Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Deeper still, the main hall of Prince Rui's mansion was quiet. Zhu Gaoxi lay on the rosewood canopy bed, waiting for that voice.

These days, the supernatural abilities have become more and more outrageous, and he's gotten used to it. He's wondering what will happen tonight.

[Ding! It's time to check in for tomorrow. Do you wish to claim today's special ability?]

Zhu Gaoxi sat up abruptly: "Receive it!"

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, you have obtained a new divine power—the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book.]

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

Host: Zhu Gaoxi

Age: 18 (adjustable)

Number of check-in days: 8

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

The Book of All Things

[Supernatural Power Effect: All-encompassing. From the classics of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to miscellaneous books from thousands of years later; the works of the Hundred Schools of Thought, military and medical classics, agricultural and industrial skills, astronomy and geography, and even anecdotal novels, recipes, prescriptions, and strategies for governing the world from hundreds of years later, can all be consulted. Wherever the mind goes, the pages appear automatically.]

Zhu Gaoxi felt this supernatural power was somewhat useless. How to put it... this supernatural power wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly amazing either. It encompassed everything and could consult all kinds of books, which sounded impressive, but compared to the supernatural powers he had used a few days ago, it just felt a bit lacking.

Okay. It's always good to have more skills than nothing.

He suddenly thought of something: since he was idle anyway, why not pick up a few novels to read?

He'd devoured every storybook from the Ming Dynasty; they were all the same: talented scholars and beautiful women eloping in a garden, or poor scholars becoming top scholars and returning home in glory—the formula was always the same, making him want to doze off. Which later novel wasn't far superior?

With a thought, the pages appeared on their own. A fantasy book, a science fiction book, and a historical fantasy book—a semi-transparent screen unfolded before my eyes. The text was clear, and the page turning was smooth. It was even more convenient than the e-books of my previous life. Moreover, it was easy on the eyes, didn't require charging, and could be read while lying down—comfortable.

Zhu Gaoxi lay back on his pillow, flipped through a few pages, and a slight smile curved his lips. It might be a bit of a chore, but it was certainly good for passing the time.

After watching for a while, he thought it was time to practice his skills. He extracted the divine power of the Rat Talisman from Xiao Jin's body and began to wreak havoc, bringing glory to the country. In the end, he defeated the enemy completely and then continued reading the novel.

The next morning, Zhu Gaoxi was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window. He turned over in the brocade quilt, groggily dismissing the screen of the novel he had been reading halfway through the night before, and lingered on the pillow for a while longer, really not wanting to get out of bed.

Although his immortal body allowed him to be full of energy and not need rest, there was nothing to do even without sleeping.

"Your Highness is awake?" Qiu Tang's voice came from outside the curtain, tinged with a hint of probing.

Zhu Gaoxi grunted and sat up. The curtain was immediately lifted halfway, and Yuehe entered carrying a copper basin, followed by Qiutang, who held neatly folded handkerchiefs and salt. Xiaobiti also entered, standing in the corner waiting to help him change.

The three of them performed their duties perfectly, working together seamlessly. This routine was only finalized yesterday since they arrived at Prince Rui's residence, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would continue in this manner. However, when serving today, Qiu Tang and Yue He's eyes were somewhat evasive, and their movements were more cautious than before.

After washing up, Zhu Gaoxi changed into a black gilded casual robe, his hair loose, and sat in the main hall, letting Qiu Tang comb his hair and tie his crown from behind.

"Your Highness," Little Snotty said, breaking the silence when the atmosphere became somewhat awkward, "Are you going out today or...?"

"No." Zhu Gaoxi yawned. Going out was too much trouble; with the Imperial Guards and ceremonial guards around, people would gather wherever he went, and he couldn't be bothered to deal with it for the time being.

Little Snot responded and then asked, "What would Your Highness like for breakfast? This servant will go to the kitchen to inform you."

Zhu Gaoxi instinctively wanted to say "whatever," since you always want to answer when someone asks you a question. After all, he sometimes ate meals at the mansion, and the food in the Ming Dynasty was quite good at that time. It's about the experience of life, like ordering takeout often but occasionally cooking a meal yourself.

Then, on a second thought, I realized I needed to eat now, so I said to the table: "Steamed dumplings, tofu pudding, soy milk..."

Several items suddenly appeared on the round table in the main hall: a steamer of hot xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), a bowl of tofu pudding sprinkled with scallions, a plate of golden-brown and crispy spring rolls, and a cup of chilled soy milk. The aroma of the food immediately filled the main hall.

Little Snot's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. Although he had already witnessed his lord's extraordinary abilities, which were all astonishing, he would still be stunned for several breaths every time he saw something appear out of thin air.

Qiu Tang and Yue He were also taken aback for a moment, but then they got used to it. Yue He looked at the exquisite dishes on the table and thought to herself: His Highness basically doesn't need the kitchen to cook, at this rate the cooks will soon be out of a job. Qiu Tang didn't think so much, but she secretly glanced at the plate of spring rolls a few more times. They were golden yellow and looked even better than those made in the imperial kitchen.

Zhu Gaoxi finished eating by himself, wiped his mouth, and then had nothing to do. Several people arranged for the palace maids to clear the table.

He didn't want to go out, and he didn't want to read. He had been reading a novel all night, and although his eyes weren't tired, they still needed a rest. There was no official business to attend to; the officials for Prince Rui's residence hadn't been assigned yet, and no one was handing him documents. He was more idle than a retired cadre in his role as a prince.

After strolling around the mansion for a while to digest his food, he returned to the back hall and leaned back in his chair, lost in thought for a moment. His gaze swept over the three people waiting beside him: Yue Tang stood on his left, wiping non-existent dust off the table with a handkerchief; Qiu He stood on his right, his hands hanging down, seemingly lost in thought; and Xiao Bi Ti stood by the door, ready to be summoned at any moment.

One prince, two personal female officials, and one eunuch. Four people.

A thought suddenly popped into Zhu Gaoxi's mind.

"We've got all three, we can play mahjong!"

He slapped his thigh and stood up. Little Snot was startled, thinking that the prince had finally decided to go out. Just as he was about to call for someone to prepare the sedan chair, he heard Zhu Gaoxi say something he couldn't understand at all.

Then Zhu Gaoxi closed his eyes, and the divine power of craftsmanship unfolded in his mind. Wood, bamboo, bone, lacquer—the cutting, polishing, and assembly of various materials were rapidly simulated in his consciousness. Then he raised his hand and waved it.

Five more sets of mahjong tiles appeared on the table. One set was kept for immediate play, and the other four sets were stored in a brocade box and stacked on a shelf. Later, one set would be given to the Empress Dowager, the eldest brother, and the second brother.

Since they possess supernatural powers, they must forge the best. Each of the 144 plaques is made from a single piece of rosewood, with a bone surface and a bamboo back. The bone surface is made of ivory, which is warm and delicate. The carvings on the plaques are not carved with a knife, but rather appear to have grown naturally on them.

Little Snot and the others stood to the side, utterly shocked. They had heard that the Prince Rui's mansion was built overnight using the prince's supernatural powers. Hearing was one thing, but none of them had actually witnessed it.

But then, with a flash of golden light, five decks of cards appeared out of thin air on the table. Each card was made of sandalwood and ivory, incredibly precious materials.

A few days ago, they would probably have already knelt down and kowtowed. But these past few days, following His Highness, yesterday morning Prince Rui used his supernatural powers to grow up overnight, and also extended the lifespan of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and this morning seeing him conjure up steamed buns out of thin air... Shock is something that, after a while, makes you numb.

There's a song that goes something like this: "I'm already numb..."