Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Xu Jingchang arrived shortly after his subordinates set off on their cloud-borne journey.

He was the son of Duke Dingguo, Xu Zengshou, and the nephew of Empress Xu. He had a very close relationship with his aunt since childhood.

A month ago, Empress Xu's old illness relapsed, and the Imperial Hospital was helpless. He was extremely anxious and requested permission to leave the capital to seek out famous doctors, folk remedies, and precious medicines. He traveled around for more than half a month.

Later, Empress Xu was cured by Zhu Gaoxi using the power of creation, and a message was sent to him from the palace.

The messenger encountered numerous setbacks on his journey, and by the time he finally received the message, several days had passed.

He was overjoyed to learn that his aunt had recovered, but when he heard that his cousin Zhu Gaoxi had received the Daoist ancestor's inheritance, he was filled with questions.

His cousin was only a few years old, so what was this about the Dao Ancestor's inheritance? Filled with questions, he hurried back to the capital.

After entering the city, he went to the Qianqing Palace to pay his respects to Zhu Di as per custom. Upon entering the hall, he discovered that not only Zhu Di was there, but also Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi and Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han. The three of them were gathered around the imperial desk, discussing the marching route for the expedition to Annam.

Zhu Di held a vermilion brush in his hand, pointing at a map, while Zhu Gaoxu stood beside him, his voice booming.

Xu Jingchang strode forward, knelt on one knee, and performed a deep salute: "Your subject Xu Jingchang greets Your Majesty."

I looked up and was stunned for a moment.

Sitting before the imperial desk were Zhu Di and his eldest and second cousins, who both looked to be no more than twenty years old.

He subconsciously lowered his head again, thinking that he had been traveling for too long and his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Zhu Di looked up at him, put the vermilion brush on the brush holder, and said, "It's just in time, Jingchang has returned. I have already sent the imperial edict to your residence."

"You will serve as the Master of Ceremonies and a companion scholar at the Prince Rui's residence. Your cousin is now a disciple personally taught by the Dao Ancestor. Go there and get along well with him."

Xu Jingchang was stunned for a long time after hearing this.

Disciple of the Dao Ancestor? Master of Ceremonies? Isn't my cousin only seven or eight years old? These two words were fighting over and over in his mind, and he couldn't process them for a long time.

Seeing his dazed expression, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but laugh. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "Jingchang, you don't know yet, do you? Fourth Brother is quite something now."

"Flying on a sword, soaring through the clouds, and riding a golden dragon. You've fallen into a golden trap by working for his household." Xu Jingchang was increasingly bewildered, glancing at Zhu Gaoxu and then at Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi put down his teacup, smiled and nodded: "Second brother wasn't bragging this time, it's all true. You'll know when you see the Empress Dowager."

Xu Jingchang went to Kunning Palace again, filled with questions.

Empress Xu had already received the news and was waiting for him in the palace. As soon as he entered, he quickly stepped forward and performed a deep bow. When he raised his head, his eyes were already a little red.

Empress Xu looked much better than before, radiant and youthful, as if she had become more than ten years younger.

He opened his mouth, about to ask how his aunt's illness was, when Empress Xu smiled and pulled him to sit down, telling him a general account of what had happened in the past few days.

The Daoist Ancestor's Transmission of the Dao, the Light of Time, Rejuvenation, Transforming the Golden Dragon, Flying on a Sword, Soaring Through the Clouds...

Xu Jingchang's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He had only been away from the capital for a little over a month, how could his cousin have gone from a child to a god?

Seeing that he didn't believe her, Empress Xu smiled and gestured towards the outside of the palace.

A white cloud drifted in silently through the window and hovered in the hall. The cloud was soft and thick, and its entire surface was snow-white.

She gently patted the cloud surface, her tone carrying a hint of maternal pride: "See this? This is your cousin's tribute to your mother. His name is Little Cotton, and he can fly four or five hundred miles every hour. And that's not all; your cousin also has a heavenly palace in the sky."

She put away her somersault cloud, looked at her nephew's increasingly bewildered face, and softened her tone, "Your uncle has arranged for you to work at Prince Rui's residence. Once you get there, get along well with your cousin. You are cousins, and your cousin is a sentimental person. You will have these things in the future too."

Even after Xu Jingchang boarded the imperial carriage with his aunt, those unbelievable things were still swirling in his mind.

He truly regarded his aunt as his own mother. His father, Xu Zengshou, died early, and he inherited the title at a young age. To outsiders, he seemed to have endless glory, but only he knew the loneliness he endured.

Over the years, thanks to his aunt's care, he felt that there were still elders in the world who cared for him. Now that he heard that his cousin had cured his aunt's illness, his gratitude was heavier than anything else.

The imperial carriage stopped in front of the Prince Rui's residence.

Xu Jingchang got out of the car, looked up, and froze on the spot as if he had been frozen in place.

