Chapter 2 Observing Celestial Phenomena

Chu Jiubian could feel the gazes coming from all directions.

Those who had eyes for Qin Xiao were not only the civil and military officials below the long steps, but also the Imperial Guards who were on duty or hiding in various parts of the palace.

These people are all top-notch experts. As soon as they sense that Qin Xiao is in danger, they will step in to resolve the situation immediately.

The reason they haven't made a move yet is probably because Chu Jiubian is too weak to even kill a chicken and poses no threat to Qin Xiao.

They were unaware of the danger, but Chu Jiubian felt he was close to death because he saw Qin Xiao "smile".

According to the original text of the drama, the more obviously Qin Xiao smiles, the more miserable the death of those who provoke him will be.

Isn't that pure perversion?!

Chu Jiubian screamed inwardly, but his smile remained unchanged. He even moved his hands slightly and patted the man's chest muscles gently, saying, "Put me down first, there are so many people watching."

These words and actions are tantamount to pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth.

Qin Xiao had completely regained control of his body. His gaze slowly swept over Chu Jiubian's face, cold and piercing, as if it were tangible.

Chu Jiubian felt numbness in the places his gaze swept over, then suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness, followed by a dull pain as his body slammed onto the white jade platform.

The person holding him let go, causing him to fall directly to the ground.

The impact to his lumbar spine was quite severe. Before Chu Jiubian could even catch his breath, he saw the Regent in front of him bend down, stretch out his long arm, and his long, rough hand with distinct knuckles tightly gripped his fragile neck.

Chu Jiubian's breath hitched, and he instinctively raised his hand to grab the man's strong arm.

He was forced to stand up with the man's help, staggering as he regained his balance.

Looking up, Chu Jiubian saw the person in front of him looking at him with great interest.

The world was completely silent.

The officials remained silent, not daring to breathe. The young emperor, not far away, seemed to be terrified, clutching his small hands helplessly.

Under such circumstances, the sound of my frantic heartbeat became exceptionally clear.

Chu Jiubian felt like he couldn't breathe at all. He bit his tongue hard to stay awake and tried to pry the hands off his neck with both hands.

He doesn't want to die now!

With death looming and no way to save his life, his brain was working at an incredibly fast and agile pace.

His sudden appearance, especially during the coronation ceremony before the young emperor had even settled into his throne, led Qin Xiao to likely assume he was an assassin sent by a particular faction or power.

Given Qin Xiao's ruthless and decisive nature, the other party should have killed him without hesitation the moment he appeared.

But the system deliberately chose the other person as the landing point, controlling him to catch him.

The ability to control a person's body sounds like supernatural power, and even someone like Qin Xiao would definitely have reservations.

At this moment, Qin Xiao did not snap his neck directly, but instead gave him a sliver of air, presumably because he had doubts and wanted to know the secrets he carried.

That's enough.

As long as Qin Xiao has even the slightest curiosity or fear of him, he still has a glimmer of hope.

His earlier statement that he was a deity descended to earth to overcome a love tribulation would further pique Qin Xiao's curiosity and desire to investigate. Under these circumstances, the other party would be even less likely to kill him easily.

Moreover, this is the coronation ceremony, and bloodshed is considered unlucky.

Chu Jiubian stared directly at Qin Xiao, his shimmering peach blossom eyes physiologically welling up with tears, the corners of his eyes reddening, hinting at a hint of reproach and anger.

But his pale, soft lips curved into a joyful arc, and his expression showed a hint of tenderness.

Two completely different emotions merged and intertwined strangely, just like the identity he had given himself at this moment—both human and god.

"How fierce!" Chu Jiubian spoke again. "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

His voice was hoarse, unlike the pleasant and melodious one he had spoken earlier.

He's currently one step away from death. The important thing is to stay alive, not to show off. Showing off will only make him die faster.

His mind raced; he had to find a reason to pique Qin Xiao's curiosity even more.

In a flash, he remembered what the system had just said.

"How about we make a bet?" Chu Jiubian stared intently at Qin Xiao. "If I win, you'll treat me well and help me through this tribulation of love. If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me."

Qin Xiao had met many people, but none of them could remain calm in the face of his intense killing intent.

But the person in front of him never showed the slightest fear from beginning to end, remaining calm and at ease, as if he didn't care about his own life or death.

But the truth is, the person in front of me is still striving to "live".

