Chapter 257 Overflowing with Pregnancy Energy

As its territory continued to expand, the Nanyue Kingdom gradually began to border new nations. For example, the most powerful state on the Indian Peninsula, the Mughal Empire, was a mighty empire with a land area and population far exceeding those of Toungoo.

Another example was Aceh, a powerful state that occupied the entire Malay Peninsula and more than half of Sumatra.

Although the Nanyue Kingdom controlled two top-tier deep-water ports, Guangzhou and Chittagong, communication between them could still only be conducted via land routes.

The reason was simple: Aceh controlled the entire Strait of Malacca. Anyone wishing to pass through the strait would inevitably be exploited, or even obstructed and robbed, by Aceh.

To conquer the Malay Peninsula to the south, Gao Yuan still had much preparation to do.

The first task was to build a powerful naval fleet, which was already underway. In another month or so, the first batch of heavy treasure ships—over fifty meters long, with a displacement exceeding a thousand tons, and equipped with catapults and ballistae—would be launched.

With a fleet, Gao Yuan could begin training the navy by searching for Spice Island. Simultaneously, this would stimulate the desire to build ships and go to sea, driving many Powerful Families families—who had long relied on annexing land and hiding populations—out to sea.

This would transform these Powerful Families families from landlords into colonizers and pioneers.

For the second step, Gao Yuan naturally needed to find that treasure island in the southeastern seas—Taiwan.

With that base, he could set out directly from Taiwan in the future to strike at the heart of the enemy without anyone being the wiser.

The second preparation involved the population. The battle for Jiaozhi during the Ming Dynasty in the original timeline could be considered the ultimate negative example.

If the large indigenous population was not broken up and relocated, the result would be constant rebellion, rebellion, and more rebellion, eventually forcing the 'Good Grandson' to abandon Jiaozhi.

Now, the Indochina Peninsula had basically been pacified with the system's help, and the economy and population were recovering, but it was still not enough.

According to reports from various circuits, the Sinicization rate was a pitiful thirty-five percent, and the Pugan Circuit was even below twenty percent, far from the standard for long-term peace and stability.

With the war in the north over, prisoners were becoming scarce, and Wan Sanqian could no longer buy much of a population.

In Gao Yuan's view, it was time to stop and slow down. Without sufficient accumulation and the right opportunity, it was not advisable to act rashly now.

In any case, he was only twenty-nine years old. In the modern era, many people at this age hadn't even married or had children yet, so there was no rush at all.

He might as well take this time to make babies with his wives. After all, while he wasn't in a hurry, the women at home and his subordinates were anxious.

On the first day of the fifth month in the fifth year of the Shaoxing era of Great Qian, the Nanyue Royal Palace could be said to have a double blessing.

First, Gao Yuan officially took Yang Xin as a concubine, and then Zhao Xiyao and Xian Ying were diagnosed as pregnant.

This time, let alone Gao Yuan, the entire Nanyue Kingdom was in an uproar, and officials at all levels sent congratulatory gifts one after another.

Regarding this hard-won child, Zhao Xiyao naturally attached immense importance to it. She immediately decided to appoint Zheng Wan and Wu Xu as the Left and Right Vice Directors of the Department of State Affairs, putting them in charge of the vast majority of government affairs.

Unsurprisingly, Gao Yuan also received a notification from the system.

"Detected that the Host's eldest son of the first wife has been successfully conceived. SS-class Life Sector Overlord's Notebook exclusive event: 'Fatherly Love as Heavy as a Mountain' triggered;"

"The Host's eldest son of the first wife has been successfully conceived. To welcome the birth of the successor to your career, the Host should strive for excellence and expand the territory to lay a solid foundation for the newcomer;"

"Event Goal: Completely occupy the Jiannan Circuit within two years;"

"Event Reward: The eldest son of the first wife will randomly receive a character template: Zhu Di or Li Shimin;"

"Failure Penalty: The eldest son of the first wife will receive a random character template: Zhu Qizhen or Zhao Gou."

