Exposed

"Who was that? Who dared insult this Daoist so outrageously?"

Alchemists Zhang glared furiously! How dare some little brat speak to him like that!

His gaze settled on Jiang Nuan. After all, she was the only person present with a voice that young, and he could clearly see the disdain in her eyes.

"Might I ask what guidance the Ninth Princess has to offer?"

He was not a magnanimous man. Had it not been for Jiang Nuan's status, he would already have snapped back at her. Even so, he was deeply displeased.

Everywhere he went, the local powerful and wealthy treated him as an honored guest. Even the rulers of other countries had never looked down on him like this. How could he possibly swallow it?

So he chose to ask her outright. If the Ninth Princess could not give him a proper explanation, he would not let it slide!

Huh? Me? Why did he suddenly bring me into this? Was the disbelief in my eyes too obvious? Well, since he's called on me, shall I give it a try?

Wait, hold on. Why does this Daoist look like he's seen a ghost? Never mind that ghosts don't exist in this world—even if they did, they wouldn't come out at high noon, would they? Has he done something that weighs on his conscience? Oh, forget it. It's my turn to perform.

When Fangshi Zhang saw that Jiang Nuan had made a perfectly clear sound without opening her mouth, his face filled with terror. Even forcing himself to stay calm did little good.

Seeing the equally terrified fellow practitioners behind him, he knew he could not possibly have imagined it.

So what he had heard was her inner voice? Such a thing actually existed in this world? Could the Ninth Princess be the reincarnation of an immortal or a god?

While they were still reeling in shock, Jiang Nuan had already slipped over to the pot of oil. She tossed the stone Fangshi Zhang had just retrieved back inside, then moved to reach straight in and fish it out.

"Nuannuan, don't!"

"Ninth Princess, you mustn't! It's dangerous!"

Jiang Yunsheng and Eunuch Wang cried out anxiously.

They had never expected Jiang Nuan's "performance" to mean fishing the stone out herself!

The oil in the pot was still boiling, and her skin was so delicate. What would they do if anything went wrong?

Even if she wanted to test it, she could have one of the nearby palace maids or eunuchs do it!

Their anxiety did no good. Jiang Nuan had already plunged her hand in and scooped out the stone in one swift motion.

Never mind a pained expression—Jiang Nuan had not even furrowed her brows.

As for the hand she had used to retrieve the stone, it was not merely uninjured; it had not even turned red.

At once, the surroundings fell so silent that not even a crow or sparrow could be heard.

"To think the Ninth Princess is also blessed by the immortals! Congratulations, Your Majesty! This is a blessing for Great Xia!"

One quick-witted fangshi immediately dropped to his knees and spoke.

Deceiving the emperor was a crime punishable by the extermination of all nine branches of one's clan! Now they could only take a gamble.

Jiang Yunsheng looked at the fangshi without saying a word, sending the pressure on them soaring.

In truth, he was waiting for Jiang Nuan's thoughts.

Blessed by the immortals? Not me. This is so simple. This pot of oil isn't boiling at all!

Put borax into a pot of cold oil, and it'll keep bubbling, making it look as though it's boiling. But it isn't hot at all. Never mind me—anyone can try it. If you get burned, I'll take responsibility.

Wait, was there a traitor among the fangshi? How did the Ninth Princess know their signature tricks so well?

After hearing Jiang Nuan's thoughts, they wanted to cry but had no tears. Who could have known that a trick that had never failed them in all their years roaming the land would be defeated by a little girl?

Even more despairing was the sight of Jiang Yunsheng seated at the very front, his face as still and dark as deep water. They could already foresee the heads of all nine branches of their clans hitting the ground.

A somewhat younger official looked at the fangshi, then at Jiang Nuan.

He found it hard to breathe. He had always held these fangshi in great esteem and had even given away a considerable portion of his wealth to them. More outrageously still, he had planned to give away his entire fortune, resign from office, and become a fangshi's disciple to pursue the path to immortality.

And now he was being told it was all fake? Every miracle he had witnessed had been a man-made deception. How could he accept that?

After begging Jiang Yunsheng's pardon, he tossed the stone back into the pot and reached inside.

Feeling the mildly warm oil, he wanted to cry.

Then he fished out the stone and threw it straight down before the fangshi.

"Well? Are you going to claim that I, too, am blessed by the immortals and gods?"

"Your Majesty, these fangshi have been swindling people throughout Great Xia for years, and now they have even dared deceive the imperial household. I beseech Your Majesty to punish them without leniency!"

Another minister followed suit. After retrieving the stone, he too knelt before Jiang Yunsheng and said, "Your Majesty, these men have committed the crime of deceiving the sovereign and deserve death. I beseech Your Majesty to punish them severely!"

Others who could not resist the temptation went up to try it, one after another. Once they had finished, every face was grim.

At the thought that they had once regarded these swindlers as true emissaries of the immortals, and that the emperor and all their colleagues now knew they had been duped, their faces burned.

As the fangshi watched more and more people test the oil, their hearts sank to rock bottom.

Only they knew how much they had fleeced from these people. Even if Jiang Yunsheng spared them now, these ministers would not. Either way, they were dead!

Had they known, they would never have gotten greedy over this last haul. They would have fled the moment they had cheated those powerful nobles out of their money. Now look at them—even their lives were about to be lost.

By now, they had abandoned all attempts to defend themselves and waited in despairing silence for their sentence.

Huh? They're going to be killed? But they're all talented people! What a waste to kill them!

Talented? Them? Did they have any skills besides cheating and swindling? Still, whatever the case, they would cling firmly to even the slightest chance of survival. They looked at Jiang Nuan with pleading eyes.

"Father, although they have committed a grievous crime, it would be such a waste to kill them just like that. Why not put them in my care and let me have them make a few things to atone for their crimes?"

Jiang Yunsheng pretended to consider it for a moment, then said, "Since you were the one who saw through their trick, Nuannuan, I can leave them to you. But they remain convicted criminals. If I discover them slacking off, how about having them dragged out and beheaded immediately?"

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! Thank you for your mercy!"

The fangshi hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, terrified that their heads might part from their bodies the very next moment.

As for working? It did not matter what they had to do, as long as they could live!

The corners of Jiang Yunsheng's mouth rose almost imperceptibly for an instant. After all, once he had heard about the power of gunpowder in Jiang Nuan's thoughts, he had never intended to kill these fangshi. But he had to put some pressure on them. He wanted gunpowder brought into the world as quickly as possible!

The ministers who had been swindled looked at the fangshi, words hovering on their lips. They had intended to use their power to pressure the fangshi into returning the money they had taken, but now these men had been recruited directly into imperial service. How could they demand it back?

In the end, after considering it for a while, they could only swallow their broken teeth along with the blood and accept their losses.

But the fangshi who had entered the palace were only a small handful. There were still plenty more outside. Heh heh heh heh~