The not-so-big room was silent and still. Lord Chen sat on the soft sofa, feeling uncomfortable all over. He didn't even want to drink the tea in front of him. He had been sitting on his knees all these years, so where had he sat on a "chair" like this?

He looked at his nose and his heart, and felt that everything here was terrifying.

Can this be made by a master?

Those shelves that look like iron but are not, the "cabinets" that can discharge water by themselves, and the "lamps" without fire above the head, none of them seem to be something that can be done by human power.

Lord Chen felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Since he was brought in, he had been the only one in the room and could not hear any noise or voice outside.

The silence made him feel uneasy and at a loss as to what to do.

This is the first time he has left the royal city since he ascended the throne.

As the king of a country, he was the most important person in the country and could not be easily moved. Therefore, before he left the capital, he had already decided on the crown prince and was prepared to never be able to return.

After leaving the capital, he realized that he had been living in a dream of prosperity.

The common people in the royal capital were all from moderately wealthy families, with domestic slaves and stored food, which enabled them to support their children in learning skills from masters.

However, away from the royal capital, the people were impoverished. They had good farmland but could not get enough to eat, and the grain officials were also suffering - no other country was like theirs, where the grain officials would come to their homes to collect taxes by force even though the people's remaining grain was running out.

But Chen Hou had no other choice. They couldn't win! They didn't have the qualifications to be tough.

One must play both sides and be good at dancing with the sleeves, only in this way can the State of Chen be saved.

Those big and powerful countries thought that Chen was obedient, so they would not think of attacking Chen. After all, although Chen's land was fertile, since they could get food just by reaching out, why bother sending troops to attack? It would be a waste of manpower, not to mention that even if they conquered it, it might not increase production.

When Zhao attacked Lu, the food and grass were provided by Chen!

Chen Hou finally reached out and picked up the tea bowl in front of him. He didn't drink it, but just watched the tea leaves float on the surface of the tea and then slowly sink.

The State of Chen also recruited talented people, but the scholars were unwilling to stay in the State of Chen for long. They all had ambitions and wanted to shock the world, and the small State of Chen was not a place where they could display their talents.

Even the common people of Chen State once said that they would rather be a commoner of Zhao State than a prime minister of Chen State.

If the owner of this place is a human and not an immortal, he must ask him to come out!

After an unknown amount of time, when Chen Hou had thought about almost everything he could think of, he finally heard a sound coming from the door. It was a very small "clicking" sound, like something delicate was turning.

Chen Hou subconsciously turned around and leaned back, he couldn't help trembling.

Soon, the door was opened.

As the door frame shook slightly, Lord Chen finally saw the owner of this room.

He didn't need to ask, he knew that this person must be the "master" who could give orders here.

The other man was very young, just over twenty years old, and like the other men here, he did not have long hair.

He is tall and slender, with clear eyes. He walks with big strides and a smile on his face, making people feel like they are in the spring breeze.

Lord Chen let down his guard a lot.

Chen Hou immediately stood up, raised his hands above his head, and bowed to the young man in front of him: "Chen Ji, thank you for saving my life!"

He bowed deeply until the other party's voice sounded above his head: "Lord Chen, there is no need to be polite. Please sit down."

He heard footsteps and the other party had walked past him. Only then did Chen Hou stand up straight and sit back in his original seat.

From this perspective, the other person seems to be younger.

Lord Chen looked at the other person, he opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"You have a lot of questions." The young man smiled and picked up the tea bowl, "But I can't answer many of them for you. You just need to know that now you are alive, and your generals and soldiers are also alive."

The young man added: "You know I like to collect precious treasures. I like the Emperor's Sword very much."

Chen Hou understood immediately, and he asked tentatively: "Master, do you like sharp swords?"

The young man shook his head slightly. Lord Chen saw him sitting on the soft chair with a leisurely posture, as if he had no bones. However, he did not make people feel that he was intentionally disrespectful. He just felt that he was casual and natural. This is the way to sit on the soft chair.

But Chen Hou couldn't learn it, and the chair still made him uncomfortable.

The young man looked at him with a smile and shook his head again.

