Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

The Prince Rui's Mansion is finished, but Zhu Gaoxi will still be sleeping in the Qianxi Fourth Palace tonight.

When he returned to the palace in the evening, Empress Xu held his hand and said, "The Prince's residence is nice, but it's empty inside, without even a servant. How can I feel at ease having you live there alone?"

Zhu Di nodded: "I will send people over tomorrow to arrange eunuchs, palace maids, and guards for you. Stay one more night and move out tomorrow."

Zhu Gaoxi knew that his father and mother were doing it for his own good, so he nodded.

The drumbeat sounded. [Ding! It's time to check in for tomorrow. Would you like to claim today's special ability?]

Zhu Gaoxi sat up abruptly: "Receive it!"

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, you have obtained a new supernatural power—the power of the Rat Talisman]

A translucent, pale gold panel surfaced deep within my consciousness:

Host: Zhu Gaoxi

Age: 7 years old

Number of check-in days: 6

Acquired supernatural powers: Power of Creation, Immortal Body, Sword Control, Culinary Skills, Divine Craftsmanship, and the Divine Power of the Rat Talisman.

Rat Talisman Divine Power

[Supernatural Power Effect: Transforms stillness into movement. Using golden light from the fingertips as a guide, an inanimate object can be brought to life, imbuing it with autonomy and the instincts of a living being. Note: This talisman originates from the Holy Lord; its divine power can only affect one object at a time, is subordinate to its host, and its strength cannot surpass that of the host.]

Zhu Gaoxi stared at the description on the panel, suddenly stunned. The Rat Talisman? Wasn't that one of Shendu's twelve talismans from *Jackie Chan Adventures*?

He had watched that cartoon more than once in his past life. The twelve talismans corresponded to the twelve zodiac animals, each with a unique ability. The rat talisman's ability was to "turn stillness into movement," making inanimate things come alive.

He remembered clearly that this talisman had resurrected many things in the animation. After Shendu himself was sealed into a stone statue by Lope, he was able to regain his mobility thanks to the Rat Talisman. The Rat Talisman also gave life to the Archmage Lope, the Super Moose Doll, and the Ika General Mask of the Black Hand Gang.

He looked down at his hands; there was no golden light at his fingertips. He tried to concentrate, and his fingertips felt slightly warm; a faint golden light flowed beneath his skin before disappearing.

He leaned back on the pillow, pondering how to use this thing. The Rat Talisman could only revive one thing at a time; where would it be most cost-effective to use it now?

His first thought went astray, conjuring up images of beautiful actresses, like Mikami-sensei—people he could only admire from behind a screen in his past life. What if he used the Rat Talisman to resurrect one…? What are you thinking? Your brother's still young; even the wildest heart won't save him.

He rolled over, shaking off the jumbled thoughts, and began to think seriously.

While flying on a sword is convenient, it's still inappropriate for a disciple of the Dao Ancestor to travel without a mount. Which immortal doesn't have a mount?

Why not resurrect an anime character, like Willow Goddess or Sword Mother? How awesome would that be? A beautiful older sister would follow you everywhere, she'd be a fighter, a rider, and have a lot of prestige. Why are you thinking like that again? Never mind, you're too young. Even if you keep thinking about it, your brother can't help you.

Ugh, this is so annoying. I'm Chaowei, at least dress me properly!

Let's get a proper mount, a mount, that's it. On that giant golden nanmu pillar in the Chengyun Hall of Prince Rui's Mansion, a wooden dragon coils. Its head is held high, its scales layered upon each other, the carving exquisitely detailed; just bring it to life. This dragon alone is impressive enough; who in ancient times didn't recognize dragons?

I got tired of thinking and drifted off to sleep.

Before dawn, the area in front of the Fengtian Hall was already filled with civil and military officials.

Zhu Di strode onto the throne, and all the officials knelt and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" Zhu Di sat down and, instead of asking "What is it you wish to report?" as usual, went straight to the point: "Yesterday, the Prince Rui's residence was completed."

The hall was quiet for a moment, then erupted into chaos.

"It's finished?" Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji's eyes widened. "They were just saying they were going to choose a site yesterday after court, and it's only been a day..."

