Chapter 209 The Eleventh Day of Entering a Rebirth Novel

Chapter 209: The Eleventh Day of Transmigrating into a Rebirth Novel

The princes' eyes flickered, each lost in their own thoughts.

In the past, they might have thought the National Preceptor was posturing, but now, this calm and detached attitude seemed to them like the proper demeanor of a transcendent master.

The Crown Prince took a long look at An Yi, his tone growing even more affable: "National Preceptor, you have worked hard for the country. Once the relief efforts are somewhat settled, I will host a banquet to seek your guidance."

"You flatter me, Your Highness. If you have any instructions, just send me word." An Yi replied with a smile, neither too familiar nor lacking in propriety.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they parted ways.

An Yi continued walking toward the palace gate, his figure slim and upright, his black Daoist robe starkly contrasting against the vermilion palace walls, making him appear even more detached from the world.

The princes stood there, watching him leave, their minds already buzzing with ideas.

In the past, they had tried to win over the National Preceptor who was deeply favored by the Emperor.

But the original owner was cautious, or rather cunning, loyal only to the Emperor, from whom he could obtain the greatest benefit, and always gave vague responses to the princes' overtures, never clearly taking sides.

Over time, seeing that none of them could win him over, the princes gradually gave up, merely regarding him as a favored courtier by the Emperor's side.

But now, the situation was completely different!

An Yi was no sycophant; he had real abilities!

He was a man of extraordinary talent who could divine celestial omens and foresee fortune and calamity!

To have his help would be akin to possessing a trump card that could foresee events in the treacherous struggle for the throne.

Crown Prince Qi Haocang's eyes flickered, his mind quickly calculating how to re-establish a closer bond with this National Preceptor.

The other princes also had their own calculations.

This National Preceptor must be won over!

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An Yi naturally sensed the gazes behind him turning increasingly intense, but he did not even look back.

He knew the princes' thoughts, of course, but he also knew he could never take sides.

Riding in his carriage, he left the imperial city and merged into the bustling streets of the outer city.

The sounds of the marketplace outside the window were still vibrant and full of life, though there seemed to be a few more complaints about the abnormal heat.

Although news of the drought had not been officially announced, there were always some whispers that slipped through the layers of barriers and reached the populace.

An Yi leaned back in the carriage, his fingertips lightly brushing the cool silver-thread cloud patterns on his sleeves, and closed his eyes to rest.

The gem on his ring glimmered with iridescent light.

The carriage moved smoothly toward the National Preceptor's residence.

At this moment, Huo Huai was at his family's training ground.

Under the blazing sun, he stood as straight as a pine, holding a longbow, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, aiming at a target a hundred paces away.

With a sharp "whoosh," the arrow shot out like a meteor, accurately piercing the bullseye, the tail feathers trembling slightly from the immense force.

Muffled cheers arose from the attendants around him.

However, Huo Huai frowned slightly, apparently dissatisfied with this shot.

He put down the bow, took a sweat towel handed to him by an attendant, and casually wiped the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

Just then, a household guard approached quickly and whispered a few words in his ear.

Huo Huai paused mid-wipe.

What the household guard reported was precisely that the National Preceptor's prophecy had been fulfilled completely, shaking the court and the public.

In an instant, the noise of the training ground, the scorching sun overhead, the bow and arrows in his hand... everything seemed to fade away.

In his mind, there was only the image of An Yi, a figure shimmering with a halo-like glow.

So... he truly was a figure like an immortal.

They were not empty words, nor deception.

He possessed an unfathomable power beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

An indescribable surge of heat swept over him again without warning, hotter than the summer sun.

Huo Huai felt his heart begin to pound uncontrollably again, his ears burning, and his hand gripping the sweat towel unconsciously tightening.

Had the National Preceptor truly cast a spell on him? When would he recover?

He turned to look in the direction of the National Preceptor's residence, his gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of houses and halls, landing on that person.

"Young Lord?" The attendant called out tentatively, noticing his strange expression.

Huo Huai withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes to hide all the surging emotions, and when he looked up again, his usual cold and taciturn demeanor had returned.

He threw the sweat towel back to the attendant and picked up the bow again, his voice low and steady, betraying no emotion: "It's nothing."

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Summer had passed, and early autumn should have been a season of harvest, but in Yongzhou and several surrounding provinces, unprecedented scorching heat and drought descended.

The drought demon raged.

The sky was a nearly pure azure blue, the sun relentlessly baking the earth every day. The land cracked with crisscrossing fissures, rivers dried up, wells ran dry, and the once fertile fields turned into a despairing expanse of yellow-brown.

Hot winds, carrying dust and sand, blew over the empty furrows and brushed the anxious, numb faces of the disaster victims.

The scene of devastation was as predicted five months ago, even more shocking for its cruel reality.

Fortunately, unlike the unprepared catastrophe in the original novel—which led to an exodus of refugees, corpses strewn across the fields, and ultimately shook the foundation of the state—this time, thanks to the nearly five-month early warning, the court was able to plan ahead.

Although the Old Emperor was initially reluctant to part with grain and money, driven by the powerful motivations of "merit" and "the path to immortality," and under the pressure of An Yi's prophecies coming true step by step, the relief orders were ultimately implemented decisively.

Advance allocation of grain, construction of irrigation works, porridge stations set up by local governments... there was some disorder in the relief efforts, but they still maintained threads of hope for survival.

The disaster remained severe, and the people continued to suffer greatly, but the situation was firmly contained within a certain scope, not igniting into a wildfire sweeping across several provinces.

In the court, the shock caused by this was far more stirring to the officials than the disaster itself.

Countless minds, overtly or covertly, turned toward the towering observatory, toward the young National Preceptor in black robes and holding a whisk, with unprecedented reverence, curiosity, and complex emotions.

An Yi's "reputation" had once come from imperial favor, carrying implicit labels of "opportunist" and "sycophant."

Beneath the surface respect, there lay deep disdain and contempt.

And now, this prestige is built upon the spine-chilling prophecies and the tangible, visible "achievements."

Now, no one dares to even silently accuse the Imperial Advisor of being a fraud.

Even the most obstinate incorruptible officials, who secretly think to themselves "The Master does not speak of strange forces, violent feats, disorder, or spiritual beings," would never dare to show the slightest hint in public.

For facts speak louder than words; the Imperial Advisor has proven his ability beyond ordinary understanding through a disaster that spanned several provinces and affected millions of lives.

This power is weighty, carrying the mystery and force of inscrutable celestial destiny.

It forces everyone, from the emperor on the dragon throne to the lowest-ranking officials, to re-evaluate and feel a chill of awe.