……
"Jing'an, no need to be so formal."
Princess Suiyun smiled as she helped her up.
After some pleasantries, Princess Jing'an, Yun Shaoguang, welcomed Princess Suiyun into the Cuiwei Courtyard, arranged for the maids to serve spiritual fruits and refreshments, and personally brewed tea for Princess Suiyun.
"I heard that Sister Suiyun recently displayed great prowess on the outer region battlefield, leading the army to defeat an elite demon troop and personally slaying a ninth-rank demon leader. Such remarkable achievements make Jing'an admire you greatly," Princess Jing'an said with a gleam in her eyes as she served the tea. "I wish I could advance to the Divine Realm sooner, so I could follow you and achieve great deeds together."
The Yun Clan has a history spanning tens of thousands of years, with countless members. Princess Jing'an and Princess Suiyun are separated by three to four hundred years in age, so they couldn't possibly be sisters of the same generation.
However, once a female member of the Yun Clan is conferred the title of princess, she is placed in the princess sequence until she reaches the Lingxu Realm and is titled a king, at which point she is removed from the princess sequence.
Princess Jing'an was merely flattering Princess Suiyun, but upon hearing this, Princess Suiyun's expression turned serious: "Jing'an, you must not take the battlefield lightly. The demons of the outer regions are powerful and ferocious. Even though I made meticulous plans and used superior numbers to defeat that elite demon troop, our army still suffered significant losses."
"Those fallen soldiers sacrificed themselves to protect humanity, not as mere stepping stones for our achievements or as a means for us to boast about our accomplishments."
"Sigh~" Princess Suiyun sighed softly. "I know you must be feeling upset after being reprimanded by His Majesty. That's why I came to talk to you."
"Sister Suiyun," Princess Jing'an couldn't help but feel aggrieved when this was mentioned. "I didn't provoke Yun Mengyu, yet she keeps targeting me. First, she suppressed my Jing'an Wei Clan, then allied with the Eastern Qian Wang Clan to win over the Chaoyang King, and even wiped out my connections and foundation in Chunnan."
"Despite all this, His Majesty blamed me, summoned me for a harsh reprimand, and ordered me to reflect on my actions in seclusion."
"Reflect? Have you figured out what you did wrong?" Princess Suiyun asked noncommittally.
"I was wronged; it's clearly that brat targeting me," Princess Jing'an said angrily. "I won't take this lying down; I will settle the score with her."
"Sigh~"
Princess Suiyun sighed again. "First of all, since Mengyu has been conferred the title of 'Princess,' she is your fourth sister, not some brat. Jing'an, I know you have high aspirations and aim to inherit the position of Immortal Emperor, using it as your goal."
"Sister Suiyun, I..." Princess Jing'an's face changed slightly.
"No need to explain," Princess Suiyun interrupted. "Now is the time for the succession of the Immortal Emperor. As a princess, it's normal to have such ambitions. Not only do you have this ambition, but I and our second sister also wish to succeed as the Immortal Emperor."
"But you must first understand what responsibilities a princess of the Immortal Dynasty should bear and what a future Immortal Emperor must undertake. At the very least, it's not just about building connections and forming a faction without considering the duties of a princess."
Princess Jing'an's face looked unpleasant, as these words echoed the criticism she received from His Majesty.
"As a princess, you should relieve His Majesty's burdens, guard a region for him, and defend humanity against external threats," Princess Suiyun's tone gradually turned stern as she saw that Princess Jing'an hadn't fully grasped the situation. "You've overseen Jing'an Prefecture for many years, but has the chaos there improved? One of your biggest supporters, the Jing'an Wei Clan, has been profiteering from the national crisis, and you are unaware? What have you done about it? The so-called 'faction' you built in Chunnan, are you unaware of their true nature?"
"Wanting to be the Immortal Emperor is not inherently wrong. But with your current capabilities, what qualifications and ability do you have to shoulder the fate of humanity?"
"Does being the Immortal Emperor only represent power and authority? No, it represents responsibility and endless pressure."
