Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

The study in the Crown Prince's residence was brightly lit by candlelight.

As soon as Zhu Gaochi entered the room, Crown Princess Zhang Yan quickly came forward, took the outer robe he had taken off, and then took the sleeping Zhu Zhanji, handing him to the nanny behind her to be taken to be settled.

While she was busy, she asked with concern, "Your Highness, how is the Empress? News has been circulating in the palace all afternoon that the Empress is critically ill, which has terrified me."

Zhu Gaochi walked to a chair and sat down, picked up his teacup and took a sip, then let out a long sigh: "Mother is alright, she has fully recovered."

"He's cured?" Zhang Yan was stunned, the handkerchief in her hand falling to the ground. "But didn't the imperial physician say... there was nothing that could be done?"

Zhu Gaochi looked around to make sure no one else was in the study before lowering his voice and telling Zhang Yan everything that had happened in Kunning Palace.

Zhang Yan was stunned, and it took her a long time to recover. Her voice trembled as she asked, "This...this is true? My fourth brother...is a disciple of the Dao Ancestor?"

"Absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes." Zhu Gaochi nodded solemnly.

Zhang Yan remained silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Your Highness, do you think... Fourth Brother might be the reincarnation of some deity? Otherwise, why would the Dao Ancestor have chosen him?"

Zhu Gaochi was taken aback. He had thought about this question before, but hadn't had time to delve into it.

Zhang Yan counted on her fingers, getting more and more excited as she spoke: "Think about it, my fourth brother is only seven years old, and he can bring the dead back to life. This isn't a skill he learned; it's innate! It's clearly divine intervention. In my opinion, my fourth brother is probably the reincarnation of the Medicine King Sun Simiao!"

"Sun Simiao?" Zhu Gaochi looked at her in confusion.

"That's right! Master Sun lived to be over a hundred years old, wrote the 'Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold,' and was revered as the King of Medicine by later generations. If he were to be reincarnated and reborn into our Zhu family, wouldn't that be an immense blessing?" Zhang Yan found the argument increasingly convincing.

Zhu Gaochi thought about it and felt that it made some sense, but he was not quite sure: "But Master Sun is a Taoist priest, while Fourth Brother is talking about the Taoist Ancestor..."

"Doesn't that make even more sense?" Zhang Yan clapped her hands. "It's only natural that the Dao Ancestor would pass on his teachings to the Medicine King!"

Zhu Gaochi was both amused and exasperated by her words, but he had to admit that his wife's guess was indeed somewhat reasonable.

He nodded: "Regardless of who Fourth Brother was in his past life, he is our own brother in this life. Tomorrow when we go to the palace, I'll ask Fourth Brother to take a good look at my leg."

Zhang Yan nodded quickly, "Yes, yes! If you delay any longer, your leg might be ruined. Fourth Brother was able to save Mother, so treating your little injury will be a piece of cake!"

In the main hall of the Prince of Han's mansion, two candles were extinguished by Zhu Gaoxu's palm strike, and the remaining few flames swayed precariously from the shockwave of his loud laughter.

He paced back and forth in the hall, hands on his hips, his face beaming with excitement, his boots making a dull thud on the gold bricks. Princess Wei, the wife of the Prince of Han, was annoyed by his noise. She sat to the side, teacup in hand, her eyes following her husband's every move.

"Your Highness, could you please sit down? I feel dizzy."

"I can't sit still!" Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand, plopped down opposite her, grabbed the teapot on the table, and gulped down the tea.

After finishing his drink, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, panting heavily, and said, "Do you know what happened at Kunning Palace today? Fourth Brother! Zhu Gaoxi! Our seven-year-old fourth brother, he's a disciple of the Daoist Ancestor! He brought the dead back to life! With a wave of his hand, Mother returned from the clutches of the King of Hell!"

Wei nearly dropped the teacup in her hand: "The Dao... the Dao Ancestor? Laozi?"

"Yes! It's that Dao Ancestor!" Zhu Gaoxu became more and more excited as he spoke, slamming his hand on the table, causing the teacup to jump three inches high.

