Queen Jiang, Jiang Chan, was Di Xin's queen. In the Investiture of the Gods, Daji plotted against her, having her eyes gouged out and her hands burned with a heated bronze pillar. She died unjustly in the West Palace and was later invested as the Taiyin Star.
Naturally, Di Xin knew of the famous Queen Jiang, arguably the most tragic figure in the Investiture of the Gods War.
Only now, he himself was the King Zhou of Shang famed in later ages, and Jiang Chan was his queen.
Although he occupied Di Xin's body and was now effectively Di Xin himself, the thought that Queen Jiang was Di Xin's wife made him feel strange whenever he considered doing anything with her. It gave him the bizarre feeling that he was planting a lush green prairie of cuckoldry on his own head...
So ever since arriving in the Primordial World of the Investiture of the Gods, he had resisted having any contact with Queen Jiang.
But now, this wife he had acquired by default had finally come knocking.
"Whatever else you might say about him, King Zhou really did have good taste... This wife I've inherited is a real beauty..."
When Di Xin saw Queen Jiang, his gaze could not help wavering slightly.
Queen Jiang looked no more than twenty-six or twenty-seven. She was tall and slender, made up as delicately as powdered jade, her hair laden with pearls and kingfisher ornaments. Her features were enchanting, her bearing graceful.
Her two fine, arched moth-wing brows swept into her temples; her lively phoenix eyes roamed over those around her. Born amid heaps of silks and brocades, she nonetheless disdained ostentation; raised among pearls and jade, she could hardly be called plainly adorned, yet she possessed an innate dignity and quiet elegance.
The exquisite pale-green pendant at her chest, in particular, set off the breathtaking whiteness of her soft, jade-like skin.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing?!"
Queen Jiang offered Di Xin a graceful curtsy, entirely unaware that, as she lowered herself, the deep valley at her chest became all the more accessible to his keen, prying eyes.
"I'm making a few little things..." Di Xin waved casually, then rubbed the head of Yin Hong, who had run to his side. With a teasing smile, he added, "I take it the chancellor sent you!"
"Nothing escapes your discerning eyes, Your Majesty. The chancellor did ask me to come and counsel you, but he meant no harm. He merely saw that you were neglecting court affairs and feared that matters of state would suffer." Queen Jiang was considerate and kindhearted, and she hurried to explain on Bi Gan's behalf.
"You may think so, but I'm afraid the chancellor doesn't. He would like nothing better than for me to stop governing altogether and cement my reputation as a muddleheaded ruler." Di Xin gave a cold laugh and spoke those words lightly. Then, seeing Queen Jiang turn pale, a sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead, he smiled and helped her rise. "I'm not blaming you. There's no need to worry. And trust me, I'm not fooling around. I'm making useful things that concern the very foundations of our Great Shang. With these, how could our Great Shang fail to flourish? How could the human race fail to prosper?!"
By the end, Di Xin had thrown back his head and burst into laughter, his face brimming with confidence.
Just as he had said, tomorrow his work would dazzle the dog eyes of Bi Gan and those other old fossils, showing them what a truly enlightened ruler was! A truly sage king!
Queen Jiang stared at Di Xin, momentarily entranced.
It had been so very long since she had seen him so spirited and full of confidence.
"So I was worrying needlessly." Only after a moment of distraction did Queen Jiang shake her head and laugh softly.
Though she had no idea what Di Xin was actually making, she felt certain that what he was doing was not the neglect of his proper duties that Bi Gan and the others claimed.
She even felt that Di Xin possessed a peculiar charm at that very moment, one that sent her heart fluttering... It was how she had felt when they first met...
[System notification: Queen Jiang's loyalty and affection +20, total 80. Consort's Infatuation Achievement Task unlocked. Complete the task to receive one random reward...]
"Go back for now, my queen. Tomorrow, come out of the city with me, and you'll see what I've been working on..."
At the string of system notifications, Di Xin inwardly exclaimed, Holy fucking shit! He had intended to avoid Queen Jiang, yet now he had inexplicably gained twenty affection points, leaving him deeply unsettled, and even unlocked that blasted Consort's Infatuation task. He hurriedly forced a smile, waved, and spoke.
