Chapter 6 Entering the Jade Terrace Residence
A bird fluttered its wings and landed on the only small window of the cell, shaking its wet little head.
A sliver of light streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on Chu Jiubian's long, silvery-white hair.
The frustration in Qin Xiao's chest dissipated. He stroked the jade thumb ring on his right thumb and stared intently at Chu Jiubian.
The young man had short, fluffy black hair, a pale and delicate face, and a pair of light-colored pupils that were indifferent and detached, showing no emotional fluctuations. Even though he was dressed in coarse linen clothes, he seemed like a celestial being high above, always detachedly watching the lives of the common people below.
But there was a distinct handprint on his slender neck, mottled and shocking, which suddenly dragged him down from the altar to the mortal world.
Qin Xiao concealed his surprise and doubt, and said, "You won."
Chu Jiubian remained expressionless and did not respond.
From the moment he decided to impersonate a god, he had already begun to slowly immerse himself in the role.
He is a professional actor who practices experiential learning, and his acting skills are so good that they are often compared to those of veteran actors in the industry.
When he transmigrated, he was already playing a demigod high priest, so it's not too difficult for him to play a god who has descended to earth to undergo tribulation.
Unlike their calm reactions, Qin Chaoyang, hidden in the shadows, was experiencing a heart-pounding pound.
The "miracles" you hear about from others are nothing compared to the awe you feel when you see them with your own eyes.
That's rain! It's a weather phenomenon!
Chu Jiubian actually predicted it!
This is such an ability; it would be no exaggeration to call it a miracle!
Qin Chaoyang was unable to calm down for a long time, but his strong self-control allowed him to control his facial expression and not show the shock in his heart.
Qin Xiao stared at Chu Jiubian for a moment, then walked to the prison door and gently tugged at the heavy bronze lock on it.
哢哒.
The lock opened with a click.
He easily opened the hard lock with brute force, which shows how strong he was.
Chu Jiubian blinked slowly. It seemed that the other party really didn't intend to kill him yesterday, otherwise his neck wouldn't be as hard as the bronze lock.
Qin Xiao threw away the lock, pushed open the cell door, and looked at Chu Jiubian with a smile, saying, "Please."
Chu Jiubian knew that Qin Xiao wouldn't release him so easily; he would just take him to another place to continue his house arrest. But as long as he could come into contact with more people, even servants and attendants, he could quickly increase his followers and accumulate faith points.
Whatever he does in the future, all he can rely on now is himself and the system.
Furthermore, he is very interested in the system shop and the [Divine Realm] function, so he must collect faith points quickly.
After leaving the prison and walking onto the palace road, Qin Xiao walked faster and faster, leaving Qin Chaoyang to lead the way for Chu Jiubian.
Qin Chaoyang truly lived up to his reputation as Qin Xiao's most capable assistant; without needing specific instructions, he knew exactly how to arrange Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian was led forward by the other party.
He looked up and saw a man in a crimson official robe walking quickly but with a composed gait. Just by looking at his back, one could tell that he was a man of great wisdom and composure, as if he had everything under control.
Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes.
Qin Xiao and the young emperor are enemies.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Chu Jiubian felt it was necessary to cultivate a good relationship with the young emperor. Putting aside the fact that the other party was ultimately capable of defeating Qin Xiao, his status as the "male lead" meant he should be the most powerful figure in the world.
However, the young emperor is only three years old, and Qin Xiao is only twenty-five years old. They are just beginning to wield power and want to make their mark. Therefore, Chu Jiubian cannot provoke him for the time being, or at least cannot confront him directly.
Otherwise, within this imperial palace, Qin Xiao wouldn't even need to lift a finger to kill him.
Therefore, before he has the ability to protect himself, he still needs to deal with Qin Xiao and build a good relationship with him.
Moreover, Qin Xiao now holds great power. If the other party trusts him and he is indeed useful to Qin Xiao, then the other party might give him an official position.
In such a cannibalistic era, Chu Jiubian had no martial arts skills to rely on. Taking out the things in the system would be like a child holding gold. Therefore, only by holding power in his hands could he truly protect himself.
Therefore, what Chu Jiubian needs to do most at this moment is to get close to Qin Xiao, make the other party believe that he is a "god", and even make Qin Xiao think that they are in the same boat and that he can genuinely help the other party, so that the alliance will be stable.
