Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

However, because they all possessed dual spiritual roots, Huang Rong was extremely envious and would often sulk.

Ling Chi was also helpless: "What can we do? Some people are born to inherit the world's richest man, some are born to inherit the throne, but the vast majority are ordinary people. You and Shuang'er were just unfortunate to be born into an ordinary family, there's nothing we can do about it." He paused, "However, you have a high talent for martial arts. If you study it well, your achievements will not be lower than those of magic."

"How can martial arts compare to magic?" Huang Rong simply didn't believe it: "Magic can fly through the sky and disappear into the earth, go through fire and water, and even turn stones into gold and scatter beans into soldiers. No matter how powerful martial arts are, they can't do these things."

“You can’t say that,” Ling Chi said. “You are a kitchen knife, and she is a hoe. A kitchen knife is definitely not as good as a hoe for hoeing the ground, but a hoe is definitely not good for cutting vegetables either. Although magic can turn stones into gold and scatter beans into soldiers, martial arts also have their own advantages. For example, you have mastered the [Strangulation Space], and Shuang’er has mastered the [Ultra-Long Sniping]. As long as you practice them well enough, those who know magic may not be your match.”

"Hmm, but magic looks fancy, I want to learn magic."

Seeing Huang Rong's obsession with magic, Ling Chi shrugged: "Then let's wait and see!"

"wait?"

"Wait until I reveal a recipe related to spiritual roots," Ling Chi said. "I've already used up the previous recipe for fire spiritual roots, so it can't be used again. But I'm sure I'll reveal similar recipes in the future. When you eat all the spiritual roots, you should be able to cultivate."

"That's right!" Huang Rong's face lit up with joy. "How could I forget about spiritual roots?" She took Ling Chi's hand and said, "Brother Ling, you must work hard and reveal the recipe for spiritual roots as soon as possible. Then... I'll let you do whatever you want."

Do as I please?

Ling Chi had a few immature ideas.

……

The next day, after breakfast, Ling Chi left the military camp with the 'letter of introduction' and headed to Guanzhong.

After Li Yuan ascended the throne, Li Shimin became the Prince of Qin, and the Guanzhong Plain, encompassing eight hundred li of Qin land, became his fiefdom. During this era, the Guanzhong Plain was extremely prosperous, which demonstrates Li Yuan's high regard and affection for Li Shimin.

Ling Chi took the letter of introduction to Chang'an. He first met with his sworn sister, Changsun Wugou, and expressed his longing for her since they parted. He also met Li Chengqian, who was already one year old.

Li Shimin was quick enough. After leaving Peach Blossom Island with Empress Zhangsun, Li Chengqian was born the following year. However, Ling Chi was living in seclusion at the time and did not receive the news of Empress Zhangsun's childbirth. Now, holding the exquisitely beautiful and adorable Li Chengqian in her arms, Ling Chi exclaimed, "What a good child, just like Wugou."

Empress Zhangsun smiled slightly: "Everyone says he looks like Erlang."

Erlang is Li Shimin. Since returning to Chang'an, Empress Zhangsun has started calling him Erlang. It's actually quite a nice name, considering Wu Erlang's elder brother is... well, a beautiful wish.

Ling Chi looked at Li Chengqian, remained silent for a moment, and said, "Wu Gou, you must strictly discipline this child in terms of his private morality in the future."

Empress Changsun's expression changed slightly: "Brother Ling, have you foreseen something?"

In Changsun Wugou's mind, Lingchi was no different from a god. Since he singled out 'private morality' to talk about it, it must not be unfounded.

“This child…” Ling Chi smiled wryly, “It seems he will keep male concubines in the future.”

"!!!" Changsun Wugou's expression changed drastically: "Cheng Qian, he...he..."

“This hasn’t happened yet, there’s still time to correct it,” Ling Chi said. “Also, this child seems to be prone to leg injuries when he’s in his teens. We must be careful then, lest he change his personality drastically and ultimately give his brothers hope of taking his place.”

