Chapter 4: The Return of the Souls (4)

Liu Che looked bewildered at Lin Jiu, and after a moment, a look of surprise, as if he’d been punched in the face, appeared on his face.

The system almost couldn’t speak, “I… I don’t believe you!”

After a while, the system regained its composure and said gently, “Well, this isn’t how you should phrase it.”

Would Liu Che agree to move out of the Greenhouse Palace?

According to the system: Liu Che would never agree, not in a million years!

That was the Greenhouse Palace, the residence of the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Although it was just a place to sleep, since Liu Bang founded the Han Dynasty, the Greenhouse Palace had always been the emperor’s chamber.

To this day, it had become a symbol of the Han imperial family, carrying immense political significance.

This wasn’t a matter of whether or not he could agree; it was a matter of whether he dared to allow it. A misstep could lead to the fall of imperial power and disgrace the nation.

Who would risk such a severe consequence?

The system was already starting to retreat, “This request seems a bit extreme, maybe we should forget about it. This achievement isn’t something we absolutely need.”

No one paid it any attention.

Liu Che and Lin Jiu exchanged glances.

He had already regained his composure. At this moment, he had a stern expression on his face, his demeanor showing anger but holding it in, as if preparing to wield the authority of an emperor to strike down with thunder.

On the surface, he exuded a powerful imperial presence, but in reality, Liu Che felt confused and somewhat helpless.

He was still too young, too young to have any experience dealing with such situations.

But this couldn’t be blamed on him. If nothing unusual happened, no one would ever dare mention something like “moving out of the Greenhouse Palace” in front of him.

He… he was the emperor!

Even though he was still young and had not yet taken full control of the government, still under the influence of the powerful Empress Dowager Dou, he was technically a puppet on the throne, his power limited.

But those were the behind-the-scenes struggles. On the surface, no one dared make him feel slighted.

Every time there was a court meeting, the halls of the Xuanshi Palace were full of dukes and princes, their status beyond words.

But when Liu Che sat on the throne, looking down at them, even making eye contact was considered an act of rebellion.

Some had been whipped for not displaying proper manners in front of him, and some had their heads chopped off for daring to look him in the eye. Life and death were as easy for him as eating and drinking.

He was appointed by Heaven, ruling as the emperor.

He naturally held more dignity and power than anyone else, and it had always been that way, without exception.

But now, the Goddess said to him, “Move out of the Greenhouse Palace because I want to live there.”

This?

Liu Che had no idea how to respond.

So, he could only look at the Goddess, trying to convey his anger and authority with his gaze, hoping to see the familiar fear and reverence in her eyes.

But there was nothing in her eyes.

She simply stared at Liu Che, her face expressionless, her body void of any emotional fluctuation.

Liu Che’s imperial wrath, his thunderous power, was nothing in front of her, as she paid it no mind.

The Goddess was like this. She was untouched by worldly affairs and indifferent to human distinctions. Lin Jiu thought to himself.

Those human distinctions that bound him, that forced him to compromise in front of Empress Dowager Dou, were meaningless in front of the Goddess.

Then, Liu Che suddenly took a deep breath.

He smiled. The dignified and imposing manner of the emperor quickly melted away, like ice. His smile was genuine, like a beam of sunlight.

Then he slightly bowed, lowered his head, and raised his hand to lead the way.

The large sleeves, adorned with the pattern of embroidered mountains and rivers, fluttered in the wind. Liu Che said, “The Greenhouse Palace is over there. Please follow me, Goddess.”

He was the emperor of the mortal world. He was destined never to bow to anyone.

But the being standing before him was not human. She was the Goddess, a divine being walking on earth.

The Goddess could do whatever she wanted. When the Goddess spoke, everyone could only agree and obey.

System: “…”

Forget it.

This is just unbelievable!!!

Liu Che! Wake up, you’re the emperor of the Han Dynasty! How could you bow so easily?

This doesn’t make sense!

The system solemnly said, “Something’s off. Liu Che’s attitude seems strange. There might be a trick.”

Lin Jiu reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.”

System: Not very reassured but also didn’t dare to say more.

—–

In the winter of the Han Palace, Lin Jiu and Liu Che walked together on the palace path. Beneath their feet were the blue stone bricks laid by Xiao He long ago. In the distance were the massive silhouettes of the palace buildings, and nearby were the attendants crowded together.

In the Weiyang Palace from over two thousand years ago, there was no sound besides the rustling of clothing.

When Lin Jiu lowered her head, she could see the emblem on Liu Che’s robe, a red seal on a black background.

Unlike the golden hues seen in the TV dramas of her previous life, this deep, restrained color was the attire of ancient emperors.

The ancient dynasty from a thousand years ago seemed to come alive in the corner of this robe.

Then, she saw a hand.

A long, bony, withered hand, as thin as a ghost’s claw from a horror movie, suddenly grabbed the corner of Liu Che’s robe, followed by a piercing cry that shook the sky.

The system, tense and on edge, was so startled by the scream that it jumped up, nearly thinking Lin Jiu had done something outrageous again.

Clearly, it wasn’t just the system that was frightened. Liu Che visibly stepped back, his steps frantic.

When the hand grabbed him, they were walking past a long palace wall. Liu Che had just turned the corner, and suddenly, a ghostly hand appeared, the horror effect nearly at its peak.

Lin Jiu, slightly behind Liu Che, was blocked from seeing by the palace wall. When Liu Che stepped back, she finally saw the owner of the hand.

