Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 176 Extra Chapter 2: The Forgotten One, Xiao Muchen of His Past Life
A-Shu got married, and the man she married was Lu Shiyilang. It was only after the marriage that A-Shu learned that Lu Shiyilang was not the true legitimate son of the Lu family of Fanyang, but Li Xun, the son of Li Shangjin, the Prince of Ze, who was killed by the previous Empress.

After Li Shangjin was falsely accused of treason by Zhou Xing and committed suicide in prison, his children and family members were all exiled. Most of them died on the way to exile. Li Xun, however, escaped this calamity because he was traveling and was playing. He was later rescued by Lu Ling, so he changed his name to Lu Xun and was adopted by the Lu family, becoming Lu Ling's younger brother.

After hearing this, Ah Shu sighed with emotion: "No wonder you were so heartbroken and agitated when Ah Huan drew Li Xiaomei's portrait in that case of the body found at the bottom of the well. It turns out that Li Xiaomei is your own sister."

“Yes! She was my own sister, but unfortunately she was killed by those two beasts, Zhou Xing and his son…” Lu Shiyilang said with self-blame, “It’s all my fault as her older brother for not protecting her.”

Ah Shu hugged him and comforted him, "Don't be sad. Ah Huan avenged your sister back then!"

"So, she killed Zhou Xing, is that right? You ran to Xingyun Pavilion to cover for her?"

Recalling the scene with Lu Shiyilang, A-Shu nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

"I knew it! I knew she was responsible for Zhou Xing's death, so I was so grateful to her that I couldn't possibly let that traitor Qiu Shenji get away with it!"

"By the way, speaking of Qiu Shenji, what happened to him later?" Ashu asked curiously.

Lu Shiyilang deliberately played coy, saying smugly, "Because of the clues provided by Hongxian, I finally found him in that underground bank, so he fell into my hands. Guess what I did to him?"

"How would I know?" A-Shu pouted, pretending to be angry.

"I neutered it, hahaha... This kind of lackey deserves to end up like this!"

Upon hearing this, A-Shu blushed even more.

Realizing that his words might have been a bit rude, Lu Shiyilang quickly shut his mouth.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

After a long silence, A-Shu suddenly asked, "You used to like A-Huan a lot, didn't you? Why did you suddenly propose to me?"

Lu Shiyilang smiled and replied, "I used to admire her quite a bit, but I'm not good enough for her. Besides, she's now an empress, so I don't even dare to think about it. Xiao Muchen is more suitable to be the emperor's consort."

As for why I'm proposing to you? I think we're both carefree and quite compatible, a perfect match. Besides, you have a good temperament, are quite beautiful, and if you look closely, you even resemble a saint a bit. It's normal for you to be likable!

There's a saying that goes, "A turtle and a mung bean are a perfect match, don't you think?"

What was meant to be a comforting remark turned into a nightmare when Lu Shiyilang saw A-Shu's eyes widen in anger, her expression suggesting she was about to unleash a torrent of fire. She looked like a small beast ready to pounce on him at any moment, which terrified him so much that he immediately turned and ran away.

Even as he reached the gatehouse, he couldn't help but look around, patting his panting chest and sighing inwardly:

"I never imagined that a sunny and cheerful guy like me would be so bad at charming young ladies. No, I'll have to ask Xiao Muchen for advice another day. How does he manage to win over so many young ladies? It can't just be because of his looks, can it?"

Lu Shiyilang shook his head: "My face is quite nice too, but why do I always feel like I've forgotten something?"

……

This feeling of forgetting something wasn't unique to Lu Shiyilang; Li Yi, Liu Sheng, and Murong Xian'er also often felt this way.

For example, Li Yi was often puzzled as to when he learned hypnosis. Although he was not as good as the saints of today, or even as good as Xiao Muchen, he was sure that he was not born with this kind of hypnosis.

"I seem to have forgotten someone, a very important person, but strangely enough, although I have forgotten this person, I remember clearly what this person told me to do, and regard it as my life's mission!"

Outside Chang'an, when bidding farewell to Gao Xianzhi, also known as Heichi Jun, as he headed to Anxi, Li Yi remarked with these sentiments.

