Chapter 131: Medicinal Bath Boost

 Chapter 131: Medicinal Bath Boost  

"What's going on with you today? Did you take some invigorating tonic?"

For the third time, Su Hongxin was knocked to the ground by Yan Wenkai, and he was in disbelief.

In the past, it had always been him who dominated the two brothers from the Yan family!

Not only was Su Hongxin shocked, but so was Dong Yuanxuan.

He had just been punched in the face by Yan Wentao and was now grimacing in pain.

Dong Yuanxuan knew the situation of the two Yan brothers well. He had even considered whether to ask his family’s physician to prepare some medicinal bath formulas for them. However, medicinal recipes were expensive, and the brothers were unwilling to speak to their family about it. They didn't have much money, and out of respect for their dignity, Dong Yuanxuan had hesitated to bring it up.

At their age, young boys were especially sensitive about their pride. If he had mentioned it, it might have hurt their fragile feelings, and he didn’t want to make matters worse with his good intentions.

Xiao Yeyang, who was sparring with his instructor, also glanced at the situation. He was surprised. "The strength of Wentao and Wenkai has increased!"

As a noble prince, Xiao Yeyang never had to worry about these kinds of things. He wasn’t aware of the Yan brothers' situation. He had always noticed they arrived last, and it left him with some disdain.

"Your Highness, focus!" The instructor’s cold voice rang out. "In combat, the worst thing is distraction. A single mistake could be fatal."

Xiao Yeyang snapped back to attention, but as he turned, he was kicked by the instructor.

Here in the training grounds, he wasn’t treated like a prince. The instructor was strict, and every practice session involved real, hard punches.

The instructor had explained that being tough on them now would prevent them from suffering in the future.

Once the instructor saw that Xiao Yeyang was fully focused, he was satisfied. As he continued teaching, he also took a moment to observe the Yan brothers.

As their instructor, no one understood their situation better. He had deliberately refrained from intervening, wanting to see how long the Yan brothers could endure. Of course, he only allowed this because he was sure they wouldn’t harm their bodies.

The two brothers had been training for several months now, and their perseverance had earned the instructor's approval. He had already decided to bring up the topic of body care with them soon. Unexpectedly, the brothers had taken matters into their own hands and started using medicinal baths themselves.

From their appearance, it seemed the medicinal bath was effective.

Since they had solved the issue on their own, there was no need for the instructor to interfere further.

In the following period, after each training session, the Yan brothers continued to use their medicinal baths.

As a result, the training grounds saw two extremely energetic individuals, while the other students sparring suffered.

Even though everyone had medicinal baths, the effects varied. Even Xiao Yeyang, who had a dedicated physician to care for him, couldn’t claim that his body was always in peak condition.

During the break, seeing the Yan brothers, who had already knocked down five or six people and were still full of energy, Xiao Yeyang turned to Dong Yuanxuan with a puzzled expression.

"Do you think they took some special tonics or something? Their energy seems off the charts!"

Dong Yuanxuan was also curious. "Perhaps His Highness should ask them?"

Xiao Yeyang nodded. "Good idea. After all, we’re classmates. If they took something that hurt their bodies, that wouldn’t be good."

After the class, as the Yan brothers were about to head back to their rooms for their baths, they were stopped by Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan.

"Your Highness, Brother Dong, is there something you need?" Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao greeted them casually, having grown closer over the course of their training.

As long as they maintained proper boundaries, they had become quite familiar.

Dong Yuanxuan smiled. "Yes, actually. The prince and I haven't visited your dormitory yet, and we wanted to see it. I hope we’re not unwelcome?"

Yan Wenkai hesitated. "Of course not, but... could we do this at another time?"

Dong Yuanxuan narrowed his eyes. "Why? Do you have something to hide?"

Yan Wenkai panicked. "What could we have to hide? It’s just that my brother and I are about to soak in the medicinal bath. It wouldn’t be convenient if you come over now..." They obviously couldn’t take a bath in front of others.

Xiao Yeyang, uninterested in small talk, walked past them. "Enough with the excuses, lead the way!"

Seeing their determined attitude, as if they wouldn't give up until they achieved their goal, Yan Wenkai helplessly glanced at Yan Wentao. "Looks like we'll be staying up late tonight!"  

Yan Wentao wasn't too concerned. "Does the Young Prince and Brother Dong want to sit with us? If it's a bit later, then it's fine."

