Chapter 63 Warning

Chapter 63 Warning! Warning!

Upon entering the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian immediately commanded the system, "Draw a card."

He still held several duplicate cards, any of which could summon Qin Xiao.

【Detected insufficient points to draw a new card. Host, would you like to summon a follower from an existing card?】

"Yes."

【Understood. You currently possess one Wealth Card, one Combat Card, and two Charm Cards. Please select.】

Chu Jiubian chose a Charm Card. After this use, he would have one of each type remaining.

The Charm Card unfurled, transforming into four character cards.

All familiar faces.

Besides Wang Qichen, there were Eunuch Hong Fu and An Wuji.

And finally, of course, Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian decisively reached out and grasped the card belonging to Qin Xiao.

The next moment, the entire Divine Realm began to shake violently. Red lights flashed intermittently, accompanied by a piercing, screeching alarm.

The system's robotic voice became fragmented: 【War—warning—】

【Not advised!】

【Do not—do not recommend selecting—】

Chu Jiubian felt an intense, stabbing pain in his chest, as if countless needles were violently piercing his internal organs.

Boom—

The towering dragon-carved pillars in the Divine Realm collapsed one after another.

The chair and steps beneath Chu Jiubian plummeted into an endless, blank white space. He himself fell with a strong sense of weightlessness, yet never seemed to land on solid ground.

Just like when he had fallen from the wire, it felt as though this descent would never end.

And just like himself, always on the path toward death, yet perpetually suspended by a desperate craving for life—never fully dying, yet never truly living peacefully.

Until he coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining his disheveled silver hair and pure white robes, as well as the swirling clouds and mist in the Divine Realm.

The clouds instantly turned blood-red. After a moment of stillness, they abruptly transformed into two enormous hands, steadily catching Chu Jiubian and preventing him from falling further.

After an unknown length of time, Chu Jiubian suddenly opened his eyes and found himself back on the bed in his bedchamber.

At the same time, a coppery, sweet taste filled his throat, making him cough violently.

Clutching his chest, he leaned over the edge of the bed and gagged a few times before finally suppressing the taste of blood in his throat.

Chu Jiubian's eyes were bloodshot, his entire body drenched in cold sweat, his hair sticking to his face. He was a complete mess.

He lowered his eyelashes, but a hint of madness flickered in his eyes.

He called out to the system again and re-entered the Divine Realm.

Everything in the Divine Realm had returned to normal, and he himself was once again seated on the lofty throne.

Just as in the outside world, his face was ghostly pale, with traces of blood at the corners of his lips and on his cheeks. He looked utterly wretched.

"Summon Qin Xiao," he said raspily, his tone unusually calm.

【Host, the system does not recommend pulling this follower, nor does it advise you to continue attempting it.】

"The card I pulled earlier didn’t count as used, right?" Chu Jiubian asked.

【It does not.】

"Good," Chu Jiubian said. "Draw the Combat Card."

The system fell silent for a long moment before slowly unfolding the Combat Card.

Without hesitation, Chu Jiubian once again grasped the card belonging to Qin Xiao.

The Divine Realm collapsed again. Amid the screeching alarm, Chu Jiubian felt as though his internal organs had been pierced.

The clouds once again transformed into large hands to catch him, this time more skillfully than before.

When he opened his eyes again, Chu Jiubian found himself back in his bedchamber. A large mouthful of fresh blood surged up, and his vision began to blur.

"System," he called out again in his mind.

The system's usually calm robotic voice now sounded almost panicked: 【Host, please stop trying! This is a setting by the system's creator, and no one can override it!】

Chu Jiubian's eyes instantly cleared: "The system's creator? Who is it? What did they set? Why can’t I summon Qin Xiao?"

A series of questions, but the system answered none of them, only saying, 【For the host's personal safety, the system will temporarily close the Divine Realm function. It will reopen for you at noon tomorrow.】

【During the closure of the Divine Realm, if any followers request an audience, the system will notify the host. Please rest and recuperate to better complete your tasks. (The host's injuries are side effects of the system and will heal after six hours. No medical treatment is required.)】

After saying this, the system completely shut down. No matter what Chu Jiubian said afterward, it ignored him.

