After finding the little rhinoceros, Li Er went mad.

In the early years of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, an invisible war quietly broke out in the capital region and Guandong region.

Cui Renshi's conspiracy, like poisonous weeds sown in fertile soil, took root and sprouted at an alarming speed.

Those hired storytellers traveled through teahouses and villages, recounting the strange phenomena brought about by Tianyan with great enthusiasm.

"Fellow villagers, do you know that ever since the government used sorcery to produce salt in the waters off Dengzhou, eerie blue flames have been shooting into the sky at night? That's the work of sea monsters!"

"My cousin saw it with his own eyes in a fishing village in Cangzhou!"

The tide destroyed more than ten acres of fertile land at the east end of the village overnight. It was clearly the Dragon King's wrath. How could a celestial being anger the Dragon King?

"And that salt, it tastes white and clean, but I've heard that it absorbs the life force and spirit of the person who eats it. The more you eat it, the whiter you become, and the shorter your life gets!"

"If you don't believe me, just look around. Don't those people who regularly eat salt always feel weak and have trouble sleeping?"

Rumors spread like wildfire along the arteries of the Tang Dynasty, through post roads and canals. Initially, the people of Chang'an's fervor for natural salt did not diminish, after all, the purity and sweet aftertaste they had personally tasted were undeniable.

But when rumors are combined with certain coincidences, public suspicion grows wildly like weeds.

Dengzhou was hit by a small tsunami that destroyed some coastal fields; several elderly people in the area, who were frail and sickly, were found to be in increasingly worse health after taking the salt; and even a woman who gave birth to a deformed child was said to be cursed by the salt.

Suddenly, the incense offerings beside the celestial deities' tablets in the folk shrines dwindled, replaced by the whispers of demons. Some ignorant people, unaware of the truth, even began burning salt in their homes in an attempt to ward off evil.

While Cui Renshi was stationed in the capital, listening to news from all over the country, the jade gall bladder in his hand spun even faster.

The eminent monks and hermit Taoist priests he invited also began to spread the connection between heavenly salt and divine retribution among the powerful and wealthy.

They cited classical texts and spoke with absolute certainty, describing natural salt as something that violated the natural order and was the source of disaster.

"Your Majesty's actions are defying the will of Heaven!"

Everything in the world has its predetermined destiny.

How can we arbitrarily alter the timing and location in order to achieve quick results?

These seemingly well-intentioned remonstrations stirred up an undercurrent both inside and outside the court.

Faced with this overwhelming wave of public opinion, Li Shimin felt an unprecedented sense of frustration.

He knew this was a desperate struggle by powerful families, a vicious tactic they were using to protect their own interests.

"Spreading rumors and misleading the public! A despicable person!"

In the Taiji Hall, he slammed his fist on the imperial desk and roared angrily.

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and others bowed and advised.

"Calm down?!" Li Shimin's eyes twitched as he suppressed his anger. "I meant well for the people, yet these scoundrels have smeared me with filth! They even dare to drag 'immortals' into this, spouting nonsense about divine retribution! This is clearly aimed at me!"

He suddenly stood up and walked to the map of the Tang Dynasty in the center of the hall.

His fingers traced the Guanzhong Plain, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"By imperial decree, all regions are ordered to severely punish those who spread rumors and cause trouble! Anyone who gathers crowds to boycott government-supplied salt will be treated as a traitor!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" Changsun Wuji hurriedly spoke up. "The people's hearts can be used, but they can also be feared. If Your Majesty were to suppress them forcefully now, it might backfire and only confirm their claims of sorcery. Those foolish people only believe what they hear from others, not the law and reason."

"Are we just going to let them spout nonsense and distort the truth?"

Li Shimin's tone carried a hint of resentment.

"Your Majesty," Wei Zheng stepped forward, his voice booming, "the reason why powerful families can incite the people's hearts is simply by exploiting their fear of the unknown and their natural wariness of disaster. By invoking the theory of divine retribution, they are trying to equate salt with calamity."

To break this deadlock, the only solution is to address the root cause, by delivering a genuine auspicious omen from heaven to shatter the rumors.

"An auspicious omen?" Li Shimin's gaze returned to the sky, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "Wei Zheng, you mean..."

"Exactly!" Wei Zheng affirmed. "If the immortals can bestow heavenly salt, they can certainly bestow true auspicious omens! A heavy rain and a bountiful harvest are enough to dispel all rumors!"

