Diligent Emperor

The difference between Derivation One and Derivation Two luck was like heaven and earth. Derivation Two luck had already surpassed ninety percent of ordinary people.

Taking spells as an example, when Zhao Xing cast Cloudcalling, perhaps only two or three times out of a hundred would trigger a Blessing of Luck, increasing the spell's effectiveness by twenty to thirty percent. Players had named this effect "Minor Spell Success."

Perhaps once in a thousand casts, it would trigger a "doubled effect"—what players called "Major Spell Success"!

But with Derivation Two luck, two or three out of every ten casts could trigger Minor Spell Success, while one out of every hundred casts could trigger Major Spell Success.

And this was only the benefit to spellcasting. There were also things like finding treasures when heading out, encountering hidden masters while seeking a teacher, or never coming back empty-handed while fishing...

Especially in the Dynasty of Fate version, this influence became even more apparent.

"But why? I remember clearly that the Dao Embryo Pill didn't have this effect... Hm?"

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Zhao Xing, and he thought of a possibility.

"The Great Dream Academy of this time is different from the later Cloud Dream Academy. The former possesses abundant treasures, while the latter is more of a tool."

"Could entering the Great Dream Academy have indirectly granted me part of the luck of the ancient dynasty, Great Li?"

The more he considered it, the more likely it seemed. Zhao Xing began recalling the relevant storylines surrounding that ancient dynasty, weighing whether this outcome was good or bad.

In the end, he concluded that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

"The Li Dynasty era is far removed from Great Zhou. Only during some period of the Warlords' Rebellion was there a force calling itself the remnants of the Li Dynasty, acting under its banner. In the end, it caused no great disturbance, much less in this era."

"The growth of luck is formless, invisible, and impossible to trace. Going from Derivation One to Derivation Two won't draw any attention at all."

"If it can continue growing stronger, there's no need to worry either. By then, I'll already be within Great Zhou's official system. If some expert from the authorities notices in the future, at worst I'll hand over the method of entering the Great Dream Academy to the state and make it a one-time deal."

Zhao Xing remembered that the person who discovered how to open the Great Dream Academy had not been "specially dealt with." On the contrary, after presenting the method to the Wu Emperor, he had been granted the title of Marquis Xian and rewarded with a county.

So whether the growth of luck was discovered only affected how much he earned, not his safety.

"Still, I need to enter the official system as soon as possible."

Having thought everything through, Zhao Xing finally relaxed.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo~"

A rooster crowed outside. He washed up hastily and rushed out the door.

Gucheng's Ministry of Agriculture currently had over five hundred people.

Yet Nanyang County allocated only three to five positions to Gucheng each year.

Most minor Ministry of Agriculture clerks without talent or connections could only endure and wait for their outstanding competitors to be promoted away.

The Ministry of Agriculture was already relatively good. The paths to advancement in the military, engineering, law, civil administration, rites, and other systems were even more cutthroat.

To put it plainly, it was easier for a Minister of Agriculture to change careers than for martial artists, Mechanism Masters, physicians, and the like.

This year, Gucheng's Ministry of Agriculture had many "experts." People like Li Chengfeng and Wen Nanxing were already nearing the Gathering Yuan Third Stage.

Not only could they use beginner spells such as Cloudcalling, Rainmaking, Thunderclap, and rising wind, they had also begun studying advanced versions.

Such as "Favorable Weather" and "Summoning Wind and Rain."

They could even enter the temple to comprehend advanced secret manuals like the "Solar Terms Decree" and "All Things Growth Chart." At that point, they could cultivate offensive spells.

Whether in cultivation techniques or spells, they stood above the other minor clerks.

If Zhao Xing wanted to surpass these competitors, he had to pick up the pace.

"I'm already at the Essence Gathering second order. My yuan energy is enough to support casting more spells, so it's time to learn some new ones."

Gucheng's Ministry of Agriculture was located in the east of the city, but Zhao Xing headed north instead. To learn spells, he first needed approval from the County Office, obtain permission, register them for the record, and then seek the spells at the temple.

After obtaining a spell, he also had to return to the County Office for another registration. This was because seeking spells at the temple could sometimes result in randomly receiving spells beyond the allotted number.

After that, he would return to the Ministry of Agriculture to seek guidance and cultivate. The Ministry's official officers were both superiors and teachers to minor clerks like them.

As for whether they were willing to teach, and how much effort they would put into teaching, that depended on whether one had found the right person.

Zhao Xing entered the County Office clerks' quarters to begin the process and received an enthusiastic welcome from the clerk on duty.

"My name is Pang Fei. There is some chilled tea prepared inside. Brother Zhao, please rest in the side hall for a while."

Seeing that young, enthusiastic face, Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised. "Brother Pang, you're too kind. How long will it take for the document to be approved?"

He was here to get things done, not to drink tea.

"Getting the document stamped will take no more than two hours. If it's quick, one hour will do."

So fast? Since when had the County Office become so efficient?

He had thought Pang Fei was an exception, but while drinking tea in the side hall, he discovered that every clerk he saw was exactly the same!

After thinking it over for a while, Zhao Xing finally understood.

This had to start with the Emperor Jing.

The Emperor Jing was an ambitious man. He had named his reign era New Splendor because he wanted to create a new atmosphere and surpass the virtuous reputation of his forebears.

His father, the Wen Emperor, had "loved the people as his children, and was respectful, modest, benevolent, and harmonious." But he himself had a fiery temper and could not achieve that. To surpass his father, he could only put effort into other areas.

Thus, this emperor took the lead in the rat race.

The Great Zhou Decree stipulated for official business: minor matters were to be completed within five days, medium matters within seven, and major matters within ten.

At his demand, all county and commandery-level institutions had to process and sign off on documents and handle government affairs with "daily completion" and "absolutely no delays."

As those above did, so did those below. A wave of rat-racing swept through all Nineteen Provinces.

Because of this, the Emperor Jing gained a nickname among players—"Diligent Emperor."

Why were government offices so efficient? The emperor himself was setting the example—would you dare slack off? That temple in the city had not been erected for nothing. On a large scale, it could monitor filthy and unlawful acts within the city. On a smaller scale, it could investigate officials for laziness and bad governance!

Why was Pang Fei so friendly? Because he was also a minor clerk. Like Zhao Xing, he wanted to become a full official! If he didn't outwork his colleagues, how many years would it take before he could make it ashore?

"Establishing temples to monitor all officials, spreading countless methods to enlighten the common people—this period really is safe. Unlike later, when everything was so chaotic that even farming a field wasn't peaceful..." As a Ministry of Agriculture player, Zhao Xing was extremely satisfied with the current environment. It was simply the perfect period for growth!

As soon as he finished one cup of tea, another enthusiastic clerk immediately came to refill it.

After this repeated three times, Pang Fei came jogging over with a document in his arms.

"Brother Zhao, your application has been approved. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Thank you." Seeing the faint beads of sweat on Pang Fei's forehead, Zhao Xing thanked him sincerely.