Chapter 288

Chapter 281: The Moon Goddess Predicts the Stars, All Stars Bow to the Moon! Would you like her to tell your fortune in love?

“The Empress Dowager is asking you something.”

Li Mo noticed the Moon Goddess’s unusual expression and reminded her.

The Moon Goddess looked somewhat unwell.

It was as if she had seen something terrifying and was momentarily stunned.

She suppressed her astonishment and forced a calm demeanor, saying, “Responding to the Empress Dowager, indeed.”

“I am here on the orders of Donghuang Taiyi to serve the Qin State.”

Zhao Ji lightly waved her jade hand, casually saying, “No need to call yourself a subordinate so early; whether you can stay depends on the Qin side’s decision.”

‘Subordinate’ is a self-reference used by someone when addressing a higher status.

The Moon Goddess is not yet a subject of the Qin State, so she doesn’t even have the qualification to call herself a subordinate.

However, Zhao Ji took some interest in the Moon Goddess’s background.

If she remembered correctly, Li Mo had once said that he had a wife who is the Dongjun of the Yin-Yang School.

“Does your Yin-Yang School have a Dongjun?”

Zhao Ji suddenly asked the ethereal Moon Goddess.

“Yes, Dongjun is just a title; she is my senior sister and ranks just below Donghuang Taiyi in the Yin-Yang School,”

The Moon Goddess, though reluctant to admit this fact, still provided detailed information when the Empress Dowager inquired.

When Zhao Ji last visited Li Mo, Fei Yan had already returned to the Yin-Yang School.

Thus, they had not met.

Zhao Ji glanced at Li Mo, her eyes narrowing slightly.

So, it’s your younger sister-in-law, yet you said you have no connections with her.

After sitting with the Empress Dowager for most of the day,

The Moon Goddess felt like a child brought by their parents to a banquet.

The difference was one was there to eat, and the other was there to listen.

Her gaze wandered between the two, often displaying a thoughtful expression.

Finally, after Zhao Ji had dinner, night fell.

“Empress Dowager, would you like to enjoy the astrology of the Yin-Yang School together?”

Before leaving, Li Mo invited Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji covered her mouth and yawned, lazily waving her hand.

“I’m not going. I’m tired.”

She had the habit of taking a nap during the afternoon, but today, with Li Mo and the Moon Goddess here, she hadn’t slept.

She was already feeling a bit drowsy now.

Why did every household in ancient times have so many children?

One reason was that families needed labor.

If there were fewer descendants, they couldn’t work and would be at a disadvantage.

Another reason was the lack of nighttime entertainment activities.

Once night fell, there was nothing to do.

The couple would just burrow into bed and engage in activities to make children.

As they went about this, the belly would grow larger.

Although Zhao Ji was in the deep palace, living in luxury with everything she needed,

after handling affairs of state, she was completely free.

She had developed a habit of going to bed early and rising early.

Li Mo didn’t force her and, after bidding farewell, took the Moon Goddess to Ying Zheng.

“The National Advisor has arrived; someone, bring a pair of chopsticks and a bowl for the National Advisor.”

Ying Zheng was sitting at the table, holding a bowl.

He was eating while reviewing memorials, diligent and conscientious.

Compared to other kings of different states who only knew how to indulge themselves, he was like a breath of fresh air among kings.

Those kings either pursued pleasure or were incompetent and foolish.

It was as if several countries had come to an agreement.

“I’ll play my way, you play yours; everyone just slacks off and enjoys life.”

But the Qin State, while secretly developing, had Ying Zheng, a career-focused man, stirring the pot.

In the end, he ended up taking everything.

It was like agreeing with a few classmates not to study for the finals and all flunk together.

Everyone took it seriously, but you went home to study late into the night.

“No need, I’ve eaten at the Empress Dowager’s.”

Li Mo waved his hand and sat down beside him.

Ying Zheng didn’t offer a seat, so the Moon Goddess had to stand.

It was a pity; when she was at the Empress Dowager’s, she could at least have a seat.

Now, here at Ying Zheng’s, she had to stand.

