Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Thinking of this, Liu Xie quickly echoed Liu Bian's words, saying, "Oh, I see. That seems to be the miraculous effect of the elixir. This elixir is truly extraordinary. Seeing how energetic and radiant you look after taking it, brother, I imagine it must be incredibly effective."

Liu Bian was immediately intrigued upon hearing Liu Xie's words. He nodded and said, "Indeed. Have you forgotten Hua Tuo? Humph, that quack doctor said there might be something wrong with my heart meridians. I occasionally feel chest tightness and discomfort. But after taking this elixir yesterday, I don't feel any stagnation or blockage at all. I feel that my qi and blood flow smoothly throughout my body. It seems that this elixir is indeed miraculous. Have you taken the two pills I gave you last night? How effective are they?"

Liu Xie hadn't dared to take the two pills. He'd kept them, planning to find the right moment in the future to surprise the emperor with a "big one." But now, under the emperor's question, he had no choice but to go along with the emperor's words. He put on a look of delight and said, "Well, after taking them last night, I felt incredibly refreshed. It was a wonderful feeling, as if all the meridians in my body had been opened up. Today, I feel even more refreshed and able to walk briskly. The effects of this pill are truly remarkable."

When the emperor heard this, a satisfied smile appeared on his face and he said, "Well, it seems that this medicine is indeed miraculous."

Liu Bian recalled the elixir he had taken yesterday, and he felt truly satisfied, his face showing a hint of joy. He then turned to look at Shi A, and said with a smile, "Shi A, although the medicine you presented to me last night to treat the woman didn't work and even backfired, this elixir you found for me is truly extraordinary. I don't know where you got it from, but you've done a great service in finding it for me. When you go downstairs, go and claim your fifty-gold reward."

Upon hearing this, Shi A was overjoyed. A brilliant smile instantly blossomed on his face. He no longer cared about the strange look in his master Wang Yue's eyes. He quickly knelt on the ground with a plop, and said in a tone full of flattery and gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward. Long live Your Majesty! Your Majesty is so kind. I will repay Your Majesty's kindness with my whole life."

Liu Bian nodded slightly, feeling quite pleased. He then said cautiously, "Well, this medicine is so miraculous, but I wonder if I can get it again in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Shi A immediately straightened his back, patted his chest vigorously, and said with a determined look of loyalty, "Your Majesty, this medicine is indeed extraordinary and naturally extremely rare and difficult to obtain. But Your Majesty, please rest assured. Although it is difficult to obtain this medicine, I will find it for you even if it costs my life so that you can continue to use it in the future."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian couldn't help but burst into laughter and said repeatedly, "Well, well, well, you are indeed a loyal minister. I have seen Shi's loyalty to me. Now, Wang Yue, Shi', you can go down first."

The two men hurriedly bowed and responded in unison: "Yes, Your Majesty, we will take our leave." Then they slowly withdrew.

After the two men left, Liu Bian smiled and waved to Liu Xie, saying, "Come, come, my dear brother. This is the beautiful lady Wang whom I married last night. Come and see her."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie hurried forward respectfully and paid his respects to Concubine Wang. Seeing the King of Luoyang coming to pay his respects, Concubine Wang naturally did not dare to be rude in the slightest and quickly bowed and returned the greeting.

At this moment, Liu Bian seemed to have remembered something and said to Liu Xie in a pretentious and generous manner, "My dear brother, since this medicine is so miraculous, I am not a stingy person. Come, I will give you another pill to consolidate the therapeutic effect."

After saying this, he motioned for Concubine Wang to carefully pour out two pills from the small, exquisite box at the head of his bed, as if she were taking out precious treasures. Liu Bian took one pill himself first, and then gave the other to Liu Xie.

Liu Xie's eyes lit up when he saw this, as if he was looking at a rare treasure. He quickly knelt on the ground with a plop, raised his hands high above his head, and respectfully took the pill, then put it in his arms like a treasure.

Seeing him like this, Liu Bian couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Brother, why don't you eat now?"

Liu Xie quickly raised his head and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, how can the body of a mortal compare to yours, the body of a true dragon? This medicine is too powerful. I only took one pill last night, and I still feel my blood boiling today. I dare not use it again. I will use it after a few days until my body absorbs it."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian thought to himself, "I took two pills last night, and you didn't look like this. How could you be so upset after just one?" He laughed heartily, "Ah, my dear brother, you're really young. The spiritual power contained in this elixir is too overwhelming, and it's normal that your body can't handle it."

The two brothers chatted in this way for a while. Liu Bian felt as if there was a hot air current surging in his body, his blood was surging violently, and his whole body was hot and unbearable. It felt like a ball of fire burning in his body.

