Chapter 345: Selecting Concubines

Yin Qi smiled and said: "No need to doubt, there is indeed such a large inventory."

With over five hundred thousand artifact refiners, Yin Qi placed them all in a valley one hundred li east of the city, protected by formations, and even Wen Zhong and the others had never been inside.

The world only knew that it was an artifact refining base set up by Yin Qi.

Various Yin Shang magical artifacts were nine-tenths produced there.

Yin Qi did not intend to make the new artifact refining method public for the time being, so he had not taken Wen Zhong and the others there.

Wen Zhong looked at Yin Qi deeply, only then discovering that he had still underestimated the other party.

Shang Rong and Bi Gan were also the same.

No wonder Yin Qi had the confidence to say he wanted to abolish enfeoffment and complete central power; he truly had the foundation.

Wen Zhong said sternly: "The Great King has already thought it through thoroughly; this old minister will naturally comply."

"Good!"

Yin Qi said: "After the New Year, I will give you the specific details of the reform, and your Military Secretariat just needs to implement them seriously."

Wen Zhong nodded, indicating no objections.

Shang Rong and Bi Gan did not speak, because they generally could not intervene in military affairs.

Yin Qi looked at Shang Rong and said: "Chief Assistant, after the New Year, I intend to establish a bank, under the Ministry of Revenue, but directly responsible to me. The bank has three functions: one: absorb people's savings. Give interest; two: provide low-interest loans to all levels of society to help them get through difficulties; three: facilitate commercial settlement."

A bank is a fresh thing; this era did not even have money shops, so Shang Rong was confused about what Yin Qi said.

However, he agreed with the second function, low-interest loans.

The usury of this era was truly usury; basically, if one touched it, one would end up with a ruined family.

Shang Rong nodded and said: "Okay, Great King."

Yin Qi finally said: "There is another matter. I intend to abolish the slave system and the human sacrifice system. What do you think?"

Following Di Yi's burial, Yin Qi used pottery figurines for burial, so abolishing the human sacrifice system basically had no difficulty.

But in order to abolish the slave system, Yin Qi had made three years of preparations.

He encouraged the development of commerce, which was to guide the nobles to shift their focus from land to commerce.

With more profitable commerce, they naturally would not guard the farmland to the death.

And farming is where the most slaves are needed.

And because of the promotion of Taiji Rice, there would definitely be no famine in the future, so the grain business would naturally not be good, and might even be unsellable.

Since that was the case, why would they need so much farmland?

Shang Rong pondered for a moment and said: "Great King, this old minister believes it is feasible. Although there will be some resistance, with the national power of our Great Shang, it is easy to quell this resistance."

Wen Zhong and Bi Gan nodded one after another, believing that the time was ripe.

They themselves also possessed huge industries, and the output of those farmlands was long since not in their eyes.

Yin Qi smiled and said: "Good. Since the three of you agree, then let's implement it next year."

Kunlun.

Yuxu Palace.

Yuanshi Tianzun woke up from his meditation and his heart moved slightly, and countless information surged into his mind.

"Hmm?"

He frowned slightly, discovering that three years had passed, and the national fortune of the Great Shang was actually flourishing, and with it, the fortune of the human race was rising step by step.

The current Great Shang's national fortune had reached an unprecedented peak.

According to his calculations, if there were no accidents, the Great Shang's national fortune would last at least three thousand years.

Three thousand years, are you kidding me!

Compared to Yuanshi Tianzun's long life, three thousand years could be said to be a snap of the fingers; it was not that he could not wait.

However, he did not want this sense of frustration.

He, a dignified Saint, had already taken action to scheme against a mortal, yet there was no effect, and instead, the national fortune was becoming more flourishing; wasn't this slapping his face?

Thinking of this, he snorted coldly, grabbed the void with his five fingers, and grabbed Xiao Yanzhi over.

Xiao Yanzhi hurriedly bowed: "Pay respects to the Saint!"