Gao Yuan jumped straight out of bed, cursing inwardly, which startled Yang Xin who was sleeping soundly beside him.

"Holy crap, system, you're freaking screwing me over! This failure penalty is way too malicious. The Ming War God and Wanyan Gou? You're trying to make my dynasty perish in the second generation!"

"The Host now dominates a region with a strong national power and a powerful army, plus my system's support. If you can't even take down a small Jiannan Circuit, what face do you have to be the father of an emperor for the ages?"

"You... but the gap between the rewards and penalties is just too big."

"If the gap wasn't large, how would the Host have the motivation to complete the event?"

Yang Xin put on her clothes and gently stroked Gao Yuan's back.

"What's wrong?"

"Sigh... I've been pited by the system!"

Gao Yuan dejectedly explained the mission issued by the system.

"Isn't this just screwing me over? Right now, the Jiannan Circuit is still under the rule of Great Qian. If I attack it, the world will see it as a rebellion, which will be a significant obstacle to unifying the world in the future."

Thinking of Li Erfeng and Zhu Lao-si from the original timeline—such wise and martial emperors were criticized because they didn't obtain their positions through proper means, which caused quite a bit of trouble in their later governance.

Yang Xin understood Gao Yuan's thoughts. Leaning against her husband, she comforted him softly.

"Since the system issued such a task, there must be a reason. Why don't we wait and see? Perhaps the opportunity will present itself."

"Sigh, I'll just take things as they come. If it really doesn't work out, I'll find a way to lose a soldier or two in the Jiannan Circuit and then send troops to 'find' them. That way, I'll at least have a semblance of a legitimate reason."

Thousands of miles away in New name for Hangzhou, an undercurrent was currently surging.

Rumors about The Emperor Zhao Ji disregarding ethics to take his own aunt as a concubine were intensifying, and people's hearts were inevitably becoming unsettled.

At times like this, those with ulterior motives began to grow restless.

Inside a secret room of a large mansion, a group of people were gathered for a secret meeting.

"Now that The Emperor has lost his virtue, and four of the sixteen guard armies are already in our hands, I believe it is time to act."

"No rush, no rush. I believe the time is not yet ripe."

"Indeed, a mere matter of incest is not enough to make Zhao Ji lose the hearts of the people of the world."

An old man then revealed a sinister smile.

"What if there is also the crime of losing territory?"

"We mustn't act recklessly regarding that. Losing territory would affect our interests..."

"None of you have any industries in the Jiannan Circuit anyway. Besides, once we have control of the situation, we can just send troops to reclaim it."

"Exactly. With Great Qian's military strength, reclaiming the Jiannan Circuit would be a breeze. By then, we'll even have the merit of recovering lost territory, which will make Zhao Ji look even more fatuous and incompetent by comparison."

"Have you chosen a successor?"

"Zhao Xun, the son of the Prince of Zhongshan."

"Zhao Xun? I recall he's a fool, isn't he? I heard that even in his teens, he would drool and wet his pants."

"Isn't that perfect?"

"Quite so, quite so. A fool is exactly what we need for easy control."

"When the time comes and this fool has no heirs, we can also support the succeeding monarch ourselves. Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

Hearty laughter echoed continuously within the secret room as a conspiracy took shape.

Inside the imperial palace, what was The Emperor Zhao Ji doing?

Recently, he had become obsessed with mounted archery—but on the back of an elephant. In the back garden, he used arrows with cloth-wrapped tips to shoot at his concubines. Anyone he hit would be disqualified from enjoying The Emperor's favor that night.

To raise these two elephants, Zhao Ji sent people every day to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for fodder.

He even spared no expense in winter, sending fleets south to make purchases, requiring ice for preservation throughout the journey. It could be said that every catty of fodder was squeezed from the blood and sweat of the people.

Because the expenses were so high, Zhao Ji even rejected several budget requests for military equipment upgrades, causing significant resentment within the army.