Chapter 8 A pot of eight-treasure porridge is cooking!
Chu Xuanyi watched as Ajiu took out her "fortune-telling magic weapon" from the small cloth bag she carried with her - a few shiny copper coins and a dirty-looking tortoise shell (Chu Xuanyi seriously suspected that it was just an ordinary tortoise shell she picked up in the backyard).
The atmosphere in the imperial study was a little subtle for a moment.
Emperor Jingming and Xiao Yu both looked at Ajiu with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.
Chu Xuanyi wished he could find a hole to crawl into right there and then, or just pack up Ah Jiu and throw him out of the palace. He could already sense that a bloody storm was about to come.
"Your Majesty, what do you want to calculate?" Ajiu asked with his little face tilted up and his big eyes blinking.
Emperor Jingming pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's calculate... the fortune of our Great Jin."
This is a big and serious question.
Chu Xuanyi's heart instantly jumped into his throat. National destiny! If this wasn't calculated well, it would be no joke!
Ah Jiu said "Oh", as if she thought the question was simple. She shook the copper coin in the tortoise shell, and then it fell to the ground with a "clatter".
A few copper coins were scattered on the smooth gold brick floor.
Ah Jiu squatted down, put his little head close to look carefully, and muttered to himself: "The sky is dark and the earth is yellow, the universe is vast and boundless... one, two, three, four, five, gold, wood, water, fire, earth..."
Chu Xuanyi: "..." Girl, are you telling fortunes or counting? Also, are you reciting the formula wrong?
Xiao Yu watched with great interest, the playful smile on his lips deepening. He wanted to see what this little girl could come up with.
After a long while, Ajiu finally raised his head, with a hint of confusion and a hint of realization on his little face.
"How is it, little fortune teller?" Emperor Jingming asked gently.
Ah Jiu pointed at the copper coins on the ground and said seriously, "Your Majesty, I've figured it out! The fate of the Great Jin Dynasty... is like a pot of eight-treasure porridge being cooked!"
"Puff—" Xiao Yu choked on his tea again, and this time he actually started coughing. The guards behind him hurried forward and patted him on the back.
Chu Xuanyi’s eyes went dark and he almost fainted on the spot.
Eight Treasure Porridge?! She calls the nation's destiny Eight Treasure Porridge?!
What kind of outrageous metaphor is this?!
Emperor Jingming was also stunned, then burst into laughter: "Eight Treasure Porridge? Hahaha, interesting! Little fortune teller, tell me, what do you mean by that?"
Ah Jiu counted on his fingers and explained seriously, "Your Majesty, think about it, there are a lot of good things in Eight Treasure Porridge, right? There's rice, beans, dates, longan, lotus seeds, and so on! These good things are like the many powerful generals, smart officials, and hardworking people in our Great Jin!"
Emperor Jingming nodded, thinking that the words sounded quite pleasant.
"But," Ah Jiu changed the subject, "the fire in this pot of porridge is a little too high now. It's making a lot of noise, and the good stuff inside is almost burnt! What's more, there are a few greedy cats lying by the pot, always trying to sneak in and grab a handful!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the imperial study froze instantly.
The smile on Emperor Jingming's face gradually faded, and his eyes became deeper.
Xiao Yu also stopped coughing and stared at Ajiu with sharp eyes.
Chu Xuanyi's heart had sunk to the bottom. It was over, it was over. This girl, she really would never stop until she said something shocking!
"The fire is too strong?" Emperor Jingming spoke slowly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible chill. "Greedy cat?"
Ah Jiu was completely oblivious to the change in atmosphere and continued, "Yes! If the fire is too high, the porridge will easily overflow, and all the good stuff will be wasted! Those cats must be bad guys, trying to steal our Great Jin's good stuff! So, Your Majesty, you must quickly turn down the fire, cover the porridge with a lid, and send someone to chase those greedy cats away! That way, the Eight Treasure Porridge will be cooked to perfection and everyone can enjoy it!"
After she finished speaking, she looked at Emperor Jingming expectantly, as if waiting for him to praise her for her good words.
