Chapter 304 Extra Chapter: The Sequel to Dingguo...
Emperor Dingguo's reign title was Taiyuan. Many of his achievements during his reign occurred during the later years of Emperor Hongren's reign.
— He established a powerful family, replaced old currency with new regulations, quelled wars, and unified the territory.
The following year, when the reign title was changed from Dading to Taiyuan, the eldest daughter of the new emperor and empress was born and was given the title of Princess Luoyang, enjoying immense prestige for a time.
That was in the fifth year of the Taiyuan era.
With efficient governance and harmonious society, and abundant harvests, signs of a prosperous era are present. Recently, only tax reforms and the crackdown on hidden households have caused a great stir among the people. However, the new emperor's foundation is solid, and although there are many complex controversies in the court, the objections of powerful families have ultimately been suppressed, and the reforms are being steadily implemented…
In the palace.
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Grand Tutor of the Mathematics Department has gone to report to His Majesty again!" Mu An, the great-granddaughter of Grand Scholar Mu, rushed over, panting, to warn him.
Inside the palace, a group of boys and girls, ranging in age from five to ten, were studying. At the very front table sat a short girl, but with bright eyes and white teeth, exuding a cleverness. She wore her hair in two buns, with pretty peach blossom tassels hanging down from her hair.
Upon hearing the girl's report, she remained unperturbed, chin held high, and even spoke with a hint of self-righteousness: "I'll report to Father then. Father said that mathematics requires talent. As long as I work hard and understand the principles of application, even if my progress is not good, it's fine. I just can't do mathematics!"
“But… He Gui has recently entered the palace and is praised by the Grand Tutor every time. Aren’t the Grand Tutors going to be even stricter with you?” Her cousin, Princess Shuzhi, tugged at the eldest princess’s sleeve and whispered a reminder.
The Qi clan is dwindling in number. Among the next generation, only three are qualified to study in the palace: Qi Yucheng, the heir of Prince Dun's mansion; Princess Wang Shuzhi, the daughter of the Third Princess; and the only princess in the present day, Qi Yuyang.
The eldest son of the Prince of Ning was still a little kid, not old enough to go to school yet.
Aside from them, the other boys and girls were all sent by officials' families to serve as study companions. He Gui was the youngest son of He Santie, the Minister of Personnel, and he happened to be exceptionally skilled in mathematics.
Yu Yang was indignant again. Her gaze swept over the eldest sister, Mu An, and then over the equally excellent Wang Jiaxinyi. She sighed, clenched her fists with barely suppressed fighting spirit, and said, "You're right! Sister, teach me again."
She was pampered and spoiled by her father and mother. She had to learn all the subjects that princes in the palace were supposed to learn, plus some new lessons assigned by her father. Starting next year, she will also have to go to the martial arts training ground to learn some basic martial arts, so that she will be proficient in archery and horsemanship in the future.
Aside from his lack of mathematical ability, Yu Yang was very competitive. Even if he couldn't keep up with the older students in other subjects, he always made sure he mastered the material.
After all, everything in this palace belongs to her, and the people outside the palace are all her future subjects, so she can't be careless when learning skills. Yu Yang is very proud of her abilities and has no jealousy towards her older companions who are better than her.
However... this year, many officials from other regions came to the capital to report on their duties, and the Emperor personally selected several new companions to study in the palace. They were all about the same age as her, but far more capable than her.
Yu Yang was extremely annoyed.
When her father saw her, he even took the time to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.
There are so many talented people in the world; you can't expect everyone to be inferior to you. Intolerance of others is not the nature of royalty; you must learn how to manage your subordinates.
Therefore, how to manage her study companions and how to improve her academic performance are things she needs to figure out. There has never been a female emperor in history, and it's unlikely to happen in this dynasty either. But this dynasty has the greatest unpredictability, and its court officials are the most tolerant. If Yu Yang is ambitious and willing to take a chance, then her father and mother wouldn't need to try for a second child?
Yu Yang was a domineering person who had long considered everything as his own. He readily agreed, not wanting his younger siblings to compete with him in the future.
Sigh, I guess I'll have to grit my teeth and study some more.
"The Grand Tutor has returned on his own!" Qi Jiyun's son, still a little boy, was so frightened that he shrank back and hurriedly sent the message.
Yu Yang curiously peeked over and saw the young man walking towards them with a somber expression, his demeanor quite different from his usual warm and gentle manner, his aura suggesting an impending storm.
