Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 136 The Tormented King and His Ministers

In the 102nd year of the Chongzhen reign, you chose to temporarily submit to the Divine Emperor's authority, thereby gaining the opportunity for eternal life... Although this unpleasant choice made you feel very uncomfortable, in order to understand as much of the unknown key information as possible, you reluctantly endured it.

Although the Divine Emperor was also surprised by this, since you have decided to abandon darkness and join the light, it is natural for Him to accept you. Therefore, He gladly agreed to your request for immortality and decided to bring you eternal life with him...

[Of course, your kneeling does not mean you have to be a kowtow-monkey who can be ordered around by others. You can still maintain your independent character and govern the country on your own. The Divine Emperor cannot interfere!]

[The divine power belongs to the Divine Emperor, and the secular things belong to Zhou Liang. You have already reached a consensus...]

【…】

In the 102nd year of Chongzhen's reign, you continued to govern the Ming Dynasty, including disaster relief, relocation, farming, taxation, criminal law... You diligently managed all aspects of the Ming Dynasty, without slacking off. You worked hard to keep the Ming Dynasty in good order.

[In addition to these routine administrative matters, you also closely monitor the development of science and education in Ming Dynasty...]

Before you traveled to the West, you hoped to achieve your goal of "killing the gods with technology." You compiled your knowledge of basic science into textbooks and included them in the imperial examinations, thereby helping Ming Dynasty develop science and technology.

Although I know from what I've seen in the West that science is dead in this world and therefore there's no need to develop it, since you've already implemented the policy of revitalizing the nation through science and education, it's not a good time to change your mind.

[Furthermore, although the laws of the world may be chaotic, at the level of normal production and life, these laws are still relatively normal and stable. In other words, while "killing gods with technology" is not possible, developing a nation through science and education is still possible!]

[As long as the intellectuals of the Ming Dynasty can apply scientific knowledge to real life as much as possible, the Ming Dynasty will indeed become better! ]

You hope so.

[And they certainly didn’t disappoint you…]

In the 103rd year of the Chongzhen reign, a Guangdong scholar attempted to make transparent glass. After a period of technical refinement, he actually succeeded!

[Glassware began to emerge on a large scale, from glass bowls and glass cups, to glass beads and glass mirrors... These glassware, once only used by the rich and powerful, were soon sold at bargain prices.]

When ordinary people saw this kind of glassware, they were also driven by curiosity and bought some. After trying it out, they found that this thing seemed to be really beautiful and useful, much better than their own gray folk kiln ceramics!

[So glass entered thousands of households, from teacups and rice bowls to dressing mirrors, it can be found everywhere...]

In the 105th year of the Chongzhen reign, researchers studied seed breeding techniques to develop new high-yield, drought-resistant, and flood-resistant grain varieties. They actually developed quite a few new varieties!

Upon receiving this news, you immediately realized the value of these new grain varieties and quickly promoted them: drought-prone areas planted drought-resistant varieties, and flood-prone areas planted flood-resistant varieties, adapting to local conditions and enhancing agriculture's resilience to risks.

[So starting the following year, although disasters continued to strike various places, at least some food was harvested, barely enough to feed the victims, which significantly alleviated the pressure of disaster relief.]

In the 108th year of Chongzhen's reign, someone improved the steelmaking technology, which led to a significant increase in steel production!

[So you quickly promoted it and put it into production. As a result, a large number of sturdy and durable steel farm tools and implements entered thousands of households, providing a great boost to people's production and life!]

[The 110th year of Chongzhen’s reign…]

【…】

[In short, as time slowly passes, the technological seeds you planted begin to take root, sprout, and grow!]

Even though this land is barren and filled with strange pollution, it still stubbornly absorbs useful substances from it as nutrients, thus growing stronger day by day...

You are naturally pleased with this: although this seed is unlikely to grow into a towering tree as you wish, as long as it can take root, sprout, and bear fruit, it is enough to prove that your efforts have not been in vain!

[As long as you don't stop, the road will continue to extend... So, don't stop! ]

You sighed with emotion, and then continued with your ordinary daily work...

In the 113th year of Chongzhen's reign, the Divine Emperor, who had endured another ten years, finally gave up! His gray hair had long since turned as white as snow, his muscles had atrophied, and his skin was covered with age spots and wrinkles. He looked like a skeleton, frightening even to the very sight of him.

[You know, He has reached the limit of His weakness, and He is only one step away from falling into the ominous red-haired monster state of His previous life!]

Seeing him so weak, you can't help but feel itchy: if you start a mutiny now, maybe you can...

【No! impossible! 】

You decisively extinguished your restless heart, because your past life's experience taught you that even at the extreme of his decline, he remained an invincible being, towering above all mortals. If you rashly rebelled, you would only suffer the same fate as in your past life...

[Besides, who knows if He is deliberately showing signs of fatigue to attract you to rebel?]

[After all, He has already made a covenant with you for immortality. According to the agreement, He will bring you immortality, and you must support His life extension plan... In this case, He could have started eating humans to prolong his life right after signing the contract!]

[But He didn't. Instead, He endured for another ten years. Only now, when He was almost completely exhausted, did He begin to plan a life extension plan...]

[This abnormal situation makes it hard to say that He is not deliberately showing weakness to the enemy in order to test your ambition!]

[So, you can’t rebel anymore…]

[Of course, the reason He waited until He was completely exhausted before beginning to eat humans to prolong His life, besides testing you, may have other reasons.]

【For example, human nature! 】

[He is not a true god who has completely eliminated humanity, but rather a "human" with some humanity. Under the influence of humanity, He can give up killing you, and He can also give up the large-scale slaughter of the people... Now, perhaps humanity can also allow Him to restrain His desire to eat humans to prolong His life, so as to eat as few people as possible...]

[In short, He did indeed endure unnaturally until almost the very last moment!]

【After that, it’s no wonder that He is…】

【…】

"Zifang, the choice of the sacrifice is up to you."

[The emaciated God Emperor sat on the dragon bed, forcing a smile at you.]

[And when you heard these words, you couldn't help but tremble: After all, you still have to eat people...]

Unable to bear it, you advised Him, "Your Majesty, must the Imperial Guards be the ones to die?"

“I think we could perhaps inject divine power into the condemned prisoners, and then let them…”

【"ovary!"】

He interrupted your wishful thinking with a deep voice: "That won't work! It has to be the Jinyiwei, no one else will do!"

"Besides, you agreed to this plan yourself. Why are you still hesitating?"

His cold words left you speechless for a moment. Even if you wanted to ask why others couldn't do it? Why only the Imperial Guards could do it? It was too difficult to ask now... You could only obey.

【After a long while, you bowed in silence.】

“Yes, Your Majesty…”

……

(End of this chapter)