Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

The side hall remained silent for a full three breaths. The brothers listened thoughtfully, unsure whether they had truly understood.

Zhu Gaoxu held the glass of wine to his lips, motionless for a long while. He stared blankly at Zhu Gaoxi, his mind racing:

What did the fourth brother say? The Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell? Isn't that something from a storybook? The Taoist Ancestor even gave him that thing? Doesn't that mean the fourth brother can live as long as he wants?

No, the fourth brother is a disciple of the Dao Ancestor, so he won't die. Given my relationship with him, adding a few decades to my lifespan shouldn't be a problem, right...?

He swallowed hard, put down his wine glass, and his voice changed: "Fourth brother, are you saying... the Dao Ancestor has handed over the business of Yama to you?"

He slammed his hand on the table. "My goodness! What am I supposed to be afraid of now? If the King of Hell calls you to die at midnight, and Fourth Brother says to wait a little longer, then won't the King of Hell obediently wait?"

He became more and more pleased with himself, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He then picked up a piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with even more relish than before. He mumbled, "From now on, your second brother will be counting on you. You can't abandon your second brother."

Zhu Gaochi sat beside him, not in a hurry to speak. He looked down at his round belly, another thought swirling in his mind.

Over the years, those imperial physicians had been nagging him so much that his ears were calloused.

"Your Highness, if you continue to maintain this physique, your lifespan may be shortened."

"Your Highness, it's time to exercise restraint."

"Your Highness, it's time to get some exercise."

"Your Highness, you should eat less."

Of course, it wasn't just the imperial physicians; the old man and the crown princess also said quite a bit.

He agreed verbally, though he was afraid inside, but he couldn't control his mouth. Now that the fourth prince could even access the Book of Life and Death, even if Zhu Gaochi ate a few more bites and gained a few more pounds, he would still have people looking after him in the underworld. If he went down there and mentioned his fourth brother's name, who would dare not give him face? What did he have to worry about?

"Eat what you want, drink what you want, don't take anything to heart... It tastes really good..." He felt relieved, picked up another piece of braised pork knuckle with his chopsticks, and ate a couple more mouthfuls of rice, enjoying the meal even more.

Zhu Gaosui sipped his milk tea, remaining silent. His gaze lingered on Zhu Gaoxi for a long time, his mind racing. What?

The Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell was bestowed upon the fourth brother by the Dao Ancestor. Doesn't that mean the fourth brother can decide who dies and who lives, and life and death are just a matter of his pen?

He had always followed his second brother. If his second brother pointed east, he would go east; if his second brother went west, he would go west. Among these brothers, he considered himself a member of the Han King's faction.

But now, my fourth brother's abilities are growing ever greater. He can fly on a sword, turn wood into dragons, and build mansions out of thin air. Now he can even manipulate the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell. Compared to my fourth brother, my second brother's abilities are simply no match.

He slowly lowered his hand, already having made up his mind: from now on, he would listen to his fourth brother, not his second brother.

From now on, I'm a staunch supporter of Prince Rui; even the old man has to step aside. All he does is make empty promises. I'll stick close to my fourth brother's coattails...

He put down his milk tea, picked up his wine, and raised it towards Zhu Gaoxi: "Fourth brother, if anything happens in the future, just say the word." He didn't say much, but his tone was much more serious than before.

Zhu Zhanji leaned over the edge of the table, listening with a mixture of understanding and confusion, but his eyes grew brighter with each word: "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Uncle, will you never die? In the stories, those people who wield magical artifacts can live forever, so will you live for a very, very long time too?"

Zhu Gaoxi reached out and patted Zhu Zhanji's head: "You've been reading too many storybooks."

"Nephew, your fourth uncle is a disciple of the Dao Ancestor. He will only ascend to immortality in the future. How could he die..." Zhu Gaoxu hurriedly said.

In Zhu Zhanji's little mind, he had already equated "Fourth Uncle" with "those gods and immortals in storybooks who are drawn exactly the same way," and he shoveled down a couple more mouthfuls of rice, his cheeks bulging.

The sounds of bowls and chopsticks in the side hall gradually subsided. The group had almost finished eating. Zhu Gaoxu put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair with satisfaction, patted his stomach, and let out a burp, but his gaze never left Zhu Gaoxi.

