"Your subjects pay respects to Your Majesty!"
A group of old ministers approached the Empress of Chen, falling silent and bowing respectfully.
However, Chen Shimei grew even more displeased, scolding with an angry face, "You scoundrels, do you still have any regard for me as your sovereign? You dared to disregard my decree and storm into the palace! What are you trying to do?!"
"Your subjects are guilty, please punish us, Your Majesty!"
The ministers immediately knelt in a row.
Seeing them like this, Chen Shimei became even more furious, her fingers trembling as she pointed at them, "You, do you think I truly dare not kill you?"
"Your subjects dare not!"
Chen Shimei was so enraged she almost spat blood, her mind throbbing, almost unable to resist ordering the imperial guards to drag them out and behead them all.
But the reason within her heart held her back, preventing her from doing so, otherwise, Chen would truly fall into chaos, and she would lose these loyal subjects.
Just then, a deep sigh echoed from within the great hall.
Upon hearing this, those outside the hall changed their expressions, all turning their gaze towards the tightly shut palace doors.
Shortly after, the closed palace doors were opened from the inside, and a robust young man in a Taoist robe walked out calmly.
When he reached the Empress of Chen, he stopped, his face filled with remorse, and said, "Your Majesty, this humble Taoist has disappointed you."
"Failed?"
The Empress of Chen glared fiercely at the ministers beside her, instinctively feeling that the failure of the elixirs was very likely related to these people's disturbance of the National Preceptor.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this Longevity Elixir can be considered a failure, yet not entirely a failure."
The Taoist spoke with a conflicted expression, taking out a porcelain bottle from his robes and pouring the pills into his palm.
Instantly, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted outwards. Those who inhaled the scent of the elixir felt their bodies lighten, as if some heaviness had been removed.
However, moments later, they returned to their original state, as if it were an illusion.
The Empress of Chen stared intently at the elixir, asking with surprise, "National Preceptor, hasn't this elixir been successfully refined? Why do you say it has failed and yet not failed?"
"Your Majesty, the elixir in my hand is indeed the Longevity Elixir, but its effects..."
The Taoist hesitated, his face showing regret.
"It's fine, it's fine. Alchemy always involves some failures. As long as the direction is correct, the effects being slightly inferior is not a problem."
The Empress of Chen's eyes lit up, and she smiled reassuringly, very satisfied.
But at this moment, the ministers beside her were displeased.
The Prime Minister, Mu Junyuan, was the first to speak, scolding, "Zhu Wushi! You demonic Taoist! With so many pillars of our nation present, you still dare to deceive Your Majesty? What Longevity Elixir exists in this world? It's nothing more than you, a demonic Taoist, misleading Your Majesty to gain power!"
"Your Majesty, I implore Your Majesty to see clearly! For this so-called Longevity Elixir and the elixir of immortality that this demonic Taoist speaks of, you have not attended court for at least a month. Although the winter season naturally leads to some laziness, you cannot be so misled by this demonic Taoist, disregarding us, your officials, and the common people of the realm! Your Majesty!"
"Presumptuous!"
The Empress of Chen was furious.
She was already sixty-five years old. Even with her Qi Transformation realm martial cultivation, martial arts could not grant immortality or longevity.
Before the spiritual energy revival, the highest realm recorded in Chen's history was only the Foundation Establishment realm, and one could only live to a hundred years old without illness or pain before naturally dying.
Now that she had broken through to the Qi Transformation realm, she felt her lifespan had only increased by a mere three to five years, which was like a drop in the bucket.
Relying on further breakthroughs in martial cultivation for a longer lifespan was impossible. This Longevity Elixir was now her only hope.
"Your Majesty! Even if it is presumptuous, I must speak! This demonic Taoist is spreading heresy! There is no such thing as a Longevity Elixir in this world!"
Prime Minister Mu Junyuan was also enraged. He completely disregarded the Empress of Chen, shouting back, "Your Majesty, I suspect this is not a Longevity Elixir at all, but rather poison! It is a conspiracy by another country! Designed to destabilize our nation's court! I implore Your Majesty to awaken!"
The Empress of Chen's face turned grim. Her lips parted, and just as she was about to order someone to drive these old men out.
Suddenly, Zhu Wushi smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, please wait."
The Empress of Chen stopped her action of calling for guards and asked with confusion, "National Preceptor, what is this?"
"Your Majesty, since the ministers do not believe in this humble Taoist's abilities, why not have someone try it? As the saying goes, true gold fears no fire. Although the Longevity Elixir in my hand may not have a significant effect on Your Majesty, it still has a noticeable effect on ordinary elderly men."
Zhu Wushi spoke with confidence, a faint smile on his face.
It was this smile that made the Empress understand.
She thought to herself, "It seems the National Preceptor wishes to prove himself. If so, I shall also take this opportunity to see what the effects truly are."
With that, she turned and instructed Eunuch Zhou to find an elderly man with white hair.
An hour later, Eunuch Zhou brought an old wet nurse from the palace. She was seventy-five years old, her hair completely white with not a single black strand.
"Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my duty and brought the person."
Eunuch Zhou replied respectfully.
"Good, that will do."
The Empress of Chen was very satisfied.
She had heard of the person before her. As one of the few elders in the palace, she was a wet nurse to two generations and had entered the palace when the previous Emperor of Chen had just ascended the throne, surviving to this day.
Soon, after Eunuch Zhou explained the situation and promised some benefits, the old wet nurse, with her dim eyes, calmly accepted the elixir, swallowed the small Longevity Elixir directly, chewed it a few times but couldn't break it down, and swallowed it whole.
At this moment, the Empress of Chen, Zhu Wushi, and even several ministers waited with curiosity.
After a while, perhaps the elixir began to take effect.
The old wet nurse's complexion began to change visibly.
The age spots on her face slowly peeled off, replaced by newly grown tender skin. This skin then aged rapidly in the wind, becoming somewhat hardened and shriveled, but the age spots on her face had all disappeared without exception.
In addition, her complexion became slightly ruddy, her dim eyes gained some sparkle, and her overall spirit seemed much improved. The wrinkles on her entire face appeared to have been smoothed out by an invisible force.
Most importantly, her white hair fell out and was quickly replaced by new black hair!
"This, this!"
Everyone, including the old wet nurse, was shocked by the elixir's efficacy, and even Zhu Wushi himself was no exception.
He understood alchemy, but this Longevity Elixir was not refined by him. It was exchanged by Chu Chen from the system for one thousand points, giving him ten lowest-grade Longevity Elixirs.
The purpose was to solidify his identity as the National Preceptor, and now it seemed the objective had been achieved.
After all, the scene before them was undeniable proof.