After a few days,
Zhang Lian was sitting elegantly in her royal chair, her flowing royal pink robe shining in the gentle light of the room.
She sat with calmness, her blue eyes fixed on Minister Hu, whose fat body barely fit into the chair across from her.
His robes, which were bright yellow and adorned with rings and gems, exuded wealth, but that didn't seem to matter in front of his queen today.
With his hands resting on his knees, Minister Hu leaned forward, making an effort to maintain a respectable posture.
The black cat was sitting on the cushion of Zhang Lian's chair, its orange eyes half closed. The cat was calm, but when it heard Zhang Lian's order, its ears rose up.
With a calm voice , Zhang Lian said, "Cat, bring me the talent detection ball."
"Okay, nya," the cat meowed, stretching and flicking its tail. It jumped onto the table between Minister Hu and Zhang Lian without wasting a second.
Only Zhang Lian and the cat could see the system screen that appeared in the air. The cat engaged with the system, swiping through it with a light touch of its paw.
/ [ System: Baby-Making System
Host: Zhang Lian
Cultivation: None
Skills: None
Items: Talent Detection Ball
NP: 2 Points
SP: 4 Points ] \
The cat tapped the "Talent Detection Ball" icon, and a moment later, the cat went towards Zhang Lian with the ball.
The transparent ball, resembling a little melon in size."This is it, nya," the cat said, presenting the ball to Zhang Lian like a priceless gem with its paw.
Zhang Lian accepted the ball while maintaining the same look. Her smooth white fingers enveloped the ball, which lay gently in her hand.
Minister Hu's body nervous and eyes went wide as he took in the strange scene. After the queen speaks to herself, a ball appears out of nowhere like that fucking warm.
His thoughts were racing with growing anxiety. He wondered where this had originated from. Does the queen still have connections to cultivators? His hands, which had been peacefully resting on his knees, clenched into fists.
The complex strategies he had been formulating to maybe eliminate the queen appeared suddenly far more risky and impossible.
With a calm action, Zhang Lian placed the light ball on the table between them and looked up at Minister Hu.
He retreated into his chair as her gaze looked at him. "Do you know what this is?" she asked, maintaining calmness.
Minister Hu moved a little closer, feeling a wave of familiarity pass over him, something about the ball's unique appearance and aura triggered a long-buried memory, which he hadn't given any consideration in years.
But as soon as it did, the flashback rushed to his mind. His hesitant inquiry revealed his doubts, "Isn't this... the tool that cultivators use to check for spiritual roots?" He said.
Memories of his past returned as he spoke. He thought back to his early years and the massive lines of kids who were all waiting in line to have their spiritual root getting tested.
Gliding through the air on a sword, the cultivator floated smoothly from the clouds, his robes flowing beautifully as he floated down the ground.
Hu, a youthful and energetic person, had looked in wonder, his heart racing with excitement.
Perhaps, just perhaps, he would be selected. But as the day went on, excitement turned into worry.
Child after child were sent away in disappointment. When it was his turn, he was totally nervous.
He put his hands on the ball and it remained lifeless and dark, and the cultivator had hardly looked at him.
The cultivator's stare rejected him and made him feel worthless.
Minister Hu came back to the present from his daydream. He gave Zhang Lian a nervous nod and said in a surprised voice, "Isn't this the ball that cultivators use to check for spiritual roots, Your Highness?"
Zhang Lian's lips curled into a tiny smile. Minister Hu is right, that's true. Yes, this is exactly the same item.
Next, Her smile vanished and was replaced by a serious face. "But we're going to use it now.
Her tone grew more icy with authority. "You will use this to secretly test the spiritual roots of people in our kingdom," she commanded, as she gently placed the ball on the table.
Minister Hu's thoughts raced, attempting to follow her instructions. "Secretly test...?" he murmured to himself.
Zhang Lian went on, her voice cutting through his thoughts. "No one should be aware that they are being assessed.
You will convert doctors, midwives, and teachers into loyal to you who can examine babies as well as children.
Make sure the public is kept in the dark about these testing. Minister Hu blinked, finding it difficult to comprehend the scale of the responsibility she had just placed upon him.
His thoughts moved back and forth, trying to find the perfect words to convey his confusion.
With a hesitation in his voice, he said, "But Your Highness, isn't it impossible to test for spiritual roots unless the person is between the ages of twelve and twenty?"
Zhang Lian leaned forward a little and her eyes narrowed. "Do you really think that?" she questioned, her tone cold but carrying a hint of mockery.
With a cold voice, she went on. "One can test one's spiritual roots at any age. Cultivators would rather test older children since they don't want to deal with the burden of raising kids.
But if they wanted to, Minister Hu, they could test babies.
Zhang Lian sat back in her chair, her gaze growing more serious. "Think about this: do you think a baby or small child would survive if I sent them into the forest by themselves?"
"They would not only not survive, but also die right. Similarly in the Cultivation world there exists a high death rate.
Feeling the full weight of the reality she was voicing, Minister Hu nodded.
Zhang Lian paused for a while. She spoke once again, her voice softened. "Alright, so where was I?"
"Oh yes, we were discussing loyal followers." Her tone shifted, becoming serious once again.
"This should be easy for you to handle, right? Over the previous year and a half, haven't I given you enough power to do so?
The question seemed more like a challenge than a question. Minister Hu shifted in his chair uneasily. He had to admit that, in the last year, the queen had given him a lot more authority.
However, this? Compared to his previous actions, this one was significantly harder.
Zhang Lian continued "& also If you find someone with strong spiritual roots, you should get rid of the two prisoners if their talents look insignificant in comparison to the new one."
Minister Hu's mind raced. She expects me to accomplish this in a year? He felt a wave of frustration that nearly turned into anger.
He pressed his lips tightly together, fully aware that he couldn't defy her commands until he found a way to rid himself of this cursed worm.
Zhang Lian watched him closely, waiting.
Finally, Minister Hu responded, "I understand, Your Highness," though his voice lacked the assurance he wished to project.
Zhang Lian smiled once more. "All right. Then just don't let me down.Zhang Lian gave a loud, commanding voice command.
"Also, Your top priority is to find people whose lower parts are developed enough to be useful."
"All tasks, including assessment and data collection, must be completed in silence. Do as many people as you can in the year.
"Minister Hu gave another nod, his voice almost clear. "Yes, Your Highness." He wore a neutral expression on the outside, but inside, bitterness and anger were raging like a storm.
Is she even aware of the size of this kingdom? He was angry. If all I am is her puppet, what good is this power?
He felt the weight of his frustration growing as he rolled his fists under the table. He felt humiliation of being ordered around at will.
Though his expression said otherwise, his thoughts were racing, but he forced himself to stay calm.
He thought, Why am I the only one who has to carry this worm? Why am I the only minister when there are others too? It's not like they are good people.
He made a sinister vow. His eyes glowed with evil intent, picturing the moment he would pull her into his bed, breaking her as she struggled.
One day I would get rid of this worm, so that I could finally exact the revenge. I would torture her until the death, he thought.
Zhang Lian's icy tone cut through his daydream. "Do you understand, Minister Hu?"
He woke out of his daydream and looked up, his face covered with a forced smile. "Yes, Your Highness," he replied, lowering his head once more while trying to conceal the sinister ideas racing through his mind.
"When is the next spiritual root ceremony?" With a calm tone, Zhang Lian questioned.