Nan Shiying didn't ask; she could ask Ji Jinmo about it later.
She could also ask Ji Jinmo for that method to increase spiritual power. If her abilities could continue to evolve, could she then perform live dissections while ensuring the patient's safety? If survival rates could be guaranteed, it might be a way to solve the蛊虫 (gu worms) in Ji Jinmo's body!
Seeing that the Princess Consort was lost in thought, Lvwǎn and the other three dared not disturb her. Lan'er began tidying the box of toys, Bai Zhi resumed her peeling, Xiao Huan thought for a moment and then helped Lan'er tidy up, while Lvwǎn changed Nan Shiying's tea.
Nan Shiying suddenly smiled.
She suddenly recalled the time when the four of them were first assigned to her by Ji Jinmo, and how flustered they had looked when they heard Qin Yushan had come to their door.
It was truly difficult for them.
"What is the Empress smiling about?" Bai Zhi blinked curiously, then covered her mouth and chuckled, "Are you thinking of the Prince?"
Nan Shiying glared at her and flicked a grape into her forehead.
Bai Zhi cried out, caught the falling grape, and wiped the grape juice from her forehead, looking at Nan Shiying with a wronged expression, like a little lamb being bullied.
"For being so glib!" Nan Shiying pointed at her and pushed a plate of grapes in front of her. "If you don't finish peeling these, you won't get any dinner."
"This servant knows her mistake!" Bai Zhi immediately admitted.
She didn't want to starve!
"Pfft~" Lvwǎn and the other two couldn't help but laugh, causing Bai Zhi to glare at them, her face flushing red.
Before dinner, Thirteen came to Xinyuan Pavilion and announced that the Prince would be dining at Xinyuan Pavilion, so the small kitchen at Xinyuan Pavilion didn't need to prepare any food. The servants at Xinyuan Pavilion were naturally overjoyed and eagerly accepted the order. Even the master chef of the small kitchen didn't complain about the master chef of the front courtyard being meddlesome as usual; he was so happy he almost set off firecrackers.
After half a month, His Highness was finally coming to Xinyuan Pavilion again.
The servants acted as if it were New Year's, their faces beaming with joy. Nan Shiying's mood also brightened. She curved her lips and hummed a little tune that couldn't be identified.
Lvwǎn and the other three exchanged glances and covered their mouths, stifling their laughter.
His Highness was coming, and the Empress was very happy too.
Xuan Thirteen followed behind the Prince, carrying two large food boxes in his hands, which might not even fit on one table.
"Your Highness, may you have boundless peace and prosperity."
Before Ji Jinmo entered the door, Nan Shiying heard the servants' continuous greetings. She put down the book in her hand, took the hot handkerchief handed by Lvwǎn, washed her hands, and then walked to the table and sat down.
Bai Zhi opened the door to respectfully welcome His Highness.
After Lvwǎn and the other three paid their respects, they took the food boxes from Xuan Thirteen and placed the dishes on the table. The food boxes contained not only the Princess Consort's favorite dishes but also her favorite pastries. Lvwǎn temporarily placed the pastries on a small table on the soft couch, and the table was just enough to be used.
Nan Shiying did not get up to greet him, and Ji Jinmo didn't mind. He dismissed Lvwǎn, Thirteen, and the others, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Nan Shiying picked up her chopsticks and took some meat.
After eating for a while, she asked him, "Are you also an异人 (yì rén)?"
Ji Jinmo paid more attention to the word "also." Nan Shiying's conversation with Lvwǎn and the others had not yet reached his ears. After all, whether it was Lvwǎn and the others or Xuan Yi, they understood that since the Princess Consort had spoken of it so openly, she would definitely not hide it from the Prince. Therefore, whether they reported it or not was not that important.
Ji Jinmo picked up a piece of mustard shrimp ball and put it into Nan Shiying's bowl, nodding calmly, "Yes, it was the ability I awakened in the third year after I was poisoned by the蛊虫 (gu worms)."
Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the蛊虫 (gu worms) acted up, the pain caused by the蛊虫 (gu worms) gnawing at his heart would spread throughout his body. Perhaps because his body endured pain close to its limit, he awakened his bloodline power in the third year.
Ji Jinmo said it plainly, but Nan Shiying couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. However, she wasn't surprised by the fact that Ji Jinmo contained bloodline power. After all, the ancestral sword of Lin Yuan was forged from meteorites. The descendants of those who only picked up some meteorite residue had bloodline power in their bodies, let alone him.
"What about Ji Hong?" Nan Shiying asked.
"He has not awakened," Ji Jinmo replied with certainty.
Nan Shiying gave an "Oh," picked up the shrimp ball, and put it into her mouth to chew. After chewing sufficiently, she added, "I want that method for ability advancement."
"Okay!"
Ji Jinmo readily agreed.
"Don't you want to ask me anything?" Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow.
Ji Jinmo, however, said, "My ability is rather special. Or rather, if a person has faith, believes in gods or demons, it might cause their faith to collapse, or it might strengthen their faith."
Nan Shiying: "......?"
"Your ability... is very exaggerated?"
Ji Jinmo did not explain. He picked up a teacup, poured the tea into his palm, cupped his palm slightly, and curved his fingers. The pads of his five fingers suddenly emitted a dazzling white light. Then, the tea in his palm began to boil and bubble. Just as Nan Shiying thought Ji Jinmo was equivalent to a large stove, the boiling tea gradually formed a human outline. With a wave of Ji Jinmo's hand, the tea in the human outline fell onto the table.
Nan Shiying: "......"
Holy cow, male Nuwa?
The tea in the human outline was not static; it was imbued with temporary life.
Ji Jinmo flicked his finger, and the tea human raised its short, round legs and kicked a plate. Then, the plate was kicked away at extreme speed, hitting the window with a "smash" and falling back to the ground. Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and the food in the plate was scattered all over the floor.
Nan Shiying: "......"
This was a bit much. Other people's abilities were equivalent to cold weapons, but this guy's ability was directly equivalent to a city gate cannon.
Lvwǎn and the others, who were guarding the door, heard the commotion inside and were startled. They looked at each other, then lowered their eyes, their gaze fixed on their noses and their noses on their hearts, wisely refraining from disturbing the Prince and Princess Consort's mood.
However, the maids serving in the courtyard suddenly felt worried. His Highness had finally come to Xinyuan Pavilion, and the Empress must not anger His Highness!
The tea human on the table turned into a puddle of water. Nan Shiying looked at Ji Jinmo and said, "I think you can go to Yuyuan County yourself."
Yuyuan County was by the sea. With his ability, why not just assemble a water army? They couldn't be cut by swords, burned by fire, and even the蛊虫 (gu worms) would drown if they burrowed in. The water humans, armed with knives, would charge into the remnants of Miao Jiang and hack them to pieces.
Fast, effective, simple, practical!