Therefore, he, as a god, cannot remain seated on his high altar forever; instead, he must stand with Qin Xiao and wield power together with him.
This wasn't entirely to convince Qin Xiao, but also to defend Chu Jiu.
He knew better than anyone that he was not a god, so he could not rely solely on the system to protect himself, nor could he rely on others' worship of him—that would be too far-fetched.
Moreover, even true gods can be abandoned, blamed, and rebelled against by their followers for various reasons...
Besides, Chu Jiubian was an imposter, and he should have remembered the many examples of "debunkers" who had gone before.
Therefore, what he can rely on is the tangible power he possesses.
It is power and status, wealth and power... it is everything that can preserve one's divine status.
Therefore, he had to find a way to gain real status and power in "human society." He had to enter the court as an official, and not just a simple, ordinary minor official.
Only in this way can he use the knowledge in his mind without worrying about becoming a prisoner who will be endlessly exploited.
Chu Jiubian looked at the tall figure in front of him, his eyes darkening slightly.
The three walked along the winding palace path. From time to time, the eunuchs and palace maids they encountered would quietly kneel on both sides of the path when they saw Qin Xiao from afar, and only dare to get up after he had walked away.
At first, Chu Jiubian would glance at it from the side, but after seeing such scenes everywhere, he stopped paying special attention to it.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they parted ways with Qin Xiao. After walking for another fifteen minutes or so, Chu Jiubian was led to his destination—Yaotai Residence.
This is a courtyard of moderate size, with the space including two main rooms and two side rooms, totaling less than 200 square meters. It is kept very clean, indicating that the servants in the courtyard have not dared to slack off.
Indeed, this courtyard is less than a quarter of an hour's walk from the Hall of Mental Cultivation where the young emperor and Qin Xiao are located; no one would dare to be negligent in such a situation.
Upon noticing their arrival, five palace maids and eunuchs dressed in palace attire bowed and quickly walked from various parts of the courtyard, quietly kneeling to one side.
"This used to be the residence of Consort Duan, and it's very close to the Hall of Mental Cultivation." Qin Chaoyang ignored the others and introduced the place to Chu Jiubian, saying, "Moreover, this courtyard is called Yaotai Residence, which is very suitable for your status."
Yaotai, the legendary abode of immortals, is actually quite suitable for Chu Jiubian to live in now.
This must have been Qin Xiao's intention. As for whether he truly believed Chu Jiubian was a god, or was simply using that name to mock Chu Jiubian, we have no way of knowing.
Chu Jiubian was speechless inside, but said calmly on the surface, "Thank you."
Qin Chaoyang said politely, then looked at the people kneeling not far away and called out, "Hong Xiang."
"Your servant is here." The man who was kneeling at the front among the five immediately stood up, bowed, and quickly walked forward to greet Qin Chaoyang and Chu Jiubian.
"This..." Qin Chaoyang wanted to address Chu Jiubian, but then realized he didn't know the other's name. However, he didn't ask and said, "Young master, this Xiao Xiangzi is a useful person. He will run errands for you from now on. You can entrust him with any tasks you need."
Chu Jiubian sized up the little eunuch in front of him.
The young eunuch was dressed in a dark green palace gown. He looked to be less than 1.7 meters tall, with a tender face, and appeared to be a teenager of thirteen or fourteen.
The young eunuch knelt down again, kowtowed to Chu Jiubian, and said in a clear voice, "Young master, from now on, Xiao Xiangzi will serve you wholeheartedly."
"Your name is Hong Xiang?" Chu Jiubian asked.
"yes."
"Get up."
The young eunuch stood up, quietly retreated to one side, and remained silent, demonstrating excellent manners.
Hong Xiang.
Chu Jiubian couldn't help but think of the eunuch Hongfu who followed the young emperor, wondering what the relationship was between the other party and the little eunuch Hong beside him.
However, one thing is certain: this young eunuch Hong, as well as the other four servants in this courtyard, are definitely Qin Xiao's subordinates.
Naturally, around this courtyard, there were several hidden eyes constantly watching Chu Jiubian; those were probably all from the Qin family's secret guards.
"Then please make yourself at home, young master. The master should come to see you when he has some free time," Qin Chaoyang said.
This person appears gentle and polite on the surface, and speaks with understanding, but in reality, every word he says seems to have a hidden meaning, leaving people to guess.
The implication of this sentence is clearly that Chu Jiubian should stay put and Qin Xiao will come whenever he wants to see him.