Soon, they arrived at the Yan brothers' room. Upon entering, everyone smelled a faint herbal scent in the air.

Unlike the slightly unpleasant smell of the herbal decoction they usually made, this herbal scent was not repellent at all. On the contrary, it carried a subtle fragrance that made people feel relaxed and pleasant.

At this moment, Tie Shou and Tie Tou had already prepared hot water, just waiting for the Yan brothers to return and add the herb packets to start the soak.

"You can leave now, we'll soak it later," Yan Wenkai instructed the two to take the water away.

Xiao Yeyang glanced around and curiously asked, "You don't prepare the herbal baths by decocting them?"

Yan Wenkai scratched his head. "Do we need to decoct them? We just use hot water directly to soak them!" They were staying in a shared dorm, and there was no kitchen to make the decoction.

Dong Yuanxuan also looked puzzled. "What kind of herbs are you using? Can hot water really have any effect?"

"Of course!" Yan Wenkai proudly handed them an herb packet to show.

Xiao Yeyang took the packet and examined it.

The herb packet was made from white cotton cloth, sewn by Daohua herself. When making it, she had considered that her two brothers might not be able to decoct the herbs, so she ground them into fine powder.

This way, when hot boiling water is poured over it, the medicinal effect still comes out.

Yan Wenkai said with confidence, "This was specially prepared by my little sister for me and Third Brother. I'm telling you, soaking in it feels really good."

Dong Yuanxuan still didn't understand. "Then why didn't you soak before?"

Yan Wenkai was momentarily speechless and a little embarrassed.

Yan Wentao laughed and spoke up, "That's because he was worried that it would harm his body!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan both looked over.

Yan Wenkai felt a bit awkward. "The herbal packet was prepared by my little sister. Isn't it normal for me to worry?" He then looked at Xiao Yeyang.

"My little sister said to give some to the Young Prince. Would you like some?"

Xiao Yeyang's heart warmed when he heard Daohua had also prepared some for him, but he looked at Yan Wenkai with dissatisfaction. "How come Daohua said to share some with me, but you haven't given it to me yet?"

Yan Wenkai scratched his head. "I was just worried you'd spoil it."

"I think you're just reluctant to give it to me!" Xiao Yeyang snorted coldly. When he saw Yan Wenkai standing still, he immediately urged, "My share, aren't you going to bring it over?"

"Oh~"

Yan Wenkai moved slowly, regretting it in his heart. Why did he have to say that the Young Prince should have a share?

There wasn't much of the herbal mixture left, and if he gave it to Xiao Yeyang, he and Third Brother wouldn't be able to soak in it many times.

After some delay, Yan Wenkai finally brought over five herb packets and handed them to Xiao Yeyang. Seeing Dong Yuanxuan looking at him eagerly, he reluctantly gave him one.

"Brother Dong, it's not that I'm stingy, but here's one. You can try it out!"

Seeing Yan Wenkai hesitating, Dong Yuanxuan took the herb packet from his hand without hesitation, smiling, "Don't worry, I'll definitely try it properly."

Everyone had seen the Yan brothers' abundant energy these days, and he wanted to see how effective the herbal bath was.

That day, Xiao Yeyang returned to his residence and handed the herb packet to the imperial physician for inspection.

Not long after, the elderly physician, who was over sixty, hurried to Xiao Yeyang's side.

"Your Highness, where did you get this herb packet?"

Seeing the imperial physician's excited expression, Xiao Yeyang asked curiously, "Is there something wrong with the herb packet?"

The physician shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with it. On the contrary, it has a very strong effect of promoting blood circulation and strengthening the body. It's perfect for physical conditioning."

"This herbal packet isn't just good for Your Highness's martial arts training; it can also be used by the army! I came here to ask if Your Highness has the prescription. It might be useful for General Zong."

Xiao Yeyang was taken aback. "Are you sure?" The physician worked for his maternal uncle, who currently oversaw military affairs in the northern provinces, including Zhongzhou, dealing with the remnants of bandits left after the drought relief.

He understood that only with a strong army could they better fight enemies, and he also knew that families like his maternal grandfather's often had a group of martial experts under them.

Xiao Yeyang paused for a moment. "I need to ask about this. When I have news, I'll let you know."

The physician was a little disappointed. Since the herbs had been ground into powder, even though he could recognize the types of herbs used, he couldn't estimate the quantities. 

(End of chapter)