Chapter 99: The Momentum of the Great Dragon (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 99: The Momentum of the Great Dragon (Please Subscribe to the Monthly Ticket)

After listening to Chen Yi’s words, Wang Ji patted his chest and assured, “Your Grace, this matter will surely be handled properly by a humble servant.”

Chen Yi nodded, gestured for him to sit, and inquired, “How is the situation with Bai Caotang these days?”

Wang Ji hurriedly sat beside him, his face brightening. “Your Grace, the method you mentioned earlier has proven effective.”

“In Spicyang, all the major pharmacies that have entered into contracts with our Bai Caotang have never failed to receive patients seeking medicine.”

“In just over half a month since opening, the silver ingots collected have already reached four thousand and four hundred taels. By my calculations, after deducting various expenses, the profit is nearly two hundred taels.”

The remaining profit, after subtracting half of the shares allocated to the various partner pharmacies, was merely decent.

Yet what Chen Yi had tasked Wang Ji with was not merely for these trifling gains, but for the patients coming from the major pharmacies to Bai Caotang.

They were precisely what Chen Yi sought.

“Not bad.”

Upon hearing Chen Yi’s praise, Wang Ji’s smile grew even wider. “All due to Your Grace’s brilliant planning. A humble servant and Old Lao simply carry out orders.”

Such flattery did not enter Chen Yi’s ear, nor his heart.

After listening, he let it pass.

Chen Yi withdrew two sheets of pine bark paper from his sleeve and handed them to him.

“Add two more prescriptions.”

Wang Ji took the papers with both hands, glanced at the two formulas, and hesitated. “Your Grace, this—this—”

Chen Yi nodded. “These are teas specially prepared for women. Their flavors surpass the earlier ones, so their requirements are higher.”

One was a Zhimi Tea, the other a Nourishing Beauty Tea—both concocted by Chen Yi himself the previous night, integrating the pinnacle of medical knowledge.

The former corresponded to the “Wang Ji Tea,” yet tailored more suitable for women’s tastes, satisfying their palates.

The latter, as its name implies, was solely for nourishing beauty.

Compared to the others, the Nourishing Beauty Tea’s formula was the most intricate, yet its effects were straightforward and blunt.

Wang Ji studied the papers, though he did not grasp the intention, he still bowed respectfully and nodded.

Since the opening of Bai Caotang, his reverence for Chen Yi only deepened.

Whether it was the reactions of the major pharmacies in Spicyang, the conditions of the patients seeking medicine, or the subsequent matters, all unfolded precisely as Chen Yi had initially described.

For at that time, Bai Caotang had not yet taken shape, let alone secured a location.

Yet Chen Yi had laid out every detail with crystal clarity.

How could he not admire him?

Perhaps this was what was spoken of as a “sage.”

Having concluded his business, Chen Yi rose and declared, “This matter must be resolved swiftly. Prolonging it will inevitably breed complications.”

His command to Wang Ji was not merely this, but to seek several “renowned physicians” to oversee the Xiao Family’s pharmacy.

Both true and false experts, all under his backing.

Wang Ji nodded repeatedly. “Today, I’ll go find several Mr. Mao Jiao, there are many such individuals in the villages beyond the city walls.”

After descending the stairs, Chen Yi stared rigidly at Wang Ji, muttering under his breath, “Wang the Merchant, hold your ground.”

Wang Ji understood, bowed with a smile, “Your Grace, safe travels.”

As he turned to leave, Wang Ji carried several bottles of Wang Ji Tea to the counter and placed them in Chen Yi’s hands. “Take these, Your Grace, to drink on your way.”

Chen Yi cradled the ceramic bottles, examined them with a meaningful glance, then patted Wang Ji’s shoulder and departed from Bai Caotang.

Wang Ji watched him leave, signaled discreetly to Lao He, and the two retreated to a back room to whisper.

Chen Yi reunited with Ge Lao San, casually handed him a bottle of Wang Ji Tea. “Go have a taste, the flavor is excellent.”

His own concoctions naturally balanced taste and efficacy.

As the Wang Ji Tea’s advertisement claimed—“Cooling and relieving heat”—it was indeed a genuine cooling effect.

Though the formula was simple and unremarkable, the advantages of this Wang Ji Tea were evident.

