Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Mu Sheng listened, his eyes wide, wondering what this elixir would taste like. After thinking for a long time, he finally managed to stammer, "Then this elixir... could I also...?"

"Of course, why not?" Qiu Fu chuckled.

"As long as you fight well alongside His Highness Prince Rui, you'll get everything you deserve once you've earned merit. Now is the perfect time; there are plenty of opportunities to make a name for yourself in the great battle of Dongdu."

"Hehe, Brother Qiu, you're so knowledgeable, why don't you tell me more about our Prince Rui?" Mu Sheng said with a fawning smile.

Qiu Fu secretly made a hand gesture to a few military officers beside him, and they smiled knowingly.

Don't worry, it's being recorded!

When he was telling Mu Sheng about Prince Rui earlier, he only mentioned the communication jade tablet, but didn't go into detail about its functions, all for the sake of this moment.

According to Zhu Gaoxu, for the brotherhood between men to be stable, they must have some dirt on each other.

Qiu Fu now deeply understands this statement.

While boasting about his knowledge to his new partner Mu Sheng and enjoying Mu Sheng's praise, he also secretly recorded Mu Sheng's "dirt" on him. This is called making two birds with one stone.

On the other side, in Yingtian Prefecture.

Since hearing about the Investiture of the Gods yesterday, the entire inner palace has never truly been at peace.

Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, Crown Princess Zhang Yan, Princess Wei of Han, Prince Zhu Gaosui of Zhao, and Princess Weng of Zhao—which of them wasn't experiencing turmoil in their hearts?

Even the usually composed Empress Xu was unable to recover for a long time.

All they ever thought was that if their fourth son were to ascend to the celestial realm one day, they, his closest relatives, could benefit from it, gain some divine favor, and prolong their lives.

But what did the fourth brother say yesterday? He said it was about bestowing titles upon gods. There was a chance they could each be given a divine position! That's terrifying!

Ever since receiving the news, no one at the mahjong table has been in the mood to play cards.

After barely managing two rounds, Empress Xu could tell that everyone was distracted and playing cards terribly.

She put down her cards and said, "Let's stop playing and just sit and chat for a while."

So the card game ended, tea and snacks were served, but the conversation kept revolving around the words "Investiture of the Gods," and the more they talked, the more outrageous it became.

Empress Xu listened for a while, then frowned slightly.

When Crown Princess Zhang Yan spoke, every word she uttered was about the fourth prince, as if she wanted to keep mentioning "fourth brother" on her lips.

Princess Wei, the wife of the King of Han, remained composed, but she had lost her usual fiery temper and spoke cautiously in every word.

Princess Consort Weng of Zhao was usually a woman of few words, but at this moment she spoke frequently, saying things like "Fourth Uncle is incredibly powerful."

Empress Xu put down her teacup and sighed softly, "Alright, that's enough. Even I find it awkward to hear you talking like this."

The three of them fell silent at the same time.

Empress Xu glanced at them, her words carrying a hint of guidance: "The fourth prince is a loyal and affectionate child, and his brothers have a good relationship with him."

"As his sisters-in-law, you must never flatter or fawn over him just because he has become very capable. That will only make him feel distant."

"Just do as you always have. Treat him like a younger brother, that's the best way. Don't worry, as long as you don't make any big mistakes, you'll all retain your positions as gods in your respective families. Fourth Brother isn't that kind of heartless person."

After she finished speaking, Empress Xu told them to go back to their respective residences and think about it.

She understood how much this news would impact her daughters-in-law. Putting herself in their shoes, if she weren't the "mother," she wouldn't dare say she could have remained calm if she were a daughter-in-law.

Give them some time; they'll figure it out eventually.

The three men rose to take their leave, each with a different expression.

The principles are clear, but putting them into practice is not so easy.

As soon as Crown Princess Zhang Yan returned to the Eastern Palace, she sent a message to Zhu Gaochi using a jade token, and waited for Zhu Gaochi to return to his residence.

