Cultivation: Being Immortal - Chapter 214

Heavenly Wall Divine Kingdom，Jingdu City

Jingdu City, as the capital city of the Divine Kingdom, has always been full of gossip. And now, in every corner of Jingdu City’s streets and alleys, a story about a beautiful woman is being spread.

“Have you heard? In the town of Yuquan outside the city, there is a family whose daughter is born with great beauty. It’s said that suitors are lining up at their doorstep.”

“Why is a beautiful woman special? Jingdu City already has plenty of beautiful women. There are many beautiful women in the Yuchun Tower in the east of the city.”

“Indeed, beautiful women are not rare. But a beautiful woman with a story is rare. It is said that this woman was born with her left hand always clenched, unable to open it. A sorcerer claimed that only the person destined for her could open it.”

“Is that true or not?”

“It is true. People have tried to forcefully open her hand, but they couldn’t.”

“Then when can we go see?”

“What are you thinking? She is an unparalleled beauty. If you want to see, go ahead. Don’t you know how famous she is now?”

“How famous?”

“Her beauty is praised in a poem: ‘In the north, there is a beautiful woman, extraordinary and independent. With one glance, she captivates the city; with another, she captivates the nation. Isn’t it a marvel how she captivates both people’s hearts and the country? A beauty that is hard to come by again…’”

At the same time, inside a private room in the restaurant, Zhou Huaiying and others secretly used their powers to eavesdrop. They heard the discussions of the people, and their moods were very joyful.

“After ten years of planning, Xiao Yi, you have worked hard.”

“It’s all thanks to the support of the seniors that Xiao Yi dares not take credit.”

Lin Jiang smiled and said. It has been ten years since he came to Jingdu City. Ten years ago, Zhou Huaiying and others entrusted Lin Jiang with the plan, and Lin Jiang wholeheartedly worked on it.

This “Madam Gouge” is just a small part of Lin Jiang’s plan. Before this, Lin Jiang had already sent many women to the emperor through various means.

Of course, these women didn’t have much effect. Men are all the same – once the novelty wears off, they immediately abandon them. But Lin Jiang still tirelessly continues, after all, the emperor’s little brother shouldn’t be left idle.

Meanwhile, various other arrangements are also underway. Talented young men carefully selected by Zhou Huaiying and others have already entered the court. Some have pledged their allegiance to the princes, striving to become their confidants. Others focus on practical matters and have become members of the Divine Kingdom’s productive faction. They have gained the appreciation of many high-ranking officials in the court. These individuals have already started influencing the court by suggesting reforms, although the timing is not yet right.

There is also a certain Alchemist from the Immortal Alliance who deliberately leaked information, got captured by the Divine Kingdom, and then betrayed the Immortal Alliance. After a series of manipulations, this person has become a physician in the Divine Kingdom’s medical bureau, surpassing other doctors. The body-conditioning elixirs he produces are highly regarded in the Divine Kingdom. Many important figures who have tried them praise their effects, saying they can make an old man enjoy himself every night.

“Xiao Yi, can we really lure the emperor in?”

“Rest assured, Chief. Based on my investigations of the emperor over the years, this woman will definitely be favored by him.”

Lin Jiang said that those beautiful women weren’t just given away for free. Lin Jiang had already found out the Emperor’s preferences because everyone has different tastes. Lin Jiang knew exactly what the Emperor liked. These were specially prepared for the Emperor.

And this woman, Lin Jiang had taught her many lessons over the years on how to capture a man’s heart. Looks are just the initial impression, emotional intelligence is the key. Emotional value is more important than anything else because men understand men the best.

“Alright, let’s wait for her to enter the palace. Then we can activate our other plans.”

“Let’s wait another year or two. Take things one step at a time, we can’t mess up the order.”

Lin Jiang said that if the order of these plans is wrong, it might all be in vain. Only when the order is correct, can we achieve the greatest effect.

The few of them nodded in agreement. They were all experts who had lived for at least a few hundred years. They could clearly see the importance of this matter. They won’t rush these one or two years.

······

Half a month later, Fist Girl’s reputation grew bigger and bigger. Under Lin Jiang’s arrangement, finally a government official took action, taking Fist Girl away and presenting her to the Emperor.

And a surprising scene happened. Fist Girl saw the Emperor, and with just a gentle twist, her hand opened up, revealing a perfectly crafted jade dagger. It was of the highest quality. The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately declared her as a concubine, naming her Jade Concubine.

Afterward, the Emperor favored the Jade Concubine. The three thousand beauties in the palace felt sad about it, but the court officials didn’t think much of it. They knew the Emperor’s preferences. It would only be a few months at most before he grew tired of her.

However, unexpected things often happen unexpectedly. Half a year later, the Emperor loved the Jade Concubine even more, showing no signs of boredom.