Empress Zhangsun's expression changed again. Sibling rivalry has always been a major taboo in imperial families. Moreover, her husband was vying with her elder brother for the throne, a dangerous situation she had experienced firsthand over the past two years.

"Thank you, Brother Ling." Changsun Wugou took a deep breath and said, "I will definitely pay more attention to avoid such an outcome."

Ling Chi nodded and said, "I will probably stay in this world for more than ten years. If you have any problems during this time, just ask someone to go to Peach Blossom Island and I will do my best to solve them for you."

"Brother Ling is leaving!?" This time, Changsun Wugou was not only shocked, but also deeply reluctant, and a trace of...fear: "Why!?"

Sensing Changsun Wugou's heartfelt reluctance and worry, Ling Chi smiled slightly: "This world no longer holds any appeal for me. If it weren't for you, I might have left long ago."

“Brother Ling…” Changsun Wugou’s eyes reddened, and she almost shed tears.

"Don't be like this," Ling Chi comforted her. "I'm only leaving temporarily; I might come back later. While I'm gone, you must take good care of yourself, and..."

Ling Chi took out the forty-nine reliefs and said, "This is the 'War God Record,' which contains the methods for breaking through the void. Keep it and study it carefully. Consider it a means of self-protection left to you by your elder brother."

The War God's Manual has already been deciphered by the farmers and herdsmen in the space, and there are also system copies of it, so leaving it behind is useless. He might as well leave it to Changsun Wugou so that she has more power to protect herself. If she can comprehend it thoroughly in the future and break through the void to leave, then leaving this relief will have meaning.

"The War God's Manual!?" Empress Changsun was once again shocked: "The War God's Manual, the foremost of the Four Great Classical Novels of the Martial World!?"

“Yes.” Ling Chi nodded: “The island was sealed off for a year for the past two years to search for the Temple of War. Luckily, we were quite fortunate.”

"..." Changsun Wugou looked at him and said softly, "This is a rare book that people in the martial arts world dream of. Brother Ling gave it to me like this. I am not at ease."

"Don't feel pressured," Ling Chi said. "It's just a martial arts manual, nothing to me. Study it carefully. If you break through the void in the future, perhaps we siblings can meet again in the Heavenly Realm."

Heaven?

A glint appeared in Changsun Wugou's eyes, and her gaze gradually hardened: "Brother Ling, rest assured, I will do my best to comprehend it and strive to meet you in the Heavenly Realm as soon as possible."

"That's good." Ling Chi nodded, teased Li Chengqian for a while, and then helped Changsun Wugou open up an underground secret chamber in the Qin Prince's mansion for her to study the War God's Manual. At the same time, this secret chamber leads directly outside the city, which is also a backup plan in case of accidents in the future, so that she can have a way to hide or escape.

He really sacrificed a lot for this adopted sister.

Ling Chi stayed in Chang'an for three days. After three days, he took the one hundred 'agricultural talents' he had gathered to his fiefdom. It was actually a mountain villa not far outside Chang'an, with a hundred acres of fertile land, which he used to teach agricultural knowledge.

If Empress Zhangsun wanted to see him, it would only take two hours by carriage.

In the year that followed, Ling Chi repeatedly challenged the worldviews of the hundred agricultural talents and tested the mental fortitude of Empress Changsun, because in just one year, Ling Chi had indeed accomplished something significant enough to influence the world.

Chapter Fifty-Two: Change of Heir

In 621 AD, the fourth year of the Wude era, Li Shimin eliminated Liu Heita, a remnant of Dou Jiande's forces, and pacified Hebei. He then immediately went to Youzhou to prepare to quell Gao Kaidao, who was colluding with the Turks. Once Youzhou was pacified, the entire northern and northwestern regions would be under the control of the Li Tang dynasty. Next, all that was needed to deal with the warlords in the south was to unify the country.