Marquis Chen understood: "When I return to the capital, I will give all the royal treasures to you to repay you for saving my life."

Then he saw the smile on the young man's face grow a little bigger.

Lord Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He was not afraid that the other party had ulterior motives, he was only afraid that the other party had no ulterior motives.

"I have a question, I wonder if the master can answer it?" The Lord of Chen was very humble, and did not look like a monarch. Seeing that the other party did not speak, he asked, "Although my country of Chen is rich in territory and is a gift from heaven, we have few soldiers and generals, and the people have a hard time. I want to strengthen my country, but I am not strong enough..."

After Chen Hou finished speaking, he looked at the other party's face, but found that the other party was unusually calm, as if he did not hear his words.

Could it be that the other party is only good at machinery and has no knowledge of worldly affairs?

But these mechanisms are beyond human power. Who is this person? Or is this person really a human?

Lord Chen was shocked by what he was thinking. He looked at the tea bowl on the table in panic.

Only then did he realize that this bowl was definitely not a pottery bowl. It had a delicate and smooth surface, and a cold glow. He felt a chill before he even touched it.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally heard the other party say: "Strengthening a country is not a one-time achievement. It requires several generations of wise rulers to strive for strength."

Lord Chen: "Although I dare not call myself a wise ruler, I am willing to follow the example of the sages, to be self-disciplined and diligent in my life, to strengthen the country and protect the people."

Lord Chen stood up again and bowed deeply to the other party: "Please teach me, Master."

The man seemed to sigh: "Lord Chen, please sit down. I can't really say I'm teaching you. Let me tell you a story."

The protagonist of this story is, of course, the Qin State.

Let’s start with Shang Yang’s Reforms.

"Can slaves be officials?" When talking about military merits, Lord Chen couldn't help asking, "If slaves were officials, the world would be in chaos!"

He couldn't believe it: "Take back the royal family's land and return it to the common people? If so, the State of Chen will be turned upside down immediately!"

The man laughed and said, "That's right, that's why when the new king came to the throne, he had Shang Yang torn to pieces to appease the royal family."

Chen Hou couldn't help but ask: "Then the law can be changed?"

The man shook his head: "No, Shang Yang was torn to pieces, but his laws have not been abolished."

Marquis Chen: "Did Qin become stronger because of this?"

The man nodded. "The Qin State became more powerful because of this. Qin soldiers were no longer afraid of the battlefield. Everyone wanted to make achievements and establish a career."

Chen Hou was silent for a moment, then he took a deep breath and said, "The King of Qin is truly a wise ruler."

Man: "He was posthumously named Duke Xiao."

"Let's not talk about the military achievements. Just to take back the fiefs of the royal family, Chen will probably have to change its king immediately." Chen Hou smiled bitterly, "To be honest, the land I have now is only Linzi. The rest is from the tributes of the royal family. I don't know how much they have."

Chen Hou looked up and found that the man looked at him with a bit of pity, which made Chen Hou happy. He immediately showed weakness and said, "Master, you don't know that the people of Chen State are living a hard life now. They have a lot of good farmland but can't eat enough. Their clothes are ragged..."

He sniffed, and although he wanted to play the victim, as he spoke, he really felt that he was miserable, the people were miserable, and the State of Chen was miserable. The more he spoke, the more excited he became, and he actually cried.

The king of a country was crying in front of Ye Zhou. Ye Zhou had no choice but to hand him some toilet paper.

Chen Hou was crying so hard that he couldn't see anything. He took the paper from Ye Zhou and started blowing his nose.

Seeing that he was about to use the tissue he used to blow his nose to wipe his tears, Ye Zhou quickly handed him several more pieces of tissue.

Now Ye Zhou could only wait until Chen Hou had cried enough.

Chen Hou cried for more than twenty minutes, during which time Ye Zhou didn't know how to persuade him.

Finally, Chen Hou cried enough. He raised his head. Ye Zhou was almost amused by his red and swollen eyes. He quickly became serious and stern. Chen Hou said in a crying voice: "Master, if I follow your example, do you have any advice?"

Qin had Shang Yang, and the royal family hated him. Although they might also hate Duke Xiao, as long as the former was there, the royal family would think that killing Shang Yang would make Duke Xiao change his mind.

