Chapter 113: Jiang Yuan's Persistence

"The Great Shang will surely last for ten thousand generations." Hearing Jiang Yuan's sigh, Queen Jiang assumed the King was worried about the future of the dynasty.

Jiang Yuan merely smiled and nodded, saying nothing. Everything in this world is in a state of development, and the Great Shang is a feudal dynasty that serves the interests of a select few. Continuing on this path, it could not last long; thus, Jiang Yuan had begun trying to uphold the interests of the common people. But how difficult that was—after all, this was not a Great Shang that belonged to him alone.

This was why the Human Sovereigns of the ancient tribal era were so powerful; they served the entire human race and, naturally, were revered by all of humanity. Jiang Yuan had toyed with the idea of importing the socialist system from his previous life into the Shang Dynasty, but it was clearly an impractical notion. Not to mention the difficulty of implementation, in this world of cultivation, such systems were useless. Ultimately, it was a world where the strong reigned supreme.

For the first time, Jiang Yuan lamented his lack of strength. "You damn system, why didn't you make me a Saint the moment I transmigrated!" he cursed internally. To his surprise, the system actually replied: "If you choose a comfortable sleeping position tonight, you might just be able to dream of it."

"..." Jiang Yuan did not know why this wretched system had become so snarky.

"Let's return to the chambers." Jiang Yuan took Queen Jiang's delicate hand and walked toward the palace. Seeing him approach, Yang Jian stood up immediately, as if wanting to say something. Jiang Yuan waved him off, saying, "General Yang, if you are finished, you may return home. I shall not see you out."

There was no need to guess; Yang Jian certainly did not want him to risk venturing into the Celestial Realm. Yet, after deep consideration, Jiang Yuan had decided to go and put on a show of power before the Celestials. After all, the human race was currently at the very bottom of the social hierarchy among all tribes. If not for the overwhelming reputation of the ancient humans and the fact that the Sages had long had their eyes on the race, other tribes would have acted far more aggressively.

In short, the current situation of humanity was dire. Ji Chang not only failed to think about how to defend against foreign threats but was actually plotting an internal civil war. Jiang Yuan did not know whether to call the man ambitious or simply brainless. To sacrifice the human race for such a small amount of power—no wonder even his own sons did not support him. As for the schemes involving Jiang Yuan and Ji Fa, that was merely a contingency plan for the worst-case scenario.

In any case, a man like Ji Chang could not be allowed to lead the human race. "This subject takes his leave," Yang Jian said, seeing that Jiang Yuan seemed to have made up his mind. He said no more. After all, he was the King, and for some reason, Yang Jian felt a glimmer of confidence—perhaps the King really could lead him to rescue his mother.

Seeing Yang Jian depart, Jiang Yuan began shooing others away. He looked at the two troublemakers, Nezha and Yin Jiao. "I have some serious matters to attend to; you two should leave as well." Yin Jiao turned and left without a word, but Nezha looked at Jiang Yuan with suspicion. He always felt that whatever "serious business" Old Jiang spoke of was never anything proper.

Once they had all departed, Queen Jiang looked at Jiang Yuan with a shy expression. "I wonder what this serious business is, my King? Does your concubine need to withdraw?"

Jiang Yuan looked at her with a smirk. "If the Queen leaves, how am I supposed to carry out my serious business?"

"Ah?" Queen Jiang looked at him, confused. Jiang Yuan gazed at her with affection. Her mature, beautiful face flushed a deep crimson, as if it might drip with water. With eyes like ripples in an autumn pool, she seemed at a loss, not knowing where to place her hands. This only stirred Jiang Yuan’s desires further; the shyer she became, the more his heart raced.

"Didn't I tell you before that I wanted another prince, my Queen? Or are you so forgetful?" Jiang Yuan asked.

"I have not forgotten," she replied, her face turning even redder.

"Good." Jiang Yuan scooped her up and headed toward her private chambers. He believed in spreading his favors evenly; he could not just dote on Daji. He could not bear to neglect a beautiful woman like Queen Jiang. That night, the Fengyi Palace was filled with amorous atmosphere; though winter had not yet passed, the air was thick with the unceasing scent of spring.

The next morning, Jiang Yuan walked out of the Fengyi Palace, feeling thoroughly satisfied. The damn system had not been lying. He had slept exceptionally well that night and truly had a wonderful dream where he became a Saint. Could the dreams one has really be tied to the position one sleeps in? He tried to recall his position, but couldn't remember the specifics—though he was certain he had been holding Queen Jiang in his arms.

"Say what you will, I must produce a child in these next few days," he muttered to himself. He had to leave some trace in this world he had visited, didn't he? Thus, these days before the new year were the most indulgent of his life; every night, he stayed either at the Star-Picking Pavilion or the Fengyi Palace. He wanted his superior genes to be passed down.

Shang Rong and Bi Gan heard that the King had again become obsessed with women and began to fret. The Great Shang had just started to show signs of improvement—would the King ruin it all again? Bi Gan nearly tried to dash his head against a pillar in front of Jiang Yuan once more, until the King explained he was merely trying to conceive another child, which pacified the skeptical minister.

"My King, you already have Crown Prince Yin Jiao; why the sudden desire for more heirs?" Shang Rong asked in confusion. Was the King dissatisfied with the Crown Prince?

"Prime Minister, do not misunderstand. I am not dissatisfied with Jiao'er. I simply wish for more heirs. Even if the child is a prince, the position of Crown Prince remains with Jiao'er," Jiang Yuan quickly explained. He did not want his personal life to turn the Great Shang into a mess, so he explicitly stated that the succession would not change. It spared the ministers from having all sorts of messy thoughts. That was the downside of being an Emperor—one was constantly being second-guessed by subordinates.

When Shang Rong left, he advised the King to take care of his health, noting that such matters depended on heaven, earth, and human effort, and that the King should not be too anxious. Jiang Yuan just gave a perfunctory response. As a transmigrator, he knew more about making babies than the Prime Minister, surely? Even if this was a cultivation world that would make Newton jump out of his coffin, surely the basic science of biology still applied? As for "taking care of his health," that was nonsense. He was a cultivator, after all—in peak physical condition. It was the Queen and Daji who should be worried about whether they could keep up.

Jiang Yuan scoffed internally. Regardless, he wanted a child; it was the final obsession of a man from another world. Having finished dealing with Shang Rong and Bi Gan, he hurried toward the Fengyi Palace. It was the last day of the year; he decided to visit there before heading to the Star-Picking Pavilion to favor Daji. He had been working so diligently—whether he would have a child or not now depended on luck, as quantity eventually leads to quality.