Chu Jiubian lay by the bedside for a long time, recovering, before forcing himself up. Dragging his nearly half-dead body to the table, he poured water to rinse his mouth.

He truly felt now that having an attendant nearby would be good—at times like this, he wouldn’t have to get out of bed himself.

But it was just a thought. As the weather grew colder, the palace staff were already cold in their own rooms, much less sleeping on the floor.

Chu Jiubian even considered whether he should find time to create a "metal stove" or directly install heated floors, which would likely be warmer than using charcoal heaters.

Speaking of which, recently all court affairs had fallen on Chu Jiubian alone, so he had passed off many duties to the Directorate of Ceremonial and Qin Zhaoyang.

As a result, Hong Fu was swamped lately. Even Xiao Xiangzi couldn’t wait on Chu Jiubian personally but had to follow his master around every day.

Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were also often loaned out to help. Chu Jiubian didn’t mind; in fact, he hoped these young ones would grow and develop, so these two were also run off their feet.

The various chores in Yaotai Residence fell to Shui Qing and Shui Yun.

The two young maids' progress was astonishingly fast. When they went out, other young palace staff would respectfully call them "elder sisters."

Chu Jiubian's thoughts stalled.

It seemed he was truly injured—where did that come from?

Supporting his worn-out body, he walked to the bedside, sat down, and slowly lay back down.

But even with such caution, his chest and abdomen still ached as if he had been ripped open.

Once he truly lay down, the pain showed no sign of diminishing, but it didn’t worsen either. The system had even said that he would fully recover in six hours.

Chu Jiubian thought this might be the system’s "punishment" mechanism.

It makes you suffer but doesn’t let you die—just to teach him a lesson.

What a vicious system. Who on earth created this? A total sadist.

His mind wandered, trying to distract himself so he wouldn’t focus on the pain.

So, he couldn’t help but think of Qin Xiao.

So the "not recommended" label on the card really meant not recommended. If he insisted on going against it, this was the consequence.

But if it wasn’t recommended, why even show the person at all?

Was the system engaging in "setting a trap"?

Chu Jiubian recalled the cards he had drawn before. All the identity cards he had encountered flashed before his eyes one by one, and his thoughts became especially clear at that moment.

That was when he spotted something odd.

From the first Jiang Shuoye and Situ Zhaoling, then Wang Qichen and Qin Chuan, and finally Lu Yao.

Each time, the system had given Chu Jiubian several options, but in the end, it seemed he had always chosen the card labeled "recommended."

It was as if the system had been steering him toward choosing these people all along. One could even say these followers were his "only" choices.

The causality system.

Chu Jiubian chewed on these four words, squinting a little.

Was choosing these people the "cause" or the "effect"?

He had ended up in Great Ning, met Qin Xiao, met Baili Hong—what was the cause and effect here?

His thoughts alternated between clarity and confusion until dawn, when he finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, when Xiao Jinzi came in with a basin of hot water to wake him for his morning wash, he spotted the dried blood on Chu Jiubian’s face. His scream not only summoned everyone else in the courtyard but also jolted Chu Jiubian awake.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes flew open, and he instinctively touched his chest.

There was not a hint of pain, just as the system had said. Six hours had passed, and he was fully healed.

Chu Jiubian: "......"

He sat up and, seeing the panicked servants, quickly called out to Xiao Yinzi, who was about to get the royal doctor. "I’m fine," he said. "It’s just a nosebleed."

He didn’t dare say "spitting up blood"—that would have terrified them.

Sure enough, everyone visibly relaxed at his words.

Nosebleeds could happen when one was run too hot. For a healthy young man like Chu Jiubian, an occasional nosebleed was normal.

Xiao Xiangzi hurried over to help him up, saying with concern, "Young master, from now on, we should have someone stay up with you at night. Look, we didn't know what happened last night. If we had known, we wouldn’t have let you sleep like that all night."

Chu Jiubian hadn’t intentionally avoided washing his face; he simply was too wiped out the night before.

"Don’t bother," he refused. "This was a one-time thing. If it happens again, I’ll call for you."

"Alright," Xiao Xiangzi reluctantly agreed.

"Don’t tell His Majesty about this," Chu Jiubian added.

Previously, Xiao Xiangzi had reported every detail about Chu Jiubian to Qin Xiao, but at some point, Qin Xiao had stopped asking, and Xiao Xiangzi had stopped offering details.

