Chapter 10 Miracles Revealed
Chu Jiubian opened the system interface and saw that the Faith Value column had turned into a shiny "58" points!
He logged out and logged back in incredulously, only to find that his score had increased to "59" again.
What happened that night?
Chu Jiubian thought for a moment and quickly guessed the answer with a high degree of accuracy.
It seems that the two poems he wrote yesterday have been circulated, and Qin Xiao did not have anyone conceal his identity. Thus, thanks to the two ancestors Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, Chu Jiubian's fame has truly spread.
Furthermore, many people must have believed in his "divine" identity, which is why his faith value increased so quickly.
A sly smile appeared in Chu Jiubian's eyes.
So many faith points have been accumulated in just one night; they must have been contributed by well-informed people.
After dawn, more people will know about these two poems, and the faith value will definitely continue to rise.
If that's the case, then the system's statement that the faith value is likely to break 100 today is actually quite possible.
The surprise and delight upon waking up was indescribable, and Chu Jiubian's feelings were beyond words.
However, the fact that those two poems could reach so many people's ears in just one night must mean that Qin Xiao was behind it all.
Regardless of the other party's reasons for doing so, Chu Jiubian wasn't too heartbroken to tell him that saltpeter could be used to make tinderboxes and fireworks, considering that the other party had helped him by chance.
Thinking of this, he got up to get dressed and wash up, and then went to check if the saltpeter had cooled down.
Hearing movement from inside the room, Xiao Jinzi, who was guarding outside the bedchamber, immediately greeted him, "Is Young Master about to get up? May this servant come in to serve you?"
After spending time together yesterday, everyone at Yaotai Residence knew that Chu Jiubian was not a troublesome master. He was unwilling to delegate many things to others or have his servants wait on him.
Chu Jiubian had already put on his outer robe and said upon hearing this, "Bring me a basin of water."
"yes."
Before long, Little Gold and Little Silver came in together, one carrying a bucket of water and the other carrying a soap pod for washing their face and a toothbrush for brushing their teeth.
Toothbrush is a piece of willow twig; the process of chewing it with your teeth is how you clean your teeth.
Chu Jiubian had acted in several period dramas and loved learning all sorts of knowledge, so he would take every opportunity to learn. He had studied these things and was very skilled at using them.
This stuff does work, but it's nothing compared to a toothbrush, and even soap pods can't compare to bar soap.
It seems he needs to find an opportunity to produce daily necessities such as toothbrushes, tooth powder, and soap.
He needed to proceed slowly and deliberately, avoiding giving Qin Xiao the impression that he was too eager, lest the other party take him for granted or treat him as a useful tool.
After washing up, he casually tied up his long hair at the back and went out to check on the saltpeter that had been drying yesterday.
Xiao Xiangzi also got up and followed him around, looking very energetic.
Chu Jiubian carefully inspected the purified saltpeter powder and, after confirming that there were no problems, said to Xiao Xiangzi, "Go and invite your master over after the morning court session."
"Yes," Xiao Xiangzi nodded. "Is there anything else this servant needs to do?"
Chu Jiubian paused for a moment and turned to look at him.
Xiao Xiangzi immediately smiled even more warmly, his dimples deepening on both cheeks.
He's quite a likable child.
Shui Qingyun carried a tray from the back kitchen to the front yard, on which was a fairly substantial breakfast.
"Young master, breakfast is ready." The two greeted Chu Jiubian in unison.
Chu Jiubian nodded and said, "Let's eat in the courtyard."
Although the courtyard is not large, it has some scenic spots, including a small pavilion with a round stone table and four stone benches.
Shui Qingyun responded, placed breakfast on the table, and then stood aside.
Chu Jiubian walked over and sat down, and Xiao Xiangzi immediately picked up his chopsticks and handed them to him.
Chu Jiubian took it and casually asked, "Have you eaten?"
"We servants have already eaten," Xiao Xiangzi replied.
They had indeed washed up and eaten before Chu Jiubian got up, so that they could properly serve their master.
Chu Jiubian glanced at the three of them, then looked towards the main room, where Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were cleaning.
These five are his neighbors who will be living together for a long time. Although they are all Qin Xiao's people, if Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao also become an inseparable entity in public, then will he also have the opportunity to learn about the outside world through them?
A dark glint flashed in Chu Jiubian's eyes.
Not long after, he finished his breakfast and then slowly strolled around the yard again.
Xiao Xiangzi stood guard not far from him, while Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were pruning the flowers and plants in the yard and clearing away the weeds. Shui Qing and Shui Yun also put the tableware they had just used back in the kitchen, handed it to the maid, and then came to the main courtyard, standing quietly under the eaves of the main house.
Chu Jiubian squinted at the rising sun, and occasionally heard the chirping of birds.
What a great day to get closer to your neighbors!
So, the five people who were already paying attention to Chu Jiubian suddenly heard him sigh softly.
Everyone couldn't help but look over, and saw the rising sun shining down, and the ethereal young man wearing a dark blue robe, the red collar of his inner garment making his already pale skin appear even more translucent and delicate.
His light-colored pupils were gazing into the distance in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, as if he had a thousand sorrows that he could not tell anyone.
