Chapter 467 System Upgrade

He Ling's sobs were suppressed and aggrieved, like a wounded little animal, and sounded particularly clear in the silent palace.

Jiang Huan gently patted He Ling's back, sighed, and whispered to comfort her, "Alright, alright, if you want to cry, just cry. I'm here."

But this comfort didn't last long. A series of steady footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by Wang Degui's announcement.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat. Why was Huo Lin here at this hour?

The palace door was pushed open, and Huo Lin stepped in. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the scene inside.

Jiang Huan's clothes were slightly disheveled, and a small wet patch was on her shoulder. He Ling was hugging Jiang Huan without any regard for her image, crying so hard that her shoulders were shaking and her face was streaked with tears. The table next to them was littered with cups and plates, and a faint smell of alcohol filled the air.

[What's going on here? Why is He Ling crying like this, and clinging to my Empress? Have I missed something?]

Wait, this food on the table looks like she made it herself!

Jiang Huan felt a chill run down her spine when she heard Huo Lin's thoughts.

Huo Lin felt a little uneasy, his gaze sweeping between the two men with a mixture of inquiry and sourness.

[Hmph, I've been so busy with the affairs of the previous dynasty that I haven't had a proper hug with her in days. But He Ling, that girl, is holding her quite tightly.]

[Still crying? What's there to cry about? You have land to cultivate, an official position, and fried chicken to eat—I don't even get that kind of treatment.]

Jiang Huan: ……

Perhaps it was Huo Lin's strong presence and imperial aura that caused He Ling's crying to gradually subside into soft sobs.

She groggily raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at the figure in front of her. After a while, she finally let out a hiccup that smelled of alcohol.

"Your Majesty...you've come...hiccup...I...I have to tell you...the Empress...she's no ordinary person..."

Huo Lin raised an eyebrow, his doubts and curiosity being piqued.

My Empress is no ordinary person.

[Could it be that He Ling also discovered that she was exceptionally intelligent, cute, understanding, and a good cook? But why does she sound like she's discovered some incredible secret?]

Jiang Huan heard his thoughts and knew something was wrong.

We can't let He Ling blurt out keywords like "time travel" and "system." We must quickly get this curious emperor away.

She immediately stood up, walked to Huo Lin's side, and gently pushed him towards the outside of the hall.

"Your Majesty, look how drunk He Ling is. I need to take care of her sobering up. Besides, we have important matters to discuss. With you here, we're too embarrassed to have a deep conversation."

Huo Lin was being pushed by her, feeling the strength in her hands and her breath so close to his, which he found somewhat amusing.

"What grand undertaking is it that even I cannot listen to?" Huo Lin deliberately stopped and turned around, looking at her with a leisurely air, wanting to see what other tricks she could come up with.

Seeing that he didn't move, Jiang Huan started teasing him instead, which made her even more anxious, fearing that He Ling would say something shocking again.

She simply stood on tiptoe, wrapped one arm around his neck, and quickly kissed him on the cheek.

After the kiss, she patted his chest like she was soothing a large dog, her tone softening, with obvious coquettishness and urging.

"Be good, stop fooling around, go on. We are really discussing something very, very important, concerning the national economy and people's livelihood. I am the Empress, I can't just spend all my time eating, drinking and having fun, can I?"

She blinked her big eyes, wearing a "super responsible" expression, and then added the fatal blow.

"Go ahead and get busy, or take a break. I'll cook something for you and bring you a late-night snack later."

This series of actions was so smooth and natural, with her acting cute, kissing, and promising a midnight snack, that she completely baffled Huo Lin.

[Hey! She kissed me! Okay, okay, I'll let it slide since she was so proactive.]

Huo Lin forced a smile and cleared his throat: "Ahem... In that case, I won't bother you any longer. But don't stay up too late, and remember my midnight snack."

He gave Jiang Huan a meaningful look before turning around and leaving with a satisfied expression.

Having successfully seen Huo Lin off, Jiang Huan breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and returned to the palace. Looking at He Ling, who was slumped over the table, she felt both annoyed and amused.

She walked over, poured a cup of strong tea, and held it to He Ling's lips: "Drink some quickly, sober up, you almost scared me to death!"

He Ling gulped down a few mouthfuls of tea, which made her a little more awake.

She rubbed her temples and muttered, "Your Majesty...did I say something wrong just now?"

"What do you think!" Jiang Huan rolled her eyes at her. "You almost exposed all my secrets."

He Ling chuckled awkwardly twice, shook her head, and tried to clear her head.

Just then, the system interface in her mind suddenly burst into a dazzling light, and a series of notification sounds rang out.

"Ding! The system has detected that the host has achieved remarkable results in promoting agricultural reform and improving people's livelihoods, benefiting countless people. A massive amount of merit points has been gained. System upgrade in progress..."

"Upgrade complete. New feature unlocked: Basic Tech Tree."

He Ling instantly regained her senses. Her eyes widened, and she excitedly grabbed Jiang Huan's arm, her voice trembling.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The system has been upgraded!"

Jiang Huan was startled by the notification sound and quickly pressed He Ling down, saying, "I heard it! Quickly check if there's anything new and useful updated."

Upon hearing this, He Ling immediately checked and spoke so quickly that she practically shouted out the new content in the system store.

"There are blueprints for better plows and waterwheels, methods for building reservoirs and digging irrigation canals, and books for teaching children to read and do math... Although they are all very basic, they are absolutely treasures in this era."

As Jiang Huan listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and her breathing became more rapid.

She didn't understand the specific technology, but she understood all too well what it meant.

More efficient farming tools mean more food, better irrigation means less famine, and basic education... is the foundation for enlightening the people and building a strong and prosperous nation.

"That's wonderful! This is fantastic news!" Jiang Huan excitedly grasped He Ling's hand. "We must make good use of these things."

The drunkenness and sadness they had felt earlier had been replaced by immense excitement. They huddled together, lowered their voices, and began to discuss things passionately.

Jiang Huan, quick-witted, swiftly devised a plan: "Improving agricultural tools and water conservancy projects cannot be accomplished overnight. We can first use the names of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Works to conduct small-scale trials in manors or villages, record the data, and once the results are in, we can use the report to ask the court for policies. This is called speaking with facts, and let's see who dares to complain."

He Ling nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Your Majesty is very thoughtful. We can first make a few models of the new plow and dragon-bone waterwheel for the craftsmen to study. If the results are good, we won't have to worry about a lack of users."

"As for elementary school textbooks..." Jiang Huan's eyes flashed with wisdom, "We can start by setting up a preschool for aristocratic elites, bringing in all the eligible children from the families of the imperial family and important officials. Once these little representatives have learned well and impressed their parents, the court can then step in and establish official schools in various places, proceeding step by step."

He Ling was deeply moved, as if she could already see a future where granaries were full and the sound of students reading aloud filled the air.