Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

He shook his head again. "That's what the books say, but pandas don't actually completely avoid eating live animals. They do eat bamboo rats, which dig up bamboo roots and shoots, so they're kind of in competition with them. Generally speaking, it's rare for a carnivore to have such a good temper. And it's really beautiful to watch. When I was a kid, I loved sitting in front of a panda and watching it eat bamboo, bamboo shoots, and steamed buns. They don't eat expensive or precious things, they just eat a little more. I could sit there and watch them all day. It's just that I don't have the time anymore."

Poor guy. He's missing his carefree childhood, so the sight of the panda makes him feel uncomfortable. He knows too much, there's no way back to childhood. An adult is someone whose childhood is over. Apollonia launched a critical strike from the void. Shangluo was thankful Zhu Xianxun couldn't hear her, otherwise he would have been overwhelmed.

"If you like pandas, I can give you a red panda to raise."

"Huh? Red panda?"

"It's not that one. It's not the red panda, the giant panda. It's the red panda. The relationship is this: when we were doing modern classification, we didn't use the ancient elegant names, but renamed them. We first discovered the large-tailed and red panda, known as 'Shanmendun' or 'Jiujielang,' about the size of a raccoon dog. Later, we reconfirmed the existence of the black and white 'Renshu Zhuyu' in the deep mountains of Sichuan. Because its habits and hands are very similar to the previously discovered 'panda,' we named the red panda 'Red Panda' and the black and white panda 'Giant Panda.'"

"Ah. That red panda."

"Do you want it?"

"Let's not do that." Shangluo shook his head. "Not to mention the big ones, I can't even keep a small one. I can't even feed one myself now. Without a cafeteria or a restaurant, I'd starve to death, so why would I keep an animal? Just being able to go in and touch it once in a while is nice. This is probably like Ye Gong's love for dragons. It's fun to hold, but it's tiring to keep one."

"Tsk, I wish Zhu Ling was like you. She told me she applied for an internship. At first I thought she was just being too naive. She was so happy just to be held and touched. I thought if I really started raising a panda, she would probably back out quickly. But she got hooked! Raising a panda in the Imperial Garden would be fine, but she even applied for an internship as a panda keeper in Chengdu during the summer vacation. Every day when we talked on the phone, she was as excited as if she had been injected with chicken blood. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was cleaning the panda's poop."

"I really like them." To be honest, Shangluo really admires people who are determined to do something like this. It's natural to like pandas, but caring for them requires a lot of perseverance and patience, which is completely different from watching pandas. However.

He looked at Zhu Xianxun again. He too had been refining the elixir every morning without fail, and had persisted for over a decade. Perhaps this was the natural talent of the Zhu family: always showing a keen interest in strange things and possessing extraordinary patience.

"By the way, Your Majesty, do you object to her becoming a panda keeper?"

"I personally have no objection to her choosing her own career; it's her personal freedom. But as a princess, she has royal duties to fulfill when she comes of age, and she needs to travel with me everywhere. Being a panda keeper is tough work, and it takes up a lot of time. I don't think she's able to balance her time between the two roles. One side will definitely have to compromise."

"That makes sense. What did she say?"

"She told me to have a baby quickly so that my sister wouldn't have to work all day long."

"Well, that seems to make sense."

"But I'm busy too." Zhu Xianxun spread out his hands. "I have to make elixirs in the morning. The Queen and I get up at the same time. She has to go to Nanjing University to prepare for classes. In addition to her teaching duties, she also has research tasks. She goes home at the same time as me in the evening. Her research is very important and cannot be neglected. My alchemy is also very important and cannot be neglected either. We are both so busy that we have no time to have children now. At least."

He thought for a moment and said, "At least in a few years, around 30. Once her research is complete and our research on evil spirits has become fruitful, we can both have some free time. After all, while we could hire someone to take care of the child, we've always breastfed our own children. It's only when you raise your own child that you feel at ease. The Queen agrees."

"Ah, indeed." Shangluo thought about it. The Zhu family had indeed always had this custom. Breastfeeding was another matter; it was probably a practice of the last few generations. But surprisingly, many couples who had difficult relationships ultimately remained deeply in love. Generations of this family upbringing naturally led to children accepting this perspective.

Judging by Zhu Xianxun and her sister's upbringing, while somewhat "strange," they've surprisingly adapted to modern life. For whether they're Zhu Xianxun or Zhu Ling, whether they enjoy alchemy or raising pandas, they at least possess independent personalities, their own careers and pursuits, and their own personal lives, rather than simply being appendages of the "royal" shrine.

