Chapter 64: Temple of Heaven

The day before the grand ceremony, Lin Shu returned without incident. Over the past few days, he and Jingni had visited all four military camps, leaving behind several Black Tigers and ten war chariots at each. The Mo East barracks, facing the threat of the Xiongnu under Li Mu, bore the greatest pressure; thus, Lin Shu left Sit twenty steam-powered war chariots and a generous supply of coke.

At the Little Royal Palace, the sight of the king’s carriage finally eased the Moon Goddess’s worries. Yanfei, sensing something was amiss, wasted no time on tenderness.

“Your Majesty, Xuan Zhan personally conducted a night reconnaissance of Liaohai Pass and discovered that each military camp had suddenly gained several thousand men! Estimates suggest that the Yan army at Liaohai Pass alone now numbers over 160,000.”

“The diplomatic mission led by Lord Yanchun has crossed the border but, due to a runaway carriage, will be delayed in Western Lia for a day. Yet Xuan Zhan did not encounter Lord Yanchun in person!”

Jingni’s expression chilled.

“Hmph! It seems Yan has forgotten its defeat in Liaodong. Perhaps Lord Yanchun never arrived at all.”

Shaoshao spoke next. “Your Majesty, Jing Ke has sent a letter of gratitude for your fine wine. Furthermore, many military commanders and leaders are now absent from the taverns in Ji City.”

Lin Shu chuckled quietly and nodded, glancing at the Lesser Fate.

Shaoshao blushed and quickly lowered her head, hiding behind Yanfei.

“Are you sure it was a tavern, not a brothel?”

Jingni managed a wry smile. “Husband, you’re being improper again. Don’t corrupt our dear Shaoshao.”

…

This was Jingni’s first visit to the new royal city, which contained only a few completed building complexes—the vast majority of houses within the walls were still under construction. After touring the city and the Little Royal Palace, Lin Shu took Jingni outside for further sightseeing.

Letting the carriage follow behind, Lin Shu rode a white horse, holding Jingni and Xiaoyan in his arms, slowly making their way toward the docks.

“Those must be the steamships—there really are no sails, and they’re so large!”

The longest steamship stretched nearly a hundred meters, its displacement exceeding two thousand tons. In this moment, Jingni was like a little girl, marveling in amazement.

The craftsmen could now operate the ships, though only at slow speeds, and none dared venture far from the harbor.

Upon noticing the carriage, a small wooden boat hastily rowed back to the dock.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!” Qiu Ji called out excitedly, having expected to spend his days at a small dock on the East Sea. To his surprise, the king had not forgotten him, but instead summoned him with two thousand sailors to establish a navy.

The handsome, furry Qiu Ji brought a smile to all who saw his sleek hair.

“Qiu Ji, it has been a while—you’ve gotten much darker!”

Apparently, Qiu Ji hadn’t been idle at Donghai Town; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten so tanned.

Qiu Ji bowed with a smile, reflecting on his efforts. To train the sailors, he had no choice but to lead by example; the wild men of the East Sea were reluctant to enter the water otherwise.

“Continue your training and familiarization. In time, I will have proper warships built for you.”

He had no idea what warships were, but he knew their naval camp would soon truly take shape.

“As you command, Your Majesty. I will take my leave.”

The royal family was enjoying a private moment, and Qiu Ji tactfully withdrew.

After gazing at the sea for a while, the white horse carried them slowly across the river bridge.

“Your divine carriage is truly remarkable, Husband!”

Beneath them, the iron cable bridge stretched hundreds of meters and stood dozens above the water—a feat Jingni could hardly have imagined.

“Yes, the carriage is formidable! But, alas…”

The carriage was powerful, but Lin Shu himself was too weak. As his integration with the world deepened, the carriage grew stronger by the day, while Lin Shu became thinner.

Previously, he would eat and sleep, never having a girlfriend to exercise with him. Even on a mostly vegetarian diet, he had gradually gained twenty pounds of fat.

Yet since taking responsibility for Jingni, his weight had steadily declined. Especially after the Moon Goddess joined them, he could no longer maintain his weight.

