Chapter 416: The Focus of All
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Ning Manor, Dinner Time.
The dishes on the table were all cooked with Spiritual Spring Water.
The rice was Spirit Rice, and the sliced fruit was Immortal Peach.
But Lu Chao Chao had eyes only for the large roasted chicken.
“Starting tomorrow, prepare weight-loss meals just for Chao Chao,” Madam Xu said as she pinched her daughter’s soft waist. Her little belly was round and plump.
Old Madam Ning chuckled.
“A three-and-a-half-year-old child doesn’t need to lose weight. She’ll grow taller and slim out naturally.”
“Besides, it’s only because of her round little face.”
In reality, her face wasn’t even the size of a palm. Her eyes were big and round, her cheeks plump, and with a small belly, she looked chubby all over.
But it wasn’t an oily kind of roundness.
Rather, it made her appear extremely adorable.
Everyone wanted to give her cheeks a pinch.
“She eats too much meat. I’m afraid she’ll have indigestion…” Madam Xu still remembered how she once ate so much she couldn’t sleep.
“Let’s rest early tonight. Tomorrow, the Goddess will ascend, and there will be quite a spectacle to watch.”
Madam Xu’s tone carried a hint of cold amusement.
The Old Emperor being poisoned by his own filial daughter—how amusing was that?
Yet, he had to endure it for the sake of Nan Zhi Yi’s ascension!
That night, Madam Xu was too angry to sleep.
Rong Che, noticing her frustration, pushed open the window to let in some fresh air.
Looking up, they saw countless fireflies dancing above Madam Ning’s chambers.
The old madam seemed to have opened her window and reached out a hand.
A few fireflies landed gently on her fingertips.
“I’ve always felt that Mother is somewhat unusual, but I can’t put my finger on what’s off. Everything about her feels… discordant,” Rong Che murmured, watching the glowing insects fill the sky.
Madam Xu paused. “Mmm.”
She felt it too.
Before dawn the next day, Lu Chao Chao was dragged from her warm bed by the maids.
“I can shleep… a bit more…” she muttered, her head full of messy bed hair, eyes barely open.
“Today is the Goddess’ Ascension! Please bear with it, Young Miss.”
“I’ve packed some snacks in your pouch. You can nibble on them slowly,” Yu Shu coaxed gently.
The reluctant Lu Chao Chao immediately nodded. “Okayyy.”
After freshening up, it was still dark outside.
“Madam prepared a weight-loss meal. Would you like to try it?” Yu Shu presented the breakfast.
Since it was too early, breakfast was taken in her own room.
Lu Chao Chao took a few bites. It tasted fine, balanced between meat and vegetables. She finished it cleanly.
“All done! Weight-loss meal finished! Now, time for the real meal!”
She put down her bowl and looked at Yu Shu with eager anticipation.
Yu Shu: ???
“Mommy said Chao Chao has to eat weight-loss meals! So, Chao Chao ate it first!”
“Now, bring out the proper breakfast!”
Yu Shu stammered, unsure how to respond…
“This isn’t the only meal, right?” Lu Chao Chao asked, voice trembling.
Yu Shu grimaced, not knowing what to say.
The little girl left the room with a long face, utterly heartbroken.
The Northern Zhao uncles and elders had already sent over their special delicacies, but they had long been eaten. Now, with the maids watching her every move, there was no chance of sneaking food outside.
By the time the whole family gathered at the entrance, her expression was downright sour.
Xie Yu Zhou saw her grim face and assumed she was upset about Nan Zhi Yi assuming a stolen identity. Little did he know, she was actually brooding over breakfast…
The carriages stopped several streets away, and everyone walked the rest of the way.
The streets were packed with people. Fortunately, they had enough guards to keep order.
Lu Chao Chao, unable to resist any longer, stole a few pieces of Windchaser’s dried meat and hid them in her sleeves. Every now and then, she would nibble on them.
The dry, fragrant meat was quite delicious.
The crowd moved towards the Ascension Platform.
