As the Thousand Autumns Festival banquet drew to a close, officials and relatives of the imperial family left the palace one after another.
Along the long palace path, the red lanterns they held looked like scattered burning embers when viewed from above.
Liu Xian stayed until the very end, burying her face in her white, lotus-like arms, her eyes slightly closed.
Is he drunk?
The Emperor and Empress stood by, calmly discussing matters concerning their children, showing no intention of leaving.
"Your fate has changed; in other words, you are cured."
Upon hearing this, Empress Ma turned her head in surprise and saw Liu Xian, seemingly drunk but not quite, looking at them with her head tilted to the side. Her eyes were like frozen lake water, seemingly gentle but actually cold.
"Is my illness cured?" Empress Ma subconsciously looked away, overjoyed.
Liu Xian slowly stood up, her delicate hands calmly tidying her disheveled white hair. She said:
"Why would I lie to you?" she said, then, noticing the emperor's sudden change in expression, a smile played on her lips as she lightly added:
"With this, I have repaid my debt of gratitude. Under the laws of Heaven, all beings are equal. You saved my life in the past, and I will repay you with my life. It is very fair."
The system's insertion technique has been honed over time and is now highly proficient, ensuring a cure.
Liu Xian suddenly winked playfully twice:
"The gift I gave you doesn't count as a favor."
The Emperor and Empress exchanged a glance, both sensing an impending storm. They knew that Liu Xian's connection with the Ming Dynasty began with "repaying a debt of gratitude"—this was the very beginning.
Without the pretext of "repaying a debt of gratitude," Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly felt uneasy. What was Liu Xian up to?
She didn't want to do anything; she was just eager to move on to the next step of the Investiture of the Gods.
The temple and believers are there, but one thing is still missing—a clergy. Even a god, let alone a god, needs a specific position.
Whether they are Western gods or Chinese gods, they all have divine duties. For example, the Western gods of war, wisdom, and love are all clearly responsible for something.
The same applies to the gods of the East. From the Jade Emperor to the Earth God, their descriptions all include specific duties.
Ling Xiao had thought about what kind of god she should be. She had considered the gods she had played in the previous worlds, but in the end, she still couldn't make up her mind.
Finally, she listed all the clergy she could possibly be associated with on a piece of paper, crumpled it up, and drew lots!
The final result was good—protection.
The word "guardian spirit" flashed through Ling Xiao's mind first, and then she felt strange. The character setting she chose in this world was based on the guardian spirit.
The priesthood cannot be arbitrarily determined by those who want to deify God; believers must genuinely believe that God has this power.
Just like how worshippers at the Yue Lao Temple pray for marriage, never for wealth, it requires a specific profession.
What Ling Xiao needs to do is to let everyone who worships Liu Xian know that Liu Xian can protect them and ensure their safety.
…………
Here, Zhu Yuanzhang roused himself and said sincerely, "I have repaid the debt of gratitude, but the affection between Liu Xian and me as husband and wife has only deepened. Besides, Liu Xian, you are the Grand Preceptor of the Ming Dynasty!"
Seeing that the emperor was about to sing "The Ming Dynasty Needs You," Ling Xiao decisively said:
"I just want to inform you that once the debt of gratitude has been repaid, it will be a matter of equal exchange."
The two were taken aback, and then Liu Xian said softly:
"I seek the Dao through the Ming Dynasty, and naturally I wish for the Ming Dynasty to prosper. Moreover, the Emperor should know that I only seek to ascend to the divine path, not worldly power and wealth. You and I each get what we need."
Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat skeptical, but he nodded cautiously and said:
"Of course I don't suspect that Liu Xian is power-hungry, but what do I need to give in return?"
Something occurred to him, and his eyes widened instantly. Could it be that Liu Xian was going to change the 50/50 split of the silver mine?
No, absolutely not! Zhu Yuanzhang was so restless he could hardly sit still. Then he heard Liu Xian say softly:
"One thing at a time. What's most important to me right now is silver. We need to use silver to make idols and gather the faith of believers. So, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty must work harder from now on."
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but say, "Isn't the silver produced by Japan's mines enough?"
It wasn't that Zhu Yuanzhang sympathized with the countries that were attacked; it was just that there was no need for it. Japan's silver mines were already enough for the Ming Dynasty to digest for a while.
That won't do; she doesn't have time to waste.
Empress Ma, who had been watching quietly from the side, saw Liu Xian snort coldly and say unhappily:
"You are short-sighted. Do you know that a calamity will befall the land of China in the future, with people suffering and lives being lost? This calamity will be caused by these small countries."
"If we can empty their gold and silver now and control their talent pool, we can at least make the Ming Dynasty richer, and perhaps we can get through this calamity."
If anyone dared to curse Zhu Yuanzhang like that, Old Zhu would have already arranged for them to be skinned alive. But now, he doesn't care anymore.
He naturally assumed that this great calamity occurred during the reign of the Ming Dynasty, and, filled with anger, readily agreed to Liu Xian's suggestion.
Ling Xiao sorted out her thoughts. Both sides had reached a consensus on the continuation of their previous collaboration, so she should offer some incentive. Thus, her attitude softened as if melting ice, and she said with a smile:
"I happen to have something on hand, which is perfect for Your Majesty."
After saying that, she urgently purchased a clear map showing the hydrology, topography, soil, and vegetation...
Zhu Yuanzhang took the map into his hands, and his remaining anger vanished like thin snowflakes in the sunlight.
Ancient maps were military controlled items; if civilians were caught hiding them, they would be charged with treason.
There's no other way; once you have a map and understand the terrain, you'll know how to fight.
For the emperor, such a clear map was invaluable, allowing him to better understand his empire and have a complete overview of it.
This map can only be passed on to Biao'er! Zhu Yuanzhang made up his mind that he could not leave it to his other sons.
As Zhu Yuanzhang was admiring it, Liu Xian said softly:
"In addition, I have an extremely important matter that requires the court's assistance soon, and I hope Your Majesty will not abandon me after I have served my purpose."
Old Zhu: Hehe, of course not...right?
…………
After taking Bai Susu back, the system couldn't wait to speak: "Host, host, let me choose the believers. This system guarantees to pick the most talked-about believers for you to show your divine power!"
That's right, Ling Xiao's operation was very simple: select believers who needed protection to perform miracles, gather enough people to make the imperial court send people to fuel the fire.
It would be best to put it on a play or write it into a novel by a writer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