"My mission is to assist her, to help her ascend the throne, and to protect the Li Tang dynasty."

Black Teeth Jun chuckled and asked, puzzled:

"But you are Li Xian's son. Haven't you ever thought about becoming emperor yourself?"

Li Yi laughed and said, "Everyone wants to be emperor, but not everyone can be a good emperor. Look at the world now, is there anything wrong with it?"

"She exonerated your father, Heichi Changzhi, and also my father, the King. Now there is no longer the fear of cruel officials coming to our door every day to confiscate our property and exterminate our clan, nor are there any so-called 'official positions' that can be bought with money. The Sage vigorously developed agriculture and sericulture, implemented the equal-field system, and Prime Minister Xiao personally presided over the palace examination, giving those poor scholars a fair chance to compete. The Turks, Tibetans, Silla and other countries have all paid tribute to our Great Tang."

"The world is at peace, and the people are healthy and prosperous. Hei Chi Jun, what could be worse? Must we, to repay your small debt of gratitude, launch another coup, causing bloodshed and widespread suffering in Chang'an, just so your benefactor can ascend to the throne?"

Hei Chi Jun gradually fell into deep thought, his eyes still filled with unresolved grudges and resentments. Years of unresolved issues had made this young man increasingly resemble a violent beast.

Li Yi sighed again and advised, "Hei Chi Jun, let it go. Like your father, do what you want to do and what you should do. I know you are still indignant about what happened to Sister Yingying and regret not taking her with you. But it's no use thinking about these things now. Not only are Cui Ying and Cui Ying dead, but the entire Cui clan of Anping has been exiled. You have avenged your family. If you can choose the right path and live a good life, that may be the best way to repay Sister Yingying."

After a pause, Li Yi smiled and said, "The Sage is also a woman as good as Sister Yingying. In the battle against the Tubo, in order to protect us, she was willing to go into danger herself and fight against the famous Tubo general Lun Qinling. That battle can be described as a near-death experience. She is just a woman, but she did many things that men would not dare to do."

You should understand the bond between comrades-in-arms best, and she also possesses wisdom and ability beyond that of ordinary people, enabling her to improve the lives of people all over the world.

So, Black Tooth Jun, I hope you will not do anything to hurt her again!

"If I were to become her enemy again, you would come after me, wouldn't you?" Black Tooth Jun retorted.

Li Yi smiled and replied, "Yes!"

Hei Chi Jun seemed to understand something at this moment. He gently wiped away a tear that had been hidden for a long time and nodded slightly: "Okay, as you wish. I hope that the world will really get better and better as you said."

After saying that, Hei Chi Jun mounted his horse and led a group of soldiers away at full speed, heading straight for Anxi, a thousand miles away.

Li Yi, however, gazed at the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves, rubbed his forehead again, and thought to himself: What have I forgotten? Why can't I remember anything at all? ...

As the seasons changed and the stars shifted, eight years passed in the blink of an eye. Under the rule of the new emperor, the Tang Dynasty finally ushered in a more prosperous and stable period after a series of reforms, including streamlining officials, developing agriculture and sericulture, and reforming the military system. During this period, countless poets such as Wang Wei, Li Bai, Du Fu, Gao Shi, and Wang Zhihuan rose to prominence on the political stage.

During this golden age of literary culture, countless renowned officials and scholars left behind brilliant poems and graceful dances that flowed like snowflakes through history.

Spring has come again, and the peonies in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom. After the court assembly, the Empress held a grand banquet. At this banquet, Xiao Muchen got drunk for the first time and had a long dream that night.

In his dream, he seemed to return to the past, arriving once again on Mount Beimang. He saw a group of noble young men galloping on horseback, the leader of whom was Cui Shi, shouting, "Hurry up, don't wait for him, let him be trapped on this Mount Beimang!"

So he went to the place where he had encountered some poisonous insects and ants in his childhood and rescued himself from the helpless struggle against them.

"Are you an immortal?" the younger version of himself asked him.

He wore a white jade mask and did not answer. Instead, he guided him down the mountain and instructed him, "Don't get too close to Cui Shi in the future, and also be wary of your stepmother, Cui Shi. The road ahead may be difficult for you, but as long as you stick to your principles and are fearless, you will surely be able to find your own path in the future."