It's strange, it's contradictory.

This is a person who seems extremely out of place, inside and out.

But he had to admit that such a person, especially one with such a strange appearance who suddenly appeared and immediately claimed to be a "god," intrigued Qin Xiao.

He slowly loosened his grip, but still kept Chu Jiubian firmly in place.

"What are we betting on?" he asked with great interest.

Chu Jiubian suppressed the itching and dryness in his throat and said in a hoarse voice, "I bet there will be a downpour within fifteen minutes. If not, you win."

At this moment, the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly. The sweltering heat of June makes people irritable and restless.

In this situation, not only Qin Xiao, but even Chu Jiubian himself wouldn't believe it would rain without the system.

Naturally, he didn't trust this strange system, but at this moment, he needed an opportunity to prove that he was a "god," so he had no choice but to gamble.

In this place, which is equivalent to the "Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period" in his original world, being able to observe celestial phenomena with an accuracy down to a quarter of an hour is absolutely a "miracle."

Therefore, his "gamble" was not entirely certain.

If he loses the bet, he really will lose his life.

This almost dangerous act of dancing on the edge of a knife fully excited his brain, and his eyes shone even brighter.

Whether it was a coincidence or a sign that a storm was brewing, it is unclear.

After Chu Jiubian finished speaking, a gentle breeze suddenly swept through the otherwise still imperial palace, causing the wide sleeves and hems of everyone's robes to flutter. Chu Jiubian's long, silvery-white hair also swayed gently, making his handsome face appear somewhat alluring.

Qin Xiao stared intently at the young man before him, and only after a moment did he finally release his grip on the young man completely.

Suddenly finding his breathing channel, Chu Jiubian could no longer suppress the itch in his throat. He touched his neck and coughed violently.

Tinnitus and coughing had taken away most of his hearing, but he could still hear Qin Xiao utter three simple words: "Take him away."

As soon as he finished speaking, two Imperial Guards in soft armor appeared on the high platform, grabbing Chu Jiubian's arms from the left and right, and leading him away from the platform, heading towards the inner palace along the palace road.

Chu Jiubian felt a metallic taste in his throat, which finally suppressed the dry, itchy sensation.

Perhaps knowing that he was powerless, the two imperial guards released their grip on him after he stepped down from the platform, and simply followed by his side.

Chu Jiubian swallowed hard and turned to look at the high platform behind him.

The figure standing on it could no longer be seen.

"Stop looking." A teasing voice rang out from ahead.

Chu Jiubian turned around and saw a young man in dark armor standing with his arms crossed. His face was resolute, his eyebrows were clear, and he was staring at him with a half-smile.

The Imperial Guards on both sides immediately clasped their hands in salute and said, "General An."

Anping, courtesy name Wuji, is the deputy commander of the Qin family army and the current commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard. He is also Qin Xiao's biggest lackey.

Chu Jiubian went through the information in his mind and smiled faintly.

Fortunately, this person appeared relatively early in the original book, saving him the trouble of investigating.

An Wuji looked Chu Jiubian up and down without any politeness, from his silver-white boots to the gemstone at his waist, and then to the silver fox fur on his shoulder that looked like it was worth a lot of money.

Finally, his gaze settled on Chu Jiubian's face.

The imperial city has no shortage of beauties, but this "deity" truly has a face that is so beautiful it seems otherworldly.

Of course, An Wuji was more curious about Chu Jiubian's hairstyle.

It's short in the front and long in the back, black in the front and silver in the back—it's extremely bizarre.

In an instant, a thought suddenly occurred to him: Could this person really be a god who has descended to earth to undergo tribulation?

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

The person in front of me is talking nonsense, and he's wearing a fox fur coat on his shoulders even in this hot weather. He might be mentally unstable, and he definitely can't be some kind of "god".

Stop, stop, don't think about it anymore.

Their Prince Ning detests nothing more than talk of gods and ghosts, and he dares not provoke him.

An Wuji withdrew his gaze, too lazy to say anything more, and took the lead in walking forward.

Chu Jiubian was pushed by the Imperial Guards on both sides before he could catch up.

He surveyed the scenery and environment along the way. This was not the way out of the palace. Where would he be taken?

Time passed second by second.

