Chapter 110: Martial Arts Side Story, The Emperor Travels Back

Chapter 110: Martial Arts Side Story – When the Emperor Returns

He really made it back?!

Ji Zichen, loaded down with bundles, used his qinggong (a weight-reducing technique) to land softly on the bed without making a sound.

Fortunately, thick quilts that absorbed the sound covered the bed.

Gazing around the familiar imperial bedchamber, Ji Zichen confirmed that he had truly returned—to the Hui Dynasty, to his own era.

Only now could he believe that the people from the planet Tianlanxing hadn’t deceived him. He really could come back!

However calm and relaxed he'd seemed on Tianlanxing, it was only at this moment that Ji Zichen finally relaxed.

"Assassins! Hurry, protect His Majesty!"

Suddenly, a piercing voice cried. Along with a powerful palm strike, a figure rushed into the chamber.

The guards outside the bedchamber leapt into action, and the entire palace erupted into chaos, alive with danger.

Weighed down, Ji Zichen moved sluggishly. To make matters worse, he was on the imperial bed.

Don’t assume the imperial bed was spacious. Built to channel auspicious energy, it was actually smaller than the double beds on Tianlanxing.

Leaving hardly any room to move.

Ji Zichen found himself entirely engulfed by the force of the palm strike.

"Audacious thief! Release His— Your Majesty?!" As the bed curtains were shredded by the palm wind, the grand eunuch froze in shock. The scene he had imagined—His Majesty being held hostage by multiple assailants—was not the case at all.

The reason the bed had appeared so crowded from the outside wasn’t due to two or three people standing side by side, nor was it because of an unusually tall assassin or someone daring to trample over the emperor.

Instead, His Majesty—who should have been asleep—was inexplicably dressed in bizarre attire, his body covered in bulging sacks like a peasant bringing crops to market.

No, this was far more exaggerated than any peasant’s load.

Sacks were tied all over his body in improbable places, each stuffed to the brim.

Viewed through the heavy curtains, it had looked as if several people were squeezed together.

Realizing His Majesty couldn’t dodge in time and that his own strike was too swift and fierce to retract, the grand eunuch could only deflect his strike at the last second, diverting the blow meant for the emperor to the side.

The gilded, dragon-carved sandalwood bedpost—thicker than a man’s arm—exploded into splinters.

With two bedposts destroyed and half the bed frame ruined, the canopy collapsed from lack of support.

"Your Majesty!" The grand eunuch panicked.

Fortunately, Ji Zichen managed to roll clear of the collapsing bed in time.

Unharmed, he shot his head eunuch a wry glance. "To an outsider, your ‘rescue’ might as well be an assassination attempt."

*I might be the first emperor in history who nearly got killed in his own bedchamber—by his own guards, no less.*

Though spoken in jest, the grand eunuch—having served Ji Zichen since childhood—knew His Majesty wasn’t truly angry.

Not only was he not angry, but he seemed to be in a rather good mood. Even that embarrassing mix-up hadn’t dampened his spirits.

Seeing His Majesty unharmed, the chief eunuch let out a sigh of relief, then turned to Ji Zichen with curiosity. "Your Majesty, what is this...?"

Before Ji Zichen could answer, his keen ears detected the sound of archers swiftly taking positions on the rooftops.

The chief eunuch heard it too and glanced awkwardly at the emperor.

"I’ll go handle this first," Ji Zichen said, without bothering to change his clothes or remove the bags strapped to him. He simply walked out.

"I am unharmed."

As he spoke, Ji Zichen subtly flicked his fingers and traced a faint line on the ground with his foot.

Though His Majesty’s current attire was peculiar, there was no mistaking his features. Moreover, the secret signal he gave was correct—no duress was involved.

The guard captains exchanged glances, then checked the small bamboo tubes hanging at their waists. The poison-detecting gu insects showed no abnormalities, confirming it was indeed the emperor.

Convinced of his identity, the captains bowed respectfully to their sovereign before signaling with a wave.

Behind them, the combat-ready guards and the archers on the rooftops, arrows drawn and trained on the palace, withdrew as swiftly as they had arrived.

Once the emergency was resolved, Ji Zichen had no time to attend to other concerns.

He didn’t even bother asking his inner circle how long he had been gone.

Judging by their reactions earlier, it was clear that time had barely advanced. There must have been a time difference between worlds. What felt like ages on Tianlanxing might not have even amounted to a full day in the Hui Dynasty.

Otherwise, his closest aides wouldn’t have acted as if he had never left.

In their eyes, he should still have been asleep.

Outside, the sky hadn’t even begun to brighten yet.

Returning to his bedchamber, Ji Zichen, with the help of his chief eunuch, had the burdens removed from his body one by one.

