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Author: Bader
last update2026-04-21 02:40:36

The birthday banquet was scheduled for high noon, exactly four and a half hours from now. It might have seemed like a long stretch of time, but in reality, the schedule was already packed with various matters and ceremonies.

Halfway through the Hour of the Ox.

Evangeline and Celeste, accompanied by young Arthur, stood waiting outside the Justin Courtyard. As the lineal descendants of the main branch of the Xiao family, the three of them were required to accompany the Old Duke to the ancestral h
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  • 219

    Caelum gave a confirming hum, neatly stowed away the copper mirror with a calm expression, and signaled him to drive the carriage out of the courtyard.Liu Lang was also disguised at the moment; unlike his usual image at Baibacang Pharmacy, his face now bore a fierce-looking scar."Boss, aren't you worried that person won't show up?"Sitting upright inside the carriage cabin, peering through the gap in the curtains at the surging crowds outside, Caelum replied in a calm tone:"Whether he comes or not, either way is fine."If Xiao Dongchen came, things would proceed a bit more smoothly.If he didn't come, it would simply cost them a bit more effort, but the outcome would remain identical.Liu Lang curled his lips, clearly failing to grasp the meaning behind those words.If it didn't matter whether he came or not, why on earth were they making this trip?After a brief silence.Caelum spoke up: "Tell me more ab

  • 218

    "...The light boats have effortlessly sped past ten thousand heavy mountains."—陈轻舟 (Caelum), August 5th of the twenty-first year of Anhe.Before the signature, the moment the poetry and calligraphy were manifested.Caelum's mastery of calligraphy was already fully apparent in its artistic conception.Much like his previous work "Bidding Farewell to Lord Changming at Shuzhou," the scenery transformed and shifted right above the characters and lines.At first, atop majestic, towering mountains, a fortress with grayish-white high walls stood firmly upon the peak.The surroundings were suffused with brilliant multicolored light and shrouded in mists, resembling the dawn after a storm of dark clouds and pouring rain, illuminating the city named "Baidi" in dazzling hues.Following that, a man dressed in pristine white robes was seen steering a boat through the surging waves, sailing across the river beneath the mountain.The river roared, and the sails billowed, moving forward together wit

  • 217

    It did not take long for Caelum to arrive at Guyun Academy, heading straight for the backyard.Today was not his lecture day, so Professor Julian and the others were somewhat surprised by his arrival.However, that initial flash of astonishment instantly turned into everyone standing up to welcome him.Professor Julian greeted him with a smile, saying, "Ah, Caelum has arrived, please take a seat quickly."Caelum cast a quick glance around the room, and upon seeing Miles present alongside Professors Julian and Gabriel, he relaxed completely and took his seat.A period of time had passed since he began working as a lecturer at Guyun Academy, and he had become entirely familiar with everyone there, making it natural for him to act with complete ease."Dean, has Miles finally been removed from the academy's roster?"Professor Julian's smile faded slightly, and he glanced at Miles standing respectfully to the side, then laughed awkwardly:"Miles has truly been wronged.""Therefore, after c

  • 216

    With that, she hurriedly bid farewell to Caelum, taking Daisy and the others back toward the Jiaxing Courtyard in a rush.Watching her retreating figure, Caelum smiled.Yet deep down, he knew that after today, Celeste would likely be busier than ever before.A medical academy...To say it was unprecedented in the Great Wei Dynasty might be an exaggeration, but it at least forged a completely new path.Therefore, actually building and grounding a medical academy would be no easy feat.Site selection, construction, inviting renowned physicians, compiling medical texts, recruiting students, and ensuring future operation—none of these could be taken lightly.With every single detail requiring meticulous care, Celeste could no longer remain detached."This is for the best.""Her future days are long; spending her energy merely collecting land rents, silver coins, and allocating monthly allowances would inevitably feel too mundane."Picturing how busy yet joyful Celeste's days would become

  • 215

    Caelum felt he had expressed his suggestions as tactfully as possible, but watching the smile slowly fade from Celeste's face, he couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy.At the end of his words, he gestured for Butterfly to pour tea and water, cleared his throat, and said:"This proposal is actually quite commendable, but right now, the Sterling family's few pharmacies are overburdened. Compared to the Hundred Herbs Pharmacy, they simply don't possess the conditions for outward expansion."And that was the reality.For a traditional pharmacy wanting to expand, it required not only physicians and apprentices capable of holding down the storefronts, but also a reliable supply chain of various medicinal herbs.It couldn't possibly compare to the simplified model of the Hundred Herbs Pharmacy, which mainly relied on herbal teas and common medicinal formulas.Training physicians alone wasn't something that could be achieved overnight, let alone consuming vast sums of silver to stock up on

  • 214

    Jace withdrew a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, smiling sinisterly as he whispered: "This is the Five Poisons Powder I've prepared for you. You only need to have your second brother ingest it continuously for seven days straight, and he will die quietly without a trace."Seraphina glanced at the porcelain bottle without taking it, still shaking her head:"You don't understand my meaning.""Even if my second brother dies without any clues pointing anywhere, or even if all clues point to the Sterling family, I will still be suspected."Jace's eyes flickered: "Is your father truly that suspicious?"Seraphina nodded: "Father never believes in unprovoked accidents, because he is an expert at orchestrating plans and maneuvers to look like coincidences and accidents.""Just like back then when he had my aunt married into the imperial palace—he used the occasion of the Emperor leaving the palace to arrange an accidental encounter between my aunt and the Emperor, allowing her to rise st

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