[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin":3,"chapter-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-249":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The First Iron Rice Bowl of Great Jin",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},151935,261,"Chapter 249: Era's Catalyst (18)","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-249",249,"\u003Cp>Since the Hu family of the Guardian Dao Clan appeared in the Imperial Medical Bureau, the eyes of all major factions in the capital have never left that bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came the appearance of the Divine Wood Secret Realm, stirring everyone into restless motion, all eager to claim a share of the spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next was the rotation of lectures by the eighteen masters of the Qihuang Hall, with various factions rushing to invest in promising individuals, and many covert agreements were reached in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the manifestation of the Alchemy Cauldron Platform directly triggered a transformation in the Imperial Medical Bureau—what was once a mere government office now radiates an aura of sacred ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These events occurred one after another, and in barely a month, the rapid and profound changes in the bureau left countless people overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, as a department under imperial administration, the bureau's affairs—from the selection of Qihuang Hall masters to the placement of alchemists and medical practitioners on First Street through Ninth Street—were all firmly controlled by the royal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, beneath the Alchemy Cauldron Platform, the royal scions led by Prince Fu stared up at its towering, solemn form and felt for the first time, all too clearly, that control slipping from their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday evening, having failed to pry any specifics about ‘Green Marsh’ from Hua Changxi, the various parties dispersed. Only Prince Shou, resentful that he and his fellow high-born royals had been forced to stand in the plaza and look up at the low-born Hua Changxi, conceived the notion of ascending the Alchemy Cauldron Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, his feet could not even touch the steps; an invisible force firmly blocked Prince Shou from mounting the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Prince Shou retreated then, nothing much would have happened. But Prince Shou, accustomed to getting whatever he wanted, refused to believe it and channeled his spiritual power, attempting to force his way up the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, tragedy struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Shou was directly slammed down by a powerful force, forced to kneel at the foot of the Alchemy Cauldron Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That pressure held him there the entire night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout, every time Prince Shou struggled to move, the force pressing on him intensified, compelling him to kneel obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Emperor learned of this, his expression turned exceedingly grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prince of the blood, publicly forced to kneel in the Imperial Medical Bureau plaza—the royal family's face was utterly disgraced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the Emperor dispatched Prince Fu and several Nascent Soul cultivators to see if they could rescue Prince Shou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But try as they might, Prince Fu and the others could not make Prince Shou stand up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Prince Fu and the rest of the royal scions could only watch helplessly as Prince Shou knelt before the platform, powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, they understood clearly: this world was no longer under the royal family's absolute rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the plaza, countless gazes were fixed on the scene of Prince Shou being forced to kneel before the Alchemy Cauldron Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of some deference to the royal family, the factions tacitly chose to observe from a distance, not approaching too close to the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Prince Shou's predicament served as a living proof that the imperial clan had lost its supreme authority, the mood of the various forces was far from good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, in the past they were all vested interests aligned with the Chu Imperial Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the great ship of the Chu Imperial Clan was listing, they were hardly secure themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ninth Street, Spirit Vision Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Zhen stood by the window on the second floor, his expression grave as he watched everything before the Alchemy Cauldron Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden manifestation of the platform had not only knocked the Chu Imperial Clan from their lofty heights but also upset the Xia family’s plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xia Zhen came to the Imperial Medical Bureau, the Xia family had made all sorts of arrangements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Qingyao, with her Fire-Wood Spiritual Body, was a born alchemist and the most suitable candidate to take over the sacred ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Xia family’s plan, Meng Qingyao would first ignite the alchemy flame on Second Street, showcasing her alchemical skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, through the secret realm granted by the Divine Wood, her prestige would be increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, she would be arranged to enter the Qihuang Hall, where through teaching and lecturing, she could win over a group of outstanding followers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the Spirit Vision Pavilion would be established, with Meng Qingyao as its first master—step by step, under the support of the Xia and Meng families, she would surely become the universally acknowledged lord of the sacred ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Zhen had never imagined that a figure like Hua Changxi would emerge in the Imperial Medical Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her existence left him utterly speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From their very first meeting, Hua Changxi had been opposing him at every turn, yet everything she did genuinely advanced the development of the sacred ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This person is truly both infuriating and endearing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",838,"2026-05-29T04:10:48.594Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","788f064538c6beba91d93ff2a5c6a5ec0eaa28e847d217e824c86a89e8c217da","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-250","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-248",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]