Capital, an unnamed small courtyard.
"...We followed the arrangements made by Master Turquoise Pool, focusing mostly on being covert. We didn't act on the day when Jiajing favored Consort Cao endearingly, and all other times we weakened his Yang Qi when he was exhausted after doting on consorts and palace maids."
Qi Die's voice was charming, and she recounted the events of the past ten days in a melodious and pleasing manner, with a clear train of thought. It was evident that she had carefully organized her report in her mind and figured out precisely how to present it.
Li Changzhou nodded, "You've done well."
One of Bi's subordinates suddenly gave a deep curtsey, "My lord Li, if we've done well, is there any reward?"
Li Changzhou was taken aback, not only by her sudden request for a reward... but also by a blonde Russian woman suddenly performing Xia Country's etiquette.
Laughter filled the room; there were fifteen people in total, with Li Changzhou being the only man. Everyone wanted to tease him and see him being teased.
"They have been watching Jiajing closely these days and have learned the customs of the Ming Dynasty," Qi Die explained with a smile.
Li Changzhou chuckled and turned to look at Yang Qinglan, who was smiling with pursed lips, "What else do we have at home?"
"Blood Pearl."
"Has it come to the point where I have to sell my blood?"
Li Qianxia reminded him, "Big brother, our house has always been poor."
The Russian female Player who had just performed the courtesy straightened up, about to say never mind when Turquoise Pool interjected with a smile, "I will take care of it."
A streak of golden light illuminated the room, with the temperature rising rapidly. The skin felt hot, a kind of comfortable heat, and a sunflower appeared in her hand.
A small half of the sunflower seeds on the disk was already missing. Her slender fingers flicked off twenty seeds from it.
"Two seeds for each of you."
"What's this?" Li Qianxia asked curiously.
Turquoise Pool flicked three seeds to her then, holding the sunflower, she beamed more brightly than the flowers toward Li Changzhou, "Do you know what the flower language of the sunflower is?"
"What flower language? Valentine's Day chocolates, Halloween safety fruits, all are capitalists' conspiracies."
"It's both a conspiracy and not," Turquoise Pool said with a smile, "People always have the desire for a happy and beautiful life. Isn't life more wonderful if you have someone willing to give you flowers or look forward to receiving an apple from someone on Halloween?"
Li Changzhou looked toward Yang Qinglan, appraising her, then nodded with a smile.
"You're blind!" Exasperated, Turquoise Pool grabbed a handful of seeds from the sunflower and hurled them at his face.
Li Changzhou flicked his sleeve and caught the golden sunflower seeds as if they were crafted from gold.
[Name: Mana Sunflower・Sunflower Seeds]
[Type: Item]
[Quality: B]
[Special Effect: Restores Mana]
[Minimum Use Conditions: Life Form]
[Introduction: Consuming one sunflower seed restores 200 units of Mana in ten seconds (equivalent to two hundred "Ability")]
[Note: The flower language of the sunflower is silent love, my eyes only see you—thus it can only restore Mana. If "Ability" is converted into 'True Qi', 'Inner Strength', 'Magic Power', 'Fighting Energy', etc., it is useless]
He took out a seed and handed it to Yang Qinglan.
"Isn't this one of the ingredients in the fifty free elixir recipes of the 'Little Jade Cauldron'?"
Yang Qinglan scrutinized the golden sunflower seed in her fingers.
"Right, brother, did Jiajing agree to your terms when you entered the palace today?" Li Qianxia inquired curiously.
"Seventy to eighty percent," Li Changzhou responded.
At this moment, Shui Nu's expression suddenly calmed as if she was listening to something.
Everyone noticed her change and quietly awaited her report.
After a while, Shui Nu came back to her senses and said, "The water I placed in the palace vase has heard Jiajing's conversation with Tao Zhongwen."
"Release it," Turquoise Pool commanded.
Shui Nu nodded slightly, and with a splash, her form changed from a clear figure to a curtain of water. Displayed on the watery screen was the scene of Emperor Jiajing receiving Li Shizhen and Tao Zhongwen.
The sound of flowing water gradually diminished, and Emperor Jiajing's voice became increasingly distinct.
Yang Qinglan, who had been examining the sunflower seeds, looked up too. Li Changzhou glanced at her, using his gaze to inquire if this was the ingredient from the elixir recipe.
Yang Qinglan gave a slight nod.
Li Changzhou grabbed her hand and stuffed the remaining seeds into it, taking the opportunity to feel her hand thoroughly. Her skin was silky smooth, cool, and slightly chilly to the touch.
The feel of it was not really important. What mattered was the warmth of their skin contact.
Well, not to deceive oneself, both were important.
Li Changzhou received a kick from Turquoise Pool, who might have been reminding him to focus on serious matters, or perhaps showing her jealousy.
Yang Qinglan withdrew her hand, and Li Changzhou could only turn his attention back to the watery screen, though he still listened with his ears and his peripheral vision remained on her.
'...If Your Majesty agrees, there will be a life-and-death crisis within a year; One hundred and four years later, the Great Ming Dynasty will inevitably be in chaos, and he who disorders Great Ming must bear the surname Li.'
'Is it Li Changzhou?'
'Heavenly Mechanism is obscure; I cannot see clearly.'
'What is this life-and-death crisis you speak of?'
'Your Majesty, by cultivating the Dao with the Emperor's body, if you succeed, the empire will remain unshaken for ten thousand years. Neither heaven nor earth will allow this, and neither will the common folk.'
'Are you suggesting that there will be incessant natural and manmade disasters, and that there will be assassination attempts against me?'
'Heavenly Mechanism is unpredictable, visible only to those with great fortune. I have already done my best.'
'I'm only asking you, have I embarked on the path of Daoist cultivation?'
'Yes, you have.'
"The Li that Tao Zhongwen mentioned, could it be Li Zicheng?" Li Qianxia turned to ask.
"It is him," Li Changzhou said with a headache.
Although he shared the common surname Li, it was purely coincidental that he had the same family name as Li Zicheng, which was as common as it got.
Yang Qinglan, embracing Ruyi, pondered with her striking beauty, "Originally in history, it was Li Zicheng who stormed into the Capital, leading to Emperor Chongzhen hanging himself on Wansui Mountain. In other words, in actual history, since Jiajing entered the path of Daoism, that was why he encountered the Renyin Palace Change in 1542 and thereafter moved to live in the West Garden, devotedly practicing mysticism."