The Alchemists Arrive

"It's already mealtime. Why are you all still standing here?"

Jiang Yunsheng was puzzled that no one from the Imperial Kitchen had come to serve the dishes yet. Had those people stopped respecting even the Empress and the Crown Prince? Did they think their nine generations of relatives had lived too long?

Yet the moment he spoke, the room fell silent.

Xiao Xiao, in particular, felt a rush of heat surge straight to the crown of her head.

Jiang Chengze could hardly undermine his mother, so he could only remain silent.

Jiang Nuan's thoughts, however, laid everything bare.

[Hmm, I suppose that counted as eating? But Mother's cooking really isn't something ordinary people can stomach!]

Upon hearing that, Jiang Yunsheng immediately understood what had happened.

Xiao Xiao had cooked for him before, too. As for the taste, the less said, the better.

"Go and have the Imperial Kitchen send over a table of dishes. As it happens, I haven't eaten today either."

A palace maid immediately obeyed and went to fetch a table of dishes.

[Wah, now this is proper food! It smells amazing! The Imperial Kitchen really lives up to its reputation!]

Jiang Nuan's tears treacherously flowed from the corners of her mouth.

After the meal, Jiang Nuan and Jiang Chengze left.

She really was exhausted that day, so shortly after returning, she lay down to rest.

Yet somewhere in the back of her mind, she kept feeling as though she had forgotten something...

In the middle of the night, Jiang Nuan suddenly woke with a start.

[Wait a minute! Weren't those officials opposed to me attending court? Why did nothing come of it?]

She had been so engrossed in feasting on gossip that she had actually forgotten about it.

Jiang Nuan slapped her forehead in frustration. How could she be so stupid? She could feast on gossip anytime! But attending court affected her sleep!

If she didn't sleep well, she wouldn't grow tall, and her health would suffer. Then her life would be shorter, and she wouldn't get to do so many of the things she wanted.

[Those officials are really letting me down. I hope they keep impeaching me tomorrow so I'll have a perfectly good reason not to attend court!]

With that thought in mind, Jiang Nuan drifted back into dreamland.

With court attendance on her mind, Jiang Nuan got up on her own to wash as soon as the sky began to brighten. Once she was ready, it was almost time for court, yet no one had come to fetch her.

[Huh? What's going on? Why hasn't anyone come to take me to court today? Does this mean I never have to go again?]

Hearing her confusion, Guagua said in surprise:

[Host, didn't you know today is a rest day?]

[Huh? A rest day? Today is actually a rest day? I dragged myself out of bed at the crack of dawn, and now you tell me it's a rest day? Guagua, why didn't you remind me sooner? Waaaah~]

Jiang Nuan wanted to cry but had no tears. Heaven only knew how much willpower it had taken her to crawl out from under her warm covers.

Guagua fell silent for a moment before saying:

[I thought you knew, Host~]

If only she had known!

Upon learning that it was a rest day, Jiang Nuan decisively discarded the shoes and socks she had just put on, dove under the covers, and began coaxing herself back to sleep.

Before long, she was fast asleep.

This time, she slept until the sun was high in the sky.

After she woke and finished her meal, a eunuch came to inform her that her scumbag father had summoned her, and that a group of Alchemists had already entered the palace.

[My scumbag father actually moved that fast?]

What Jiang Nuan didn't know was that her words the previous day had spurred Jiang Yunsheng into action. No emperor could withstand the temptation of unifying the world.

If not for the shred of reason he still retained, he would have summoned these Alchemists into the palace overnight.

The Alchemists were currently in the imperial garden, along with several officials and their wives.

Having witnessed some of the Alchemists' "miracles," they already believed in them without question. Upon learning that the emperor wanted to summon Alchemists as well, they had unhesitatingly sent over the Alchemists retained as honored guests in their households.

If these men truly won the emperor's appreciation and helped them secure promotions in turn, that would be quite welcome.

Thus, when Jiang Nuan arrived, she found a dense crowd of people, seemingly thirty or forty in all.

After paying her respects, Jiang Nuan ran over to Jiang Yunsheng and asked, "Father, what's going on?"

"Nuan Nuan, you've arrived just in time. Daoist Master Zhang is about to demonstrate a 'miracle.' Watch closely."

Those miracles were all feats beyond the abilities of ordinary people. After seeing them, Jiang Yunsheng had briefly wondered whether Jiang Nuan had misjudged them, but after that fleeting moment, he chose to trust her.

If immortals truly existed, then his daughter Nuan Nuan surely ranked among them. Nuan Nuan had said these men were swindlers, so swindlers they must be. He simply hadn't discovered the flaw yet.

[Those 'miracles' are all fake, nothing but tricks to fool people. Just watch how I expose them in a moment!]

Upon hearing Jiang Yunsheng say they were going to perform miracles, Jiang Nuan curled her lips and silently grumbled.

The next moment, Jiang Nuan sensed several malicious gazes upon her. She instinctively looked over, but saw only a few Alchemists, all of whom had turned their eyes away. She couldn't tell which ones it had been.

Unbeknownst to her, those Alchemists had glanced at her after hearing her thoughts. Seeing that she was merely a little brat, they were deeply displeased. None of the officials present, nor the emperor himself, had called them frauds. What did a little brat know?

Although the officials had also heard her thoughts, far more of them believed in the Alchemists. In their eyes, the Ninth Princess might possess a few wondrous qualities, but she fell far short of these men.

"Your Majesty, this humble commoner recently had the good fortune to receive guidance from an immortal in heaven and cultivate skin of bronze and bones of iron. I can retrieve objects from boiling oil without suffering the slightest injury. Please permit me to demonstrate."

An alchemist stepped forward and saluted Jiang Yunsheng with clasped hands.

Jiang Yunsheng nodded calmly. "You may."

Once Jiang Yunsheng had nodded his approval, the alchemist told the young attendant behind him, "Go and fetch a pot of boiling oil."

The boy obeyed and left. Before long, he returned carrying a large pot of oil.

The hot oil in the pot bubbled continuously. Even from a distance, the officials felt as though they could sense its heat.

After the pot of still-boiling oil was set down, the alchemist saluted Jiang Yunsheng and the officials with clasped hands, then tossed a palm-sized stone into the pot.

Next, he performed a series of mysterious hand gestures while chanting under his breath.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and plunged his hand straight into the still-boiling oil. He grasped the stone, slowly lifted it out, and displayed it to everyone present!

"Excellent! Amazing, truly amazing!"

"Daoist Master Zhang truly deserves his reputation as a man who can communicate with the immortals in heaven. This feat of retrieving an object from boiling oil is proof enough!"

"Daoist Master Zhang, please do teach us the secret of eternal life. I would gladly receive you as my most honored guest!"

This single demonstration completely won over the officials, and quite a few showed an interest in befriending him.

Just then, a childish voice rang out clearly.

[That's it? I could do that too!]