Strongly Spoiled by the Villainous Tyrant After Climbing into the Dragon’s Bed - Chapter 12

Outside, the wind and snow howled. When it was cold, Zhan Yueqing loved to linger in bed. As he dallied, he remembered that the wound on his neck had not been treated with medicine, so he had no choice but to climb up and call out toward the exterior, “Zhou Jiu, I want to change my clothes!”

The person who entered was not Zhou Jiu, but another secret guard dressed in the same clothes. He had a cold face and looked to be in a very foul mood.

Zhan Yueqing was startled. “Who are you?”

“Zhou Yi,” the grumpy secret guard said.

Zhan Yueqing: “…”

No wonder his face looked so terrible.

“Who gave you these names?” he asked. “They’re quite easy to remember.”

Zhou Yi replied, “Naturally, it was His Majesty.”

Zhan Yueqing fell silent.

Sometimes he really didn’t know what to say about Tan Huairan—with such obvious names, was he not afraid of other transmigrators finding out? Or perhaps Tan Huairan was actually looking for transmigrators? Or waiting for transmigrators to find him?

997 said there were no other transmigrators in this dynasty… Was it that 997 didn’t know, or was 997 lying to him?

Zhan Yueqing thought about many things in his heart, but when he raised his eyes, he was calm again, as if nothing had happened. His voice was faint as he asked, “Where did Zhou Jiu go? I am more familiar with Zhou Jiu, have him come over.”

Zhou Yi’s expression looked even worse.

Another one who didn’t like him!

“He is resting,” Zhou Yi said dryly. “For the time being, it can only be me.”

Zhan Yueqing paused, then realized it made sense. That kid had accompanied him to many places yesterday; he had slept a wink himself, so why shouldn’t others be allowed to sleep?

“Then help me change.”

Ancient clothing was too complicated. Zhan Yueqing watched and memorized the steps, preparing to dress himself next time. But as he watched, he suddenly saw a small bluish-purple mark on his shoulder.

It looked like a bite mark.

Zhan Yueqing narrowed his eyes perceptively.

The morning meal in the palace was quite simple: a plate of crab roe meat, a bowl of fresh fish porridge, and a bowl of beef congee boiled until soft, tender, and savory.

They were all things Zhan Yueqing loved to eat.

His eyes lit up, and he began to feast. When he drank the porridge, his cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel that had found its favorite food.

“Young master, please finish the beef congee as well.” The palace maid’s voice softened, as if coaxing him.

Zhan Yueqing was almost full after the porridge. He calculated the time; it was only about seven in the morning, and it wasn’t lunch, so he didn’t want to eat that much. He set down his bowl and chopsticks, preparing to get up.

“No need, I am already full.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, the palace maid knelt directly on the ground and covered her face, weeping. “Young master, you should still finish all of this! This servant lost her parents when she was young, and it was Eunuch Fu who picked me up—I don’t want to die, boohoo… Eunuch Fu doesn’t want to die either!”

Zhan Yueqing widened his eyes in surprise, not understanding why she knelt. “Can you please not kneel to me at every turn? Also, why are you going to die? I’m not eating your flesh!”

The maid’s grief became overwhelming, and she let out another sharp, piercing cry—

“Young master! You don’t know how tyrannical His Majesty is. He issued a decree at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), saying that if you didn’t finish the food, he would carve off this servant’s flesh for you to eat!!!”

Zhan Yueqing: “…”

Thinking of Tan Huairan’s “man-eating” appearance last night, Zhan Yueqing silently picked up the beef congee and began to drink.

997: 【This maid is not simple. To dare call His Majesty tyrannical in the palace, she might be trying to poison you.】

“!”

Zhan Yueqing paused and cast an inconspicuous glance at the maid.

The maid covered her face and wept, but her exposed hands were fair and delicate, not looking like the hands of someone who did manual labor.

Oh, she might be one of Tan Huairan’s people.

Zhan Yueqing understood instantly.

Yesterday, it seemed Tan Huairan had also ordered someone to apply medicine to him. He didn’t know what kind of divine medicine it was, but the wound on his neck was already nearly healed.

With this series of small actions, Zhan Yueqing could no longer deceive himself.

That person was Tan Huai.