After checking and confirming that everything in the courtyard was arranged, Qin Chaoyang took his leave.
Chu Jiubian also took this opportunity to tour his temporary residence, which consisted of two main rooms, two side rooms, and a small kitchen at the back.
Everything was prepared here, and Chu Jiubian could do whatever he wanted in this courtyard.
He tentatively walked towards the courtyard gate, with Hong Xiang following closely behind. Just as Chu Jiubian was about to step out of the gate, Hong Xiang, unsurprisingly, stopped him, saying, "Young Master, the master has ordered that you cannot leave the courtyard."
It was indeed house arrest.
However, at least there was food and drink, and comfortable accommodations, so Chu Jiubian wasn't picky.
He hadn't eaten lunch in the cell and was feeling a bit hungry, so he said, "Go get me some food and boil some water; I want to take a bath."
"Yes," Xiao Xiangzi replied, then turned to instruct the other eunuch.
The young eunuch hurriedly ran towards the kitchen.
The thought of eating meat soup or brown rice porridge again made Chu Jiubian's stomach ache, but with his throat injured, he could only eat soupy or watery foods.
He couldn't help but think of delicious stir-fries, and naturally, he thought of an iron wok.
But nowadays iron ore is used to make weapons, so how can it be used to make iron pots?
Yes, there will always be an opportunity.
After the rain, the scorching summer sun and sweltering heat returned. Chu Jiubian looked up at the sky and then went into the main room.
The outer room of the main house is the study and reception room, while the inner room is the bedroom. The whole house is decorated in an exquisite and elegant manner. There are not many decorations, nor are they particularly expensive, but they are all just right.
Chu Jiubian walked to the desk and saw that there were writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk, but the paper looked rough and yellowed, and was incomparable to modern white paper.
Moreover, the amount of paper was extremely small; instead, there were many bamboo slips displayed in rolls on the bookshelf.
Therefore, paper must have been very rare in this era. The papermaking technique was probably controlled by aristocratic families or princes, and it was expensive, so only noble families could afford it.
If he could make paper...
Chu Jiubian immediately abandoned this idea.
Let alone papermaking, which would shake the foundations of a family, even things like glassmaking and soap making cannot be done for the time being.
What else can he do?
"Young master, the water is ready. Shall we wash now?" Hong Xiang's voice pulled Chu Jiubian out of his thoughts.
He responded and got up to walk towards the bedroom.
A wooden tub about half a person's height was placed in the tub, and warm water rippled gently in circles inside.
Chu Jiubian took off his clothes and sat in the tub. In the bright sunlight, many irregular, light-colored scars could be vaguely seen on his body.
He didn't have anyone serve him, but Xiao Xiangzi still stayed outside the screen, not only to serve him at any time, but also to keep an eye on him.
Perhaps because the rain had stopped and the weather was gradually getting warmer, Hong Xiang outside the screen even took a palm-leaf fan to fan himself.
Chu Jiubian stared blankly at the swaying fan shadows on the screen for a while, then his eyes suddenly lit up.
Yes, he can make ice!
Saltpeter should already exist in this era, and water is not scarce. He doesn't need to expend any effort on either of these things. Moreover, once the ice is made, he can enjoy it right now, unlike the impractical and flashy glass.
Most importantly, he didn't care even if others knew the principle behind this "miracle".
He even wanted to spread this method and give it his own name, such as the Nine-Argument Ice-Making Method.
His reputation will surely rise, and his faith value will increase accordingly.
The more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Chu Jiubian wished he could start making ice right now.
"Little Xiangzi," he called out.
"Your servant is here." Xiao Xiangzi immediately stood up and came out from behind the screen.
Chu Jiubian pulled his arms back from the edge of the tub and sank himself into the water, leaving only his neck and the area above the water above the surface.
"What are your orders, young master?" Xiao Xiangzi asked respectfully.
Chu Jiubian: "Do you know what saltpeter is?"
"Salt water?" Xiao Xiangzi looked blank. "This servant doesn't know, but this servant can inquire for you."
“Okay, then you can ask for me,” Chu Jiubian said gently.
"Yes, this servant will go right away." Xiao Xiangzi turned and left the bedroom, calling another maid to serve Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian naturally couldn't let a young girl come over to help him change clothes and wash up, so he only instructed someone to stay behind the screen.
After washing up, he simply dried his hair and then changed into new clothes.