"Yes. Then Hong and I shall take our leave. I'll await your good news tomorrow, Your Majesty." Queen Jiang smiled and nodded. Holding Yin Hong's hand, she took a few steps toward the courtyard exit, then seemed to remember something and turned back to Di Xin. "Your Majesty, I heard that Sister Daji returned to Shouxian Palace in tears two days ago. She has only recently entered the palace and may not yet understand many things. Please have pity on her and cherish her. Do not blame her for the wrongs of her father, the marquis... I will go and comfort her as well..."
Queen Jiang is actually pleading for Daji, asking me to favor her!
At her words, Di Xin could not help falling into a daze, an exceedingly strange smile spreading across his face.
Who could have imagined that Queen Jiang, who hated Daji so fiercely in the Investiture of the Gods that she wanted to tear her apart alive, would now plead on her behalf?!
The history of the Investiture of the Gods had already changed!
"I'll consider your words, my queen. But there's no need for you to visit her. If she's wise, she'll understand your good intentions..." Di Xin waved a hand and gave Queen Jiang that reminder, then could not help adding with feeling, "Still, I truly never expected you to be so magnanimous..."
He meant every word, speaking from the heart.
After all, although he knew ancient emperors had three palaces and six courtyards full of women, he had never expected a queen to actually push another woman into her husband's bed. Her heart truly was broad enough. No wonder Queen Jiang had such an ample bosom!
"Your Majesty..."
At his words, Queen Jiang's lovely cheeks flushed faintly, and a misty sheen veiled her eyes.
It had been so very long since she had heard Di Xin praise her.
[Queen Jiang's loyalty and affection +5...]
Instantly, Di Xin saw the values in the background refresh once again.
Holy shit, even that can make it go up...
How on earth had the old Di Xin treated Queen Jiang for a single remark like that to earn so much affection from her?
Di Xin was speechless. Looking again at Queen Jiang's tender, limpid eyes, he felt another headache coming on. He hastily forced a smile and saw her out.
"Hong, when you grow up, you must become a man as great and noble as your father."
After leaving the palace, Queen Jiang rubbed Yin Hong's head and gave him that advice.
"I'll work hard to follow Father's example!"
Yin Hong nodded firmly, his clear eyes shining brilliantly.
Queen Jiang smiled in relief at the sight.
Time passed swiftly, and before long, noon on the third day arrived.
Outside Chaoge City, the air was utterly still, without even a breath of wind. Having received Di Xin's decree well in advance, Bi Gan and the other ministers had been waiting beside the barren fields on the outskirts since early morning. They waited and waited, but Di Xin still failed to appear. They sent several reminders, only to be told each time that His Majesty was on his way.
Seething with resentment, these turncoats naturally contributed a full +2,000 negative emotion points to Di Xin, who had deliberately arranged things this way. His accumulated negative emotion points smoothly broke through the ten-thousand mark once again, reaching +10,330.
"Chancellor, could His Majesty be afraid of his wager with you and not dare to come?" Huang Feihu leaned close to Bi Gan and lowered his voice. "If so, you must pursue the matter relentlessly and make His Majesty honor the wager."
"Rest assured, King of Wucheng. I, Bi Gan, will never allow His Majesty to become a tyrant like Xia Jie. How could I dare spare my heart's blood in enabling him to govern with folded hands..." Bi Gan nodded with a smile, then approached Shang Rong and said ingratiatingly, "Minister Shang, when the time comes, I will need you to join me in urging His Majesty to honor the wager."
"As subjects, how can we usurp our sovereign's authority?" Shang Rong's expression was as calm as still water. His mild rebuke left Bi Gan's face darkening. Then he continued, "Besides, I think you should give more thought to what you'll do if you lose, Chancellor!"
Me, lose?!
At those words, an amused smile immediately filled Bi Gan's face, and he shook his head repeatedly.
He had watched this king grow up. Who knew better than he did what the king could and could not do?
The king might have been getting on famously with those artisans these past few days, but what could he possibly make?!
Moreover, reclaiming two thousand mu of land was impossible without at least half a year. The farmers could not do it, and neither could Di Xin!
"His Majesty approaches!"
Just then, a cry rose in the distance. Moments later, Di Xin arrived at the fields with a crowd of artisans carrying chests.
"You're all here early!" Di Xin swept his gaze around, taking in the faces soured by waiting, furious yet not daring to speak. After two amused chuckles, he patted Bi Gan's shoulder and asked with a smile, "Chancellor, do you know why I waited until noon to come here?!"
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