northernbook Chapter 171 The Useless Prince's Power Seizure (49)
Chapter 171 The Useless Prince's Power Seizure (49)
After finishing their business, Jingli then started talking to Langyue about Jingjing.
“Mother, Li’er is all grown up now and doesn’t need anyone to warm her bed.”
A boy in his teens is like a ball of fire; not to mention the various props in the set, he won't get cold at all.
He knew what Langyue was thinking, but because of what 6058 said, he had to make plans for Jingjing.
Lang Yue smiled and shook her head: "Silly girl, this is not just about warming the bed. Jingjing has a lot more to teach you later. In the future, there will always be two people sleeping in your bed. You just need to get used to it for now."
Jingli pouted and muttered, "If you really want to warm the bed, wouldn't it be warmer to find a man?"
Langyue was unaware of the seriousness of the matter, after all, the previous rumors about Jingli's sexuality were just rumors to her.
She reached out and pinched Jingli's cheek: "A stiff man lying on the bed, don't you find it uncomfortable?"
Jingli stopped arguing. Anyway, he was going to leave the palace soon, so he could at least get by for a while.
After finishing their discussion on the current situation, Langyue sent a signal through the secret passage, and the two switched back up to continue their meal.
During the meal, Jingli didn't sit idle either, and discussed the next steps with 6058.
[Jingli: The Emperor has divine decrees and a system. Mommy, do you think the Second Prince knows about his plans?]
[6058: Perhaps they know, perhaps they don't.]
6058 explained: "For him, who wins or loses isn't that important. What he cares about isn't who inherits his empire, but rather who he can parasitize."
Jingli suddenly realized.
[6058: Moreover, the changing of dynasties and the usurpation of power are part of the natural course of the world. The world, after a long period of division, will inevitably unite; after a long period of unity, it will inevitably divide again. Even the true world consciousness wouldn't forcibly interfere, let alone a pseudo-world consciousness. They'd rather the world be in chaos.]
[Jingli: So the pseudo-world consciousness won't interfere, and the emperor doesn't care either. Isn't that better for us?]
6058 chuckled: [It's not just good, I have another idea.]
Jingli's eyes grew brighter and brighter as she sincerely exclaimed, "Mommy is indeed Mommy; compared to her, my head is just a decoration."
I need to keep up the good work!
After the meal, the mother and son each had something to do.
Lang Yue wanted to relay the news from Jingli to the Lang family.
Although Lang's father appeared to be a good-for-nothing, the Lang family was not without its own strengths.
He had his own staff, and even after being stripped of his military power, he did not slacken his efforts. He may not have been suited to leading troops and fighting on the battlefield, but he was able to cultivate new generals.
The place where Yu An had previously trained under the scorching sun was the same ground that Lang's father used, but Yu An did not know exactly how many people were in the Lang family's "martial arts arena".
Lang's father was not a man without ambition. Now that the world was about to fall into chaos, it was time for him to put his ten years of honing his skills to the test.
Jingli, on the other hand, was busy preparing to leave the palace and report to the emperor.
Upon hearing that Jingli was going to the east, the emperor's eyes lit up, and he advised, "The east has been in turmoil lately, why don't you go somewhere else?"
As he spoke, he asked Eunuch Wan to deliver a map, which marked several points, all of which were natural hot springs that the emperor had visited.
Not only that, there were some other annotations on it, and Jingli didn't sit idle either. He scanned them directly using the observer system and sent them to 6058 before saying:
"Then, I will obey Father."
The emperor nodded and assigned a few more guards to Jingli.
Jingli's body was the one he was most satisfied with among his sons, and now that it had been nourished by the divine water, he couldn't afford to have any problems.
Jingli's words to the emperor were just empty talk; once he left the palace, no one could control where he went.
Zeng Yuan said pitifully, "Ah, but I found a lot of interesting places to go."
Jingli immediately came down the steps: "In that case, let's go back the way we came first, and then go to the hot spring that Father Emperor mentioned!"
Zeng Yuan chose a route that was a main road, some distance from the chaotic city, and that there would be no danger in stopping there for only a short time.
Everyone present was an official of the emperor, and they all knew how much the emperor cared for the crown prince. So they turned a blind eye and let the crown prince go.
As Jingli had predicted, inside the carriage, he gently curled the corners of his lips.
6058 compared the previous map and found that the locations of several marked positions coincided with the newly formed vortex in the east, and these locations were also on their route.
If 6058's guess is correct, these places should also be temples of gods. It's just that due to natural disasters and man-made calamities, more people are praying, which has accelerated the formation of these statues.
When the prince traveled, the hot springs were booked out by Jingli, and they stayed at the inn there.