But he did not have Shang Yang. If he went back and used Shang Yang's methods, his royal family and even his maternal family would turn against him.

I'm afraid that by then, his young son will really become the king of Chen State.

Ye Zhou: "If you want to follow suit, you must first take control of the military power in your own hands. The people in the palace must follow your lead. Does anyone in your royal family secretly stockpile troops?"

Chen Hou sniffed and said, "Yes, but I don't know the exact number. They are keeping it a secret."

He knew that Shang Yang's method was a good one. If it could be implemented, it might really make the State of Chen stronger.

But the better the method, the greater the resistance. He was afraid that he would be murdered by his own relatives before he could make the State of Chen strong.

Ye Zhou: “…”

It seems that this king's life is really miserable.

Ye Zhou had thought that the monarchs of this era were not much different from the emperors of the feudal era, but it turned out that the difference was like the difference between a small mound and the Himalayas.

According to Lord Chen, the only place he could govern was the royal city, and this was the only city that would pay taxes directly to him.

And this tax did not belong to him. After all, the State of Chen also had to maintain an army, and the food and military pay for the army had to come from this tax.

Other places in the State of Chen were either fiefs of the royal family or other members of the royal family.

Either it is under the jurisdiction of aristocratic families, but the aristocratic families are so huge that Marquis Chen has no idea how much difference there is between the taxes they report to him every year and the actual taxes.

Although it is one country, it is not closely connected.

This is probably the disadvantage of a hereditary monarchy; the royal power is shared with the entire family, and the monarch is just the person sitting on the seat, not the real ruler of a country.

Ye Zhou tapped his fingers on the table: "Why not start with the military achievements?"

"First, leave out the slaves. This will only be effective for civilians and military households."

Chen Hou, who had just cried bitterly, now held the paper he used to blow his nose, looked up and asked Ye Zhou: "Master, what is this? It is lighter than a silk book, but it is so fragile."

Ye Zhou remembered that Chen Hou and the others probably didn't have any paper or pen now, only wooden slips, bamboo slips and carving knives.

Ye Zhou explained: "This is paper, not silk, it is made from plants and wood."

Chen Hou looked up blankly and asked, "Master, can this paper only be made so thin?"

Ye Zhou shook his head. He walked to the closet and took out a notebook that had not been written on. Then he turned around and handed it to Chen Hou: "Make it thicker."

The supermarket also sells rice paper, but Ye Zhou is too lazy to get it now.

Chen Hou touched the pages of the book with trembling fingers. He asked softly, "Excuse me, sir, who made this paper?"

Ye Zhou sat down again: "Cai Lun."

The Marquis of Chen looked up and asked enthusiastically, "Where is this man?! Such a skilled craftsman, our State of Chen will treat him with state honors!"

Ye Zhou: "This person is not here, not in this world."

Chen Hou looked regretful and asked, "Is he no longer alive?"

"And this tea bowl." Chen Hou asked again, "I don't know what it is made of. It doesn't look like pottery."

Ye Zhou could only reply: "It is actually from the same lineage as pottery. This is porcelain, also known as ceramics."

Chen Hou: "I don't know if this table and chairs..."

Ye Zhou was a little impatient with the question, but he still said patiently: "The tabletop is made of glass, mainly made of limestone shells, and requires high temperature forging."

Lord Chen: "The frame outside doesn't look like iron to me, but I don't know what it is..."

Ye Zhou: "That's a steel frame."

Chen Hou's eyes lit up: "I don't know what steel is?"

…

Ye Zhou was so thirsty from explaining that he had already drunk two cups of tea. Chen Hou was like a curious baby, asking a hundred thousand questions. Ye Zhou was already feeling dizzy just from explaining, but he still had to keep a smile on his face and answer calmly.

Finally, Lord Chen asked all the questions he wanted to ask. Although he didn't understand much of Ye Zhou's words, he at least knew that these things were all human-made. He said to Ye Zhou contentedly, "Thank you for your guidance. You are a man of high character and you are very generous. I admire you."

