Three months is not a long time.
But the changes brought about by three months were enormous.
With the help of Ding Yun's elixirs, and the incentive of two elixirs promised to help his parents regain their youth, Qin Xuming finally managed to slim down in three months, from 280 jin to 140 jin.
Halved.
Although he was still heavier than in his youth, it was because his younger self was purely thin, a kind of slender youthfulness devoid of much muscle. Now, he was muscular when he took off his clothes. At 140 jin, coupled with a youthful face and the good skin bestowed by various beauty elixirs, he was even more pleasing to the eye than in his youth.
This transformation not only satisfied Ding Yun.
Qin Xuming was also extremely pleased.
He appeared much more confident.
Although he wasn't insecure before, he couldn't help but sigh at the passage of time and reminisce about his younger days when he saw some young people.
Now, he no longer needed to reminisce; he had regained his youthful appearance. How could he not be happy?
Seeing that the time was ripe, Ding Yun immediately sent out invitations to all those in the capital qualified to be invited, to attend her Pill Appraisal Grand Assembly to discuss profound knowledge, appraise pills, and debate the Dao.
Even the monks and priests from the Celestial Master Sect, who had heard that the Eldest Princess had achieved success in her cultivation and had specifically come to the capital to gather information, received invitations from Ding Yun. In short, Ding Yun invited many people, so many that the Princess's Mansion could not accommodate them. Therefore, the venue was set at a royal villa in the suburbs.
That was a place bestowed upon her original body by Emperor Pingzhao.
It wasn't particularly exquisite, but its advantage lay in its size.
The courtyard was large enough to ride horses, and the pond within could be used for boating and picking lotus. It could easily host one to two thousand people, and even be divided into several areas to separate male and female guests, so they wouldn't disturb each other and reduce hassle.
As these invitations were sent out, everyone who received one was undoubtedly excited.
And actively prepared for the Pill Appraisal Grand Assembly.
Because months ago, when Emperor Pingzhao had just regained his youth, many people in the capital had wanted to meet Ding Yun, curry favor with her, and inquire if she had elixirs for regaining youth for sale. If she hadn't been the Eldest Princess with her high status, and thus no one dared to threaten her, who knew what would have happened.
However, Ding Yun had always ignored them or given them perfunctory answers, never dispensing a single elixir. So, they were tormented by their longing and helplessness.
Now, the Eldest Princess personally sent invitations.
And even explicitly stated it was a Pill Appraisal Grand Assembly.
How could they not be excited, not be thrilled, and not fantasize about having the opportunity to obtain miraculous elixirs themselves?
However, amidst their excitement and thrill, they quickly became busy. They were busy studying Taoist scriptures, understanding books on alchemy, and busy asking some Taoist priests what it meant to discuss profound knowledge and debate the Dao, and how to do so.
They hoped to learn a bit so that if they had the chance to strike up a conversation with the Eldest Princess, or even debate the Dao with her, their chances of obtaining miraculous elixirs would undoubtedly increase manyfold. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
If they were appreciated and became fellow practitioners of the Dao, that would be even more extraordinary.
For a time, Taoist priests in the capital became rare commodities, with countless people vying to invite them into their residences to teach them. Ding Yun, upon hearing this news, could only laugh and cry, because she had only said it casually.
She couldn't directly say that she was holding a new product launch event or inviting them to pay their respects and buy medicine.
So she used the excuse of discussing profound knowledge and debating the Dao to make her banquet seem less materialistic.
Who knew they would take it so seriously, working so hard to attract her attention at the banquet by discussing profound knowledge and debating the Dao?
However, since the words had been spoken, she couldn't retract them. She could only remember this lesson and be more honest in the future, refraining from such superficial efforts.
Regarding this matter, Emperor Pingzhao personally came to inquire if he could also attend. Ding Yun was then forced to tell him the truth:
"Father, you shouldn't join in this commotion.
I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, Father. The real reason I invited them to discuss profound knowledge and debate the Dao is a pretense. I simply want to showcase several elixirs and sell some to earn more silver. This will allow me to hire people to set up post stations and travel all over the country to collect rare medicinal herbs.
If you go, they will be too inhibited.
So, you shouldn't join in this excitement. If you want any elixirs, just tell me directly. Also, most of the elixirs sold this time are for regulating the body and beauty. Even if they can restore youth, it's only superficial youthfulness and does not extend lifespan."
If the Emperor were present, how could the ministers openly spend their money? Although Ding Yun didn't explain everything in detail, Emperor Pingzhao immediately understood and smiled:
"If it costs so much, why don't I issue an edict for officials in various regions to cooperate, to save you trouble!"
"Impossible, Father. If I collect medicinal herbs using my own money, it's merely a personal endeavor.
But if you issue an edict for officials in various regions to do this, who knows how much trouble it will cause. What if some local clerks deceive their superiors and subordinates, using this opportunity to extort the common people? This will incite widespread public discontent, and ultimately, the common people might even have to bear an additional tax burden.
Therefore, you shouldn't interfere with this matter.
Let me handle it myself.
The impact of private commercial activities will ultimately be smaller."
In this era, one order from above could cause endless trouble below. If the Emperor wanted an ounce of tea, below might be ordered to collect a thousand or ten thousand jin of tea, from which one ounce would be selected and sent to the palace. In the end, who would bear the cost of that thousand or ten thousand jin of tea? The common people.
The same applied to requiring officials from various regions to cooperate in sending medicinal herbs.
Ultimately, it would all fall upon the common people, and what was passed on to the common people would be more than what the Emperor wanted. Those who interfered and directly handled it would take a cut everywhere.
This kind of thing was impossible to completely prevent.
Hearing this, Emperor Pingzhao's expression darkened for a moment, then he sighed helplessly: "Alas~~"
"Yes, you know what I've forgotten. Some local officials can invent taxes where there are none. Not to mention existing taxes. It was my oversight. Then I won't interfere. If you encounter any shortages during the process, just tell Father.
I will do my best to help..."
"Don't worry, Father. Would I be polite to you? You must be running out of those body-regulating elixirs from last time. When I have time later, I'll refine another batch and send it to the palace. Also, don't forget to practice the body-tempering techniques."
"I know. You carry on, I still have many memorials to review, so I'll return to the palace now!"
"Your Majesty, farewell!"
...