The next morning.

Ning Que got up early.

The house was also filled with a unique and charming smell.

They were like newlyweds after a long separation, and they tossed and turned for half the night. Fortunately, Ning Que was in good health, and although he only slept for two hours, he was still able to hold on.

Qingfeng Mingyue walked in with a red face.

They all know it well.

He helped Ning Que change clothes and wash up with a wicked smile.

Ning Que made a gesture to keep quiet.

"Qinghe hasn't slept for long, let her get some rest."

"I'll leave Po Lu to you and the wet nurse."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

Qingfeng and Mingyue also tactfully stepped back.

Ning Que walked out of the bamboo house.

The Haizai brothers were already drinking rice porridge in the yard.

"Junior brother, come and try this rice porridge."

"good."

Ning Que walked over yawning.

I took the ceramic bowl, which contained thick rice porridge.

Lingnan boasted a unique advantage: fertile soil and water, ideal for growing rice. Despite their backward farming techniques, still relying on slash-and-burn methods, they were able to achieve two harvests a year. Many Yue people simply sowed a handful of seeds and left them alone. With these two harvests, they were able to fill their stomachs.

“This is a local sea vegetable and it tastes good.”

"Kuma?" Ning Que was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but smile and said, "It's true that if you live by the mountain, you can eat by the mountain; if you live by the sea, you can eat by the sea. Kuma and steamed salted fish are quite suitable for porridge."

"Haha, I'm glad you don't mind."

Haigui couldn't help but laugh.

Because he remembered Ning Que as a rather picky eater. Born into a royal family, Ning Que didn't care much about anything else, except food. Back in Kunlun Mountain, he'd often criticize the food. Eventually, he'd annoyed Bu Suanzi enough to force him to cook for himself. And honestly, Ning Que's food was truly delicious, so it was no wonder he was so disgusted.

After they got used to the food, Ning Que considered switching cooks. However, the entire sect disagreed, some even burst into tears. After all, it's hard to go from extravagant to frugal. They had finally managed to get enough to eat, so how could they possibly give it up? In the end, Ning Que had no choice but to show off his cooking skills occasionally as a treat for them.

"By the way, you should take it easy, kid."

"We just arrived in South Vietnam and we haven't rested yet."

"How's it going? Do you still have energy today?"

"Hey, of course there is."

Ning Que had been practicing martial arts since childhood, so his physique was evident. Back then, he was able to lead his elite troops on raids day and night across the grasslands thanks to his own physique.

"I'm glad you have the energy." Gongshu Chou nodded. "You've just arrived in Lingnan, and I know you're most concerned about firearms right now. It's a good opportunity for us to go over and take a look today. We can also take a look at the local farming conditions and potatoes."

"That's a good feeling!"

Ning Que quickly finished the rice porridge.

However, this time they were traveling by ox cart, as horse carriages were difficult to pass through Lingnan. The ox carts used the most common local black water buffalo, which was more docile and strong, and was quite common in Lingnan.

After leaving the forest village, Ning Que leisurely held a piece of foxtail grass in his mouth. He observed the situation to his left and right. He could vaguely see hunters carrying bows and crossbows, and fishermen catching fish, a scene of prosperity.

"Brother Hai, I don't know much about South Vietnam. Currently, which tribe has the greatest conflict with South Vietnam?"

"The people with the biggest conflict are definitely the Xiou." Hai Zai sat in the front, driving the oxcart. "The Xiou are extremely brave in battle, and they use the frog as their totem. They believe they are the true descendants of the ancestor and look down on the other Yue people. They have an annual custom of headhunting, and Xiou hunters often cross the border to hunt people from the South Yue. The two countries are sworn enemies, but also competitors."

“Headhunting is vulgar.”

Ning Que couldn't help but shake his head.

He had previously known about the Lingnan custom of headhunting. Simply put, the Yue people would kill and behead people to prove their bravery and to honor their ancestors and totems. This custom had been passed down for thousands of years and was accompanied by various rules.

The worst were the heads of old men and children, followed by women, and the best were naturally the heads of strong men. Capturing the head of a strong enemy man was considered a feat in the tribe, comparable to killing a tiger.

If it was just against the enemy, it would be fine. But many Yue people didn't care at all. Under the pretext of sacrificial offerings, they chopped off the heads of children from the next village. With such vile customs, how could Lingnan not be a mess?

The key is that this is actually a kind of internal friction...

From a broader perspective, they were all descendants of the First Ancestor. Yet, under the pretext of worshipping the First Ancestor, they could openly murder others. Yet, even those who committed such vile acts could become warriors within the tribe.

"Things are going well now." Hai Zai smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I suggested this before, but even Jie Jun, the King of Nanyue, had trouble controlling them. I asked him if we could use monkey heads instead of human heads. He said no, because monkeys would eat their rice. Using monkey heads instead of human heads to sacrifice to the First Ancestor would anger him, and they would lose all their rice."

"Then I asked if a tiger head could be used instead, and the King of Nanyue said yes. But tigers are mountain gods in the forests, and killing too many of them would bring disaster. The key is that there are only a few tigers left to kill, and it's not enough to meet the needs of the sacrifice, so human beings are the only option."

"Isn't this nonsense..."

Ning Que's mouth twitched.

How can this be true?!

It's no wonder Lingnan hasn't developed for so long; it's not just the terrain that's limiting it, but also their mentality. Ning Que remembered that in his previous life, this region still practiced headhunting. Even after the nation was established, they still dared to do it. Ultimately, the authorities were enraged, severely punishing many headhunters before this evil custom was completely abolished.

"Don't be hasty. Headhunting has been around for thousands of years. If you want to abolish it outright, you're bound to face a lot of opposition. You're new here, so there's no need to offend anyone. They're used to it anyway, and if you rush to change it, they'll think you're weak."

Ning Que sighed softly.

They were now under someone else's roof and had no choice but to bow their heads. Nanyue was, after all, Jie Jun's territory, and while they could offer their opinions on many matters, if they were forced to do so, it would inevitably resent many people.

That's what the right to speak is like.

It is impossible for Jie Jun to listen to Ning Que in everything.

Especially those that touch upon their bottom line in Lingnan.

"What about Xiou?"

"It's Minyue, of course." Hai Zai took it for granted and continued, "Minyue is east of Nanyue. They also come to the sea. In fact, the Minyue people are not a problem. The key is that there are still many Japanese people in the area. They crossed the sea and forcibly occupied parts of Minyue. These Japanese are quite cruel, killing innocent people in Minyue and forcibly raping local women. Last year, a war broke out with the Nanyue people, but I led my troops to fight them back."

"Japanese?!"

"How dare they come to Lingnan?"

Ning Que was stunned.