Because of the Qin King's army's bravery and invincibility, coupled with the instigation of the forces behind them, the call for the Qin King to replace the Crown Prince and become the successor of the Tang Dynasty is growing louder. This makes Li Jiancheng very angry and also gives Li Yuan a big headache.

However, after Empress Zhangsun entered the palace and invited Li Yuan to a mountain villa outside the city to relax, Li Yuan's troubles disappeared.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes yielding seven or eight thousand catties per mu, corn and rice yielding over a thousand catties per mu, fruits with various grafting techniques, greenhouses that can grow vegetables even in winter, and huge waterwheels irrigated by water power—all these things repeatedly astonished Li Yuan.

"This...this is..."

“These are auspicious omens.” Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, “These auspicious omens will appear as soon as the King of Qin ascends the throne.”

"..." Li Yuan sized up Ling Chi, seemingly lost in thought: "Could you be Ling Chi, the master of Peach Blossom Island?"

"I never expected Your Majesty to have heard of my name." Ling Chi smiled slightly. "I am truly flattered."

"Alas!" Li Yuan sighed, "How many people in the world today do not know the name of Island Master Ling? I just did not expect Island Master Ling to be so young."

"You just look young." Ling Chi shook his head. "Actually, I'm quite old."

"Oh?" Li Yuan looked at him, thinking of women like Zhu Yuyan, Fan Qinghui, and Bi Xiuxin, and nodded: "Island Master Ling truly has the art of preserving youth."

Ling Chi smiled slightly: "Why should Your Majesty dwell on such trivial matters? This is an auspicious omen that could change the world. Doesn't Your Majesty want it?"

"Of course I want it." Li Yuan took a bite of the apple: It's so sweet! I've never eaten such a sweet apple in my life.

“If you want it, then leave the position of Crown Prince to the Prince of Qin!” Ling Chi said. “As long as the Prince of Qin ascends the throne and becomes emperor, these auspicious omens will belong to the Tang Dynasty.”

"..." Li Yuan glanced at him, then suddenly laughed: "These things are all within Shimin's fiefdom. If I want to take them, how will Lord Ling stop me?"

Ling Chi smiled faintly, his body rising into the air, flashing and maneuvering like lightning. He landed a dozen seconds later and said, "I'm going to kill you. Who can stop me?"

Li Yuan: "!!!∑ (°Д°ノ)ノ"

That's how it was settled.

……

As Li Yuan rode back to the palace in the carriage, he felt much more relaxed. Thinking of Ling Chi's miraculous abilities, he couldn't help but sigh, "Jiancheng, don't blame your father. It's because you didn't have the support of a god!"

A month later, while Li Shimin was chasing Gao Kaidao and fighting the Turkic troops, he received good news from the capital.

"Your Highness, this is great news! Great news indeed!" Changsun Wuji, who was in charge of logistics, ran excitedly to the front line to report the good news to Li Shimin.

"Oh?" Li Shimin killed a Turkic soldier with a single spear thrust, reined in his horse, and frowned as he looked at Changsun Wuji, who wasn't even wearing armor. "Wuji, how could you go to the battlefield like this!?"

"Uh, it was my fault." Changsun Wuji quickly admitted his mistake, but still couldn't hide his excitement: "This good news is just too wonderful, I couldn't help but come to congratulate Your Highness as soon as possible."

"What brings you joy?" Li Shimin asked.

"Hahaha, an imperial edict has arrived from Chang'an. Your Highness can return to Chang'an to be named Crown Prince once You have pacified Youzhou."

"What!?" Li Shimin was both surprised and delighted: "Is it true!?"

"Absolutely true." Changsun Wuji nodded repeatedly: "Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Soon, news that the King of Qin would be made crown prince after pacifying Youzhou spread throughout the army, and all the soldiers were greatly encouraged. On the same day, they annihilated the Turkic army and captured Gao Kaidao in the process. The pacification of Youzhou was just around the corner.

