Chapter 106: A Dream of Golden Millet

Seeing the King reach this decision, Wen Zhong’s expression grew complex. Under normal circumstances, he expected to guard this Eastern Yi border for the rest of his life. He had already given enough to the Shang Dynasty, having served three kings before Jiang Yuan. A veteran minister of his stature was rare in the entire history of the Shang. Having attained success in his cultivation, he had resolved to dedicate his twilight years to the human race rather than to the Shang Dynasty itself, which is why he had stationed himself at the Heavenly Abyss on the Eastern Yi frontier.

Now, however, the King’s intent was to prioritize the stability of the Shang interior, even if it meant risking the safety of the Eastern Yi border. While Wen Zhong knew this was technically the most strategic choice, the King was, after all, the Human Emperor—the sovereign who accepted the faith of all mankind. How could he abandon his people? Wen Zhong had long since realized that a dynasty operating this way could never endure. When an Emperor sits upon the throne but acts only for the sake of his own rule, Wen Zhong was certain that no matter how many dynasties like the Shang might arise, and no matter how powerful they might be, they would all inevitably face destruction. This was the root cause of the human race’s growing weakness: the selfishness of the Human Emperor. As the Emperor becomes more selfish, the faith of the people wanes, until the very fortune of the Emperor dissipates entirely.

Observing Wen Zhong’s expression, Jiang Yuan seemed to guess his thoughts. He smiled and explained, "My intention is not for the Grand Tutor to completely abandon the Eastern Yi frontier. That would naturally be impossible. I only mean that since the situation at the border is currently stable, if the Shang were to truly erupt into civil strife, you could bring a portion of your forces back to the capital to provide support. Of course, if you truly cannot leave your post, I would never force you, nor would I harbor any intention of punishing you for it."

"The King is most considerate," Wen Zhong replied, his misgivings swept away. It seemed the King was still willing to act in the interest of the human race.

"If there are no further issues, I shall return to Zhaoge. Afterward, I must make a trip to the Celestial Realm," Jiang Yuan said.

"For what purpose does the King intend to visit the Celestial Realm?" Wen Zhong asked, puzzled. The Celestial Clan were not easy people to deal with.

"I am going to ask the Celestial Emperor for someone," Jiang Yuan said casually, then recounted the situation regarding Yang Jian.

Wen Zhong frowned, analyzing the situation for him. "This will be difficult, Your Majesty. The Celestial Emperor is not a man of easy compromise. Since this concerns the prestige of his Celestial Clan, he will not give an inch. I fear you will return empty-handed."

Jiang Yuan smiled with a mysterious, playful glint in his eyes. "I think the Grand Tutor may be mistaken this time. On this trip, I will certainly rescue Yang Jian’s mother. Shall we make a wager, Grand Tutor?"

"You have become quite the cunning fox," Wen Zhong waved his hand in refusal. "I have no interest in betting against you. Since you are so confident, I shall wait and see."

Finding it dull, Jiang Yuan turned, summoned his Purple Jade Qilin, and said, "Then I shall take my leave."

"Safe travels, Your Majesty," Wen Zhong replied.

Jiang Yuan did not respond, steering the Purple Jade Qilin toward Zhaoge. Halfway there, he inexplicably fell asleep right on the beast's back. Perhaps the time since he had received the System had been too taxing on his mind and spirit. Sometimes, an overwhelming desire to sleep is not a sign of poor health, but of profound mental exhaustion. As the King of the Shang, he had far too many decisions to make and burdens to bear. Before transmigrating, Jiang Yuan had been an utterly ordinary person—at best, a man with a sharp mind and a love for books. It was not simple to suddenly become a king. He had originally intended to just drift through life, but without the System, he could have done nothing. For some reason, the awakening of the System had given him an inexplicable confidence. He felt he could prop up the falling Shang Dynasty, so he poured his heart into it, choosing to handle many things personally. Were it not for the fact that this world allowed for cultivation, his body would have long since collapsed from the strain.

Exhausted, Jiang Yuan slept through the journey. It was fortunate that the Purple Jade Qilin flew through the air without the slightest turbulence, and lucky that he encountered no mishaps along the way. On the road back to Zhaoge, Jiang Yuan had a long dream; he dreamed he had returned to his previous life. He was back in an era without cultivation, but one filled with powerful airplanes and artillery. In his dream, he was still an elementary school teacher. The children would greet him affectionately as "Teacher Jiang" whenever they saw him. Their voices were clear and pure, devoid of any impurity, a sound that refreshed the heart.

This was likely why he was so tolerant toward Nezha. To Jiang Yuan, Nezha was the child who most reminded him of his past life. Mischievous, prideful, stubborn—a true handful of a child. As a former elementary teacher, Jiang Yuan had the most experience dealing with such children. Thus, he had developed the desire to keep Nezha by his side to guide him; he did not want the boy to become someone else’s tool, even if he were to become his own. To him, children were the purest things in the world. The purer they were, the easier it was for them to be stained by other affairs, and Jiang Yuan could not bear to watch Nezha be painted in a thousand chaotic colors. He felt it was fine for Nezha to simply keep his innocence.

Therefore, Jiang Yuan did not try to carve or reshape Nezha; aside from correcting him on matters of great principle, he left the boy to his own devices. The more Nezha retained that childlike purity, the more Jiang Yuan liked him—perhaps this was his own anchor in this foreign world. If there were a chance in the future, Jiang Yuan hoped to hear Nezha call him "Teacher." Adding his surname, "Teacher Jiang," would be best, though such a shaming request was something he could never voice out loud, and even if he did, the brat probably wouldn't listen anyway.

When Jiang Yuan finally awoke, he found himself already within the Zhaoge Imperial Palace. Looking around, he saw Nezha standing nearby, staring at him blankly. Jiang Yuan was still lingering in the dream, where he had been married with children, starting the happiest period of his life. He had not expected to wake up at that moment.

Nezha looked at him with curiosity and asked with concern, "Old Jiang, what’s wrong with you? Did you meet some villain on the road who beat you stupid?"

It was the first time Nezha had ever seen Jiang Yuan wear such a foolish, blissful grin. Jiang Yuan noticed his own lapse—he had just been dreaming of holding his chubby son in his arms, so it was no wonder he was smiling. Seeing Nezha’s wide-eyed gaze, Jiang Yuan laughed, patted the boy’s head, and said, "Is there anyone in this world more villainous than me? I just accidentally fell asleep and had a dream, that's all."