Don't Raise A Black Lotus Flower; Use The Emperor As A Substitute [Transmigration novel] - Chapter 3

After setting the bone, Lin Ruoxuan used a hot towel to wipe Ji Ruxue from head to toe. Then, using a clean piece of cotton cloth soaked in high-proof alcohol, he began to clean the whip wounds.

“Ugh.” Perhaps because the pain was truly unbearable, even in his unconscious state, Ji Ruxue clenched his teeth and let out a low moan.

“Now you know what pain feels like,” Lin Ruoxuan said, though he lightened his touch.

It took a full hour to clean the interlacing whip marks on the boy’s body. Lin Ruoxuan exhaled, feeling a pang of sorrow as he looked at the thin, frail frame covered in scars.

He was skin and bones, beaten every day, and nearly molested. It was no wonder Ji Ruxue became psychologically twisted in the original novel. It seemed the Emperor truly did not care for his own son. If he did, even the powerful Lin Ruoxuan would not have dared to treat royalty this way. Such a father was hardly worth having.

Lin Ruoxuan shook his head, then meticulously applied a layer of healing powder to the wounds and wrapped them in thick, snow-white gauze.

Once finished, Lin Ruoxuan sat by the bed and fell into deep thought. According to the system, his mission was to save the protagonist, Xiao Tunan. To achieve this, he had to do two things: first, cure the protagonist’s long-standing old injuries, and second, kill the villain, Ji Ruxue.

However, Lin Ruoxuan looked down. Ji Ruxue was sleeping with his eyes tightly shut, his brows slightly furrowed. His small, pale face looked gaunt, youthful, and fragile. It was impossible to see the fierce, murderous killer from just a moment ago.

Lin Ruoxuan stared at the harmless, pale face and muttered, “These ancient bratty children are much more vicious than modern ones. He is truly the ultimate young villain. But then again, this child was forced into this by circumstances. That pervert truly deserved to die.”

After muttering for a while, his fingers itched. He could not resist reaching out to gently pinch Ji Ruxue’s cheek. “The texture is quite good.”

Although there was no flesh, it was smooth and tender. He should take the opportunity to pinch him while the brat was unconscious.

Lin Ruoxuan happily pinched his cheeks for a while, molding them into various strange shapes, before suddenly recalling the ending of the original novel. Just because Ji Ruxue had a face that looked ninety percent similar to his uncle’s, he had peeled the man’s face off.

He silently pulled his hand back, looking at the unconscious boy on the bed, and began to worry. One voice in his head said this was just a fourteen-year-old child. Another voice said this child would become a perverted villain who would peel the protagonist’s face off. The first voice argued that, given the horrific living environment—the neglectful father, the abusive eunuch, and the bullying servants—Ji Ruxue’s transformation was a result of his circumstances. The second voice countered that a villain is a villain, and if the mission failed, the world line would collapse, leading to everyone’s death.

“Damn it, why was I given this kind of mission?” Lin Ruoxuan rubbed his temples in agony.

What should he do?

As a mentally healthy modern young man and a reasonably tolerant surgeon, he simply could not bring himself to kill a child. But if he did not kill Ji Ruxue, what would happen to the system mission?

Lin Ruoxuan sat on the edge of the bed, agonizing over this for a long time before biting his lip and making a decision.

He closed his eyes and summoned the system. “System, my primary mission is to save the protagonist Xiao Tunan, right?”

“That is correct, dear.”

“The original novel states that Xiao Tunan was a skilled martial artist who was only captured by the Jinyiwei due to a pile of old injuries. He was eventually turned into a human stick after having his face peeled off by Ji Ruxue. So, if I want to save Xiao Tunan, I need to cure his old injuries and kill Ji Ruxue, right?”

“That is correct, dear. Now is the perfect time to act. It is very easy to kill a child, and the ruthless are the ones who succeed.”

Lin Ruoxuan remained silent for a moment before slowly voicing his idea. “System, if I do not kill Ji Ruxue but keep him by my side and raise him to be a well-rounded, virtuous young man who would never peel off his uncle’s face, would that be acceptable?”

“This situation is a bit complex, dear. I must report this to the main system. Beep. Beep. Beep.”