Lady Wei quickly pressed down on the teacup and said, "Your Highness, please keep your voice down..."

"Why are you being so quiet? What are you afraid of in your own home!" Zhu Gaoxu said, but his voice still lowered.

Lady Wei composed herself, her eyes darting around, and suddenly asked, "Your Highness, do you think my fourth brother might be the reincarnation of some deity? Otherwise, why would the Dao Ancestor have chosen him?"

Zhu Gaoxu slapped his thigh: "Of course! I've been thinking that for a long time!"

"Then who do you think it is?" Mrs. Wei asked curiously.

Zhu Gaochi stroked his beard, pondered seriously for a long time, then his mind raced, drawing upon all the knowledge he had acquired... no, all the stories he had read: "The Old Man of the South Pole!"

"The Old Man of the South Pole?"

"That's right! The Antarctic Immortal controls lifespan in the human world, and Fourth Brother's power of creation is exactly what he needs, isn't it? Look, with a simple press of his hand, Mother returned from the King of Hell. Isn't that the Immortal's ability?" Zhu Gaoxu felt more and more convinced of the logic as he spoke, feeling like he was a modern-day Zhuge Liang.

Madam Wei thought about it and felt that it made some sense, but something still felt off: "Isn't the Antarctic Immortal in charge of longevity? Fourth Brother is a 'resurrectionist,' he's not just in charge of longevity..."

"That's more or less true!" Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand. "Anyway, the fourth son is a god descended to earth! Who cares which god he is, he's a blessing to our Zhu family!"

Lady Wei rolled her eyes at him, too lazy to argue with him anymore. She simply reminded him quietly, "Your Highness, about those old injuries of yours, let your fourth brother take a good look at them when you go to the palace tomorrow."

Zhu Gaoxu patted his chest: "Of course! I was so focused on Mother today that I forgot about my own affairs. Tomorrow I'll go find the Fourth Prince and have him heal my shoulder, ribs, and knee!"

The candlelight was dim in the study of Prince Zhao's mansion.

Princess Consort Weng of Zhao entered carrying a bowl of hot soup. Seeing her husband's state, her heart skipped a beat. She gently placed the bowl on the table, sat down opposite him, and said softly, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Her Majesty the Empress…"

"Mother is alright now," Zhu Gaosui said slowly, his voice low. "It was my fourth brother. He healed Mother."

Lady Weng listened quietly. Zhu Gaosui recounted the events, from his fourth brother requesting to dismiss everyone, to the white light appearing in his palm, to Empress Xu's resurrection, and then to his fourth brother claiming to be a Taoist patriarch spreading his teachings. As expected of someone who had worked in an intelligence organization for many years, his narration was very clear, but his voice still trembled when he spoke of that shimmering white light.

After a long silence, Lady Weng asked softly, "Your Highness, do you think my fourth brother might be the reincarnation of a deity?"

Zhu Gaosui looked up at her and slowly nodded: "I've been thinking about this too."

"Who do you think it is?" Mrs. Weng asked softly.

Zhu Gaosui pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "My fourth brother's abilities don't seem like those of a martial god, nor do they seem like those of a literary star. The power of creation, the control of life, the ability to bring the dead back to life... this reminds me of someone."

"Who?"

"The Pure Yang Immortal, Lü Dongbin." Zhu Gaosui's gaze deepened.

"Lu Zu was one of the most famous disciples under the Dao Ancestor. He experienced many tribulations and lived a carefree life in the mortal world. Legend has it that he possessed extraordinary magical abilities, capable of healing the sick and saving lives, and even turning stones into gold. My fourth brother's power of creation is quite similar to Lu Zu's methods."

Mrs. Weng listened intently, nodding repeatedly.

He paused, then added, "Tomorrow when I go to the palace, I'll ask my fourth brother to give my lung disease a proper checkup. Today at Kunning Palace, he stayed by Mother's bedside the whole time and didn't touch me once. My health depends on him."