Now, Chu Jiubian’s instruction to keep quiet was solely to avoid worrying the boy.

Xiao Xiangzi understood he meant well and told the others to keep their mouths shut as well.

After washing up, Chu Jiubian was feeling fresh and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for breakfast as usual.

It was a day of rest, so after eating, he went out for a walk with Baili Hong to walk off the meal. Xiao Xiangzi and the others had gone to the Directorate of Ceremonial, so only Xiao Yuzi accompanied the two of them.

The three of them walked along the palace pathway.

Chu Jiubian glanced down at his side, where the little one was toddling along with little steps, trying hard.

The weather was turning cooler, and the child had changed into autumn clothes.

The slightly thicker clothing made him look even more chubby and made him even slower.

Baili Hong noticed his gaze and looked up at him.

Meeting his teacher’s eyes, the little one immediately grinned, revealing a set of small white teeth, his eyes bright and clear. He was no longer as listless as he had been in the first few days after Qin Xiao left.

Chu Jiubian wanted to give his cheeks a pinch, but since they were outside, he held back and only smiled faintly.

Baili Hong blinked his big eyes and asked, "Teacher, how much longer until uncle comes back?"

This was the countless times the little one had asked this since Qin Xiao left.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t dodge the question or show impatience. Instead, he carefully calculated before answering, "The army should have reached Gansu by now. I expect he’ll be back in another three months."

Previously, whenever Baili Hong asked, Chu Jiubian had given vague answers because he wasn’t sure himself.

This was the first time he had given a relatively specific timeframe. Baili Hong first perked up with joy, then pouted and said, "Three months? Then uncle won’t make it back for the New Year’s festival, will he?"

It was already October, and New Year’s was on December 31st. At most, it was less than three months away.

"If he doesn’t return with the troops, he might make it back," Chu Jiubian said.

Traveling light, it would take only half a month to get from Gansu back to the capital. Qin Xiao might actually make it back in time.

"That’s great!" The little one’s eyes shone as he counted on his fingers over and over again.

Uncle would be back soon, and they could celebrate the New Year together!

Chu Jiubian smiled at his excitement, knowing the little one would likely be counting down the days for the next three months.

He didn’t say anything to bring him down, but in his head, he wasn’t very hopeful.

There was no doubt Qin Xiao could conquer Gansu, but who knew if he would keep pushing forward and drive the Sai kingdom’s army even farther away?

That would take even more time.

And as for Qin Xiao himself—a badly wounded man would be lucky to come back conscious. How could he possibly race back early to the capital?

At this thought, Chu Jiubian's expression darkened.

Since the system wouldn't let him recall Qin Xiao, he could only rely on Qin Xiao's letters and intel from Qin Chuan's network.

But both were delayed.

The news he had received earlier was actually about events that had happened three or five days prior, and now he had no idea how things were on Qin Xiao's end.

Nor did he know whether Qin Xiao had already been injured...

Chu Jiubian knit his brows, no longer dwelling on it.

Qin Xiao would definitely come back alive; even if injured, he wouldn't die—there was nothing to worry about.

The three of them arrived at the imperial garden.

The young emperor, tired from walking, tugged at Chu Jiubian, and they sat down together to rest for a while.

Before long, they suddenly saw two embroiderers from the Imperial Garment Bureau hurrying over from afar—clearly looking for them.

As the weather was gradually getting colder, the various royals, eunuchs, and palace maids in the palace had all changed into thicker clothes. The servants' garments weren't urgent to make; they could make do with last year's clothes for a few days.

But the masters all needed new clothes. Although the current true masters of the palace were only the emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager, there were still some dowager consorts left from Emperor Yingzong's time in the rear palace, as well as Baili Hong's two imperial brothers who were under ten years old.

The outer court also housed Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian—all of these needed to be prepared.

Moreover, the New Year was just three months away.

This was Baili Hong's first New Year after ascending the throne, so it had to be celebrated with extra grandeur.

Therefore, the embroiderers had been constantly checking and modifying the dragon robe Baili Hong would wear for the New Year, as well as Chu Jiubian's first-rank court attire, and the ceremonial dragon robes for Qin Xiao and the other seven vassal princes.

