plumnovel Chapter 2 Is this the world where immortals live?
Chapter 2 Is this the world where immortals live?
Inside the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin's mournful cry, like a thunderclap, resounded through the deathly silent hall.
The entire court was horrified.
They finally realized that the girl held in the arms of a strange man in the sky was none other than Princess Jinyang, the emperor's most beloved princess who had been missing for several days!
"Your Majesty, please calm down!"
The emperor's brother-in-law, Changsun Wuji, was the first to react. He quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply to Li Shimin, who appeared to be insane.
"Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance!"
Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui also looked worried and offered words of comfort.
However, at this moment, Li Shimin was not listening to any of what was being said.
His eyes were only on that tiny figure in the sky, his precious darling whom he cherished and protected.
She's still alive!
The immense elation brought about by this realization was instantly overwhelmed by a deeper sense of fear and helplessness.
She was taken away by a complete stranger in a completely unknown place!
"Immortal! Supreme Immortal!"
Li Shimin suddenly broke free from the eunuch's support, staggered a few steps, and then, in a hoarse voice, cried out to the huge light screen above his head.
"I am Li Shimin, Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty! That...that is my beloved daughter, Mingda! I beg the immortal to have mercy and tell me where I am! I beg the immortal to treat my daughter kindly; I...I am willing to give everything to ensure her safety!"
The emperor wept.
The Heavenly Khan who swept across the land, ushered in a golden age, and remained unfazed even when facing a million-strong army, now resembled a helpless, ordinary father, tears streaming down his face, pleading desperately with the illusory image.
This scene deeply pierced the hearts of all the ministers present.
When Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong, these tough and resolute men, saw their emperor in such a state, their eyes instantly reddened, and their clenched fists cracked with anger and helplessness.
Wei Zheng, the remonstrating minister known for his outspokenness, also put away all his sharpness at this moment, silently lowered his head, and sighed deeply.
On matters of state, he could argue heatedly with His Majesty, but at this moment, he only saw a father grieving the loss of his beloved daughter.
Crown Prince Li Chengqian was heartbroken. He quickly supported his swaying father, choking back tears, and said, "Father, take care of yourself! My sister... she's a lucky person, she'll be alright!"
But their voices, their pleas, were destined to be unable to penetrate this magical celestial canopy.
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Modern, seaside.
The rivers and streams could not hear the pleas of emperors from over a thousand years ago.
He was looking down at the little one in his arms, somewhat troubled.
The system says she is Li Mingda, but does she know it herself?
"Little friend, what's your name?" Jiang He tried his best to make his voice sound gentle and harmless.
The little girl blinked her big, watery eyes, her little mouth moved, and she uttered two indistinct syllables: "...Sizi..."
Although his pronunciation was immature, Jianghe understood it clearly.
It really is a little ox!
Now, even the last trace of doubt vanished.
He looked at Xiao Sizi's gorgeous ancient costume, soaked and covered in mud, and then at the deserted beach around him, and made a decision.
We can't just leave a three-year-old here.
Regardless of how she got here, let's take her home first.
"Sizi, right? Uncle will take you home, okay? It's windy here, you'll get sick."
Xiao Sizi seemed to understand the words "go home," but she was more afraid of the unfamiliar environment. She subconsciously gripped Jiang Ling's clothes, her small body trembling slightly.
Jiang He's heart softened. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, held her in his arms more steadily, and strode towards the road outside the beach.
This scene was broadcast live to Taiji Palace in its entirety.
"It moved! The immortal holding the princess moved!"
"Where is he going?!"
"Judging from the direction he's heading, it's towards that boundless expanse of water... no, it's in the opposite direction!"
The emperor and his ministers of the Tang Dynasty were on tenterhooks. They saw Jiang He carrying the little rhinoceros to the side of a flat, hard, pitch-black road.
Soon, a metal box monster silently slid over and stopped in front of Jianghe.
"What is this?!" Cheng Yaojin's eyes widened in disbelief. "It doesn't need oxen or horses; it can move on its own?!"
"This object is made entirely of steel, yet it moves as swiftly as the wind. Could it be a magical artifact from the immortals?" Fang Xuanling's eyes gleamed with curiosity and awe.
Amidst their horrified gazes, Jiang He opened the car door and got in, carrying Xiao Sizi.
The iron box made a soft sound and then moved forward steadily, its speed increasing rapidly, far exceeding that of the fastest horse!
Inside the Taiji Palace, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
This is completely beyond their comprehension!
Li Shimin stared intently at the screen. Seeing that his daughter wasn't crying, but rather curiously nestled in the immortal's arms, watching the rapidly receding scenery through a layer of transparent glass, his heart finally calmed down a little.
