Chapter 1495 (1494): Locust Eggs (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Lin Feng was filled with excitement.
The presence of accompanying deities naturally implies the presence of a principal deity.
Based on what the teacher revealed, it's obvious who the chief officiant is. Does this mean that she will not only complete the ritual in the future, but will even be enshrined in a folk statue? Even the usually composed Lin Feng was slightly flustered at this moment, his face burning with excitement.
It was an indescribable feeling of excitement and exhilaration.
How excited were they?
Lin Feng was so excited that he felt it was a sin to still be sitting there.
What are you doing sitting there?
Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work!
She clenched her teeth tightly, afraid that she would lose control and start yelling like a monkey. Young people can't hide their emotions in front of their closest relatives and teachers, and Chu Yao could see the joy in her eyes with just one glance: "That's just one possibility for the future."
In the Lord's words, opening champagne halfway through is the most deadly.
There's still a long way to go to create such a future.
"...Any other future?"
The future the teacher described does seem somewhat unworthy of her current position, but that doesn't mean she won't be qualified in the future. Lin Feng has a long life ahead of her; even if the future the teacher spoke of is a long way off, as long as she's on the right track, she can reach her goal step by step!
Chu Yao said, "The future is uncertain and the future is limitless."
Lin Feng immediately became interested and tugged at Chu Yao's sleeve, pleading, "Then, teacher, could you reveal a little secret to me?"
"Hasn't enough been revealed?"
"Isn't the student just being overly curious?" The first future the teacher mentioned had her completely captivated, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious about other futures. Humans are, after all, a species with a strong sense of curiosity.
"You want to listen to everything else even though it's not good enough?"
"Listen, just think of it as a bedtime story." Lin Feng leaned against the tree trunk, adjusting to a more comfortable position. She was also curious about how much of a future she could have—the future was all derived from her present self, and as long as her fundamental nature remained unchanged, how much difference could there be?
As it turns out, it really is very, very, very big.
Every choice made at every stage of life can lead to an uncontrollable future. Lin Feng, at least, never imagined she would one day find herself trapped in a melodramatic domestic life. It wasn't that she became someone else's domestic concubine, but rather that her domestic life was in disarray, filled with endless chaos.
Unrest at home has led to both internal and external troubles.
Lin Feng remained silent: "I'll write down the name first."
She absolutely must avoid this!
Although she didn't get caught up in the petty squabbles of the inner court, her path in the imperial court was still precarious. Some of her futures ultimately led her to the martial world, some chose to retire to the countryside out of weariness of the power struggles, and others were forced to leave after being overthrown. Lin Feng rested his chin on his hand: "How could I possibly be tired of the imperial court?"
The court is full of talented people.
Working with these people is a fresh and exciting experience every day.
Lin Feng dared not think about why he was starting to feel bored with the future.
Chu Yao said, "It may be a serious illness, or it may be a sudden change. People are different at different ages and have different states of mind. They may choose to be open-minded and free from worldly concerns, or even enter a monastery."
Simply put, it means enlightenment.
Don't worry about what you've figured out yet.
"With teachers present, how could students be forced to distance themselves from the imperial court?"
Lin Feng weighed his backer's position; her political resources were ridiculously abundant. As long as his teacher didn't fall, she couldn't possibly fall either.
What political enemies managed to bring down both her and her student?
Chu Yao smiled and asked, "Is it possible that I did this?"
Lin Feng: "...Oh, that's not surprising."
Good heavens, so it's a power struggle between master and apprentice?
She asked with great interest, "What was the trigger?"
It's impossible for them to turn against each other without a reason, right? Lin Feng really couldn't think of any reason or motive for the master and disciple turning against each other. It couldn't be that the teacher had betrayed them or she had betrayed them. People's hearts may change, but there are still basic principles to follow.
Chu Yao's smile faded slightly: "The struggle for the crown prince position."