Once all the bags were taken off, now unencumbered, Ji Zichen hurriedly checked every zippered compartment to ensure nothing was missing. Only then did he finally relax.

"What luck!"

"Summon the Ministers of Revenue, Works, and War immediately—along with their deputies!"

It was only the third watch (around midnight), far from court hours, and the palace gates had long been locked. Yet, the chief eunuch burned with curiosity but hesitated not a second. The moment Ji Zichen gave the order, he set the summons in motion.

Though he was deeply puzzled—why were these three ministries specifically summoned? And judging by the hierarchy implied in His Majesty's summons, Revenue seemed the priority, followed by Works, with War coming last.

What had happened?

Ji Zichen was an emperor with real authority. Those he summoned came without delay.

"Your Majesty, what did you say? These are miracle seeds capable of producing half a ton per acre (a thousand catties per mu)?!" Agriculture fell under the Ministry of Revenue, and the elderly Minister of Revenue stared at the unusually large rice and wheat seeds before him, his whiskers quivering.

Then he turned to the yellowish-brown lumps. "And these... potatoes—they truly grow in any soil, thriving in drought and high-yielding? With a yield surpassing rice and wheat, reaching two thousand catties per mu (~1 ton/acre)?!"

"And sweet potatoes—they can grow in sandy soil and on slopes? Pest-hardy, drought-tolerant, and equally high-yielding?!"

"And this corn, can it yield a thousand catties (about 1,300 lbs) per mu (roughly 1/6 acre)?" So many high-yield seeds—previously unattainable—now lay before him. The joy was overwhelming; the Minister of Revenue could hardly believe it.

Not to mention, besides grains, there were other high-yield seeds.

"This cotton yields three hundred catties per mu?" What did three hundred catties mean? It meant that commoners only needed to plant a fraction of an acre of cotton to keep their families warm through the harsh winter.

"You're not deceiving me, are you?"

Even though he saw the full, snow-white cotton bolls with his own eyes and even personally extracted the seeds from them—indeed, they were larger than existing cotton seeds, and the fibers wrapped around the seeds were far longer than current cotton varieties.

The old minister rubbed the cotton fibers. He wasn’t some official who disdained hands-on work—such officials could never rise to the position of minister in this dynasty. He understood his duties well and knew exactly what such long fibers signified.

Beyond better quality and easier spinning, the most crucial point was that one boll produced twice as much cotton as before.

If all these high-yield seeds were genuine, the days of commoners being well-fed and warmly clothed were right around the corner.

A prosperous era was within reach!

"His Majesty said it himself—how could it be false?" The Minister of Works elbowed past the Minister of Revenue and leaned in toward Ji Zichen. "Your Majesty, could you explain more about that cement?"

"This cement mixture—once mixed with water, stirred evenly, and solidified—can become as hard as stone? It can be used for building bridges, paving roads, constructing city walls, even dams, and has exceptional results in controlling the Yellow River?"

"Could you elaborate on the exact formula?"

"The formula is written right there on the paper—just read it yourself. Why waste His Majesty’s precious time?" The burly Minister of War effortlessly lifted the slight Minister of Works and set him aside. "Your Majesty, this steelmaking method is absolutely brilliant!"

"The person who devised this must be a genius. You must summon them to serve in the court."

Then, the Minister of War got straight to the point: "So when can we equip our troops with weapons forged from such fine steel?"

The three men crowded around Ji Zichen, buzzing like excited bees.

While the ministers hogged the emperor’s ear, the deputy ministers below didn’t dare compete but were no less excited.

The Left Deputy Minister of Works whispered to the Right Deputy Minister: "So white sugar is this easy to produce!"

"And salt can be harvested like this? No wonder His Majesty just said he’d make salt affordable at just one copper coin!"

Before, he’d thought it a pipe dream—one copper coin for salt?

One copper coin couldn’t even buy a strip of salt-preserving cloth! Even the lowest-quality, bitter, astringent, even poisonous salt cost ten coins for a tiny packet the size of a thumb. Not to mention premium qingyan (blue salt) or snowflake salt—even minor officials might not afford it, let alone commoners.

But this salt was not only easy to produce and high-yielding, but its quality rivaled the current official-grade snowflake salt. With a couple more refining steps, it would surpass even tribute-grade salt.

Who wouldn’t want their people to have access to clean, affordable salt?

After all, lack of salt could kill.

Without enough salt, people wouldn’t have the strength to work. The value of this method was immeasurable.

Meanwhile, the Left Deputy Minister of War examined a packet of fodder seeds. "Can the grass grown from these seeds really build horses’ strength?"

