Back at her quarters, Yun Shu sat cross-legged on her bed.
Watching the people gathering flowers on the streets of Xindu City through the system monitor, she let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, her previous tests had been effective.
The commoners of Xindu City did not become complacent because of her help; every time they received something from her, they would use it to make Xindu City a better place.
From beginning to end, it might have seemed like she was helping them a lot.
But in reality,
she had only given them a seed each time. If they did not tend to it, that seed would never grow into a tree.
Whether it was the sweet potatoes, the spinning machines, or the medicine to cure the plague... she had not taught them step-by-step. Instead, they had slowly figured it out with their own hands.
That these seeds could grow into towering trees was inseparable from the quiet efforts of every single person.
They were a group of hardworking and sincere people.
Yun Shu turned off the monitor in a cheerful mood.
She pulled up her blanket and fell asleep in an instant.
At this moment, even though it was late at night, Xindu City was still bustling with activity, and most people were too excited to sleep.
This sea of blossoms gifted to Xindu City by the Divine Lady had brought immense benefits and a bountiful harvest to the physicians.
They had obtained many rare medicinal herbs, ensuring they would not have to worry about ingredients for at least the next five years.
Furthermore,
with these medicinal herbs, they could further research and produce the highly effective formulas written in the celestial book of medicine, saving even more commoners suffering from illnesses.
And the physicians were far from the only ones who benefited from this gift of flowers; the commoners also received tangible advantages.
The fallen petals, fragrant and fresh, were excellent raw materials for making incense. The shopkeepers of Xindu City's incense shops did not close their eyes all night, busy gathering flowers.
Flowers were also superb dyes, and the weavers in the embroidery workshops made a fortune because of this, their faces glowing with delight.
Rare and famous flowers even grew in the homes of some commoners. The noble families, who loved to cultivate an air of refinement by admiring flowers and the moon, scrambled to get their hands on such rare blooms.
Most of the impoverished commoners sold the rare flowers that bloomed in their yards for money to improve their families' livelihoods.
Yet, there were also some who felt the flowers were a blessing from the Divine Lady, choosing to keep them as family heirlooms to be enshrined and worshiped daily...
This gift of flowers might have been nothing more than a beautiful sight in the eyes of a deity, but in the mortal world, it altered the course of countless human lives, freeing them from the struggle for survival and giving them more time to ponder the meaning of life.
...
The next morning, before the morning mist had even dispersed, the people of Xindu City discovered a bizarre phenomenon.
In the wasteland outside the city, a vast stretch of rice fields had actually grown out of thin air.
Morning dew clung to the tips of the leaves, glittering with delicate light.
The golden ears of rice hung heavy and low, swaying gently in the breeze with a soft rustling sound.
The commoners rubbed their eyes, thinking they were dreaming, and pinched their own arms, gasping from the sharp pain.
Only then were they convinced that everything before them was real.
The news quickly spread across the entire city.
When the gates of the Governor's estate were knocked upon, Shen Yu and the others were in the middle of discussing what to do with the flowers in the city.
It would be a great pity to simply let them wither away.
Although a city full of blooming flowers was beautiful, they wanted to put these flowers to practical use rather than just admire them.
From the moment the Divine Lady gave up being the Master of the Heavenly Palace to enter the mortal world, they had secretly sworn in their hearts that, no matter what, they would let the Divine Lady see a peaceful and prosperous mortal world.
A mortal's lifespan could not compare to that of the heavenly deities. Perhaps they could not achieve this on their own, but they would have the next generation, and the generation after that. Passed down from generation to generation, they would eventually succeed!
A minor official rushed in, panting as he delivered the news, “My lords! Outside... outside the city, rice has grown! A massive, orderly field of it! It wasn't there during the day yesterday!”
The room erupted in an uproar.
Everyone stood up, disbelief flashing in their eyes, before they strode outside in a hurry.
Cheng Ji and his group happened to arrive for a visit at that moment. Upon hearing the news, they curiously followed along.
Not even half a mile out of the city,
the rice field suddenly appeared before their eyes.
Everyone stopped in unison.
They stared at the miracle before them, utterly dumbfounded.
As the morning breeze swept past, waves of rice rolled like the sea.
A sweet fragrance of rice permeated the air.
Shen Yu squatted down and gently stroked an ear of rice. The grains were plump and firm as they rolled across his palm.
His voice trembled slightly. “This rice must have been left behind by the Divine Lady last night!”
“Exactly, exactly.”
A commoner nearby said instinctively, “I've lived for so many years, but among all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, the Divine Lady is the only one I've ever seen who actually cares about us mortals...”
Cheng Ji and the other officials from Yecheng stood at the back of the crowd, their expressions incredibly complex.
One middle-aged man in green official robes sighed softly, his gaze wandering over the rice field, his tone carrying unconcealed envy. “Xindu... is truly blessed.”
The others fell silent for a moment, then whispered, “A blessing like this is something we in Yecheng wouldn't even dare dream of.”
“It is truly good to be a believer of the Divine Lady...”
These words struck a chord with everyone, and the subordinate officials from Yecheng nodded one after another, their eyes filled with longing and envy.
Cheng Ji turned around and said to the subordinate officials behind him, “As long as we sincerely seek guidance from Xindu, one day, our people in Yecheng will definitely become believers of the Divine Lady as well!”
A firm light gleamed in his eyes.
【Cheng Ji Shock Value +100】
【Pei Wanning Shock Value +100】
【Cui He Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 1,211,000】
Seeing the Shock Value skyrocket while she was having breakfast, Yun Shu guessed that someone had likely discovered the rice field.
She couldn't help but remark, “It's still much easier to farm Shock Value from the people of Yecheng, who haven't seen many miracles.”
Calculating the time,
the academy in Yecheng should have been completed by now.
Sigh, time to get busy again. I must seize this opportunity to make the people of Yecheng my believers.
“Are you done eating? It's time for us to get to work.” Yun Shu wiped her mouth, stood up, and walked out of the courtyard.
“Host... wait... wait for me...”
The little fox, still holding a meat bun in its mouth, hurriedly caught up with Yun Shu as she walked out.
On the other side, Cheng Ji and his group were also bidding farewell.
“The Yecheng Academy has been completed, and the scholars are waiting for us to return for the plaque-unveiling ceremony. Therefore, it is inconvenient for us to stay long. We shall catch up with our fellow colleagues when we are free in the future.”
The Yecheng group cupped their hands and bowed to Shen Yu and the others.
Shen Yu and his companions returned the gesture.
“Safe travels, everyone.” He straightened up and said politely, “Anyone who respects and admires the Divine Lady is a friend of Xindu. We naturally will not turn our friends away.”
Cheng Ji hesitated for a moment, then looked at Shen Yu, who was the most familiar to him in the crowd, and said thoughtfully, “Young Master Shen, the academy was built because of the Divine Lady, and Yecheng dares not forget her benevolence. However, we truly do not know how to arrange the offerings without violating etiquette.”
Pausing for a moment, he added, “I have a presumptuous request. Would it be possible for Young Master Shen to accompany us back to Yecheng?”
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