He slowed down his journey, partly because the winter days are short and it's never as warm as being indoors outside.
On the other hand, it also gives the Second Prince's people an opportunity to approach Yu An.
That night, when all was quiet, Jingli cast a sedative spell on the person next to him and opened the window of his own room.
Yu An woke up almost the instant he got up, but he didn't say much. He just stood guard on either side of Jing Li, preventing anyone from disturbing him.
As the pink light in Jingli's eyes lit up, his whole body seemed to be enveloped in a layer of golden light. Yu An saw him move his hand, and a ball of gold flew out of the window and then disappeared.
Yu An vaguely felt the air around him begin to move, and even his mood became more pleasant.
Jingli is using his energy eye to absorb the nearby shadows.
He doesn't stop there.
"Xiao An," he called softly as he opened his eyes.
Yu An's spirits lifted, and he instinctively wanted to hug Jing Li.
However, he remained rational and did not do anything so rude.
Seeing his actions, Jingli smiled slightly and said, "I have something very important to do now. Watch me. If I faint, you have to catch me."
Yu An was greatly alarmed: "Your Highness, is there some danger?"
Jingli shook her head and closed her eyes: "There is no danger, it's just that I've never tried it before, and I'm afraid I won't have the strength."
Upon hearing this, Yu An moved even closer to Jing Li, and the strange feeling in his heart became even more pronounced.
It was as if something was reviving inside him.
Jingli didn't say anything more and took out a previously prepared array plate.
This array plate references the distribution of the palaces in this world, using the energy within the scenery as a medium to form a small enhancement array.
Jingli sat upright within, channeling his energy to form fine threads that carefully bypassed the dark shadows descending from the horizon, creating a horizontal and vertical arrangement with them.
These silk threads, like fine drizzle, eventually fell into the homes of the city's residents, then unfurled at their ends to form a small barrier, enveloping the sleeping people within.
Oh, there were exceptions. Apart from the ordinary guards, none of the people connected to the emperor, the second prince, or others were shrouded in this golden silk.
Such meticulous work consumed a lot of Jingli's energy. He kept replenishing his stamina recovery cards, and the energy eye also continuously provided him with ample energy.
·
Jingli adjusted her breathing, checked her current state, and took out a Dream-Making Card that she had redeemed from the Counterfeit System.
The counterfeit system's product system is essentially a prop box for lingering observers. The energy within it originates from the same source as the Zero Boundary, and apart from obvious effects like the Compression Card, others will not notice it.
Naturally, those behind the scenes who try to manipulate this little world are no exception.
This card, originating from Jingli's palm, travels along those pale golden energy threads into everyone's dreams.
The Dream-Making Card was used in the previous world, back when it was used to deal with infant spirits.
The infant spirit was brutal and emotionally unstable; Jingli had used up a lot of energy to trap it.
This time, since people were already dreaming, the use of the dream card was even smoother.
However, it will be more difficult for Jingli to make the Dream Card work for everyone.
As Jingli felt the Dream-Making Card successfully fall into the end of each energy thread, he was covered in sweat. Yu An then used a damp cotton cloth to wipe him down.
Jingli didn't slack off for a moment; waiting even a second longer would deplete his energy and stamina.
He gritted his teeth and began to create his dream.
Yu An, who was next to him, also felt himself entering a mysterious state.
Jingli was still in front of him, but he saw a different scene—
War raged, corpses littered the land, and the sky seemed to be stained red with blood and fire.
A faint, almost imperceptible black aura rose up in wisps, connecting the heavens to the earth, as if everything were trapped in a cage, or as if heaven and earth had been shattered.
At this moment, everyone who was dreaming "saw" this scene from their own perspective.
Some of them watched their loved ones being killed by bandits or government soldiers while fleeing famine.
Some people hid in the mountains and forests, only to be driven to the brink of despair by venomous snakes and wild beasts.
Some people defended their homes, but those homes were taken over in the flames of war. Men were used as human shields, women were abducted, and infants were eaten.
……
Purgatory on earth.
Just then, a golden light with a pinkish hue burst forth in the sky.
Someone shouted in that direction, "Purple clouds and golden light! A celestial being is about to descend!"
More and more people joined in the chanting and knelt down in that direction.
As the rain fell, the leaves, which had been curled up due to the long drought, unfurled, adding a touch of green to the withered yellow of winter.
A figure emerged from the glow of the sunset, dressed in red with long hair that resembled smudged ink, making him even more mysterious.
He wore a golden crown, with a ruby adorning his forehead band; his figure was ethereal, like a dream.
The people in the city dared not look directly at his face, and even if they did, they could not see it clearly.