Lin Ruoxuan held his breath and waited quietly.

After a long while, the system finally replied. “Dear, the main system has stated that as long as the final mission is achieved, the process is irrelevant. Only the results will be evaluated.”

“Really? That is wonderful!” Lin Ruoxuan breathed a sigh of relief.

He could never bring himself to kill a child, but raising one should be fine. He often mentored the new interns in his department, and those were not just one bratty child, but a whole group of them.

Lin Ruoxuan recalled something else and tensed up. “Wait, according to the original timeline, when Ji Ruxue was fourteen, Xiao Tunan was fighting in Liaodong. I remember he suffered a severe arrow wound there, which was one of his three most serious old injuries, right?”

“Yes, you have a good memory, dear.”

Why could this system never grasp the point? Lin Ruoxuan rolled his eyes. “I mean, according to you, I have to cure Xiao Tunan’s injuries, but I am in the Imperial Palace right now and cannot help him at all.”

“Please do not worry, dear. Xiao Tunan has too many old injuries to treat one by one. The system has prepared the best plan for you. You simply need to collect four precious medicinal herbs and refine them into the Sifang Huichun Pill. Once Xiao Tunan takes it, he will recover.”

Sifang Huichun Pill? What was that?

Driven by curiosity and professional instinct, he fired off questions in a rapid sequence. “Sifang Huichun Pill? What kind of medicine is that? What are the specific ingredients? Have there been clinical trials? Which phase? Is there evidence-based medical research? What are the side effects? Are there any contraindications?”

“Dear, this is a premium spiritual medicine defined by the original author. It does not follow the pharmacology of the real world. If the author says it works, it works.”

Lin Ruoxuan was speechless. “Fine, the author is the ultimate authority. By the way, you said refining this pill requires four herbs. What are they, and are they available in pharmacies?”

“The four herbs are: Dongling White Jade Ginseng, Northern Desert Skeleton Grass, South Sea Merman Tears, and Western Region Twin Lotus. Please note, none of these herbs are available in pharmacies.”

Dongling White Jade Ginseng, Northern Desert Skeleton Grass, South Sea Merman Tears, and Western Region Twin Lotus. They sounded mystical, just like herbs found in a novel.

Lin Ruoxuan silently memorized the four herbs and asked, “The range of ‘Dongling’ and ‘Northern Desert’ is too broad. Are there specific locations?”

“Do not worry, dear. The Skeleton Grass is in the Natal Grassland of the Northern Desert, the Twin Lotus is in the Dead Man’s Valley of the Western Region, the Merman Tears are on Guanyin Island in the South Sea, and the Dongling White Jade Ginseng is right here in the Imperial Pharmacy.”

Lin Ruoxuan felt energized. “The White Jade Ginseng is in the palace? I will go get that first.”

“I wish you success, dear.”

After exiting the system, Ji Ruxue remained fast asleep. He seemed to be in significant pain in his dreams, with strands of sweat-soaked black hair sticking to his forehead, making his pale, fragile face appear even more delicate.

Lin Ruoxuan reached out, gently brushed aside the wet strands, and sighed.

“Buddy, I expect I will be very busy. Those four troublesome herbs sound difficult to find, but I will do my best to help you. Promise me, do not grow up to be a pervert, do not peel off the protagonist’s face, and let me complete my mission smoothly, okay?”

Ji Ruxue remained quiet, eyes closed, sleeping soundly.

The system pinged again. “The night is late, and the Forbidden City gates are about to be locked. Please depart immediately, dear.”

Lin Ruoxuan raised an eyebrow. “You are quite smart, aren’t you?”

“Thank you for the compliment, dear. The system will continue to provide various life and work guides for you. During the mission, you can also earn points to exchange for various items.”

“That is great. So, after working for half the day, how many points do I have, and what can I exchange them for?”

“Your current balance is zero points. You cannot exchange them for anything.”

Lin Ruoxuan wanted to hit someone. The system seemed completely oblivious to his anger and continued rambling. “A special reminder: the original Lin Ruoxuan had an eccentric temperament. Since you are not a graduate of a performing arts school, maintaining the persona entirely might be difficult. Under these circumstances, the main system allows for some personality changes, but you must have a suitable justification.”

