Chu Jiubian opened the System interface and saw that the Faith Value column now displayed a shining 58 points!
In disbelief, he logged out and logged in again, only to see that his points had risen again to 59.
What had happened last night?
Chu Jiubian pondered, and quickly made a guess.
The two poems he wrote down yesterday must have spread. And Qin Xiao must not have told anyone to hide Chu Jiubian’s identity, so thanks to the ancestors Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, Chu Jiubian’s name had really spread.
And in order for his Faith Value to have increased so quickly, there must be many people who believed in his identity as a “god.”
A cunning smile surfaced in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.
For there to be so many faith points in one night, they must have been contributed by well-informed people.
After daybreak, more people would find out about these two poems, and the Faith Value would assuredly continue to rise.
If this was the case, then the System’s words about the Faith Value exceeding 100 today was likely to come to fruition.
With such a pleasant surprise upon waking, the state of Chu Jiubian’s mood was self-evident.
However, for those two poems to have reached the ears of so many people in just one night, Qin Xiao must have been fanning the flames behind the scenes.
No matter the other party’s reasons, considering the fact that he had helped him by accident, Chu Jiubian didn’t find it so painful to tell him that saltpeter could be used to make tinderboxes and fireworks.
When he heard sounds inside the room, Xiao Xiangzi immediately greeted him from where he was standing guard outside the door: “Is the Young Master getting up? May this servant come in and serve you?”
After yesterday’s interactions, everyone in Yaotai Residence knew that Chu Jiubian was not a fussy person. He was unwilling to delegate many things to others, and nor did he want the servants to wait on him.
Chu Jiubian had already put on his overrobe, and said: “Get me a basin of water.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Yinzi and Xiao Jinzi came in together, one holding a basin of water and the other holding soap for washing his face and a brush for brushing his teeth.
The toothbrush was a piece of a willow branch, and the process of crushing it between your teeth performed the function of cleaning them.
Chu Jiubian had acted in several costume dramas and liked to pick up various bits of knowledge, so he learned whenever he had the chance. He had studied these things, and could use them skillfully.
This method did work, but it was no match for an actual toothbrush, and this soap was no match for modern soap either.
It seemed he would need to find an opportunity to make daily necessities such as toothbrushes, tooth powder, and soap.
But he needed to take things one step at a time and not give Qin Xiao the illusion that he was too proactive, lest the other party not take him seriously or simply treat him as a useful tool.
After washing up, he carefully tied his long hair at the back and went to check on the saltpeter that had been set out to dry yesterday.
Xiao Xiangzi also got up and followed him in high spirits.
Chu Jiubian thoroughly inspected the purified saltpeter, and after confirming that there were no problems, he said to Xiao Xiangzi: “After the morning court session, go and invite your lord over.”
“Yes.” Xiao Xiangzi nodded. “Is there anything else this servant should do?”
Chu Jiubian paused, then gave him a sideways glance.
Xiao Xiangzi smiled with even more friendliness, and the dimples on his cheeks deepened.
He was a very likeable child.
Shui Qing and Shui Yun came from the kitchen to the front courtyard, carrying a fairly substantial tray of breakfast.
“Young Master, breakfast is ready,” the two of them greeted him together.
Chu Jiubian said with a nod: “I’ll eat in the courtyard.”
Although it wasn’t a large courtyard, there was some scenery available, as well as a small pavilion with a round stone table and four stone benches.
Shui Qing and Shui Yun responded affirmatively, then placed breakfast on the table and moved aside.
Chu Jiubian walked over and sat down, and Xiao Xiangzi immediately picked up the chopsticks and handed them to him.
Chu Jiubian took them and asked casually: “Have you eaten?”
“This servant has already eaten,” Xiao Xiangzi replied.
They had all indeed washed and eaten before Chu Jiubian woke up, so that they could serve their master well.
Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but look between the three of them, then toward the main house where Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were cleaning.