Thinking carefully, it was extremely eerie for someone who was supposed to be dead to come back to life, not to mention that he and Tan Huai also had… also had the enmity of killing a foster father.

How could he still expect Tan Huairan to treat him as he did before?

Being able to keep a position in the Imperial Academy of Medicine and have a place to settle down was already not bad.

Zhan Yueqing thought while changing his clothes. He comforted himself with a few words and then picked a few snacks from the plate, wrapped them in oil paper, and tucked them into his bosom. Only then did he head toward the Imperial Academy of Medicine, satisfied with his snacks.

On the roof, the secret guards were rapidly exchanging hand signals.

“Xue Rong’s acting is getting more and more realistic. Just now when she wailed, I thought she was mourning at a funeral.”

“Shut up, how dare you mention funerals in the palace?”

“Did I say it? I signaled it!”

Zhan Yueqing clearly didn’t know there were many people on the roof. After finishing the beef congee, he wrapped himself in a cloak and left the palace.

Before entering the palace yesterday, the Grand Preceptor had told him to go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), and said his eldest son would come to the palace gate to accompany him there.

Snow was still falling from the sky, and the snow on the palace paths was thicker than yesterday.

Zhan Yueqing looked at the snow, which reached his calves; it was so thick it was almost over the tops of his long boots.

He knitted his brows. “It’s only October, right? If the snow keeps falling like this, will there be a problem?”

Although he didn’t read ancient novels, he had read history books. If the snow continued like this, the common people would not be able to bear it.

The prosperity of a dynasty is closely related to the climate. No matter how wealthy the court is, it cannot withstand various natural disasters.

Zhou Yi was a man of few words, as dull as his name: “His Majesty will solve it.”

Zhan Yueqing paused.

Since ancient times, natural disasters have been irreversible. How could Tan Huairan solve it? Could it be that he has a system?

Zhan Yueqing narrowed his eyes and frowned in thought, but his feet did not stop, and he soon reached the palace road.

“Second—Brother—you’ve finally—come out—”

Before the person arrived, his voice reached him first. Zhan Yueqing raised his eyes, and a black shadow pounced over, hugging him tightly and rubbing him vigorously before letting go.

“Second brother! Are you cold? Let’s get on the carriage quickly!”

The youth dragged him onto the carriage.

Zhan Yueqing was dragged until his vision went dark. When he regained his senses, he saw the person in front of him.

Although he knew Tan Huairan wouldn’t arrange any troublesome family for him, the person before him still exceeded his expectations.

This person was a head taller than him, wearing a dark yellow fox fur cloak. He was handsome, with a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes and a red mole under one eye.

“Second brother, why did you come out so late?”

The Red Mole Brother spoke. His voice was clear, making Zhan Yueqing nostalgically recall his high school life in the modern world.

Zhan Yueqing: “What is your name? How old are you?”

The Red Mole Brother clearly knew that this brother who appeared out of thin air wasn’t his real brother. “My name is Jun Yushu, courtesy name Shuangquan. I reached adulthood (20) last year.”

“Zhan Yueqing, reaching adulthood this year,” Zhan Yueqing replied politely.

“You are still using this name?” Jun Yushu was somewhat surprised.

Zhan Yueqing was startled. “Did the Grand Preceptor give me a new name?”

Jun Yushu shook his head. “No. I am just worried—aren’t you afraid of being recognized?”

Zhan Yueqing smiled. “What if I am recognized? The Zhan family has no Second Young Master.”

Jun Yushu also smiled. “True. Now we have nothing to do with the Zhan family. You are now my twin brother, only because your Eight Characters were too powerful at birth and it was feared you would die young, you were raised by the Abbot of Shan’en Temple and were only brought back yesterday.”

Zhan Yueqing knew he was explaining his background, so he nodded slightly. “Alright, thank you.”

It fell quiet inside the carriage.

Jun Yushu’s face didn’t look like that of a person who could stay quiet. Sure enough, they hadn’t been quiet for even fifteen minutes before the lad leaned over.

“Yueqing, what is your relationship with His Majesty?”

Zhan Yueqing paused. “I am whatever His Majesty says I am.”

Jun Yushu came to a sudden realization, though it was unclear what exactly he realized, and asked again, “Then what about you and Tan Mingzhi?”