After returning to camp in victory, Li Shimin ordered that the captured and wounded warhorses be roasted or boiled and eaten to reward the entire army, while also celebrating the good news that the Prince of Qin was about to become the crown prince.

The civil and military officials who had been taken into Li Shimin's Tiance Mansion were flushed with excitement that night, munching on horse meat and saying, "It's a pity that we can't drink alcohol in the army, what a pity!"

Li Shimin laughed heartily and said, "After pacifying Youzhou and returning to Chang'an, I will certainly have a good drink with you all."

"Great!" Everyone cheered, and the atmosphere became even more enthusiastic.

While everyone else was excited, Li Jing was frowning, completely puzzled.

"Pharmacist, what are you thinking about?" A middle-aged scholar walked over and sat down beside him.

“It’s Kemin!” Li Jing smiled. “It’s nothing, I was just wondering why His Majesty would make such a sudden decision?”

Du Ruhui, courtesy name Keming, was historically known as "Du Duan" in the phrase "Fang Mou Du Duan" (方谋杜断), meaning "Du's decisiveness" or "Du's strategy." He was also Li Shimin's most capable strategist and would become the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the future Tang Dynasty, equivalent to the Right Chancellor, while Fang Xuanling would be the Left Chancellor.

In recent years, Du Ruhui had followed Li Shimin in his campaigns, devising countless strategies. Li Shimin's ability to win every battle was not only due to his own talent and the loyalty of his army, but also inseparable from Du Ruhui's strategic planning. Without real ability, how could he have become the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty?

"Suddenly?" Du Ruhui took a bite of horse meat and laughed, "Has the pharmacist forgotten that lord's one-year agreement?"

That sir?

Li Jing was slightly taken aback, then thought of someone and said with a look of realization, "How could I have forgotten that person? I really shouldn't have done that."

“There’s no need for that, Pharmacist. The war has been frequent these past few months. You’ve been leading troops into battle and devising strategies. You’re exhausted. You just forgot for a moment. It’s nothing,” Du Ruhui said.

Li Jing nodded and said, "That official said a year ago that he would train farmers for a year. Now that a year has passed, he must have made an amazing achievement, forcing His Majesty to make the decision to change the heir apparent."

"That must be it," Du Ruhui exclaimed. "That official is truly a divine being. With his support, Your Highness will be at peace!"

"Haha, we will also become ministers who follow the emperor, so we should congratulate each other," Li Jing said with a smile.

“Not bad.” Du Ruhui nodded with a smile: “However, this is only the first step towards peace in the world. Pharmacist, do not slack off.”

“Kemin too.” Li Jing patted his chest and said, “With your frail body, I’m really afraid you’ll die young one day.”

"Hehe, life and death are determined by fate, and cannot be forced." Du Ruhui smiled slightly: "I only hope that after the world is at peace, no one will starve to death anymore."

Seeing the hint of sadness beneath Du Ruhui's smile, Li Jing patted him on the shoulder: "With that lord's high-yield grain, no one in the world will starve to death anymore."

Du Ruhui nodded, and looking at His Highness the Prince of Qin, who was wearing green armor and practicing swordsmanship in front of the campfire, Du Ruhui smiled slightly: Your Highness is really green!

……

Another month passed, and Youzhou was completely stabilized. Li Shimin returned to Chang'an. On the day of his triumphant return, the entire city of Chang'an was deserted as people lined the streets for dozens of miles outside the city to welcome him, beating drums and gongs to celebrate the victorious return of the Prince of Qin.

Li Shimin wore a green helmet and green armor. Under the sunlight, his whole body shimmered with a dazzling green light, making countless people think that a god had descended to earth. They knelt down and prayed, asking the god to bless them with peace and happiness.

Upon entering Chang'an, Li Shimin did not have time to go home. He immediately went to the palace to meet the emperor, as Li Yuan had already made preparations. All the civil and military officials were already in the palace hall, waiting for Prince Qin to be crowned the crown prince.