Chapter 5: The Diligent Emperor
The leap from Fortune Tier I to Fortune Tier II is like the difference between heaven and earth. With Fortune Tier II, you are already ahead of 90% of ordinary people.
Take spellcasting as an example: When Zhao Xing uses the spell 【Moving Clouds】, there might only be a 2-3% chance out of 100 casts to trigger a Fortune-Enhanced Effect, which increases the spell's power by 20-30%. Players call this the 'Minor Spell Success'.
Once in a thousand times, a Double Effect might occur, known among players as the 'Major Spell Success'.
However, with Fortune Tier II, you might trigger Minor Success two or three times in just 10 spell casts, and Major Success once in 100 casts.
This is just the benefit in spellcasting. There are other advantages like finding treasures while walking, meeting hidden masters when seeking mentorship, and never returning empty-handed from fishing.
Especially in the "Fortune Dynasty" game version, these effects are even more apparent.
"But why is this happening? I remember very clearly that the Dao Embryo Pill doesn't have this effect... Hmm?"
Suddenly, Zhao Xing had a flash of inspiration, realizing a possible reason.
"The current Great Dream Academy is very different from the later Cloud Dream Academy. The former was filled with treasures, while the latter became more of a tool."
"Could it be that I indirectly inherited some of the fortune from the ancient dynasty Li Dynasty by entering the Great Dream Academy?"
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Zhao Xing then began recalling the lore about this ancient dynasty, weighing whether this result was good or bad.
The conclusion: the benefits outweighed the risks.
"The Li Dynasty era was long before the Zhou Dynasty, and during the chaos of the feudal lords, some factions claiming to be remnants of the Li Dynasty made a few moves but never caused much trouble. Not to mention, in the current era, this is even less of a concern."
"Fortune grows invisibly, with no traces to follow. The advancement from Fortune Tier I to Fortune Tier II won’t draw any attention."
"If I can keep enhancing my fortune, there’s no rush. By then, I will have already entered the Great Zhou's system. If some master in the government notices, I could just hand over the method to enter the Great Dream Academy to the state, and it’ll be a one-time deal."
Zhao Xing remembered the person who discovered the method to access the Great Dream Academy wasn’t given 'special treatment.' On the contrary, after presenting the method to Emperor Wu, he was even granted the title of Marquis Xian and rewarded with a county.
So, whether the fortune growth is discovered or not, it’s just a matter of how much you profit, not a question of safety.
"Still, I need to enter the system as soon as possible."
Having thought everything through, Zhao Xing relaxed.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo~"
The sound of a rooster crowing came from outside, prompting him to wash up quickly and leave the house in a hurry.
At present, the Agricultural Bureau of Gu City has over 500 people.
However, only three to five spots are allocated annually to Gu City from Nanyang County.
Most of the low-level clerks in the Agricultural Bureau, without talent or background, could only endure hardship, waiting for their outstanding competitors to be promoted.
The Agricultural Bureau is still better off. The promotion channels in the military, engineering, law, literature, and rites systems are even more competitive.
To put it simply, it’s easier to switch professions from being an agricultural official than a warrior, engineer, or physician.
This year, the Agricultural Bureau has many 'experts,' such as Li Chengfeng and Wen Nanxing, who have nearly reached Essence Gathering Tier III.
Not only can they use basic spells like 【Moving Clouds】, 【Summoning Rain】, 【Thunder Calling】, and 【Summon Wind】, but they have also begun learning advanced versions.
Spells like 《Weather Harmony》 and 《Summoning Storms》.
They can even enter the temple to comprehend advanced secret manuals like 《Seasons Order》 and 《All Things Grow》, after which they can begin practicing more powerful spells.
In both 'merit' and 'technique', these experts are leagues ahead of the other low-level clerks.
If Zhao Xing wants to surpass these competitors, he must accelerate his pace.
"I'm already at Essence Gathering Tier II, with enough energy to support more spellcasting. It's time to learn new spells."
The Agricultural Bureau of Gu City is located in the eastern part of the city, but Zhao Xing is heading north because, to learn spells, he must first go to the county office for approval, get recorded, and then visit the temple to seek the spell.
After obtaining the spell, he would have to return to the county office to update the records since the process at the temple could result in randomly gaining extra spells.
Once that’s done, he would return to the Agricultural Bureau to find someone to guide him in practicing. The official clerks of the Agricultural Bureau serve as both superiors and teachers to the lower-level clerks.
Whether they are willing to teach and how much effort they put in depends on whether you can find the right person.
Zhao Xing entered the county office to begin the process and was warmly greeted by the clerk on duty.
"My name is Pang Fei. There's some iced tea inside. Please, Brother Zhao, rest in the side hall for a while."
Looking at Pang Fei's young and enthusiastic face, Zhao Xing was a little surprised. "You're very polite, Brother Pang. How long will it take for the documents to be approved?"
He's here to get things done, not drink tea.
"Stamping the documents will take no more than an hour, half an hour if we're quick."
So fast? Since when did the county office become so efficient?
He thought Pang Fei was an exception, but when he sat in the side hall drinking tea, every clerk he saw was the same!
After a while, Zhao Xing understood.
It all started with Emperor Jing.
Emperor Jing was an ambitious man. He named his reign 'Jingxin,' hoping to create a new atmosphere and surpass the virtues of his ancestors.
His father, Emperor Wen, was known for 'loving the people like his children, humble and kind.' But Emperor Jing, with his fiery temper, couldn't match his father's compassion, so he sought to outdo him in other ways.
Thus, this emperor initiated a trend of hyper-competitiveness.
The Great Zhou Regulations stipulated that minor matters should be handled within five days, medium matters within seven, and major matters within ten.
Under Emperor Jing's orders, all county-level institutions were required to process paperwork and handle affairs with utmost efficiency, never delaying anything.
This created a wave of competitiveness across the Nineteen Provinces.
Hence, players gave Emperor Jing the nickname 'The Diligent Emperor'.
Why is the government so efficient? The emperor himself set the example—who would dare slack off? The temple in the city isn’t just for decoration. It can monitor corruption and malfeasance, as well as track lazy and incompetent officials!
Why was Pang Yun so courteous? Because he's also a low-level clerk, just like Zhao Xing, and he also wants a promotion! If he doesn’t compete with his colleagues, when will he be able to secure a stable position?
"Setting up temples to oversee officials and spread wisdom to the common people, this period is really safe. Unlike later, when things got so chaotic, you couldn’t even farm in peace..." As an Agricultural Bureau player, Zhao Xing was very satisfied with the current environment—it was the perfect time to develop!
After finishing his tea, another enthusiastic clerk promptly refilled his cup.
After repeating this three times, Pang Fei came running over with a document in hand.
"Brother Zhao, your application has been approved. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Thank you." Seeing the sweat on Pang Fei's forehead, Zhao Xing sincerely expressed his gratitude.
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