A contest of monarchs

"The weather is getting colder and colder."

Fang Weiyan rubbed his hands together. The stove next to him was now burning, but Fang Weiyan felt that it wasn't particularly useful.

I'll get a few air conditioners over later.

Fang Weiyan thought for a moment and felt that since the weather here was so cold, it would be good to bring over a few air conditioners.

Unfortunately, underfloor heating requires digging up the entire floor and also requires experienced construction workers, as the palace is too large.

Otherwise, it would be much more comfortable to have underfloor heating throughout the entire palace.

However, by now, it will soon be the twelfth lunar month.

Fang Weiyan felt increasingly expectant.

The twelfth lunar month is the time for offering sacrifices to Heaven and going to Mount Kunxu.

I heard from the Dragon King that many kings from different countries travel to Mount Kunxu every year.

In the end, however, very few people were able to become the Human Sovereign.

"Is my lord waiting for the twelfth lunar month so he can go to Mount Kunxu?"

Yunxi then ordered someone to bring over a stove, and seeing Fang Weiyan deep in thought, a thought suddenly struck her.

She had already heard Fang Weiyan mention the Human Sovereign.

After careful consideration, she also felt that given Fang Weiyan's abilities, it would be much better for him to compete for the Human Sovereign.

If the Jiang Kingdom becomes increasingly powerful in the future, and then has Human Sovereign to oversee it, then the Jiang Kingdom will have a solid foundation for its strength.

In addition, this also ensures Fang Weiyan's safety.

The Jiang Kingdom has recovered to this extent entirely thanks to Fang Weiyan's efforts alone.

Even in ordinary times, being an emperor is extremely dangerous, as there may be treacherous officials plotting to harm him.

If Fang Weiyan is safe, then the Jiang Kingdom will be secure in the future.

"Yes, I'm still a little nervous."

Upon hearing this, Fang Weiyan turned to look at Yunxi and smiled, a hint of trepidation on his face.

The Dragon King said that although so many rulers come every year, only a few are actually granted the title of Human Sovereign.

Basically, most of them failed.

Currently, the Jiang Kingdom's national strength is only at the yellow stage, and Fang Weiyan is not sure if he can truly become the Human Sovereign after going there.

"Why worry so much, my lord? With your abilities, there should be no problem. The people of the Jiang Kingdom hold you in such high esteem, so there should be even less of a problem."

Seeing Fang Weiyan's worried expression, Yunxi immediately comforted him gently.

In her opinion, Fang Weiyan had absolutely no need to worry about this.

If anyone were to go out and take a stroll right now, which citizen of the Jiang Kingdom wouldn't be grateful to Fang Weiyan?

From the Fang Weiyan ascended the throne, he had the Ministry of Ministry of Rites issue a series of edicts informing the people that the current emperor would ensure that everyone had enough to eat and could live in good houses.

So that they can have a worry-free life from now on.

In just a few months, Fang Weiyan had almost accomplished all of that.

The people of the Jiang Kingdom had just experienced hunger and cold, and lived a life of chaos.

He barely escaped death.

After experiencing that life worse than death, they now have the life that Fang Weiyan has bestowed upon them.

The respect she held for Fang Weiyan was unimaginable to outsiders.

Just like Fang Weiyan right now, if he were recognized while on patrol, the people would definitely kneel down in a circle on their own initiative.

For no other reason than their respect for Fang Weiyan.

Yunxi also knew this, which explained Fang Weiyan had so much support from the people.

Naturally, they also felt that seizing the throne of the Human Sovereign would not be difficult.

Fang Weiyan felt much more at ease after hearing Yunxi's words of comfort.

"Is there any news about the Mountain Spirit from the Underworld Administration?"

Mountain Spirit, mountain spirits, are said to be skilled at bestowing blessings.

Although the other party would only submit to the Human Sovereign, Fang Weiyan still had some confidence in the Human Sovereign's position.

So they sent people to search around, hoping to find out the location of the Mountain Spirit so they could go and recruit it later.

There's no news yet.

Still no news...?

Upon hearing this news, Fang Weiyan frowned slightly. This Mountain Spirit was indeed very mysterious.