Zhu Xianxin simply ate a bit too much pork elbow, but it didn't really cost him a fortune. Just like pandas, they do eat a bit more bamboo, steamed bread, and pumpkin, but compared to lions and tigers, it's nothing excessive.

On the first day of the celestial beings, the world was still as bright as before.

"Oh, right." Zhu Xianxi suddenly remembered, "Have you contacted your friends?"

"Not yet. I was just looking at those documents."

"Contact them before dinner. They all missed you. The three of them even came to ask about you and had afternoon tea at my place. You should be free tomorrow afternoon, right? If you are, go get together with them. I think you still owe them a meal."

Chapter 222 Coming out of seclusion

After dinner, Zhu Xianxun arranged for Shangluo to stay in a room in the garden. He had stayed here several times before.

Shangluo still hasn't seen the Empress in person today. If he hadn't seen the wedding portrait of the two in Zhu Xianxun's office, Shangluo would have thought the Empress was just Zhu Xianxun's "imaginary friend."

After lowering the curtains and bed curtains, Shangluo pulled out his phone from the dark bunk bed. It was 7:40. Car lights flashed outside. It was the Queen's car returning, along with the Shang Gong, her personal secretary. Zhu Xianxun had told him that the Queen had never gotten a driver's license, so the Shang Gong always drove whenever she went out.

"Sister-in-law!" I could vaguely hear a voice from outside. The tone was very penetrating. Perhaps this was the voice of the keeper who could frighten even pandas.

This family has a really good relationship.

"Where's your family?"

Your question itself is problematic. The members of our family may not be considered human beings.

"That's true. Forget it, forget it. I'll go to bed early. I have a meeting tomorrow morning. By the way, what have you been doing these days? It wouldn't be boring to just hang out in the jar."

"Of course I was online. I was pretty bored the first night you joined the forum, but that same night I saw Han Xingzhi and his friends get access to the spiritual network, and then they shared some of their games in several large discussion groups. So I spent all that time online, having a blast."

"Have you observed any process?" Shangluo asked. "Although I have a vague feeling, I haven't yet clearly noticed the difference between celestial beings. Have you seen it?"

How can I see in such darkness? And I'm too busy fighting Eggman with them to bother with you—Oh, by the way, do you want to contact them? They should be free now.

"Oh no!" Shangluo suddenly remembered that he had forgotten about this matter. He read the incoherent letter, read the "Di Chao" of the past few months, and then went to dinner. In the end, he still hadn't told them.

He opened Fetion and found the previous discussion group. The discussion group had not yet disbanded, and was constantly being refreshed because of daily game play.

"Hey." He typed a word in the discussion group.

10 seconds later.

"????????"

A string of question marks appeared on the screen. It was sent by Han Xingzhi, the only one who stayed online all day long.

"Hey?" Shangluo sent another one.

"Brother, you're out of the pot!"

Han Xingzhi withdrew a message.

"Brother, you're out!"

"Hey, you want to tell me you're in trouble? Fetion cards don't lie."

Because Fetion input relies on mental input, there's no chance of input method errors. He texted the words "out of the pot," which suggests he was actually thinking about it.

"Forget it, forget it, let's get down to business first. How's the car?"

Han Xingzhi posted a picture of Wang Lingguan performing a flying kick:

"Everything's working fine! We've assembled the continuously variable transmission and are currently undergoing final adjustments. Also, a whole fleet of tanks from next door quietly drove over, and we've modified each one individually, replacing a lot of military fuel. I heard the other participating teams are pretty strong, too. When will you be back for training, brother?"

"You can come back anytime. Tomorrow, please?"

"No need to rush, next Monday will be fine. School is closed this Friday and we can't get in. How about we go out for dinner?"

"Then see you tomorrow. Contact me at noon."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

Han Xingzhi posted another picture of a flying kick, this time in a different direction.

"????" Wen Yuan finally came online and typed out a series of question marks. He wasn't a Xuan cultivator, nor was he a celestial being. Chatting with a sign was too difficult for him, so he could only use it to send text messages.

Shangluo has closed the chat group.

"Ah, I'm in a good mood now. Let's go to bed early." Shangluo put the phone under the pillow——

Then he took it out again: "It's a bit boring, do you have any games to play?"