The entire hall fell silent. Some copied books, others did math problems, and even Yu Yang quickly pretended to be well-behaved, burying his head in the few questions he had answered incorrectly. The children didn't dare to breathe, and were very good at reading between the lines.
The position of Grand Tutor of Calculations was originally held concurrently by Shen Shuzhi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. However, he was too indulgent towards the imperial heir, which angered His Majesty so much that His Majesty was furious and punished him by banning him from returning to the capital for three years. Zhang Ting, a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue, was then appointed to the position.
In His Majesty's words, this is a cunning king.
Qi Jiyun's son originally didn't know what the "King of Scrolls" was, but after learning for two days, he was so frightened that he cried. He made a scene at home and refused to go to the palace again. He was slapped a few times but it didn't work. He could only come again with tears in his eyes.
—Isn't this a carbon copy of Prince Yuyang?! He learns with his eyes open, he learns with his eyes closed, and he keeps learning even after school. If he doesn't learn well, he has to learn more; if he does well, he has to learn even more!
The hall was completely silent.
Zhang Ting, his face grim, stepped into the hall. He took a deep breath before speaking: "This morning, Sichuan and Chongqing experienced a major earthquake. Thanks to advance preparations, the number of dead and injured is much lower than in previous years, but the exact number is not yet clear. The Ministry of Revenue has already allocated funds for disaster relief; twenty supply wagons have arrived today..."
The Grand Tutor has started posing mathematical problems based on real events again!
Before Yu Yang could even be shocked by the Sichuan earthquake, nor did she have time to think about any precautions to prepare for it, she immediately pricked up her ears to listen carefully to every word, afraid of missing anything...
Inside the Zichen Palace.
Qi Chengming looked at Song Gu with a complicated expression: "Zhao Guofang was the person you arranged back then, and he did a good job this time."
Back then, Qi Chengming spent a large amount of points in the system store to buy earthquake detectors. Each set of sensors needed to be connected to each other at a certain distance to transmit signals. However, the signal source was only available through the system carried by Qi Chengming. Therefore, it was necessary to use Luoyang City, which was not in an earthquake zone, as the center and spread outwards as a precaution.
After receiving the order, Zhao Guofang remained silent for a while before setting off immediately.
He went to the Imperial Academy and consulted the library and materials, and determined that there had been many major earthquakes recorded in the Sichuan and Chongqing region in previous years, so he chose this direction to lay the foundation...
Without Zhao Guofang's thoughtful effort, the machine wouldn't have been able to detect the earthquake and issue an automatic warning to the Sichuan-Chongqing region. At that time, a swarm of drones allocated to the Sichuan-Chongqing area for security and water conservancy purposes took to the air, circling around to issue warnings.
Although the casualties in the epicenter were still devastating, the early warning gave people in other nearby areas time to react, avoid the subsequent aftershocks, and be organized to take refuge.
This is the limit of feudal dynasties.
Even with all the technological equipment Qi Chengming has, he can only guarantee this level of security.
This made him feel both sad and happy for those who had successfully evaded the danger.
"Your Majesty need not be anxious, this is already a great thing!" Song Gu advised him skillfully, his tone sincere.
Dingguo has been changing rapidly in the past few years, with each passing day bringing new changes that are dazzling, much like Liuzhou in its heyday. But His Majesty only sees the world he can perceive, and from time to time, he feels anxious, only occasionally confiding in his trusted confidants.
Song Gu is now very skilled at comforting people.
"That's true... I still have a lifetime ahead of me." Qi Chengming glanced at the infrastructure task panel again, his anxiety was well soothed, and he regained his composure.
Sometimes he was grateful that the infrastructure tasks were issued at a stable pace, and even if he was eager to get rich quickly, the infrastructure system remained stable.
...
In the ninth year of the Taiyuan era, the retired emperor, who was obsessed with Taoist practices, suddenly passed away. Seven commoners volunteered to guard the mausoleum, vowing never to leave and to take root there. The families of three other commoners also pleaded for the same thing.
Emperor's approval.
From then on, the seven commoners had families, and the descendants of these two bloodlines all changed their surname to "Hong" and were not allowed to revert to their original surname.
The 43rd year of the Taiyuan reign.
The country is at peace, granaries are full, taxes and levies are light, the people are prosperous, and they live and work in contentment.
