Ch 104: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Not only the Marquis of Xibo, but ever since a few years ago when Zhaoge promoted sweet potatoes nationwide, the grain output of the entire Shang dynasty has multiplied countless times.

Zhaoge did not keep this knowledge secret, and the vassal lords of all regions received sweet potato seeds along with carefully observed and tested methods for optimal sweet potato cultivation from the Minister of Agriculture.

With increased food production, the common people and slaves were able to eat their fill, reducing conflicts significantly.

Moreover, aside from sweet potatoes, in recent years, Emperor Xin himself has discovered several other crops that can be used as food. Although these crops didn’t alleviate the food shortage as directly as sweet potatoes, they were still very practical.

The various vassal lords all supported Emperor Xin greatly and hoped that this young emperor would live long and continue his great passion for farming, discovering more miraculous crops.

Hearing the Jade Pool Goddess say this, the Jade Emperor fell silent.

Seeing this, the Jade Pool Goddess quickly found an excuse to withdraw.

Back in her palace, she let out a long breath, pondering how she could find a reason to bow out of this situation.

In her opinion, this time, the Heavenly Court’s plan was likely doomed to fail.

Shang was now at the height of its power, and Emperor Xin had the people’s support.

Overthrowing the rule of Shang and establishing a new dynasty at this time was not a good idea.

The Jade Pool Goddess didn’t understand why the Emperor was in such a rush, but after thinking for a long time, she took many pills, filled herself with spiritual energy, and went to see the Jade Emperor:

“Your Majesty, I’ve recently felt that I’m close to a breakthrough in my cultivation.”

As soon as she left the Hall of Lingxiao, the Jade Pool Goddess quickly found a blessed cave and decisively went into seclusion.

She planned to stay there for at least three to five hundred years before considering coming out.

Due to the original storyline, Xiqi had always been a key observation point for Jiang Lin.

Since he couldn’t leave Zhaoge himself, Zong Yu and Nezha became his eyes and ears.

Especially Nezha, who was powerful, obedient, and particularly useful.

He would often stay in Xiqi for a while, sometimes for six months, sometimes for a year, to closely monitor their movements.

But everything there remained normal, with no signs of any unrest.

“The Marquis of Xibo is very benevolent and extremely loyal to Emperor Xin,” Nezha reported.

He even got to know several of the Marquis’s sons: “All of them are well-rounded gentlemen, both in literature and martial arts.”

As time went on, Nezha even made several friends there.

The original story’s timeline had already passed, but none of the expected events had occurred.

Emperor Xin never became infatuated with Daji.

The tales of the demon consort’s cruel inventions, like the bronze pillar and the wine pond, never came to be.

However, there was a palace dedicated to farming, and Emperor Xin even decreed that each spring, he and his ministers would work the land for a day to show the importance of agriculture.

Thus, the plotline of framing loyal officials naturally never materialized, and the court remained harmonious.

Unable to remain idle, the Heavenly Court secretly stirred up trouble. Without the Marquis of Xibo, a new Marquis of Nanyang emerged in the south, who allegedly had a drastic change in temperament, became militaristic, and accused Emperor Xin of being tyrannical, declaring his intention to march on Zhaoge.

However, the people of the world were not blind. After a series of events, the Marquis of Nanyang eventually ended up in Zhaoge—not as a conqueror leading an army, but as a captive, bound and delivered by his own generals.

The Heavenly Court had arranged for many sorcerers to aid the Marquis of Nanyang on the battlefield, but they never got the chance to fight.

When Jiang Lin heard the news, he almost burst out laughing.

After this incident, the Heavenly Court seemed to quiet down, perhaps realizing the timing wasn’t right. After all, the lifespan of a mortal emperor was at most a hundred years; with Emperor Xin’s calamity seemingly averted, they could afford to wait.

But choosing to wait for the right moment was already a sign of defeat.

Under Emperor Xin’s influence, the Shang dynasty preferred to trust the humble dragons who were willing to fulfill the wishes of the common people, rather than the various celestial deities.

Because of this, Jiang Lin specifically advised the Four Seas Dragon Clan not to absorb too much faith-based power. However, the dragons, having been suppressed for so long, were eager to restore their former glory and couldn’t resist the allure of this newfound strength.

Jiang Lin couldn’t convince them otherwise and could only sigh in resignation. He could change some things, but he wasn’t omnipotent. Since this was their choice, he decided not to intervene further.

Emperor Xin lived for eighty years, which, in this era, was considered a very long life. During his reign, the Shang dynasty experienced a period of rapid economic and agricultural development.

It was said that when Emperor Xin passed away, many commoners, grateful for his benevolent rule, voluntarily mourned his death.

Jiang Lin’s mission was thus thoroughly completed. Having served as the dragon vein of Zhaoge for several decades and witnessed the rise of a new wise ruler, he was ready to enter a long sleep.

Nezha had left Zhaoge years earlier, becoming a carefree wandering immortal, residing in sacred mountains and blessed lands. However, his righteous nature and tendency to fight against injustice often led him to travel through the mortal world, punishing evildoers. He left behind many legends, and grateful people even built temples in his honor.

Jiang Lin, having completed his mission with flying colors, chose a time to prepare for his slumber.

The amnesiac Zong Yu came to him, looking worried, and asked, “If you go to sleep, what will happen to me?”

He had followed Jiang Lin’s aura to find him, and now that Jiang Lin was about to sleep, he wondered what he should do.

“Should I dig a hole and sleep alongside you?” The little boy in black frowned in distress. “But I don’t like sleeping.”

His troubled expression was so endearing that Jiang Lin jokingly said, “Well, I can’t keep wandering around forever either. Now, there aren’t even many familiar faces left.”

“Alright then,” Zong Yu thought for a long time before finally making a decision. “I’ll sleep with you, but I might not sleep for very long. When I wake up, I’ll come and wake you up too!”

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you want to stay with me? You can go do your own thing.”

Zong Yu seemed taken aback, as if he had never considered this possibility.

Instinctively, he just wanted to follow Jiang Lin.

“You make a good point,” Zong Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “But I still want to stay by your side.”

He looked at Jiang Lin, suddenly smiling with his eyes. “I think I’m happier being with you.”

“Even if it’s boring sleep?”

Zong Yu nodded firmly, “Even if it’s boring sleep.”

Jiang Lin suddenly felt an overwhelming softness in his heart.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out and ruffled Zong Yu’s hair with great force.

Zong Yu, not understanding, looked at him in confusion but obediently let him do it.

Jiang Lin seemed a bit frustrated. “You don’t need to sleep with me. When I sleep, I’ll go to another place. Just follow the mark on your soul and come find me.”

Zong Yu was puzzled. “Another place…”

But before he could finish, Jiang Lin, for some reason, seemed to become very angry, and a fierce wind suddenly swept Zong Yu away, carrying him far off.

By the time he used his divine power to dispel the wind, Jiang Lin was already gone.

“Weird,” Zong Yu muttered, scratching his head.