My Days as a God in Ancient Times
Chu Qiuze was feeling conflicted. He was seriously considering whether to switch the crop variety.
Switching to Grandpa Yuan’s hybrid rice sounded like a good idea, but when he thought about the local geography, he realized there was too much sandy soil.
Rice simply wouldn’t survive here. The survival rate was too low, so it would be better not to plant it at all.
“Host” Xiao En suggested after some thought, “why don’t we do it like modern businesses? Set up a stall outside the county office, cook a few dozen pots, and let people have a taste”
It would be a bit wasteful, but it was still a feasible plan.
With a wave of his hand, he told Chen Cuozhi to get things started. Who knew? Maybe once people got a taste, they’d realize how good this was.
Once the plan was put into action, it did have some effect.
A fist-sized potato was enough to fill the stomachs of women and children. The taste wasn’t bad either.
On top of that, word spread that the planting process was simple and the seeds were free. Before long, some people were convinced and took the potatoes home to plant.
Unfortunately, there weren’t that many takers.
Originally, he had bought enough potatoes to plant on half of the arable land in the county.
The idea was that with half of the land dedicated to potatoes, the rest could still be used for other crops people wanted to grow.
But now, not even a third of that land was being used.
Chu Qiuze let out a long sigh. There was no helping them. A high-yield crop was right in front of them, and they still wouldn’t plant it.
The opportunity to change their fate was right there.
Ah...!
“No need to sigh” Lan An walked in from the doorway, holding a brocade box in his hands. “The matter has been resolved.”
Chu Qiuze’s eyes lit up. “What’s this?”
“A decree from His Highness the Crown Prince” Lan An handed him the box. “Half of the land will be used for planting potatoes. The other half can be used at their discretion. At the end of the year, the imperial treasury will supplement the people with the equivalent amount of grain. In exchange, all harvested potatoes will be sold to the court at a low price.”
Chu Qiuze nodded. Over the past few days, he had gained a better understanding of Dahuan, including the current Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince’s intent was clear, he wanted the first batch of potatoes to be distributed across the country. When spring came, people would start planting them everywhere.
By the time the harvest arrived, everyone would have enough to eat.
This was a political achievement.
“Not bad. Pretty clever” Chu Qiuze remarked.
Lan An silently shook his head. It wasn’t that the Crown Prince was particularly clever.
Rumors of an immortal descending to the mortal realm had already spread, but aside from disaster-stricken areas that had personally benefited, most people still didn’t believe it.
This time, Lan An had staked his own life to guarantee the potatoes’ high yield, swearing that they would change Dahuan’s food crisis.
Thinking about it, Lan An fell into silence again. He knew full well that Chu Qiuze wasn’t some immortal, yet he had still put his life on the line for this.
The imperial family was ruthless. If these potatoes failed, even as a prince, he wouldn’t escape unscathed.
Chu Qiuze had no idea what was going through Lan An’s mind. With the Crown Prince’s decree, everything would be much easier. The common folk wouldn’t suffer losses, and they could even make a bit of money.
And as for his plan to popularize the crop? Consider it done. Once he spread the story of the potatoes’ origins, that would be another wave of gratitude points for him.
For the first time, he felt that imperial authority actually had its uses.
The distribution and planting of potato seeds were progressing smoothly. Finally, Chu Qiuze could relax, sprawled out comfortably as he enjoyed a cup of tea.
“Wangye, about that date I mentioned before, have you thought about it?” Now that he had some free time, it was time to handle his personal affairs. “The people’s lives are getting back on track. You should have some spare time now, right?”
Lan An had a good idea of what Chu Qiuze was up to. He had always avoided this kind of thing whenever possible.
Besides, Chu Qiuze’s mannerisms were far too casual, not at all like a proper nobleman. He was more like one of those pampered playboys in the capital.
“General Lu sent a letter the other day” Lan An said, finding an excuse with ease. “The relief grain should arrive within the next two days. I won’t have time then.”
Chu Qiuze: “...” Could you come up with a lousier excuse?
The relief grain would arrive, sure, but it wasn’t like a prince needed to personally distribute food among the people.
“Sigh~!” Xiao En sighed on his behalf. “This wangye is really hard to woo.”
Of course, Chu Qiuze knew that. Previously, he had been able to use Lan An’s injury as an excuse to interact with him under the pretense of changing his bandages.
But now the stitches were gone, the wound had healed, and opportunities for private encounters had dwindled.
Still, he wasn’t in a rush. His leg hadn’t even fully recovered yet. Even if they got together, it wasn’t like anything could happen right away. No need to hurry, slow and steady.
Since he wasn’t anxious, Xiao En didn’t press the matter either. “Speaking of your leg, though, maybe it’s time to stop those therapy sessions.”
He had accompanied Chu Qiuze to the hospital several times, watching him nearly pass out from the pain each time.
Sure, the therapy was helping, but the leg would heal sooner or later. There was no need to keep putting himself through that kind of suffering.
Chu Qiuze understood the logic, but every time he saw his brother’s face, he found himself unable to say anything.
Besides, his brother would never allow him to stop treatment.
His brother might dote on him, but there were some things that were simply non-negotiable. So this problem has no solution, unless he tells the truth.
"Actually, telling the truth isn't entirely out of the question" Xiao En said after some thought. "But a confidentiality agreement would have to be signed."
