Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

[I didn't know you could eat so much.]

At about 8:30 in the evening, after finishing the small dish of mandarin fish with pine nuts in front of me, the last dish of clear soup with matsutake mushrooms was served.

This is a soup dish. The small bowl contains amber soup, the same soup used for boiling cabbage. It contains not only cabbage, but also matsutake mushrooms flown in from Yunnan, as well as soaked and hericium erinaceus and sea cucumber.

Zheng Shijie, who was sitting next to him, was drinking Dunhuang wine with Ao Zang, who was sitting opposite him. Also drinking together was the "president" who came to the table with Ao Zang after the opening, that is, the actual manager of Yiluhua Department Store. With his mustache, triangular eyes, flat nose, and hunched shoulders and stretched neck, he retained three points of the appearance of a sea turtle. At first glance, his ability to transform was much inferior to that of the Dragon King with the "Sun and Sky" next to him.

Of course, it is unknown whether this transformation is to hide one's incompetence. The Dragon Palace, a small court in the East China Sea, also has its own rules. Perhaps members of the Dragon Palace who are not members of the Dragon Clan cannot and should not transform too much like humans - Shangluo does not know what it is like elsewhere, but there are several of the Dragon King's attendants in this room who look like ordinary people, but when the Dragon King talks about the secrets of the Dragon Palace, those attendants still stand behind.

Those who know this cannot be human, because no one can go to the Dragon Palace. Those who can stay here can only be human-shaped dragons like Otohime. Maybe they are even more likely to be real dragons that can change their shapes at will.

The position of Prime Minister Turtle is obviously higher than those dragons who serve as attendants. But because of the rules of the Dragon Palace, it seems that it cannot be too human.

"You guessed wrong." Prime Minister Turtle suddenly spoke -

These words almost tripped Shangluo's train of thought - why could this old turtle guess what he was thinking?

"You look at me for a while, and then at the dragons next to me. I think you are trying to guess why I don't look like a human. The answer is, this is the rule of the Dragon Palace."

"Ah, this, I'm not very comfortable asking this, right? After all, this is the rule of the Dragon Palace?"

"The Dragon Palace has no rules, only equity, it's that simple." Prime Minister Turtle gave a straightforward answer, "The dragons own shares in the Dragon Palace and are the directors of the company. I, Old Turtle, am just a senior worker. I don't own the Dragon Palace, so I naturally won't dress like a shareholder, it's that simple. As for the shareholders~" He pointed to the dragons carrying plates behind him:

"Whether they are willing to come to work in the company is entirely based on their personal wishes. Some of them are willing to serve the Dragon King, so the company will give them a salary for serving dishes, that's all. But even if they come here to do odd jobs, they are still shareholders of our company, so they wear shareholder uniforms."

"So the reason is so simple?"

Prime Minister Turtle shook his head. "Simple, yet complex. Owning and being owned are the furthest and closest distances in this world. Who determines whether someone can 'own' a thing? All things in the world come from the universe. Who has the right to claim that the thing in front of him belongs to him? The first person who declares that he owns a piece of land, the first person who possesses a painter's painting after his death and auctions it off at a high price, is that the first crime?"

"???"

"Shang Tianjun, what do you think?"

"I say, Prime Minister Turtle, should I address you as such?"

"Hey, it's just a nickname. Lord Shang Tian called me that to show his respect. What I'm talking about is more important than the name. I wonder if Lord Shang Tian has thought about some current events after hearing what I said: for example, Donghai claimed that it owns the so-called '8231 people born out of evil'."

"I say, Lord Shang Tian." Ao Zang stepped in to smooth things over. "Don't take what he says too seriously. He just read a couple of extra scriptures, so he likes to talk to people."

"But, Lord, you called me here today to meet with Shang Tianjun so that I can speak, right? Do you hope that I can convey some of the Dragon Palace's views to Shang Tianjun?"

"Of course, this is your freedom." Ao Zang took a sip of Dunhuang wine. "After all, we are all ministers in the same court, and we don't have to be completely consistent in our political views. The decision of Lord Shang Tian is the final decision."

"Then can I assume that Your Majesty agrees with me to a certain extent? It is too hasty to claim that you own the lives of all the people in Japan. How can the debt of parents last for thousands of years? How can the promise of ancestors be made by descendants thousands of years later? First of all, this is illegal. The Ming Dynasty law does not allow human trafficking, and all transactions related to human beings are not recognized."