"As one of humanity's strongest, the Immortal Emperor is the last line of defense for humanity, our ultimate reliance. Ministers can make mistakes, but the Immortal Emperor cannot."
Princess Jing'an was scolded until her face turned red and white, unable to speak for a long time.
Seeing her like this, Princess Suiyun sighed inwardly.
Jing'an is still too young, having never witnessed the brutality of the outer region battlefield firsthand, unaware of how difficult it is for humanity to live peacefully in this world.
Thinking of this, she softened her expression slightly and continued, "Currently, among the four of us sisters, regardless of who becomes the Immortal Emperor in the future, the other three should fully support her and work together to protect humanity."
"Fourth Sister in Chunnan is still young. Even if she makes mistakes, as her third sister, you should set an example and guide her to take on the responsibilities of a princess. Not harbor resentment and seek revenge and suppression."
"Let me ask you, have I, Suiyun, as the eldest princess, ever suppressed our second sister or you over the years?"
"Of course not," Princess Jing'an replied awkwardly.
Not only did she not suppress, but when she first established her residence and was overwhelmed, Princess Suiyun even sent people to help her. However, over the years, she became solely focused on ascending to the position of Immortal Emperor and selectively forgot these things.
After a long while, her guilty expression gradually returned to calmness. "Sister Suiyun, you are right. Indeed, my vision and perspective were too narrow. I will reflect on myself and learn more from you."
"As long as you understand. I won't nag any further," Princess Suiyun said as she stood up. "You should know that the situation on the outer region battlefield is worsening. In the future, we sisters will be the main force against the outer region demons. If you want to be the Immortal Emperor, then govern Jing'an Prefecture well, hone your personal strength, so that when you are on the battlefield, you can support humanity."
"His Majesty is a wise ruler. She sees everything you do and will naturally make her judgment. Think about it carefully."
With that, she prepared to leave.
"Sister, since you rarely visit Jing'an Prefecture, why not stay for a while?" Princess Jing'an tried to persuade her to stay.
"No need, I still have to go to the Immortal Court to handle some matters and urge the weaponry issue," Princess Suiyun declined.
"Then let me see you off," Princess Jing'an said as she got up to escort her.
After Princess Suiyun left, Princess Jing'an returned to her residence and secluded herself for a month. During this time, whether it was Wei Qingyun from the Wei Clan or other noble sons seeking an audience, none could meet her.
It wasn't until a month later that she reopened her residence to guests.
This time, she instructed her chief steward, Gou Qiudie, to summon someone for her.
Wang Hanmo.
He was a young talent from the Jing'an Wang Clan. Although he only had a great prodigy D-level bloodline aptitude, he had studied at educational institutions like the Immortal Court and Immortal Palace and traveled to countries like Northern Zhou and Great Xia on the Muzhen Continent, gaining extensive knowledge and considerable talent.
Under the family's arrangement, he became one of the advisors at Princess Jing'an's residence, part of her core faction.
However, Wang Hanmo was straightforward by nature and had repeatedly offended Princess Jing'an by advising her. Later, he was ostracized and suppressed by Wei Qingyun and others, making him almost a marginal figure at Princess Jing'an's residence, leading a rather leisurely life.
In the study of Cuiwei Courtyard.
Led by a maid, Wang Hanmo bypassed the screen and entered the study, raising his hand to salute steadily, "Hanmo greets Your Highness. I wonder what instructions Your Highness has for summoning me?"
Princess Jing'an glanced at him briefly.
It was the first time she noticed that although Wang Hanmo wasn't as handsome as Wei Qingyun, he had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with well-defined features and a calm demeanor.
"I've reviewed your proposals," Princess Jing'an got straight to the point, sitting upright. "Explain them to me in detail."
Wang Hanmo looked slightly surprised. "Which proposals does Your Highness refer to...? If I recall correctly, the last time I submitted a proposal was twenty years ago."
"The ones that were temporarily shelved," Princess Jing'an coughed lightly, her face slightly reddening. "The time is right now, and some proposals can be implemented."
Wang Hanmo's eyes lit up, and he was thrilled. "I never expected Your Highness to come around. This is a blessing for Jing'an and humanity."