The enthronement ceremony in front of the Fengtian Hall was not disrupted by the earlier incident and continued as if nothing had happened until the end, with all the officials kneeling and kowtowing three times and shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

The young emperor declared in his tender and clear voice, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The officials' calm and steady voices echoed.

Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, read out the imperial edict, announcing the new emperor's ascension to the throne.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau presented the Imperial Seal to the Emperor.

Baili Hong had practiced beforehand and steadily received the imperial seal. The officials bowed and kowtowed again, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Thus, the coronation ceremony finally came to an end.

Qin Xiao walked to the young emperor's side and said, "Your Majesty, please enter the palace."

Baili Hong nodded obediently and took two steps forward.

Noticing that his uncle hadn't followed immediately, he turned his head somewhat bewildered.

Qin Xiao nodded to him.

Although he didn't understand why his uncle wasn't walking alongside him, Baili Hong obediently turned around and then huffed and puffed his way toward the Fengtian Hall ahead.

The chief eunuch, Hong Fu, had already received the imperial seal, holding it carefully, and followed the emperor from the side and behind, his steps light and silent.

After the young emperor had walked a distance, Qin Xiao lifted his foot and slowly followed.

As soon as he moved, the officials standing below the long steps also moved, ascending the steps in an orderly fashion and heading together towards the Fengtian Hall.

They maintained good posture and composure, and no one whispered among themselves throughout the entire process.

Only after entering the hall and lining up on both sides according to rank did everyone look up and gaze straight ahead.

Nine white marble steps, with a spacious platform every three steps.

The dragon throne was located on the highest platform, where the young emperor sat.

The second platform below, which should have been empty, now has a wide ebony chair on the right side, where the regent, dressed in a black and gold python robe, sits looking down at the ministers below.

At this moment, the officials have gained a new understanding of the honors and power that the "Regent" should have.

This is truly second only to the emperor, above all others.

On the palace road, Chu Jiubian was led by An Wuji for more than ten minutes, and the time for the rainstorm predicted by the system was about to arrive.

"General An," Chu Jiubian said, his voice still hoarse.

An Wuji glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Chu Jiubian wasn't embarrassed and continued, "It looks like it's going to rain. I wonder where you're taking me?"

When Chu Jiubian uttered those supernatural tales, his voice was not loud, but at the time, you could hear a pin drop. Therefore, not only An Wuji, but also many of the officials below the stone steps probably heard what he said.

But nobody took his words seriously.

What god? What tribulation? This assassin will say anything to save his life.

Hearing Chu Jiubian bring up the matter again, An Wuji immediately scoffed and mocked, "This immortal, a quarter of an hour is about right. Look at the sun, is there even a hint of a change in the weather?"

Chu Jiubian actually looked up.

There are only a few tens of seconds left before the system predicts that it will start raining.

The sun was blazing, and he squinted slightly.

Is the system really that unreliable?

Does that mean he's going to lose the bet?

[Dear host, weather forecasting is the most basic function of this system and will not malfunction.]

The system notification came unexpectedly, and Chu Jiubian paused in his tracks.

An Wuji noticed his sudden change and his body tensed up instinctively, his sharp gaze fixed on Chu Jiubian.

The other two Imperial Guards immediately gripped their long swords at their waists, their eyes sharp and wary.

As if to prove itself infallible, the system had already begun a countdown in Chu Jiubian's mind: [Ten, nine...]

Chu Jiubian looked at An Wuji and smiled gently.

Almost at the same time, the weather suddenly changed dramatically.

A cold wind howled, blowing his long, silvery-white hair and making his cloak flutter. Chu Jiubian's beautiful face also showed an indescribable sense of distance, and even the smile on his lips seemed mysterious and eerie.

An Wuji's pupils shrank sharply, and his eyes, looking at Chu Jiubian, were filled with undisguised horror.

A strong wind, carrying a damp scent, swept through the palace and into the gates of the Fengtian Hall.

The curtains swayed, and the wide robes and sleeves of the officials made a muffled sound. Many people's faces changed at the same time, and they even disregarded their demeanor and etiquette, turning their heads in great shock to look outside the hall.

Qin Xiao, who was sitting on a wide chair, suddenly looked up and gazed outside the hall.

Almost within two breaths, the raindrops began to fall in a flurry.

A few breaths later, the blazing sun completely lost its energy to shine on the earth and disappeared behind the dark clouds, shrouding the entire imperial city in layers of rain.

The downpour has really arrived.