As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 304 Tiger's Roar, Giant Ship Crosses the River

Northern Fierce Azure City, Tiger Palace.

Under the blazing midday sun, the diligent monarch sat at his desk, his eyes slightly narrowed, emitting soft breaths, his consciousness detached.

The next moment, everything spun around them, and the scene had changed completely.

The majestic palaces are gone, replaced by a magnificent landscape.

Qin Lou, dressed in an imperial robe, stared blankly at the scene before him.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, the roar of a tiger echoed through the mountains and forests, carrying a terrifying power. A strong wind blew, and fallen leaves rustled down.

Qin Lou's expression tightened, and he involuntarily clenched his fists.

A short while later, two figures flashed through the depths of the forest.

One of the shadows resembled a mountain, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a magnificent tiger. It was extremely robust, twice the size of an ordinary tiger, with blood-red eyes and long fangs. An invisible aura emanated from it, freezing people in place. Its imposing presence was terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Beside it stood an elderly man of vastly different stature. He was dressed in white, and his eyes seemed to have transcended the vicissitudes of time, calm as still water, without the slightest ripple, and no one could see into his heart.

He looked at Qin Lou and softly called out, "Tiger King... Tiger King... With unyielding spirit, born to be king, the ruler of heaven and earth, sitting atop the nine heavens..."

As he called out, on the other side of the mountain forest, the babbling stream became even more rapid and turbulent, with waves rolling and the water splashing against the rocks, creating a few white bubbles.

An invisible force flowed outwards, and the surging river flowed towards the sky, where it converged and reorganized, gradually transforming into a human form.

Qin Lou stared blankly at the scene before him, dumbfounded as he processed all the changing information.

The river transformed into a woman with long, flowing hair and kind eyes. Chains made of water appeared on her wrists, linking her hands together. She descended from the sky, walked slowly, and came to Qin Lou's side, gently embracing him.

The old man looked down at him and said calmly, "Go and establish your own achievements."

The words fell.

"Roar!"

The sound of howling through the mountains and forests rose up, and the tiger raised its head and roared loudly, its roar as powerful as thunder and the earth shaking. A pair of wings sprouted from its waist.

He rushed straight towards Qin Lou.

Qin Lou's eyes narrowed, and his whole body tensed up.

When a wild beast pounces, the instinct is to fight back, to throw a punch at the tiger.

However, he seemed to be under a spell, his whole body felt heavy as if he were carrying a mountain, and he couldn't move an inch.

They watched helplessly as the tiger roared towards them.

Its gaping maw, fangs, and claws were terrifying.

"call!"

In the Tiger Palace, the dozing king jolted awake, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for breath.

The mountains and rivers were gone, the old tiger and the woman had disappeared, and everything returned to calm. In the hazy light, the world before him was still the Tiger Palace he knew.

This dream was too real, too strange.

The tiger actually rushed directly into his body.

He touched his chest, feeling his heart pounding wildly, and was speechless for a moment.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he stood up and walked outside the hall.

For some reason, he felt a surge of frustration and wanted to vent it, to roar, to let out a long howl.

"Roar!"

The sound was deafening, and the earth shook.

……

At the same time, on the other side.

Prince Qin Qi of Beilie stood atop a high mountain, overlooking everything below. He clenched his fists, his gaze solemn and serious.

"Your Highness, it's windy up the mountain, please put on some more clothes."

His teachers and followers, seeing his thin clothes, looked at him with concern and said with concern.

But the Crown Prince's thoughts had already wandered elsewhere.

The irrigation canals and gullies stretch for hundreds of miles. Looking down from the highest peak of Beilie, the man-made wonder extends down, majestic and awe-inspiring.

It's hard to believe that Bei Lie accomplished all of this in less than five years.

Based on Mingchen's previous advice, Qin Qi made a series of targeted improvements to the water canal repairs.

After nearly a year, it is finally coming to an end.

Success or failure depends on this.

