'The man is quick-witted, and he's certainly not incompetent. Anyone else might have actually been bluffed by him and lost their composure.'
Ji Huan, however, was unhurried. "The ingredients you guessed are all correct, but you're missing three key medicinal herbs, as well as the proportions for each. You should know, the slightest mistake can lead to a world of difference. Any error at all, and you might not be decorated for valor—you might lose your life instead."
A glint appeared in Zhen Jili's eyes, but he stubbornly retorted, "Give me some time, and I can definitely figure out all the ingredients. As for the proportions... I'll just have to experiment a few times."
Ji Huan said nothing, simply watching him with a smile.
"W-what are you smiling at!"
"I came to do business in good faith, offering you a Green Cloud Ladder to success. I didn't expect to be taken for a fool and have my kindness thrown back in my face."
Zhen Jili's face flushed crimson at her jab. Seeing her rise to leave, he quickly grabbed her to stop her.
He relented, but not without a grumble. "How can you be so confident?" he muttered. "You should know, if you had run into someone truly ruthless, what I proposed wouldn't have been out of the question."
Ji Huan knew that, of course.
"From reverse-engineering and experimenting to creating a finished product... it wouldn't take years, but it would certainly take several months, maybe even a year or more." She blinked, her lips curling into a smile. "You may have that kind of time, but Beiliang won't give it to you."
This war had dragged on for three years. The court could no longer afford it; otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the risk of transferring Kou Changqing, the so-called "General of Victory," from Liaodong.
So no matter how you looked at it, a major battle was inevitable this winter, and it will very likely be the final one.
Once the war was over, even if Zhen Jili managed to develop a hand cream with the same properties, it would no longer be of much use. He could make a bit of money, sure, but the ambition in his eyes was impossible to hide. 'His goals aren't about wealth.'
The times make the man, but time and tide wait for no one.
At this, Zhen Jili was thoroughly convinced.
However...
He stammered for a good while before saying, "I can only offer thirty taels of Silver."
All his earlier posturing had really just been an attempt to haggle the price down.
The moment Ji Huan mentioned its use in battle, he knew his opportunity had arrived. Furthermore, his own sharp intuition told him this formula was exceptionally rare, not something one could just whip up on a whim.
He knew he couldn't let this chance slip by, but unfortunately, he was completely broke. Those thirty taels were his entire life's savings.
He was anxious as he named the price, terrified that Ji Huan would find it too low and turn to another military physician instead.
Seeing Ji Huan's silence, he felt like an ant on a hot griddle, so anxious he could barely breathe, yet he had to force a straight face to keep up appearances.
Ji Huan was, in fact, considering it.
She knew perfectly well that if handled correctly, this formula was worth far more than thirty taels—several times that amount, in fact.
But, setting aside the fact that she had no way to contact high-ranking military physicians in the camp, even if she could, it was another question whether they'd even give her the time of day. She hadn't forgotten how many doors had been slammed in her face in town. Besides, she had no power or connections. If she really ran into someone ruthless and cruel, as Zhen Jili had described, then...
'This man before me might be a bit of a slick talker, but he's not detestable.'
Fortunately, she wasn't asking for much. She just needed enough to get through the winter safely. Thirty taels was enough to support a farming family for several years.
After running through all the factors in her mind, Ji Huan finally nodded.
Zhen Jili pumped his fist with a shout, practically jumping three feet in the air.
The two walked back to the main road. Zhen Jili told Ji Huan to wait, then took off at a dead run back toward the camp. He returned a short while later, drenched in sweat, and handed her a grimy, coarse cloth pouch.
Ji Huan opened it and looked inside. There was one ten-tael silver ingot, and the rest was scattered silver coins. She estimated it was the right amount.
Zhen Jili thumped his chest and promised, "If you weigh it when you get back and it's not enough, just come find me! I wouldn't dare cheat you. You have no idea how strict our General is with his troops!"
Amused by his antics, Ji Huan took the paper and brush he had brought and wrote down the formula from memory right then and there:
"Artemisia leaf powder 10–12%, centipede powder 6–7%, red ginseng powder 5–7%... Bletilla rhizome 8–10%, apricot leaf 10–12%, Poria cocos 7–10%... and the remainder, cow's milk..."
Zhen Jili marveled at the formula as he read, but he was baffled by the numbers and symbols.
Ji Huan slapped her forehead. 'Old habits die hard!'
She then converted the units into the traditional measurements of qian and taels, and explained the proportions of each ingredient to him again.
With the transaction complete, Ji Huan tucked the Silver away and finally let out a long sigh of relief.
A great weight lifted from Zhen Jili's heart, and he was now in the mood for some small talk.
"Is your family an apricot family?" he asked Ji Huan.
"...I just came across the formula by chance. My ancestors were all farmers."
But Zhen Jili didn't believe for a second that Ji Huan was a simple farm girl.
Setting aside the formula itself, her coherent and meticulous arguments from earlier were not something one would expect from a girl raised in a farming household.
Moreover, farming families only cared about whether there was a war, and who won or lost. Yet this young woman not only had a clear understanding of the situation at the border but could also leverage it to her advantage. If she truly came from a farming family, then 'that family is destined to produce a Golden Phoenix.'
Not wanting Zhen Jili to press her about the formula's origins, Ji Huan quickly changed the subject. "You must know a lot of people in the camp, right? Could I ask you for a favor?"
Zhen Jili waved his hand dismissively. "Just ask! If I can help, I'll do it, no questions asked!"
'He's surprisingly chivalrous,' Ji Huan thought.
Ji Huan gave him the name of Sixth Ancestor Grandma's grandson and asked if he could help look for him in the camp. If he found anything, he just needed to pass a message to Uncle Xie, the man who delivered the horse fodder.
The hope was faint, but there was still a one-in-a-million chance.
"And here I thought it was going to be some impossible task! Leave it to me! You've helped me out immensely this time. Forget this little thing—when I make it big, I'll be sure to thank you properly!"
The way he said that... Ji Huan actually felt a little guilty.
In truth, just as Zhen Jili had his own calculations, so did she.
She had given the formula to Zhen Jili and explained all the benefits of presenting it, but in truth, there were potential downsides as well.
Zhen Jili would certainly not hand the formula over to his direct superior, the head of the physicians' corps.
From his earlier complaints, it was clear he didn't get along with them and even held deep grudges. If he submitted the formula through them, someone else would likely take the credit, leaving him with nothing.
And given Zhen Jili's current rank, he had no access to any key figures. If he wanted to use this to earn merit and climb the ladder, he had only one option: present the formula to someone much higher up.
In any dynasty, going over your superior's head was a major taboo. If Zhen Jili took such a huge risk and his offering wasn't accepted, he would not only be cast out of the physicians' corps, but he could also bring an even greater disaster upon himself.
At this thought, Ji Huan's conscience pricked her. Just as she was about to offer him a word of caution, the sound of horse hooves like rolling thunder erupted behind them.
She turned to see a troop of riders galloping toward them from the distance, kicking up a cloud of dust.
At that very moment, the camp gates swung wide open. The soldiers on either side snapped to attention, shouting in unison:
"The General has returned to camp!"