Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

At this moment, the tea on the table in the main hall of the Eighth Prince's Mansion had been refilled three times.

Zhao Yuanyan sat in the main seat, stroking the teacup in his hand, his brows furrowed, looking preoccupied, and even unconsciously sighing.

Shen Zhi, the aide seated to his left, finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up to give a deep bow: "Your Highness, ever since you returned from the palace yesterday, you have been restless. What did the Emperor instruct you on that has caused you such distress?"

"Sigh—" Zhao Yuanyan sighed deeply and shook his head.

He reached up and rubbed his temples, but this only deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"Mr. Shen, have you heard anything about that Celestial Master Zhou recently?"

Shen Zhi's expression froze. He was in charge of intelligence gathering in the entire Tokyo city for the Eighth Prince, so how could he not know about Zhou Feng?

After a few seconds of thought, Shen Zhi slowly spoke: "According to the information we received, that Celestial Master claims to be an Immortal Envoy from Penglai. It is said in the streets and alleys that he has the ability to summon thunder and fire, and he carries immortal artifacts with him. He has also presented many of these artifacts to the government. There are also reports that he performs healing rituals outside the city and has saved many people. The whereabouts of those people are currently unknown."

"The ability to summon lightning and fire is real; I was there at the time." Zhao Yuanran waved his hand, a hint of worry on his face. "If even we could receive this information, how could the Emperor not know? Now, that Celestial Master has not only won over the hearts of the people, but has also interfered in the grain, sugar, and salt markets, and even has quite a few private guards under his command..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhi's expression immediately changed.

He had served as Zhao Yuanyan's advisor for over ten years, so he was naturally very familiar with the affairs of the court.

Whether it was winning over the people, interfering in the supply of grain, salt, and sugar, or forming a private army, any one of these actions would have been enough to lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan, yet this Celestial Master actually did them all!

The fact that the government hasn't taken action yet is probably largely due to his ability to summon lightning and fire.

If someone else had said this, he might have retorted with, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits," but since his own lord said he saw it with his own eyes, then such a thing must have happened!

"This Celestial Master did indeed present the Emperor with many magical artifacts, and the Emperor believed him to be a true deity to some extent. However, his reach has now become too far-reaching. Even if the Emperor wanted to pretend not to see it, it would be impossible, and the civil officials in the court would certainly not agree to it."

Seeing the slightly solemn expression on Zhao Yuanyan's face, Shen Zhi suddenly realized something, and his eyes widened slightly: "So the Emperor sent the Prince to test us..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yuanran nodded: "His Majesty said that the relationship between ruler and subject is different between immortals and mortals. Since one is an immortal, one should not be tainted by worldly affairs. Therefore, he instructed me to consult the Celestial Master and ask what one seeks in the mortal world?"

Zhao Yuanran naturally understood the Emperor's thoughts: even if one believed in gods, one was still afraid of them, and even more afraid that gods would reach out to the Dragon Throne.

Shen Zhi remained silent for a long while before looking at Zhao Yuanyan: "Your Highness, I dare to say something I shouldn't have."

"you say."

"This Celestial Master Zhou's origins are unknown, but he possesses extraordinary abilities. We currently do not know how many tricks he has up his sleeve. The fact that he has developed to this extent in the capital city of Tokyo in just over a month speaks volumes about the power behind him. Your Highness should obey the Emperor's orders, but you must also be wary of Celestial Master Zhou's methods and prioritize your own safety."

Shen Zhi's expression was very solemn.

If his prince were to clash with any civil official or nobleman, he could naturally devise a strategy based on the other party's power and personality.

But now the other party is a legendary celestial messenger, who possesses both magic and magical artifacts.

Even if Shen Zhi were a strategist, he wouldn't dare to make any rash judgments when faced with a situation where he knew absolutely nothing about the other side.

The hall was quiet for a while before Zhao Yuanran finally spoke in a low voice: "You're right. I didn't intend to confront him head-on. I invited him here today just to have a chat and test his waters."

A wry smile appeared on his face: "After all, he is a true immortal. When an immortal gets angry, this mortal king may not be able to withstand it."

Shen Zhi smiled as well, and just as he was about to say something, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. The gatekeeper bowed and reported from outside the curtain: "Your Highness, Master Zhou from the Celestial Master's Mansion has arrived and is waiting outside the mansion gate."

Zhao Yuanran and Shen Zhi exchanged a glance. The latter immediately retreated into the back hall, while Zhao Yuanran stood up, straightened his robes, and announced loudly, "Open the main gate immediately to welcome the guests!"

"yes!"

As Zhou Feng entered the gate of the Eighth Prince's Mansion, Zhao Yuanyan was coming out from the second gate to greet him.

At this moment, the Eighth Prince had changed into a more formal dark green brocade robe and a jade belt around his waist. He greeted the guests with a smile and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Excellency Celestial Master's presence is an honor to our humble abode. Please, please come in."

Zhou Feng reluctantly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Highness is too kind. I just happened to have prepared some small trinkets, which are of little importance."

The gifts were naturally sent over temporarily by Lin Yin's side; there were three in total.

The first item was a sandalwood box about a foot long, inside which were 20 delicate sugar cubes neatly arranged.

The second item is a portable LED camping lamp with an aluminum alloy casing, a frosted lampshade, and a small solar panel on top.

Although it couldn't compare to the high-powered military flashlight given to Zhao Heng, this LED light set was sufficient for the needs of that era.

The third item was a glass mirror that was more than half a person tall, with a silver frame and a surface as clear as water.

As soon as he was carried in, he immediately caught Zhao Yuanyan's attention, causing him to walk involuntarily to the mirror and look at his reflection.

Even the finest folds on his robes were clearly visible, as were the few newly sprouted white hairs at his temples.

He couldn't resist moving closer and touching the mirror. It felt cool to the touch, unlike metal.

"What...what kind of treasure is this?"

"It's just a mirror."

Zhou Feng smiled, his tone somewhat nonchalant.

Zhao Yuanyan glanced at the mirror several more times before forcing himself to look away and leading Zhou Feng toward the main hall.

As they walked and talked, Zhao Yuanran casually asked, "I wonder when the Celestial Master returned to Tokyo. I've always wanted to have more contact with the Celestial Master, but I've never been able to find out where he is."

Zhou Feng's expression remained unchanged, but his tone turned cold: "If the Prince wants to find me, he can simply send someone to the Celestial Master's Mansion to deliver the message. However, recently some villains have been eyeing my fiancée, so I'm afraid we'll need to take action against the people at the Celestial Master's Mansion."

Zhao Yuanyan's smile froze for a moment, then immediately turned indignant: "Such a thing has happened right under the emperor's nose! Rest assured, Celestial Master, I will definitely send men to arrest this scoundrel, so your wife can be at ease!"