Lin Feng understood: "Our master and I support two different princes? That doesn't make sense. How could His Majesty, a man of such wisdom, not know the drawbacks of choosing the virtuous over the eldest son? The heir apparent is a matter of national importance, and it should be chosen sooner rather than later. How could he wait until both candidates come of age before hesitating?"
Chu Yao pointed at Lin Feng: "You are one of the candidates to be the heir apparent."
Lin Feng was completely dumbfounded: "Who wants to harm me?"
This future is absolutely terrifying, a nightmare!
Chu Yao sighed and said, "Because His Majesty has few children and has been childless for many years, the ministers suggested that the child could be adopted from among the common people. As long as the child's true identity is not revealed to the world, and His Majesty cooperates by pretending to be pregnant for ten months, it can be barely fooled. However, His Majesty said that since he would be handing over the fruit of his labor to others anyway, he would rather choose a child that he had watched grow up from a young age and would feel at ease."
Lin Feng: "..."
It turns out that the one who wanted to harm her was the Lord!
She suddenly realized, slamming her right fist into her left palm, and understood: "I get it now. That explains why there's a possibility that I might get married, take a husband, and be burdened by my harem in the future. The crux of the matter lies here."
It's possible that the Lord chose her as the Crown Prince, and it's also possible that he chose her child as the Crown Prince; the latter would likely face less criticism. After all, an unborn child can be manipulated and kept secret. But if it were the former, it would be disastrous. Lin Feng, a grown man weighing over a hundred pounds, couldn't possibly be the Lord's child from his youth.
In other words, this crown prince plan was opposed.
One of them was their own teacher.
When her supporters couldn't defeat her opponents, she was forced to distance herself.
It really is a horror story.
Lin Feng complained, "Why doesn't the master give birth himself..."
She stopped talking.
Chu Yao looked at her, and she looked at Chu Yao.
Lin Feng was immediately horrified, as if he had inadvertently discovered a huge secret: "Is her body... congenital or acquired? So many doctors and physicians can't cure it?"
The future is based on different directions derived from the present.
If the Empress's infertility is congenital, there's nothing that can be done now, even in this dire situation; but if it's acquired, there might still be a chance to salvage it. Lin Feng has absolutely no desire to be the heir or for her future child to be the crown prince. It's not that she's not interested, but simply because she knows the difficulty is too great and impractical. For a country's crown prince, the monarch's approval isn't enough; the approval of both the civil and military officials is also crucial.
Without the support of the civil and military officials, and even with the monarch's support, there's no way Lin Feng could put the crown prince on the throne. Even if he were forced to do so, he might be overthrown at any time. Lin Feng had no reason to abandon the broad road to lasting fame and choose a path fraught with danger, risking alienation from everyone.
Most importantly—
She doesn't support it either!
Did you hear that? She doesn't support it either!
"...What are the Lord's thoughts on this future?"
Why did the Lord want to murder her?
It's already quite remarkable that Chu Yao could foresee so many outcomes; most of the process could only be deduced from the final result. If he were omniscient and omnipotent even in the details, he wouldn't be far from ascending to immortality. Chu Yao comforted her, "Lingde, don't worry. There are crown princes among the other future ones. Judging from their appearance, they shouldn't be adopted from the common people."
For example, in a future where Lin Feng is deified among the common people and temples are bustling with worshippers, there truly exists such a crown prince. Lin Feng would be the tutor to the Crown Princess, later the imperial tutor, a duke, and one of the Three Dukes, reaching the pinnacle of power and serving as a regent for over ninety years—a true pillar of the Kang Kingdom. Chu Yao wasn't deceiving Lin Feng when he said this future was the best; her life was indeed incredibly smooth!
If Lin Feng were to choose the crown prince... the risk would be far too great. Even with the master's full support, there's a very high probability of things going wrong.
"Is there a crown prince?"
Lin Feng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
Why would the ruler harm himself if he already has a crown prince?
