Old Zhu silently endured everything, showing great forbearance. However, when Ling Xiao revealed that he had saved Empress Ma but lacked sufficient demonic power and had to enter hibernation ahead of schedule, Old Zhu finally understood.
After ascertaining that Empress Ma could hold on until Liu Xian woke up, she generously vacated a palace for Bai Susu to live in.
After the others left, Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the servants in the hall and inquired in detail:
"Old Ma, do you remember when you saved this white snake?"
Empress Ma frowned and thought for a while, then shook her head:
"I was carefree as a child, and I often rescued animals, but I'm afraid it's been so long that I don't remember it."
After saying that, a thought struck her, and she looked at her husband:
"You suspect the snake demon is repaying a debt of gratitude. Is there something wrong with that?"
Indeed, it's quite thought-provoking that the monster's act of repaying a debt of gratitude happened to be directed at her, the mother of a nation.
Zhu Biao, who was blowing medicine on his mother's head, heard this and quickly put down the medicine bowl to listen.
Zhu Yuanzhang patted Empress Ma's hand reassuringly and said slowly:
"It's hard to say for sure. Right now, your life is the most important thing. As for whether the gratitude is genuine or not, we can put that aside for now."
This is true. There are priorities, and for him, it's enough that the snake demon has truly revived Empress Ma, no matter what.
"But if it's just a pretense of gratitude, this snake demon is still a demon. What means could it possibly have to harm you or Biao'er, or even the entire Ming Dynasty..."
Empress Ma spoke hastily, her chest heaving with a dull pain, almost making it hard to breathe, which startled everyone.
The father and son, one helping her catch her breath and the other bringing a soft pillow to help her sit up.
"No problem, no problem, Old Ma, do you still remember what I did when I was young?"
Ahem, who in the entire Ming Dynasty doesn't know him? Formerly a member of the Beggars' Sect, later a religious figure.
Zhu Biao's mind raced. Monks and Taoists sounded like monsters and ghosts. Could his father be a demon slayer?
Before the drama in the Crown Prince's mind could even begin, a look of reminiscence, tinged with a hint of excitement, appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's face:
"The reason I wasn't too surprised when I saw the snake demon appear is because I know that there are such strange and extraordinary people and events in this world."
"I remember that the abbot told us his death date the night before he died, and when he died, his body emitted a white light and produced a total of twenty-one relics!"
Like a thunderbolt striking, Empress Ma and her son Zhu Biao were dumbfounded.
After a long silence, Zhu Biao asked with a suspicious look in his eyes:
"Father, are you saying that those immortals and elixirs are real? But why haven't I seen you seeking immortality and enlightenment?"
They don't even think about immortality, nor do they try. If they really witnessed a miracle, why would they act like this?
When did his father become so noble?
The emperor, who possessed all the wealth of the land, said quietly:
"You brat, how do you know it's useless just because I haven't tried it? According to those people, the gods have stopped appearing in the world since some time ago."
Those who cultivated magical powers gradually lost their supernatural abilities; at most, they could breathe fire or something similar. Even the abbot only lived to be fifty-eight.
Zhu Yuanzhang turned his head and tucked the blanket around Empress Ma, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:
"So now that this snake demon has come to you to repay a debt of gratitude, don't be afraid of harming us. Since there are demons, there must be powerful figures among them. I think those bastards are deceiving me..."
At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand excitedly and said:
"Watch me go and round up all those Taoist and Buddhist practitioners, summon them all to the capital. If the snake demon is innocent, that's fine; but if there's something fishy going on, there will be someone to take the blame."
Old Zhu was furious. "Damn it, how dare they lie to me!"
…………
Over here, Ling Xiao yawned, his snake tail swaying as he listened to the system speak.
He gestured excitedly, pulled up the system interface, and pointed to a progress bar:
"Empress Ma is so important! We're only saving one person, and she's already contributed five percent of the progress before she's even fully recovered!"
Ling Xiao glanced at the pitiful progress bar, then turned away, focusing intently on tying a flower knot with her tail, and casually remarked:
"There have been many founding emperors in history, but only a few of their first wives have left their mark. Besides Empress Lü, there was also Empress Zhangsun, who is not considered a significant figure, and then there was Empress Ma. She was no ordinary person."
"Not to mention, Empress Ma also had an excellent reputation. Many ministers in the Hongwu era were punished by Zhu Yuanzhang, but it was because of her persuasion that they were allowed to go. With her around, it was like giving Zhu Yuanzhang a boost."
The system nodded to indicate that it understood.
To the palace servants attending nearby, this series of conversations sounded like the white snake demon hissing eerily as it spoke to an unknown being, sending chills down their spines.
Fear involuntarily crossed their faces as they looked at Bai Susu, who was moving both hands simultaneously.
That good appetite, that natural demeanor, showing no fear whatsoever—truly, someone who can become a disciple of a demon must possess extraordinary abilities.
Bai Erya: This is delicious. Hmm, this is not bad either. Let's try two in one bite and see what it tastes like...
With the progress unlocked to five percent, the power sealed within Ling Xiao's body began to slowly unleash, and the familiar power violently assaulted every inch of his body.
To be honest, this task is far too easy.
But the supreme deity isn't a philanthropist; there must be some hidden purpose behind it.
As she sorted out her power, she thought idly that with the progress fully unlocked and no hidden dangers, the return of that power would make her even stronger.
Ling Xiao had taken too many detours in the past, relying on patching and mending and unscrupulous means to obtain extremely strong power.
But no one understood better than her that continuing down this path would only lead to a narrower and narrower road...
"Er Ya"
"Hmm," the village girl subconsciously looked up. Why was she being called Er Ya again? Wasn't she Su Su?
Then she saw Liu Xian use an unusually seductive and sensual voice to instruct her:
"I'm going into hibernation now, my dear girl. Don't be afraid if anyone messes with you during this time; just kill them."
After saying that, the little white snake on his wrist suddenly disappeared.
Bai Susu nodded very seriously. She understood that she was Liu Xian's person and couldn't embarrass her. Don't worry.
"Aren't you afraid she'll cause trouble? That girl has a very strong demonic nature," he asked, puzzled.
"What's there to be afraid of? The few smart people at the top of the Ming Dynasty will treat Er Ya well. As for the others who come to her for fame and fortune, which one of them can actually harm Er Ya?"
Ling Xiaoyue found calling Er Ya more natural and didn't take it to heart.
Moreover, the claims made by later generations about how wonderful the people were in the early Ming Dynasty are nothing but a joke.
If you look through the history of the Ming Dynasty, you can see that many of Zhu Yuanzhang's princes were worse than beasts.
Cannibalism, robbery, beating the people, extortion, and kidnapping women—these are all trivial matters.
As a parent of a domineering child, Ling Xiao would rather Er Ya bully others than be bullied herself, otherwise she would lose face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
