My name is Wei Qing, and I want to fight the Xiongnu.

"Forget it, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you. Everyone has their secrets, right?"

Gongshu Wu didn't dwell on it; instead, he thought Wei Qing was right. In the Han Dynasty, if you didn't have some secrets, you might get taken advantage of and sold off for money.

Having more trump cards up your sleeve means you can handle problems with composure when they arise.

Wei Qing wanted to say: I didn't mean to not say it, I already said it, it's just that you don't believe me.

In an era where everyone tells lies, no one believes me when I tell the truth. Is that my fault?

Gongshu Wu took out a basketball-sized box from the mechanical beast and casually tossed it at the smashed humanoid puppet.

The box landed and four hands reached out, quickly gathering the scattered parts and materials on the ground.

Gongshu Wu didn't even look at it. He said to the curious Wei Qing, "These are just trinkets. If you want them, go to the Gongshu family's shop and they'll give you a 10% discount. Just reach out."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qing obediently extended his left hand.

Gongshu Wu looked at the upward-facing palm with a calm expression, then frowned and said, "Don't easily show your palm to others in the future. Even if someone asks you to show them your hand, only show them the back of your hand."

Some schools of thought claim they can predict your recent fate based on palm lines. However, malicious individuals might seek out a day of misfortune to attack you.

Is it genuine ignorance, or is it pretense?

Gongshu Wu was a little confused, but based on their brief interaction, he still quite liked Wei Qing.

It's common sense that we should remind people of this, so let's mention it again.

Upon hearing this, Wei Qing immediately turned his hand over, revealing the back of his hand, which made Gongshu Wu both laugh and cry.

Well, listen to advice and you'll have a good meal.

Gongshu Wu observed for a few seconds, then removed the glove from his left hand and began collecting data.

It was only then that Wei Qing realized that Gongshu Wu's left hand was actually a prosthetic!

Moreover, the prosthetic limb was extremely flexible, and in just a few seconds, it collected the data from Wei Qing's severed finger.

Gongshu Wu, seeing his interest in his left hand, explained, "We mechanics don't focus much on physical training, but when creating mechanisms or researching puppets, the requirements for controlling strength are extremely high. It's not just about being strong; you also need to be skillful and agile."

If you don't have the time or energy to train these things, just cut off one hand and install a prosthesis. It's simple, efficient, and saves trouble.

Every school of thought has its share of eccentrics; I'm considered relatively normal. The Mohist school had a ruthless individual who replaced not only his limbs but also his internal organs with prosthetics, leaving only his original head.

Chapter Seventeen: The Madmen Among the Hundred Schools of Thought

Wei Qing was completely dumbfounded when he heard this, thinking to himself, "This is actually possible?"

It's true that there's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.

What happened to the saying that our bodies, hair, and skin are gifts from our parents?

What? That's a Confucian saying?

What? The Mohists were mortal enemies of the Confucians?

That's alright then.

Wei Qing asked curiously, "If you replace the entire body and only leave the head, can that person still live?"

Gongshu Wu said, "If it were just the Mohists on their own, they would almost certainly be dead. But they had the help of the medical experts. With the help of the medical experts, that old madman not only didn't die, but after continuous modifications, his body is now comparable to the stars and the moon."

"Of course, if we took the resources we'd poured into this old madman and used them to cultivate human geniuses, I wouldn't dare say many, but we could definitely cultivate three to five individuals of equal strength."

Wei Qing was not surprised. If it didn't consume many resources, it would probably have been mass-produced long ago.

After all, there are many people who are willing to give up their physical bodies for greater strength.

However, even so, Wei Qing believed that there must have been several, or even an entire, such army in the Han Dynasty, or more precisely, in the imperial family.

The strong, especially kings and generals who have reached the stars and the moon, all have selfish desires, such as to prove the Dao and become eternal, or to occupy a small world and become king and hegemon. How many of them would be willing to be slaves or servants to others?

However, those created with bodies of stars and the sun and moon don't have this problem, because their lives are in the hands of their lord. In fact, from the very beginning, they select people who are absolutely loyal to their lord to be modified.

"Grandpa, could you tell us some more interesting stories like this?"

Gongshu Wu glanced at Wei Qing and thought to himself that this kid was indeed quick-witted and insightful; no wonder Liu Yangxin valued him so much.

However, since he had nothing better to do, Gongshu Wu didn't mind saying a few more words: "The Mohists are crazy, but aren't the medical practitioners just as crazy? The Mohists' madmen have only modified their own bodies, but the medical practitioners are even crazier."

Four hundred years ago, a madman emerged from the medical community. He first used the bodies and internal organs of other races, even beastmen and demons, to transform himself into a grotesque, inhuman creature. But that wasn't all; he even wondered if he would still be himself if he replaced his head as well. So, he acted on his impulses and replaced his head with that of a demon. Guess what happened next?

Wei Qing thought for a moment and said, "He is dead."

Upon hearing this, Gongshu Wu couldn't help but clap his hands and cheer, saying, "You guessed right, he died. But not because of the head transplant. After the head transplant, his fellow disciples discovered that he had completely gone mad after all the body parts had been replaced. In the end, they worked together to kill him, and his body is still being preserved by the medical community."

By the way, let me tell you something else: not only does the brain control the body's actions, but the body's condition also affects your way of thinking.

Look at me, I'm only 130 years old, but I'm already this old. Even if a woman stood in front of me and took off all her clothes, I wouldn't feel anything.

Conversely, if you find a 200-year-old man whose vital energy and blood have not declined and whose body remains strong, he will still get aroused when he sees a beautiful woman.

