My lord, spare his life!

Name: Zhang Yang, courtesy name Boyuan

Age: Unknown (disguised)

[Power]: Tianyue County, Chesi County

[Stars]: None available

[Talent]: Extravagant spending

Loyalty: -23 (Upgradeable)

Morality: 38 (Upgradeable)

[Strategy]: 38 (Upgradeable)

[Ambition]: 100 (Max)

[Title]: The Fool's Thousand Thoughts

[Current Status]: A minor prefect in two territories

Besides the improved vision resolution, Zhang Yang made other discoveries, and her data panel changed accordingly. Her [Loyalty] inexplicably dropped by 10 points, but fortunately, [Intelligence] and [Morality] each increased by 5 points, while Ambition remained unchanged.

but--

What's the story behind this title?

If she remembered correctly, this title was a special April Fool's Day title she received one year, which she disliked and never wore. After a careful check, she realized she had made a mistake in her settings and forgotten to disable the title loop; today she had randomly received "The Fool's Thousand Thoughts." Zhang Yang searched the title list and put "Stepmother" back on.

"Does my lord mean that you went out with those two for a night of debauchery, and then, after secretly watching them having sex, you came to the realization that 'shaking off one's clothes and climbing a thousand fathoms, one suddenly feels the vastness of the world'?" It wasn't that Fan You looked down on his teaching level, but rather that he had a deep understanding of Zhang Yang's cultural level, and this sentence clearly exceeded her cultural reserves.

Zhang Yang nodded: "Yes."

Fan You closed his eyes in despair.

He sighed repeatedly and said softly, "My lord is too young. It's best not to do such things... Never mind, I'll talk to Guan Siyin and the others myself later. Since we've followed my lord, we must uphold virtue and not overstep our bounds or commit any immoral acts."

Wang Qi is quite powerful, but the one in charge is Wang Ba.

Guan Si only had one Hundred Ghosts Guard at his disposal.

In contrast, our lord, at such a young age, already commands troops from two prefectures.

The customs of that era were unique, with the distinction between superiors and inferiors being even more prominent than the difference between men and women. Whether in royalty or among commoners, families would try their best to marry their children to men of lower social standing to increase the number of male offspring in the family. Only when they were truly unable to support their children would they choose to marry off their daughters or sons to live with them, weighing the pros and cons.

A prime example is the woman who gave birth to a daughter yesterday.

Since the family had only one daughter, the parents spent money to buy her a husband. However, this meant that the burden of having more children fell entirely on the mother. Only by having more children could the family have more land to cultivate in Tianyue County, and the children would become laborers when they grew up.

Both Guan Siwang and Qi were subordinates in the eyes of their lord.

Those in positions of power have freedom; those in positions of power have rules.

Zhang Yang: "I'm not young."

After the game launches, she will have the body type of an adult female.

Even if we consider the first day of the server launch as her birth, she's already sixteen or seventeen. As she spoke, Zhang Yang subconsciously remembered that the observation sample was thirty years old when they reached adulthood, so she awkwardly shut her mouth. Fan You, however, thought she was just feeling guilty for being caught red-handed, and sighed again.

Fan You: "..."

Is that the point?

Isn't the main point that the lord should prioritize his career?

Fan You had a thousand words in his heart, but in the end he didn't say them to Zhang Yang, because those rules were things that Guan Si and the other two should listen to and learn. Seeing that Zhang Yang's eyelids were getting heavy, Fan You considerately told her to go and catch up on her sleep and get some rest, and he would find someone to talk to when he had some free time.

Zhang Yang nodded vigorously.

Fan You went to find Guan Si first.

Why not Wang Qi?

That fellow is an uncivilized barbarian, with only a presentable face and a muscular, alluring physique, but no brains. You can't reason with someone like that. In contrast, Guan Si is much more reasonable; he's clearly had some education.

Before seeking out Guan Si, Fan You prepared some teaching materials.

"My lord is young and playful, but your noble body should not be harmed lightly. As an older person, you should understand how to improve yourself. This will benefit you in the future. These things... do not need to be taught by outsiders."

Guan Si: "..."

He was, after all, someone who grew up in a brothel.

He knew what was inside the thing Fan You pushed towards him without even opening it. For a moment, the young man's handsome face seemed to twitch uncontrollably, his expression becoming extremely strange. He looked at Fan You with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot: "A real lecherous devil?"

"The goods are genuine, but my 'Descending Stars' has nothing to do with this matter. My relationship with my lord is also completely innocent, and I have always adhered to the duties of a subject." Who says that a lustful ghost has to have an ambiguous relationship with his lord? His current wish is to wholeheartedly assist Zhang Yang.

Guan Si lowered his eyelids and suddenly let out a sneer.

He reached out and took all the books, scrolls, and paintings that were pushed towards him.

Fan You couldn't quite describe his feelings; he was more annoyed than pleased with Guan Si's tact. He had assigned Guan Si to keep an eye on Yuan Youzheng, to guard against fire, theft, and Yuan Xie, but the fellow had betrayed his post and seduced him without permission. How could he not be furious? He'd been tricked!