"Your Highness! You finally know to come back!" Zhu Gaochi returned after handling state affairs and had just picked up his teacup to take a sip of water when Zhang Yan pulled him into the inner palace.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Zhu Gaochi was caught off guard by Zhang Yan's sudden action.

All the palace maids and eunuchs were dismissed, and the palace doors were closed.

Before Zhu Gaochi could react, he nearly spilled his teacup: "What are you doing! I haven't had any water yet! Let me have a sip!"

Zhang Yan ignored him: "Why are you drinking water? The sky is falling, and you're still drinking water!"

"What do you mean the sky has fallen? You're talking nonsense." Zhu Gaochi was completely baffled by these words.

"It's that post from the second oldest in the group, about the fourth brother's deification. What are you planning to do about it?"

Zhu Gaochi took a sip of his drink, patted the back of her hand, and said calmly, "Oh, about this matter! Don't worry about the Fourth Prince's deification. Just do what you normally would, and continue as usual with the Fourth Prince. There's no need to rush things."

After speaking, Zhu Gaochi picked up his teacup again and began to blow on it while drinking the tea.

"What should we do? What should we do?" Zhang Yan exploded upon hearing this, her voice suddenly rising like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Your Highness! I've been married to you for so many years, and you've always been like this! You never fight or compete, and you always give in to everything."

"I'm worried! But you're so carefree and nonchalant, acting like it's none of your business."

"The second son will get all the benefits, he'll be living like a god in heaven, and the rest of us will just be watching from the ground!"

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became. Her eyes reddened, and tears fell. She hurriedly tried to wipe them away with a handkerchief, but the more she wiped, the more tears streamed down her face.

Zhu Gaochi couldn't bear to see her cry, so he quickly put down his teacup, rushed forward, and both bowed and coaxed her: "Oh dear, why are you crying again! It's not that I don't care, I just have a plan in mind!"

"Listen to me, the more familiar you are with the fourth brother, the closer he will be to you."

"Besides, I'm his older brother. What would I look like if I were to fawn over him?"

"Don't worry, although I haven't gained any great advantage, when have you ever seen me suffer a loss?"

Zhang Yan looked up at him, sobbing, "That's true? But don't lie to me."

Zhu Gaochi patted her hand, his face filled with helplessness and heartache: "I'm not lying to you, I'm not lying to you. Stop crying, you know I hate seeing you cry. Be good."

Zhang Yan slowly stopped crying, but tears still clung to the corners of her eyes. She choked out, "Then Your Highness must take this seriously!"

"Okay, okay, I take it seriously, I take it seriously. Come here, come here, look how you're crying." Zhu Gaochi walked up to her, took a handkerchief and wiped her face, and it took him a while to coax her back to calm down.

At the Prince Zhao's residence, however, the scene was quite different.

Mrs. Weng was usually a woman of few words, believing that "it's better to speak wisely than to speak a lot." But today's matter was too big, too big for her to sit still.

As soon as Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, entered the door, Lady Weng went up to him and, unusually, talked with him for quite a while.

She laid out her points clearly and logically, listing all the aspects that the Investiture of the Gods might affect. She also mentioned that the Prince of Han and the Fourth Prince had the best relationship and were now going on an expedition together. If there were any benefits, the Prince of Han's mansion would probably get them first.

After listening, Zhu Gaosui smiled and helped her sit down: "You just worry too much."

"I know your fourth brother's personality better than you do. If you treat him well, he will treat you well in return. There's no need to be too deliberate."

"Besides, the second and fourth brothers are the best. With them in the middle, we're bound to benefit a lot."

He paused, then smiled and said, "Putting everything else aside, Fourth Brother truly loves our Yao Yao."

"Look at him, every time Fourth Brother sees Yao Yao, he holds her in his arms and plays with her himself. You should just relax and continue as usual."

Lady Weng looked at him for a moment, and seeing that he spoke with certainty, she nodded gently: "Your Highness is right, then I am at ease."

Zhu Gaosui patted her hand, tidied the stray hairs by her temples, and smiled, "Don't worry!"