Zhang Lian's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Li Feng, her mind confused and excited. "But... Can I really become a queen?" she asked, her voice filled with doubt.
Her hands twisted nervously in her lap. Despite the thrill that danced in her chest, she hesitated. "I don't know anything about ruling," she added.
Li Feng smiled reassuringly, leaning forward slightly, his tone calm and confident. "Don't worry," he said, his voice smooth and coaxing.
"You won't need to do anything on your own. Just follow whatever the sect tells you."
"The sect only has one requirement: a continuous supply of talented individuals. As long as you ensure that, you're free to live your life however you wish."
"Others will handle the rest." He smiled as he spoke.
Zhang Lian felt excited. Her fingers, which had been tense moments ago, relaxed, and she had a big smile on her face. "Can I really become queen?" she wondered, her mind racing with possibilities.
She could almost feel the taste of joy, being unrestricted and free to do as she wanted without having to worry about consequences.
She snapped out of her thoughts as suddenly, a playful voice came into her mind. The cat assistant that had been flying around her mischievously, its tone was light and teasing.
"Then, Host, you can marry any man you like and have babies too!" it said.Zhang Lian ignored it.
She looked back at Li Feng, her eyes now sparkling with anticipation. "Okay, uncle I will become a queen "
As she spoke, her mind wandered to visions of a life surrounded by maids, enjoying endless luxury and fun. The thought brought a small, satisfied smile to her lips.
Li Fend's voice cut through her daydreams. "But I will still determine if you are capable of being queen or not by watching how you rebuild this city. Can you do it? You also need to find people you can trust as well."
Zhang Lian frowned slightly, his words weighing heavily on her. She nodded, her thoughts turning inward. "It will be difficult", she admitted to herself, but then confidently she nodded.
She thought, as long as I remember my past life as John, I can handle the duties of a queen—maybe even better than the kings or queens of ancient times.
Li Fend nodded, his expression serious. "I'll handle the preparations. You go and get ready for your speech. After all, you can't be queen unless the people know who you are. If they like you or not, that will be determined by this speech. This is your first test."
Zhang Lian nodded again and left the room, her steps fast as she headed to her room.
After entering, she shut the door and rested her head against it for a while before inhaling deeply. Her eyes looked around the room, looking for a pen and some paper.
She found some in the drawer of the table. There were a couple of pens of different colors and some white and yellow paper.
She sat at the wooden well designed table, she dipped the pen into the ink, with a full concentration on her face. "I'm not a natural queen," she thought, "but I have the modern knowledge from my past life. That makes me better than many kings or queens."
She began to think about what to write, not in the language of this world, but in English—her previous world's language.
Her white color pen hovering over the paper as she thought deeply about her past life as a John. "How do I find people who will support me and work for me?" she pondered. "What should their qualifications be?"
She decided to start with the most immediate need—a guard. "First," she wrote, "he should be unmarried. Second, he should have no family ties that could become a liability. Third, I should be familiar with him."
But as she considered this more, doubt came into her mind. "This can't be done so easily", she realized. "Finding someone who meets all these criteria will take time."
Instead, "I should first choose a normal guard, someone capable but not necessarily perfect. Then, I can ask him to train others who fit this category later. Besides, since I'm going to be a cultivator, I may not need a guard much."
Her thoughts shifted to someone she knew. "Maybe I can make Gou Liang my guard," she mused. "After all, I am somewhat familiar with him as the only strong person who is alive."
Satisfied with her plan for now, she moved on to the next need. "Second," she wrote, "I need some educated people to help me make policies." The thought of managing a kingdom's affairs was complicated, but she knew she couldn't do it alone. She would need wise and knowledgeable advisors to guide her or maybe they could manage it by themselves.
"Third," she continued, "I need someone who can cook." A smile played on her lips as she considered the importance of tasty food.
"Fourth," she added, "I need someone who will work as a head maid for my future palace. Maybe I can ask Li Hua to become the head maid." She nodded to herself, remembering Li Hua's.
Finally, she leaned back in her chair, tapping the white pen against her chin as she reviewed the list. "That's it, I think." The plan wasn't perfect, but it was a start. And in her mind, that was good enough for now.
As Zhang Lian sat thinking about her list, a voice suddenly came into her mind. It was the Cat, which often irritated her. "Host, you forgot something. You need men too, and people who can take care of your baby."
The words made her angry, Her hand tightened around the pen, and with a sharp snap, it broke into two pieces.
Her breath caught in her throat, but she quickly composed herself. "I'm giving you one last warning, Cat," she hissed through gritted teeth.
"I don't have plans for babies right now. I'll deal with it when I'm ready—not now."
The Cat fell silent, disappointed but not daring to push her any further. Zhang Lian tossed the broken pen aside and reached for another. Her thoughts turned back to the now thinking about what to say in speech, maybe first I should design what my policies will be.
....
"It has some elements related to modern government, I hope you don't feel offended."
-----
"Now, it's time for the policies & speech" she thought, her mind . "It can be fake or real, like those politicians in my past life. The important thing is to include what's necessary to inspire the people, especially promoting the idea of having more children. After all, the currently population is low."
She began to write, writing each sentence with care. Her past life had taught her well; she knew how to manipulate words.