The mansion before us has a towering gatehouse, green-tiled roofs, and flying eaves; the vermilion gate is studded with copper nails the size of bowls…

He had seen the Prince of Yan's Mansion, the Prince of Han's Mansion, and the Crown Prince's Mansion in Beiping, but he had never seen a mansion like this.

Empress Xu, seeing his stunned expression, couldn't help but laugh: "Stop looking, go inside. Your cousin is waiting there."

The gatekeepers had already been informed, and a little girl with snot running out came out to greet them, leading Empress Xu and Xu Jingchang to the main hall.

Before he even reached the entrance of the main hall, Zhu Gaoxi strode out to greet him. He was tall and straight, with a handsome face and an indescribable air of otherworldly refinement.

He first bowed to Empress Xu, then smiled and called her "Mother," before his gaze fell on the young man beside him.

Xu Jingchang was also looking at him. This was his cousin? When he left the capital, his cousin was just a seven or eight-year-old child, quietly sitting in the Kunning Palace flipping through books. How did he become a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth in the blink of an eye?

Moreover, his appearance and demeanor are indeed not something that ordinary people can possess. My aunt said that he was a direct disciple of the Dao Ancestor, and it seems that this is not an exaggeration at all.

Empress Xu smiled and pulled Xu Jingchang over, saying to Zhu Gaoxi, "Xi'er, this is your cousin Jingchang."

She then turned to Xu Jingchang, her tone carrying a hint of entrustment, "Jingchang, this is your cousin. From now on, you cousins ​​should stay close together."

Xu Jingchang snapped out of his daze and quickly bowed. Zhu Gaoxi returned the bow with a smile and said that since he was both his cousin and the Empress Dowager's son, he didn't need to be so reserved in the mansion.

Zhu Gaoxi led the two into the main hall. Qiutang and Yuehe quietly entered with a tea tray and served a cup of tea to each person.

Zhu Gaoxi flicked two drops of spiritual liquid from the jade gourd at his waist and poured them into the tea, filling the hall with a refreshing herbal fragrance.

Xu Jingchang was shocked by this method again. A gourd-shaped magic weapon must belong to a disciple of the Dao Ancestor.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. The moment the tea entered his throat, a warm current rose from his abdomen and spread throughout his body. The fatigue from days of travel seemed to be gently brushed away by an invisible hand, and he felt much lighter.

He looked down at the teacup in his hand, then looked up at Zhu Gaoxi, his lips moving slightly: "Cousin, this tea... is truly divine tea."

No sooner had he finished speaking than his stomach suddenly growled at an inopportune moment.

Xu Jingchang's face flushed red. He hurriedly put down his teacup and coughed awkwardly, "This... Aunt, cousin, I'm so sorry. I've been traveling for several days, and I was in a hurry to go to the palace to pay my respects as soon as I arrived in the capital. I haven't had a chance yet..."

The more he explained, the softer his voice became, and his ears turned bright red.

Empress Xu, watching her nephew's embarrassed state, couldn't help but laugh out loud. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief and said in a tone full of affection, "You silly child, you're already home, why are you still pretending? Your cousin isn't an outsider. If he's hungry, he should just say so. It's not something shameful."

Zhu Gaoxi laughed and stood up: "My cousin has come all this way back, how can I let him go hungry? Come on, let's go eat first, and chat while we eat."

He then smiled at Empress Xu and said, "Mother, please try the food here again. You said the dishes we had at the Heavenly Palace last time were good, so today I'll prepare some new ones for you."

Empress Xu rose with a smile and said to Xu Jingchang, "The food here at your cousin's place is divine cuisine. Your aunt has eaten it several times and always misses it. You're in for a treat today."

Upon arriving at the dining hall, Zhu Gaoxi had everyone sit down and silently recite: Braised deer shank, cold abalone salad, grilled abalone in its shell, sliced ​​beef, braised fish maw with oyster sauce, Wensi tofu, braised prawns, chicken broth with sea clams, and shredded tofu skin...

The golden light of the gourmet table shimmered, and dishes appeared out of thin air on the table, filling it to the brim with color, aroma, and flavor.

Xu Jingchang was stunned. It was truly divine intervention. He had never seen most of these dishes before, and just smelling their aroma made his stomach churn.

Zhu Gaoxi smiled and handed over the chopsticks, saying there was no need to be polite, they were all family, and the food should be eaten as one please.

He had been traveling for the past few days, eating only dry rations, and had never tasted such delicious food before. He ate faster and faster with his chopsticks, his mouth glistening with oil.

Empress Xu watched her nephew wolf down his food, feeling both amused and distressed. She kept putting food on his plate and saying, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

The meal was very enjoyable. Xu Jingchang ate three bowls of rice before putting down his chopsticks, and sighed contentedly, "Cousin, I've never eaten such delicious food in my life."