"Yes." Ao Zang looked at Shang Luo, "So, Lord Shang Tian, ​​this is what I said before - discussing strategies is more important than attacking Japan. I wonder what you think about this issue, Lord Shang Tian?"

"Ah, as expected," Shang Luo pressed his forehead, "As expected, this kind of complicated issue has to be decided by me, right?"

"I heard that the emperor was also hesitant about whether to handle the murder case. Just because it was a father killing his son, he hesitated for three whole years. So, what do you think, Lord Shang Tian?"

Everyone was silent. Phaethon, Wen Yuan, and Han Xingzhi all looked at him.

Zheng Shijie, who was standing next to him, was eating snacks with great interest, a smile on his face - he often saw Zhu Xianxin being tortured by this kind of dilemma, and now it was Shangluo's turn. Zhu Xianxin had to deal with the mortal world, but now it had directly escalated to a conflict in the extraordinary world.

"Don't think too much." Zheng Shijie put down the cup. "The two of them are willing to put the problem here, which shows that everyone thinks highly of you. Since everyone asked you, they must think you can make the decision."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Ao Zang and said, "Sir Ao Zang, do you think I'm right? Since you asked Shang Tianjun to help you two share the blame, then no matter what Shang Tianjun says, you must obey his arrangement. The reason is very simple. Either you solve it internally. If you must go to court, do as the government says."

"Of course." Ao Zang nodded immediately, "When I asked this question, I knew that everything would have to be handed over to Shang Tianjun."

"So." Shang Luo shook his head, "Since the two of you want to come to my place for a trial, I will give you a trial. First of all——"

He looked at Ao Zang and said, "Let us first emphasize one thing: there is no such thing as heavenly law for the time being. The laws of heaven do not exist at present."

"Shang Tianjun, your words are the Heavenly Law." Ao Zang replied, "When the Heavenly Law does not exist, every word you say will become part of the Heavenly Law."

"Therefore, please ask Lord Shang Tian to make the final decision on this matter." Prime Minister Turtle added.

Chapter 1093 Rules

"I know. But the laws are not just about what should or shouldn't be, and there must be clear written laws. Now that the Heavenly Court is still in its infancy, you can come here to judge. I am very grateful for giving me this opportunity - but my answer may surprise you: I think the problem of possession of 'things' does not exist naturally."

"???" Ao Zang was a little surprised, "What do you mean?"

"The 64th chapter of the Tao Te Ching says: The sage desires nothing, and does not value hard-to-get goods. This is what Taoists call 'valuable goods do not accumulate'. In the ancient sage king era, people's ownership of 'things' was not yet clear. Mountains and rivers do not belong to anyone, and plants and trees do not belong to anyone. Whoever can develop this place, this piece of land belongs to him. The land certainly belongs to heaven and earth, but the labor of cultivating the land into fields belongs to people. In the beginning, no one could develop the land alone, so the land did not belong to a specific person, but to the village community. And here..."

Shang Luo shook his head. "I don't think the laws of the ancient kings described in the Tao Te Ching can necessarily guide our current practice. But I think that we should at least not rashly assume that people can be bought and sold, and debts can be passed down from generation to generation. For all of this, we need to wait for an opportunity in the future and reach a consensus. At least for now, I don't even plan to set up the 'three rules of conduct' with you."

"What do you mean, Lord Shang Tian?"

"What I mean is, if the Heavenly Law doesn't say anything—or, I haven't said anything, then this issue should be handled according to human laws."

[Good guy, you kicked the ball back with this big spinning kick.]

"Isn't this normal? It's not something that happened under my rule, so why should I care? Although I can gain some authority in the process. But is authority useful for cultivation? It's useless. Patriarch Bodhi asked Monkey King whether he wanted to learn the art of war, the art of following the dragon, or the method of making money. The monkey said no, because none of them could lead to immortality. My standard is very clear: I am a cultivator, I don't care about anything that is not related to immortality, and I don't do anything that is not related to me. It's that simple."

[Ah, so this is how you view the Heavenly Palace as well? ]

"How should I put it? If I were to set the rules for the Heavenly Court, then 'not interfering with my own practice' would definitely be the first priority. If I can't even manage my own practice, how can I manage others? Moreover, this is the cause and effect of 8000 million people, and something might go wrong. If things go wrong, who will be held responsible for the karma in the future?"

[That's right. If you do it well, you may not gain any merit, but if you mess it up, it will be a big problem.]

"So..." He turned to the two of them, "I think this matter should be handled in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty. I will supervise the handling of this matter."

"Eh?" Ao Zang asked in surprise, "Shang Tianjun, don't you care?"

