Chapter 229: "This Is the Second One...

Xiao Yang made a rare visit to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

She pushed open the doors and sunlight streamed in, causing the gilding on all the ancestral tablets to glint as if they had momentarily sprung to life.

Xiao Yang dismissed everyone, grabbed a handful of incense, and lit it unhurriedly.

She started with the oldest ancestor, offering incense to each one in turn.

She placed the last stick of incense before the late Emperor’s memorial tablet.

Sunlight pierced through the swirling smoke to land on the tablet, which reflected a golden light, outlining figures in the incense haze.

"This is the second one..."

Xiao Yang said slowly.

Xiao Yang had never forgotten the system’s words: A Son of Heaven’s Mandate, nurtured by the Xiao Family’s draconic ley line.

"If you ancestors truly have spirits, then watch closely."

For every one they nurtured, she would slay one.

A Son of Heaven’s Mandate—so what?

If the Xiao Family’s draconic ley line would not favor her, then this empire didn’t necessarily have to bear the Xiao name.

She could abandon the throne, let the dynasty change its name, let Da Wei fall. She just wondered if these old ancestors could bear to have their imperial incense offerings cut off forever.

As Xiao Yang left the Imperial Ancestral Temple, a radiant splendor lingered behind her. A golden light followed her to the doorway, only then gradually dissipating.

An elder of the Xiao Family, who was waiting nearby and was in charge of the temple offerings, watched this scene in astonishment. His gaze followed the Emperor, then turned back to look at the ancestral tablets inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The incense smoke continued to curl, but the light was gone. Yet he was certain that what he had just seen was real, not a hallucination.

’The ancestors really can manifest their spirits!’

-----

After a year of development, the News Department was now quite mature.

Due to layout and production capacity, a new edition was now published every five days.

The front page was reserved for the court to announce official decrees. The following pages contained several sections, including engineering, medicine, literature, and even entertainment and gossip.

The newspaper was now incredibly popular. In remote areas, it could even be used as currency to buy things.

Because the regions were so remote, the newspaper was hard to come by, and the knowledge it contained far exceeded its nominal value.

Today, the front-page headline was about the late Emperor having another son.

Compared to the previous word-of-mouth rumors, the newspaper’s circulation was far wider and more detailed. It also carried the weight of authority, as it was stamped and issued by the News Department.

It meticulously explained the identity of Ji Xuanmo’s mother, the Ji Family’s testimony, and the entire sequence of events. It concluded by announcing that after verification, Ji Xuanmo was indeed of the late Emperor’s bloodline and would soon be officially recognized by the clan.

The moment the newspaper was released, it caused a massive uproar.

Just as Prince Jing and the others had worried, the public’s discussion focused on Ji Xuanmo’s status as the eldest son and a man.

By order of birth, he was the eldest son. By gender, he was a Prince. If he hadn’t been lost and living in obscurity, the throne should have been his.

People were actually quite worried about being punished by the government for discussing the throne, but the government took no action at all.

Just like before, the news was released, and they were given immense freedom of speech.

However, this didn’t mean there were no rules. Discussion and ideas were permitted, but anyone who disrespected the Emperor, hurled verbal abuse, or participated in sedition was arrested on the spot.

Instead of executing people, the Emperor now arrested them and sent them all to the mines.

Enough time spent mining, and people learned to behave.

Ji Xuanmo’s ceremony of clan recognition was arranged quickly. Prince Jing had everything ready in three days, and the date happened to be auspicious.

Ji Xuanmo was renamed Xiao Mo and was entered into the Royal Jade Butterfly.

The Emperor granted him a mansion, assigned people to care for him, and that was it.

At this time, public interest in Ji Xuanmo was still very high, and many felt this treatment was far too perfunctory.

Was that it? So casual?

No banquet? No title enfeoffment? Wouldn’t this make the Emperor seem too stingy?

However, on the second day after Xiao Mo was recognized by the clan, the Emperor publicly promoted Prince Jing to the rank of Imperial Prince in Jinluan Palace. At the same time, she announced the invention of rubber tires and the launch of bicycles sold by the Ministry of Industry.

Da Wei was not short on iron ore, so the industry for vehicle frames had gradually developed. The most expensive part of the bicycle was still the tires.

Because rubber could not yet be mass-produced, the first batch of bicycles was limited to only three hundred units.

Inlaid with high-hardness gemstones and decorated with gold and silver, these three hundred bicycles were sold for the exorbitant price of one thousand taels of silver each.

With the added craftsmanship and gemstones, no one felt the price was too high.

Furthermore, it was announced that these three hundred were a limited edition. Future production models would be standard versions and would never be this exquisite again.

The three hundred bicycles were snatched up and sold out within half a day, and the Ministry of Industry instantly raked in a revenue of three hundred thousand taels of silver.

One hundred thousand taels went to the National Treasury, one hundred thousand was allocated for materials, and the remaining one hundred thousand was designated for bonuses.

There were no delays and no corruption. The gleaming silver was piled right there, distributed according to predetermined amounts.

The moment they received the silver, their respect for Prince Jing and the Emperor reached its peak.

’It doesn’t matter if the Emperor is a woman. What matters is that she’s a good Emperor—when there’s money, she actually gives it out!’

The Ministry of Industry’s success also made the papers. Overnight, the Capital City was filled with officials from the Ministry of Industry walking with their heads held high, and the children of nobility showing off on their gold- and gem-inlaid bicycles.

Carriages were great, but bicycles were convenient and novel.

Crowds would watch the people riding back and forth, never tiring of the sight. Their eyes glazed over with envy, wanting only to get a closer look, to touch one. At a time like this, who wanted to discuss some newly recognized Prince?

The Ministry of Industry struck while the iron was hot, quickly launching a three-wheeled bicycle.

It had a cargo bed added to the back, capable of carrying many goods, making it extremely practical.

The tricycle, however, wasn’t inlaid with anything. It was made of pure iron, with a projected price of twenty taels of silver.

The Capital City was incredibly prosperous, lined with shops and teeming with vendors. It needed no advertisement; many merchants knew exactly what they could do with this vehicle the moment they saw it.

The Six Ministries each performed their duties, the nation developed at a rapid pace, and a constant stream of novelties appeared one after another. From the court to the common people, everything was flourishing.

The matter of the late Emperor’s extra Prince quickly lost its heat, and it seemed everything was back on the right track.

But in reality, such a small ripple would not just die down. It would spread, bit by bit, gathering strength to become a monstrous wave.

The officials were highly motivated. In court affairs, Xiao Yang had the Regent King, Xiao Lv, Xiao Hong, and Xu Ling—four helpers in total—so she could finally lie back and relax.

With her newfound free time, she could even change her clothes, dress up, and go out to have fun.

In a tavern, Xiao Yang sat by the window, with Xu Xingchen seated across from her.

Xiao Yang hadn’t planned on bringing anyone with her, but unexpectedly, she ran into Xu Xingchen, who had been coming to find her, right as she was heading out.

Xu Xingchen had visited the palace a few times recently, but both of them were busy and would part ways after only a short while. Meanwhile, Rong Yin and Mu Yunlian were creating sparks fighting over who would stay the night in Zichen Palace. Xiao Yang wasn’t hungry in the least, so she had no time to crave this little snack.

Today was a rare opportunity. Since they had run into each other, Xiao Yang pulled him out with her.

She might not be craving him, but looking at Xu Xingchen’s youthful face was still a pleasure.