It was like going to a banquet with parents; at one house, you could eat at the table,

but at the next, you would just get some dishes served to you and be told to eat off to the side.

The depression in his heart was evident.

During this time, more officials arrived one after another.

They were all high-ranking figures in the court.

Li Si came along with Lord Changping.

Han Fei was busy and out of sight; he was in charge of administrative law and had little interest in such matters.

“Don’t be nervous, let things unfold naturally, regardless of right or wrong.”

As the performance was about to begin, Li Mo gently reminded the Moon Goddess.

“Got it.”

The Moon Goddess glanced at him wordlessly.

It was easy for him to say; it wasn’t him who would be punished for failing the task.

The crowd stepped outside, with the officials standing on either side.

Li Mo and Ying Zheng sat in the highest positions.

“Please give your instructions, Your Majesty.”

The candle flames in the lamp stands surrounding the open space lit up the area.

The Moon Goddess stood in the center, her hands forming a lotus hand seal in front of her.

In her flowing purple dress, her presence was ethereal, resembling the goddess of Wushan.

When it comes to prestige, the Yin-Yang School is undoubtedly the top among the hundred schools of thought.

“What does the National Advisor think she should divine?”

Ying Zheng leaned slightly and asked for Li Mo’s opinion.

“The rise and fall of the nation, diseases and disasters, past and future, astrology can predict it all. Or you could have her calculate your marital fate as well,” Li Mo suggested.

Ying Zheng was momentarily taken aback by his words.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he said, “What marital fate does a poor ruler have?”

Li Mo chuckled, not offering any advice to Ying Zheng to avoid him thinking he was helping the Moon Goddess cheat.

Think about what you want to see; we advocate fairness and impartiality.

Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, then straightened up and said, “Then let’s calculate the chances of victory if my Qin State goes to war with Wei.”

His original plan was to dispatch troops against Wei after the autumn harvest.

Having the Moon Goddess predict in advance also served as preparation in his mind.

“Understood.”

The Moon Goddess replied, then gently closed her eyes under the gaze of the crowd.

She appeared to be in deep thought, exuding an air of mystery.

Suddenly, the candle flames in the lamp stands surrounding her seemed to be drawn by an unseen force, dimming in unison as she closed her eyes.

The Moon Goddess spread her arms and began to dance.

The wide sleeves of her robe traced dazzling afterimages in the air.

The afterimages became more numerous and clearer.

Her arms seemed to transform into countless hands, as miraculous as the Thousand-Armed Guanyin.

The Moon Goddess raised her jade arm, chanting incantations.

The crowd’s gaze followed her lifted arm upward.

Suddenly, someone noticed that the stars in the night sky were flickering continuously.

With each flicker, a starlight would brighten beside the Moon Goddess.

It was as if the stars from the sky were captured by her and placed in front of her.

The speed and number of the flashing starlight increased, and the starlight before the Moon Goddess grew more abundant.

In just a few breaths, the starlight illuminated the surroundings.

The Moon Goddess seemed to be in the midst of the galaxy, surrounded by stars, like a celestial being descending from the heavens.

Cold and stunning, mysterious and ethereal.

The crowd gasped softly, and admiration arose.

Li Mo chuckled lightly, pretending to be mystical.

He had seen Fei Yan perform astrology.

Clearly, she could directly draw on the starlight to form a star map, yet the Moon Goddess insisted on creating a galaxy.

The purpose was nothing other than to daunt the crowd.

The more grand the scene, the more shocking it felt.

Those who understood saw the subtleties, while those who didn’t simply watched the excitement—this was the reasoning behind it.

“Quite interesting.”

Ying Zheng remained unfazed, calm and restrained.

He lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest.

The Moon Goddess finally opened her eyes, her gaze hidden behind the veil like two bright moons in the galaxy, luminous and dazzling.

The galaxy in front of her was not still.

Instead, it flowed in an orderly motion like a gentle stream.

Each star represented a person or event, and the trajectory of their movements was the process.

The Moon Goddess aimed to deduce results based on the trajectories of these stars, using the processes.

To put it simply, it was a method of calculation!