"Immortal... immortal child..." The newly enthroned King of Shu was stunned.
He gazed at the adorable, delicate immortal child above the clouds, instantly reminded of the dream the chancellor had mentioned!
Could it be true that an immortal child had entered his dream to save Yuan Mu?!
"Immortal child above, accept my bow!" The King of Shu immediately knelt in his dream, lifting the hem of his dragon robe. "Immortal child, you punish evil and save the world. I am eternally grateful!"
Xiao Chuchu nodded to him, graciously accepting his thanks.
When others thanked her, she might feel undeserving, but this King of Shu, who had replaced his royal brother, truly needed to thank her!
If not for her painstaking efforts, entering the dreams of so many Yuan Mu officials, the King of Shu wouldn't have become emperor so quickly!
"Hmm." Xiao Chuchu watched the King of Shu kneel without asking him to rise.
The King of Shu's heart surged with emotion, his expression respectful. "Has the immortal child entered my dream to offer guidance? I will surely listen to your celestial words and follow them without fail!"
Xiao Chuchu waved her hand, stopping the new emperor from making grand promises, and played a video clip for him.
The scene showed the Duke of National Defense lingering outside the Former Empress's residence, sending people to propose marriage and deliver betrothal gifts.
The King of Shu's face turned red with embarrassment. Even the immortal child knew of this shameful matter?
In terms of seniority, the Duke of National Defense was of the uncle's generation to him and the Yuan King. For the Duke to propose to the Former Empress was a mismatch in generational status, improper by etiquette!
Regardless of seniority, the Duke of National Defense was a important minister of the court. He should have properly married a wife of similar social standing. However, the Former Empress was the Yuan King's fourth wife from his grand wedding.
The King of Shu was too embarrassed to let the common people know of the Duke's actions.
After all, this was a scandal of the royal family.
But who would have thought that even the immortal child knew about it!
"Immortal child, I will surely speak clearly with the Duke of National Defense. We cannot allow such disorder—" The King of Shu hadn't finished speaking before he was interrupted.
"If they are not of the same surname or clan, and their hearts are in accord, what's wrong with that?" The immortal child's small brows were clearly furrowed.
The King of Shu was taken aback.
"If the man is unmarried and the woman is unwed, and they wish to share their lives, what's wrong with that?" The immortal child set down the grapes in her hand with displeasure.
The King of Shu broke out in a cold sweat in his dream. "Immortal child, do you mean... you want me to bring them together?"
The immortal child fell silent but pursed her lips. "Your Yuan Mu mortal affairs are not my concern."
A chill ran down the King of Shu's spine. How foolish he was!
He had displeased the immortal child!
The immortal child had clearly asked what was wrong with it, yet he still didn't believe her and had to question further. How could he be so stupid? So stupid that the immortal child spoke harshly, saying she wouldn't concern herself with Yuan Mu's affairs anymore!
The King of Shu shuddered. "Immortal child, I know my error! I shouldn't have held prejudice against the Former Empress. If not for my royal brother's foolishness, she wouldn't have ended up leaving the palace and returning to her maiden home."
"At the root of it all, it is I and my royal brother who have wronged the Former Empress. It is the Yuan Mu Royal Family that has failed her."
"To think I still held prejudice against her, believing she wasn't worthy of the current Duke of National Defense. How foolish I've been!"
The King of Shu looked at the immortal child, admitting his mistakes all at once.
It wasn't that he didn't understand these principles before, but rather that he had the pride of royal and noble families in his bones, the pride of men being superior to women.
But now, with the immortal child's displeasure, the King of Shu instantly 'realized' his error.
"Hmm." The immortal child nodded with a stern face.
The King of Shu wiped away his cold sweat.
The immortal child had said she wouldn't concern herself with Yuan Mu's affairs, but look, he had done the right thing, and the immortal child was nodding at him frantically.
The King of Shu let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face.
"Yuan Mu currently faces several major difficulties," said Xiao Chuchu, disguised as the immortal child, looking sternly at the King of Shu. "First, land taxes are too high, while grain production is relatively low."
"Second, the legal system..."
"Third, the army's morale has been greatly damaged..."
With each sentence she spoke, the King of Shu's eyes grew wider.
This truly was the immortal child helping Yuan Mu!
The King of Shu's eyes widened. "Immortal child, I beg for your guidance. How should Yuan Mu address these difficulties?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the immortal child frown.
"Are you the emperor, or am I?"
"If you seek my advice on everything, why does this world need you as its emperor?"
