Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Not long after Zhu Di and his entourage left, the officials of the Prince's Palace began to arrive and report for duty.

Zhu Gaoxi received them in the side hall of Chengyun Hall.

Several young people filed in, their steps somewhat hesitant, but their eyes couldn't help but wander around.

They had long heard of the grandeur of Prince Rui's mansion, and today, seeing the sandalwood beams and ink-patterned floor tiles of Chengyun Hall with their own eyes, their nervousness was replaced by a sense of awe.

The one leading the group was Chief Secretary Yang Ji.

He was tall and slender with a thin face. His features resembled those of his father, Yang Shiqi, but he had more youthful vigor. He wore a blue official robe and stood ramrod straight. He bowed as he entered the room.

Behind him stood Hu Ying, a young man of medium build with fair skin and long, slender fingers, clearly someone who spent years wielding a pen.

The judge, Jian Fangsheng, had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his face always carried a smile he couldn't suppress.

Zheng Cong, the head of the Imperial Kitchen, was tall and burly with dark skin, a typical physique of a military officer, making him stand out among the civil officials.

Fengci Zheng Song Xuanzhong was of medium height and had a simple and honest face.

Zhang Ni, the deputy commander of the guards, was not tall, but he had broad shoulders and a thick back, sharp and bright eyes, and walked with a brisk pace.

Xue Bin was a tall man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, the standard build of a military officer. He was a full half a head taller than Zhang Ni when standing next to him.

All of them were sons of noble families. Before they came, their elders repeatedly reminded them that although His Highness Prince Rui was easygoing, there were still many rules to follow.

Jian Fang was even scolded by his father, Jian Yi, for half an hour, and his father even checked the creases on his sleeves several times when they met.

As everyone stood still, about to perform a grand salute, they all paused for a moment when their gazes fell upon Zhu Gaoxi.

This legendary Prince Rui had handsome features and an indescribable air of otherworldly elegance; just standing there, he seemed like a figure from the mortal world.

Yang Ji was the first to regain his senses and bowed respectfully: "Your subject Yang Ji, by the grace of Your Majesty, has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Prince Rui's residence. Today I have come to report for duty and pay my respects to Your Highness."

The next few people announced their titles and presented the gifts they had prepared.

It was nothing more than jade artifacts, vases, and ancient books, all prepared according to the etiquette for visiting a superior.

Several of them had received gifts from elders who had just heard about His Highness's plan to collect gourds at the Prince Rui's residence that morning. Upon returning home, they searched the storerooms and prepared gifts that included not only the usual jade and antique items, but also several old gourds of exceptional quality.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness," Zhu Gaoxi glanced at the gifts, nodded, and asked them to sit down and talk.

Qiutang and Yuehe brought up the tea, and the young people finally relaxed a little.

Zhu Gaoxi didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "You are all people handpicked by my father, and I trust you. As for the daily affairs of the manor, you can decide the small matters yourselves, but for important matters, just let me know. I don't like trouble."

Yang Ji quickly stood up and replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, we will certainly perform our duties diligently and dare not fail Your Highness's trust."

The others echoed, saying it was their honor to serve His Highness Prince Rui.

Zhu Gaoxi smiled, chatted with them for a few more minutes, and asked about each person's family background and resume.

Yang Ji answered in a standard and proper manner, while Hu Ying was more talkative, his eyes lighting up as he spoke of his hobby of organizing documents and classics.

Jian Fang is very talkative, and her few words reveal the lively energy unique to young people.

After chatting for a while, Zhu Gaoxi changed the subject and recounted the story of searching for the gourd that day. He told the others to put aside their current tasks and that their primary task was to help him find a good gourd.

The men's expressions tightened; they knew this was their first task since entering the manor, and they had to do it well.

At this moment, Yang Ji suddenly remembered something, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, speaking of gourds, I do know a little. The best gourds are produced in the Liaocheng area of ​​Shandong. The gourds produced there have thick skin, regular shape, and many are old and aged."

"There are also gourds from Pingyang Prefecture in Shanxi Province. Although they are small, their skin is of excellent quality. As for rare gourds from overseas, most of them arrive at Quanzhou Port. It's just that the journey is quite long."

He pondered for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Liaocheng is a thousand miles away from Yingtian Prefecture. Even at top speed, it would take at least ten days to half a month for a round trip. If we send someone to Pingyang Prefecture, the journey will be even longer."

Zhu Gaoxi listened to him and then remained silent for a moment.

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, and began to ponder.

These officials, though capable, are still just ordinary people. Sending them on a horse-drawn carriage a thousand miles away to find the gourd would be a bumpy journey, and by the time they returned, it would be too late.

