Turmoil in the Court and the Country

Finally, Nan Xu moved.

As the blade swept across, a clear, moonlit light flowed, a breathtaking sight.

"Shuashuashua——"

In an instant, it was as if hundreds of knife flowers bloomed on the fish's body, scattering silver light all over the ground!

Soon, the flashing of the knife stopped, and the two slices of white fish meat still looked intact.

Nan Xu reached out and gently brushed the fish meat apart into tiny, paper-thin pieces under the force of the external force.

Seeing this, Nan Xu picked up a piece of sashimi and put it in his mouth.

He chewed a few times, then frowned.

The fish slices were tough and hard to chew; without a doubt, he failed.

Nan Xu wasn't unaware that he would fail, but he didn't expect to fail so completely.

He thought that even if he failed, the final product would at most be a little difficult to chew.

But now it seems that the texture of this white fish is far more mysterious than that of ordinary fish. Its texture is so tight and fine that it truly deserves to be a precious ingredient of the fourth grade.

Thinking of this, Nan Xu smiled helplessly.

It seems that for a long time to come, his three meals a day will consist of this coarse and unpalatable fish sashimi.

Well, at least the Cold Pool White Fish is a high-quality ingredient with its own spiritual energy, so there's no need to worry about bacteria and parasites. Even if you eat a lot, it won't cause any harm except for being hard to digest, and it might even be beneficial.

So Nanxu simply stuffed the remaining fish sashimi into his mouth, circulated his internal energy to speed up digestion, and threw the previously removed entrails into the cold pool to use as bait.

A sharp glint appeared in his eyes:

"Come on... I want to see just how difficult this whitefish from the cold pool really is to handle!"

……

While Nanxu secluded himself and diligently practiced his swordsmanship, the Great Xuan Dynasty outside was quietly undergoing some kind of change.

Beijing.

Imperial Observatory.

Supervisor Zhu Jingcheng sat at his desk, looking at the stacks of reports piled high on it, a solemn expression on his face.

In the past two weeks, many village heads in the mountains and villages of Daxuan have reported that they all dreamed of an immortal who said that a strange person from beyond the world would arrive soon, named "The Taste Seeker".

Entering the dreams of tens of thousands of people at the same time is something that ordinary people cannot do, so he naturally launched an investigation immediately.

He didn't know until he investigated, and once he did, he discovered that no matter what the immortal in his dream was really like, what he said was absolutely true.

Although the number of these food seekers is not large, they are distributed all over the country, and even within the capital city, there are about forty or fifty of them.

The Seekers appear no different from ordinary people, but they speak strangely, act erratically, and even have the ability to come back to life.

Moreover, these taste seekers can vanish from this world in an instant, leaving no trace, as if returning to a world apart.

"Is it truly as the stars foretell, that a great upheaval affecting the entire world is about to occur...?"

Zhu Jingcheng's eyebrows furrowed, his expression worried. Ever since he observed that terrifying celestial phenomenon several months ago, he had never been able to relax.

Seeing the celestial signs come true, he wasn't surprised at all; on the contrary, he felt a sense of "I knew it."

Thinking about this, he even felt a little fortunate.

"Fortunately, the celestial phenomena that day did not indicate any sign of the imperial star faltering, nor did they foreshadow any chaos or war breaking out across the land."

"Perhaps this matter of seeking flavors brings not only risks, but also opportunities."

According to the Six Doors, as long as those seekers are given some rewards, it is easy to motivate them to do things.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why His Majesty ultimately decided to expedite preparations for that matter.

"But we don't know whether this is a blessing or a curse for our Great Xuan..."

Zhu Jingcheng sighed deeply, put down the bamboo slip in his hand, and looked at the calendar on the wall beside him.

The calendar was deliberately turned to several months later, where a date was heavily circled in vermilion.

If Nan Xu were here, he would definitely recognize that this date is the day the game was launched and the players arrived!

……

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace Study.

"Your subject Ding Baozhen pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Ding Baozhen straightened his clothes and knelt down meticulously.

A young man with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, possessing a gentle and refined demeanor, strode quickly to Ding Baozhen and helped him up.

"Please rise quickly, Ding Taibao. You have been traveling day and night to return to the capital. You must be tired from the journey. Please excuse these formalities."

This man is none other than the Crown Prince of the Great Xuan Dynasty, Dongfang Xuanhui!

After helping Ding Baozhen up, he immediately turned to the eunuch and instructed, "Prepare a seat for Grand Tutor Ding, and bring me my treasured pre-Qingming Longjing tea..."

However, Ding Baozhen shook his head:

"Your Highness, I thank you. However, Your Highness need not be so polite. I will leave as soon as I have finished my business and do not want to waste Your Highness's fine tea."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Xuanhui sighed inwardly. This Ding Taibao was good in every way, except that he was too upright and honest.

However, he had anticipated this, and readily agreed, saying, "Then let's do as you say, Grand Tutor Ding. Please have a seat."

Ding Baozhen thanked him, but only sat halfway down in the seat.

Dongfang Xuanhui did not return to his desk, but instead took the briefing and sat down on the couch opposite him.

"The news of those extraordinary people... the 'Taste Seekers' has spread throughout the entire court and the public." His tone was solemn. "I heard that Ding Taibao personally saw several extraordinary people during his travels, and I would like to hear Taibao's opinion."

"Your Majesty's opinion is my opinion," Ding Baozhen said, bowing.

"But Father didn't express his opinion at today's court assembly... Wait, could it be?"

Dongfang Xuanhui stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After a while, he continued, "In that case, I have some guesses, but I don't know if they are true or not. Please enlighten me, Grand Protector."

Ding Baozhen nodded: "Your Highness should still remember that His Majesty issued an edict a few months ago, ordering all officials to recommend outstanding chefs from across the land."

"The reason I have traveled all over the country in search of young talents is for this very purpose."

"And that day was the day after the celestial signs from the Imperial Observatory were reported to His Majesty."

Dongfang Xuanhui's face showed a look of sudden realization: "You mean, Father Emperor was prepared for this all along?"

"It is said that those who seek flavor possess extraordinary abilities, grow rapidly, and are immortal, yet they are easily lured with benefits. Father's actions serve two purposes: first, to cultivate the young talents of our Great Xuan and solidify our nation's foundation amidst this crisis; and second, to win over those who seek flavor!"

Upon hearing this, Ding Baozhen immediately understood. The Crown Prince had already figured out the trick, and his so-called ignorance of the truth was just a humble excuse.

But he didn't expose him; instead, he went along with it, saying, "That's right, this is His Majesty's decision. To recruit, not to confront."

"If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty likely has further plans, and tomorrow's court assembly will probably reveal the answer."

"I see. Father is indeed farsighted." Dongfang Xuanhui smiled slightly. "In that case, we don't need to worry too much."

"Let's talk about something lighter. I heard you recommended someone to attend the Yangzhou Autumn Culinary Festival?"

"Not bad." Ding Baozhen's face showed a hint of pride when he said this. "This person is named Nan Xu, and he is a rare and promising culinary talent."

"I've heard about it. The scandal involving the Jiang family a while back caused quite a stir in the court and among the people," Dongfang Xuanhui said with a smile. "This person's name has also reached the ears of many."

"Among them was my stubborn younger brother."

Upon hearing this, Ding Baozhen asked in surprise, "You mean His Highness the Young Prince?"

Dongfang Xuanhui nodded, slowly stood up, and a hint of interest appeared in his eyes:

"Speaking of which, he seemed to be planning to participate in that autumn culinary event as well."

"I wonder what kind of sparks will fly when these two clash?"