Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Inside the pharmacy in Gaoyang City, the air is always filled with the bitter aroma of herbs and the smoky fragrance of processed herbs. Now, however, the smell carries an added layer of tense, stagnant energy.

Qian Ming nudged Jia Dayong, who was standing by the door, looking rather awkward despite his burly build, and whispered with a wink, "Hey, Dayong, I heard the young master took you out today? Quite a entourage."

Jia Dayong scratched the back of his head, a hint of embarrassment on his honest face: "Uh... um, I accompanied the young master and his concubine to the market."

"Tsk," Qian Ming clicked his tongue, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness, "Young Master is always generous. He must have received quite a bit of reward money this time, right?"

Jia Dayong nodded honestly and patted his bulging waist pouch: "It's quite a lot, almost equivalent to my monthly salary."

Qian Ming immediately moved closer, put his arm around his shoulder, and lowered his voice, which was tinged with familiar flattery: "Look, brother, I'm really a bit short on cash lately... You're all alone, and you don't have anywhere to use this money urgently, so why don't you..."

"How about I take it to a brothel?" A chilling voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.

Qian Ming jumped in fright, turning around abruptly to meet Zhang Jingwei's ambiguous smile. "Young...Young Master!" He quickly released Jia Dayong, forcing an embarrassed smile. "What are you saying...I...I was just joking with Dayong!"

Zhang Jingwei glared at him angrily: "I pay you more than a regular constable every month, where did you spend it all? When your wife finds out, let's see how you explain it!"

Qian Ming, thick-skinned, chuckled dryly twice and muttered under his breath, "Young Master, you're still young. Even if you get married, you might not fully understand the hardships of us servants with families to support..."

"Get lost, get lost!" Zhang Jingwei waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies, then turned to Jia Dayong, his tone slightly gentler but with a warning, "Dayong, don't learn from people like this in the future. Hold onto your hard-earned money tightly, save it for getting married and building a house, that's the proper thing to do."

Jia Dayong straightened his back, grinned, and replied loudly, "Yes, young master!"

Zhang Jingwei ignored them and strode into the inner hall. Jiu'er was sitting behind a long table piled with medical books and medicinal herb samples, repeatedly examining a dark red pill taken from a brocade box by the lamplight, her brows furrowed.

"Jiu'er, how is it? Is there any result?" Zhang Jingwei walked to the table, his gaze fixed on the pill known as "Qilin Blood".

Jiu'er raised her head, her delicate face showing a rare look of confusion and seriousness. She gently shook her head: "I...can't tell. This thing has a strange color, neither stone nor jade, its medicinal properties are almost imperceptible, yet it faintly exudes an indescribable sweet and pungent smell, which doesn't match any of the descriptions in the pharmacopoeias I've read." She paused, then hesitated, "Perhaps...we could ask Zhou Ji for help. After all, he's a Taoist priest, and he stayed with my mother for several months, seeing many strange things. My mother is very picky; if she's willing to keep him and let him help, he must have some skills."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingwei tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, pondered for a moment, and then decisively said, "Go to Gaoyang Tower and call Zhou Ji here."

Zhou Ji was a key figure in the sensational "Five Stones Powder Case" in Gaoyang. Originally a young alchemist supported by the Shi family, he quickly rose to the ranks of top alchemists due to his extraordinary talent. However, his arrogance led him into the vortex of intrigue. Later, he was nearly crippled by "Wooden Head," who was then Zhang Jingwei's bodyguard and had now joined the army in Wuzhou. Now, he is "atoneing for his crimes" in the Gaoyanglou workshop, wearing heavy shackles all day, and burying himself in the chemical research and development arranged by Zhang Jingwei.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the dull thud of chains dragging on the floor came from outside the door. Zhou Ji, escorted by Qian Ming, slowly walked in.

He stopped, slightly raised his eyelids, looked at Zhang Jingwei, and said in a calm tone, but with a hidden sharpness: "Lord Zhang, what brings you to summon me, a 'sinful slave' with a criminal record?"

Ignoring the barb in his words, Zhang Jingwei pointed directly to the pills on the table: "Can you identify medicine?"

Zhou Ji glanced at the pill, showing little interest: "What kind of medicine is it?"

"Qilin blood".

"Qilin blood?" Zhou Ji was taken aback at first, then chuckled as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. His laughter sounded rather abrupt in the quiet medical room. "Hahaha... Lord Zhang, have you been tricked? This 'Qilin blood'... it doesn't even exist in this world! If there really is a Qilin, it is an ancient divine beast. Who could get close to it and take its blood for use? Absurd!"

Zhang Jingwei's expression remained unchanged; he simply pushed the brocade box forward and said, "You don't need to know what it's called. Take a closer look and see what it is."

Zhou Ji's smile vanished, his gaze falling on the pill. In a single glance, his nonchalant expression froze. He took two steps forward, ignoring the rattling of his shackles, and approached the long table. He first intently examined the pill's unique, dark red patterns, resembling scales or veins, and its subtle shimmering light. Then, he carefully picked up the brocade box, brought it to his nose, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief, shock, and solemnity. He even extended a fingertip and lightly touched the surface of the pill before quickly withdrawing it.