Good horses were essential for warfare—cavalry’s lethality on the battlefield far outstripped infantry. Moreover, the Hui Dynasty’s greatest external threat relied on swift horses to strike the borders like lightning. By the time the Hui Dynasty mobilized troops, the raiders were long gone.

If the Hui Dynasty had equally good horses...

The deputy minister scoffed—he marveled. Who knew… those tribes would be no match.

The Right Deputy Minister of War, meanwhile, studied the firepowder recipe. The Hui Dynasty wasn’t without gunpowder, but its potency was far weaker. Thunderbolt Hall’s *Thunderbolt Pellets* were formidable, but their secret recipe was protected at all costs. Who knew the formula could be this simple?

Those good-for-nothing officials in the Ministry of Works! Such a simple thing, yet they spent so many years researching and still couldn’t figure it out!

The Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue stood side by side, examining a formula together: "So there’s so much more to fertilization. Fertilizer isn’t just ash or dung. It can be made like this."

"No wonder His Majesty was confident about achieving a yield of a thousand catties per acre."

"It’s not just the high-yield seeds—it’s also because of the excellent fertilizer!"

"And this plastic is also a great thing. Though it has some pollution issues, if produced and used in moderation, we can create greenhouses and grow crops and produce even in winter."

Produce aside, grain is absolutely crucial. Who would ever complain about having too much grain?

Even with high-yield seeds and good fertilizer, farming still depends on the weather. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, even seeds capable of yielding a thousand catties per acre won’t produce enough harvest.

So every extra bushel matters.

He truly never wants to see people starving to death again.

Beyond the formulas they’d already received, there were also production methods for farming tools, looms, steam engines, and more. The ministers and vice ministers of the three ministries had long forgotten their initial worries upon receiving the urgent summons. Now, they were buzzing with excitement, eyes alight.

Ji Zichen ignored them. Spotting the medical supplies nearby, he suddenly remembered something he’d overlooked.

"Call for the Head Palace Physician and the Left and Right Deputy Chiefs for an audience."

"Your Majesty?" The eunuch spectator grew anxious. Why was His Majesty suddenly summoning the palace physicians? Had he been injured just now?

Wait—His Majesty had obtained so many valuable things. It couldn’t have been easy. Had he been injured while acquiring these treasures?

"I’m fine. Go call them," Ji Zichen reassured.

The eunuch left, still half-doubting. Not only did he go personally, but he even used his lightfoot technique to hurry.

It would be best if His Majesty wasn’t injured. But if he was, treatment couldn’t be delayed—especially after all the time already wasted. There was no room for further delay.

The physicians arrived swiftly.

Ji Zichen didn’t suppress the news. Rumors of an assassination attempt had already spread. Though His Majesty was unharmed, he had urgently summoned the ministers and vice ministers of the three ministries—the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works. Perhaps they had uncovered the mastermind. Which enemy nation was behind this?

His Majesty must be planning a campaign, hence the summons for discussion. The Ministry of War was obvious—once troops were mobilized, supplies and arms had to follow. So calling the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works made sense.

His Majesty was furious and had also summoned physicians. Though his life wasn’t in danger, he must have been injured.

With this in mind, the physicians didn’t dare complain about the eunuch’s urgency.

The Chief Physician, the most skilled among them, was hustled along by the eunuch as he dashed across rooftops, bounced around the whole time—yet he didn’t utter a single word of protest.

Upon arriving at the palace and finding His Majesty unharmed and in high spirits, the Deputy Chiefs barely had time to wonder before Ji Zichen thrust something at them.

"This... penicillin—does it truly have such remarkable efficacy?" The Deputy Chief lowered his head to look and couldn’t tear his eyes away.

"And artemisinin! I’ve read about it in medical texts before. Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty recorded in *Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One’s Sleeve: Treatments for Various Fevers* that pressing juice from sweet wormwood could treat fevers. But when I tried it, the results were poor. I never realized I was using the wrong method. So this is how artemisinin should be extracted!"

As the Chief Physician marveled, the Left and Right Deputy Chiefs arrived.

The Left Deputy Chief flipped through a small booklet, growing more excited with each page: "Epidemics can be contained like this! Distillate of wine, what a pity it consumes so much wine. Wine is brewed from grain, so using wine means using up grain."

His brow furrowed involuntarily. Grain—the Hui Dynasty didn’t even have enough to eat. How could they spare any for producing high-proof alcohol?

"Don’t worry. Guess what I just saw? The Ministry of Revenue has seeds that yield a thousand catties per acre. In a few years, grain shortages will be a thing of the past," the Right Deputy assured him.

A thousand catties per *mu*?!

The Left Vice-Director turned his shocked gaze toward the Minister of Revenue and his colleagues. Yet, he had to admit, the anxiety in his heart had unwittingly dissipated.