These five people were his neighbors, with whom he would be cohabitating for an extended period of time. Although they were all Qin Xiao’s people, if Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao appeared to be an indivisible whole on the surface, then he and these five people could be considered colleagues, right?
And if they were all colleagues in the future, would it be okay to complain about Qin Xiao, their “boss,” and chat about gossip and their daily goings-on?
A dim light flashed in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.
Soon after, he finished his breakfast and began to pace around the courtyard.
Xiao Xiangzi stood nearby, and Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were pruning the courtyard’s flowers and plants and dealing with weeds. Shui Qing and Shui Yun brought the used tableware back to the kitchen and handed it to a maid, then came back to the main courtyard and stood quietly under the eaves of the main house.
Chu Jiubian squinted his eyes at the rising sun. From time to time, he could hear the chirping of birds.
What a great day for a heart-to-heart talk, ah.
The five people who were focused on Chu Jiubian heard him give a soft sigh.
They automatically looked over, and saw the morning sun shining down on a young man with the appearance of a banished immortal. He wore a dark blue set of robes, and the red collar of his inner garments made his already pale skin look even more delicate and translucent.
His light-hued eyes were gazing far away in the direction of Yangxin Palace, as if he had a heart full of sorrows and no one to tell them to.
Flowers fall and water flows, one kind of longing, and two kinds of idle worries.
There is no way to dispel this feeling. It has only just left my brow, yet still it lingers in my heart.
These two lines of poetry simultaneously emerged in the minds of this group of people, and Chu Jiubian in front of them seemed to have become the passionate individual who was yearning for his lover.
Shui Yun was a sentimental person. When she saw this scene, she felt a pang of sadness and asked: “Young Master, is there anything on your mind?”
After asking this, she suddenly realized that she may have crossed a line and immediately bowed and apologized.
Chu Jiubian waved a hand and said: “It’s okay.” Then he gave another deep sigh.
This time, it was Xiao Xiangzi who couldn’t stop himself. He asked in concern: “Young Master, if there is anything you need, please say it. This servant will do his best to help you.”
Chu Jiubian looked at him, then glanced at the others: “It’s nothing serious. I just miss your lord a little bit.”
“M-miss…..” Xiao Xiangzi spoke with difficulty. “Our lord?”
Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and said nothing more. He just sat there dejectedly as if lost in his own thoughts, leaving the others to their endless imaginings.
The power of the imagination should not be underestimated. Free speculation and filling in the blanks was much more preferable to Chu Jiubian than making up a story himself.
Sure enough, the five people in the courtyard aside from Chu Jiubian exchanged glances at this moment, their eyes full of surprise and disbelief.
Xiao Yinzi was so agitated and uncomfortable that he could only get up and quietly leave the courtyard.
They actually didn’t know much about Chu Jiubian. They only knew that he was a mysterious person who fell from the sky during the coronation ceremony and predicted the rainfall, and there were many different opinions about him.
However, none of these opinions was consistent with the idea that “Chu Jiubian missed Qin Xiao.”
Xiao Yinzi hurried out of Yaotai Residence and headed straight to Yangxin Palace with a clear purpose, intending to question the eunuchs serving there. He had to figure out what was going on, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep.
Chu Jiubian naturally noticed him, but feigned ignorance.
Go ahead and find out. You should hear the truth about this “love tribulation,” ah.
Suddenly, a notification sounded in his mind: [Congratulations, Host. Your Faith Value has reached 80 and is expected to exceed 100 by noon. Please keep up the good work.]
Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
At the same time, in the back gardens of the Minister of Personnel’s manor, unmarried young ladies from noble families gathered together. There were twelve or thirteen of them, plus their maids, for a total of more than thirty people.
These were all beautiful, lively girls in their prime, but the dresses they wore had monotonous colors, and were all a bit dull. There was not a single bright, pretty color like pink or yellow.
It wasn’t that the girls didn’t like such things, but dying technology was limited in this era, and there were only a few types of dyes that could be produced.
