prolonging Pill, Ten-Thousand-Poison Pill, Barrier-Breaking Pill, Blood Oath Pill, Minor Ten-Thousand-Poison Pills, Minor Life-Prolonging Pills, Detoxification Pills, Blood-Staunching and Wound-Healing Pills, and the Falling Star Sword; fame points: 15,620.

...

After the Princess returned to the princess’s residence, she shut herself in at once and took out a Foundation-Strengthening Pill Fang Xian had given her. Since she had never taken it before, it could be used to solidify the foundations of her freshly broken-through cultivation.

In addition, Fang Xian had also given her some Body-Casting Pills, telling her to take them once the Foundation-Strengthening Pill no longer had any effect. After they had played ping-pong together, their relationship was naturally no longer the same; Fang Xian had already come to regard the Princess as his own woman.

It works indeed. My beloved Fang is truly a divine physician.

After taking a Foundation-Strengthening Pill, the Princess immediately felt its effects as she circulated her power. The medicine helped her continuously reinforce her foundation, making her realm even more stable.

Although she estimated that this particular pill would lose its effect after at most five doses, there was still the higher-tier Body-Casting Pill. She believed the things Fang Xian had given her were absolutely no ordinary goods, and their effects would be even better.

One must know that she was already a Transformation Realm master. If the Foundation-Strengthening Pill could still help her, then its effect on first-rate experts, second-rate fighters, and third-rate martial artists would be even greater.

If she could provide Fang Xian with large quantities of medicinal materials and have him refine them into many Foundation-Strengthening Pills, could she not use them to train a formidable martial army? At the very least, she could turn all three thousand of her personal guards into experts.

After what had happened last night, Princess Wu Qingluan had fully recognized her own heart and had also acknowledged Fang Xian, so in private she had already begun to call him her beloved Fang.

"Has the Princess returned? How does she look? Has she been throwing a tantrum?" Soon after, when Wu Ji heard that the Princess had come back to the residence, he hurried over and asked Wu Lanxin.

"The Princess looks rosy and in good spirits. She doesn’t seem to be angry at all," Lanxin said.

"Yesterday I saw that the Princess was still very displeased, but I had no way to persuade her, so I went to find Mr. Fang and asked him to help talk her round. It seems Mr. Fang’s persuasion was indeed effective. Since the Princess is fine, I can rest easy," Wu Ji said with a smile.

"When did Mr. Fang go to persuade the Princess yesterday?" Wu Lanxin asked a personal guard who had returned with the Princess.

"Last night, of course. The Princess even drank with Mr. Fang, and then they started fighting. At first we were all startled and nearly rushed in, but the Princess said they were merely exchanging blows and made us all stand outside the courtyard. Later, they fought from the courtyard into the room, and they were at it until midnight," the guard said, eyes shining with excitement.

Wu Lanxin’s heart lurched. She hurriedly ordered the guards, "Issue a gag order at once. No one is allowed to mention what happened last night, or they will be dealt with by military law."

When Wu Qingluan returned earlier, Wu Lanxin had personally attended her bath and discovered traces upon the Princess’s body, along with the scent of a man.

Though Wu Lanxin had never known a man herself, she had spent many years helping the Princess manage the residence and its affairs, and she had seen too much to remain innocent. She could tell the Princess seemed to have just experienced the transformation into womanhood, though she could not be certain, because in all these years the Princess had never looked at any man with favor.

Still, she had also noticed that the Princess seemed to be in a remarkably good mood, so this must have been of her own free will. It seemed that Mr. Fang would, from now on, be the son-in-law of the princess’s residence.

"Lanxin, come in for a moment."

Not long after, Wu Qingluan called her name, and she hurried into the room.

"Has the Princess finished her cultivation?" Wu Lanxin saw that the Princess was dressed for practice, though today’s training session did not seem to have lasted long, so she asked in confusion.

"I broke through. Last night, I broke through," Wu Qingluan said calmly.

"Ah, congratulations, Princess. Then can the commander’s seal be retrieved from His Majesty?" Wu Lanxin was stunned for a moment, then understood, and overjoyed, she cupped her hands in congratulations and asked.

"Since I have already handed over the commander’s seal, I will not take it back. These years have worn me out. It is time I lived my own life." Wu Qingluan shook her head firmly. What occupied her thoughts now was how she might be with Fang Xian.

"Princess, forgive this servant’s presumption, but is this related to Mr. Fang?" Wu Lanxin hesitated before asking.

"What have you already guessed?" Wu Qingluan looked at her and asked.

"This servant does not mean to pry into the Princess’s private matters. Earlier, Wu Ji came by and said that yesterday he had gone to invite Mr. Fang to persuade the Princess. Then I heard from the personal guards that last night Mr. Fang drank with the Princess and exchanged blows with her, so I guessed the Princess’s breakthrough should have something to do with Mr. Fang, after all Mr. Fang is a divine physician," Wu Lanxin said.

"You little minx, what else have you guessed? You might as well say it aloud and let me hear."

The Princess knew both her personal maids were astute beyond compare, and so she rebuked her with feigned annoyance.

"Just now, while bathing the Princess, I noticed some marks on your body, so I had certain suspicions, but I did not dare to speak them," Wu Lanxin said with her head lowered.

"Very well, you guessed right. I have already shared a husband-and-wife bond with Mr. Fang. From now on, you must call Fang Lang the son-in-law of the princess’s residence. To tell the truth, I had never imagined before that the love between man and woman could be like this, so irresistible."

Wu Qingluan frankly admitted her relationship with Fang Xian.

"Congratulations, Princess! Congratulations! In that case, the commander’s seal matters little anyway," Wu Lanxin said happily after hearing this, while inside she was filled with curiosity about Fang Xian, because by the rules of their relationship with the Princess, they would one day become her intimate maids.

"I only worry now that Fang Lang’s talents have not yet been fully revealed, and it may not be easy to persuade my royal brother," Wu Qingluan said with a nod, then added gloomily.

"I have heard that the Crown Prince’s illness is nearly cured. As long as the son-in-law cures the Crown Prince, that would be a tremendous merit. The reputation of the world’s foremost divine physician is well deserved, so His Majesty should not stop you, should he?" Wu Lanxin said.

"Fang Lang’s talents are not limited to medicine. To make my royal brother agree to let me marry Fang Lang, rather than have Fang Lang enter the princess’s household, curing the Crown Prince alone is not enough," Wu Qingluan shook her head.

In ancient times, for a man to marry a princess was essentially to be a live-in son-in-law, entering the princess’s residence, yet ordinarily he could not live there; to spend the night there, he needed the Princess’s permission, and the Princess herself could not leave at will.

But if the merit were immense, or if the emperor wished to bind a talented man to his side, then the Princess would be given in marriage. That would be like any ordinary family marrying off a daughter: the Princess would enter the son-in-law’s household. Not only would it be more dignified, it would place no restrictions upon the son-in-law.

"If the Princess believes the son-in-law possesses great talent, why not tell him about this and let him think of a solution? Perhaps the son-in-law has a fine idea," Wu Lanxin said after thinking for a moment.

"The little minx has a point. I’ll go find him tonight. By the way, try this Foundation-Strengthening Pill of your son-in-law’s. It is used to reinforce the foundations; it has some effect even on me, and it may be even more useful for you."

Wu Qingluan took out a Foundation-Strengthening Pill and handed it to Wu Lanxin.

Wu Lanxin took it immediately and cultivated by the Princess’s side. Roughly a quarter of an hour later, she opened her eyes in delight and said, "Princess, the effects are remarkable. It is almost equivalent to my usual five days of cultivation."