He was already slightly tipsy. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said what he had been thinking: "Fourth brother, second brother has something to tell you, don't be angry."

Zhu Gaoxu rubbed his hands together, a hint of shyness on his face: "That's right, you just mentioned that the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell is in your hands. In the future, could you add a few more entries for Second Brother as well?"

"No need for much, just a few decades more will do. Your second sister-in-law, your nephews and nieces are still young, and your second brother wants to spend more time with them. Mainly, it's about you; you and your second brother are close, and you don't want to never see your second brother again, right…?"

After he finished speaking, he stared longingly at Zhu Gaoxi. It was the first time that the brothers had seen the Prince of Han with such an expression on his face. They thought that this second brother was really shameless, taking advantage of his good relationship with his fourth brother to make unreasonable demands.

But then I thought, if I could really live a few more years, I wouldn't care about losing face. Throughout history, how many emperors have wanted to extend their lifespan but never had the chance!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxi chuckled and said, "Second Brother, were you even listening to what I was saying?"

Zhu Gaoxu was taken aback for a moment: "I heard it!"

Zhu Gaoxi looked at him and said, "I was referring to a 'similar' Book of Life and Death, not the actual Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell."

"Pretty much... anyway, they're all pretty much the same, they can both alter lifespan," Zhu Gaoxu said with a smile, scratching his head.

Seeing his expression, Zhu Gaoxi shook his head and smiled, an idea rising in his mind: "Second brother, since you want to extend your lifespan so much, then I'll grant your wish."

He raised his hand, a soft white light shining from his fingertips, and gently touched Zhu Gaoxu.

The white light fell on Zhu Gaoxu, spreading down from the top of his head. Zhu Gaoxu was enveloped in the white light for a moment. When he came to his senses, he found that he had suddenly shrunk in size.

Zhu Gaochi was the first to notice something was wrong. He saw Zhu Gaoxu sitting in the chair, his figure suddenly beginning to shrink, as if some unseen force was pulling him inward.

His hand froze in mid-air, and his eyes slowly widened. Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Gaosui followed his gaze and also stared wide-eyed.

Zhu Gaoxu felt a sudden dizziness. Looking down, he saw his large robe hanging loosely on his body, with the sleeves trailing long and the hem piled up on the ground.

He raised his hand and touched his face again; it felt soft and chubby. He looked at his eldest and third brothers beside him; how had they gotten so big?

Zhu Gaoxu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly jumped off the chair. His short legs landed on the ground, and his long robe tripped him, almost causing him to fall.

He raised his head, wanting to shout, "Fourth brother, how did I shrink... And eldest and third brothers, what are you looking at?" But as soon as he spoke, his voice was high-pitched and soft, with the tone of a child.

The side hall was quiet for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Zhu Gaochi was the first to lose his temper, spitting out his tea with a "pfft." He quickly put down his cup, leaning back in his chair, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Zhu Gaosui also covered his face and laughed for a while before finally letting go, tears welling up in his eyes.

Zhu Zhanji lay on the table, laughing so hard he slapped it, his face flushed red, gasping for breath, "Second Uncle... Second Uncle has shrunk! He's even smaller than me, hahahaha!"

Zhu Gaoxu stood on the ground, looking up at them, and called out in a high-pitched yet sweet voice, "Fourth Brother! Change me back! Change me back now!"

Zhu Zhanji lay on the table, laughing so hard he was breathless: "Second Uncle... your voice has changed so much, why don't you be my younger brother from now on!"

"Nephew, don't go too far, or your second uncle will turn back and deal with you!" Zhu Gaoxu stomped his foot angrily upon hearing this, but the sound of his short legs stomping his foot was really not very imposing.

Zhu Gaochi wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes: "Zhanji, don't talk nonsense. No matter what, he's still your second uncle. That's just how he looks. He probably wouldn't even recognize his sister-in-law." He then laughed again.

Zhu Gaosui added, "Indeed, when he gets back today, his sister-in-law probably won't even recognize him. She'll think he's his second brother's illegitimate son... hahaha."

"Now that my second uncle and Zhanhe are about the same age, they can't even tell who's the father when we go back."

The two brothers and Zhu Zhanji were discussing Zhu Gaoxu one after another.

Zhu Gaoxu stood there, looking at this and that, and then shouted in a childish voice, "You guys—!"