He hurriedly said to Liu Xie, "Brother, after taking that magical elixir, I feel my spiritual energy is extremely abundant. I am going to sit quietly for a while to absorb and digest this spiritual energy. You can leave first."

When Liu Xie heard this, he hurriedly bowed respectfully and took his leave, then slowly walked out.

After Liu Xie left, Emperor Liu Bian could no longer suppress the desire aroused by the effects of the drug. He grabbed Concubine Wang and hurried back to the bed. A passionate lovemaking ensued, with only occasional sounds emanating from the bed. The entire palace seemed enveloped in an ambiguous atmosphere.

This ordeal was truly relentless, lasting from daybreak until dusk. Poor Lady Wang, already delicate and frail, was already panting and sweating profusely after this ordeal. She was completely exhausted and utterly miserable, unable to bear the full weight. She could only beg for mercy repeatedly, her voice filled with weakness and pleading.

But Emperor Liu Bian, amidst the laughter, couldn't help but feel secretly smug. He thought to himself, "This medicine is truly miraculous. Look at its effects! No wonder the ancient legend that the Yellow Emperor was able to seduce three thousand women and then attain enlightenment and ascend to heaven is not entirely untrue. Humph, I must have Shi A get this miraculous medicine for me in a timely manner, and I absolutely cannot let the supply run out."

After Wang Yue left the Emperor's presence, he was filled with rage, secretly blaming Shi A the entire way. He wondered where Shi A had found some supposed panacea for the Emperor to consume. Such a huge incident had happened last night, ruining all their carefully planned plans, yet the Emperor hadn't held them accountable to the Master and Disciple. That was fine, he'd even rewarded Shi A. But because the Emperor hadn't held them accountable and rewarded Shi A, he, the Master, hadn't benefited at all. What a mess!

Shi Ah, on the other hand, was feeling quite proud of the reward bestowed upon him by the Emperor. Seeing his master approaching him with an unhappy expression, he thought of making up an excuse to evade the question. He nonchalantly replied, "Master, there's really no special magic medicine. The Emperor was just saying that casually. Don't take it too seriously."

When Wang Yue heard this, he knew in his heart that Shi A was lying with his eyes open. He was not that easy to fool, so he continued to ask: "Why, apprentice, what do you mean? Are you trying to hide something from me between you and me as master and apprentice? Humph!" After saying that, Wang Yue deliberately put on the airs of a master, trying to intimidate Shi A and make him tell the truth.

But Shi A was not afraid at all. He stiffened his neck and said defiantly, "Master, although yesterday's matter was messed up in the end, it can't be blamed entirely on us. The fault is not yours or mine. You can't be dissatisfied just because I, your disciple, received the reward from His Majesty. I really didn't contribute any other elixirs to the emperor. What the emperor said was just his words. Don't take it seriously."

Wang Yue became even more displeased when he heard this. He frowned and said, "Does that mean the emperor is lying to me? You're clearly hiding something from me! I'm your master, how could you do this to me?"

Shi A was afraid that his master would take all the credit after knowing the truth, and then he would not get any special treatment in front of the emperor in the future. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel ashamed and annoyed, and his tone became stiff. He said, "Master, don't always put on such a high and mighty attitude. I have said that there is no such thing, and if you don't believe me, then go and ask the emperor yourself. Since I followed you, I have always served you diligently, but you come to blame me for no reason. This matter is obviously a fabrication, but you insist on saying it is true. Where can I find it for you? If you are still unhappy, then go and ask His Majesty yourself, don't ask me anymore." After saying this, Shi A turned around and left angrily.

Wang Yue was so angry at his words that he stood there stamping his feet. However, he was really not sure what kind of medicine Shi A had presented to the emperor. He could only worry but had no other choice.

This heated argument between the master and the disciple was witnessed by Liu Xie, the Prince of Luoyang, who had been expelled from the palace. Liu Xie, a meticulous man, could not help but ponder this situation. He noticed that the emperor was distancing himself from Wang Yue and, conversely, showing a closeness to Shi A. Under such circumstances, Wang Yue must have been extremely upset.

Liu Xie thought that Wang Yue was quite capable as the commander of the palace guards. If he could win him over to his side in the future, he might be of great use. With this in mind, he quietly kept the matter in mind, preparing to make his plans when the time was right. However, Liu Xie knew that the time was far from right, so he simply watched from a distance and didn't rush to approach Wang Yue.

In the days that followed, Emperor Liu Bian reveled in the overflowing spiritual energy the miraculous elixir brought him. Each time he took it, he felt as if he had endless energy, completely immersed in a state of euphoria. Because of the elixir's hallucinogenic properties, he indulged in absurd dreams daily, imagining himself, like the legendary Yellow Emperor, conjuring three thousand women and ascending to heaven in broad daylight.