"Alright, alright," Princess Jing'an waved her hand. "Just talk about your proposals."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Wang Hanmo, invigorated, changed his previously steady and unremarkable tone to speak passionately, "Our Jing'an Prefecture is a resource-rich region, not only possessing vast iron and black iron mines but also many high-grade rare minerals. Having abundant resources is a good thing, but it also poses challenges. Almost all the families in Jing'an rely on mineral resources as their primary income source, and competition and conflicts revolve around these resources."
"The biggest problem arising from this is the single industry structure, which can lead to monopolies and is not conducive to diversified development. If the core mining industry encounters problems, the entire economic system of Jing'an Prefecture could collapse, leading to significant economic losses. The previous 'Black Iron Incident' was a painful lesson."
"To change this situation, we need to alter the industrial structure and move towards diversification. Although our Jing'an Wang Clan is only a second-grade family, we have developed industries like trial equipment making and agriculture alongside mining, and have some project collaborations with the Immortal Armament Division, which minimized our impact during the Black Iron Incident."
Princess Jing'an listened, feeling drowsy.
All this talk about single industries, industrial structures, and diversified development made her head spin.
If she weren't currently only at the Purple Mansion Realm and not yet allowed on the outer region battlefield, she'd rather take the military route for a more straightforward approach.
In fact, throughout the history of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, many princesses were not adept at managing their territories but were quite formidable on the battlefield, like the Chaoyang King. During her time as a princess, the Chaoyang King didn't achieve much in her governed territory, but she shone brightly on the battlefield, earning admiration and respect.
"Speaking of collaborations with the Immortal Armament Division, we can't ignore the Eastern Qian Changning Wang Clan, which has recently gained fame in the trial equipment making world..." Wang Hanmo continued excitedly.
"Wait???" Upon hearing this name, Princess Jing'an was instantly awake, her eyebrows raised. "Are you talking about the Changning Wang Clan? The one that, thanks to Yun Mengyu, secured the contract to produce 300,000 sets of black armor for the Black Armor Department? The one that has repeatedly opposed me?"
"Well... I'm not sure about opposing you, but they did secure the black armor contract," Wang Hanmo answered honestly.
Princess Jing'an almost kicked him out of the room.
Wang Hanmo, you dog, are you still an advisor at my Jing'an Princess Mansion? How can you not know that the Eastern Qian Wang Clan has repeatedly opposed this princess?
Change, change, Princess Jing'an gritted her teeth, trying hard to suppress the urge to hit someone.
"Speaking of the Wang Clan, they do have some merits," Wang Hanmo said excitedly. "I heard from some trial equipment makers who went to support Eastern Qian that their production methods are very different from our Immortal Dynasty..."
He rambled on.
"In addition, I heard that the Wang Clan is very attentive to grassroots militia training and the construction of civil defense teams, nurturing a reserve force that can be mobilized when needed. I think their approach is worth learning from..."
"You want this princess to learn from a rival force's approach?" Princess Jing'an said angrily. "Do you know how despicable this Wang Clan is? Even the Chaoyang King was deceived by them, affecting my succession to the codex."
"Even if it's a rival force, we can still learn from their strengths," Wang Hanmo said seriously. "This way, we can better understand their thinking and have a better chance of winning."
Now that sounded reasonable.
Princess Jing'an nodded in agreement, her gaze softening significantly.
"As for the Chaoyang King's codex, strive for it if you can, but even if you lose, it's no big deal," Wang Hanmo added.
"?"
Princess Jing'an's eyes flared with anger, her blood boiling.
"After all, it's just a temporary measure; any royal codex will do," Wang Hanmo continued. "Since your goal is the Immortal Scripture, you don't need to worry too much about these things."
That also sounded reasonable.
Princess Jing'an's gaze softened further, her anger subsiding once more.
"Even if you can't obtain the Immortal Scripture, don't be discouraged, Your Highness. By managing Jing'an well, you can still contribute to humanity."
Princess Jing'an: "..."
This time, she really couldn't hold back!