All of these needed to be prepared by the Imperial Garment Bureau.

And because it was the beginning of the new year, even the clothing for first- and second-rank officials had to be bestowed by the palace.

Each person received six sets of clothing—three for summer and three for winter—enough for the year.

So, since Baili Hong ascended the throne, the Imperial Garment Bureau had been working nonstop.

The two embroiderers who came now were named Lin Ju and Shuang Chun.

They often came to liaise with Eunuch Hong or Xiao Xiangzi and had even taken Chu Jiubian's measurements, so Chu Jiubian had quite an impression of them.

But at this moment, he didn't know why these two had come.

Both embroiderers were head seamstresses in the Imperial Garment Bureau. Though called "madams," they were actually just in their early twenties, in the prime of their youth.

The two walked to the outside of the pavilion, performed a proper bow, and paid their respects to Baili Hong and Chu Jiubian.

Since the masters weren't suitable to speak first, Xiao Yuzi smiled and asked, "Do you two madams have something to report?"

"Indeed," Shuang Chun replied softly, then looked at Baili Hong and Chu Jiubian and said, "Your servants just went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to pay our respects and heard that the masters had come here, so we sought you out. We beg Your Majesty and My Lord not to blame us."

Spying on the emperor's whereabouts was a major taboo, so she first explained that they hadn't followed them but had specifically gone to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and learned the news through proper channels before coming.

Baili Hong asked, "What did you seek us for?"

Having spent so much time with Chu Jiubian, he sometimes spoke less formally than others, sounding very down-to-earth.

Shuang Chun said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's leniency. Your servants sought Your Majesty and My Lord to ask about one thing: whether palace maids like us can participate in the civil service examinations."

Baili Hong looked at Chu Jiubian.

He knew a little about the imperial examinations, but only in terms of their purpose and benefits, etc.

The specific procedures and requirements were too complex for the little friend to understand.

Chu Jiubian looked at the two of them and asked, "Why do you want to take the imperial examinations?"

These two were already head seamstresses in the palace. Although there was no official title of "female official" in Great Ning, they already had some power and wealth.

By the age of twenty-five, they could leave the palace. Though they would lose their power then, they would have wealth to rely on, and after leaving the palace, they could thrive based on their status from the Imperial Garment Bureau.

Lin Ju was a year younger than Shuang Chun but was already twenty-three this year.

Her expression was more severe than Shuang Chun's, and she said firmly, "To be honest with you, My Lord, we will both reach the age to leave the palace next year or the year after, but we don't want to be ordinary embroiderers after leaving, seeing the end from the start."

Shuang Chun seemed to want to say something flattering but hesitated and ultimately didn't lie.

Chu Jiubian's expression was cold, his tone aloof and distant, making his thoughts inscrutable.

But the palace staff privately rumored that Senior Tutor Chu wasn't as cold as he appeared; he was actually a very gentle deity and master.

So even though he deliberately remained silent for a while, the two embroiderers weren't too panicked, just a bit nervous.

Of course, this wasn't because they were taking advantage of Chu Jiubian's kindness to overstep but because they were telling the truth. Compared to deceiving their superior with lofty words, speaking the truth made them feel more at ease.

They kept their composure.

Chu Jiubian was quite satisfied.

If these two embroiderers had no skill, they wouldn't have reached their current steward positions.

Coincidentally, the weaving workshop in the capital was already under construction. Once the embroiderers passed the exams, they would go to the weaving workshop to study.

The two embroiderers Qin Xiao had found earlier were only responsible for teaching, not management.

But Shuang Chun and Lin Ju clearly had management experience, ambition, and courage. If they could be more flexible in their thinking, having them oversee the operations of the weaving workshop afterward seemed like a good choice.

"Possible," Chu Jiubian said. "But the first round of imperial examinations has already passed."

The two embroiderers' expressions didn't change, but their clasped hands tightened.

Seeing this, Chu Jiubian was even more satisfied.

He then changed his tone and said, "Within three days, each of you prepare an embroidery piece and bring it to me. I will personally examine you then. If you pass, you can directly enter the weaving workshop as officials."

Special cases required special handling—there were many fast-tracked scholars for canal transport matters, so having two more for the weaving bureau wouldn't hurt.