Flowers drift and fall, water flows on; one longing, two places of sorrow.
This feeling is impossible to dispel; it just moves from my brow to my heart.
The two lines of poetry appeared in their minds almost simultaneously, and Chu Jiubian in front of them seemed to have become the sentimental person in the poem who was missing his lover.
Shuiyun, being the most sentimental of them all, felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this scene and couldn't help but ask, "Young master, is something troubling you?"
After saying this, she realized that she had crossed the line and immediately bowed to apologize.
Chu Jiubian waved his hand and said, "It's alright."
Then he sighed deeply again.
This time, even Xiao Xiangzi couldn't hold back and said with concern, "Young master, if there's anything you need, you can tell me. I will do my best to help you."
Chu Jiubian glanced at him, then at the others, before saying, "It's nothing much, I just miss you all a bit."
"I...I miss you..." Xiao Xiangzi said with difficulty, "Our adults?"
Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and said no more, standing there forlornly, as if lost in his own thoughts, leaving others with endless imagination.
Don't underestimate human imagination. Free guessing and imagining are far more captivating than a story Chu Jiubian makes up himself.
Sure enough, the five people in the courtyard, apart from Chu Jiubian, looked at each other in astonishment and disbelief.
Little Silver was so frustrated that she couldn't help but get up and quietly leave the yard.
They didn't know much about Chu Jiubian, only that he was a mysterious person who seemed to have descended from the sky during the coronation ceremony and could predict things like rain. There were many different opinions.
However, none of these claims match the story of "Chu Jiubian missing Qin Xiao".
Xiao Yinzi hurried out of Yaotai Residence, heading straight for Yangxin Hall with a clear purpose. He was going to ask the eunuchs serving there what was going on. He had to find out what was happening, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to eat or sleep.
Chu Jiubian had naturally noticed him, but pretended not to know.
Go ahead and inquire. We must find out about this "love tribulation."
A notification sound suddenly rang in his mind again: [Congratulations, host, your faith value has reached 80, and is expected to break 100 by noon. Please keep up the good work.]
Chu Jiubian's eyelashes trembled slightly.
Meanwhile, in the back garden of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, twelve or thirteen unmarried young ladies from prominent families were gathered together, along with their personal maids, making a total of more than thirty people.
The girls, all in the prime of their youth, were pretty and charming, but their dresses were only a few monotonous colors, and all somewhat dull. There wasn't a single bright and beautiful color like pink or yellow.
It's not that the girls don't like these things, it's just that the dyeing technology is poor nowadays, and only a few types can be dyed.
A young girl in a pure white dress stood in the pavilion, gently waving a round fan in her hand. Her lively and clear voice sang with a smile: "I love the line 'Who sends a letter from the clouds? When the wild geese return, the moon is full over the western tower.' It's truly beautiful."
"Does Miss Su prefer the beautiful scenery of the full moon over the west tower, or does she like the 'brocade letter' sent back by someone?" another young lady teased meaningfully.
The girls immediately burst into laughter.
Su Xier immediately blushed deeply, feeling both embarrassed and ashamed: "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't laugh!"
The girls laughed even harder, making Su Xier quickly find a place to sit down and hide herself behind the girl next to her.
The girl beside him was Zhao Xi, the third daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Seeing this, she smiled, but still protected the person behind her, saying, "Alright, alright, stop teasing her. It's more important whoever is going to recite this poem."
Then another girl stood up and recited her favorite line, and everyone finally moved on from what had just happened.
Zhao Xi then turned to look at Su Xi'er beside him, and seeing that her face was still red, he couldn't help but smile again.
Su Xier blushed even more: "You're teasing me too."
"Alright, alright, stop making a fuss." Zhao Xi held her hand, leaned closer, and whispered in her ear, "I've heard that General An is doing quite well lately. Your father should be able to look at him more favorably now."
Su Xier's face flushed even more. She subconsciously looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation before she relaxed a little.
When the topic of her sweetheart came up, she couldn't help but want to talk to her girlfriends about it, so she pulled them up and headed away.
Zhao Xi then took the person to his own courtyard, where they began to have a proper chat.
“Father has indeed stopped giving him the cold shoulder lately.” Su Xi’er’s eyes were full of smiles. “It’s just that Father is reluctant to let me get married so early, and he also thinks that the man is a warrior who won’t be kind to people.”
Zhao Xi immediately said, "Who says that warriors can't be caring? I think General An is a young talent, different from other warriors. Besides, if you marry him, it will be a marriage down, and there are no elders in his family, so you will definitely live a comfortable life."
“Mother thinks so too.” A trace of melancholy appeared on Su Xi’er’s face. “But now, I’ve only met him twice. Maybe it’s just unrequited love on my part. He doesn’t even know who I am.”
“How could that be? You’re good-looking, have a good personality, and come from a good family…” Zhao Xi lowered his voice before continuing, “Besides, your father is Chunchen, someone that Prince Ning needs to befriend, and General An is Prince Ning’s subordinate. As long as you’re willing, this marriage will definitely happen.”