As she wrote, she thought about the faces of the people she would address. "They need hope," she mused, "and a future they can believe in. And for that, we need more people, more families, more children."
Her new pink pen moved steadily across the paper, her mind fully absorbed in the task.
"This is just the beginning", she thought, determination hardening in her chest. "I will build this city back up, and I will do it my way."
As Zhang Lian sat at her desk, the realization struck her with a clarity she had never felt before. "I finally understand why, in my past life, the whole world was making fun of X country's one-child policy",but AI made people fear and wonder why they don't have policies like that.
"Not to mention the rise of AI and robots. Countries with large populations were going to suffer, but their governments still didn't put restrictions on having children for some reason, especially overpopulated countries & even X county also started to care less about their people. so, it started the 3 child policy."
I think those governments forgot that if young people remain unemployed then dangerous things occur. It's not like here, where people are dying here and there every now and then.
She tapped her fingers against the desk, her mind racing. "Isn't it because more babies mean more working labor at low-paying jobs?
"Companies can earn lots of money with cheap labor, while people have no choice but to work. But who do they curse? Their horny parents? The government? Or the big companies that wanted cheaper labor?"
Her thoughts darkened as she considered her own situation. "I will have to do the same—supply more children with spiritual roots to the sects. The best policies will be those that increase the number of children."
"After all this world is different, I just need to make sure everyone has enough food to eat and people who don't have spiritual roots die quickly, so as to make the population low again."
She began to outline her plan, her handwriting was near.
1. Rearrangement of Land:
First, I need to reorganize the land. Make sure that families have enough space to grow and sustain themselves.*
2. Child-Based Tax Policy:
Second, a new tax policy: If you have no children, you pay 50% tax. For each child, the tax decreases by 5%. If a child has a spiritual root, the higher the spiritual root, the higher the reward, and it will be in gold.
As long as you have one child, you will receive 10 silver. This continues with each additional child—another 10 silver. You just need to register them in the kingdom's identity document.
She paused, thinking of a name for this document. What could I call it?* After a moment, she scribbled down an idea.
Kingdom Identity Ledger—a record of every citizen, their family, and their spiritual potential. This document ensures that they receive their rightful benefits and tracks their contribution to the kingdom.
3. Free Education:
Third, every child's education will be free, funded by the government. This will ensure that every child, regardless of their family's wealth, has the chance to learn.*
4. Free Martial Arts Training:
Fourth, every child will have the opportunity to learn martial arts for free. This will not only strengthen the kingdom but also ensure that children with potential are nurtured properly.
5. Free Healthcare:
Fifth, healthcare will be free for all children. Keeping the population healthy is essential for growth.
6. Annual Exam for Nobility:
Sixth, there will be an annual exam where any person between the ages of 15-30 regardless of their background, will have the chance to become a noble.
This will encourage and ensure that the most capable rise to the top.
Zhang Lian leaned back, her mind still churning with ideas. "What other benefits can I offer that are possible in ancient times?" She added a few more points:
7. Land Grants for Large Families:
Families with five or more children will receive additional land, ensuring they have the resources to sustain themselves.
etc.
Zhang Lian considered the issue of population control, especially for those without spiritual roots. She knew that to maintain a balance of power and resources, reducing the population was the best choice. But it needed to be done in a way that could benefit her as well.
"Cat," she asked thoughtfully, "do you have any way I can reduce the population of non-spiritual root people that could also benefit me?"
The Cat's eyes glinted as he brought up the system screen. "Yes, Host. You can buy this skill." The screen displayed a new option:
/[System: Baby Making System]
Shop
Skill: "Vital Essence Absorption" Price: 10 NP
*! - This skill can only be used on mortals. It will strengthen your body, but it comes with many side effects. The system will purify it for you after absorbing a portion, but the more you use it, the less effective it becomes. Upgrades are not possible.*
Zhang Lian read the description carefully, understanding the skill. "A skill that could absorb mortals and turn them into physical strength?" It was an Evil skill that aligned perfectly with her needs.
She nodded slowly, "Evil skills always have disadvantages," she murmured, more to herself than the Cat. "But I don't mind, system taking some part for purification."
"Let's put this plan on hold for the moment," she said. "It may not be required anytime soon, especially if another disaster like this occurs. But it's good to always have an option available.
The Cat acknowledged her decision with a silent nod.
Satisfied with her plan, Zhang Lian set her pen down and said. "These policies will not only increase the population but also ensure that those born into my kingdom are strong, educated, and loyal."
Zhang Lian, feeling rather pleased with herself, leaned back in her chair and asked, "What do you think, Cat? How is this?" She waited for a response, but the Cat hesitated before replying.
"Host, I don't understand this language."
She blinked in surprise. "You don't know English?"
The Cat shook his head.
Realizing she had been writing in her old world's language, Zhang Lian's eyes narrowed with mischief. She leaned forward and, with a smirk, said in English, "Cat, you son of a bitch, dog fucker."
The Cat's ears twitched. "Host, I can't understand the language, but that doesn't mean I can't feel the intent behind your words. You're cursing me, aren't you?"
Zhang Lian burst into laughter. "No, I'm not!" She lied.
The Cat huffed, clearly not convinced, but he let it go,
As for speech, it will have some elements of the policies and it will be directly spoken in front of people.