Great Zhou: Emperor Wu, I need to check your taxes.

The most cost-effective way is still to refine the elixir yourself.

As long as we can obtain the raw materials, even if the success rate of pill formation is low, the cost can be reduced to one-tenth of what it is now.

Money, it's all about money.

Thinking of this, Lin Yun reached for another ledger.

That was the Imperial Guard's private account book that I obtained at the horse farm.

Compared to the official accounts obtained by the Imperial Guard, which were a mix of truth and falsehood, this private account, though messy, was terrifyingly real.

Lin Yun compared this private account book with several documents he had retrieved from the Internal Security Archives during the day.

With the help of the Sky Eye, several key points immediately emerged from this comparison.

"From the third to the fourth year of the Chuigong era, the Imperial Guards of the Northern Army tripled their alcohol purchases. The supplier was the Qunyu Academy..."

"Chang Le Gambling House..."

Lin Yun paused, then wrote those four characters heavily on the paper.

When I first transmigrated here, I was heavily in debt and almost lost my family. The Jade Courtyard and Chang Le Gambling House were the big players behind the scenes.

After going around in circles, we've come full circle.

"I'm sorry, Commander Shangguan, I really want to be an obedient baby in your arms, but the situation doesn't allow it."

"Besides, you won't actually let me lie down inside you. Otherwise, I'll listen to whatever you say, do whatever you want, and I won't regret it even if I die from it..."

A slight smile appeared on Lin Yun's lips.

If we can get something from Chang Le Casino, we can not only give the racecourse an explanation, but we might also dig up some other dirt.

And such a large-scale operation, is it really not related to the Magistrate's Office at all? The Imperial Household Agency has a lot of dirt on Zhou Xing!

"Let's do it! Once it's done, we can relax!"

Lin Yun felt relieved and was about to get up and stretch his muscles.

But at that moment, a familiar burning sensation suddenly rose from my lower abdomen and instantly spread throughout my body!

"hiss--!"

Lin Yun gasped, a sudden, sharp pain accompanied by a feeling of swelling forced him to bend back down, falling heavily back into his chair.

Damn!

The side effects of this longevity pill are indeed formidable; they've flared up again!

While that thing gave him a physique and internal energy far exceeding those of ordinary people, it also brought this "disadvantage" that flares up from time to time!

If it's not addressed in time, that feeling of impending explosion is worse than torture.

"Bang!"

The commotion alerted Chun Tao, the maid who was cleaning in the outer room.

The little girl quickly dropped the rag and ran in, looking anxious.

"Young Master! What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No...it's nothing..."

Lin Yun gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his hands gripping the edge of the table tightly, trying his best to curl up so that Chun Tao wouldn't notice anything amiss.

"It's my old problem acting up again... It'll be fine after a while... You, you can leave now..."

Normally, Lin Yun's words carry absolute weight at home; he is the one who has the final say.

But at this moment, Chun Tao did not move at all.

Suddenly, her delicate little nose twitched twice, then her eyes gradually became unfocused, and the whites of her eyes began to slant upwards...

"Oh no, could this really be a side effect of the erysipelas?!"

Lin Yun's heart tightened suddenly, but the discomfort he was feeling at the moment prevented him from thinking any further.

Seeing Lin Yun's flushed face and pained expression, Chun Tao was unwilling to leave.

"Young Master... please don't push yourself, look at you, you're covered in sweat..."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Chun Tao's eyes, but it vanished instantly.

She slowly pulled a blanket over from the side and then knelt down directly beside Lin Yun's legs.

"Young master...you seem to be getting too hot-tempered. My father was a country doctor when he was alive, and he taught me a few tricks. I can help you..."

"Please don't keep it to yourself. Take your hand away and let me examine you properly. I guarantee I can cure you instantly..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yun was torn between his own feelings and his inner turmoil.

As a time traveler, he didn't actually have many feudalistic notions of hierarchy.

Moreover, at this stage, the side effects of erysipelas have been basically understood.

Whenever it flares up, a special scent emanates from my body, causing everyone around me to become very kind to me!

Judging from the fact that Zhou Xing and the others didn't react at all that night, this approach is useless against men!

This side effect doesn't seem so bad? You could even say it's quite good?

Chuntao's medical skills were probably not lying, but this matter... is really hard to talk about.

However, this damn side effect came on strong, and if it is not dealt with, it could flare up one day when you are fighting with someone, which would be a fatal flaw.

After all, this thing doesn't work on men.

Moreover... in this era, personal maids were the private property of their masters, and concubines were commonplace, let alone just seeing a doctor.

Am I being too dramatic?

"Then...why don't you give it a try?"

Lin Yun relented, but his voice was still a little awkward.

When Chun Tao saw that Lin Yun had agreed, she became even more impatient and was almost ready to pounce on him.

"Young Master, please relax..."

Her face was flushed, and her outstretched hand was trembling as she tentatively placed it on Lin Yun's waist.

But, at this moment—

"Squeak!"

The study door was suddenly pushed open!

"Yunlang, the food is ready, hurry and eat it while it's hot..."

Su Qingtan walked in carrying a tray, her temples glistening with sweat, and a gentle smile on her face.

However, the next second, her smile froze on her face.

In my sight, Lin Yun was slumped in a chair, his face flushed and panting heavily.

Chun Tao was kneeling to one side, her hand reaching out...

"Clang!"

The porcelain bowl on the tray made a crisp sound and almost slipped off.

Su Qingtan quickly steadied the tray, her pretty face displaying a fascinating array of expressions, from astonishment to blushing, and then to a strange sense of loss and embarrassment.

The sudden noise instantly dispelled the body's heat, and the tormenting side effects miraculously subsided.

"Um... sister-in-law..."

Lin Yun smiled awkwardly, straightened his robes, and tried to explain the absurd scene.

"If I said I was treating an illness... would you believe me?"

As Lin Yun returned to normal, the rosy complexion on Chun Tao's face gradually faded...

"what!"

She recoiled as if she'd seen a ghost, plopped down on the ground, and scrambled to the side, her head hitting the ground with a thud.

"Madam! No...it's not what you think! This servant...this servant only wanted to treat the young master!"

"I didn't do anything! I really didn't do anything!"

This sudden turn of events startled Lin Yun.

……

The night in Yong'anfang is quiet yet tinged with a strangeness.

Chuntao walked ahead carrying a lantern, her little head almost drooping to her chest.

His ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and his steps were unsteady; he was clearly still reeling from the shock of the "misunderstanding" that had just occurred.

Su Qingtan walked behind, her steps slow and deliberate.

As she walked, she unconsciously counted on her fingers, her brows slightly furrowed.

"You're twenty now...it's about time to settle down and start a family."

As she thought this, Lin Yun's usually thin but increasingly upright figure involuntarily appeared in her mind.

And that muscular chest that was exposed when his clothes were disheveled just now...

"If he gets married, then other women will serve him by dressing and eating, mending his clothes, and...warming his bed."

Thinking of this, Su Qingtan felt a strange tightness in her chest, as if something was blocking her heart, making her feel both sour and astringent.

It felt like someone was about to take away the whole cabbage that I had painstakingly raised.

"Pah! Pah! Pah! What are you thinking, Su Qingtan!"

She shook her head violently, trying to shake off those strange thoughts.

"An elder sister-in-law is like a mother to her younger brother-in-law; it's only natural for her to arrange his marriage. It's a good thing...yes, a good thing."

But even after repeating the word "good thing" in my mind several times, I still felt uneasy.