Ch 103: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Emperor Xin noticed her expression and could tell she was almost about to cry. The beauty sent by the You Su clan was quite interesting. She was indeed exceptionally beautiful, with features and a figure that he found very pleasing.

And she was naive.

At least, her attempts to gain favor, her efforts to stand out in front of him, were so straightforward and obvious that they were easy to see through.

Emperor Xin didn’t mind if the beauties in his harem had a bit of cunning, but lately, Daji seemed to have become overly enthusiastic, perhaps due to some unknown stress. It was time to make her settle down a bit.

Emperor Xin was very satisfied with the current state of his harem. The beauties were all quiet and well-behaved, and he didn’t need to spend much energy on them.

Daji bit her lip and looked at Emperor Xin with tearful eyes, hoping that the king would change his mind. However, even though she stared until her eyes ached, the young emperor in front of her merely urged, “Beloved consort, why aren’t you moving? You said you’d help ease my worries, but are you only paying lip service?”

“I’m… I’m coming,” Daji said, gritting her teeth. She handed the food box to the palace maid beside her, lifted her skirt, and stepped onto the freshly watered muddy ground in front of her.

…

Daji had to be helped back to her palace by the palace maids. After squatting on the ground for so long, her waist ached, her legs were sore, and her head was spinning. It was as if her body had been completely drained of energy.

Yet Emperor Xin seemed very pleased. That night, he visited her palace, and they had a harmonious time in bed. He even left her many rewards.

However, the rewards were given under the pretext of praising her for being diligent and hardworking, especially for her excellent bug-catching skills.

Daji: “…”

Not long after, it was the queen’s birthday. Daji performed a dance at the banquet, receiving applause from everyone. Emperor Xin praised her and, drawing a connection from her delicate dance moves, remarked on her meticulous bug-catching from last time.

With a pile of rewards came an imperial decree for her to help weed at He Gong.

Daji: “…”

After once again returning from He Gong utterly exhausted, Daji had an epiphany.

No wonder the beauties in the palace got along so well.

She recalled that in her father’s small tribe, the beauties fought fiercely for favor.

But Emperor Xin’s harem was very harmonious, with the beauties having good relationships and showing no signs of competing for attention.

Daji had always thought that everyone was just pretending.

But now she understood: being favored meant being reminded by the king every now and then and having to accompany him to farm.

Who could endure such favor?

In this era, any woman who could be raised in a pampered way, who was as delicate as a flower, would have been raised in luxury from childhood, never doing any hard labor, and certainly not even getting sunburned.

After going to He Gong twice, Daji was left with an aching back and sore legs, feeling dizzy and sunburned. She even felt that her skin wasn’t as delicate as it used to be. Daji couldn’t endure it any longer.

From her observations, other than the queen, there were over ten beauties in Emperor Xin’s harem, but not many were frequently favored. However, whenever Emperor Xin distributed rewards, no one was ever left out. Moreover, the queen was kind-hearted, ensuring that all the beauties in the palace were well-treated and never faced any harshness.

So, even if she wasn’t favored much, Daji realized she would still be well cared for, receiving rewards and living quite comfortably. After thinking it over with her not-so-clever mind, Daji decisively decided to forget about the expectations her tribe had placed on her.

She had already tried her best, but the emperor’s standards for his favored consorts were simply too high. As long as the You Su clan remained obedient, there wouldn’t be any danger of their downfall.

As for what that celestial being had told her…

Daji thought to herself: If he could let a delicate beauty like me pull weeds and catch bugs under the scorching sun, how could he ever fall in love with me and be willing to give up everything for me?

That was much easier in a dream.

If that celestial woman was so eager, she could do it herself.

Daji decided to lie low, behave herself, and started mingling with the other beauties in the harem again. However, this time, she no longer inquired about the emperor’s preferences or whereabouts and genuinely sought companions to play with.

Emperor Xin noticed that she had settled down and stopped bothering her. He would occasionally favor her and give her some rewards.

Suddenly, Daji found this kind of life quite enjoyable. No work, luxurious clothing and food, and the emperor was young and handsome. When he occasionally stayed the night, she was quite content.

This life was much better than when she had to constantly worry in her tribe about her father giving her away to some older tribe leader.

Daji finally learned the identity of the stunning beauty she had glimpsed that day. She had initially thought he was a prince from the Shang royal family. But one day, while chatting with Lady Zhou from the harem, the other woman exclaimed in surprise, “Are you talking about Lord Jiang? He’s not the emperor’s brother.”

“He’s the emperor’s teacher.”

“Teacher?”

Daji was shocked. “But he looks so young!”

Lady Zhou then spoke mysteriously, “I’ve seen Lord Jiang twice, and he truly is like a celestial being. I’ve heard from some of the older palace servants that he was appointed as the emperor’s teacher by the late king. It’s said that when the emperor was just born, Lord Jiang looked exactly the same as he does now.”