……
While Princess Jing'an began to "change herself" and "strive for governance," at the same time, in the Chunnan Prefecture city, a royal villa was temporarily assigned to Yun Mengyu, with a sign reading "Chunnan Princess Mansion" hung up.
This was a sprawling villa with mountains and lakes, abundant spiritual energy, clearly possessing a top-grade spiritual vein. The villa's decor was luxurious and grand.
Previously, this villa was often used to entertain royal relatives visiting Chunnan Prefecture, and its facilities were quite good, with the responsible royal family maintaining it diligently, making it a rather excellent living environment.
However, compared to a true princess mansion, this villa still seemed a bit simple.
In general, princesses of the Immortal Dynasty are officially conferred after the age of seventy, receiving a title from the Immortal Emperor, and the Ancestral House would then establish a princess mansion for them.
Due to the rarity of materials used to build a princess mansion, which are limited in production, preparations usually begin decades in advance so that by the time of the official conferment, enough materials have been accumulated.
But Yun Mengyu's conferment was clearly not a routine situation.
Yun Mengyu was only in her teens, and although the Ancestral House had begun gathering materials for her princess mansion, how much could they accumulate in just a few years?
Her sudden conferment caught the Ancestral House off guard, with the responsible officials almost in tears.
Without materials, how could the Chunnan Princess Mansion be built?
Fortunately, Yun Mengyu herself wasn't in a hurry and was quite comfortable living in the villa arranged by the Ancestral House.
At this moment.
In the pavilion of the back garden.
Yun Mengyu was eating the carefully roasted phoenix wing tips by Wang Fugui.
The wing tips were exceptionally delicious, but they couldn't suppress her current indignation. As she ate, she muttered, "Chunnan Princess, Chunnan Princess! What an awful name."
She never imagined that she would go out happily for a vacation and treasure hunt, only to suddenly become the so-called "Chunnan Princess" and be saddled with the task of overseeing poverty alleviation in Chunnan Prefecture.
Her previous joy from obtaining treasure vanished into thin air.
"His Majesty is bullying me..." Yun Mengyu said angrily. "Fugui, didn't our family treasure open a spiritual clam pearl with tens of thousands of years of cultivation from the treasure land? Besides beauty and anti-aging, it has no significant use. Send it to His Majesty as a token of gratitude for conferring the title of 'Chunnan Princess.'"
Beauty and anti-aging? Isn't that too harsh? Are you trying to provoke the Immortal Emperor?
Wang Fugui's cheek twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but say, "Didn't His Majesty say that if you achieve some accomplishments, you can change your title yourself?"
"Accomplishments, how do I achieve accomplishments?" Yun Mengyu said, distressed, with a bitter expression. "I'm only thirteen years old~~ Am I being forced to start working at such a young age? I haven't even finished my studies. And Chunnan is remote and poor, just a mess."
His Majesty is really too much, not even sparing a thirteen-year-old child.
She truly bore a burden that shouldn't be hers at this age.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt overwhelmed, and she couldn't help but look at Fugui with hopeful eyes. "Fugui, you have to help me. You can't just leave me alone."
"This..."
Wang Fugui wasn't as pessimistic as she was. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, Chunnan isn't necessarily that bad. Look, it has plenty of sunshine and rainfall, making it quite suitable for developing agriculture. The only issue is the frequent typhoon weather, requiring the cultivation of wind-resistant and flood-resistant low-growing plants."
"Fugui, tell me more," Yun Mengyu's eyes lit up.
"Our Immortal Dynasty may seem prosperous, but it actually faces internal and external troubles, with the Red Moon Demon Dynasty eyeing us on one side and the need to fend off powerful external enemies like the outer region demons on the other," Wang Fugui said seriously. "To alleviate pressure or solve problems, we must start by strengthening ourselves. To strengthen ourselves, we must optimize areas like money, food, resources, education, population, population quality, and technological development."
"The current issues in Chunnan Prefecture are mainly twofold: chaotic management with severe local divisions and poverty and backwardness among the common people."
"If we can find a suitable development path for Chunnan Prefecture..."
As Yun Mengyu listened, she began to feel drowsy again. "Fugui, do whatever you think is best; I'll follow your lead."