Chu Xuanyi no longer dared to look at Emperor Jingming's expression. He just wanted to take Ajiu and disappear immediately.
However, to Chu Xuanyi's surprise, Emperor Jingming was silent for a moment, and then he laughed again, but this time his smile was filled with a hint of complexity and relief.
"Hahaha... what a 'Eight Treasures Porridge'! What a 'Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and chase away the greedy cat'!" Emperor Jingming clapped his hands and said, "Lord Chu, you, my little fortune teller, are truly... a wise man who awakens a dreamer!"
Chu Xuanyi: “???” Your Majesty, are you so angry that you’ve lost your mind? How did this nonsense become “a word awakening someone from a dream”?
Xiao Yu also raised an eyebrow, looking at Ah Jiu thoughtfully. This little girl, seemingly talking nonsense, had inadvertently expressed some hidden concerns that no one in the court dared to speak out.
"The fire is too big" means that some forces in the court are expanding too quickly, their achievements are too great and they threaten the ruler, or some policies are being implemented too hastily, causing public resentment.
The "greedy cat" naturally refers to the internal and external troubles that are eyeing the Jin Dynasty, as well as the parasites in the court who are hypocritical and trying to enrich themselves.
“Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and chase away the greedy cat.” This seemingly simple metaphor actually points directly to the core of the problem—we need to improve internal governance, defend against external enemies, and eliminate treacherous officials.
Emperor Jingming and Xiao Yu naturally understood these principles, but when they were expressed by a young girl who was ignorant of the world using such a straightforward and simple metaphor, it was even more impactful and thought-provoking.
"Little fortune teller," Emperor Jingming looked at Ah Jiu with admiration in his eyes, "Your divination is...very good! I am so pleased!"
Upon hearing this, Ah Jiu's face lit up with smiles. "Really? Then, Your Majesty...does he have any reward?"
Chu Xuanyi held his forehead and said, "Miss, can you focus on something a little more elegant?"
Emperor Jingming was in high spirits and said loudly, "Reward! Of course I must reward you! Li Dequan!"
The chief eunuch Li Dequan, who was guarding the door, immediately bowed and came in: "Your servant is here."
"Go, get a pair of Ruyi jade pendants from my private treasury and give them to the little fortune teller!" Emperor Jingming ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Dequan took the order and left.
When Ah Jiu heard there was a jade pendant as a reward, his eyes lit up and he quickly thanked the emperor: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is so kind!"
Chu Xuanyi watched on, stunned. He couldn't understand how Ah Jiu's nonsense could have won His Majesty's favor. Could it be... this was the legendary "fools have good fortune"? Or was it that His Majesty and the Regent's thinking was different from his own?
"Lord Chu," Jing Mingnian turned to Chu Xuanyi, his tone much more relaxed, "It seems that you, the little fortune teller, are indeed the lucky star of our Great Jin! Not only can you find hidden paths, but you can also relieve the country's worries!"
Chu Xuanyi could only bite the bullet and agree: "Your Majesty is wise...Ajiu...is indeed a little different." He silently added in his heart: She is too different, so different that it almost drives him crazy.
At this moment, Ah Jiu suddenly spoke again: "Your Majesty, I have figured out one more thing!"
Chu Xuanyi's heart was in turmoil again. "Auntie, could you please be quiet for a moment?! I just got a reward, don't cause any more trouble!"
"Oh? What else?" Emperor Jingming asked with interest.
Ah Jiu pointed at Xiao Yu and said seriously, "I figured out that this fierce brother...he seems to be having a romantic luck recently! And, it's a very special romantic luck!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the imperial study became weird again.
Xiao Yu's originally smiling expression froze in an instant, and his eyes became as sharp as a knife, shooting straight at Ajiu.
Chu Xuanyi felt his legs go weak.
Calculating the nation's fortune for His Majesty is one thing, but now they're even daring to predict the romantic fortunes of the powerful, cold-faced, and ruthless Regent?! And they're saying it right to His Majesty's face?!
Does this girl think her life is too long?!
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