Chapter 4: The Dream of Cold Food Powder (Bonus Chapter)

During his first three days at the Imperial Academy, Liu Xian gained a profound understanding of what it meant to waste time and witness a total decline in scholarship.

On the very first day, Liu Xian encountered Jia Mi, Shi Chao, and their companions, who, as previously mentioned, were doing nothing more than drinking heavily.

When Liu Xian returned to the Imperial Academy on the second day, he found that the same group had brought along zithers, harps, and Hu flutes, accompanied by several serving maids. While drinking, they sang and played music. Amidst the tunes of the *Song of Gorgeous Charm*, the maids danced gracefully around the study hall, much like Young Master Ruan had done years ago when he took Liu Xian on excursions for amusement.

By the morning of the third day, Liu Xian still came to the Grand Academy, intending to attend Doctor Xie Heng's afternoon lecture on the *Classic of Five Elements*. This group of aristocratic youths had quieted down somewhat, bringing neither wine nor serving maids. To Liu Xian’s astonishment, however, they seemed to have consumed some bizarre substance. Though they had touched no alcohol, their faces were flushed and their bodies radiated intense heat, ultimately leading them to fling open their robes and strip down in a most unseemly manner.

Just as Liu Xian stood nearby in bewilderment, Shi Chao beckoned to him and said, "Come, Piji, take some *Wushi San* with you!" With that, he handed him a pouch of powder. Upon opening it, Liu Xian saw a mixture of various colored powders—yellow, red, cyan, white, and black all mixed together.

Then he heard Shi Chao explain, "This is the *Five-Stone Powder* originally formulated by He Pingshu (He Yan). Not only can it cure illnesses and strengthen the body, but it also enlightens the spirit and makes one feel as if drifting into the realm of immortals. Practitioners of the Dao all say that swallowing elixirs and consuming drugs while practicing *bigong* is the true path to longevity and immortality!"

With that, Shi Chao explained the method of consumption: essentially boiling it in hot water, stirring it evenly, and drinking it while hot.

Holding the pouch of powder, Liu Xian could neither cry nor laugh.

Before parting ways with Li Mi last year, Li Mi had specifically warned him about the Five-Stone Powder. He had said that this mineral powder had once been popular in Wen County, resulting in a mixture of good and bad outcomes: some felt their minds become clear and enlightened after taking it, while others went mad and harmed their lives. Even great physicians like Huangfu Mi saw their personalities drastically altered due to taking the Five-Stone Powder, at one point driven to attempt suicide with a blade. Therefore, Li Mi had specifically urged Liu Xian that the most precious thing in life is to remain sober, self-aware, and protective of one's own well-being, and never to touch such substances.

When Li Mi had said this at the time, Liu Xian had thought the Five-Stone Powder was something far removed from his own life; after all, legends were just legends, and he had never laid eyes on it in person. He never expected that shortly after his marriage, he would run right into it at the Grand Academy.

Seeing Liu Xian hesitate, Shi Chao took the initiative to bring him a bowl of the brewed Five-Stone decoction and, giving Liu Xian no room for refusal, shoved it into his hands.

Now he had no choice. Looking at the murky medicinal soup in his hands, Liu Xian closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and chugged it down.

The effect of the Five-Stone Powder was instantaneous, striking like a fierce, full-force punch directly against the lining of Liu Xian's stomach.

How should one describe the taste? At first entry, it was like the ultimate bitter wine of searing heat; once past the throat, it turned into a steel blade made of iron grit crashing into the stomach, setting off a turbulent churning like horned serpents transforming into dragons.

How could a mere mortal endure such a blessing? Thus, not long after gulping it down, Liu Xian doubled over with a dry heave, vomiting up even the meal from the previous night.

After emptying his stomach, the world spun around Liu Xian in a dizzy vortex. He staggered a few steps before his vision went entirely black, and he collapsed straight to the ground.

Shi Chao was startled and immediately sent men to summon Xi An and Zhang Gu, arranging for Liu Xian to be carried back home. He completely forgot about the doctor's afternoon lecture.