"This...this is..." he murmured, his voice hoarse, "'Exceptional'? How did you get something like this?"

"'Exceptional'?" Zhang Jingwei pressed, "Explain clearly, what kind of medicine is this?"

Zhou Ji took a deep breath, as if to calm his mind, and slowly said, "Three parts poison, three parts potent, three parts gentle, and one part... it all depends on fate. It is commonly known as the 'Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill,' but in the world of alchemists, it is more commonly called 'Breaking the Rules.'"

"Breaking the barrier between life and death?" Jiu'er couldn't help but interject.

Zhou Ji glanced at him and nodded: "That's exactly what I meant. But Lord Zhang, this is both a miraculous medicine and a deadly poison! No..." He frowned again, full of doubt, "The method of making this medicine has long been lost. It should be a secret item kept by the former imperial court of the old dynasty. How...did you obtain it?"

Instead of answering, Zhang Jingwei asked, "What are its specific effects?"

“I’ve only seen scattered records of it in the tattered ancient book ‘Strange Prescriptions and Secret Medicines’,” Zhou Ji recalled, speaking slowly and carefully. “‘Breaking the rules’ refers to a treatment specifically for severe heart failure and near-death experiences caused by a deficiency of heart yang and an excess of yin cold. It has the miraculous effect of restoring yang, rescuing from collapse, and strengthening qi and consolidating the body. It is said to be able to snatch a lifeline from the clutches of the King of Hell.”

Qian Ming was astonished: "Is that really so strange?"

Zhang Jingwei, however, repeated a few words in a low voice: "bringing the dead back to life, flesh growing back on bones... So this is what it refers to as 'resurrection'." He looked at Zhou Ji, "Since you recognize it, do you know its components?"

Zhou Ji's expression grew even more serious as he shook his head and said, "The complete ancient prescription has long been lost. I only know that the so-called 'three parts poison' must contain aconite, monkshood, and perhaps... arsenic!"

"Arsenic?!" Jiu'er exclaimed in shock, her face turning pale. "Aconite and Aconitum carmichaelii are already extremely poisonous and hot, and now arsenic is added... How can this be used in medicine? And for Ling'er no less? This is clearly a deadly poison!"

Qian Ming shook his head repeatedly, looking terrified: "This thing... it looks like a deadly scheme, not a life-saving one."

Zhou Ji, however, said, "The ultimate principle of medicine sometimes lies in fighting poison with poison, in fighting for a glimmer of hope in a life-or-death situation. Didn't the ancient medical ancestor also use potent medicines to save a dying king? However..." He changed the subject and looked at Zhang Jingwei, "This medicine is extremely potent. If the dosage, timing, or the patient's constitution is slightly off, the patient will die on the spot, beyond even the help of a god. The risk... is too great."

Zhang Jingwei stared silently at the small "exceptional" mark, his gaze deep and unfathomable. The clinic was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, save for the occasional soft click of Zhou Ji's shackles.

Suddenly, Zhang Jingwei spoke, his voice unusually calm: "Since that's the case, the risks are unpredictable... I'll try the medicine first."

"What?!" Zhou Ji looked up abruptly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, followed by a cruel curiosity and amusement. "Good! I've heard that Lord Zhang once drank poison and was unharmed, his life is incredibly tough. If I can witness the effects of 'breaking the rules' today, it will truly broaden the horizons of this sinful slave."

"Young Master! No!" Qian Ming and Jia Dayong rushed forward almost simultaneously, shouting their disapproval. Qian Ming was sweating profusely, "This is too dangerous!"

Jiu'er also stood up, both anxious and angry: "Zhang Jingwei! Have you gone mad? You have elderly parents to support and young children to raise. Douya is about to give birth, and Ling'er is still ill. The whole family is counting on you! What will they do if something happens to you? Think of your unborn child!" Her voice trembled slightly as she finished speaking.

Qian Ming calmed down a bit and said anxiously, "Besides, there's only one pill of this medicine! Young Master, if you try it and it really works, what about Madam? Could it be... could it be that you still want to make deals with those rebels?"

Zhang Jingwei's tense shoulders slumped slightly, as if the resolute determination of the moment had been pulled back by the words of the crowd. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he had regained his usual solemnity. He slowly exhaled, as if releasing the restlessness and adventurous impulse in his chest.

"Sigh!" He waved his hand irritably, giving the "exceptional" award one last complicated look. "Never mind."

He reached out and took the brocade box, gently closing the lid to completely conceal its dark red luster and eerie patterns.

“Qian Ming,” he ordered in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness, “put this medicine… into the locked box in my inner room. No one may open it without my order.”

Qian Ming breathed a sigh of relief and quickly accepted the brocade box, which seemed to weigh a ton, with both hands. His palms were even a little damp. "Yes! Don't worry, young master!"