Douluo Continent, my martial soul is a mushroom.

Chapter 70 A Bountiful Harvest, Toys

Royal palace, main hall, court meeting.

"In the Di'ao Province, grains reached 63 billion jin, beans 4 million jin, and potatoes 16 billion jin, totaling 83 billion jin, a 3% increase!"

"Xueling Province...totaling 29 billion jin, an increase of 2%!"

"Fasno Province...totaling 110 billion jin, a 3% increase!"

"The northern provinces...totaling 14 billion jin, a 2% increase!"

"Idov Province...totaling 42 billion jin, a 3% increase!"

On the golden throne, Emperor Xueye stroked his beard, his face ruddy.

Although he had already heard the minister's report once, hearing it a second time still stirred his emotions.

Food is the foundation of a nation, and increased grain production is a direct reflection of growing national strength. This year, the average grain output of the five major provinces of the Heavenly Dou Empire increased by 2%, an unimaginable improvement.

A commotion erupted in the imperial court, but it was all filled with joyful congratulations.

As the Heavenly Dou Empire grew stronger, the status and power of these officials naturally rose accordingly.

"Your Majesty, the great harvest this year is entirely due to the Crown Prince's discovery of a good method."

A minister who supported Xue Qinghe stood up and spoke loudly.

The princelings boasted about Xue Qinghe's achievements.

The news that "the Crown Prince has found a good remedy to increase grain production across the country" had already spread throughout the court and even the entire country thanks to the arrangements of certain individuals. It was presented with seemingly logical and convincing evidence. Even those forces opposed to the Crown Prince, such as Prince Xuexing, could find no grounds for rebuttal.

After all, that is the truth.

Xueye nodded.

"Qinghe did a great job this time."

Xue Qinghe humbly replied, "It is all my duty."

What do you want?

Xue Qinghe bowed respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have no other desires but to do something practical for the people of the world. Therefore, I humbly request that Your Majesty order a 10% reduction in grain taxes for all the people of the country, based on the current amount."

After Xue Qinghe finished speaking, the court fell silent.

The snowy night frowned, extinguishing the joy of a bountiful harvest.

He said coldly, "That's not something you should be thinking about."

Prince Xuexing stepped forward and said with a faint smile, "Your Majesty, please calm down. His Highness the Crown Prince merely misspoke. Taxation is a matter of great importance to the nation; how can it be changed so arbitrarily?"

Xue Qinghe insisted, "Father, I assure you that this nationwide increase in production is not just a temporary stroke of luck; the empire will surely become even more prosperous. I implore you, Father, to consider the well-being of all the people!"

Are you saying I'm a tyrant?!

"Your subject would never have intended that!"

"No need for further words, let's adjourn the court."

After saying this, Xueye left the court directly.

The court officials left one after another, while Xue Qinghe stood still.

"Oh!"

Xuexing walked past him, letting out a mocking laugh.

The court session ended hastily, and Xue Qinghe returned to his residence early, not seeing anyone all afternoon.

The steward of the Crown Prince's residence was well-informed and considerate; somehow, he managed to get the news of the court assembly to Chi Ping's ears.

"Ugh!"

At the lab table, Chi Ping let out a deep sigh.

How could Xue Qinghe be such an impulsive person?

In this feudal era, even if he was the crown prince, he could not discuss tax issues without permission, especially since he had embarrassed Xueye.

"Tax cuts are a great thing for the people."

……

In the evening, after asking the housekeeper, Chi Ping entered Xue Qinghe's bedroom with a gift.

As soon as I entered, I saw Xue Qinghe drinking alone in silence.

Sniffing, Chi Ping looked helpless. After thinking for a moment, he removed the disguise he had maintained for half a year since the auction house slave incident and revealed his true face.

He stepped forward, placed the gift on the table, and snatched the wine cup and wine pot from Xue Qinghe's hands.

"Brother Chi, give it back to me..." Xue Qinghe said drunkenly, reaching out to snatch the wine back from Chi Ping's hand.

Chi Ping pushed him away, "Stop pretending. I may not have eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run, right? Is this how you drink alone? You don't smell of alcohol at all, and your face isn't even red."

Once Chi Ping exposed her, Xue Qinghe stopped pretending, and her eyes instantly became clear.

He patted his face. "Was my acting really that bad?"

"Very bad."

"Looks like I need to practice more."

Chi Ping rolled his eyes. "Even if you practice some more, it won't make much difference."

He pushed the gift in front of Xue Qinghe, "This is a toy I made for you to keep you entertained. If you anger the emperor, even if you are the crown prince, you won't have an easy time. You'll probably be staying in the mansion for the next couple of days, so use this to pass the time."

"Actually, I'm almost thirty, past the age of playing with toys." Xue Qinghe said nonchalantly, but her expression couldn't hide her joy as she clutched the gift tightly.

"This is truly a rare gift; it's the first time I've ever received one like this. How do you use this doll?"

Chi Ping brought two stick figure-style dolls, each a foot tall, made of wood with jade ball joints and five distinct fingers. Except for the lack of faces, they were perfect.

Chi Ping took out two modern-style game controllers, and used mycelium in his hands to weave threads to connect the controllers to the puppet's limbs.

"Watch closely."

In the name of the developer, Chi Ping inputted his soul power and controlled the puppet to walk, run, punch, somersault... and finally performed a smooth little combo.

"puppet?"

"Hmm... you can understand it that way, but it's not that sophisticated."

Chi Ping tossed the other handle to Xue Qinghe.

"Want to give it a try?"

"Teach me the basics first."

So Ikehira taught Xue Qinghe key by key.

An hour later, the two were engaged in a passionate battle, controlling the puppets.

"Spinning Kick! Double Dragons Emerging from the Sea! Azure Dragon Spreads its Claws!"

While manipulating the puppet to unleash incomprehensible combos, Chi Ping uttered nonsensical words. He was a complete noob with a serious addiction to being bad at the game.

"This isn't something you can win just by talking a good game."

Xue Qinghe smiled contemptuously, seized the opportunity, and with a turn of his puppet, knocked down Chi Ping's puppet with a punch.

"Tsk! We lost again," Chi Ping said unwillingly.

"Where did you learn these combat skills?" Chi Ping asked, putting down the controller.

Xue Qinghe's cultivation level is only Soul King, but his combat skills and soul power control are exceptionally high! He doesn't seem like a young master who wouldn't stand under a dangerous building.

After the initial adjustment period, even without activating his intuition, Chi Ping could only fight Xue Qinghe to a standstill when manipulating the puppet.

"An emperor can't be weak and helpless; I have several martial arts instructors," Xue Qinghe replied casually, then asked, "By the way, how much is this puppet worth?"

"Ten gold soul coins. I'm not pursuing combat power, so the materials I used aren't very good; they're all second-rate materials." Chi Ping put the doll on the table. It was getting late, and he should go back to his room.

"Can a regular level one Soul Master do this?"

Chi Ping looked up. "You want to sell this thing?"

Xue Qinghe nodded. "This way of playing games feels novel and interesting. It might become a trend among nobles. I'd like to take over this business, and I think Tiandou Academy might also be interested in it."

"I'll tidy it up and give you the design document tomorrow."

Chi Ping resumed his disguise and left his bedroom under Xue Qinghe's watchful gaze.

As he walked to the entrance of the courtyard, he looked back at the lights that had been turned off inside the room and smiled with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)