Finding the other person is indeed not easy.

"Don't force it if you can't find it."

Fang Weiyan thought for a moment, then said something.

Yunxi nodded slightly as she listened, but in her heart she was thinking, "Fang Weiyan values this Mountain Spirit so much."

She had to find a way to let Fang Weiyan see the Mountain Spirit, no matter what.

Fang Weiyan didn't think much of it; after the stove was lit, the room became a little warmer.

Fang Weiyan glanced at the booklet presented by the minister.

We had already asked them to build the greenhouse, and now vegetables are already being planted inside.

With greenhouses and fertilizer, the harvest inside should be quite good.

Next, we need to gradually transition towards industrialization.

Technology is, after all, the primary productive force, and Fang Weiyan was well aware of this.

However, energy is a major problem in building an industrial system.

The sun here is much cooler than the sun on Earth, so it's better to use thermal or hydroelectric power to generate electricity.

"Alas, the road to development is long and arduous..."

Just thinking about all the things he had to do next gave Fang Weiyan a headache.

Getting these things done is not as simple as it seems.

Fang Weiyan was thinking about the upcoming construction plans and felt that things were getting a bit complicated.

How are everything prepared?

At this moment, tens of thousands of kilometers away in the Great Zhou Jiang Kingdom Palace, a middle-aged man asked his trusted minister a question.

The middle-aged man was dressed in a yellow robe and wore a crown.

Upon hearing this, the minister kneeling to the side quickly spoke up.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. This year, we used the superior grains bestowed by the Great Shang for planting, and the grain yield has increased significantly."

"Furthermore, our coins this year have already circulated in the states of Great Shang, Great Liang, and Chenwu, so there shouldn't be any problems with them."

"Furthermore, this year, thanks to the Mountain Spirit of the Great Shang who helped our country pray for blessings, this year can be considered a year of favorable weather and abundant harvests..."

"It seems certain that His Majesty will become the Human Sovereign this year."

The ministers standing to the side spoke with utmost respect.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Great Zhou's furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

After nodding slightly, he asked, "What's the situation in Great Liang and Chenwu?"

Both Great Liang and Chenwu Kingdom were states that were quite similar to the Great Zhou.

To this day, neither of their rulers has become Human Sovereign.

The Great Shang, on the other hand, was a nation that already had Human Sovereign. The Great Zhou Dynasty was dependent on the Great Shang, hoping to gain some assistance so that it could also become Human Sovereign.

Although under these circumstances, it was inevitable that the Great Zhou would lose a significant amount of resources and national strength to the other side.

But in order to successfully become the Human Sovereign, the Great Zhou Emperor couldn't care less about anything else.

Becoming the Human Sovereign is incredibly difficult.

He had been planning this since he ascended the throne at the age of twenty-eight, but year after year passed.

Now, more than ten years have passed, and they still haven't even scratched the surface.

Of the other rulers who pursued this path with him back then, only one has now become the Human Sovereign.

However, after becoming Human Sovereign, he had to compete with top dynasties for various territories and resources, and his country was destroyed in the third year.

Other dynasties sought this approach for centuries, yet still failed to find the answer.

It's safe to say that becoming the Human Sovereign is no easy feat.

"I've heard that both the Great Liang and Chenwu have secretly received some assistance from other dynasties, so perhaps they have some hope this year."

Upon hearing this, the trusted confidant quickly responded.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Great Zhou frowned.

This is not a good thing for him.

"Any news from other countries?"

Great Liang and Chenwu were both his neighbors, so he naturally paid more attention to these neighbors than to those from other countries.

Last year, hundreds of countries visited Mount Kunxu, and it's unknown how many rulers will go this year.

However, he wasn't very familiar with other countries and was only making some inquiries at the moment.

"Your Majesty, other countries are all quite far away from us, and their information is not always readily available..."

The words of his confidant did not anger the Emperor of Great Zhou.

Comparatively speaking, it's sufficient that we have a clearer understanding of Great Liang Chenwu's situation.

If the rulers of other countries become Human Sovereign, and they are so far apart, they pose no threat to the Great Zhou.

But if Great Liang and Chenwu were to become Human Sovereign, things would become much more complicated.