A girl in a pure white dress stood in the pavilion, gently waving the round fan in her hand. In a bright, clear voice, she said: “My favorite line is ‘who sent this brocade letter from the clouds? When the geese return, the moon is full over the western tower.’ It is truly beautiful.”
“Seond Miss Su, is it the ‘full moon over the western tower’ you like, or the ‘brocade letter’ sent back by someone?” Another young lady teased suggestively.
The girls immediately all laughed out loud.
Su Xi’er’s face instantly flushed, and she said in embarrassment: “What nonsense is this? Stop laughing!”
The girls laughed even more heartily, and Su Xi’er hurriedly found a place to sit where she could hide herself behind the girl next to her.
That girl was none other than Zhao Xi, Third Miss Zhao of the Minister of Personnel’s family. She laughed when she saw this, but still shielded the other girl behind her, saying: “Okay, okay, stop teasing her. Who wants to speak next and get back to proper business?”
Another girl then stood up to recite her favorite line, and everyone moved on from the previous one.
Zhao Xi turned to look at Su Xi’er beside her. Seeing that her face was still red, she couldn’t help but smile.
Su Xi’er was even more embarrassed: “You’re teasing me too.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t make any more trouble.” Zhao Xi held her hand and moved closer, whispering in her ear: “I heard that Commander An has been in favor recently. Your father should have a better attitude toward him now.”
Su Xi’er’s face flamed even hotter. She subconsciously looked around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation, and only then did she somewhat relax.
Now that her beloved had been mentioned, she couldn’t help but want to talk to her friend about him, so she pulled the other girl to her feet to go elsewhere.
Zhao Xi simply took her to her own courtyard, and they chattered away.
“Father has indeed stopped being so hostile toward him recently.” Su Xie’er beamed. “But he is reluctant to allow me to marry so early, and he also thinks that a warrior like him won’t be caring enough.”
Zhao Xi said at once: “Who says warriors can’t be caring? From what I’ve seen, the young and talented Commander An is different from other warriors. Besides, you’ll be marrying down if you marry him, and there are no elders in his family, so you’ll definitely live an unrestrained life.”
“Mother feels the same way.” There was a trace of desolation on Su Xi’er’s face. “But he and I have only met two times. Perhaps my feelings are unrequited and he doesn’t even know who I am.”
“How could that be? You have good looks, a good personality, and you come from a good family…..” Zhao Xi lowered her voice and continued: “Besides, your father is a loyal minister, exactly the kind of person Lord Ning-wang wants to befriend, and Commander An is one of Lord Ning-wang’s subordinates. As long as you’re interested, this marriage will definitely be a success.”
The relationships between the elite in the capital were complicated. Most of them were related to the four great families and various vassal kings, but Minister of Revenue Su Sheng was different. His ancestors had followed Emperor Wuzong to conquer the territory, and the generations that followed were all loyal ministers to the Imperial family.
Qin Xiao now represented Bai Lihong and the Imperial family, and no one would think it wrong for Su Sheng to develop close ties with him.
Su Xi’er knew this was the truth, but in her girlish worries, she also thought it would be ideal if her beloved also had feelings for her.
*
*
At another manor in the capital, a group of ladies were gathered to enjoy the same poem: [A Spray of Plum Blossoms].
Unlike the young girls, although these ladies also wore smiles on their faces, such expressions appeared much more distant.
And as they discussed the poem, they also began to discuss people – from the Immortal Poet and the Scholar of Serenity, to the mysterious “Jiu-gongzi.”
“Jiu-gongzi actually seems to comprehend the poems written by immortals. I fear he really is a god who descended to the mortal world.”
“I think it’s probably true. Otherwise, with the coronation ceremony being so heavily guarded, even the most formidable martial arts master wouldn’t have been able to appear so silently, right?”
“There really are gods in this world. Why do I feel a little panicked?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I came to see you all early this morning. Why don’t we go to Lingjue Temple this afternoon and ask the master to chant some scriptures for us so that we can feel more at ease?”
