Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered something he had forgotten to tell Lu Yao. He didn’t re-summon him to the Divine Realm, for fear that Qin Chuan would knock him out again, but instead sent a golden dragon to deliver the message.

Therefore, as soon as Lu Yao sat up in bed, he saw a golden dragon enter through the window. Bringing with it clouds, mist, and a cool breeze, it let out a low growl before departing.

He also heard the message transmitted to him by the High Priest, which consisted of only a few words: [Be sure to get at least four hours of sleep every night.]

Qin Chuan naturally heard this too. Standing with his arms crossed, he looked at the person in front of him and said: “Did you hear that? The High Priest said that you must sleep at least four hours each night.”

If he didn’t sleep, Qin Chuan wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly either.

Lu Yao said with a nod: “I usually sleep for around four hours each day.”

“Is that enough?” Qin Chuan raised an eyebrow.

It had been almost a month, and he hadn’t seen this person sleep at all.

Lu Yao said: “I take a short rest every half shichen, and repeat the process throughout the day. It’s rather interesting.”

Qin Chuan had noticed that Lu Yao would shut his eyes for a short while every now and then.

He had initially thought that he was just resting his tired eyes, but it turned out that he was actually sleeping?

But what was so interesting about this?

Qin Chuan said: “The High Priest said that you must sleep for four hours every night.”

Lu Yao nodded: “I know. I didn’t intend to go on this way forever. I only discovered this method in the past six months, and I’m only doing it because it’s interesting. I’ll sleep every night from now on.”

He got out of bed and looked up at Qin Chuan, who was more than a head taller than him: “The medical books say that getting insufficient sleep prevents one from growing taller, and indeed, I haven’t grown much in the past six months. But if I rest enough and eat well, I should be able to grow to about the same height as you.”

At nearly 1.9 meters tall, Qin Chuan could see the top of Lu Yao’s head just by looking down.

He chuckled softly and raised a hand to a position just in front of his lips: “I bet you won’t grow any taller than this.”

Lu Yao made some careful calculations and said: “That should be correct. But as the saying goes: ‘big muscles, small brain.’ If someone is too tall, their brain will not be big enough.”

Therefore, he didn’t need to be very tall. Being around average height was fine.

Qin Chuan: “…..Is there any basis for that?”

“I read it in a random book. I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

“Then don’t say that anymore,” said Qin Chuan.

“Why not?”

“Social interaction and etiquette,” Qin Chuan said, emphasizing every word. “Isn’t that what you asked me to teach you?”

Lu Yao immediately understood: “Many thanks. I won’t say it anymore.”

Chu Jiubian, watching this scene through the card screen, directly burst into laughter.

This Lu Yao was just too fun!

But the child was eager to learn, and should be able to master the necessary skills before arriving in the capital.

Teaching him how to interact with people was going to be tough on Qin Chuan. Chu Jiubian would give him something good later to make up for it.

Turning off the screen, he took a look at what his other Believers were up to.

Late at night, other than Imperial Censor Qi Zhili, who was on his way to inspect the various branches of the waterway transportation system and was about to go to sleep, the others were all wide awake and enjoying a vibrant night life.

Situ Zhaoling was in her younger brother’s courtyard.

In the middle of said courtyard was the unfinished three-meter-long model of a ship, with only the hull completed.

Situ Zhaoyao was sawing wood along with two servants, while Situ Zhaoling and two maids were wiping down the already sawn planks with cloths, then sorting and stacking them according to their size and length.

At a glance, Chu Jiubian could tell that this ship model differed drastically from the existing Great Ning warships.

The existing ships had longer, narrower hulls. Since they were entirely human powered, these ships were lightweight in order to minimize drag. And as a result, they were only able to operate in shallow waters, were difficult to sail over long distances, and were more fragile.

However, the ship that Situ Zhaoyao was building possessed a more streamlined, spacious hull, and was clearly designed with “sturdiness” in mind.

These ships extended farther below the water line, which allowed them to travel greater distances. However, this also meant that they could not be powered solely by human effort, and required harnessing the forces of nature.

It was unclear whether Situ Zhaoyao intended to use sails to harness windpower.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes brightened slightly.

At the tail end of the previous dynasty, the common people suffered greatly. And after the founding emperor of the Great Ning Dynasty ascended the throne, he was constantly preoccupied with defending against foreign threats and maintaining internal stability, as well as reforming the bureaucracy, which left him no time to focus on improving the common people’s livelihoods.

It wasn’t until Emperor Gaozong subsequently ascended the throne that, with the manpower, financial resources, and intellectual resources of the powerful noble families, the country gradually began to restore the livelihoods of the common people.