This irrigation canal is the hope for the prosperity of Beilie.

The saline land has been transformed into fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles.
Success! They will all be heroes of history, their names etched in the annals of history, their fame lasting for eternity, for countless generations to admire and look up to.

If they fail, they become clowns, and all their ideals vanish into thin air.

Think about it carefully, think about it carefully, and there's absolutely no flaw.

The sun shone brightly over the dome, making it a beautiful sight.

it's time!

His eyes flashed, and he kept muttering, "Turn on the water, turn on the water!"

"It has to succeed! It absolutely has to succeed!"

It seemed as if they were responding to his call.

"Boom boom boom!"

A deafening roar seemed to come from afar, the earth shook, and a strong wind howled.

The strange man stood in mid-air, his palm making a sweeping gesture, and invisible magical power surged outward.

The mighty river responded to his call, gushing and flowing along the canals, spreading forward little by little, nourishing the parched land, and gradually saturating it, connecting the two tributaries of the Liehe River.

"water!"

"water!"

"The water is coming!"

"Haha! This water is so good!"

"It's done, it's done!"

We did it!

"Hahaha~"

……

Along the canal, workers watched the rushing water with eager eyes, unconsciously smiling as they rushed into the canal, cheering and splashing muddy yellow water outwards.

Become!

Become!

They are the faithful builders of the nation, and they all know what this day represents.

The endlessly flowing river nourishes everyone's dreams and hopes.

Bei Lie must be strong! Bei Lie must be strong!
Become!

The open scheme that Mingchen had discussed with Qinlou has actually come to fruition.

"Father...Father..."

"Your son will not fail in his duty."

Qin Qi, high up on the mountain, unconsciously clenched his fist, his eyes filled with excitement.

He was very young, yet he bore the responsibility of inheriting the nation's future.

Despite his distinguished status, he personally came to this arduous construction site, working tirelessly day and night, pondering how to arrange and modify the site, and his food and clothing were no different from those of ordinary workers.

He was transformed from a prince destined to govern the country into a water conservancy expert.

Now that things have come to fruition, he is naturally proud of it.

He deserves credit for this irrigation canal.

Even if he were to die here now, his life would have been fulfilling.

And at this moment,
"Boom boom boom!"

Suddenly, a series of loud rumbling sounds came from the direction of Qingcang City, the capital of Beilie.

"This this……"

Qin Qi stood on the hilltop, staring blankly, speechless for a moment.

It was a clear, sunny day, yet thunder and lightning roared deafeningly.

"roar~"

A majestic tiger's roar resounded, its immense power sweeping over, awe-inspiring and unparalleled.

People looked toward the capital and were involuntarily awestruck, terrified, and subjugated by it.

I couldn't help but want to kneel down on the ground.

But then, on the horizon, the water rippled and the mountains and rivers materialized in mid-air.

With a whooshing sound, a fierce and powerful striped tiger leaped out. It had wings on its waist and blood-red eyes. With a thunderous roar, it took over the mountaintop and roared to the sky, its aura sweeping across the vast distance.

"Then...what is that?!"

"A tiger? This...this...has a celestial being descended to earth?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

"Bei Lie must be strong, I, Bei Lie, must be strong..."

……

In an instant, all sorts of voices rang out within the territory of Beilie. People all raised their heads and looked in the same direction, unconsciously kneeling on the ground, praying and pleading with hopeful eyes.

Qu Cheng marked a turning point for Bei Lie.

This represents more fertile land, more food, happier families, more people, and stronger warriors.

The nation is thriving, a new era is dawning, and a new future is on the horizon.

It was as if the dazzling sun had risen high in the sky, full of hope.

……

The outskirts of Jiqu City were not as exciting as the opening of the Beilie Canal.

This is a natural river; it has always been here, calm and leisurely.

However, today, there are a few particularly large things.

"What is that?! Is it a ship? It's way too big!"