The powerful and influential people in the capital had complex and intertwined relationships, most of whom were entangled with the four great families and various vassal kings. However, Su Sheng, the Minister of Revenue, was different. His ancestors had fought alongside Emperor Wuzong to establish the empire, and his descendants had been loyal and devoted to the imperial family for generations.
Now Qin Xiao represents Baili Hong and the royal family, so no one would find it strange that Su Sheng associates with him.
Su Xier knew this was the truth, but as a young girl, she always thought it would be good if the person she liked also had feelings for her.
In another courtyard in the capital, young ladies gathered together, also appreciating the poem "A Spray of Plum Blossoms".
Unlike the young ladies, the wives, though laughing and joking, always seemed to be separated by something.
As they talked about poetry, they gradually began to talk about people.
From the two poets, Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, who were famous among the gentry in the capital, to the mysterious "Ninth Master".
"That Ninth Young Master can actually know the poems written by immortals, he might really be a deity descended to earth."
"I think it's probably true. Otherwise, with such tight security at the coronation ceremony, even the most skilled martial arts master in the world couldn't appear silently, right?"
"Is there really such a thing as a god in this world? I'm starting to feel a little uneasy."
“I didn’t sleep at all last night either, and I came to find you all early this morning. Why don’t we go to Lingjue Temple together this afternoon and ask the master to recite some scriptures for us, so we can feel more at ease.”
“That’s right, then it’s settled.” The host’s wife said, “We’ll have lunch here, rest for a bit, and then go to the temple.”
The ladies then hurriedly sent their maids back home to inform their families and prepare carriages and horses.
They used to believe in these supernatural tales and often went to the temple to pray for blessings together. But now that the "gods" were actually in front of them, they were filled with panic and fear, not knowing what they were afraid of.
However, their reverence was a very good thing for Chu Jiubian, this "immortal".
In just one morning, he watched his faith value rise steadily, and now it has reached a high value of "98". With just two more faith values, he will be able to open the Divine Realm!
In his excitement, he met Qin Xiao, who had rushed over after the morning court session, and the young emperor who was walking half a step in front of him.
Xiao Xiangzi and the others immediately knelt down to pay their respects.
Logically speaking, Chu Jiubian's true identity is that of a "commoner," and an unregistered resident at that, yet he has no intention of kneeling.
Filming is filming, but if he were really asked to kneel before someone, he would feel awkward, let alone kneeling before a three-year-old child.
Moreover, he now identifies himself as a "deity," so how can he follow human rules?
Perhaps it was because his attitude was so matter-of-fact that no one thought it was impolite for him to stand like that; on the contrary, they thought it was the proper way to do it.
Even Qin Xiao never mentioned that Chu Jiubian should pay his respects to him.
Baili Hong, with his short legs, moved quite quickly, almost impatiently arriving in front of Chu Jiubian, looking up at him with bright, sparkling eyes.
Perhaps it was the hot weather, but even though he had traveled by palanquin, his face was flushed and his hair was damp from the sun.
This is the male protagonist when he was a child.
Seeing that he was top-heavy and unsteady, Chu Jiubian was afraid that he might accidentally fall backward, so he squatted down.
He gave a friendly smile and took the initiative to say, "Hello, Your Majesty."
Qin Xiao stood two steps behind Baili Hong, neither too close nor too far away, just the right position to avoid putting pressure on him, yet to protect Baili Hong in case of danger.
Baili Hong sensed Chu Jiubian's goodwill and immediately smiled, revealing his white teeth, and said, "Hello, Chu Jiubian."
Chu Jiubian found it quite amusing to be addressed by his full name by such a young child.
"Chu Jiubian," Baili Hong asked impatiently, "where are the fun things?"
Chu Jiubian looked up at Qin Xiao.
The other person remained calm and even smiled at him.
It's funny how Qin Xiao, that bastard, is playing these tricks on him again.
If he doesn't produce anything good, will the little emperor find it boring?
Does Chu Jiubian qualify as "deceiving the emperor"?
Is he going to go to jail again?
Chu Jiubian remained calm and stood up, saying, "Come with me."
After saying that, he walked toward the main house.
Half an hour earlier, Chu Jiubian had estimated the end time of the morning court session and prepared the ice.
The weather is hot now, so the ice-making time will definitely be longer, but half an hour is more than enough.
Sure enough, when he pushed open the door to the main room, he felt a chill rush towards him.
It's done.
He went inside and then turned to look at the doorway.
The young emperor and Qin Xiao entered one after the other, and their expressions changed instantly.
Qin Xiao unconsciously frowned, while Baili Hong exclaimed in delight, "Chu Jiubian, it's so cool in your room!"
Chu Jiubian smiled and pointed to the large wooden barrel in the middle of the room, saying, "Your Majesty, that's the fun thing."
Baili Hong did not rush over immediately, but instead looked up at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao's gaze fell on the wooden barrel, and he vaguely guessed what was going on. His heart began to pound uncontrollably.
If that's really the case...
His carefree and nonchalant expression had vanished. He strode over and quickly reached the wooden tub, peering inside.
The next moment, a certain string in my mind seemed to snap suddenly.
It really was ice!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com