The round-necked, dark blue long gown resembled the official robes of the Ming Dynasty from his original era, embroidered with silver auspicious cloud patterns. The collar of the red inner shirt peeked out from above the round neck, neutralizing the somberness of the dark blue and adding a touch of brightness.
The material was brocade from the inside out, which was far superior to the linen that had previously rubbed Chu Jiubian's tender skin red.
Chu Jiubian fastened a dark belt, then walked to the outer room with wet hair and sat down at the dining table.
Lunch was just delivered and it's still hot.
What was even more surprising was that the main dish this time was vegetable and egg soup, which was much better than the meat soup that I was almost sick of eating.
Chu Jiubian drank three bowls of soup in one go.
Xiao Xiangzi, who had run out to inquire about saltpeter, also ran back at this moment. He smiled at Chu Jiubian, revealing two deep dimples, and said, "Young master, the master said that the saltpeter you want is in the palace. He will bring it to you personally when he has time."
Chu Jiubian glanced at him.
So they're not even going to pretend anymore and are going straight to report to Qin Xiao, right?
But that's fine too. Everyone knows what's going on anyway, so let's be open about it.
But Qin Xiao agreed so easily? Didn't he even ask him what he needed the saltpeter for?
Chu Jiubian felt that something was amiss.
"Young master, this bottle of medicinal oil was brought to you by my master." Xiao Xiangzi then took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the table. "I will use it for you in a moment."
Is Qin Xiao really that kind?
Chu Jiubian raised his hand and touched his neck. The pain was still there, and the burning sensation in his throat was even worse than yesterday, which must be due to some swelling and inflammation.
However, this situation is perfectly normal after being choked, and it will get better on its own in a few days. Chu Jiubian is very experienced in this.
He reached for the medicated oil, wondering if it was poison, perhaps to make it easier for Qin Xiao to control him.
[Hello host, the system has automatically scanned and detected suspicious items for you, confirming them to be functional medicinal oils that help improve blood circulation and remove blood stasis.]
The system even has this function!
Chu Jiubian's eyes flickered slightly. Wouldn't that mean he would be completely immune to poisoning from now on?
[Hello, host. This detection function is a paid feature. This automatic scan has deducted one point of Faith Points. If you need to detect other items, you can directly contact the system to trade.]
Chu Jiubian: "..."
Did you even ask me before deducting the money?
He glanced at his remaining faith points with a pained expression. He himself only bought half a box of medicine, but the system had deducted a point from his account.
It seems I need to collect faith points quickly.
Making ice from saltpeter will take some time, and the results are uncertain. If Qin Xiao steals his reputation, then his faith points will be lost.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Chu Jiubian walked slowly inside the room, came to the bookshelf by the wall, casually opened a bamboo scroll, and found that it was a collection of poems.
He quickly flipped through the poems and found that they already had basic formats such as meter and rhyme, but none of them were the same as those in his original world.
With a thought, he looked up at the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the room. These people were all well-mannered and their words revealed that they should all be literate.
Since you can read, you should also know some poetry, right?
According to the original text, poetry was quite developed in this era, and this collection of poems is enough to prove this point. Moreover, the Da Ning Dynasty adhered to the social order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, so the status of literati was self-evident.
If he could first make these scholars aware of his existence, he might be able to gain some faith points.
Chu Jiubian has just descended to the mortal realm. Because he misses his friends in the celestial realm, it is understandable that he copies some of his friends' poems as a way of remembering them.
His close friends were, of course, the immortal poet Li Bai and the god of poetry Su Shi, who lived in the celestial realm with him.
Their poems, placed in an era where poetry has already developed quite well, are not only not out of place, but are all the more precious and astonishing.
Reverence and faith are often inseparable. He only needs to convince everyone that these poems were written by his friends in the celestial realm, and his status as a "deity" will be more firmly established.
In this way, even if Qin Xiao doesn't believe he is a god, he will know that he is not alone and will be wary of the "friends" behind him, thus not daring to make a move against him casually.
Chu Jiubian looked at Xiao Xiangzi and asked, "Xiao Xiangzi, have you ever been to school? Can you read?"
“This servant studied under my master for a few years,” Xiao Xiangzi said honestly. “This servant’s master is Eunuch Hong Fu, who serves His Majesty.”
really.
Chu Jiubian then said, "Then help me grind the ink; I want to write something."
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