"Good to know. If you have time, remind Wang Gongsun as well." Fan You felt a headache coming on when he thought of Wang Qi. In his opinion, Wang Qi was not a good choice. Apart from his figure and face, he had nothing to offer. "However, his status is not as good as yours. Although he is a hostage to maintain the stability of Tianyue Dongxian, our lord's ambitions are set on the four seas. Sooner or later, he will have to confront Wang Ba. It is hard to say what stance he will take in the future."

This is clearly an allusion to Guan Si—

Wang Qi is nothing but a piece of trash; he poses no threat.

Once things fall apart with Wang Ba, the lord will rely on Guan Si even more. Instead of being jealous and petty now, it's better to take a long-term view. To maintain favor and longevity, the most important thing is to achieve merit and establish oneself through hard work and achievements, not fleeting favor.

Guan Si: "..."

Fan You's words were indeed for his own good.

If the other party hadn't been fooled by Zhang Boyuan.

Guan Si asked coldly, "Anything else?"

"Our lord is still young, but his ambition to dominate is promising. In the future, there will inevitably be some fools who don't know their place and try to get close to her, offering themselves up for bed. We should stop them and advise them to stop them."

Yuan Youzheng is the kind of person who should be stopped.

"Should we just turn a blind eye?" Guan Si completed the subtext with a blank expression.

Fan You said, "It's not appropriate for me to interfere too much since I have no official title or status."

Guan Si: "..."

These literati are always good at making people angry.

In just a few words, his temper rose and fell several times.

However, he didn't expose the misunderstanding, and with a cold smile, he got up to see the guest out. Fan You also didn't want to linger there. After all, advising the lord on matters like tending to the plants and flowers wasn't something a mere chief clerk like him should be doing. Once there were enough people, someone else would take care of it.

After Fan You left, Guan Si opened the booklet of paintings.

The content offered absolutely no surprises.

He closed the booklet, got up, grabbed his knife, and went to find his designated punching bag.

Guan Zong: "..."

He had been inexplicably beaten up, and with nowhere to vent his frustration, he wanted to curse, but Guan Si shot him a glare that silenced him. Guan Si casually wiped the blood away with the back of his knife across his elbow: "With your strength, you're a disgrace."

Guan Zong: "Hmph, not as good as you."

In his youth, his talent and strength were enough to rival Wang Qi's.

It's really tough now.

Guan Zong wasn't worried: "Anyway, I'm the commander-in-chief in the center, not the one charging into battle. There are others to do the killing."

For example, Guan Si, who inexplicably beat him up.

Has this guy taken the wrong medicine?

Or was she so angry with Wang Qi that she lost her mind?

Guan Zong's eyes gleamed with a gossipy and inquisitive gaze. Before he could even get a proper look in the third second, the blade was aimed straight at his eyeball, sending Guan Zong reeling back in fright, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. Good heavens, if that knife had hit him, forget about his life; he'd be left with only one eye. Guan Si coldly warned, "Are you going to keep staring like that?"

Guan Zong clicked his tongue: "What's there to be ashamed of?"

Guan Si: "..."

He never expected that Guan Zong would be dragged into this mess.

Guan Zong revealed a secret: "Leaving aside others, just talk about that old man above us. He used to serve in a nobleman's household when he was young. Later, the nobleman lost power in the court, and he seized the opportunity to rise to prominence, going from serving one person to being served by multiple people. He was lucky that the nobleman was a woman; if the nobleman had been a man, tsk, he would have had to rely on his ass to accumulate the capital to make his fortune."

Guan Zong tried to find amusement amidst his misery.

It's common for those in lower positions to be exploited.

Sometimes, a more relaxed attitude can help you live longer.

Guan Zong put one hand on his hip and twirled his thick beard: "If you don't want to, you can grow a beard like me."

Guan Si grew impatient.

"Is Uncle Fan mentally ill, and are you mentally ill too?"

"Honest advice is hard to hear."

So he got another beating.

Guan Si stopped concealing his aura, and Guan Zong noticed something amiss. Why was his adopted younger brother still a virgin?

He blurted out, "How did you two manage to fool around like that?"

Guan Zong was beaten three times in one day.

He was half-dead and had to lie down to recover.

"...You should have said it was alright earlier. Our lord's head is all foggy, he doesn't understand anything, don't you understand?" Guan Zong suspected that Guan Si was deliberately not explaining, waiting to see him make a fool of himself. Poor Guan Si, he had inadvertently stepped on a landmine and received three beatings, it was a completely undeserved disaster.

Guan Si said sternly, "I'll take your head off sooner or later."

Guan Zong: "Look at you, getting impatient."

Guan Si: "..."

Guan Zong clutched his head and cried, "Ancestor, you can't fight anymore!"