Besides Yu An, he could see those beautiful, bright pink eyes, the tip of her small nose, and her rosy lips—it was exactly what Jing Li looked like.
Jingli waved his left hand, and a black tortoise appeared in his hand. The tortoise gradually grew larger, covering the sky and the sun. The black and white patterns on its back turned into a Tai Chi Bagua formation. The black mist that was entangled in the city was completely absorbed by the formation's core, and golden light flashed.
Then, Jingli's right hand transformed into a narrow-mouthed bottle made entirely of jade white. White mist drifted out from it, quickly crystallizing in the air and falling down like white salt.
A thin layer of "salt crystals" spread out and then slowly disappeared. The war ended, the blood and corpses disappeared, the muddy road was repaired, the stench disappeared, and the dilapidated houses were renewed.
After the people kneeling on the ground were touched by the "salt crystals," they felt their bodies become lighter, as if their meridians had been opened, and their whole bodies were filled with strength.
"The gods have appeared! The gods have appeared!"
The first person shouted, then the second, the third...
Most of the people were lamenting how difficult their lives were, hoping that the gods would grant them a miracle and save them from their suffering.
Jingli opened her lips: "My believers are my protectors."
He didn't speak after that, but took out a blank scroll and unfurled it in the air, revealing a glimpse of "heavenly secrets" to everyone.
I learned this trick from that "immortal" in the cave.
The people see things differently, things that are their greatest fears. Through the scenes depicted by the people, Jingli can glimpse the ills of this world.
Ordinary young adults worried that if they accidentally violated the laws of the time, they would be severely punished for minor offenses and forced into labor. Once they were taken away, their wives and children might be taken away, their elderly parents might die of illness, and their home and land might be taken away.
People living near the border feared the winter drought would turn them into refugees, that migrants from elsewhere would seize their land, and that the war would reach them. The government troops were the most powerful; they didn't even need a reason to take their homes.
Some feared falling ill; the people outside the city lacked the resources of the imperial capital, and in winter they were left to their fate. Medicinal herbs were strictly controlled by the imperial power, making them unaffordable for ordinary families. Even picking their own herbs required extreme caution; being caught hoarding them was a serious crime…
As I carefully observed the scenery, my heart grew heavier.
Then, what the people saw changed again.
The celestial beings slayed a giant, jet-black dragon exuding malevolent energy. Then, the "celestial deity" they worshipped handed a black tortoise of exquisite color to one of the celestial beings.
"The Black Tortoise has returned to its position, and the heavenly gods have descended to earth, bringing divine blessings to all under heaven."
The "god" then said, "This divine body—"
He merely opened his lips, and the people could not hear what he was saying, but they all had one thought—this divine body was about to be reshaped!
Moreover, in this dream, they all came to the same conclusion: the celestial being who descended to earth was none other than the current crown prince, their Crown Prince.
This is certainly not due to Jingli's personal charm, but rather the result of dream manipulation.
This dream was woven by him and 6058 together.
Jingli hasn't experienced many grand scenes, but 6058 has! His original world also experienced such mad wars, and by combining this with the situation in this world, he can easily create such a scene.
The world is about to descend into chaos, and people are filled with fear and anxiety.
Since the Temple of the Gods can gain the power of wishes from this, they can also transfer it. In any case, based on the experience of the previous world, this power of wishes can not only enhance the world's consciousness, but can also be used in the scenery.
The statues enshrined in the Temple of Heaven today are all based on the late emperor, the "messenger of the gods." When the people kneel and worship, their wishes are amplified through the late emperor's influence on the pseudo-world consciousness.
Now that the imperial power has changed, the impact of the "Heavenly Messenger" has faded with time. After this dream, the people can also realize that the Heavenly Messenger has been replaced.
With the understanding that "the Heavenly Messenger = the Crown Prince", their prayers will be focused on Jingli.
Another point is that the emperor will not panic because of this; on the contrary, he will be delighted, because in his heart, Jingli's body will belong to him sooner or later.
This dream-making event lasted from late at night until dawn, covering an area in the east centered around the vortex. Although the area was not large, it almost exhausted Jingli.
In one night, he stacked ten energy recovery cards. By the latter half of the night, his energy consumption was no longer enough for him to support the energy eye that absorbed the shadow on his own. However, he was prepared and directly scattered a handful of energy-laden talismans to suppress the shadow's influence on him by using quantity.
As dawn broke, he could no longer muster any strength.
The light in his eyes grew fainter and fainter, and he had just opened his lips to call out, "Xiao An..."
Yu An immediately came to his side and supported his weak body.
Jingli's throat was dry, and he instructed Yu An: "Buy some brown rice and common medicines, and go outside the city to distribute porridge and medicinal soup."
After saying that, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.