Qing Ni was prepared to refuse.
It had nothing to do with whether it was easy or not. She was just thinking that if she agreed too readily, it might seem too casual and diminish the prestige of an immortal.
After Qin Shi Huang performed the Fengshan ceremony, it seemed he also went to the East Sea and Mount Langya. Shouldn’t they coincidentally meet two or three more times to show fate was at work before she relented?
“I…” The fate between me and the Human Emperor has not yet arrived. Let us part ways here.
The rain had been dispersed by the auspicious sign. The snow leopard began calculating how many Points they had just spent. Based on one set of clothing costing 888 Points…
“Yiyi, we now owe the Main System a total of 266,400 Points! You need to complete more Main and Side Quests quickly to make up for the debt before you can buy any props!”
Qing Ni: “…”
“The Human Emperor need not say more.”
Qing Ni revealed her most dignified, most divine smile. A gentle breeze brushed past, making her sleeves flutter gracefully, exuding an ethereal aura.
“Bringing peace and prosperity to the people has always been my wish. Since fate has brought us together at Taishan, it is the will of heaven. How dare I refuse?”
The First Emperor smiled. “Excellent.”
The System broadcasted into Qing Ni’s mind with a flat tone—
Main Quest (1): A Romantic Encounter with Qin Shi Huang.
Quest Requirement: Leave a deep impression on Qin Shi Huang.
Quest Progress: Completed.
Completion Level: SSS (Perfect)
Quest Reward: Liuxian Skirt x1, Points x3000.
“Yiyi, this Liuxian Skirt is a great item! It has a self-cleaning function. Once worn, both the clothing and the surface of the body will self-clean.”
Qing Ni’s eyes lit up.
A pillow delivered just as sleepiness hits!
She opened it to examine its attributes in detail. Besides self-cleaning, it had two other effects:
【Diet Control】: A beauty can act cute by being a foodie, but she cannot be a glutton. As long as the Liuxian Skirt is worn, one won’t feel hungry even without eating, and no matter how much one eats, one won’t feel full.
【Heavenly Immortal】: A fairy doesn’t need to poop, pee, or fart. As long as the Liuxian Skirt is worn, whether performing talents, flirting, or doing other things, there’s no need to fear suddenly needing to excuse oneself.
This really is a great item! Perfect for her pretending to be a deity!
Qing Ni vaguely seemed to hear a line from a certain movie—
“Once you wear this golden circlet, you will no longer be an ordinary mortal. You must not indulge in worldly desires…”
The latter part could be crossed out. “No longer an ordinary mortal” was enough.
Qing Ni happily accepted the Liuxian Skirt and even more happily used the 3000 Points to see what props she could buy in the System Shop.
Let me see, this 【Xishi Pill】, after taking it, makes one appear as sickly as Xishi, delicate and pitiful, too weak to bear the weight of clothes, 4 Points per pill…
So cheap!
“Why is it so cheap?”
“Drug effect, one pill only lasts 10 seconds. If priced too high, it wouldn’t sell.”
“Got it, ten-second real man.”
Looking at the 【Beauty Pill】 below, one pill beautifies and rejuvenates, making one glow with youth. It’s more expensive than the 【Xishi Pill】, costing 5000 Points per pill, and it doesn’t last permanently—one needs to take a pill every six months.
“5000 Points per pill is so expensive. Why doesn’t one pill grant eternal youth?”
“Nonsense, if you spend five thousand dollars on a skincare set, don’t you need to buy another set for maintenance after using it up?”
“You make sense, but the price is too high… Forget it, the fault lies with me for being poor, not with the pill. Let me see what else…”
Huh? There's even a 【Book: 108 Sexual Positions】, this seems really interesting! And it doesn't cost many Points either.
Qing Ni eagerly pressed the purchase button, only for a glaring line of red text to appear: 【Insufficient Points, unable to purchase】.
"System, what's going on? This book is only 108 Points, right? Why do I have insufficient Points?"
"Because you just bought 300 sets of clothes and accessories, my dear host! Those all need to be paid for."
"When did I…" Oh, she really did buy them.
Wait…
"Earlier, you mentioned skincare products, and also the medicine…"
"Exactly! For the convenience of all hosts, the System Mall uses an analogy based on Taobao product prices, where 1 Point is equivalent to 1 RMB. Isn't that easy to understand?"
Qing Ni's hand trembled slightly, "Th-then, that means I owe…"
"Over 260,000 RMB! That's enough for a down payment on a 130-square-meter apartment along a subway line or in a school district in a second-tier city!"
The System "stabbed" her with a harsh blow, and Qing Ni nearly blacked out.
Just talking about Points didn't make her feel much, but when converted…
A down payment for a 130-square-meter apartment in a second-tier city! Before she transmigrated, she was still renting, and a down payment was something she couldn't even dream of!
Showing off leads to a lifetime of poverty—why didn't all those Pay-to-Win games from Tencent serve as a warning!
Wah wah wah wah—
Encountering the Divine Maiden at the summit of Taishan was an event that had to be widely publicized and celebrated. Qin Shi Huang specifically arranged a banquet in Qufu and invited the Divine Maiden to attend.
"Tsk tsk tsk." Qing Ni held the snow weasel in her arms. Outside, the sounds of carriages and horses could be heard, while inside, she whispered to the System, "This move by the First Emperor is truly Killing the Heart."
System: "What shrimp? What pig heart? After the First Emperor unified the language and writing, wasn't it forbidden to call it 'pig' and instead call it 'swine'?"
Qing Ni didn't speak but conveyed her meaning with her eyes: Speak properly!
The System silently shifted in her arms, using the snow weasel to strike a proper sitting pose. "Alright, Killing the Heart. How is Qin Shi Huang Killing the Heart?"
