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Chapter 5: The Diligent Emperor
🕑 Added 2024-10-01 05:51:23 +0000 UTCThe difference between Derivation One and Derivation Two in terms of luck was vast. Derivation Two Luck already put Zhao Xing ahead of 90% of ordinary people.
To illustrate this with spellcasting: when Zhao Xing cast Cloud Movement, out of 100 attempts, he might only trigger a luck boost two or three times, enhancing the spell’s effectiveness by 20-30%. Players referred to this as a "minor success."
In 1,000 casts, he might experience the "doubling effect" once, which players called a "major success."
However, with Derivation Two Luck, he could trigger the "minor success" effect two or three times in just 10 casts, and the "major success" might occur once in 100 casts.
This only described the benefits of spellcasting. Luck could also influence other areas, like finding treasures, encountering hidden masters, or always catching fish while fishing.
In the "Dynastic Luck" version of the game, such effects were even more pronounced.
"But why did this happen? I clearly remember that the Dao Embryo Pill had no such effect... Hmm?"
A sudden flash of insight struck Zhao Xing, and he thought of a possibility.
"This Grand Dream Academy is different from the later Cloud Dream Academy. The former contains vast treasures, while the latter is more of a tool."
"Could it be that by entering the Grand Dream Academy, I’ve indirectly acquired a portion of the ancient Dali Dynasty’s luck?"
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Zhao Xing began to recall more details about this ancient dynasty, trying to judge whether this outcome was good or bad.
In the end, he concluded it was more beneficial than harmful.
"The Dali Dynasty was far removed from the Great Zhou Dynasty. During the Warring States period, some remnants of Dali claimed to act in its name, but they caused no significant disturbances. Much less in this current era."
"Luck is intangible and undetectable. The shift from Derivation One to Derivation Two won't attract any attention."
"If my luck continues to increase, I can always enter the Great Zhou's official system. If some expert notices it later, I can simply hand over the method to enter the Grand Dream Academy to the state, making a one-time deal."
Zhao Xing recalled that the person who discovered how to enter the Grand Dream Academy wasn’t "dealt with" but was instead granted the title of Marquis and awarded a county by Emperor Wu after presenting the method.
So, whether or not his growing luck was detected was just a matter of how much profit he could make, not an issue of safety.
"Still, I need to enter the system as soon as possible."
Having sorted everything out in his mind, Zhao Xing felt at ease.
“Cluck, cluck, cluck~”
As the sound of roosters crowing reached him from outside, he quickly washed up and hurried out the door.
The Shennong Division in Gucheng had over 500 people.
But each year, only three to five spots were allocated to Gucheng from Nanyang County.
Most of the Shennong clerks with neither talent nor background could only wait patiently for their more capable competitors to move up.
The Shennong Division was still better off compared to other paths like military, engineering, law, literature, and rites, where the competition was even fiercer.
Simply put, the path of Shennong offered a smoother career change compared to professions like warriors, engineers, or physicians.
This year, the Shennong Division was filled with many "experts," like Li Chengfeng and Wen Nanxing, who had already reached the Gathering Essence Third Level.
Not only could they cast basic spells like Cloud Movement, Rainmaking, Thunder Summoning, and Wind Calling, but they had also begun studying advanced versions of these spells.
Techniques such as Favorable Weather and Summoning Storms were within their grasp.
Some had even started visiting the temples to study advanced secret techniques like Order of the Solar Terms and Diagram of All Things Growing. By then, they would be able to learn spells with offensive capabilities.
Whether it was in terms of skills or spells, they were leagues above the ordinary clerks.
To surpass these competitors, Zhao Xing needed to pick up the pace.
"I’ve already reached Gathering Essence Second Level, and I have enough energy to support more spellcasting. It’s time to learn some new spells."
The Shennong Division in Gucheng was located in the eastern part of the city, but Zhao Xing headed north because, to learn new spells, he first needed to visit the county office for approval. After registering his application, he could go to the temple to request spells.
Once he obtained the spells, he would need to return to the county office to re-register them. This was because the spell-granting process at the temple sometimes produced unexpected additional spells.
After that, he would return to the Shennong Division to seek guidance and begin training. For clerks like him, the official Shennong officers served as both superiors and teachers.
Whether they were willing to teach and how much effort they would put into it depended on how well you found the right person.
Zhao Xing entered the county office and started the approval process. He was met with enthusiasm by one of the clerks on duty.
"My name is Pang Fei, and we have some cool tea prepared inside. Brother Zhao, please rest in the side hall for a while."
Looking at the young, eager face before him, Zhao Xing was surprised. "Brother Pang, you’re too kind. How long will it take for the paperwork to be processed?"
He wasn’t here to drink tea; he was here to get things done.
"The paperwork will be stamped within an hour, or as quickly as half an hour."
So fast? Why was the county office working so efficiently?
Zhao Xing initially thought Pang Fei was an exception, but while drinking tea in the side hall, he noticed that all the other clerks were just as diligent!
After thinking about it for a while, Zhao Xing suddenly understood.
This all traced back to Emperor Jing.
Emperor Jing was an ambitious man. He chose the reign title Jingxin (New Dawn) because he wanted to create a new era and surpass the reputation of his ancestors.
His father, Emperor Wen, was known for being "loving and kind to his people, humble and gentle," but Emperor Jing himself had a fiery temper and couldn’t match that gentleness. To outshine his father, he had to excel in other areas.
And so, this emperor led the charge in promoting relentless hard work.
The Great Zhou Regulations stated that minor affairs should be completed within five days, moderate affairs within seven days, and major affairs within ten days.
Under Emperor Jing's orders, all county and provincial offices had to complete their tasks on a daily basis without any delays.
As a result, this culture of relentless work spread across all nineteen provinces.
This earned Emperor Jing the nickname among players: The Diligent Emperor.
Why was the government working so efficiently? When the emperor himself led by example, who dared slack off? The temple in the city wasn’t just decorative—it could monitor all kinds of illicit activities within the city and detect any laziness or misconduct among officials!
Why was Pang Fei so accommodating? Because he was just a low-ranking clerk like Zhao Xing, and he wanted to secure his own promotion! Without competing against his colleagues, how could he ever hope to rise?
"Building temples to monitor officials, spreading knowledge and wisdom among the common people—this period really is quite safe. Not like the chaotic times later, where even farming wasn’t peaceful..." As a Shennong player, Zhao Xing was quite pleased with the current environment. It was the perfect time for growth!
After finishing his tea, another enthusiastic clerk came by to refill it.
This happened three times before Pang Fei came running over with the official document.
"Brother Zhao, your application has been approved. Sorry for the wait."
"Thank you." Seeing the beads of sweat forming on Pang Fei's forehead, Zhao Xing offered his heartfelt gratitude.
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