[Want to play with Alloy Egghead? I can already beat the first level with my eyes closed. Can I help you?]

"That's fine, it's a good time to relax before going to bed anyway."

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you so bad? Don't give it to me! You ate up all the coins!"

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you asleep? Move for a moment! The scroll won't move if you don't! I'm stuck here!"

"Hmm, I slept really well." Perhaps it was a bonus ability after becoming a celestial being, his control over his body was much more precise than before. He could sleep anytime he wanted, even falling asleep the moment he lay down. He slept from 8pm to 4am, feeling incredibly refreshed.

Even so, if he wanted to sleep, he could still sleep a little longer, even finishing his sleep today. He had become a master of time management in one fell swoop. He got up now because he sensed someone approaching outside.

"Knock, knock." Zhu Xianxun knocked twice on the door. "Are you awake?"

"Hey, you're awake." Shangluo responded and pulled open the bed curtains.

"Then I'm coming in. Someone just delivered your clothes. They're school uniforms that were just picked up from the warehouse. You should wear these to the meeting today. School uniforms are formal attire for students. Breakfast is ready. Once you've washed up, come and eat. It's in the dining room on the second floor."

"Ah, thank you." Shangluo came out from behind the bed curtains in his pajamas. "Your Majesty, you are so busy. I'm sorry to ask you to deliver it yourself. Is there anyone with you?"

"Hmm." Zhu Xianxun put the clothes on the table, but this question made him think for a while:

"You know what, it's a bit strange. Normally, even moderately wealthy families, let alone families like mine, would have at least a few people around them. But I've been used to it since I was a child, and I've mastered the art of escaping everywhere via the subway. No one knows what I'm doing. So the Jinyiwei and the eunuchs have reached a 'delicate balance' with me. Outside of working hours, I'm free to do whatever I want. If they can't find me, they won't look for me."

"Your Majesty, you are truly amazing!"

"It's not that great. After all, Yujing is the safest place in the world. Nothing can happen here. I'm also a Qigong practitioner. Although I'm not very good at anything other than Dan Dao, I'm not that easy to catch. Well, this morning's meal is the same as last time. Let's have breakfast first."

Shangluo, having changed his clothes, followed Zhu Xianxun into the dining room on the second floor. However, someone else was already there. It wasn't Shangluo, but two women in formal attire.

"Ah, His Majesty the Central Palace." Although he had never seen him in person, he had seen him in photos. Shangluo recognized the one sitting inside at a glance.

Chapter 223 Dining Room

For the first time in days, he saw the Empress in person. She was eating porridge, a newspaper beside her. She wore the black uniform of a Nanjing University faculty member, but pinned to her chest was a jade-inlaid emblem. Sitting next to her, dressed in a narrow formal dress, was the court lady. She was about thirty-five, wearing round-framed gold-rimmed glasses. Her neat hairstyle was adorned only by a silver hairpin shaped like a chopstick, more practical than decorative. Though their attire was similar, the details made it clear who was the master and who was the servant.

Just the faint bulge of muscle at her shoulders revealed that this court lady was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Shangluo could tell immediately that she was a Qigong practitioner, and because she took such good care of herself, her actual age was older than she looked.

As the queen's personal secretary, the court lady always keeps a synchronized schedule with the queen. Although it was just dawn at 4 a.m., she woke up with the queen. Next to the queen, she also ate the same breakfast as the queen.

"Your Majesty." After Zhu Xianxun entered the room, the palace lady stood up.

"Well, please take a seat, Concubine Song. Let me introduce you, this is my junior fellow apprentice." He patted Shangluo's shoulder, "Please file him in the archives. You won't need to inform him when he comes and goes from now on."

"Junior brother?" Concubine Song looked at Shangluo. As a Qigong practitioner, she certainly understood the meaning of the term "Junior brother." Because the only person who could truly be called Zhu Xianxi's master was that one. Zhu Xianxi's alchemy was taught by the Daoist ancestor himself, a rare occurrence among emperors throughout history, as whether an emperor possessed the talent of a Qigong practitioner depended on fate.

Zhu Xianxin's junior fellow student means

She knew who it was. This was the Qilin child who had descended from the sky.

She leaned close to the queen's ear and whispered a few words to her.

