novelraw Chapter 696 Drug Trial [Bonus Chapter]
Chapter 696 Drug Trial [Bonus Chapter]
Chapter 696 Drug Trial [Bonus Chapter]
After that, things were calm for several days until one day, Hong Liu'er returned from outside and handed the letter she had just brought back to Prince Lan, who was still holding a grand banquet for guests in the inner courtyard. At this time, Zhu Yu also came to the hall with Lu Qing and others, holding a delicate little wooden box in his hands.
Lan Wang was reading a letter, but he seemed rather uninterested in its contents. However, when he saw Zhu Yu carrying the box over, he immediately perked up.
"Your Highness!" Zhu Yu walked to the front of the hall, bowed respectfully, and held the wooden box in his hand above his head. "I have finished making the Truth-Expelling Pills that you asked me to prepare before."
"Oh?" Lan Wang's eyes lit up, and he beckoned to her, "Bring it to my desk."
Zhu Yu strode forward and stood before the Prince of Lan's desk. He solemnly shook his sleeves and carefully placed the wooden box on the table, as if presenting a priceless treasure.
Looking at her solemn actions, Lan Wang's eyes held a hint of suspicion, as if he were wondering whether she truly had such a miraculous treasure to present, or was simply bluffing.
He opened the wooden box. Inside, there was no other decoration or embellishment, only a dark brown pill. It looked so ordinary, and the medicinal scent it emitted was nothing special.
"This thing... is this what you call the Truth-Expelling Pill?" He looked at Zhu Yu with some suspicion, then at the contents of the box. "There's only one?"
“Exactly.” Zhu Yu nodded and said solemnly, “Not only do we need rare medicinal materials to prepare this medicine, but the preparation process must also be flawless.”
I know Your Highness has been thinking about this, and fearing you might be getting impatient, I prepared one for you first, so you can use it to verify whether I was telling the truth or just boasting.”
"I see, that makes sense." Prince Lan nodded, accepting Zhu Yu's explanation. He picked up the pill and sniffed it, but couldn't detect anything special. He then gestured to a servant beside him, "Go to the side courtyard and find someone willing to administer the medicine to me."
"Your Highness, wait!" Zhu Yu immediately stopped him upon hearing this.
"What do you want to say?" Lan Wang glanced at her suspiciously.
"Your Highness, how could you ask your own retainers to test medicine for you?" Zhu Yu shook his head repeatedly, looking puzzled. "Think about it, don't these retainers of yours live in your palace year after year?"
Doesn't that mean they've always been right under your nose?
As the ruler of the Lan Kingdom, you are so wise and powerful. What could your retainers, who live under your nose and depend on you for their favor, possibly hide from you?
In your eyes, they are as clear and transparent as water and ice, unable to hide even the slightest ulterior motive.
You gave them such precious pills, and all they could tell you were things you already knew. Even if their claims were proven true, it was still a waste of such a rare and precious medicine!
In my humble opinion, you should find someone whose true thoughts you cannot fathom, or someone who might know something you don't. If, after taking this pill, they become completely open and honest, wouldn't that prove the medicine I concocted is genuine and allow it to work its intended purpose, instead of being wasted?
"What you say makes sense." Lan Wang pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded, glancing at Zhu Yu. "How about... you eat it?"
Lin Kun, Chang Yu, and the others waiting below all felt a jolt of surprise upon hearing this, and instinctively looked up at Zhu Yu. Zhu Yu, however, remained calm, only showing a slight surprise before laughing: "Does Your Highness intend for me to reveal the secret formula after taking this medicine?"
Indeed, my master's ancestral secret medicine, the Truth-Dispelling Pill, is so potent that even I, after taking it, would speak frankly. However, if Your Highness were to do so, you would obtain the secret formula for the Truth-Dispelling Pill, but those you truly wish to test would become wary and would not give you any opportunity to approach them.
Moreover, there are probably countless people in the world who possess extraordinary skills and secret formulas, but most of them are hidden in the wilderness and unwilling to reveal themselves easily.
Your Highness is courteous to scholars and recruits talented individuals, so naturally some people are willing to come and serve you. However, if Your Highness uses this method to force me to reveal the secret recipe, those capable and extraordinary people who are currently observing from the outside world and have not yet shown themselves will probably be hesitant to come and may even stay far away.
"I believe that with your magnanimity and vision, Your Highness, you would naturally have considered this possibility. Therefore, your words just now were likely just a joke."
"Hahahaha, you're quite clever, young man. I was indeed joking with you." Lan Wang smiled, taking a step back by echoing Zhu Yu's last words.
He genuinely wanted to use Zhu Yu to test the medicine, and if it worked, he could also get his hands on the secret formula.
However, Zhu Yu's words did indeed wake him up, making him realize that this was not a good long-term solution.
Lan Wang's gaze swept over the other people in the courtyard. Zhu Yu's words were still swirling in his mind.
"People who cannot understand thoughts"...
"To make him completely open and honest with you..."
His gaze darted around before finally settling on Hong Liu'er, who stood to the side awaiting orders.
"Hong Liu'er, you came back very quickly this time after going out to retrieve the letter. Where did you meet the messenger?" After a moment of silence, Lan Wang suddenly asked Hong Liu'er.
Hong Liu'er, who had been standing aside in a daze as if it were none of her business, was suddenly asked by Prince Lan. She paused for a moment before replying, "Your Highness, the messenger met me about seven or eight miles outside the capital. After handing me the letter, I rushed back on horseback. He is resting outside the city now, waiting for me to deliver your reply to him."
"Oh?" Lan Wang's brows twitched slightly. "Have they been sending messages so frequently lately?"
“Your Highness, I have indeed come to the outskirts of the capital several times recently. They said it's because the Jie Kingdom has been making frequent moves lately, so the Jin Kingdom has been tightening its grip on the border passes. They're afraid it might be unstable and cause unnecessary trouble, so they've been going in more often,” Hong Liu’er answered honestly.
"Since he took the initiative to travel so far and wasn't in a hurry to leave after delivering the message, he must be quite interested in what's happening in our capital." Prince Lan thought for a moment, then snorted softly, "In that case, I can't be too unhospitable."
"Hong Liu'er, take a few men and bring the messenger here. Tell him that Prince Lan has invited him to a banquet at his residence."