Chu Qiuze had considered this before. He had already brought Lan An home, so telling his brother the truth wasn’t impossible.
But what if his brother didn’t believe him and never let him come back?
Forget it. He would just take things one step at a time.
Chu Qiuze was about to say goodbye to Lan An. He had to go to the hospital again that afternoon. "Lan An, we can talk about the date when the time feels right. I'm heading back for now."
Lan An immediately noticed that Chu Qiuze seemed a little off.
Was it just because he had turned down the date? Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go out sometime?
Or perhaps he should bring it up again when Chu Qiuze came over tomorrow?
But the next day, Lan An waited and Chu Qiuze never came. Not just the next day, but for several days in a row, he didn’t show up.
That was when Lan An started to feel uneasy.
For now, let's set that aside and focus on Chu Qiuze.
Sitting in his brother's car, Chu Qiuze was still struggling with how to bring up the topic. What he didn’t know was that his secret was already on the verge of being exposed.
During previous therapy sessions, he had always found an excuse to send his brother away, avoiding any chance of being found out.
But this time, before he even had the chance to speak, his brother had already decided to take a conference call.
Chu Qiuze breathed a sigh of relief. Lying on the hospital bed, he chatted casually with Xiao En, trying to distract himself from the pain.
What he didn’t realize was that every single one of his movements was being recorded by a hidden camera.
Chu Tianze stared at the surveillance footage, his fists clenched tightly, palms slick with sweat. The things he had uncovered recently were beyond comprehension.
Tens of thousands of pounds of grain had been delivered to their home, only to mysteriously disappear.
There were signs that someone else had been living in the house, yet the property management had no records of any visitors.
Even the security cameras outside the front gate showed nothing unusual.
And now, his little brother was sitting there, talking to thin air about planting potatoes, charming some prince, and something called 'gratitude points'
None of it made any sense.
If he didn’t know his brother so well, he might have thought Qiuze had lost his mind.
So what exactly had his brother been going through all this time?
And besides that—though Qiuze seemed to be speaking lightly, Chu Tianze knew that his brother was in pain.
His legs were completely numb. So why was he in pain?
Something wasn’t right. None of this was right.
Fear of the unknown was a natural human instinct.
Chu Tianze was afraid too. He feared that his beloved little brother had come into contact with something beyond the realm of reality.
Even worse, he feared that the person lying in that hospital bed was no longer his brother at all.
He had once come across a saying: "At the end of science lies theology."
Back then, he had scoffed at it. But now, he wasn't so sure anymore.
No matter what, the only way forward was to lay everything out in the open. That was the first step toward solving this mystery.
With that in mind, he rushed back to the hospital room and yanked the monitors off Chu Qiuze.
"Qiuze, we need to talk"
Chu Qiuze was already stunned by his brother’s sudden entrance. Now he wanted to talk? About what?
Chu Tianze could read the confusion in his eyes. That was a relief, at least this was still the brother he knew.
"Let’s talk about potatoes, princes, and gratitude points"
With a loud thud, Chu Qiuze was so startled that he tried to prop himself up, only to accidentally hit his head against the bed’s headboard.
His entire body trembled with anxiety. "Ge, how do you know about that? What else do you know?"
Chu Tianze reached out and ruffled his brother’s hair, ignoring the question.
Instead, he started talking about their childhood, small, seemingly insignificant memories that left indelible marks on their lives.
Slowly, Chu Qiuze began to relax. But Xiao En sensed something was off.
"Host, your brother is lowering your guard."
Qiuze shook his head. It didn’t matter.
This was his brother, the same brother who had taken a beating for him when he came out, the same brother who was tied to him by blood, something that could never change.
Xiao En sighed and told him, "If you’re going to explain, just stick to the facts. Don’t embellish anything."
"Ge" Chu Qiuze grabbed his brother’s hand. "My legs have a chance to recover. I’ll be able to walk again."
Chu Tianze smiled. He knew his brother was finally ready to tell him the truth, but the concern in his eyes only deepened.
Keeping his voice calm "Then tell me, how are you going to recover? Do you need my help?"
Chu Qiuze nodded, then shook his head "Not for now. First, let me explain everything to you. But you have to sign a confidentiality agreement"
Xiao En had told him about this agreement. Once signed, even if his brother didn’t believe him, he wouldn’t be able to reveal anything.
"I’ll sign it" Chu Tianze said without a moment’s hesitation.
Xiao En materialized in front of Chu Tianze, polite and well-behaved. "Hello, Tianze-ge. I’m Xiao En, the Gratitude System. Qiuze is my host."
Then he pulled up a holographic screen displaying the confidentiality agreement. "Sign here first."
Chu Tianze's pupils contracted slightly. He had heard of 'systems' before after all, who hadn't read a few novels in their youth?
But not all systems were good. And when he thought about the grain that had vanished into thin air, he immediately stepped forward to shield his brother.
"Explain yourself!" His expression turned cold, his voice icy. "What do you want from my brother? What do you want in return?"
The little owl-like Xiao En let out a sigh. "Ge, you don’t have to be so wary. I’m a proper system. Don’t believe me? Ask your brother."
Chu Qiuze tugged at his brother’s sleeve from behind. "Ge, this system is actually pretty decent. It hasn’t forced me to do anything difficult, and it hasn’t tried to take anything bad from me."
Probably.
Somehow, the more he spoke, the less convincing he sounded.
o0o