As the Emperor grew older, it became more apparent that he no longer attended early morning court sessions. The number of times he summoned the Alchemist from the Medical Facility increased.

Lin Jiang spread a rumor, claiming there was an elixir of immortality in the world. It was said that those who consumed it would live forever. As the rumor spread, more and more people believed it, and eventually the Emperor asked the cultivator.

The answer the Emperor received was that the elixir of immortality was nonsense, but the cultivator indeed had elixirs that could prolong life. The most famous one was the Eight Treasure Divine Elixir, which could extend life for eight hundred years.

Hearing this, the Emperor became very eager and ordered the Alchemist from the Divine Kingdom to gather rare treasures and refine the Longevity Divine Elixir.

As the Emperor had a liking for the Longevity Divine Elixir, the court officials, nobles, and royal family all began to offer various rare treasures. However, these treasures didn’t just fall from the sky, they were scattered across different places. The major forces of the Divine Kingdom sent people to search for them, causing disturbance and chaos among the people.

Another half a year passed, and the Push Grace Order was finally proposed by the officials of the Divine Kingdom. It was related to the Longevity Divine Elixir. Some people advised that although they had countless treasures in the Divine Kingdom, most of them were held by local powers who also sought longevity. They refused to offer the treasures to the Emperor. Therefore, their fiefdoms should be reduced, and the central authority of the court should be strengthened.

This matter gained unanimous support from the Emperor and the officials. Suppressing local powers and strengthening central authority was beneficial to them. The emergence of the Push Grace Order gave them an excellent excuse.

May Grace Order was issued, and immediately received support from all sides, including the princes of the various states, the talented and prosperous Li family of Divine Kingdom. Each prince had many children. In the past, only the eldest son would inherit the family business, but now even the second son or the illegitimate son had a chance to inherit. How could they not support it?

The only ones who opposed were those powerful local factions. They held all the power and lived carefree lives. If this continued for generations, wouldn’t the descendants become nothing more than fish on the chopping block?

You should know that the change of regime in Divine Kingdom has always been an internal replacement within the Li family. If their descendants’ power is scattered, how can they overthrow the court and sit on the emperor’s throne?

Just when the princes from all over the country were secretly planning how to resist this May Grace Order, Lin Jiang added fuel to the fire. The seeds of rebellion had already grown wings. Someone in Changhe County shouted, “A noble prince, or a humble seed?” Then they started killing officials and rebelling.

Prince Changhe was overjoyed and immediately expanded his army under the pretext of rebellion. He increased his guards from a thousand to ten thousand and sent troops to besiege the rebels.

With the help of the Thirty-Six Water Bandit Groups in Changhe County, the rebels engaged in a fierce battle with the officials and successfully defeated them. Then they swept through the villages and towns in Changhe County. With each town they captured, the rebels would execute noble families, free slaves, and provide relief food. At that moment, countless slaves began to support this group of rebels.

In less than two months, the rebels condensed slogans such as “A noble prince or a humble seed,” “Overthrow tyranny,” and “The new regime doesn’t collect food.” These slogans quickly spread throughout the entire Divine Kingdom. Slaves in other areas of Divine Kingdom also rose up, some rebelled and killed officials, and others fled to Changhe County to join the rebels.

In addition, the Immortal Alliance secretly moved things behind the scenes. The Divine Kingdom was filled with flames of rebellion. The powerful princes in various regions took this opportunity to expand their military strength. It was the beginning of chaos in Divine Kingdom.

Seeing this situation, wise people in Divine Kingdom stood up and united with the noble families and some royalty. They advised the emperor to temporarily postpone the implementation of the May Grace Order and instead join forces with many princes to eliminate the rebels.

But the emperor rejected all these advice because he believed that he had the support of his ancestors from the Li family and that no rebellion could threaten the court. This was the experience accumulated by the Divine Kingdom over countless years. Instead, it was an opportunity to weaken the power of the princes, and then the Divine Kingdom’s court could take swift action.

As for himself, he naturally wanted to be with his beloved concubine, and when the Life-Elongating Pill was refined, they could be a couple for hundreds of years.

“The final remedy, it’s time for the prince to come forward. For the other princes, tell them that since the emperor has implemented the Push Grace Order, it also applies to the princes. The throne is not exclusive to the crown prince. Whoever possesses virtue should take it. Now that the emperor is senile, the Divine Kingdom is in danger and needs a wise ruler to take charge of the court and control the fate of the nation. And they are the wise rulers.

For the crown prince, tell him that the Life-Elongating Pill is about to succeed. With it, the emperor will be able to live twenty more years. The Divine Kingdom has already had a crown prince for twenty years. How can we have a crown prince for forty years?”

Lin Jiang carefully assessed the situation and prepared to give the Divine Kingdom one final drastic measure. It was time for the Nine Dragon Succession play to begin.