If others later wanted to take such a shortcut, Chu Jiubian wouldn't give them the opportunity again. Opportunities were meant for the fastest and most prepared.

Shuang Chun and Lin Ju's eyes lit up, and they repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude.

They wanted to take the imperial examinations precisely to enter the weaving workshop—it was their specialty, and since the weaving workshop was built outside the palace, it meant they could continue as stewards even after leaving the palace.

No, it should be called "female officials"!

They could become officials too!

The two women were deeply grateful and quickly got ready to go back and work on their embroidery.

Chu Jiubian stopped them, saying, "Tell the other embroidery ladies that after they leave the palace at twenty-five, they can go straight to apply at the Weaving Workshop. If they do well, they may continue to serve His Majesty and the court."

In this way, the Imperial Garment Bureau would become a stepping stone to the Weaving Workshop, making sure many would compete to enter the palace. This would also prevent the Garment Bureau from being left without workers if all the embroiderers went to the Workshop.

The two embroiderers were naturally delighted and answered together, "Yes," before getting ready to leave.

"Wait," Chu Jiubian called out to them once more.

The two embroiderers stopped again, waiting for him to speak.

Unexpectedly, Chu Jiubian was silent for a long time.

Baili Hong tilted his head and looked at him with innocent, bright eyes. Why isn't Master saying anything?

Chu Jiubian's expression didn't change as he lightly tapped his fingertips against his knee.

Only when the two embroiderers started to get nervous did he finally speak up, asking, "Did Prince Ning previously ask you to embroider jasmine flowers?"

Shuangchun nodded and said, "Yes. I was the one who embroidered it on a handkerchief."

Prince Ning had not instructed her to keep it secret, and since these two lords were closest to Qin Xiao, she assumed there was some special meaning to the handkerchief and didn't dare hide it.

"Was it on the twelfth of July?" Chu Jiubian asked again.

"Exactly," Shuangchun replied. "That day happened to be my birthday, so I remember it clearly."

She answered only what was asked, refraining from any additional questions.

Chu Jiubian lightly curled his fingertips and said, "Very well, you may go."

After the two embroiderers had left, Baili Hong looked up at Chu Jiubian, his small face asking, "Master, wasn't the twelfth of July the day the heavy rain started? Why did Imperial Uncle ask someone to embroider jasmine on a handkerchief?"

Chu Jiubian's throat moved.

He couldn't very well say that on that rainy day, he and Qin Xiao had been covered in the scent of jasmine under the covered corridor of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

And that he had happened to use one of Qin Xiao's handkerchiefs to wipe his hands, only for the other to take it back from him...

He could now confirm that the jasmine-embroidered handkerchief in Qin Xiao's possession was indeed the one he had used.

But he couldn't explain it to the young emperor in such a way.

"Master?" Baili Hong said in surprise. "Why are your ears turning red?"

Xiao Yuzi, standing behind him, heard this and glanced discreetly at Chu Jiubian before quickly looking away, trying not to smile at the corner of his lips.

His Majesty was young and clever but didn't understand matters of love and romance.

Xiao Yuzi, however, knew that Prince Ning had suddenly ordered jasmine to be planted all over the courtyard—a very unusual thing to do.

And now Senior Tutor Chu was asking about jasmine and handkerchiefs—these things must hold some special meaning for the two of them.

"I once saw a handkerchief of Qin Xiao's that was quite beautiful," Chu Jiubian said, part truthfully. "I was just asking casually."

"Wow, if Master says it's beautiful, it must be," Baili Hong said, resting his chin in his hands. "When Imperial Uncle returns, I must take a look."

Chu Jiubian lifted his gaze, looking distantly toward the northwestern sky, feeling his chest tighten and a sense of restlessness.

After returning from the Imperial Garden to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong each got to work.

The child had just learned Arabic numerals from Chu Jiubian the day before and found them fascinating, so he spent the day studying them.

Chu Jiubian, meanwhile, quickly reviewed memorials.

After some time, Qin Zhaoyang suddenly entered from outside and handed a secret letter to Chu Jiubian, saying, "Sir, there's a letter from the northwest."

Chu Jiubian's heart skipped a beat as he quickly took it. On the envelope, written in bold, flowing script, were the words: "For the Sir's Personal Attention."