When he woke up again, Liu Xian dazedly opened his eyes to find his wife wiping the sweat from his brow. In his confusion, he blurted out, "Why are there three Ah Luos?"

Cao Shangrou retorted with annoyance, "Drink another bowl of the Cold Food Powder, and you'll be able to see your mother!" Then she could not help complaining, "What kind of fox-friends and dog-companions have you made? Drinking Cold Food Powder for the very first time, a single sip would have been enough, yet they actually stood by and watched you finish the whole bowl!"

Liu Xian’s mind was still sluggish at the moment, feeling alternating waves of chill and fever throughout his body. It took him a long time to process her words, and he chuckled, saying, "They truly are fox-friends and dog-companions, but this matter really cannot be blamed on them."

Cao Shangrou gently slapped his face and said indignantly, "Pull yourself together! Are you still making excuses for them?"

"Ah Luos, although I had never drunk it before, it’s not as if I hadn't heard of it. It was precisely because I knew... that I deliberately drank it all in one go."

"Have you lost your mind?!"

"There was no help for it..." Liu Xian knitted his brows, attempting to regain perception of his own body while speaking, "If I had drunk just the first sip, the second and third sips would have been inevitable... I cannot afford to waste my time on such things..."

...

"So you simply chugged it all down to shock them, hoping to avoid it in the future?" Ah Luos understood Liu Xian’s reasoning, and her anger subsided instantly. Even so, she could not help feeling a lingering grievance, using her damp cloth to ruthlessly scrub at Liu Xian’s head with zero regard for her refined upbringing.

"It shocked me, too," Liu Xian laughed bitterly. "To be honest, I never expected the kick of the Five-Stone Powder to be this strong..."

"How strong is it?"

"There are four Ah Luos now..."

Hearing this, Ah Luos was startled and quickly softened her movements. After wiping him down, she hurried back to the kitchen to fetch a bowl of calming soup, asking, "Will you drink it yourself, or shall I feed you?"

Looking at the dozen or so sparrows swimming in the bowl before him, Liu Xian fell into a deep silence.

...

To be entirely truthful, although the Five-Stone Powder induced a mass of hallucinations in Liu Xian, it did indeed produce a sensation of drifting into an immortal-like detachment.

After finishing the calming soup, he drifted back into sleep. Yet within his dreams, he could clearly perceive his own existence: amidst a vast expanse of dim wilderness, he seemed to have transcended the limitations of his physical flesh, his consciousness drifting endlessly through the void. Though it felt as small as a single flicker of candlelight, Liu Xian possessed a profound sense of fullness, as if he were ready to burst forth at any moment and illuminate the entire universe.

It seemed the infinite cosmos and the boundless distances required nothing more than a single "I."

Then, Liu Xian began to drift through the chaos, moving forward ceaselessly for no reason at all.

As he walked, a white speck appeared before his eyes, gradually enlarging into a colorful play of light and shadow. Within it seemed to be all the people and events he had experienced in his brief life thus far; the whispers and expressions of numerous individuals surfaced one by one, extraordinarily complex and chaotic. Yet Liu Xian’s expression remained utterly serene. He stood before the play of light and shadow, quietly watching it all sweep past.

Afterward, the light and shadow transformed into a mirror, and before the mirror, he saw himself.

This was another version of himself, sharing the exact same perception and soul, except that right now, the two stood face-to-face in a dream, scrutinizing one another.

He heard himself ask:

"What are your troubles?"

Liu Xian did not answer, but he immediately thought of Jia Mi, Shi Chao, and the others, followed by a surging wave of bitter vexation.

He promptly heard himself reply:

"Continuing like this is no solution. Hanging out with them can shield you for a moment, but not for a lifetime."

"Sometimes taking a shortcut in life is like taking on a debt; living extravagantly now makes it hard to repay later."

"You ought to go find some new friends—like-minded friends to whom you can entrust your life."

...

When Liu Xian woke up once more, it was already the dawn of the next day. The sky outside was hazy and not yet fully bright.