And in order to make the common people of Great Ning focus on their work and strengthen the nation’s power, Emperor Gaozong ordered a policy of prioritizing agriculture over commerce, and also implemented a restriction on maritime trade.

This restriction didn’t prohibit people from going to sea altogether, but rather, it prevented them from going too far afield and only allowed them to fish and gather shellfish in shallow waters.

Such stringent policies were also implemented for the purpose of protecting Great Ning, which was still in the early stages of development at the time.

Nowadays, although the maritime restrictions were still in place, they were not enforced as strictly as before.

Wealthy and influential clans such as the Qiu family already had merchant fleets that dared to venture out to sea and trade with some of the smaller neighboring countries.

However, Great Ning was currently facing a situation comparable to that of Emperor Gaozong’s reign, so Chu Jiubian was, for now, not going to consider lifting the maritime trade restrictions.

He planned to wait until Great Ning was completely stable, the common people had some disposable income, and the country itself was prosperous. Then, he would personally select and train a navy and build ships capable of long voyages before lifting the ban.

This would also better protect the common people.

He just hadn’t expected that Situ Zhaoyao had already started researching variations of warships and beat him to the punch.

He was truly a good child.

Chu Jiubian observed the unfinished ship, thinking that it wouldn’t be long before he would be able to see the finished product.

But with the New Year approaching, Nanjiang-wang would be bringing his family to the capital. Presumably, this brother and sister would be leaving with their parents in a few days, and wouldn’t be able to continue their work on their inventions.

Chu Jiubian was actually quite looking forward to meeting his Believers.

He closed this card screen, and then opened Wang Qichen’s.

Rumors in the capital said that Young Master Wang had been keeping a low profile lately, but tonight, he was once again visiting the largest brothel on Splendid Plaza, and was currently drinking tea in a hall on the second floor.

The aroma of wine filled the air, but at his table, only tea was being served.

He leaned indolently against the armrest of his chair, a relaxed and carefree smile on his face as he watched the dancers performing gracefully in the center of the hall.

At another table to the side sat a tall, muscular man dressed in black, with an obstinate look in his eyes.

When a maid refilled the man’s cup with fresh wine, he reached out and softly caressed her waist – but his gaze remained fixed on Wang Qichen.

“So, Young Master Wang has actually given up drinking?” the man said with a hint of sarcasm.

“That’s right,” Wang Qichen said with a smile. “If it was anyone other than Xuanzheng-xiong who issued the invitation, this young master wouldn’t have given them face.”

Qiu Xuanzheng chuckled and pushed the woman in his arms away.

The maid then cautiously retreated to a distance.

Chu Jiubian was somewhat surprised.

It turned out that this man was the current head of the Qiu family, the younger brother of Minister of Justice Qiu Heng.

Why had he sought out Wang Qichen?

As if he already knew what the other party was going to ask, Wang Qichen said: “I wonder what important matter Xuanzheng-xiong wishes to discuss with me today?”

Qiu Xuanzheng stood, then took a step to Wang Qichen’s side and sat down casually, where he extended a long arm and went to wrap it around Wang Qichen’s shoulder.

Wang Qichen raised the folding fan in his hand and blocked him, saying: “Just say what you have to say. If people see you acting like this, they’ll think the head of the Qiu family is inclined toward men.”

“I do genuinely admire Young Master Wang’s exceptional beauty, which is unparalleled across the nation.”

Wang Qichen let out a light scoff: “Instead of wasting time with such idle chatter, Xuanzheng-xiong would be better off reading more books. Then he might have better compliments at his disposal.”

Qiu Xuanzheng’s lips curved up, even as coldness flashed through his eyes.

“Then let’s stop fooling around.” He said, feigning nonchalance, “I’ve heard that a new type of paper has appeared in the capital, and that it is as white as snow. I wonder if Young Master Wang has seen it?”

Wang Qichen had already planned to begin official sales of the new paper, so he had no compunctions about being discovered.

But it was quite clear why the head of the Qiu family had sought him out at this time.

Wang Qichen raised his cup and took a small sip of tea.

When he remained silent, Qiu Xuanzheng knew that he had found the right person.

The Qiu family had many members, but most of them were only involved in business, which led to fewer internal power struggles. At most, there would be minor disputes over profits, but those were small matters.

With his uncle, Qiu Hongkuo, supporting him behind the scenes, as well as his brother Qiu Heng serving as Minister of Justice in the Imperial Court, Qiu Xuanzheng’s position as the family head was quite secure.