The immortal child's cold gaze and reproach struck like thunder!
The King of Shu immediately broke out in a cold sweat, prostrating himself on the ground, not daring to raise his head!
"Yes, yes, yes, the immortal child speaks truly—I should reflect on myself, I should work hard, I cannot rely on immortals!"
Xiao Chuchu, disguised as the immortal child, snorted and played a second video.
It was a scene of the people of Jing Country living in harmony.
The King of Shu watched with wide eyes.
He saw in the immortal child's palm a miniature version of the 'Capital City of Jing Country gate', with people coming and going...
But the King of Shu was certain he had never been to the capital of Jing Country.
Yet now, he saw this unfamiliar bustling city gate in the immortal child's palm.
Just as the King of Shu was about to look closer, the image in the immortal child's palm dissolved into nothingness, disappearing in an instant.
The King of Shu was taken aback.
What did the immortal child mean by this?
He was about to ask but stopped himself, remembering the immortal child's rebuke for not thinking and relying entirely on her. The King of Shu immediately began to ponder hard.
Earlier, when he had asked the immortal child how to solve Yuan Mu's major problems, she hadn't answered but instead showed him the city gate of Jing Country. What did this mean?
Twenty-some days ago, Yuan had attacked Jing and suffered a great defeat!
Surely the immortal child couldn't be telling him to attack Jing Country again?
The King of Shu was a clever man. Seeing the faint coldness in the immortal child's eyes, he suddenly had an epiphany.
"Immortal child, do you mean for us to apologize and make reparations to Jing Country, to renew our old friendship?"
As soon as the King of Shu said this, he saw the corners of the immortal child's mouth lift slightly, as if in approval.
He had guessed correctly! The King of Shu was overjoyed.
Amidst a celestial melody, the delicate figure of the immortal child before him gradually faded into a ghostly image, drifting away with the wind.
"Divination dispels disaster, doctors celebrate peaceful pulses." The immortal child's celestial voice seemed to linger in the King of Shu's ears. "You must remember this."
King of Shu: "!"
Divination dispels disaster, doctors celebrate peaceful pulses?
Does it mean that disasters will disperse, and all will be peaceful and harmonious?
Is the secret to Yuan Mu's prosperity peace and harmony, not fighting and killing?
The King of Shu's eyes widened, feeling he had understood.
The immortal child opposes war!
...
[Whoa, at the crucial moment, I was almost stumped by the King of Shu's question. How would I know how to develop their Yuan Mu country?]
[Luckily, I managed to bluff my way through using the words my father usually uses to scold his officials~]
Xiao Chuchu stretched lazily on the small bed beside Xiao Yunzhou's desk.
[Whenever my father doesn't know how to answer the ministers' questions, he scolds them.]
[He says, 'If I have to think of everything, I might as well not be emperor. I should just do the job of all the civil and military officials!' Haha, I've learned my father's tactics!]
[In the future, when I encounter something I don't know, I'll just rebuke people like this.]
Xiao Yunzhou listened from the side, his mouth twitching, deeply introspective.
[This should work, right? The King of Shu won't attack our Jing Country again, right?]
Xiao Chuchu pondered, soon feeling reassured enough to yawn and close her eyes.
Xiao Yunzhou was moved.
Little princess, you've brought at least ten years of peace to Jing Country!
"Summon the Minister of Rites!"
"I want to hold a grand celebration for the little princess's first birthday!"
"And the Ministry of Works, have they prepared all the items for the little princess's 'Grabbing Ceremony'?" Xiao Yunzhou felt he must give the child the very best.
Otherwise, how could Jing Country repay her?
As Xiao Yunzhou busied himself with arranging a grand first birthday celebration for Chuchu and deciding which officials would attend, the King of Shu was also becoming busy.
The next day, when the King of Shu woke from his sleep, his first thought was whether his dream had been influenced by his daytime thoughts.
Could the immortal child be a figment of his imagination, born from hearing too much of the chancellor's talk?
But by the time of the morning court session, the King of Shu was shocked!
"Your Majesty, this old minister has listed the current major issues facing our Yuan Mu," Chancellor Shangguan Ming stepped forward, presenting a memorial and looking at the King of Shu.
"First, land taxes are too high, while grain production is relatively low."
"Second, the legal system..."
"Third, the army's morale has been greatly damaged..."
As the King of Shu listened to these words, identical to those spoken by the immortal child in last night's dream, his back was instantly drenched in sweat.
It was true, the immortal child was real!
Only an immortal child could foresee the events of the next day!
