Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Zhang Yan watched from afar as the children played the game of Animal Chess with great enthusiasm, and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile: "I didn't expect these kids to enjoy this kind of game so much. Fourth Brother, you really prepared all this stuff for the children."

Wei chimed in from the side, "That's right. My Zhanhe usually can't even sit still, but today he was able to sit there quietly watching the chessboard. He's a chess god of beast fighting."

As Madam Weng watched Princess Zhending place her ragdoll cat next to the chessboard and watch the game with great seriousness, she said softly, "I really wish Mother Empress were here too, then we could have a mahjong game."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Madam Wei suddenly pointed to the sky: "Eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law, look over there, isn't that Mother Empress coming?"

The group looked up in the direction she was pointing and saw a white cloud drifting leisurely over the Prince Rui's mansion, with two people standing on it.

The man stood with his hands behind his back, the woman dignified and graceful. Who else could it be but Zhu Di and Xu Miaoyun?

On the other side of the lawn, the children also noticed the commotion in the sky. Zhu Zhanji, with his sharp eyes, was the first to jump up, pointing at the sky and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Grandpa Emperor! Grandmother Emperor!"

A group of children looked up and started chattering excitedly.

Princess Zhending hugged the ragdoll cat, tilted her little face up, and called out "Grandpa Huang, Grandma Huang" in a childish voice. The ragdoll cat meowed in protest as she squeezed it.

Zhu Di, riding the Yongle, landed steadily in the courtyard and helped Xu Miaoyun down from the cloud.

Everyone stepped forward to pay their respects. Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Gaosui, Xu Jingchang, along with several princesses and children, stood in a large group.

Zhu Di glanced around, his gaze lingering a moment longer on the second and third princes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I was wondering why two people were missing from the morning court session today. Sure enough, they both came to see the fourth prince. Jingchang is an official under the Prince Rui's household. What are you doing here every other day?"

"Father, what are you saying? I'm here to bond with my fourth brother. Besides, I'm not the crown prince, so why would I need to attend court every day?" Zhu Gaoxu chuckled.

Upon hearing his second brother's words, Zhu Gaosui hurriedly added, "Second brother is right. I've also come to connect with my fourth brother and see if there's anything I can do to help, since my fourth brother is going to refine a magic weapon."

Zhu Di snorted: "What help are you offering? When I rode over on a cloud, I saw you guys playing mahjong from a great distance."

"People in the palace have been playing with this for the past few days. Is it really that fun?"

Zhu Gaoxi chuckled beside him and chimed in, "This is definitely going to be fun! Father, why don't you give it a try? It just so happens that Second Brother is having a bad day, so you can take his place and let him rest for a bit."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu had not yet had a chance to speak.

Zhu Di strode to the mahjong table, lifted the hem of his robe and sat down. He casually patted a gourd, from which several exquisite gourds emerged: "By the way, Fourth Brother, these are some good gourds that we had someone find outside today. See if you can use them."

Zhu Gaoxu stood there stunned for a while, his expression changing from nervousness to relief, and then to an uncontrollable smile.

Now that's good, he finally doesn't have to get beaten up at the card table anymore. He diligently helped Zhu Di arrange the cards, muttering, "Father, sit tight, I'll watch over you from the side," but he had already taken two steps back, as if he was ready to watch the show in peace.

Empress Xu smiled to herself, but did not come to his rescue. She walked over to the pavilion, sat down, and went to greet her daughters-in-law.

She came along today mainly because Zhu Di had gone to see her. Zhu Di always felt embarrassed to come to his fourth son's place alone.

After all, he was an emperor, so he had to maintain a certain air about him. Therefore, he always took her with him, saying that he was "accompanying the empress to see her son."

As for why Zhu Di came, it was because he didn't see the second and third princes at the morning court session, and he figured those two kids must have run off to the fourth prince's place again.

It's not that I'm afraid of anything else, but I'm afraid that if the fourth prince gets some new supernatural power and only gives it to his older brothers and not to him, the emperor, then wouldn't he be surpassed by the second and third princes?

In front of his divine son, he, as the father, was just like everyone else, having to take a number and wait for his performance to receive the magic weapon.

When the daughters-in-law saw Empress Xu coming, they quickly got up to greet her, their smiles even brighter than before.

Empress Wei, quick-witted as ever, pulled Empress Xu to sit down: "Mother, you've finally arrived! We were just about to run out of players for mahjong, and now we have a perfect table!"

Zhang Yan chimed in with a laugh, "That's right, we were just saying how nice it would be if Mother were here."

It was rare for Madam Weng to speak first, and she said softly, "Now that Mother is here, there are exactly four of us."

Empress Xu sat on the stone bench and said with a smile, "I get bored in the palace. Playing mahjong with other people always feels a bit lacking. It's much more fun playing with you guys."

Zhang Yan said with a smile, "Then from now on, Mother can call us anytime she wants to play, and we'll be there whenever she calls."

Empress Xu smiled and shook her head: "How could I possibly call you? If I did, you'd all be with Fourth Prince. Where would I even begin to look for you?"

Madam Wei, her sore spot exposed, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Mother, you jest. It's just that the children insisted on coming to Fourth Uncle's place, we were forced into it."

Just then, Princess Jiaxing and Princess Zhending, two little girls, ran over hand in hand, each carrying a pet in their arms.

She ran up to Empress Xu, tilted her little face up high, and held up her pet cat: "Grandmother! Look, look! Fourth Uncle gave me a cat! It's so cute!"

Princess Jiaxing followed behind and said earnestly, "Fourth Uncle said this is called a Ragdoll cat, and it was transformed from a fairy."

Empress Xu looked down and saw the Ragdoll cat staring at her innocently with its bright blue eyes, its fluffy fur gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

She couldn't resist reaching out to stroke the cat's head. The cat meowed softly, and her eyes lit up: "This little thing is so cute. I saw it from afar in the clouds just now. You guys were all carrying these pets. I was wondering when Fourth Brother got so many strange cats and dogs."

She turned to look at the princesses and asked curiously, "What breed is this? I've lived for so many years and seen countless cats and dogs, both inside and outside the palace, but I've never seen anything like it before!"

Zhang Yan picked up her corgi and showed it to Empress Xu: "We don't know either, it was all caused by Fourth Brother."

"My daughter-in-law's dog is a Corgi. It has short legs and a chubby body, and it walks like a stool. My second sister-in-law's dog is a Golden Shaded. My third sister-in-law's dog is a Silver Shaded. It has a very good temperament and never gets angry no matter how much you hold it."

Empress Xu liked it more and more as she looked at it. She held Princess Zhending on her lap and then took the plush cat from her arms and played with it.

The cat rolled over in her arms, revealing its white belly, and its two blue eyes narrowed into slits.

She looked up with a smile, her tone filled with anticipation: "I'll ask Xi'er to get me one later. This cat makes me feel so at ease."