"Qufu is Confucius's hometown. Confucius is the leader of the Confucian scholars, and the Confucian scholars…"
"The Confucian scholars mocked Qin Shi Huang, and Qin Shi Huang immediately retaliated by targeting the sacred place of their Confucian sages!" The System suddenly grew excited, and the snow weasel's ears twitched repeatedly.
What can you do even if you're dissatisfied with my rule? I will host a banquet for the Divine Maiden right in the heart of your Confucian stronghold.
Especially the group of Confucian scholars from Qi and Lu, who had just accused Qin Shi Huang of lacking virtue and being abandoned by Heaven, which was why he encountered heavy rain after the Fengshan ceremony and got drenched. Immediately afterward, Xuan Nu of the Nine Heavens appeared, affirming the First Emperor's legitimacy as the Son of Heaven. What a slap in the face.
The carriage jolted along the road. Qing Ni pressed her hand against the soft cushions covering the carriage floor, lay down on them, and shifted into a more comfortable position. "It's more than that."
"Do you think those Confucian scholars mocked Qin Shi Huang just to make a name for themselves and be recorded in history?"
The System was confused: "Isn't that the case?"
"Not entirely. Since the reforms of Shang Yang strengthened Qin, Qin has consistently favored Legalism, including the current Chief Justice and later the Left Chancellor of Qin, Li Si, who is a prominent representative of Legalism. Before, it was fine—there were so many feudal lords during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. If one didn't accept Confucian ideas, they could just move on to the next, always finding a way to promote their beliefs."
The System pondered, "But now, with Qin having ended the era of feudal lords and unified the realm, Confucian scholars who wish to promote Confucianism must surpass the Legalists and make Qin Shi Huang aware of their presence."
"Exactly. They also know that the Qin dynasty and Legalism are already deeply intertwined like old tree roots, making it difficult for Confucianism to rise. They can only resort to drastic measures. The Fengshan ceremony at Taishan presented them with an opportunity."
Originally, the Confucian scholars hadn't intended to stir up trouble. They simply obeyed the edict dutifully—when Qin Shi Huang summoned them, they came. Qin Shi Huang said that the rituals for Fengshan had been lost over time and tasked the Confucian scholars with organizing a proper procedure for his Fengshan ceremony at Taishan. The scholars saw this as their forte—"rituals" were their expertise. They aimed to make a stunning impression, demonstrating to the entire Qin court the capabilities of Confucianism: governing a state cannot rely solely on "law"; there must also be "ritual."
However, it had been too long since any emperor had performed Fengshan, and they weren’t entirely sure what constituted the proper procedure. So they argued, bickering endlessly—often, as soon as one person proposed an idea, the next would refute it. Their quarrels annoyed Qin Shi Huang, who deemed them unreliable and ultimately dismissed the group, deciding to proceed according to his own ideas.
The Confucian scholars realized this wouldn’t do. If things continued this way, the First Emperor would never value Confucianism. Coincidentally, a heavy rainstorm occurred, and they seized this point to vehemently criticize the First Emperor’s decision: "Your Majesty, see? Your approach is flawed. Rituals and laws must rely on us Confucians! You must apologize to Heaven, reuse us, and let us draft another set of rituals. Follow them, and Heaven will no longer be displeased."
Their main goal was to elevate their status and make Qin Shi Huang value Confucianism.
"But by affirming Qin Shi Huang’s approach, aren’t you opposing the Confucian scholars?" The ferret leaped out of Qing Ni’s embrace and began running circles around the carriage, padding softly on the cushions. "You haven’t even entered the rear palace yet, and you’re already provoking the Confucian scholars. Won’t they target you, deliberately tarnish your reputation, and make Qin Shi Huang despise you?"
"Huh? Target me?" Qing Ni was surprised. "Are they foolish?"
If she were impersonating a Fangshi offering Qin Shi Huang an elixir of immortality, she might be targeted by the Confucian scholars. But now, she was impersonating an immortal! In their eyes, she was a deity who could summon thunder with a single word. Target her? They must be joking.
The System felt reassured. "Come, let’s look at the next quest."
Main Quest (2): Enter the Palace.
Quest Requirement: Reside in Qin Shi Huang’s rear palace.
Quest Progress: In Progress.
Quest Reward: Loyalty Talisman x5, Points 1500.
Qing Ni glanced at it. "System, my dear, for residing in Qin Shi Huang’s rear palace, can the identity be unrestricted?"
"Of course," the System said innocently. "As long as you become someone cherished in Qin Shi Huang’s heart, it doesn’t matter whether you rise from being an outsider, advance as a consort, serve as a maid or Female Official, or remain his eternal confidante. It’s entirely up to you."
Qing Ni curved her eyes into crescents, her tone carrying a hint of profound meaning. "That’s even better."
"Squeak—"
The carriage wheels screeched to a halt, having arrived at the banquet location.
Qing Ni hurriedly asked the System, "Does this Liuxian skirt have a dyeing set?"
"Yes, Yiyi. Why do you ask?"
"I boarded the carriage four days ago wearing this Liuxian skirt, traveling from Taishan to Qufu. Four days later, I’m still wearing the same set without washing or changing. It makes me seem rather unclean."
Even though that’s the reality, even though the Liuxian skirt self-cleans and doesn’t require washing, even though…
Hmm… Despite all those "despites," the Divine Maiden still has her pride, okay? Having only one set of clothes sounds poor, dirty, and utterly lacking in style.
"Add four more sets of dyed Liuxian dresses," the Divine Maiden said coolly, putting on airs. "Give me a quote."
"But… Yiyi, you still haven't paid the down payment for that house."
"Wah—"
The Divine Maiden, in humiliation, stepped out of the carriage wearing the same old clothes from four days ago.