He's like a collector who's just gotten into the hobby, with a knack for opening blind boxes. But the quality of the gourd determines whether what he gets is good or bad, and he can't wait to open a few really good gourds.

Thinking of this, he stood up and waved to the crowd: "Come with me to the courtyard."

Several subordinate officials, unaware of what was going on, followed him out of the side hall and into the center of the courtyard in front of the Chengyun Hall.

Zhu Gaoxi stood in the center of the courtyard, looked up at the sky, and raised his hand to beckon to the sky.

A flash of golden light appeared, and a dozen or so white clouds were drawn down from above the Prince Rui's Mansion, each hovering in front of each person. The clouds were white and soft, each about one cubic meter in size, and they were arranged in a neat row.

"Traveling by carriage is too slow for you. You can use these somersault clouds for transportation. Each of you can claim one as your master, and each cloud can travel four or five hundred li per hour. Whether you go to Liaocheng or Pingyang Prefecture, you should be able to make a round trip in a day," Zhu Gaoxi said, pointing to the somersault clouds.

Yang Ji stared, startled.

Hu Ying's eyes widened, and she muttered something, which could only be heard clearly as "So that's how it is."

Jian Fang reached out and gently touched the cloud's surface, her fingertip sinking half an inch into it. She turned back to Zhu Gaoxi and called out, "Your Highness! This cloud...this cloud is for us?"

After all, they had only ever seen Zhu Di and the Crown Prince and Prince Han ride the somersault cloud to court. They never expected that they would get this as soon as they entered the Prince's mansion. No wonder everyone wanted to enter Prince Rui's mansion.

Zhu Gaoxi nodded.

He briefly explained the method of recognizing the master and using it, then walked to the middle of the group, raised his hand and drew out a very thin strand of essence blood from their bodies, flicking it into the clouds in front of each of them.

The golden light flashed several times, and at the same time, a strange connection was established in the minds of the group.

Zhu Gaoxi swept another ray of gentle light from the power of creation over them, completely erasing their discomfort from the blood draw, and then clapped his hands: "All done."

"This cloud can change shape at will, and it will fly over on its own when you call its name. You two go and take care of the gourd first. Consider this cloud as your means of transportation while you are on duty at the Prince's Palace. If you do a good job in the future, you can keep it."

Yang Ji felt the strange connection between himself and the Somersault Cloud in his mind, and then looked at the obedient white cloud floating beside him. Suppressing his excitement, he knelt on one knee first, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness's great kindness is beyond my ability to repay! I will certainly live up to Your Highness's trust and find the gourd!"

The others also knelt down to pay their respects, their voices trembling slightly, not from fear, but from overwhelming excitement.

Zhu Gaoxi thought for a moment, then took out a few small gourds, each about the size of a palm, from the jade gourd at his waist.

These gourds were all refined by him yesterday using the Gourd Heaven technique. They were of average quality, but each had its own small space and a special attribute: they were sword-nurturing gourds, capable of nurturing a sword aura inside the gourd.

Although the quality was not high, and the sword energy he nurtured was far inferior to the ones he cultivated within his body using his immortal body, it was convenient.

You can release a wisp of sword energy inside, and it can be activated with a thought when you encounter danger, making it more than enough for self-defense.

He waved his hand. The gourd floated in front of them, and he explained how to use it, adding, "This gourd also has a space inside; you can store the Somersault Cloud inside. If you come across any good gourds along the way, buy them and put them in the gourd to bring back. The Prince's Mansion will reimburse you when we get back."

Several subordinates took the sword-nurturing gourd, held it in their hands, and examined it over and over, their eyes already catching up with it all.

Zheng Cong was the first to kneel down.

The burly man knelt on one knee, holding the sword-nurturing gourd above his head with both hands. His voice was rough but each word was forceful: "Your Highness's kindness is beyond repayment! If I fail in my mission to find the gourd, I will offer my head as a reward!"

Zhang Ni and Xue Bin followed suit, kneeling on one knee in unison. One said, "My life belongs to Your Highness from now on," and the other quickly added, "Your Highness, I will follow wherever Your Highness commands."

The voices of the three military officers were louder and louder than the last, so loud that the trees in the courtyard shook.

Seeing that the three military officers beside him had already knelt down and sworn an oath, Jian Fang quickly followed suit, saying defiantly, "Your Highness, I will search the entire Shandong province and will not return to see Your Highness until I find a fine gourd!"

The remaining people all clasped their hands in a respectful gesture, their tone solemn.