Don't assume that those three to five hundred-year-old immortals are devoid of emotions and desires, like puppets. On the contrary, those who live to three to five hundred years old often experience a second spring in their physical lives, or even remain eternally youthful.

They get angry when they should get angry, and laugh heartily when they should laugh, which makes them even more free-spirited and respectful of propriety.

Wei Qing said he had learned something. He had spent nine years with Cao Can and felt that Cao Can was not like an old man who was over four hundred years old, but more like an uncle... a smart uncle in a high position.

Gongshu Wu added, "Actually, losing a finger isn't a big deal. Let alone losing a finger, even if you lose an arm or a leg, or even worse, be cut in half at the waist, modern doctors can easily reattach it."

The problem is that these connections don't just appear out of thin air; you can't cook without rice, understand?

"clear."

"Good that you understand, but I still advise you not to cut off other people's fingers casually. Find a doctor to reattach them to your own fingers. If it's not your own finger, it will eventually cause some rejection by your body."

What I mean is, if you have the chance in the future, find someone who is skilled in physiognomy and have them predict the whereabouts of your severed finger. Even if only the bone is left when you find it, it's not a big problem; doctors can always find a way to fix it.

These prosthetics are certainly more convenient for ordinary people, but for a monster like you, the original is still the best.

While Gongshu Wu was speaking, he had already made a little finger.

When asked to extend his hand, Wei Qing obediently turned his hand upwards this time.

Gongshu Wu nodded in satisfaction, "This young man is teachable."

That intelligence would be perfect for learning mechanical engineering, what a pity...

Gongshu Wu had no intention of recruiting Wei Qing into the Gongshu faction, for reasons he himself found difficult to articulate: it would be a waste of talent and a misuse of his abilities.

When Wei Qing placed his little finger on the severed finger, he felt a brief, slight pain, and then discovered that the little finger was moving in accordance with his will.

Is this appropriate?

"It suits you quite well."

Upon hearing this, Gongshu Wu removed his little finger, fiddled with it for a while, and then put it back on for Wei Qing.

This time, my little finger couldn't move, but after a while, I found that it could move again.

Something went wrong?

Gongshu Wu said, "Practice more on how to switch between them. Use your little finger normally in daily life, but cut off the connection with your little finger when you're about to attack. Otherwise, some people who are skilled in mechanical arts might be able to deduce your intentions based on the instructions received by your little finger."

Like just now, if you had this little finger with you, the moment you made your move, I would have been able to determine that your target was the humanoid puppet, and thus prepare a countermeasure in advance.

In short, every school of thought has its own trump cards. Don't be arrogant and disregard your opponents just because you are talented and strong. Otherwise, you will eventually suffer a setback.

You are a smart person. There are many things you just haven't encountered yet, so there may be some things you don't understand. After you stay in the Imperial Academy for a long time, you will understand most of them even if no one teaches you.

I don't know what your plans are for the future, but in short, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Upon hearing Gongshu Wu's heartfelt words, Wei Qing bowed respectfully and said, "This junior has learned a great deal."

Gongshu Wu waved his hand, indicating to Wei Qing that there was no need for such formality: "There's no need. Even if I didn't say these things, someone else would have told you later. I'm just wasting my breath now, and I might even gain a favor from you. I'm making a profit on this deal."

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Keep these gloves. If you ever become successful, remember to patronize Gongshu's shop often. If they can help you attract customers, I'll give you a share."

Chapter 18: If the east wind had not favored Zhou Yu...

Gongshu Wu left. The reason he came in person was to see for himself who this young man Liu Yangxin was talking about really was.

Now that he'd seen it all, there was no need to linger. There were still a lot of things waiting for him to handle within the school.

Wei Qing looked at the gloves left behind by Gongshu Wu. They were black and made of some kind of fur, but they felt very soft to the touch.

The style is a half-glove, except that the little finger is a long finger, which can just cover it up.

The gloves were the perfect size and style, and they felt like skin when I put them on.

Qiao Lan walked over and said, "This should be from the Weavers. The Weavers have close ties with the Gongshu and Mo families. The Weavers' skills are top-notch, not only in the human world, but also in all known civilizations. Even the princes and nobles of other races are proud to wear the Weavers' clothes."

Wei Qing glanced at Qiao Lan, not quite understanding: "The Han Dynasty, I've heard that the various schools of thought are all number one in their respective fields, yet why, when they all come together, can't even defeat a Xiongnu barbarian tribe?"

Qiao Lan was speechless.

What can we say? No matter how eloquently we praise them, we're still being ridden around and pissed on by the Xiongnu barbarians.

Liu Yangxin did not return that night, saying it was because there was a banquet in the palace.

It's normal for princesses to have a lot of things to do.

Wei Qing didn't take it to heart. Besides, even if something really happened, it wasn't his place as a slave to worry about it.

Liu Heng and Liu Qi are still alive.

Nothing happened that night. When Wei Qing woke up the next day, after having breakfast, he felt that Liu Yangxin seemed a little off, as if he had been crying. He also seemed a bit listless.

"Zhongqing, how did you sleep last night?"

Wei Qing said, "It's all good, but Your Highness looks very tired?"

Liu Yangxin shook his head, forcing himself to cheer up, and said, "It's nothing. Every time there's a banquet, the Lü family always makes things difficult for the Liu family. I'm used to it."

Does Your Highness have any friends from the Lü family?

Liu Yangxin laughed, looking at the question: "The Lü family and the Liu family are practically sworn enemies, how could they possibly be friends?"

Wei Qing nodded and remained silent.

That's good. From now on, if we encounter someone from the Lü clan in the Imperial Academy, we can beat them up first without worrying about beating the wrong person.