Soon, Qin Lan, dressed in a black military uniform and standing tall, strode to the viewing platform.

Five years have passed, and her appearance remains unchanged, but her eyes have become colder and more reserved. The aura of iron and blood emanating from her seems somewhat out of place in this tranquil viewing platform.

"Your Majesty." Qin Lan knelt on one knee.

"Get up." Lin Feng waved his hand, signaling A Yao to step back. "Sit down. Try this, it's 'Honghe' rice, it tastes good."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I dare not accept such praise." Qin Lan stood up, but maintained her upright posture.

"You're just too serious," Lin Feng chuckled, not pressing her further. "So, what's wrong? Have my sons caused you trouble again?"

"Your Majesty, this is a report on the first quarter's 'governance' of the three princes." Qin Lan pulled up three holographic documents from her personal terminal.

"Oh? Tell me about it." A hint of interest flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. This "graduation trial" that he had personally designed was his most satisfying entertainment program recently.

Qin Lan's expression remained serious as she began her report.

"First, there is His Highness the First Prince, Lin Tianyou. In the past three months, the situation in the 'Red River Plain' under his rule has been generally stable, and the grain and various tax revenues have exceeded your predetermined targets by 12 percent. His implementation of the 'Good Citizen Certificate' and 'Merit Land' systems has been remarkably effective."

Qin Lan paused, then continued, "Through division and enticement, he successfully divided the local natives into two sharply opposing classes. The 'good citizens,' in order to maintain their privileges, actively served the empire and ruthlessly exploited those of 'lowly status' who did not have 'good citizen certificates.' Meanwhile, the 'lowly status,' in order to survive, could only work even harder. The entire province formed a highly efficient cycle of 'self-exploitation.' According to assessments, this model can create enormous value for the empire in the short term."

After listening, Lin Feng nodded noncommittally: "Yes, Tianyou is a meticulous and ruthless child. He knows how to achieve the greatest results with the least cost. Su Qinghe has taught him very well. However..."

He then changed the subject: "This model also has great hidden dangers. When the oppression reaches its limit, when the 'lowly' people realize that no matter how hard they try, they can't turn their lives around, their hatred will no longer be directed at their own compatriots, but at us, the rule-makers. Tianyou is still too young; he only saw the 'tactics' and not the 'power'."

"Your Majesty is wise," Qin Lan replied respectfully.

"Continue, tell me about the second brother." Lin Feng picked up his black tea and took a sip.

"Second Prince Lin Tianwu, the situation regarding the 'Blackwater Islands' he governs is rather unique." Qin Lan's tone subtly shifted. "He did not govern according to the Empire's standard laws. Instead... he integrated all the pirates on the islands and formed a private armed force called the 'Royal Pirate Corps'."

"In the past three months, he led this fleet to plunder seventeen major shipping routes in the surrounding area, including three Imperial Class B caravans. The total value of the gold, jewels, and rare metals he obtained was... approximately thirty times the taxes paid by the Crown Prince."

"Pfft!" Lin Feng almost spat out his tea. He laughed with amusement. "Thirty times? This little rascal! Does he want to turn his fiefdom into an independent, lawless kingdom?"

"The military and the State Council have received more than fifty impeachment memorials against His Highness the Second Prince, accusing him of openly disrupting the empire's trade order, which is tantamount to rebellion," Qin Lan said.

“Rebellion? Hahaha…” Lin Feng burst into a gleeful laugh. “Murong Yan’s offspring is just like his mad grandfather, born to cause trouble! He’s using the most direct way to tell everyone that he only recognizes my rules as his father, not the rules of the empire.”

“Every penny of the spoils he handed over was sent to my private vault. As for those robbed caravans… have you found out which families own the businesses behind them?” A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes.

"It's been investigated. Most of them are properties owned by several long-established civil official families within the empire who support the First Prince," Qin Lan replied.

"See, isn't this interesting?" Lin Feng's smile turned playful. "The second brother is using his own methods to teach those self-righteous 'loyal ministers' a lesson. It's not that he doesn't understand politics; he's just too lazy to play those roundabout games. He prefers to solve problems directly with an axe. Tell the Ministry of Supervision to suppress all impeachments. I want to see what tricks he can pull."

"Yes, ma'am." Qin Lan nodded, then hesitated for a moment before opening the third report.

"Your Majesty, as for the Third Prince, His Highness Lin Tianxin..."

"What happened to him? Did he get eaten by some wild man in the mountains?" Lin Feng joked.

“No, not at all.” Qin Lan’s expression was somewhat strange. “The Third Prince’s quarterly report shows that all the data… is zero. He has not mined any ore, has not handed over a single grain of food, and has not established any effective administrative institutions.”

"Zero?" Lin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Yes, zero. But he submitted an… appendix.” Qin Lan projected a lengthy, illustrated report, hundreds of pages long, onto Lin Feng’s face.

The report is titled "Comprehensive Exploration Report on Folk Customs, Herbs, Poisons and Jungle Warfare Techniques in the Baiyue Mountains".

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the report.

There isn't a single cliché about "governance" or "value" in it. Instead, it records in the most detailed and scientific way the customs, myths, legends, herbal medicine charts, and even... their most insidious killing techniques that have been passed down for thousands of years, using poisonous insects and miasma.

The report concluded with a summary written in Lin Tianxin's childlike handwriting:

“Father, I believe that the value of land lies not in how much minerals and grains can be produced on its surface, but in the people who live on it.”

"Although the Baiyue mountain people are regarded as 'savages' by the empire, they possess a wisdom that is integrated with this jungle. This wisdom is a blank in the empire's technological system. If it can be mastered, the empire will gain a true king of the jungle."

"At that time, the entire southern rainforest will become the empire's backyard. This is a long-term strategy that cannot be accomplished in a single season. Your son begs Your Majesty to give me some more time."

Lin Feng stared at the words for a long time without saying a word.

The wind on the viewing platform blew his white robe. His face was unreadable.

Qin Lan stood quietly to the side, not daring to utter a sound. She knew that this Third Prince had made a move that no one had anticipated. This move was extremely risky, but if successful, the rewards would be revolutionary.

After a long while, Lin Feng slowly smiled.

"Su Wanqing, Su Wanqing, you have truly given me a fine son." He murmured to himself, and for the first time, a genuine, complex light, a mixture of admiration and wariness, flashed in his golden eyes.

"Pass on my orders." Lin Feng stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the "ocean" in the distance.

"Tell the boss that you did a good job, but you need to have a long-term vision. Don't kill all the chickens and forget the principle of raising chickens to lay eggs."

"Tell the second son to keep causing trouble, the bigger the better. I will back him up. But make sure he remembers who his master is."

"As for the third brother..." Lin Feng paused, "Tell him that I have given my permission. He can have as much time as he wants. The empire can provide whatever resources he needs. However, if he cannot produce a single 'jungle dog' capable of biting after three years, then he shall become a dog himself and crawl back to me."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Qin Lan knelt on one knee, his voice trembling with an almost imperceptible, fanatical intensity.

She knew that this bloody reality show surrounding the succession to the throne had become increasingly exciting and cruel because of the Third Prince's involvement.

After dealing with this matter, Lin Feng felt much better.

He waved his hand and said to Qin Lan, "Alright, that's enough about official business. This afternoon, there's a final match of the Imperial Championship Cup at the Chengtian Arena. You'll come with me to watch."

"Yes, Your Majesty."