"A few days ago, someone from the imperial court was tinkering here, just for this thing?"

"I heard even the Marquis has arrived?"

"Lord Marquis? That Lord Marquis, the Marquis of Jing'an? Didn't he just return? Where is he?"

"Isn't it right there!"

"Could this be something the Marquis of Jing'an created again? It's huge!"

"Hey, how could anything created by the Marquis be ordinary? New species, firearms... I feel like the Marquis is a god descended from heaven."

……

A large crowd of people gathered around the river, gazing into the distance at this unexpected sight, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

A few days ago, some public officials gathered here and were tinkering with something.

I heard he's also connected to the Marquis of Jing'an, which is quite eye-catching.

Following their gaze, in the vast, gentle river, a colossal creature stood silently on the water.

It was a strange, large ship.

As the primary means of transportation by water, people are quite familiar with large ships.

Water transport is always less labor-intensive than land transport.

The ship in front of us was not only larger than the ships we usually saw, but it also had some special features. It had a long smokestack that emitted plumes of smoke. Compared to the complex and massive sail and mast system of ordinary large sailing ships, the mast and sail system of this large ship seemed rather simple. I wonder if it can support its power operation.

In short, this ship is somewhat special.

People were also curious whether the Marquis of Jing'an's creation would be successful.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the distinguished person was escorted onto the ship by soldiers.

"Quickly, quickly, the Marquis is watching!"

"Keep it up, keep it up!"

"The power room needs someone to watch it, hurry up and go!"

"What are you doing standing here aimlessly?! Stand still!"

……

Many sailors and workers on board were sweating profusely as they ran around working to keep the huge ship running.

A top-tier figure has arrived; the legendary Marquis of Jing'an is on the ship. Even just getting a few glances from him would be a bonus.

They have to perform flawlessly.

Otherwise, if something goes wrong, let alone an opportunity, you won't even have a chance to defend yourself if you lose your head.

The new steamships roared loudly, their chimneys constantly spewing out thick smoke.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the large ship set sail and slowly moved forward.

"My lord, it's done! It's done!"

On the deck, a cheerful woman with a coat tied around her waist had her hair blowing in the wind, revealing clearly defined muscles on her arms.

She watched the boats sailing on the waves with excitement, her eyes brimming with barely suppressed emotion. Suddenly, she turned to the handsome young man beside her and spoke.

The most dazzling star in Jiqu City today is Marquis Jing'an, Mingchen.

Mingchen returned victorious. After simply reporting his duties in the court, he returned to his daily life, still leisurely and carefree. The fame he gained from this expedition seemed to have brought him no change.

Xiao Xinyue only bestowed some gold and silver items as rewards, which seemed rather meager.

But everyone knows it's just a postponement.

The imperial court is preparing a ceremony to return Yueyang to its former capital, the ancestral home of the Xiao family. Even without moving the capital back, Yueyang holds significant importance. This ceremony, a proclamation to Heaven, will undoubtedly lead to further rewards and honors bestowed upon civil and military officials in Yueyang. Having only two marquises would be far too meager; the reason for this is simply that the country is still unstable, and everyone needs encouragement. Returning the capital to its former capital is a turning point, akin to a stock dividend.

The merits that Mingchen has made will also be realized during this ceremony.

Mingchen, back to his daily routine, still didn't attend court and spent his free time browsing the Armory.

The flowers that have been planted for a long time have finally bloomed.

As time passed quickly, the Marquis returned victorious, and Zhang Ruier also completed her own answer.

Science, wisdom, creation... these are the talents of humankind itself.

The woman's eyes shone brightly. With the support of her patron, she confidently displayed her talent and wisdom. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she enthusiastically introduced her creation to Mingchen: "My lord, compared to previous steamships, I chose to retain the mast and sails as auxiliary backup power, which greatly increases range and solves the power problem. Although the exterior is a wooden hull, I chose iron for the internal frame, significantly improving its sturdiness and stability. I've also improved the new propeller..."