Tan Mingzhi, that was the Prince of An. That person and Tan Huairan were half-brothers, born of the same father but different mothers; his birth mother was the Grand Dowager Concubine An.

The identification information instinctively popped into Zhan Yueqing’s mind, and his heart felt a sour pang for no reason.

At first, he was a bit puzzled as to where this emotion came from, but then he discovered it belonged to the original owner.

Realizing this, Zhan Yueqing: “…”

Did the original owner really love the Prince of An? Zhan Yueqing frowned.

But if someone truly loved another, how could he let him be so pitiful? Not to mention being thin with small arms and legs, there were even many traces of frostbite on his hands.

Or was it that the original owner had an unrequited love?

Zhan Yueqing had no experience with unrequited love and didn’t quite understand this sour emotion, so he could only say, “That depends on what the Prince of An thinks.”

Jun Yushu sighed in his heart, knowing he was being guarded, and stopped asking. Instead, he changed the subject: “The Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine has very high requirements for the assessment of his subordinates. Can you really pass?”

Zhan Yueqing now regretted running too fast yesterday. He should have asked Tan Huairan a few more questions; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so ignorant now.

What position did he arrange for him? What assessment?

“I’m talking to you, why are you dazed?” Jun Yushu raised his hand and waved it in front of him.

Zhan Yueqing raised his hand to cover his lips, raised his eyes, and blinked. “Brother.”

Jun Yushu’s mighty frame shuddered!

“Look at my neck,” Zhan Yueqing blinked, and as he spoke, he reached down to turn out his collar slightly, his voice softening. “That day when I entered the palace, I accidentally provoked the Dragon’s Countenance and was almost strangled to death by His Majesty. He also hit my head, causing my memory to be somewhat unclear. Who is the Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine? And what am I supposed to be assessed on?”

“The—the—the Head of the Academy is Shi Rendong,” for some reason, Jun Yushu’s voice stuttered a bit. “This time you are going to test for the position of Imperial Physician (Yuan Shi). Once you pass the test and satisfy Shi Rendong’s eyes, you can become an Imperial Physician, a fifth-rank official—however…”

Zhan Yueqing stared at him, his eyes sparkling like a child waiting to hear a story. He didn’t expect the story to stop halfway, so he became puzzled: “However what?”

Jun Yushu’s face felt hot under his gaze, and he involuntarily continued, “However, there are many people competing for this position; you might not pass. They will test on the academy’s existing prescriptions, identification of medicinal materials, diagnosis of patients, correction of folk remedies, the medicinal laws of our dynasty… all added up, it takes a full fifteen days of testing.”

They were going to test on the academy’s existing prescriptions?! Zhan Yueqing’s heart tightened.

Throughout history, the Imperial Academy of Medicine was the place where the world’s medical knowledge was concentrated. He didn’t know if modern and ancient prescriptions were compatible.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried now?” Jun Yushu’s voice softened because of that “brother.” “It’s fine. If you don’t pass the exam, just come back to the Grand Preceptor’s estate and continue your studies!”

Zhan Yueqing was truly worried. “Have you taken the exam? Is it difficult?”

Jun Yushu raised his hand to smooth his thick hair, appearing very confident and assured—

“No, I don’t study medicine.”

Upon hearing this, the light in Zhan Yueqing’s eyes vanished instantly. He had almost thought the person standing before him was a hidden master.

“But I’ve seen others take it. One person failed eighty-one times; it’s harder than the Journey to the West,” Jun Yushu said. “He’s given up now and gone to farm. He said studying medicine isn’t as good as farming.”

This sounded absolutely terrifying. Zhan Yueqing remembered the fear of being dominated by exams and couldn’t help but say, “Then I won’t end up going to farm too, right? I don’t want to farm.”

He hadn’t farmed before, but in high school, he and Tan Huai had visited a rural resort. He couldn’t even distinguish between rice and wheat; he’d better not farm.

Jun Yushu glanced at him and didn’t speak.

Farming?

No, he wouldn’t be farming. Jun Yushu thought of the Phoenix Seal that had come down with the Imperial Decree and thought to himself: But whether or not you’ll be getting married is another story.