“I understand. I need a reason for the original’s personality change so that the characters in the book do not suspect me, right?” Lin Ruoxuan mused.

“That is correct.”

“Fine, I will do my best to come up with a reason.”

Lin Ruoxuan exited the system and called Zhang Youde. “The Fourth Prince is injured. I have already applied the medicine. Look after him well tonight, and I will come back tomorrow.”

Zhang Youde’s small eyes darted around as if he understood something. He acknowledged with a knowing expression, “This servant understands. I will certainly look after the Fourth Prince very, very well.”

“Be careful,” Lin Ruoxuan nodded, gave a few more instructions, and under the system’s prompt, left the Cold Palace and exited through the west side gate of the Forbidden City.

Outside the gate, a row of sedans was parked. A few low-ranking officials were gathered together, glancing at Lin Ruoxuan while whispering to each other.

“Look, it’s Lin Ruoxuan!”

“Shh, do you want to die? That is the head of the Eastern Depot.”

“Indeed, indeed. Think of Magistrate Zhou’s family…”

“Sigh, Magistrate Zhou was truly miserable.”

Lin Ruoxuan shot them a sideways glance, and the officials turned pale, closing their mouths in terror before scrambling into their sedans and rushing off.

Tsk, tsk. It seemed the reputation of the original Lin Ruoxuan was truly rotten; everyone feared and hated him. It was no wonder that when he was finally executed by slow slicing, the townspeople fought over his flesh. But that was not surprising; he was a treacherous eunuch from the Eastern Depot, just like in the movies.

Lin Ruoxuan did not care much. He was focused on another question: among so many sedans, which one was his?

Before he could ask the system, a young eunuch stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Chief Eunuch.”

My friend, who are you?

Lin Ruoxuan strained his memory to recall the original novel and finally managed to recognize him. This young man should be the original’s lackey, the Eastern Depot eunuch, Chen Lin.

Chen Lin was a pale, scholarly-looking young man, seemingly only eighteen or nineteen, with delicate features and a calm demeanor. “Are you returning to the residence, Chief Eunuch, or heading to the Eastern Depot?”

Lin Ruoxuan maintained his arrogance and said coldly, “Returning to the residence.”

Joke. He had been exhausted for half the day, and the sun had already set. Did they really expect him to work overtime for free at the Eastern Depot? He would accept it in the real world, but he absolutely refused to work overtime in the world of a book!

Chen Lin nodded and led Lin Ruoxuan to a vermilion, eight-bearer sedan chair. “Please, Chief Eunuch.”

Lin Ruoxuan did not stand on ceremony and sat inside.

“Lift the sedan!” With a soft command from Chen Lin, the sedan swayed slightly and started moving slowly.

Lin Ruoxuan lifted the curtain and looked at the Forbidden City under the twilight. Illuminated by the setting sun, the city was majestic and vast, with golden glazed tiles glistening and high red walls standing quietly, silently displaying the heavy imperial majesty.

The capital of the Dayuan Dynasty was divided into the Forbidden City, the Imperial City, and the Capital City, like a massive target, ring within ring.

The Forbidden City was the residence of the Emperor, concubines, princes, and princesses. The Imperial City was home to tens of thousands of eunuchs and various administrative offices, such as the Cabinet, the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the Imperial Hospital. Beyond the Imperial City was the bustling capital, where officials and the general public lived.

Lin Ruoxuan’s residence was in the northeast corner of the Imperial City, only one street away from the Cotton Alley where the Eastern Depot was located.

“Chief Eunuch, we have arrived.” Chen Lin lifted the sedan curtain.

Lin Ruoxuan remained arrogant, gave a faint acknowledgment, and stepped out.

The residence was a three-courtyard siheyuan, modeled after a Suzhou-style garden. Although not very large, it was exquisite. It was the height of spring, and several white apricot trees on the wall were in full bloom, with delicate petals drifting down, leaving a subtle fragrance in the air.

Comparing this to his own apartment with a thirty-year mortgage, Lin Ruoxuan could only say that being rich was truly wonderful.