The Great Ding Dynasty was prosperous and flourishing, far surpassing the glory of the previous dynasty... However, Emperor Taiyuan fell seriously ill.
"Change...the reign title to Dacheng. After I'm gone, you can call it whatever you want." Qi Chengming, lying on his sickbed, looked to be in good spirits, but his voice was weak and intermittent. He could only smile and silently give this instruction.
Dingguo was on the right track, and Qi Chengming, realizing he was getting old, found his body couldn't withstand even a simple cold that winter.
Qi Chengming had no intention of using the pills in the system store anymore. Instead, he gladly passed on the throne, explaining his obsession.
—He has relied on the infrastructure system his whole life. After ascending the throne, he didn't pay much attention to the [Achievements] section, which recorded his past achievements like a stamp collection. As people get older, even Qi Chengming couldn't help but value it a bit more.
I hope he lived a fulfilling life and had no regrets. My only wish now is that he change his reign title to something auspicious before he passes away: "Dacheng".
In truth, Qi Chengming still felt that this reign title was too flamboyant, but he was also really envious and wanted it.
One year, only one year left.
After he passes away, the new emperor will live under this extremely precious reign title for a year, and then he can change his own reign title the following year.
"That's all... It's enough to have the history books record it for a year. I... am the Emperor of Dacheng, and Yizhen... is the Empress of Dacheng..." Qi Chengming's voice grew weaker and weaker, and his eyelids were almost closed. He held Yizhen's hand tightly and gave her all his instructions, without avoiding her in any of the political or trivial matters.
He and Yizhen didn't have a dramatic romance in their lives, but they supported each other through thick and thin, like family, and shared the same aspirations and ideals.
Qi Chengming felt that this was even more precious than a beloved lover.
He was very satisfied.
Tao Jiang's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked up, barely able to speak. Only then did she understand the meaning behind His Majesty's sudden instruction to her some time ago: 'You shall enjoy your retirement in peace from now on.'
"Father...!"
Yu Yang burst into tears. She knew she couldn't handle the many strange things her father had left behind, and despite studying for most of her life, she could never govern Da Ding like him. Now that her father had suddenly passed away, how was she supposed to maintain things?
Yu Yang understood the principles and methods, but at this moment she felt extremely helpless.
In the 43rd year of the Taiyuan reign, which was also the first year of the Dacheng reign, a new emperor ascended the throne.
On the day Emperor Dacheng was buried, officials mourned all the way to the mausoleum, and the common people spontaneously gathered to see him off. Their cries echoed throughout the land. Both Eunuch De and Eunuch Cheng, who were over fifty years old, shed tears.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty!"
Among them were many long-lived, reborn ministers who wept bitterly.
Eunuch De looked at them, forced a smile, and recalled the years of being kept in the dark. But secrets never stay hidden forever. He knew more or less about those things: "It's just a pity... we weren't destined to be with His Majesty in our past lives."
"Tell me, why didn't we get reborn?" Grandpa De was deeply troubled by this question, which had become a knot in his heart for decades, yet he had nowhere to ask.
Now, Eunuch Cheng was taciturn, his eyes filled with the vicissitudes of life and a sense of peace. After a moment of silence, he said, "Perhaps it is because His Majesty suffered too much in his previous life."
This answer was something that Eunuch Cheng only came up with today.
If His Majesty can't hold on any longer, neither of them will think about regret or resentment; they will always prioritize His Majesty's wishes.
They... will only silently follow His Majesty.
Just like now.
...
After Qi Chengming closed his eyes in pain, his consciousness grew increasingly faint...
He didn't know how much time had passed, but a few lines of text slowly floated before his eyes.
[The achievement "Emperor of a Thousand Ages" has been completed. We thank players for using and praising the infrastructure system.]
[Quest Reward: 'Return to the mortal world after death' - In use]
[In use...]
[Achievement conflict, investigation needed... The achievement 'The Regret of a Subject' has been completed. The Infrastructure System requests that players retract their negative review.]
[Quest Reward: 'Rebirth' - Use?]
Qi Chengming was initially taken aback, but then he understood why his subjects had been reborn. He then smiled with relief and said, "No need, just send me back to the present world."
...This reward belongs to Qi Chengming from the previous life; if possible, it should be given to him.
And now, he no longer needs to start over.
[...]
[Received, infrastructure system reward has been implemented]
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