His Majesty is plotting a rebellion? Quickly, summon the Imperial Advisor!

The prince in the palace is seriously ill and unable to get out of bed; his symptoms have persisted for several days.

Although he was old and it was normal for him to fall ill, with power and wealth in his hands, who would want to die like this?

The entire Prince's residence sought medical help and even invited the imperial physicians, but after taking his pulse, they all shook their heads in despair.

Later, it was learned that not only him, but also Li Gong and Zhou Gong, who were of similar age and three influential elders in the court, had similar symptoms.

A sudden surge of immense fear welled up in my heart.

The first person they thought of was Xu Bing, believing that this fellow had secretly used magic to harm them. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that they all contracted the disease?

But then I thought about it again and felt it was more like Zhao Qingyun's evil spirit was haunting him.

Wang Gong spat. If it weren't for Zhou Gong's terrible idea, why would the three of them have gone to all this trouble, asking for trouble and suffering, by making things difficult for Zhao Qingyun before he was beheaded?

It is better to befriend those who are considered immortals than to befriend them.

Although the rule of immortals not disturbing others is an ironclad law, those of high rank are well aware that even the most ironclad law can be violated.

Even he himself never obeys the law, and in terms of power alone, the celestial beings... could easily subdue him.

Xu Bing, that scoundrel, must have the Emperor's protection and recognition, which is why he was able to cause trouble in the court and use his magical powers to command the court.

However, while it's not impossible to poison a minister like oneself, there should always be some reservations.

且…

Since the day of the military exercise, the three ministers rarely openly opposed Xu Bing. Those three old foxes gave Xu Bing no excuse to kill them.

With his head spinning, Wang Gong pondered for a moment and concluded that either Zhao Qingyun's evil spirit was trembling, or his master was seeking revenge.

Unfounded speculation is of no benefit to the illness and will only waste energy.

At this moment, a servant brought a bowl of rice porridge. After the prince ate the porridge, his expression softened considerably.

The prince exhaled softly, still able to smell the fragrance of rice grains in his mouth. If it weren't for Jiu Mi supporting him, he would have been worn down to death by this illness.

"Master, the Imperial Advisor has arrived and is waiting in the front hall." The servant took the bowl of rice water that had been filled with rice.

The old prince, his eyes slightly wide, rose and, supporting his ailing body, put on his shoes and socks. With his servants carrying him, he walked toward the main hall.

The prince had been ill for many days and could not sit idly by and wait for his death. Since falling ill, he had been buying rice as much as possible.

There are only two stable locations within nine meters of the city: the first is the Qingmeng Restaurant, and the second is the Longqu Rice Shop.

The shop is packed every day, incredibly popular. Qingmeng Restaurant sells rice mostly as "dishes," while Longqu Rice Shop sells whole rice.

The prince ordered his servants to visit both places, buying as much as they could, but even so, they often couldn't buy the nine meters.

Left with no other choice, he ordered his men to investigate the background of the second shopkeeper and to obtain it for him by theft, robbery, or suppression.

Can…

Ultimately, it was discovered that the Love Dream Restaurant and the Longqu Rice Shop were connected to Xu Bingshi, which darkened Wang Gong's mood.

But it's this madman...

How could you expect him to dare smash that madman's shop? No wonder the Qingmeng Restaurant and Longqu Rice Shop are so popular, yet no villains dare to try and take advantage of them.

The backgrounds of these two families are incredibly powerful in the Great Xi Dynasty, and under Xu Bing's name, it is the work of His Majesty.

Like the princes, there were also the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Li. After much deliberation, the three of them wrote an invitation together, hoping to invite Xu Bing to their residence to discuss the matter of the nine meters.

Although rice cannot be directly used as medicine to treat diseases.

However, its wonderful effect of restoring vitality, coupled with its ability to melt in the mouth and not produce any impurities, makes it a remarkable product.

This is extremely important for someone who is seriously ill. The Third Master has been seriously ill recently, and without Jiu Mi, his energy and condition would be even more emaciated.

