My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

Chapter 85 The Position of Imperial Preceptor, the Stabilizer of Nine Provinces

"I am but a hermit living a carefree life," Chu Lengyu replied.

He's just an idle person and has no interest in national affairs.

Unexpectedly, the emperor was even more direct, asking in a deep voice, "If I were to appoint you as the Imperial Advisor, would Miss Chu agree?"

The Imperial Advisor? Upon hearing this, Chu Lengyu was taken aback.

She had not expected that the emperor would suddenly make such an important request, and it seemed that it was not a joke, which really caught her off guard.

But she has her own plans and her own path, and she will not be blinded by the emperor's temporary kindness and fall into the court's trap.

Besides, she was all too familiar with this tactic. They just wanted to drag her into the game of power, using her strength against her. No matter how the people below fought each other, the emperor, who was in control, would never lose out.

But Chu Lengyu was no longer willing to be subordinate to anyone. Moreover, if she wanted to, she could support another "Great Xia" at any time. There is no shortage of ambition in this world.

In that case, the position of Imperial Advisor, which is merely a pie in the sky, is of no use to her.

She resolutely refused: "I know nothing about court affairs, let alone have the talent to govern a country. How can I shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the national advisor? I'm afraid I will disappoint you."

"I appoint people based on their abilities," the emperor said casually. "Miss Chu's extraordinary abilities are witnessed by everyone in the capital. Who would disagree?"

"Your Majesty is well aware of my methods?" Chu Lengyu looked at him.

"I know a thing or two about it." His gaze was unwavering, exuding confidence and reliability. "It is precisely because I know you that I want to rely on you even more."

The emperor pointed to the vast city below and said, "My abilities are limited; I cannot even completely resolve the predicament facing Great Xia. But Miss Chu is different; you possess power that can easily change the world. So why don't we cooperate?"

"I would like to hear the details." Chu Lengyu nodded slightly.

She was determined to listen and see what the emperor was really up to.

The emperor slowly said, "Some people once advised me not to use the thoughts of mortals to speculate about immortals. But today I will boldly speculate once."

"Since Miss Chu is willing to appear before the people and even descend the Rainbow Bridge to share the joy with them, although I do not understand your thoughts, I can see from this that Miss Chu is friendly towards the Great Xia."

“Young lady, you are detached from worldly affairs and would certainly not want to be disturbed by too many mundane matters. Looking at all the countries now, I dare to boast that Great Xia is the most powerful country. If Miss Chu is willing to step into the mortal world, Great Xia will definitely be your best choice.”

"As for the position of Imperial Preceptor, there has never been one before. If you are willing, the details can be discussed."

The emperor's words revealed a very sincere attitude.

But Chu Lengyu never easily trusts others.

Just as she was about to refuse outright, the system notification suddenly sounded.

【drop! 】

[Host has triggered a temporary mission!]

[By becoming the Imperial Advisor and leading the nation to complete the sacrificial ceremony, the host will receive the "Nine Provinces Suppressing Cauldrons" series of ancient treasures!] (Note)

Each of the Nine Cauldrons has its own strengths, and this series of ancient treasures belongs to the human race, bound to the human race's fortune. The more prosperous the human race, the stronger the ancient treasures become.

This task has a one-year time limit.

The following are the mission details...

Chu Lengyu remained silent for a long while.

She inexplicably felt that the system had come prepared.

But the magic weapon is exactly what she urgently needs right now.

But is this "Nine Provinces" the Nine Provinces she knows?

Seeing that Chu Lengyu remained silent, the emperor felt uneasy.

He knew that today's meeting was not to be taken lightly, so he carefully considered every word he said, afraid that the slightest inappropriateness might touch a sensitive chord in her heart.

Seeing her fall silent and remain silent for a long time, the emperor couldn't help but reflect on what was wrong with his suggestion just now, and whether he should have made his point more clearly.

Even though the system popped up a task, Chu Lengyu did not immediately agree to the emperor's idea.

She rejected his offer, sounding somewhat angry, and her tone was no longer so polite: "I appreciate your kindness. However, I came to the palace today for two reasons: first, to see you, and second, to obtain the map."

The emperor, naturally, had no suspicions and realized that his words had been inappropriate, so he immediately tried to remedy the situation.

He readily agreed, saying, "Since I have already promised regarding the map, I will keep my promise and there is absolutely no reason for me to go back on my word."

Without the emperor's prompting, Hongfu stepped forward, holding an ancient map in both hands, and respectfully presented it with a humble attitude.

Chu Lengyu took the map, unfurled it, and saw the mountains, rivers, and cities vividly depicted on the paper.

She glanced at it a few times, then rolled up the map and put it into her storage bag. She didn't think the emperor would tamper with the map.

As the map disappeared, the emperor's gaze fell on the ordinary-looking cloth bag at her waist, and he knew that it was probably the storage bag that Chu Lengyu had mentioned in her diary.

He secretly marveled: How amazing it is that such a small cloth bag can hide everything invisibly!

Chu Lengyu naturally noticed the emperor's subtle change and felt something was amiss, because the emperor's gaze was too clear, as if he had known about the existence of the storage bag and its appearance all along.

But she remained calm and composed, keeping her doubts hidden deep in her heart.

"I've heard that Miss Chu intends to leave the capital and travel the world. I wonder if she's going to visit old friends or seek opportunities elsewhere?" the Emperor asked knowingly.

Upon hearing this, Chu Lengyu's heart stirred slightly. He smiled calmly and asked in return, "Your Majesty is mistaken. My journey here is merely a matter of following my heart and has no fixed plan. If you have any advice, please feel free to speak."

The emperor laughed heartily, displaying his imperial grandeur:

"If the young lady wishes to visit a friend, I can send an envoy to welcome her and bring her to the capital for a reunion; if she wishes to search for something, I can also issue an edict to order people to search the whole country for rare and precious materials for the young lady."

"My Great Xia Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, with a full treasury and countless rare treasures hidden deep within the palace. If you have any requests, please speak freely. Whether from the Great Xia treasury or my private treasury, you may choose whatever you desire."

It seemed that the emperor wanted to use his power and wealth to retain her and win her over, but Chu Lengyu had a vague feeling that something was not right.

As a cultivator, her intuition was very accurate.

So she put on an interested look and asked curiously, "Your Majesty is very generous. Could it be that there are some rare and precious treasures in the treasury?"

The emperor was somewhat pleased and said, "I know that ordinary things are not good enough for Miss Chu, so I specially ordered the storeroom to bring over a few pieces of extraterrestrial meteorite iron."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards carried in several bronze boxes. When they opened them, they found several meteorite fragments of varying sizes, each emitting a faint, eerie glow.

Chu Lengyu's gaze swept over the meteorites, and she pondered to herself.

She had long been aware of the existence of these meteorites, but she didn't understand their purpose. Now it seems that the emperor had specially prepared them for her.

Her gaze deepened slightly.

Perhaps without any other means, she could use the process of elimination to find the answer in the emperor.

_______________________

Note: The Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Feng and Shan: "Yu collected metal from the nine provinces and cast nine tripods."

Legend has it that at the beginning of the Xia Dynasty, Yu the Great divided the world into nine provinces and ordered each province to contribute bronze to cast nine tripods, symbolizing the nine provinces.

The famous mountains, rivers, and strange objects of the nine provinces were engraved on the nine tripods, which were then gathered in the capital of the Xia Dynasty to become national treasures.

This book uses the setting of this cauldron. It is a fictional world and has nothing to do with real history.