"A day?" Zhao Hong, the Minister of Rites, gaped so wide his mouth could fit an egg. "Lord Xia, it wasn't a day, it was less than half an hour! I heard that His Highness Prince Rui stood on that open ground, raised his hand, and the entire Prince's mansion appeared out of thin air!"

Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo stood at the forefront of the military officers, stroking his beard, his voice booming: "My goodness! The Prince's mansion, which would have taken the Ministry of Works several years to complete, was built by Prince Rui with a wave of his hand. His supernatural powers are simply too damn amazing..."

"Three years? The Ministry of Works couldn't build something like that even in thirty years!" Duke Zhu Yong of Chengguo chimed in. "In all my years, this is the first time I've ever heard of building a house faster than magic."

"Those stone lions!" Marquis Zheng Heng of Wu'an interjected, "They're more than half a person's height, top-tier among the Thirteen Protectors! Compared to the ones at the entrance of Prince Rui's mansion, the stone lions in my residence look like cats!"

The civil officials whispered amongst themselves, while the military generals slapped their thighs in amazement. Some gasped in astonishment, some shook their heads, and some counted the hours on their fingers. The hall buzzed with noise, completely destroying the solemnity of the court.

Zhu Gaochi stood at the forefront of the civil officials, listening to the gasps of amazement around him. A slight smile played on his lips as he whispered to Zhu Gaosui beside him, "Fourth brother's skill has probably frightened those people in the Ministry of Works."

Zhu Gaosui nodded, his gaze sweeping over the ministers who were discussing amongst themselves, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Standing behind Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Zhanji tugged at his father's sleeve and whispered, "Father, it seems Fourth Uncle has been frightened by these ministers again?"

Zhu Gaochi glanced down at him, couldn't help but smile, and said, "Normal, normal..."

Zhu Gaoxu stood in the ranks of military officials, listening to the gasps of amazement from all around him. He craned his neck higher and higher, his mouth stretching almost to his ears.

He couldn't hold back any longer. He strode forward, his voice booming throughout the hall: "You lot, you're all so slow and indecisive! It'll take three or five years to finish this! Those people in the Ministry of Works are always complaining about not having money, manpower, or materials! And my fourth brother? In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a princely mansion has been built..."

He put his hands on his hips and scanned the room: "Lord Fang, you just said that the location of Prince Rui's residence depends on feng shui? My fourth brother's Chengyun Hall faces south, and its golden nanmu pillars are even thicker than those of the Fengtian Hall. Would you say the feng shui is good or not?"

Fang Bin opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"Lord Xia!" Zhu Gaoxu turned to Xia Yuanji again, "Didn't you say the Ministry of Revenue was broke? My fourth brother didn't spend a single piece of wood or a single brick of yours. Tell me, how much did your Ministry of Revenue save?"

Xia Yuanji blushed and lowered his head without saying a word.

Before Zhao Hong could speak, Zhu Gaoxu glared at him: "Lord Zhao, what did you say yesterday about 'ancestral rules not being abolished'? There's no rule in the ancestral rules that says a house has to be built in three years! Have you ever seen any ancestral rule that mentions my fourth brother's abilities?"

Zhao Hong was speechless after being rebuked by him and retreated repeatedly.

The hall was completely silent. The military officers suppressed their laughter, while the civil officials kept their heads down.

Zhu Di leaned back on the dragon throne, a slight smile playing on his lips. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and said calmly, "That's enough."

The hall fell silent. Zhu Di's gaze swept over the assembled officials, his voice not loud, but every word clear: "The Prince Rui's residence is now complete, and the staff should be in place. According to regulations, the residence should have offices such as the Chief Secretary's Office, the Trial Office, the Food and Beverage Office, the Sacrificial Office, the Treasurer's Office, and the Record-keeping Office... For security, a Guard Command Office should be established, staffed with three hundred guards, selected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard from loyal and reliable men."

He paused for a moment: "The chief secretary will be selected by the Ministry of Personnel in conjunction with the Ministry of Rites, and the other subordinate officials will be selected by the Ministry of Personnel. The palace maids and eunuchs will be assigned by the Directorate of Palace Attendants and will report to Prince Rui's residence first thing tomorrow morning."