"Also, remember, if you ever meet her again, you must treat her well!"

……

In the blink of an eye, time and space seemed to have changed again, and he saw Murong Huan as a child, a seven-year-old girl, thin and small, with a pair of big round eyes, as clear as a deep pool that one could not see the bottom of.

A group of men in black were chasing her, so he killed them all and hid them. He then took the two little girls to the secluded Peach Blossom Village and set up a maze to protect them from outsiders.

Here, he would come to spend almost a month with her every now and then, teaching her to read and write, to identify herbs and medicinal plants, and to draw portraits and play the flute.

The little girl became increasingly dependent on him, and almost every time he came, she could be seen standing under the thousand-foot waterfall, which resembled shattered jade and resounding gold, waiting for him from afar.

"Master, what is the outside world like? Can you tell me some stories about it?"

At first, he only told the story of Yu Gong moving the mountain, but after he finished, the little girl looked at him with wide eyes and asked, "Since Yu Gong felt that the mountain in front of his house was blocking their way, why didn't he move his house instead of moving the mountain?"

Looking at the little girl's innocent and bewildered expression, he was speechless for a moment, unsure how to answer. In the end, he could only smile and say, "I'm telling you this story to tell you that you can't be afraid of difficulties in anything you do. You have to persevere to succeed."

"Oh! But in the end, weren't they moved away by the heavenly soldiers and generals? Those heavenly soldiers and generals are strange. Why did they have to move the mountain? Wouldn't it have been better to just move Yu Gong's house? What if they encountered another Yu Gong?"

He was speechless again, and after a long silence, he finally said, "Yes, Ah Huan is right, Master can't explain it."

"Then tell me another story, Master?"

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, then Master will tell you... a story from the Tang Dynasty..."

……

Time and space shifted again, and he seemed to have arrived in a chaotic space, where he saw another version of himself dressed in black robes and wearing a white jade mask.

The man said, "The Spring of Reincarnation has changed all the causes and effects of the past. You are no longer me, and I am no longer you. Since you love her so much, then live well with her!"

……

As he awoke from his dream, the moon had set and the stars had shifted. Xiao Muchen abruptly sat up from the bed, looked at Murong Huan sleeping beside him, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"What's wrong?" Murong Huan also stood up and asked.

So it was just another dream of Zhuangzi's butterfly dream? Xiao Muchen smiled and said, "It's alright, it's just a dream. I think I saw you when you were a child just now."

"Oh, wasn't I cute when I was little?"

Xiao Muchen nodded: "Yes, just as adorable as our daughter!"

It's the same headache!
How can anyone teach someone who can apply what they've learned to other situations?

……

As dawn broke, two exquisitely carved little figures sat on the white jade steps in front of the Zichen Palace. One was dressed in white, holding a book with a gentle and refined air, while the other was dressed in black, holding a "silver spear" with a heroic and dashing demeanor.

Suddenly, the little girl got tired of playing with the silver spear and asked, "Brother, tell me a story!"

"What should I tell you? Oh, then I'll tell you the story of Yu Gong moving the mountain!" the little boy said earnestly. "Once upon a time, there was a man named Yu Gong. He was troubled by the obstruction in the northern part of the mountain, so he gathered his whole family to discuss moving the mountain..."

After he finally finished speaking, the little girl pouted and said, "Brother, this Yu Gong is so silly! Why did he move the mountain instead of moving his house? Wouldn't it have been easier to move?"

The little boy put down his book, looked at the little girl, and asked, "Then let me ask you, what would you do if someone bullied your father and mother?"

The little girl's eyes widened instantly. She stood up, thrust her silver spear into the air, and said fiercely, "If anyone dares to bully my father and mother, even if they are a mountain, I will sweep them away!"

“That solves it!” the little boy said matter-of-factly.

The little girl sensed something was wrong and pouted again: "Brother, you've tricked me!"

Dear readers, this chapter marks the true end of this book. Thank you to every reader who has subscribed, and thank you again to readers like Yanzhihu1, Zizhuha, Huohuohuoyi, and Zaimengzhongjianfei for their support!