After hearing the introduction, the empress looked up at Shangluo—and Shangluo saw her eyes: dark circles hung around them, giving the empress the look of a panda. She was tired, and it was obvious from the first glance. It wasn't just the fatigue of a single night, but the accumulated fatigue of the past few days. A cup of strong tea was still steaming, and she'd already finished more than half of the tea before she'd even taken a few sips of the porridge.

"Hello." The queen nodded weakly at him. "Did you have a good rest yesterday?"

Although she was very tired, she still greeted him.

Shangluo hurriedly returned the greeting. She looked tired, as if she hadn't rested enough recently. After all, she didn't get back until seven or eight, and had to be ready for bed before four in the morning. A "time management master" like Shangluo could fall asleep instantly and wake up on time. But most people need to prepare for bed and wake up again, so her rest time was clearly insufficient.

After sitting down to eat, he sat across from Song Shanggong. She didn't look at her, but just lowered her head and ate her meal in small bites, keeping the same pace as the queen, neither faster nor slower than her.

"How about you take a day off today?" Zhu Xianxin, who was sitting in the middle, suggested, "How are you going to school when you're so sleepy?"

"No rush, no rush. Sister Ashan is driving, not me. The latest experiment is very important, and I absolutely cannot take leave today. The Xuanzi 95th Institute in the Gobi Desert is still waiting for our data to be returned. The progress of several institutes over there has accelerated recently, and we are getting busier here. Can you lend us the large differential engine in the Huangce Library? We are short of computers, after all, they are all students working part-time."

"I'll ask, it should be possible. I'll transfer some people to you from the Yellow Book Library. After this busy period is over, do you want to take a vacation? Where should we go?"

"Nanyang." The Queen raised her head. "I'm going to Xingzhou to eat curry shrimp. I want to eat as much as I can. I don't want anything else, just curry shrimp."

"No problem, no problem. How long do you expect it to take?"

"About. Ah." She rubbed her head. "Sister Shan, how long will it take?"

Song Shanggong immediately replied, "We expect to see results by the middle of next month, and the real results will be apparent this year. However, we have to wait for the progress of the Sulong, otherwise we won't be able to deploy it to a safe distance. After all, full-scale experiments can't be carried out even in the Gobi Desert."

"I understand. Go for it, everyone."

"Forget it, let's just stop here for today." She picked up the bowl of porridge and drank the remaining half in one gulp. "I'll try not to work overtime tonight. See you tonight."

"See you tonight."

"Sister Ashan, help me get my bag. It's next to my bed. I forgot to bring it down. I'll wait for you in the car first."

Like a gust of wind, the two people left.

"They are so busy!" Shangluo was surprised.

"Actually, it wasn't this busy before. It's just that things have been critical lately. The experiments in the Gobi Desert have been accelerated, and many research institutes in Beijing have also had to speed up."

"Your Majesty's research direction is the chemistry of evil energy?"

"No, she and I are classmates, both in the Chemical Engineering Department. Their unit is only responsible for some peripheral process research and does not directly deal with evil spirits. There are thousands of research units like theirs across the country. The study of evil spirits is a spectacle that mobilizes the entire country's efforts."

"They said there would be progress next month. Is this going to explode?"

"There's a small-scale 'transcritical' experiment being conducted in the Gobi Desert. Once that experiment is complete, we'll be able to have a big fireworks display this year. It wasn't that fast before, but this little incident allowed us to verify the counteracting effect of evil spirits and high-concentration spiritual energy, and our research progress has been greatly accelerated. You're primarily responsible for this."

"Ah, no, no, didn't you create the condensed sea of energy yourself, Your Majesty?"

"I just copied your recipe, at most industrializing it. Of course, the credit goes to you, and we won't forget it. As for me, I'm confident I can make something just as amazing, so I won't take credit for it. By the way, how does this pork knuckle taste? It's not a Fangshan dish, it's from the imperial kitchen."

"It feels like it's about the same?"

"Braised and stewed dishes are all pretty much the same. After all, they're prepared ahead of time and kept warm on the stove, so you can just grab them when you want to eat. That's why I loved pork trotters the most when I was little, because there wasn't much else to eat besides braised dishes like pig's trotters. Eat slowly, there's no rush. Are you hungry? I noticed you weren't that hungry last night. You must have had a good sleep, right? I'll give you another portion. You can have as much as you want, since the imperial kitchen always has pre-prepared dishes."

Zhu Xianxun and Shangluo got out of the car in front of Yuxi Palace. The waiting Jinyiwei helped them move the car into the parking space and opened the outer gate of Yuxi Palace.