But he was never content to lag behind others, and always wanted to prove his worth.

He knew that the situation in the capital was tense, and that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had already begun to target the noble families. He also knew that this sword would soon fall upon the Qiu family.

And as the family head, he couldn’t always hide behind his uncle and brother; he naturally wanted to do something himself.

He had recently happened to hear about the invention of a new type of paper, and immediately recognized it as a good business opportunity. After making numerous inquiries, he finally got his hands on a lead and learned that this matter was inextricably linked to the young master of the Wang family.

Seeing Wang Qichen’s attitude, Qiu Xuanzheng knew that the results of his investigation were correct.

“Young Master Wang must be aware of my Qiu family’s abilities in the realm of commerce.” Qin Xuanzheng got straight to the point, saying: “I wonder how much of that paper the Young Master has? Is it possible for me to take a look?”

Wang Qichen continued to remain silent.

After a pause, Qiu Xuanzheng continued: “If that paper truly is as the rumors say, then no matter how much there is, our Qiu family will be able to handle it. As for the profit-sharing arrangement, that can be negotiated.”

“I’ve also overheard a little bit about the internal affairs of the Wang family.” Qiu Xuanzheng stared at Wang Qichen, not wanting to miss a single change in his expression. “If the Young Master establishes a connection with my Qiu family, then should the need arise in the future, we will not stand idly by.”

He had spoken so much, but Wang Qichen still hadn’t said a word.

Only when it seemed that the other party had said everything he intended to say did Wang Qichen set down his teacup and straighten up.

He turned his head to regard Qiu Xuanzheng with a faint smile, saying: “Family Head Qiu should heed his uncle and elder brother more.”

“What?” Qiu Xuanzheng’s brow furrowed.

Wang Qichen stood and walked away without looking back: “Such childish words are fine to say to me, but if others were to hear them, they would surely laugh at your Qiu family.”

Qiu Xuanzheng’s face immediately darkened. Snatching a teacup from the table, he hurled it at Wang Qichen.

He was a martial artist, and even the slightest movement allowed him to send the teacup flying like a projectile toward Wang Qichen’s neck.

But Wang Qichen seemed to have anticipated this. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and the teacup grazed past his neck, leaving only a faint red mark.

The teacup, however, met no resistance and continued straight ahead, where it embedded itself directly into the wall.

The wall was dented, but the teacup remained completely intact, evidence of Qiu Xuanzheng’s immense internal strength.

Wang Qichen swept his gaze across the teacup, letting out a low chuckle.

Without stopping, he continued on his way downstairs while muttering under his breath: “Getting angry out of embarrassment is childish behavior.”

He heard a loud crash behind him, which he assumed meant that Qiu Xuanzheng had overturned the table.

Boor.

He returned home in his own family’s carriage.

No wonder the head of the Qiu family was so mysterious, keeping himself hidden from public view. It turned out that he was just a brainless brute.

Wang Qichen had his own resources and connections, and such a rare new paper would only be sold within the capital in the initial stages. What need did he have to cooperate with the Qiu family?

Qiu Xuanzheng’s reaction of immediately rushing over at the first whiff of opportunity was consistent with the Qiu family’s greedy nature, but he had not inherited even a shred of their shrewdness.

Even among siblings born of the same mother, there could be vast differences between individuals.

However, this Qiu Xuanzheng did seem to have very strong martial abilities.

It was unclear how he compared to Qin Xiao and An Wuji.

Chu Jiubian then opened Jiang Shuoye’s screen card.

Large snowflakes fell unceasingly, covering the world in a blanket of white.

Wearing a thick fur coat, the young general stood on the parade grounds inside the military camp.

On the grounds were a thousand soldiers practicing their marksmanship.

These were the most outstanding soldiers Jiang Shuoye had selected from the military camp, and since the previous month, they had been undergoing daily “special forces” training.

He had learned these training methods from the book given to him by the High Priest, and quickly realized what powerful soldiers such rigorous and disciplined training methods were capable of producing.

As expected, after one month, these one thousand soldiers had already become noticeably different from the others.

Leaving aside their high level of obedience, their overall demeanors and spirit set them apart; each of them had a look of unwavering determination in their eyes.

Jiang Shuoye wasn’t the only one to notice this – it was also clearly observed by the other soldiers.

Subtly, the status of these one thousand men within the army became somewhat special.

It wasn’t that the others shunned them, but rather, that they were envious of them.

This also caused some of the soldiers who had not been selected to feel resentful, as well as eager to find another opportunity to join this unique “special forces unit.”