“Many believe that Lord Jiang might actually be an immortal recluse.”

Remembering that fleeting glance and the man’s extraordinary appearance and demeanor, Daji found this conclusion quite convincing.

She asked with interest, “What does Lord Jiang teach His Majesty? Statecraft? Or profound knowledge?”

Lady Zhou, who had just been speaking mysteriously, suddenly looked as if she didn’t know how to respond.

“Neither?”

Daji was confused. “Huh?”

Lady Zhou’s expression turned complex, almost as if she was speaking through gritted teeth. She looked at Daji and said in a low voice, “Sister Daji, you’ve been in the palace for quite some time now, and you’ve even been to the He Gong twice. You must be aware of the emperor’s unusual hobby, right?”

Daji’s expression also turned complicated. “Of course I know. His Majesty’s hobby is… quite unique.”

Lady Zhou sighed. “Well, this Lord Jiang is the teacher specifically responsible for teaching the emperor… how to farm.”

Daji: “…”

Alright.

All those fleeting glances, celestial elegance—every bit of admiration shattered.

The Jade Pool Goddess observed Daji entering the palace. She still had some confidence. Daji was exceptionally beautiful, enhanced by her own spells. Most importantly, the glimpses of fate she had seen suggested a deep connection between Daji and Emperor Xin.

Unfortunately, Zhaoge was protected by a dragon vein, and the palace was a place where the emperor’s fortune converged, making it impossible for her to use her powers to check on Daji or even send dreams.

Fortunately, after some time, she finally found an opportunity.

The Winter Hunt.

It was a tradition in the Shang dynasty to hunt in the fields outside Zhaoge every winter. As a newly favored consort, Daji was honored with the privilege of joining the hunt.

The Jade Pool Goddess seized this chance to enter Daji’s dreams.

Having not seen her for a long time, Daji had thought the goddess had forgotten about her. When she suddenly appeared, Daji was startled.

“Daji,” the Jade Pool Goddess called out, “how are you doing in the palace?”

“Quite well,” Daji replied. “I eat well and sleep well.”

The Jade Pool Goddess: “…I was asking about Emperor Xin.”

“The king is also doing well,” Daji replied. “He even hunted a bear during the day.”

The Jade Pool Goddess: “…”

She frowned and asked, “That’s not what I meant. I’m asking how things are between you and Emperor Xin. Has he fallen in love with you?”

Now it was Daji’s turn to be at a loss: “…”

Her face turned pale, and she burst into tears, sobbing, “Oh, goddess! You’ve given me an impossible task! The king… the king doesn’t care for beauties at all!”

The Jade Pool Goddess was surprised. “How is that possible? Hasn’t he shown you any favor?”

Daji sniffled, “Well, he has, but every time he favors me, it’s because I weed the fields well and catch bugs quickly.”

She was actually exaggerating—Emperor Xin had only made her do such tasks twice. But now that Daji understood she couldn’t complete the mission, she thought it was better to play the pity card. After all, back in the You Su tribe, if you didn’t cry, you didn’t get attention. In playing the victim, Daji was an expert.

The Jade Pool Goddess: “…”

She was both shocked by what Daji said and irritated by the incessant sobbing. “Quiet,” she ordered, frowning as she looked Daji up and down.

Indeed, Daji was a beauty—even while crying miserably, her looks remained unscathed. That Emperor Xin wasn’t swayed by such a beauty and even had her weeding?

Daji continued to sob, “Goddess, please take back the beauty you’ve bestowed upon me. I am useless and can’t complete your task.”

The Jade Pool Goddess was used to being high and mighty, and if Daji had directly refused her, she might have been displeased. But seeing Daji’s pitiful state, she felt that this human was already quite unlucky, and it wouldn’t be right to bully her further.

Annoyed, she said, “No need. Don’t lose hope. Keep trying; maybe your fate with Emperor Xin has yet to unfold.”

Not wanting to waste more time on Daji since things hadn’t gone as planned, she left.

Daji woke up.

In the darkness, she blinked and touched her face. It was wet—she had cried quite a lot. She wiped her tears haphazardly with her sleeve, then slowly revealed a radiant smile.

Hmph, Daji might not be very smart, but no one would use her as a pawn so easily.

The Jade Pool Goddess double-checked herself, confirming that Emperor Xin indeed had no particular fondness for any beauty and preferred spending time in that He Gong farming.

She returned to the heavenly court to report.

Heavenly Court: “…”

It seems the beauty trap isn’t working.

“What about Xiqi?”

The Jade Pool Goddess’s expression turned complex. “Xiqi is doing well. The Marquis of Xibo is benevolent, the land is prosperous, and the people support him. But…”

“But what?”

The Jade Pool Goddess sighed, “The Marquis of Xibo says Emperor Xin is a rare wise ruler, and he greatly admires him. He has no intention of rebelling at all!”