Moreover, these days, apart from Jiu Mi, they can't eat anything else. Even ordinary white rice, considered a refined grain, feels like a lump in their throat, difficult to swallow.

The prince, being helped along, hurriedly arrived at the front yard, ready to have his flesh cut off and blood drained.

Even before getting close, one could glimpse that tall, upright figure from afar.

The Imperial Preceptor... seems to be standing in front of a potted orchid, carefully observing it?

The prince moved closer and saw the general appearance of the Grand Preceptor. He felt uneasy. He was seriously ill and half-dead, but the Grand Preceptor seemed even more radiant and handsome.

The contrast is stark. How can one not feel inferior?

He secretly felt annoyed. Why did you, a handsome celestial being, have to come here and bother us old men?

The prince was helped to sit down, while Xu Bing continued to play with the potted orchid without turning his head. "You've arrived?"

"Here it comes." The prince took the mink cloak handed to him by the servant, wrapped it tightly around his body, and then glanced sideways at the hot tea on the table.

A moment later, the servant picked up the tea, walked to Xu Bing's side, and bowed to serve the tea.

Xu Bing took the hot tea, sipped it lightly, and walked around. He picked up a pair of jade scissors near the potted orchid. The handle was made of warm, lustrous yellow jade, which felt very comfortable in his hand.

He used jade scissors to prune the potted orchids without any restraint, and with a few rustling sounds, tiny leaves fell off.

He drank more than half of his tea, put down the cup, and still didn't turn around. "Let's wait a bit longer, until everyone is here."

The prince remained silent.

About fifteen minutes later, Li Gong arrived, supported by his family.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Duke Zhou also arrived, supported by his family. The three dukes gathered at the Prince's Palace, met each other, and each tried to appear energetic, exchanging a few polite words.

Then he waited for Xu Bing to get straight to the point.

The three people's eyes were focused on one person, but that person remained calm and unconcerned, concentrating on pruning the potted orchid.

"Your Excellency, if you like this orchid, may I give it to you?" The prince finally couldn't help but speak up, breaking the silence.

Xu Bing then put down the jade scissors, slowly turned around, and glanced at the three of them.

Those three high-ranking officials who commanded the court and manipulated the wind and clouds were ultimately just ordinary mortals.

After a serious illness, he turned pale, became weak and exhausted, and lost all his former aloofness and demeanor.

He was left only with a disheveled appearance, pitiful.

"No need for a gift." Xu Bing smiled, casually sat down, grasped the thumb ring on his right thumb, and joked, "The Three Dukes haven't come to the morning court for many days. So you really are sick."

"I thought that the Three Dukes were protesting because they disliked my involvement in politics."

Zhou Gong coughed lightly twice, then took off his handkerchief and saw thick, yellowish-green phlegm mixed with a few streaks of blood; his throat felt like it was being pricked with needles.

He forced himself to say, "How could I dare? I have always been most in favor of the Imperial Advisor's participation in politics, but I am truly unwell and cannot go."

"If the Imperial Preceptor is offended, he will surely come whenever I call after I recover. Whenever I call."

Xu Bing scoffed, "You are not beautiful ladies, why would I call you to wait?"

With my thumb and forefinger pressed against the sides of the ring, I rubbed it up and down. The jade, which was emerald green all over but appeared black when worn, felt like mutton fat jade to the touch, similar to the smooth texture of skin.

At this rate, it probably won't be long before it develops a patina.

Yu'e was filled with resentment, and gradually became numb, even getting used to it and even a little fond of it.

"This young master Xu... he's really a handful," Yu'e thought to herself.

Xu Bingming feigned ignorance, asking, "Why have you all summoned me here? Why don't you tell me?"

【Ding! 】

【Trigger mission! 】

[Extorting public funds!]

[Reward: Depends on the amount of wealth extracted!]

A system notification sounded. This coincided perfectly with Xu Bing's thoughts. Or rather, the tasks issued by the system were inherently subject to change based on the evolving situation.

Xu Bing revealed a gentle smile.