Chu Yao said, "Its origin is just questionable..."
None of the future stories explain how the crown prince came to be. It seems that one day the emperor was in a good mood, and suddenly he brought a chubby baby to court, announced to the ministers that he had given birth to a daughter, who would be the future crown prince, and that everyone would meet her to get acquainted.
Civil and military officials: [...]
They suspected that the Lord had fooled them with his intelligence.
Does the Lord mean that just a few days ago, he and Gongxi Chou joined forces to flatten a mountain outside the capital, and then two days later, she gave birth to a daughter who looks like she weighs eight or nine pounds? No, where would they hide such a big child? Just because there are many single/married officials who haven't had children doesn't mean they're all fools, right? Even if they haven't seen a pig run, they've eaten pork. When did the Lord get pregnant?
Are all those doctors in the medical department taking pulses every day just for show?
Don't ask—
The answer is that she used a spell to hide her pregnancy.
Both inside and outside the court were convinced that the child's bloodline was impure.
However, no one openly pointed out that the officials did not approve of this crown prince. The emperor had rejected the crown prince several times, and the officials used all sorts of methods, from gentle persuasion to crying and making a scene, to pulling the emperor's hand and reminiscing about past hardships... In short, the crown prince was not established.
As the child grew older, their facial features gradually developed.
Upon closer inspection, the civil and military officials gasped in shock.
No, the more I look at this kid, the more he looks like the Lord when he was young?
While not exactly identical, the resemblance was undeniable, bearing a seven or eight-tenths resemblance, with the remaining two or three-tenths bearing a striking resemblance to a certain pair of brothers. The civil and military officials fell into deep thought again, scratching their heads, trying to recall if they had overlooked something. The Empress showed no signs of pregnancy; even if an eight or nine-pound infant were placed upright in the womb, the Empress wouldn't be without a belly. Then again, the Empress's lack of pregnancy didn't mean others weren't! This child might not be the woman's…
Gongxi Chou?
That's unlikely.
That guy had a really slim waist those two years.
hiss--
No, it's still possible.
Gong Xiqiu always wore tight-fitting clothes, and even a slight weight gain was noticeable. In contrast, Ji Moqiu always wore loose robes characteristic of a reclusive family, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, rarely interacting with the outside world. Alright, case solved, the truth about the Crown Prince's true identity revealed!
Seeing this face, the officials gradually dispelled their reservations.
"...That crown prince, aside from his lack of talent in both literature and martial arts, was quite outstanding in his ability to govern the country and maintain peace. He was an extremely good ruler who could preserve the legacy of his ancestors. He was not exactly a man of both wisdom and courage, but he was able to keep the affairs of the state in mind diligently."
Lin Feng, however, sensed a hint of regret in his voice.
“Someone like the Lord is a rare find even in a thousand years.” She remembered her teacher saying that she would be the Crown Prince’s teacher, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit of affection for her student. She spoke well of the child who was not yet born, saying, “The Lord’s expansion of territory is unparalleled. It will be difficult for anyone to surpass him.”
What child wouldn't be made to look ordinary by comparison?
Chu Yao said, "That's true."
What he didn't say was that in this future, the civil and military officials did not agree to make her the crown prince. Besides the fact that her background was unclear, another major reason was that she was not in good health, her literary talent was not high, her martial arts foundation was mediocre, and her complexion was comparable to Gu Chi's.
The officials were also worried that she would die young, because the political significance of an ordinary imperial heir dying young is completely different from that of a heir with the title of crown prince.
It's better to observe first and then decide when they grow up.
Like Gu Chi, the young crown prince appeared sickly, yet both lived remarkably long lives. They came of age smoothly, began their studies, established their own residence, and entered the court to assist in governance; even Chu Yao at the time could not find fault with them. When they were later chosen as heirs, there was little opposition.
It was also because the Kang Kingdom's court only had this one seedling.