Originally a sacrificial altar, the platform had been reconstructed to rise into the sky, as if one could touch the heavens by simply reaching out.
Though Madam Ning held no official status, Xu Shi Yun was a legitimate Princess of the Southern Kingdom.
She was led to the Ascension Platform, where she could witness the ascension up close alongside the ministers.
Madam Ning disliked noisy places and remained at the manor to recuperate.
Nan Feng Yu arrived, dressed flamboyantly, exuding confidence, her eyebrows raised high. The Prince Consort beside her, however, remained low-key, sipping his tea quietly.
A mere glance revealed their fractured relationship.
Rumors even suggested that the Eldest Princess kept a paramour in her residence.
“Shi Yun, you’re here? Why didn’t Madam Ning come along? She should bask in the glory of my daughter’s great moment.” Nan Feng Yu couldn’t help but flaunt, proud beyond measure.
Her daughter was her triumph.
Her unbeatable trump card.
Xu Shi Yun replied coolly, “She hasn’t ascended yet. What glory is there?”
Nan Feng Yu’s expression darkened instantly.
Just then, the Emperor and Empress arrived hand in hand, forcing her to suppress her anger, though she still shot Xu Shi Yun a vicious glare.
“Greetings, Father Emperor.”
“Greetings, Your Majesty…”
Everyone rose to bow in unison.
On the towering platform, beneath it, and all across the capital, thousands upon thousands of citizens bowed in reverence.
Standing at the pinnacle of power, they all submitted to his rule.
A flicker of sorrow flashed through the Old Emperor’s eyes.
“Rise.”
Only then did the crowd rise.
Nan Feng Yu’s gaze lowered. Her father was wary of her!
But… so what? He was already beyond saving, with only seven days left to live.
Would he hand the Southern Kingdom over to Xu Shi Yun?
To an outsider raised in Northern Zhao, who was not close to him?
“Father Emperor…” Nan Feng Yu stepped forward to support the Emperor, but he subtly avoided her touch.
This father-daughter bond had been completely severed.
On the Ascension Platform, the Royal Family and court officials stood tall, feeling honored beyond measure.
“Our Southern Kingdom shall have its own Deity!”
“With the Goddess’ Ascension, we will have divine protection. No longer will we fear disasters, no longer will we need to beg for aid…” An elderly minister knelt, hands clasped in prayer, his face brimming with joy.
“They call it Divine Attendant, but at the end of the day, attendants are merely servants…”
“From now on, the Southern Kingdom shall no longer serve as a vassal! The Goddess has granted us dignity!”
“She is the Jewel of Heaven, bestowed upon us by fate!”
“I pledge my eternal loyalty to the Goddess!”
The Lou, Ming, and Sang families exchanged uneasy glances with Lu Chao Chao.
With a Goddess, Nan Feng Yu stood invincible.
Lu Chao Chao swept her gaze across the crowd. Wow, so many believers?
No surprise. Nan Feng Yu had plotted this for years, ensuring everything was in place.
Even the Old Emperor was overwhelmed with excitement.
A Divine Attendant was an honor.
But it also branded the Southern Kingdom as servants.
Now, to shed this title, to possess a true Goddess, how could the Old Emperor not be thrilled?!
He was about to rewrite history.
The Southern Kingdom’s new era would begin with him.
“Are the historians and painters in position?” the Old Emperor asked eagerly, his anticipation mounting.
“Your Majesty, they are ready. Today’s grand event shall be recorded and praised for millennia.”
The Old Emperor flushed with excitement, while the Empress raised her chin high, pride shining in her eyes.
Madam Ning, in the end, you will never surpass me!
At the heart of the Ascension Platform, the National Advisor stood clad in a flowing moon-white ceremonial robe.
Countless young priests, also dressed in ceremonial garb, danced in ritual movements, praying to the heavens.
Massive drums lined both sides, their players wearing red sashes, striking them with fervor.
The drumbeats roared, each strike louder than the last.
Below the platform, countless devout citizens knelt in prayer.