Even though Zhang Yang had realized that he had transmigrated, and that the world he was in now was not the same as the world of the observation sample, it was unknown how much reference value his survival notes, which he had summarized over the past sixteen years, would have. However, the path dependence he had developed was difficult to change.

Seeing unfamiliar buildings makes her want to explore, seeing herbs makes her want to dig them up, seeing ores makes her want to pull out her shovel... Sixteen years can cultivate not only stubborn knowledge but also habits. When she came to her senses, her feet had already led her to an unfamiliar old house.

Zhang Yang: "...Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

Why force yourself?

Zhang Yang thoroughly explored the old house.

She tied the dozen or so rats she caught to a nearby tree branch.

After finishing her usual routine... no, after helping others, she went to the prefectural government to report for duty. Preparing for war, ensuring sufficient troops and supplies, was handled by Fan You and others. Zhang Yang, as the lord, was mostly offline, so she didn't intend to interfere much, nor did she want to take on too much. As the saying goes, "observation samples..."

One bug is a bug, but a bunch of bugs can be worked out. Uncle Yan and the others can handle it; she doesn't need to take on extra work for herself.

"...Looking back now, they were all good things."

Looking at the items in her game inventory, Zhang Yang marveled at how powerful her cheat system was. While she could acquire similar supplies through her own combat skills, the pre-existing resources from her cheat system saved her the trouble of robbing and killing. Zhang Yang carefully organized her inventory, checking what she could and couldn't use.

With nothing else to do, she went to mine.

"...No wonder I only just noticed it now."

Aside from the game world, where can you find a shovelful of ore?

This completely violates the principles of the observation sample theory.

but--

"Since even those with the 'Descending Star' attribute exist, shouldn't it be normal for them to mine anywhere?" Zhang Yang seriously pondered whether he was more of a weirdo or someone with the 'Descending Star' attribute was more of a weirdo, and finally concluded that they were about the same. This conclusion gave Zhang Yang a sense of security in finding a group.

She dug out about thirty empty spaces in one go before stopping.

"This is enough for now."

In the past two days, the heavens have been somewhat kind, with drifting cumulus clouds fulfilling the conditions for artificial rainmaking, greatly alleviating the summer heat. Agricultural work continues smoothly within Tianyue County, completely unaffected by the sudden appearance of the Xuanwu Decree. Relations between Tianjiang County and Tianyue County have eased, and Tianjiang County has even sent envoys to probe its neighbor's intentions.

"...We had no intention of getting involved in this farce. To say we're content with a corner of the world is a bit cowardly, but in chaotic times, the first to be killed are always the self-important and ambitious madmen. Swarms of maggots and ants fighting for their nests, wreaking havoc on the world, will likely lead to their demise. I only seek to protect the borders and the people, to safeguard the peace of this land, and I have no desire to risk my life to fill the abyss of others' ambitions, or to become their stepping stone."

The messenger relayed the words of the Prefect of Tianjiang.

Zhang Yang said, "I understand."

After all, self-preservation is only human nature.

Despite the envoy's subtle probing, Zhang Yang maintained a blank expression throughout.

After the messenger left, she asked Du Guan, "Why do I feel like there was something hidden in what the messenger said? And he looked like he'd been constipated for years."

Du Guandao: "Indeed, there is something to say."

"What did you say?"

Du Guan wanted to organize her thoughts, but Fan You had reminded everyone in the prefecture that they should speak as directly as possible when speaking to the lord, so she didn't make things difficult for herself: "With the Xuanwu Decree issued, everyone will naturally settle scores and grievances. Who does Tianjiang have the biggest grudge against? Naturally, it's our Tianyue. The envoy is here to tell the lord that if Tianjiang doesn't attack us, we shouldn't attack Tianjiang either, so we can even things out."

Zhang Yang: "Can this be evened out?"

As they were talking, Zhang Yang remembered something.

His face turned ashen and then black.

She had always believed this was the side map of her homestead, and that the land beneath her feet belonged to her, a land deed she had bought at an exorbitant price. Legally, she had ownership of this land. Now she realized she had transmigrated, in other words—

She lost a land title!

They have also lost all ownership of this world!

In an instant, it was as if thunder was booming in her mind.

She clutched her head and cried, "Oh God, the sky has fallen!"

That land deed!!!

A land deed worth 888,888 billion!

All of them have gone down the drain!

This realization was like the sky falling and the earth collapsing. Her blood and energy surged to her heart and brain in an instant. She clutched her chest and gasped for breath. Her face changed drastically, which made Guan Xin panic. He rushed forward to check if she had suddenly fallen ill.

"My lord? My lord! Can my lord hear me?"

"Eight...eighty-eight...eighty-eight..." Zhang Yang felt weak and trembling, her hands reaching for something to lean on. Du Guan quickly grasped her hand, supporting her swaying body. Then she heard her pale-lipped lord, his peach blossom eyes bloodshot, mutter, "Eighty-eight...trillions down the drain...damn it, damn it!"

Those were her sixteen years!!!

???(′?`?)

Two or three days later, I realized what had happened.