"Keep a close eye on them, and if anything unexpected happens, remember to report it immediately."

The Emperor of Great Zhou thought for a moment, then gave an order.

The confidant immediately nodded in agreement.

Seeing that everything was alright, the Emperor of Great Zhou waved his hand, indicating that the other party could leave.

After his trusted confidants left, the Emperor of Great Zhou raised his head, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

He was still somewhat worried about whether he would succeed in his trip to Mount Kunxu.

He is now over forty years old.

If he can't become the Human Sovereign by the time he reaches his age, then the limitation of lifespan will definitely become his weakness.

In addition, recently, some of his sons have started to become somewhat restless.

Back then, he did use some methods to inherit the throne.

He himself had gone through this, so how could he not know what his sons were thinking?

Once he becomes the Human Sovereign, his lifespan will be extended considerably.

For this reason, his children would never easily allow him to become the Human Sovereign.

As far as he knew, quite a few of his sons had caused trouble.

Thinking of this, the Emperor of Great Zhou's face darkened.

This trip to Mount Kunxu must be a complete success.

Otherwise, if you miss it this year, you'll have to wait until next year.

The Great Shang has been sucking the lifeblood of the Great Zhou, and they're getting more ruthless every year.

Over the years, in order to smoothly become the Human Sovereign, he has emptied the Great Zhou's coffers.

This year is arguably the most promising year yet; if we fail this year, things could get really messy later.

If the Great Zhou loses its foundation, what will it use to continue its journey to Mount Kunxu next year?

The Emperor of Great Zhou's face turned extremely ugly at the thought of this.

While the Emperor of Great Zhou waited anxiously, similar events were unfolding in other countries.

The dried fish will be ready soon.

Any monarch with even a modicum of ambition is actively preparing at this moment.

All of this is in order to become the Human Sovereign.

Once Human Sovereign, the fate of the entire nation will converge upon them.

At that time, one will be able to become a ruler of a region and extend one's lifespan.

Unlike ordinary monarchs who have to be wary of numerous assassinations on a daily basis, demons can sometimes take their lives with great ease.

Only by becoming the Human Sovereign could they control their own destiny.

Having become the Human Sovereign, the things he will face will become more complicated.

But if one doesn't become the Human Sovereign, one will ultimately be nothing more than an ant.

Under these circumstances, all the dynasties on this continent are constantly making preparations.

Everything I've done this year is in preparation for becoming the Human Sovereign.

Some monarchs, now over seventy years old, are still preparing to become Human Sovereign, hoping to prolong their lives and live longer.

In the past, there have been instances of monarchs who became Human Sovereign at the age of eighty and then lived much longer afterward.

Such deeds inspired many old emperors, who felt they had a chance.

Some monarchs, though still young, dreamed of becoming Human Sovereign earlier, thus becoming the youngest Human Sovereign in history.

That will be recorded in history.

The younger one becomes Human Sovereign, the more opportunities he will have to fully utilize his abilities.

With this in mind, the monarchs of various dynasties made meticulous preparations for becoming Human Sovereign.

The Human Sovereign!

Such temptation is truly irresistible to few.

As the date for the winter fishing season draws closer, preparations in various countries are becoming increasingly thorough.

Some dynasties that had long since become Human Sovereign appeared extremely calm at this moment.

Having already become the Human Sovereign himself, he now watched other monarchs working so hard to vie for the Human Sovereign, and felt a bit like watching a spectacle.

They all secretly wished that these rulers would succeed, but after careful consideration...

Becoming the Human Sovereign is not so simple; at that time, many monarchs will likely weep bitterly before the stone platform.

That would be a great scene!

Thinking of this, many Human Sovereign smiled, their hearts filled with indifference.

Even if a monarch becomes the Human Sovereign, the gap between them is still too great.

After all, they had been Human Sovereign for a long time, and their country was becoming increasingly powerful under their leadership.

With their continuous growth and strengthening, some rising stars naturally cannot compare to them.

So basically, even if a monarch were to succeed by chance, the gap between them and those who came before them would not be so easily bridged.

Even trying to make amends is utterly hopeless.