The research on firearms and the creation of the steam engine were not greatly hindered under Mingchen's guidance.

In other words, she spent a lot of effort on steamships.

After Mingchen returned from his travels in the Northern Territory, he instructed her to shift her focus to this task.

She had failed too many times and wasted a lot of resources allocated by the country. She was almost ready to give up and think that this method was not feasible.

This same Marquis, despite the pressure, continued to support and help her, and would often discuss and research with her whenever he had free time.

Ultimately, this led to the success.

Beside her, Mingchen leaned on the railing, quietly watching the river water being parted by the boats, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face: "Good, good!"

this is a good news.

He already knew about Xiao Xinyue's subsequent dispatch of people to the east to reclaim the lost territory, and he did not object to this; it was the right decision.

Bei Lie and the Jing Lan Alliance have received the news and will likely take action as well.

The world situation is turbulent, and war is imminent.

It's definitely a good idea to seize the time to improve yourself.

Roads cannot be repaired in a short time, and traditional human and horsepower transportation is also difficult to optimize in a short period of time.

The only area where we can improve is water transport.

The new ships will be faster, have greater carrying capacity, and be more robust and durable than before...

Food supplies could be transported to the battlefield more quickly via waterways.

It can also be converted into a warship and play a role in naval warfare.

On the main battlefield, what is fought is the soldiers' resilience, morale, and the generals' talent and wisdom.

On the other hand, the support of a powerful national strength, new weapons, and logistics are equally important.

Even the slightest progress can blossom in the midst of war, and may even unexpectedly turn the tide of battle.

The bright and intelligent girl in front of him was a natural-born craftswoman. Although she seemed to have failed many times, she was actually very skilled and fast, much faster than Mingchen had expected.

She really did her best.

She deserves much of the credit for our current success.

Mingchen had many ideas, but he didn't know the details and didn't have the time or energy to study them. However, this craftsman star could match his brainwaves and materialize his ideas.

Mingchen is now extremely grateful that he rescued his family from the marketplace and entrusted them with important responsibilities.

"I will explain to His Majesty and request that you be rewarded."

We just achieved a great victory at Xiaoyao City, with an exaggerated casualty ratio, and the siege advantage brought by cannons was evident to everyone.

In the past, some ministers had criticized Mingchen's unproductive research and invention activities, but dared not speak out because of his position.

Now, even in their hearts, they probably wouldn't dare to discuss it much.

They're just ambitious; what they produce is useful.

Some ministers also came to observe the departure of this ship.

Of course, they dared not board the ship, but only dared to look at this behemoth from the shore, their eyes filled with awe.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruier scratched the back of her head, revealing a smile like a憨厚狗子 (honest and simple-minded dog): "Thank you, Lord Marquis."

She studied diligently day and night, working tirelessly, seemingly driven not only by a sense of pride but also by a desire to receive this person's praise.

Some of the more innocent-looking women tilted their heads back, as if they had just remembered something, and looked at Mingchen with bright eyes: "My lord, the naming rights to this ship also belong to me, don't they!"

Look how wonderful the name she chose is!
The Invincible Steam Engine series, the Star-Shattering Cannon series, the Jing'an One-Shot series...

The artillery battalions of the Qian Yuan dynasty were all called the Star Battalion!
More than tangible rewards, she actually preferred to imprint her spirit on her inventions and pass them down to future generations.

Mingchen: ...

how to say?

This girl is great in every way, except for her bizarre aesthetic sense and naming style, which are somewhat unbearable to look at.

Unfortunately, this girl admired him somewhat, and the names she chose were more or less related to him.

Mingchen could no longer imagine how future history books would record these events.

Zhang Ruier enthusiastically chose a spot, gestured with her hands, and pointed to a blank space on the mast: "Let me think, I must come up with a stunning name!"

"Then refresh here!"

Mingchen: ...

I'm starting to get scared.

(End of this chapter)