“Perfect. Then it’s settled,” the lady of the host family said. “We’ll all have lunch here at noon, take a break, and then go to the temple.”
The ladies of each family quickly instructed their maids to go back and report to their families, and to arrange for carriages and horses.
They had also believed in gods and the supernatural before, and often invited each other to go to the temple to pray for blessings. But now that a “god” was actually in front of them, they were panicked and frightened, but without a clear idea of what they were afraid of.
But for the “god” Chu Jiubian, their reverent and fearful awe was the best thing.
Just this morning, he had witnessed his Faith Value skyrocket all the way to 98. With two more points, he would be able to open the Divine Realm!
While in this state of excitement, he saw Qin Xiao arrive after morning court with the young emperor walking half a step ahead of him.
Xiao Xiangzi and the others immediately knelt to pay their respects.
Logically speaking, Chu Jiubian’s actual identity now was that of a “commoner” and illegal resident, but the thought of kneeling didn’t even cross his mind.
Doing it while shooting a movie was one thing, but he would be uncomfortable kneeling before someone, especially when that person was a three-year-old child.
Besides, he had given himself the identity of a “god,” so why should he follow the customs of mortals?
Perhaps because his attitude was so matter-of-fact, nobody thought it was rude for him to remain standing, but instead thought it was the way things should be.
Even Qin Xiao had never told Chu Jiubian to observe etiquette.
Bai Lihong moved very quickly on his short legs, approaching Chu Jiubian almost eagerly to look up at him with sparkling eyes.
Perhaps it was because of the hot weather, but even though he had come here in a sedan chair, his face was sun-reddened and his hair was damp.
This was the male protagonist in his childhood, ah.
Seeing him wobble, Chu Jiubian was afraid he would accidentally tumble backwards, so he crouched down.
He gave a friendly smile and took the initiative to say: “Hello, Your Majesty.”
Qin Xiao stood a couple of steps behind Bai Lihong, neither too close nor too far. It was a position that put no pressure on the other person, but was still within the immediate range to protect him.
Bai Lihong sensed Chu Jiubian’s friendliness and smiled with his little white teeth, saying: “Hello, Chu Jiubian.”
Chu Jiubian found it quite amusing to be called by his full name by such a small child.
“Chu Jiubian,” Bai Lihong asked impatiently, “Where is the fun thing?”
Chu Jiubian raised his eyes to look at Qin Xiao.
The other party was calm and composed, and even offered him a smile.
A fun thing? This bastard Qin Xiao was messing with him again.
If he hadn’t made something good, wouldn’t the young emperor be bored?
Then wouldn’t Chu Jiubian have committed the crime of “deceiving the emperor?”
Wouldn’t he have been sent to prison again?
Chu Jiubian’s expression was tranquil. He stood up and said: “Follow me.”
Having said this, he headed toward the main house.
As early as half an hour ago, Chu Jiubian had estimated the time when morning court would end and made ice.
It would take longer for the ice to form now that the weather was hot, but over half an hour was definitely sufficient.
Sure enough, he felt the chill hit him when he opened the main door.
It was done.
He entered the room and turned to look toward the door.
The young emperor and Qin Xiao walked in one after another, and their expressions changed in an instant.
Qin Xiao unconsciously frowned, while Bai Lihong exclaimed in delight: “Chu Jiubian, it’s so cool in your house, ah!”
Chu Jiubian smiled and pointed to a large barrel in the room, saying: “Your Majesty, that is the fun thing.”
Bai Lihong didn’t run over immediately, but instead glanced at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao’s gaze fell on the wooden barrel. He had a vague suspicion in mind, and was unable to stop his heart from beating wildly.
If it was true…..
The frivolous, carefree look on his face had long vanished. He took long strides toward the barrel and peered inside.
In the next moment, a string in his mind seemed to snap.
It was actually ice!
Consider donating via Kofi here.
Neon Dragonfly Translations 