The illusory sensations from before had dissipated. Liu Xian could clearly see Ah Luos sleeping beside him, one arm draped around him. Her gentle breathing felt like willow branches brushing against his neck, tickling him slightly. Carefully, Liu Xian moved his wife’s arm aside, draped a robe over his shoulders, and stepped out into the courtyard to catch the morning breeze.

After waking up, the scenes from his dream remained vivid in his mind. He silently pondered those few sentences to himself, and before he knew it, the sky had grown completely bright.

Suddenly, Wang Seven came running over to find Liu Xian, panting as he said, "Young Master, someone outside is looking for you."

"Who is looking for me?" Liu Xian asked, feeling somewhat puzzled. Although it was daylight, the sun had not yet shown its face, clearly falling well short of the *Chen* hour. For someone to seek him out at this time without prior notice—could something urgent have happened? Had his teacher fallen ill, or had some disaster struck the Ruan family?

Wang Seven shook his head. "I don't recognize him, but his clothes are extremely luxurious. It looks like he came from the palace."

"From the palace?" Liu Xian froze, not daring to delay, and immediately hurried toward the reception hall.

The moment he stepped through the door, the guest who had been sitting abruptly stood up and offered a respectful bow, saying, "I am Qi Sheng, Gentleman-in-Attendance to the Prince of Shiping. I pay my respects to the Heir Apparent of the Duke of Anle."

Qi Sheng? The Prince of Shiping? Liu Xian thought for a moment and recalled that a little over a year ago, he had met him at his teacher Chen Shou’s residence. He must be Sima Wei. Compared to the two imperial princes who arrived on the same day, though he spoke without restraint, he was unconstrained by minor details, making him easy to approach. Yet the two of them should have only met that once; why would he suddenly send an attendant to see him after all these years?

Examining Qi Sheng, the attendant of the Prince of Shiping’s manor, he appeared to be only two or three years older than Liu Xian. Though he was already growing facial hair, he still looked very young. With a pair of thin, severe lips and narrow, slanting eyes looking him up and down, he exuded an air of great shrewdness.

Liu Xian returned the bow and said, "You are too polite, Gentleman Qi. I am still a commoner, please take a seat."

Once they were seated, Liu Xian asked, "I wonder what instruction Gentleman Qi brings me?"

Qi Sheng lowered his head with utmost respect and sincerity, saying, "My visit to the Heir Apparent today is not to offer instruction, but upon the command of my master."

"A command?"

"To be precise, it is an imperial edict from the Son of Heaven."

Seeing Liu Xian pause in surprise, Qi Sheng quickly explained, "Perhaps the Heir Apparent is unaware, but in recent years, the Son of Heaven has paid great attention to the studies of the imperial princes, believing that studying alone is difficult and that true learning relies on companions rather than books. Therefore, he issued an order to the Department of Grand Changsi to select truly talented students from the Imperial Academy every year to serve as reading companions in the various princely manors."

"In this way, the princes gain good companions and the students gain official patronage—it is a thoroughly wonderful arrangement that benefits all. Over the years, the Heir Apparent first observed mourning and then studied under a renowned master, making quite a name for yourself. Consequently, the Department of Grand Changsi submitted your name, and you were selected for our Prince of Shiping’s manor."

Remembering his dream from moments before, Liu Xian couldn't help a private flash of thought: *Talk about getting what one wishes for! I was just wondering how to shake off Jia Mi and the others later on, and now a readymade excuse has been delivered right to my doorstep.*

After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and said, "I understand. Gentleman Qi has come to invite me over?"

Qi Sheng immediately stood up and smiled, saying, "Precisely. The edict was issued yesterday. Normally, according to convention, it should first be dispatched to the Imperial Academy before notifying you, but when His Highness learned the news, he was overjoyed. He said the Heir Apparent is an honored guest and insisted that I bring you over today without fail."

"I see." Liu Xian gestured to himself and said, "Then Gentleman Qi can see for himself—I have just gotten up not long ago, neither washed nor eaten breakfast. Please wait a moment, Gentleman Qi, while I tidy up, and then I shall accompany you."

"Of course I can wait. Please take your time, Heir Apparent."

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