Chapter 205 The Seventh Day of Entering a Rebirth Novel
Chapter 205 The Seventh Day of Entering a Rebirth Novel
Chapter 205: The Seventh Day of Entering the Rebirth Story
The news that the State Preceptor had predicted a once-in-decades severe drought in several prefectures of Yongzhou eventually got out.
Although no official decree had been issued to the public, secrets were impossible to keep in the tightly guarded capital, where officials were all entangled in webs of connections.
Inside a single day, pretty much everyone who was supposed to know—and plenty who weren’t—had heard the rumor.
Naturally, to avoid causing public panic, the common folks were still in the dark.
The officials’ first reaction was utter disbelief, then deep confusion.
The State Preceptor? That young fraud who’d been kissing up to His Majesty and playing tricks?
Is he out of his mind?!
What’s the point of telling such a huge lie?
Predicting a disaster isn’t a joke, and it’s not something you gamble for the emperor’s favor.
If the drought doesn’t happen, will he even keep his job?
No matter how superstitious the emperor is, if he gets publicly humiliated, he’s not gonna let that slide.
But... he’s no idiot either—he must see the risks!
Once that thought hit, a lot of people’s hearts sank.
Could it be... he’s not completely a fake?
Does he actually know how to read the stars and predict disasters?
If so, then this young preceptor’s importance needed to be reevaluated.
The contempt and disdain they’d felt for An Yi quietly turned into doubt.
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At the Chunxin Tower, on the third floor.
In a private room overlooking the street, incense wafted softly, and the smell of wine and food filled the air.
Huo Huai was gathering with several close friends from noble families.
These guys were the cream of the crop among the capital’s younger generation—some from military families, others from the families of pure-minded civil officials. They had similar personalities to Huo Huai and were friends he could actually talk to.
But today, Huo Huai seemed totally out of it.
He sat by the window, his wine barely touched, his gaze sometimes drifting to the busy street, sometimes just staring off into space.
Ever since he caught a fleeting glimpse of the State Preceptor’s carriage on the street a few days ago, he felt like he’d fallen into some weird dream. His mind was foggy, like he’d been bewitched, and he couldn’t snap out of it.
That stunning profile, that otherworldly, aloof vibe—they kept popping into his head against his will.
He even started to absurdly wonder if the preceptor actually knew some kind of love spell.
Otherwise, why did his heart race like crazy every time he thought of that meeting? Why did his face and ears burn uncontrollably?
This feeling was completely foreign—he didn’t know what to do with it, and he couldn’t tell anyone.
What the hell was wrong with him?
“Hey, Huo Huai, what’s wrong with you today? Is something on your mind?” A young man in an embroidered robe noticed Huo Huai’s gloomy face and vacant eyes, and couldn’t help but call out to him.
His name was Pang Sibo, son of the Vice Minister of Rites, and he’d grown up with Huo Huai.
Huo Huai snapped out of it, looked up, and shook his head, his voice low: “Nothing.”
Just then, the door opened and a latecomer walked in. Dressed in fine clothes, he looked all excited. Before even sitting down, he lowered his voice, sounding mysterious and surprised:
“Gentlemen, have you heard? The latest scoop from the palace!”
Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to him.
“What news? Spill it, don’t keep us hanging,” another urged.
The newcomer downed a gulp of tea, then said: “It’s about that State Preceptor! When he met with His Majesty yesterday, he actually predicted that several prefectures of Yongzhou would suffer a once-in-decades severe drought this summer and autumn! The land will be barren for miles, with zero harvest!”
“What?!”
“Is that true?”
“A drought? Predicted by the State Preceptor?”
The room erupted in disbelieving exclamations.
Everyone was shocked, exchanging dumbfounded looks.
One guy nearly blurted out, “That fraud’s finally lost his mind!” but just barely swallowed the words.
His face flushed a little, and he silently congratulated himself.
Even though those in the room were all trusted friends, if talk about the “conman preceptor” got out and reached his ears—the emperor’s favorite—he’d be in deep trouble.
They shot quick glances at each other, all seeing the same shock and suspicion.
No words needed—they all knew what everyone was thinking.
Pang Sibo frowned and shook his head. “This... is way too crazy. The heavens are unpredictable. How can he be so sure? If it’s a false alarm or the drought doesn’t happen, how’s he gonna cover his ass?”
Another guy chimed in, dripping with sarcasm: “Maybe his imperial favor isn’t solid enough, so he’s rolling the dice on a big gamble?”
“But what’s he gonna get out of it? The risk is crazy...” yet another questioned.
The whole conversation was full of skepticism and mockery.
But Pang Sibo noticed that Huo Huai, after the first shock, hadn’t joined in. Instead, he was frowning slightly, as if lost in thought.
Pang Sibo’s curiosity was piqued, so he called out again: “Huo Huai, what do you think? Do you find this... credible?”
Huo Huai looked up, his eyes sweeping over the sarcastic or doubtful faces of his friends. Once again, that fleeting image of the carriage from the other day—the calm, cold, almost otherworldly figure—forced its way into his mind.
He frowned, a flash of annoyance crossing his face: “We ought to show some respect to the preceptor.”
He paused, then his thin lips parted, and he said something that stunned everyone in the room:
“Since the preceptor predicted a drought, shouldn’t the court... start preparing now?”
The room went dead silent.
All eyes locked onto Huo Huai, full of shock and bewilderment.
What the heck?
Huo Huai had always despised these phony sorcerers, hadn’t he?
So why... would he actually say something like that today?
Could he actually believe the imperial sorcerer’s nonsense?
Pang Sibo’s eyes grew even wider, as if seeing Huo Huai for the first time. “Huo Huai, you... are you okay? Do you really think the imperial sorcerer’s words are true?”
Huo Huai looked at his friend’s astonished expression, recalling that day on the street—his own racing heart and flushed face. He pressed his lips together and offered no further explanation.
There were some feelings he couldn’t even make sense of himself, so how could he explain them to others? He simply lowered his eyes, hiding the complex emotions in his eyes, and thought to himself: A man like the imperial sorcerer... he probably wouldn’t lie, would he?
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