Ye Zhou: "It's snowing outside right now, you may have to stay here for a while. If you want anything, just tell the people here."

Chen Hou then remembered why he was crying before. He immediately came over, grabbed Ye Zhou's hand, and held Ye Zhou's hand tightly. He asked with bright eyes: "Master, can you come out of seclusion? I will reward you with the position of prime minister. As long as you are willing to help me strengthen the country, I will rule the State of Chen with you!"

Ye Zhou: “…”

Prime Minister? Seems like a high-ranking official?

Ye Zhou shook his head slightly: "I will not leave this place, let alone leave the mountain."

Chen Hou was stunned. He asked softly, "Why?"

Now Ye Zhou gets a headache whenever he hears the words "I don't know" and "why". He thinks the unconscious Lord Chen is the good Lord Chen.

Ye Zhou smiled at Lord Chen and said, "This kind of reason cannot be known to others. Lord Chen, just stay here peacefully."

Really not wanting to continue talking to Lord Chen, Ye Zhou stood up, opened the door of the lounge, and made a gesture of invitation.

Chen Hou understood what Ye Zhou meant, but he was unwilling to leave. He looked at Ye Zhou with reluctance, taking very small steps, which could not be considered walking, but moving. He moved in front of Ye Zhou, his eyes full of affection: "Master, please think about it carefully. If you come down the mountain, Chen State will also be your Chen State."

Ye Zhou wanted to ask Chen Hou, are you so generous? We just talked a few words, and you want to govern Chen with me?

Am I too stingy, or are you Warring States monarchs too generous?

However, Ye Zhou did not ask. He watched Chen Hou leave the lounge, and then closed the door mercilessly in the other's reluctant gaze.

Finally, I sent this curious baby away.

Ye Zhou leaned against the wall and took a long breath.

·

Chen Hou felt that he had become more energetic after crying. Since no one was stopping him from walking here, he looked around and found everything strange. He sighed as he looked around, "I'm afraid there are so many rare treasures in the world. I'm afraid it's hard to see them again."

He walked around the shelves a few times, and when he saw someone passing by, he immediately walked up.

Seeing that it was a tall woman with an extraordinary appearance, Lord Chen did not approach directly, but kept a distance. He asked politely: "Excuse me, young lady, what is this thing?"

he asked curiously, holding a children's toy in his hand.

Chen Shu looked at Chen Hou as if he was looking at a monster.

She had already known from Cao'er that this person was a genius at asking questions. She was impatient to deal with such a person, so she quickly said, "I have something else to do. If you have any questions, go ask him."

As he said this, he pointed at Zou Ming who was fetching water.

"He knows everything, just go ask him." Then Chen Shu ran away in a flash.

Although Marquis Chen felt that the other party's attitude was strange, he was not angry. Anyway, in the past, when the monarchs of various countries met, everyone could give him a cold look. If he was angry about other people's attitude, he would have died of anger countless times.

So he walked in the direction the other person pointed, and when he reached the other person, he stopped and bowed slightly: "Young man, may I ask what this thing is? What is its function?"

Zou Ming didn't know how capable Chen Hou was of asking questions. He glanced at what Chen Hou was holding: "Children's mobile phone, it can only play music."

Chen Hou continued to ask: "Can this thing transmit sound?"

Zou Ming: "No, you can only play music after installing the batteries and pressing the button."

Chen Hou tilted his head slightly: "What is a battery?"

Zou Ming: “…”

He didn't know how to explain it clearly, but looking at Chen Hou's eyes full of desire, Zou Ming still tried his best to explain it to him in words that he could understand.

After asking about the battery, Chen Hou asked about the shell of the toy: "I don't know what it is made of. It doesn't look like anything I know."

Zou Ming explained plastic to him again.

Although the Marquis of Chen still didn't quite understand what was said, seeing Zou Ming explaining it to him so seriously, he felt that he was very approachable, so he asked, "May I know your name, young man? I am the King of Chen, Chen Ji."

Zou Ming had a blank expression on his face. He really wanted to kick this man out of the supermarket and let him fend for himself, but he still replied, "Zou Ming."

Lord Chen: "I wonder if there are any words?"