Such emotions spun completely out of control when Jiang Shuoye distributed to those one thousand soldiers the first batch of spears equipped with steel spearheads.

Everyone noticed how different the Special Forces Unit was.

Although their training was more intense and demanding than that of the regular soldiers, they were also the first to receive benefits when they were available to the military.

These men already ate better than the regular soldiers on a regular basis, and now they also possessed the latest weapons. Tomorrow, there might even be new military armor, and after that, perhaps higher salaries and a smoother path to promotion.

With such temptation placed before them, few people could resist it.

Therefore, several of his subordinate officers had approached him today, saying that many of their soldiers also wished to join the Special Forces Unit, and were asking if there were any opportunities available.

Jiang Shuoye was naturally pleased to hear this, but if there were too many people recruited, the Special Forces Unit and the regular army would be indistinguishable from one another.

However, the fact that soldiers wanted to improve themselves was undeniably a good thing.

For this reason, Jiang Shuoye had intensified the training of the Special Forces Unit these past few days. The regular soldiers who wished to join were permitted to train beside them, and their meals were the same as those of the special forces soldiers.

If any of them were able to keep up with this level of intensity, they would be able to join the Special Forces Unit.

It was snowing today, and the wind was bitingly cold. This late at night, the soldiers should be resting.

But Jiang Shuoye still led the Special Forces soldiers to train in the snow, and the other soldiers who wished to join the unit were also required to participate in the training.

If they were unable to endure it and went back, they would never have another opportunity to join.

Jiang Shuoye cast his gaze toward the group of regular soldiers, which was noticeably smaller now, but didn’t comment on it.

He felt the familiar sensation of being watched, but with the knowledge that it was the High Priest observing him, he wasn’t as unsettled as he had been in the past.

If the High Priest needed him for something, he would surely summon him directly.

Chu Jiubian watched for a while, and couldn’t help but frown.

Those soldiers were only wearing soft armor with cloth garments underneath, which were far less warm than padded winter clothing.

It would be great if cotton could be grown this year.

Unfortunately, Chu Jiubian had arrived too late. By the time he instructed Situ Zhaoling to cultivate cotton, the optimal planting season had already passed, and they would have to wait until the following year.

Chu Jiubian checked his point balance, then looked at the price of the cotton being sold in the System Mall.

After doing the calculations, he realized that buying it with points was really not worthwhile.

Even if he used up all of his points, it wouldn’t be enough to equip the 80,000 Mobei Army soldiers with cotton jackets and trousers, let alone quilts and blankets.

Fine, he would wait for next year.

He had already taught Jiang Shuoye how to construct and heat a heated kang bed.

The general had since equipped all of the barracks, large and small, with kang beds, which allowed everyone to stay warm indoors.

When he left the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian noticed an unusual silence outside.

Although it was usually quiet on a typical night, the stillness tonight seemed different.

Something occurred to him, and he got up, put on his jacket, and walked to the window.

He pushed open the window, and cool air immediately rushed inside.

Gazing out at the dazzling white landscape, Chu Jiubian reached out to catch a few snowflakes.

This was the first snowfall in the capital city.

He wondered what the situation was like in the Northwest.

Qin Xiao would eventually conquer the Sai Kingdom, but the situation there was unique. The common people there held strong religious beliefs, and trusted religious leaders far more than they trusted the Imperial Court.

Because of this, using the same prefectural and county system as the Central Plains, along with local administrative offices, would definitely not work. Their religion must be incorporated into the system.

However, it was impossible to simply adopt modern governance methods, as the national conditions and public sentiment were completely different.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but recall the practices of some of the dynasties in his previous life, and thought he might be able to draw some inspiration from them.

His identity as a “god” could be of some help as well.

“System, are there any special effects that ordinary people can see?”

The golden dragons and phoenixes, as well as the palaces and pavilions hidden in the clouds of the Divine Realm, were all special effect projections created by Chu Jiubian to fabricate the illusion of a realm of immortals.

But in the Divine Realm, all of these things could be seen and touched.

Outside of it, the golden dragon that delivered messages could not truly be interacted with; it was purely a special effect.

Chu Jiubian remembered seeing special effects that even non-believers could see in the System Mall, but at the time, the prices had seemed rather high.

[There are, Host. Special effects content and placement can be customized, but they only last for thirty seconds. 80 faith points are required. Does Host wish to proceed with the purchase?]

Chu Jiubian’s eyebrow twitched: “Lower the price.”

[This is already the discounted price, Host.]

“Then I don’t want it.”

The System paused for a moment, then said: [Is 70 Faith Points acceptable?]

