They could hear the people were moaning in pain. It turned out that those elders who ate the unknown plants just now were clutching their stomachs, moaning, "It hurts... it hurts..."
Startled, A Long looked straight to Zhu Su's eyes, "Sir... how can you know that these are poisonous plants?!..."
"This plant is called Shanglu (pokeweed root). Some parts are edible, some are not. And about the part you take, is actually not allowed to be eaten. It is a poisonous stem. The edible part is its green stalk," Zhu Su explained.
"Oh my Heaven! Then it means, what I just picked are all poisonous?!" A Long gazed at his basket which was filled with the purple Shanglu. He got lethargic instantly. "I went through all this difficulty, climbed on the rough mountain, only to get this result... then, what will my children eat?..."
On the other hand, Zhu Su no longer paid attention to A Long's complaint since he was busy helping the poisoned elders. "Vomit it, vomit it!"
Liu Ku and Qu You were massaging the back necks of those two elders, stimulating them to vomit. Their efforts were not in vain. Shortly after, the elders managed to regurgitate the poisonous plants.
"Are you both feeling better right now?" asked Zhu Su.
Instead of answering Zhu Su's question, the elders were panting heavily while they leaned weakly against the wall. The old man said, "... it is apparently a poisonous plant... we have nothing to eat... so we will die... we will die..." And next to him, the old woman cried loudly.
Zhu Su, Liu Ku and Qu You could just stare at that miserable scene speechlessly. Zhu Su bit his lower lip.
The research he conducted for three days gave the conclusions as followed; People had rough times due to floods. They had nothing to eat, they were forced to eat tree barks, grassroots, and even poisonous plants. Besides, the emperor still forced them to build the New Palace and Grand Canal, causing their suffering doubled.
"But about the fact that the Emperor forces the people to build the New Palace, I am powerless to change it. If I could change it, the project would have stopped from a long time ago." Zhu Su crossed his arms. "Only the other parts we can change. Maybe we can find new foodstuffs that can be consumed by the people even in this difficult situation?"
Li Heng chimed in. "There is an old proverb said that medicine and food originate from the same source. Food is medicine, medicine is food. How can people live a healthy life if the food they consume is messed up?"
"Indeed. Then the research we will soon implement is; how to find the food derived from wild plants that are safe to be consumed. We will research them - which parts are edible, and which parts are not. Further, we will also research the way to cultivate wild plants, as well as the way to reduce its toxicity. The way to transform the wild plants that were poisonous and must be avoided, into something beneficial to us. To turn the enemies into friends!"
The whole room suddenly turned silent. All members gasped in shock - including Li Heng, Guo Songmi, and the others.
"Your Highness... you will make a breakthrough in medical science... because no one has made such kind of records before..." Li Heng stammered.
"Isn't that good? It means that we'll write our names in history if this is successful." Liu Ku grinned happily.
Zhu Su nodded. "Yes, we'll make a new invention. No historical record we can use as the references. We can have the medical books as guidance, but don't surprise if it won't give much help. This time, we have to rely on ourselves, we have to go directly to our research field and try the plants by ourselves. The main point is, we must be ready to even sacrifice our body and soul for this project!"
Zhu Su's words unexpectedly discouraged his team members. They never thought that this project was different from before. Before they just needed to check the sick and collect prescription notes from medical records, then recorded it in a book and it was done. But right now they were going to venture into a pitch-black area, nothing they could see there but they knew that a lot of big holes kept wide upon around them and could knock them down.
"Well... we are at war with Huan Shikang after all. We have to develop a fighter mentality. We must be ready to fight on the battlefield and face the death," Qu You said.
Everyone fell silent. They looked at each other agitatedly. Zhu Su pursed his lips. This occurrence was beyond his expectations.
"Come on, don't worry guys. You are the Fighters for the Country, you are the Scholars who will make breakthroughs and you'll save hundreds of thousands, and even millions of human lives!" Zhu Su encouraged.
All of them replied with weak nods.
***
"So, that's the way Zhou Wang is using to fights against us? Hahahahaha! How ridiculous! How can his weak team realize such difficult project?!"
De Ta burst into laughter as he heard that report. Meanwhile, Yun gave a lopsided smile. "Looks like Zhou Wang wants to enter a mystical world. Of course, he won't be. It is a high-level art even we don't completely master it, and only the high-level Dao Alchemist who can fully reach it. Let alone him, who is an ordinary man!"
The sun fell lower and lower, prepared to set on the western horizon. "It's the time," Yun muttered. "I'll go first. See you tomorrow."
"Oh yeah, you want to meditate to upgrade your supernatural power at the top of the hill, huh," De Ta replied. "Okay then. We'll continue this chat tomorrow. See you."
They parted ways. Yun now stepped alone through the hill which was getting darker and darker due to the lack of light from the dim evening sun.
"Master Yun!"
Yun turned around. Her eyes went round.
"You... Hu Nayin..."