"Alright then, let's start with a five-hundred-year plan. We'll tackle it from different directions like the education system, livelihood system, economic system, and military system, striving to completely change Chunnan Prefecture's backwardness within five hundred years," Wang Fugui began to enthusiastically elaborate on his ideas. "We can refer to the Divine Dynasty or our Wang Clan's Spirit Artifact system for managing some of the tedious..."
"Wait? Five hundred years?"
Yun Mengyu was jolted awake by the number, startled into alertness.
She blinked her moist eyes, looking conflicted. "Does it really have to take that long?"
"Dream Feather, infrastructure development isn't something that can be accomplished overnight," Wang Fugui said earnestly. "Chunnan Prefecture is vast, even larger than our Eastern Qian. How can it be achieved in one fell swoop? Besides, we are all Peerless Prodigy, with a future lifespan of three to four thousand years. A mere five hundred years will pass in the blink of an eye."
In an instant, Yun Mengyu's tears were about to fall.
Is she really going to bear the title of "Chunnan Princess" for another five hundred years?
……
While the two young ones in the Immortal Dynasty were planning local governance, at the same time, an unprecedented crisis was quietly approaching the Great Qian.
The Great Qian Imperial Palace.
Ding Qian Hall.
Today happened to be a day for a small court meeting.
In the hall, on the steps, a slightly smaller chair was placed at an angle to the throne belonging to Emperor Longchang, which was the seat of Prince An.
Although he had been overseeing the government for a long time and had made significant achievements, gaining more and more prestige in the court, as long as he hadn't ascended the throne, the emperor of the Great Qian was still Longchang, and naturally, he couldn't sit on the throne.
However, this was merely a formality and didn't affect Prince An's authority much.
As it was a small court meeting, the number of officials present wasn't large, mainly consisting of important ministers of the fourth rank and above.
Led by the Cabinet Elder, these important ministers stood solemnly, occasionally presenting a proposal, which would then be discussed, refuted, or voted on by the assembly, with Prince An making the final decision.
In fact, most of these proposals had already been discussed in the Imperial Study in a small circle but still had some controversies, requiring further deliberation in the court meeting and following procedures.
Such court meetings, unless involving political struggles, were unlikely to have any sudden surprises.
Now that Prince An's influence was growing, and the Great Qian's national strength was flourishing, the ministers were quite united on many national affairs. Even if there were disputes, they mainly revolved around feasibility, potential issues in practical implementation, possible negative impacts, required financial and material resources, and specific personnel assignments.
As one proposal after another was discussed, time passed by.
At this moment, an official from the Ministry of Rites reported, "Reporting to Prince An, the envoy from the Red Moon Demon Dynasty, Zhao Guangyuan, has been in our Great Qian for half a month. Although our Ministry of Rites has entertained him according to protocol, he remains dissatisfied and insists on meeting Prince An in the court before revealing his purpose. He is currently waiting in the side hall."
Mentioning Zhao Guangyuan made Prince An frown.
The Great Qian and the Red Moon Demon Dynasty had no dealings, essentially being in opposing camps. If someone from the Red Moon Demon Dynasty sneaked into the Great Qian, it would be normal to arrest or "accidentally" kill them.
But it was different if they came through official channels.
As the saying goes, "Two countries at war do not kill envoys." An official envoy represents the face of a nation, and the Red Moon Demon Dynasty is not to be trifled with. Even if the Great Qian was unwilling, they had to entertain him.
"Your Highness, we might as well meet him," Wang Shizhao, known as the "Little Cabinet Elder," suggested. "A mere envoy from the Demon Dynasty can't stir up much trouble on our Great Qian's territory."
"Very well, summon the envoy," Prince An said calmly.
Having been in a high position for a long time, he had developed an aura of authority without anger.
"Summon, Zhao Guangyuan from the Red Moon Demon Dynasty, to the court."
With the sharp announcement, it wasn't long before a eunuch led Zhao Guangyuan into the court.
Unexpectedly.