Zou Ming: “No.”

Zou Ming frowned: "I have something else to do. If you have any questions, ask someone else."

After saying this, Zou Ming didn't give Chen Hou a chance to stay and left in big strides.

Soon, everyone in the supermarket was annoyed by Chen Hou. Only the children didn't find him annoying. However, the children couldn't answer his questions - they themselves didn't even understand half of them.

Chen Hou was holding a child in his arms. He looked around and found no adults around. Then he asked the child in a low voice: "Let me ask you, what country are you from? If you answer me, I will give you something good."

The child rolled his eyes and asked, "What good stuff?"

Chen Hou took out a jade hairpin from his bosom and said, "This thing is worth a hundred gold coins. I will give it to you."

The child glanced at Lord Chen, probably thinking that Lord Chen would not deceive him, so he said, "I am from the Liang Dynasty, but this is what my parents said, I don't remember it myself."

Lord Chen was stunned: "Daliang Dynasty?"

"Who is your king?"

He just thought that the child had a heavy accent and he misunderstood what he said.

Child: "What is a monarch? An emperor? I don't know who the emperor is."

Chen Hou frowned slightly: "Emperor? The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?"

The child just happened to learn this, and he nodded: "Yes, after the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms, he no longer called himself a king, but an emperor."

"It seems to mean, it seems to mean, his merits surpass those of the Three Sovereigns, and his virtues surpass those of the Five Emperors."

Chen Hou murmured: "Emperor..."

The Marquis of Chen looked down at the child. The child did not look like a Chen person, but also did not look like a Lu or Zheng person.

Chen Hou finally sorted out his thoughts. He rubbed the child's head, put the child on the ground with a smile, solemnly handed the jade hairpin to the child, and said softly: "Go, go play with your friends."

After watching the child run away, Chen Hou finally returned to the tent along the same route he came.

Originally Chen Yan could still hold on, but when he saw his lord waking up, he developed a high fever and was bedridden. Fortunately, he was taken care of by a doctor. Although he cannot get out of bed yet, he can open his eyes and drink porridge.

When Chen Hou came back, he happened to see Feng Ling feeding porridge to Chen Yan.

Chen Yan was fed so much that his face turned red. When he saw Chen Hou coming back, he immediately begged in a low voice, "Miss, put the porridge aside. I have recovered some strength and can eat it by myself."

Feng Ling didn't say anything after hearing this. She put the bowl aside and walked out. When she passed by Chen Hou, she nodded slightly to him.

Lord Chen also quickly turned sideways and responded.

After watching Feng Ling leave and walk away, Chen Hou sat down next to Chen Yan.

The two looked at each other in silence. Chen Yan coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty... did you find something?"

Lord Chen nodded slightly and whispered, "I already know where this place is and who the owner of this place is."

Chen Yan's eyes widened, and he struggled to sit up straight. He lowered his voice and asked quietly, "Where is this place? Who is the owner of this place? Your Majesty, please don't keep us in suspense."

Chen Hou said softly: "This must be the Immortal Palace, and the owner of this place must be an immortal! He is definitely not some hermit."

Chen Yan's breath was choked: "How did Your Majesty know?"

Lord Chen: "I met the owner of this place, and he told me a story. If he made up the Qin State in the story, how could he make it so flawless? Moreover, although he looks young, he is not impetuous. He speaks with substance and treats people kindly. He does not show any arrogance or conceit."

"I offered him the position of Prime Minister to come out of the mountain, but he said he couldn't leave this place. It's bitterly cold here. There must be a reason for that."

"What's more, I asked the kid here, and he said he was a commoner of the Daliang Dynasty. The Daliang Dynasty had no monarch, only an emperor."

"How could a child make up the word 'emperor'? And how could he say that his achievements were as great as those of the Three Sovereigns and his virtues were as great as those of the Five Emperors?"

"After all these things, I think this place is a fairyland, and this house is a fairy house."

Chen Hou's eyes lit up: "Brother Yan! You are right. This is indeed an opportunity for the Chen Kingdom!"

"I will treat the immortal as my own father and serve him carefully, hoping that he will teach me how to strengthen the State of Chen!"