If we don't make her the heir, are we going to revive the idea that the emperor had in his early years, to adopt a bunch of children from the common people and raise them like swarms of monsters? Or are we going to put the crown prince on Lin Feng's head or Lin Feng's children's head? Even the only son of the civil and military officials is so resistant, let alone the other crown princes.
There's absolutely no room for negotiation.
Lin Feng was concerned about another point: "Why not have more children?"
It seems there really is a throne to inherit in the Lord's family!
We shouldn't just have as many children as we can't have anymore, but we also shouldn't only have one!
Are the Qiu brothers from Jimo not good enough?
"...Should we go back and ask the master?"
Knowing the answers in advance is naturally to avoid making wrong choices; otherwise, what's the point of knowing them beforehand? Just to create unnecessary worries? Lin Feng got the answers from Chu Yao and focused wholeheartedly on striving for the future he most desired. To establish a temple, to be deified, and to leave a lasting legacy!
Locust eggs and the like —
It's just adding more mud dots to her clay sculptures!
Watching Lin Feng continue her energetic display, Chu Yao felt as if countless causal threads connecting her to the void were snapping before his eyes. A barely perceptible smile curved Chu Yao's lips, a deep sense of satisfaction washing over him. In a corner unnoticed by Lin Feng, he made a hand seal with a single finger, a wisp of spiritual light flickering from his fingertip, burning away something intangible. As dawn broke, he and Lin Feng's group set off for their camp.
at the same time.
A phantom of a Taoist robe floated out from the tree trunk that Lin Feng had just passed by.
"...This Shen Youli really dares to think and act."
What normal monarch would appoint a son with no blood relation as crown prince? Even the slightest thought of it is extremely rare.
Lin Su said, "You believe Chu Wuhui's nonsense?"
"If it's Shen Youli, then it does have some credibility. Didn't you also discover in your dream that she might be chosen as the crown prince, just by surveying your sister's trajectory and trying to glimpse the future of Kangguo?" It's hard to say that Lin Anzhi's change of course wasn't influenced by this factor.
This appearance is also intended to push the future in this direction.
Lin Feng is easier to deal with than Shen Tang.
If Lin Feng were to ascend the throne, the entire Kang Kingdom would be in turmoil. Even if it weren't Lin Feng, as long as the crown prince wasn't of Shen Youli's bloodline, it would cause a huge uproar, making a smooth transition of power virtually impossible. The murky waters make it easier for Lin Su to fish.
However, as soon as Chu Yao saw Lin Feng, he took the initiative to intervene and cut off the possibility of this route, not giving Lin Su any chance to go deeper.
Hehehe, let me say something that might get me beaten up—
Lin Su was humiliated, and he was quite happy.
If Lin Su were to have everything she wanted, she would go even crazier.
Lin Su: "...Shut up."
The phantom: "..."
Lin Su was annoyed because she had suffered a loss with Chu Yao.
He didn't have the guts to commit the crime against the wind.
Lin Feng explained the origin of the map in detail, but Shen Tang glanced at it briefly and returned it: "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust. Lin Anzhi dared to take the risk to deliver it, so why wouldn't I dare to use it?"
_(:3」∠)_
The Kang Kingdom will likely last for three or four generations before the royal power is relinquished as times change.
As for why the heir is weak and has mediocre talent in both literature and martial arts, it's because of a setting in this series' worldview—reproduction is one of the means by which short-lived species perpetuate their genetic information. However, beings like Tang Mei neither need nor are allowed to use this method, so they lack the ability to reproduce naturally. They possess only yin and yang attributes without a distinct male or female gender, outwardly exhibiting both feminine and masculine appearances. While they could forcibly have so-called "offspring" through unnatural means, the offspring's talent and physical attributes would be suppressed, lacking any affinity for immortality and unable to achieve longevity.
In other words, apart from the "blood relationship" as commonly believed, there is no causal bond between the two.
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