Yuanshi Tianzun's expression was cold, and he said coldly: "I told you to go and bewitch the Human Emperor; why haven't you entered the palace yet?"

Xiao Yanzhi trembled all over and hurriedly said: "Saint, please observe. That Di Qi never leaves the palace, does not select beauties, and even refuses many beauties sent by vassals; the little maid really has no chance to enter the palace."

Yuanshi Tianzun also knew that Xiao Yanzhi was not lying, but he was also disappointed in her ability.

He said coldly: "You evil obstacle, you can't even handle this little thing. That Di Qi has already ascended the throne for three years and still has no heirs; don't you know how to bewitch some officials and let them submit a memorial to ask Di Qi to select beauties?"

Cultivation of the Dao emphasizes the inheritance of the Dao, while the human world emphasizes the inheritance of bloodline.

Having no heirs is a big deal.

No matter how much Di Qi does not care for beauty, the harem has always been empty, and the officials will definitely not agree.

Xiao Yanzhi's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly bowed: "Saint is wise."

"Alright, you may go back. I give you ten years; I want Di Qi to be licentious and lawless."

Yuanshi Tianzun waved his hand and sent Xiao Yanzhi away.

Time flew by, and it was soon Di Qi's third year.

At the Lantern Festival Grand Court Meeting, Yin Qi announced the reform of the military system, the abolition of the slave system and the human sacrifice system, the establishment of a bank, and other measures, basically without any resistance.

Just when he was about to announce the end of the court, Minister of Rites Chen Xu stood out.

He bowed and said: "Great King, this old minister has a matter to report."

"Granted!"

Although he really disliked Chen Xu, in order to maintain his persona and reflect his magnanimity, Yin Qi had never moved Chen Xu.

And Chen Xu was indeed capable, managing the Ministry of Rites in an orderly manner, leaving him with no complaints.

Chen Xu said in a loud voice: "Great King, you have been married for eight years, and there are three concubines in the harem, but there are no offspring. For the sake of the country, this old minister implores the Great King to select concubines and enrich the harem."

Yin Qi was also stunned.

As a Heavenly Immortal, he possessed a long life and was not in a hurry to have any heirs, so he did not care much about whether he had offspring or not, letting nature take its course.

However, the higher the life level, the more difficult it is to give birth.

He is a Heavenly Immortal; he really did not know when he would be able to have offspring, so casting a wide net could be considered a strategy.

"Great King, this minister seconds this."

"Please Great King, select concubines and enrich the harem to secure the foundation of the country!"

"Great King, the Minister of Rites' words are reasonable!"

The officials seconded one after another.

Even Wen Zhong, Shang Rong, and Bi Gan all submitted memorials one after another.

One must know that Yin Shou married later than Yin Qi, and now his eldest son was three years old, and his youngest son had also been born.

The officials implored, and Yin Qi could only "reluctantly" agree, nodded, and said: "Since that is the case, then this matter will be handed over to the Ministry of Rites. The number of concubines should not exceed the limit of the *Book of Rites*."

The *Book of Rites* stipulates that the Human Emperor's harem has one Empress, four Noble Consorts, and also nine Concubines, twelve Fair Ladies, fifteen Beauties, fifteen Talented Ladies, twenty-four Precious Forests, twenty-four Imperial Women, and thirty-seven Selected Women.

In addition, there are also Imperial Women without rank, totaling one hundred and twenty.

As for the three thousand beauties in the harem, generally no serious emperor would do that.

Who could withstand it?

Chen Xu said happily: "Yes, Great King."

After three years, he had long since changed his view of Yin Qi, and there was only loyalty in his heart.

In reality, he could not be disloyal.

With Yin Qi's current prestige, Yin Shou could not make any waves at all, and now he was still concentrating on cultivation in the mansion, basically no longer interacting with officials in the court. ===== CHAPTER 346 =====