Its cost was extremely low, barely a copper coin, even less than a fifth of the price of the inferior ceramic bottles used for other teas.

Ge Lao San accepted it without hesitation. Mounting his horse, he rode down the street, opened the bottle, took a sip, and immediately grinned widely.

“Master, this tea’s flavor isn’t obvious, yet it’s refreshingly cool. On this sweltering day, drinking it brings a sense of relief.”

Chen Yi nodded, his gaze drifting along the street’s storefronts, his mind still preoccupied with schemes.

In his thoughts, the Xiao Family, the Lingran Pavilion, the Hidden Vein, and Bai Caotang formed a rough pattern.

Precisely, it was a chessboard.

Since learning the ways of the board, his daily games had sharpened his vision, allowing him to see matters more clearly. Those scattered elements were like individual chess pieces.

Some black, some white, scattered across the board.

In his mind’s chessboard now—Spicyang.

The Xiao Family were white; the rest, black.

Even himself was but a minor piece on the board.

“Someone has been placing pieces in Spicyang incessantly, as if gathering the momentum of a great dragon…”

“Though it’s not yet clear, we can still act in advance.”

Chen Yi muttered to himself, noticing the Governor’s Office ahead. “Lao San, go to Jishi Pharmacy.”

Having elevated his medical cultivation, he should also refine his skills accordingly.

“Ah.”

Originally intending to return to the capital, Ge Lao San immediately cracked his whip, driving his carriage into East Street.

……

The bustling East Market teemed with people—distant mountain clans, damp and sulky foreigners, and occasionally a few heavily burdened barbarians.

They performed acrobatics, crushed large stones, breathed fire, and called for business.

All manner of people came here to eke out a living.

Yet the more people there were, the more disputes arose.

Especially in a place like East Market, where all sorts of creatures mingled, this was especially true.

There were city officials, guilds of pharmacies, cloth shops, grain stores, as well as thugs and bandits, and even sizable gangs.

These people gathered inside and around East Market. Ordinary folk could ignore them, but those who lived here could not.

Especially the gang members—each was a blade-slicked, blood-soaked brute, every territory won through force.

Naturally, they were fierce and cruel.

And unfortunate for them, after more than ten days of poor business, the Jishi Pharmacy was visited by a group of bare-armed Han men.

Liu Quan wore a long and short blade at his waist, his brows and eyes sharp and fierce, shouting loudly for the shopkeeper to come out.

The physicians, naturally, had no heart to step forward; the apprentices, of course, fled even further away.

Liu Quan, unable to do anything else, bravely approached and bowed his hand: "Gentlemen, may I ask what matter brings you to seek the shopkeeper?"

"My lord, the shopkeeper has not come to the pharmacy for over ten days..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the leader—bald on one side, long-haired on the other, clearly a man of aristocratic blood—slapped him across the face:

"Has he not come?"

"Do you think I’m blind? Just the other day, someone saw him coming in!"

"Don’t waste my time with nonsense. Call him out at once! I have business with him, and we’ll settle it properly!"

Liu Quan was struck on the head, his vision blurring, and he staggered, his mouth opening in a daze: "The shopkeeper... he hasn’t been here in days. If you have a matter, go to Duke Yuan’s mansion."

Upon hearing the word "mansion," the leader paused, glanced behind him, and saw the small, sharp-toothed youth shaking his head. He growled:

"Do you dare use Duke Yuan to pressure me? Do you know what I’m capable of...?"

Before he could finish, he drew the small knife from his waist and lunged forward to attack Liu Quan.

At that moment, a thunderous shout boomed from outside the pharmacy: "Whoever dares cause trouble in my Xiao family’s pharmacy—!"

Before the words had fully faded, Ge Lao San burst into the pharmacy, pointing at the men outside.

Chen Yi, following closely behind, scanned the group calmly and spoke: "Old Third, don’t rush into action."

Ge Lao San hesitated, his fists still clenched, and asked uncertainly: "My lord?"

Chen Yi waved a hand, his eyes fixed on the small, sharp-toothed youth among the group, his pupils slightly narrowed.

A faint aura began to ripple through the surrounding men—some pale white, some green, and one as thick and dark as ink.

Hmph, what a plague of a person to come causing trouble...

Which scoundrel thinks I’m too busy?

(The chapter ends here.)