“66. It’s a lucky number,” said Chu Jiubian.

The System considered this, then responded: [Deal concluded. Does Host wish to use the special effects now?]

“No, I’ll wait.”

Chu Jiubian gazed at the snowflakes swirling outside the window, his eyes darkening slightly.

Once the Sai Kingdom was successfully conquered, he would put these special effects into use. But he needed to send a message to Qin Xiao first and ask him to make some preparations so that they could cooperate effectively.

*

*

On the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, heavy snow fell in the Northwest.

Several days had passed since the last message was sent to the capital, and at that time, Qin Xiao had said that he was preparing to attack the royal court.

At present, Qin Xiao had led his army to conquer the Sai Kingdom, and had beheaded Moba Zanpu.

He then issued decrees in the name of Great Ning’s Emperor —

The army would not kill civilians, nor would they seize land.

As long as the common people of the Sai Kingdom voluntarily became citizens of Great Ning, they would be able to enjoy all of the policies and benefits such a status entailed.

The Sai Kingdom had initially been formed from a conglomeration of different tribes, and did not have a very long history. Its people, therefore, had little sense of national identity.

As long as they could live decent lives, what did it matter who was in charge?

Therefore, the chieftains and officials of these various tribes quickly sent the compiled household registration records to the royal court, which handed them over to Qin Xiao.

By this point, it was late winter in the first year of Jingrui.

Ning-wang Qin Xiao had completely overthrown the rule of the Sai Kingdom’s royal family and incorporated half of the Western Regions into the territory of the Great Ning Dynasty in just three months.

His subordinate, veteran commander Hu Fang, suggested striking while the iron was hot and conquering the other half of the Western Regions that bordered the Xinjiang region, but Qin Xiao refused.

Leaving aside the fact that the army was already exhausted, the current frigid weather alone made this an unsuitable time to launch another campaign.

Furthermore, the daily consumption of provisions and supplies by the nearly 100,000 troops was incredibly high, and it was likely that the capital would not be able to sustain another protracted war.

Hu Fang was getting on in age, and this was likely his last time going to war with the head of the Qin family, so he naturally wanted to fight even more.

But Qin Xiao’s concerns were valid, so he didn’t attempt to persuade him otherwise.

He was already very satisfied to be able to help Qin Xiao and his Qin family fight one more battle before he lost the ability to do so.

But now that the Sai Kingdom had been conquered, the most important matter at hand was deciding who to leave in charge, as well as how the country should be governed.

The situation within the Sai Kingdom was different from that of Great Ning in numerous ways, the biggest difference being religion.

Buddhism was widely practiced in this region. Lamas held a high status, and the common people were particularly devout.

It was extremely difficult to implement management strategies tailored to the local conditions here.

Qin Xiao summoned several of his subordinates to his study for a meeting.

However, before they arrived, he received a reply from Chu Jiubian.

Letters from Chu Jiubian had arrived very slowly in the past, so why had this one arrived so quickly?

Qin Xiao frowned, and opened it at once.

As usual, the letter contained no unnecessary words. It began with: By the time you receive this letter, you should have already conquered the royal palace.

That confident tone……

Did he really have such faith in him?

Qin Xiao reclined back in his chair, gently stroking the page with his fingertips as he continued to read.

The young man wrote with a sharp, incisive style as he detailed methods for governing the Sai Kingdom.

He also instructed Qin Xiao to invite some respected citizens and representatives of local religious groups to the foot of their sacred mountain on the 9th day of the next month.

It must be done on the 9th day of the month! Remember! Remember! Remember!

Qin Xiao was amused by his repetition.

Although he didn’t know what Chu Jiubian was planning, he immediately summoned a subordinate and gave him instructions regarding the matter.

Once that person left, he continued reading.

The contents consisted of various events, both big and small, that had occurred in the capital recently. Chu Jiubian also mentioned that Bai Lihong had grown taller by about a finger’s width, but due to the fact that his thick winter clothes made him look like a walking dumpling, it wasn’t very noticeable.

Qin Xiao was unaware that the smile in his eyes had yet to fade.

At the end of the letter, Chu Jiubian wrote: It snowed in the capital. I reached out to catch some snowflakes, but they melted in the blink of an eye. Had you returned earlier, you could have caught some as well.

Qin Xiao remained quiet for quite some time before cutting out those last few lines.

He kept the rambling words of complaint, but burned the parts containing matters of import.

Just as he finished stowing away the piece of paper in his breast pocket, his subordinates began to arrive one after another.

---

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Chapter 66 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 68