At least... this immortal doesn't seem to have any ill intentions.
A dozen minutes later, Jiang He carried Xiao Sizi back to his rented studio apartment.
This is a small room of only 30 square meters, but it is enough for a young person who has just graduated.
[Ding! Detected that the host brought Li Mingda into the modern residence, triggering a new scene!]
[Mission issued: Provide the starving Princess Jinyang with a satisfying modern hot meal.]
[Task Reward: God-level Cooking Skills (Beginner)!]
Jiang He looked at the little Sizi who was still rubbing his eyes in his arms and nodded.
This task suits me perfectly; the little guy is really starving.
He gently placed the little ox on the sofa and then pressed the switch on the wall.
"Snapped!"
The entire room was instantly enveloped in soft white light.
Inside the Taiji Palace, another commotion broke out!
"It's dawn! Daylight has broken!"
"What is that? How can it turn night into day? Could it be the legendary luminous pearl? But... how can it be so bright!"
"A miracle! This must be the abode of gods!"
Li Shimin and his ministers felt that their hearts were about to break from the wave of shocks.
They saw that Jianghe walked to a wall, turned on a peculiar tap, and clear water gushed out.
"Water comes at your beard?!" An official exclaimed in astonishment, his mustache standing on end. "This...this is the legendary art of water control?"
What happened next left them speechless.
Jiang He took an egg and some noodles from a glowing cabinet.
He walked to a stove. There was no firewood or charcoal brazier. He just twisted it gently, and a blue flame suddenly ignited out of thin air!
"A fire without roots!!"
"Heavens! This person is indeed an immortal! He can wield celestial fire and control divine water!"
The entire Taiji Palace has transformed from initial panic into a near-reverential frenzy and awe.
Everything they saw confirmed one fact.
The young man holding the princess was a true immortal with extraordinary abilities!
Jiang He, of course, had no idea that his series of modern daily routines were almost burning out the CPU of the Tang Dynasty's emperor and his ministers.
He received the reward of "God-level Cooking Skills (Beginner)", and countless knowledge about cooking instantly flooded into his mind.
Even the simplest bowl of egg noodles becomes extraordinary in his hands.
Kneading dough, beating eggs, chopping scallions... the movements are fluid and effortless.
Soon, a steaming bowl of fragrant scallion oil and egg noodles was ready.
A golden fried egg rests atop chewy noodles, garnished with vibrant green scallions, emitting an enticing aroma.
Considering that it was for children, he even cut the noodles into smaller pieces with scissors.
He placed the small bowl in front of Xiao Sizi, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and held it to her lips: "Here, Sizi, you must be starving, have some noodles."
Little Sizi had seen many delicacies in the palace, but because of her weak health, she often had no appetite.
But at this moment, upon smelling this unprecedented fragrance, her stomach involuntarily rumbled.
She opened her small mouth and carefully took a bite.
The noodles are soft and smooth, the eggs are fresh and delicious, and the simple scallion oil sauce elevates the aroma to the extreme.
Little Sizi's eyes lit up instantly!
She had never eaten anything so delicious!
"Delicious!" she mumbled, her little hands eagerly grabbing the spoon and starting to shovel food into her mouth, her little mouth bulging like a greedy little hamster.
Above the sky, Xiao Sizi's satisfied and happy eating expression was clearly reflected.
Inside the Taiji Palace, there was a deathly silence.
Seeing his daughter wolfing down her food and the long-unseen satisfied smile on her face, Li Shimin, the iron-fisted emperor, could no longer hold back.
He stopped crying and just watched quietly, tears silently streaming down his cheeks.
Half of it was heartache, and half of it was... relief.
His ox, in that fairyland, seems to be doing...not badly.
He saw that after his daughter had eaten her fill, her eyelids began to droop. The immortal gently picked her up, placed her on a soft bed, and covered her with a blanket.
The image on the sky finally settled on Xiao Sizi's peaceful and serene sleeping face.
After a long while, Li Shimin slowly sat back on the dragon throne. He wiped away his tears, and the grief and madness in his eyes had faded, replaced by an unprecedented firmness and profundity.
"Issue my decree." His voice was hoarse, yet filled with unquestionable authority.
"From this day forward, all court assemblies at Taiji Palace, regardless of time or place, will be suspended immediately whenever the celestial canopy is opened!"
"All officials of the Imperial Academy and the Imperial Observatory are hereby ordered to remain at the Taiji Palace from this moment on, without ever leaving its side, to study this celestial canopy for me! Find a way to contact this celestial being!"
"I want him to know that the woman in his arms is the most noble princess of my Great Tang Dynasty!"
"I, the Emperor, wish to welcome back my son!"