Li Shimin's gaze deepened.

He knew Wei Zheng was right.

The struggle with powerful families was never simply a matter of fighting with swords, but a contest of popular will, public opinion, and even the will of Heaven.

Now, he holds the trump card: the Sky Curtain.

"By imperial decree, from this day forward, every day at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), I will personally lead all civil and military officials to the Taiji Palace Square to respectfully welcome the Immortal's teachings!"

This time, he did not shy away from it, but chose the most solemn and public way.

He wanted the world to see that he, Li Shimin, was communicating with the immortals openly and honestly, rather than secretly using sorcery!

In the modern world, at Jianghe's home, three days later...

As Li Shimin, in the Taiji Palace Square, respectfully welcomed the teachings of the immortals to the heavens with the highest ceremony, Jiang He was facing his computer screen, searching for keywords such as "introduction to breeding technology" and "basic steelmaking tutorials" on Taobao.

Sun Li and Professor Bai's visit completely changed his original rhythm of life and mindset.

He no longer lived solely for Xiao Sizi; the flame of value within him was rekindled.

"High-yield crops...steelmaking technology..."

He pondered these two keywords repeatedly.

He knew this was not a simple technology.

That was a great transformation that was enough to change the times and the course of human civilization.

And he, Jiang He, an ordinary college graduate, actually had the opportunity to personally drive all of this forward. This feeling made him both uneasy and indescribably excited.

But he also knew very well that he couldn't act blindly.

"That gentleman has his rules." These were the words he said to Sun Li and Professor Bai, and they were also the rules he had set for himself.

First and foremost, safety. His and Xiao Sizi's safety is the top priority.

We must not allow the modern world to pay too much attention to him, nor should we allow the Tang Dynasty world to develop an unrealistic dependence on him.

Second, reciprocity. He is not free labor.

The state paid him a reward, and the Tang Dynasty offered him sacrifices.

Only through such equivalent exchange can things last.

He decided to start with agricultural technology.

"What does the Tang Dynasty lack most right now?" he asked himself.

food!

Always number one.

He recalled Professor Bai's words: "Basic breeding or cultivation techniques."

He decided to start with the most basic, most effective, and least risky method: the production and cultivation of farmyard manure.

These technologies seem commonplace in modern times, but they were revolutionary breakthroughs in ancient times when agricultural technology stagnated.

He spent a day researching extensively online. He simplified the technical terms, explained the underlying principles in the simplest language, and added clear illustrations to create a "Simple Guide to Farmyard Manure Production and Intensive Cultivation."

He even took into account the actual situation in the Tang Dynasty, replacing modern terms such as "fermentation," "deep plowing," and "intercropping" with commonly used ancient terms in the guide, striving to make it understandable for the "craftsmen of the Ministry of Works" there.

"Now, the question is how to get it over there."

Jiang He looked at the dozens of pages of printed materials he had compiled and felt somewhat troubled.

We can't just send the printer over directly, can we?

That would probably scare Li Shimin to death.

He thought of the "Tiangong Kaiwu" drawings from last time, which were presented in a form similar to "heavenly script".

"System, I need a way to transmit modern information to the other side of the sky in a form that ancient people could understand."

The system was silent for a moment, then a familiar mechanical voice sounded:

"Host requirement detected. This operation requires a certain amount of energy points. Energy points can be obtained by completing tasks, receiving offerings, or by directly recharging."

"Current host energy points: 5."

"Based on the complexity and clarity requirements of the data, this operation is estimated to consume 3 energy points. Proceed?"

Jiang He's spirits were lifted.

Energy points?

He had never paid attention to this before. However, this meant that his proactive intervention could be supported by the system.

"implement!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the paper guide in his hand vanished into thin air.

Immediately afterwards, a message appeared in his mind: "The data has been converted into a celestial projection format and will be projected at a random time point during the Tang Dynasty court assembly."

Jiang He took a deep breath. He didn't know what Li Shimin was going through at that moment, but he knew that he was changing history and changing his own life.

"As for the offerings..." Jiang He looked at the empty living room, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

He needed to figure out how to use the sky screen to convey his intention to make a deal to Li Shimin, as well as the specific reward he needed.

Gold is naturally the first choice, but it would be even better if there were something with greater collectible value or that could bring him additional wealth.

After all, he's now a "fairy uncle" and has to support a fairy niece.