The sky slowly brightened.

When it was time for morning court, these officials still couldn’t bear to leave. Ji Zichen made no move to rush them and simply canceled the morning session.

However, Ji Zichen then summoned several high-ranking ministers to the palace.

Not only was there business to discuss, but more importantly, these ministers were all afflicted with various ailments.

One suffered from asthma, another had contracted miasma while on assignment outside the capital.

An elder statesman, who had once overseen water conservancy projects and personally inspected sites, now endured agonizing pain with every flare-up of severe rheumatism.

A young general, renowned for his bravery and leadership in battle, had recently sustained an injury that festered with persistent infection, refusing to heal. The lively man was being drained of life.

There was also a capable official plagued by family migraines, so debilitating during attacks that he wanted to chop his head off. Though Ji Zichen valued his talents, the condition made it impossible to assign him heavier responsibilities.

Now, with relief, Ji Zichen carefully retrieved the medical device.

A treasure like this—he wasn’t afraid of others knowing he possessed it, but to avoid mishaps, it was best not to take it outside the palace.

Thus, these ministers were instructed to come on their own if able; those who couldn’t were to be carried in.

In any case, they all had to enter the palace for treatment.

Called in suddenly, the ministers thought some grave matter had arisen—never imagining it was for treatment.

The emperor pointed a strange device their way.

"Scanning in progress..."

"This thing talks?!" Everyone in the hall gasped in shock, whatever they had been doing forgotten.

"That voice… it’s not human," someone muttered before they could suspect sorcery. Then the device spoke again.

"Scan complete. Pathogens identified. Commencing treatment."

A white light burst forth, enveloping one of them.

"Treatment complete."

"My wound… it’s gone?" The young general tore open his robe. As the light faded, his fever broke, and his muddled mind cleared instantly.

He yanked off the bandages around his chest. "It’s really gone!"

"Not only is the wound closed, but there’s not even a scar left."

"It’s as if I was never injured. I feel tough as nails now—if I were at the border, I could take on the enemy single-handed!" The young general, who had been awaiting death, was practically glowing.

Those nearby hurried to inspect him closely.

The imperial physicians, quick as lightning, rushed forward, pulling his robes open wider to examine him thoroughly.

They knew better than anyone how severe his injuries had been. Yet now, not only was there no trace left, but when they pressed where the wound had been, the general didn’t even flinch.

They bent closer, putting their ears to his chest to listen.

No strange noises.

Not just the surface was fixed—the inside was fully restored too.

"That’s incredible!" What kind of otherworldly power was this? Everyone present looked at the treatment device in Ji Zichen's hand with awe-struck gazes.

If they had harbored any doubts earlier—wondering if this was some kind of monster’s trick—now, there was no question: this was a celestial artifact!

Amidst their shock and admiration, they were even more deeply moved.

Such a treasure—if the Emperor chose not to share it with anyone, no one could have faulted him.

After all, since ancient times, the finest things belonged to the sovereign. For others to covet them would be overstepping—a capital offense enough to get your whole clan executed.

Had anyone else obtained such a treasure, they would have hoarded it for themselves. Yet His Majesty was willing to bring it out and use it for his subjects.

Even if this device wasn’t a single-use item, its power was nothing short of miraculous—capable of bringing the dead back to life!

Watching as the Emperor healed one ailing or injured minister after another, their hearts swelled.

They had long known His Majesty was an enlightened ruler, but never had they imagined he could be this enlightened.

A ruler like this, generosity like this—who could remain unmoved?

All they could do was devote themselves body and soul.

The others silently swore their oaths.

The young general blurted out: "Your Majesty, this subject is willing to lay down his life for you—"

"Enough," Ji Zichen waved a hand to cut him off. "I understand your heart. No need for further words. Let us focus on the task ahead."

Taking in the hall’s treasures—

Beyond what they had just witnessed, there were also methods for producing coal briquettes, techniques for extracting and utilizing petroleum, more advanced shipbuilding methods, the construction of railway tracks, ways to generate electricity...

The way everyone looked at Ji Zichen had completely changed. With so many revolutionary wonders at their disposal, if used wisely, they could truly bring peace for generations and banish famine from the land!

Future history books would surely remember them in glowing terms.

There had been no warning, no rumors—these things had appeared out of nowhere. And His Majesty’s attire, too, was unlike before.

Finally, one minister couldn’t hold back his question: "Could it be that last night, Your Majesty visited the celestial realm in your dreams?"

Otherwise, how else could that celestial artifact—and all these wondrous treasures—have come to be?

"The celestial realm?" Ji Zichen smiled faintly, recalling all he had seen and heard during this time. "You could say that."