After Zhao Guangyuan entered, he showed no respect for Prince An, merely giving a casual bow, his attitude indifferent, and his words were blunt: "So this is the so-called Prince An of the little Eastern Qian, who dares to disregard our Red Moon Demon Dynasty."
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers' expressions changed.
Wang Shizhao immediately stepped forward and reprimanded coldly, "Envoy Zhao, your words are too arrogant. Our Great Qian is a dignified empire, with no subordination or vassal relationship with your dynasty. You were sent to our Great Qian, and we naturally treat you with courtesy, but whether to see you or not is up to our Prince An, and you have no right to be insolent here!"
Zhao Guangyuan sneered, crossing his arms with an arrogant and disdainful expression. "I don't want to argue with a small figure like you. I came here on the orders of the Little Demon Lord to deliver a message to Prince An."
He paused for a moment, scanning the expressions of the court officials, which only fueled his arrogance. "As long as you hand over the Demon Dynasty traitor, Yin Snake Demon Concubine, and severely punish the Wang Clan, who conspired with Eastern Qian, our Little Demon Lord will be magnanimous and overlook your Eastern Qian's transgressions. Otherwise... hmph hmph~~"
Such arrogance!
The ministers were immediately in an uproar, with many preparing to jump up and denounce Zhao Guangyuan's arrogance.
However, before they could speak, Prince An raised his hand to silence them, then looked down at Zhao Guangyuan and said calmly, "I have one word for you, 'Leave!'"
"What?"
Zhao Guangyuan was incredulous.
How dare a mere prince of a small country disregard the Little Demon Lord?
"Can't you understand human language?" Wang Shizhao also said coldly. "Even if your Little Demon Lord becomes a Demon Lord, so what? Since ancient times, immortals and demons have been irreconcilable. He may act arrogantly in the Demon Dynasty, but does he think he can dictate to us in the Immortal Dynasty camp?"
"Guards! Expel him immediately. If he dares to linger in our Great Qian, treat him as a spy," Wang Shizhao ordered.
"Yes!"
The palace guards responded in unison and proceeded to escort Zhao Guangyuan out.
For a moment, Zhao Guangyuan's expression was a sight to behold.
But at this moment, he dared not be arrogant anymore.
His previous arrogance was based on the Little Demon Lord's reputation. But in terms of strength, he was only at the Divine Realm. If the Great Qian really wanted to deal with him, he wouldn't make it out of the hall.
Although this move was inspiring, some ministers expressed concern. After all, the Little Demon Lord was notorious and indeed a formidable opponent.
"Rest assured, everyone. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. We just need to manage the Great Qian well. If things really go south, we can always seek help from the Immortal Dynasty, can't we?" Prince An said nonchalantly, waving his hand. "Court dismissed!"
"Court dismissed~"
The sharp voice of the eunuch echoed through the hall.
Soon, the ministers dispersed one after another.
But the storm caused by this incident was far from over.
……
Changning Wang's Clan.
In Wang Shouzhe's courtyard, the "tall one" implied by Prince An, Wang Shouzhe, was leisurely sipping immortal tea while reviewing confidential letters.
Both letters were important.
One naturally detailed the recent court incident where the Demon Dynasty envoy was reprimanded and expelled by Prince An.
The other was even more critical.
This confidential letter was sealed with a delicate plum blossom and had passed through numerous secret channels before reaching Wang Shouzhe.
Of course, important intelligence is never limited to one letter. To prevent loss or transmission failure, multiple copies of the same intelligence are prepared and delivered through various channels.
Under normal circumstances, Wang Shouzhe would receive many copies of the same intelligence.
This was the fastest one to arrive.The content inside was clear and straightforward.
The Little Demon Lord... he had finally emerged from seclusion.
After reading it, Wang Shouzhe's expression didn't change much. He continued to sip his tea calmly.
There was no other way.
Ever since he decided to recruit the Yin Snake Demon Concubine's faction, he had already begun to prepare for any possible actions and retaliation from the Little Demon Lord.
However, despite all of Wang Shouzhe's calculations, he hadn't expected the Little Demon Lord to be in seclusion for so long and to arrive so late...
Truly, even the wisest can make a mistake.
A miscalculation indeed~