It was an old man, as withered and frail as his hand. He wore magnificent court robes, his entire body seemingly swallowed by the fabric. His hair and beard were snow white, with only a few strands left.

He was so old it seemed like he might die any second, and yet he was crying and wailing with tears and snot.

The system solemnly said, “This is serious! This man’s identity is not ordinary. He’s speaking to Liu Che without much respect, so his status must be high, and with such an age, his position is significant.”

The Han Dynasty ruled by “filial piety,” so older people naturally held higher status. Even Liu Che had to approach such elderly officials carefully, never daring to be rude.

Lin Jiu said, “Well, I’ll sympathize with Liu Che for a second.”

The system couldn’t help but say, “No, rather than sympathizing with Liu Che, maybe you should sympathize with yourself.”

Lin Jiu, confused, said, “Huh? What’s wrong with me?”

The system, in disbelief, asked, “Did you not hear what this old man said?”

Lin Jiu, a bit embarrassed, said, “My history is awful. I can’t understand classical Chinese.”

The system remained silent for ten full seconds, before quickly downing a whole bottle of emergency heart-saving pills.

Lin Jiu was a bit worried, “Is it okay to eat so many?”

The system said, “If you don’t eat that much, there will be problems.”

He sighed heavily and translated for Lin Jiu, “Actually, this old man isn’t specifically targeting you. He’s just saying that he heard Liu Che is about to leave the Greenhouse Palace, so he’s come to offer advice, saying things like ‘Liu Che can’t be allowed to leave’ in a rather impolite manner.”

Lin Jiu said, “Oh.”

The system was puzzled by her calm response and, after thinking for a moment, decided to explain the situation in detail.

“Actually, you might not have thought of this, but when you asked Liu Che to move out of the Greenhouse Palace, to certain people, it seems like you’re starting to officially contest the power of the Han dynasty.”

“After all, Liu Che is the emperor. Even though he doesn’t hold much power right now, his symbolic role is still very significant. The casual way you’re handling him, the meaning behind it is quite terrifying.”

“So, those people couldn’t help themselves. They can’t directly act against you as the goddess, but they can use the pretext of advising Liu Che to stop you. So, you should really let go of the Greenhouse Palace idea; it’s easy to get into trouble.”

Lin Jiu stayed silent.

Once the system finished speaking, all that remained was the old minister’s sorrowful wails, and his passionate advice seemed like knives, seemingly directed at Liu Che but really aimed at her, the goddess.

She looked at the hand grabbing Liu Che’s, her expression blank. At that moment, an otherworldly, almost inhuman aura rose from her, and she looked at the old man not as if he were a living being, but like a piece of meat.

The system, sensing danger, said, “You’re not thinking of killing this old man, right? As the goddess, you could do it, but it won’t help. They don’t care about the lives of one or two people. If they can use a death to smear your name as the goddess, it’s actually a good thing for them.”

Lin Jiu was confused, saying, “That shouldn’t be the case. I’m a goddess, how could they dare go against me?”

She wasn’t asking the system, but speaking to herself, quickly answering her own question.

“I get it now. This is early in Emperor Wu of Han’s reign, before the policy of promoting Confucianism and disbanding other schools of thought, so there’s no divine right theory yet. People still fear gods and spirits, but the divine right hasn’t permeated the secular world.”

“So, when they saw the goddess extending her hand to secular imperial power, they immediately stood up to resist. They think that while the goddess can control life and death, she shouldn’t meddle in politics. That must be their thinking, right?”

Her words were a bit obscure, and the system didn’t quite understand.

Moreover, it was strange for someone to be so serious in questioning and answering themselves. Her neurotic behavior made the system uneasy, and it didn’t dare speak for a moment.

She finally spoke again, “History can be troublesome. I almost made a big mistake.”

She said this with a blank expression.

The system swallowed nervously, suppressing the inexplicable fear that arose, and softly said, “It’s fine, don’t worry. Even though something happened, Liu Che is still there to protect you.”

Lin Jiu didn’t respond.

The system, feeling a bit bolder, continued, “You were too rough with Liu Che before. From now on, let’s just firmly be his sycophant. There’s still room to maneuver on the Greenhouse Palace issue—”

The system was getting excited when Lin Jiu suddenly interrupted, “Why should we be Liu Che’s sycophant?”

The system replied, “Because Liu Che is the emperor. Only he can protect you from the angry court officials. Your identity as a goddess is also useful to him. It’s not entirely being a sycophant—you both can benefit from it. You said yourself that as a goddess, you can’t get involved in secular power, so you need to solve the problem—”

“I never said that.” Lin Jiu quickly responded.

“Eh?” The system was stunned.

“I said, gods and spirits can’t meddle in secular power,” Lin Jiu explained seriously to the system. “But I’m not fighting alone.”

The system began to sense something was wrong.

Lin Jiu nodded firmly. “You think I need to solve the problem, right? No problem, I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.”

The system quickly recalled what had happened the last few times Lin Jiu said “Don’t worry,” and immediately screamed, “Calm down! No, I’m not calm, stop!!”

But it was too late. Lin Jiu was too quick. Like drawing a sword to strike, did she wait for a warning? Of course not—she just struck!

So, before the system could finish its sentence, Lin Jiu turned to look at Liu Bang.

Liu Bang, who had been silent since getting out of the carriage and trying to lower his presence, suddenly trembled.