He used to be 165 cm tall and weighed 155 pounds. Now, though his height remained the same, his weight had dropped to 132 pounds.

He thought: if it falls below 130, he’d be considered skinny. Thankfully, the Moon Goddess gave him massages and electrotherapy, so he no longer had to lie in bed all day and let the carriage slowly restore him.

“Perhaps Xiaoyue and I should transfer half our strength to you, Husband! Our martial skills are of little use now.”

With the carriage, Jingni wasn’t worried for her husband’s safety, but she did worry about his spine and longevity.

Desire is a double-edged sword; it not only depletes the marrow but reckless indulgence also drains the soul and will. Jingni hadn’t understood this before—it was the Moon Goddess who explained it to her.

Thus, most men of the Yin-Yang clan are devoid of desire. Eastern Emperor Taiyi understood best: passion only exhausts the spirit and constitution, so male Eastern Emperors seal off their passions like eunuchs.

[Commander, your constitution cannot absorb their strength. No need to worry—once the ship upgrades, you can conduct experiments on spiritual energy transformation.]

Damn those experiments! Lin Shu cursed inwardly, hugging the fool in his arms tighter.

“Transferring power would harm your foundation. Don’t bring it up again! Rest assured, I already have a solution.”

“But you’re looking a bit thin yourself.”

Her slender waist was soft, and Lin Shu felt a pang of pity; among the four beauties of the inner court, Jingni was the most delicate.

Jingni lowered her head. “I prefer to be thin, Husband.”

She was regretful—her vitality was damaged, and even daily ginseng couldn’t restore it. Not only had she disturbed her pregnancy, but years of risking her life for the Net organization had left lasting wounds.

It wasn’t just old injuries to her organs; her spirit had been wounded several times as well.

“At least some places aren’t thin!” His hand naturally slid upward.

Ah!

Jingni gasped and quickly removed the offending hand. “Hmph! Someone will see!”

“Hehe! Surely no one is around—right, Shadowmind?”

[Commander, there are plenty of scouts and craftsmen nearby.]

“Hmph, see? Shadowmind never lies.”

She laughed lightly, recalling her earlier words.

“Husband, perhaps we should reclaim the Seven Dragon Constellations one day, to see if there’s a remedy.”

Since ancient times, kings have been ill-fated—Jingni didn’t want him to depart before she did.

[Commander, until the ship fully integrates with the world, you must not disrupt the world’s destiny.]

“We’ll discuss it later. I’m not even thirty, there’s no rush!”

Uncle Lin dared not admit he was already nearing forty. Even Jingni couldn’t determine his exact age.

After crossing the bridge, the two imposing bronze-colored statues came into view.

“Husband, those two imperial statues—are they?”

Though not clear, their crowns were unmistakably imperial.

“Yes, they are representations of the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor.”

“The Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor face each other from the south and north, gazing toward the southeastern sea. The high platform behind their statues is the Heavenly Altar where the ceremony will be held.”

The upper bodies of the two emperors were carved from stone, atop a massive mountain base hundreds of meters wide, with a total height of 108 meters. The Heavenly Altar behind, aligned with the statues’ central axis, was a hundred meters wide and ninety-nine meters high, with ninety-nine steps leading to a platform nineteen meters square.

At its peak stood a bronze incense burner weighing several thousand pounds, though it could not be seen from the base.

The entire two-emperor altar occupied a square area of 900 meters. The mountain platform was at the front, and the surrounding ground was paved with stone slabs.

To prevent wolves, rats, and snakes from entering, the altar was encircled by a protective river, connected to the Liao River and nineteen meters wide—so wide that even the most cunning wild leopard could not leap across.

After completing the altar, Lin Shu stationed one hundred cavalrymen on each side of the bridge for security.

Gazing quietly at the profiles of the two emperors, Jingni felt the gravity of national affairs more deeply.

“Husband, the imperial cabinet will never betray the aspirations of the two emperors.”

Though she did not voice it, Lin Shu remained by her side, quietly watching with her.