"As a cultivator, I don't want to get involved in this matter. But as a Heavenly Sovereign, I know that this matter must be managed. So my opinion is that matters of Heaven should be handled by Heaven, and matters of the Imperial Court should be handled by the Imperial Court. Matters such as property rights lawsuits should be handled entirely by the Imperial Court. So, how should the Imperial Court manage it if it wants to?"

Ao Zang shook his head: "The imperial court does not allow the trafficking of human beings."

"Then at least, this matter needs to be discussed with the court. I will call the relevant departments and hold a three-court trial for you to decide the case. This matter is over for the time being, and the two of you should stop fighting here for the time being. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it in court."

He looked at Prime Minister Turtle: "I know that you and the Dragon King have different views on this matter. My opinion is that no matter what, we must ensure that Xu Fu is completely defeated. If Xu Fu cannot be captured, then neither the Heavenly Court nor the Imperial Court will be able to take care of these bottles and jars."

"Of course." Prime Minister Turtle nodded. "Since the imperial court issued the order to attack Xu Fu, I have been in charge of the deployment. The 8 naval forces are already in place, awaiting your order, Lord Shang Tian."

"Very good. I am very pleased that everyone is a sensible person. We are all different from each other, but a common goal brings us together here - Xu Fu must die. This is not only because he is plotting treason, but there is also a practical reason: this old guy has lived from the Qin Dynasty to the present. Although his cultivation may not be high, he is longer-lived than many heavenly masters. How did he do it? This must be investigated thoroughly."

After saying that, he changed the subject: "So, Prime Minister Turtle, does your daughter share the same opinion as you on this matter?"

"I am terrified. I can only express my terrified feelings about this matter. As a parent, there is no parent who doesn't love their children. But maybe I was too kind to her, which made her kindness have no boundaries, or maybe her kindness went beyond the boundaries. This is my fault."

"Then, Prime Minister Turtle." Shang Luo looked at him, "I hope you can avoid suspicion during the campaign against Xu Fu, okay?"

Prime Minister Turtle stood up and said, "I will follow the orders of the Lord of Heaven."

"I will prepare a cell for you in the Imperial Prison. I hope that you will stay in the Imperial Prison quietly and not communicate with the outside world until this matter is over. I will order the Imperial Prison to give you normal meals - if there is nothing else, you can go now."

"Thank you, Lord Tian." Prime Minister Turtle bowed his head to Shangluo, and his hunched figure suddenly seemed to be much more relaxed. After putting down so many burdens, he seemed to be able to live another 10 or 20 years.

Ao Zang said nothing. He just kept looking at his old friend and assistant as they walked away from the table. He didn't even drink a sip of the Dunhuang wine, as if he had been prepared to face it all since he sat down at the table.

Ao Zang, who stayed where he was, was also briefly stunned. He and the old turtle had been at odds over this matter for a long time. Due to the complicated relationship, neither of them could convince the other.

But now, Shang Tianjun clearly did not make a decision, but it seemed that he had done everything. The old turtle, who had a close relationship with him, actually went to the imperial prison obediently.

"Then, King Ao Zang, I wonder if this will allow you to attack Xu Fu without any worries."

Ao Zang stood up and said, "What are you talking about, Lord Tian? Even if you don't do this, Donghai will definitely do its best."

"I didn't do this for you, I did it for the great cause of Heaven, so you don't have to thank me. I may not disagree with what he said, but no one can ruin the affairs of the court, even if there is only the slightest possibility. So if you have nothing else, can we have some tea? I suddenly have an appetite again, I want to drink some more tea."

"Okay, okay. Tianjun, come this way. Come this way. The tea is ready."

Chapter 1094 Advanced East China Sea Technology

After-meal tea is usually served in a more relaxed tea room.

Shangluo sat on a wider and softer chair, with a cup of black tea with a drip tray next to him and a grid-shaped tray for snacks, with four small porcelain plates on the tray.

The porcelain plate contains side dishes to go with tea, including buttered abalone with soft flesh, steamed Haozhou lobster back, sour sauce salad with sea cucumber and ginkgo, and shrimp soaked in Longjing tea.

Shangluo picked up a piece of soft-boiled abalone.

"Wow, is this really the taste of abalone? It's so soft and sticky, like rice cake."

"Only one piece of the runny core was scooped out of the whole abalone, so of course it's very soft." Zheng Shijie also took a bite, "Well, it must be a pretty big piece to scoop out such a uniform runny core. Our Lord Ao Zang really spent a lot of money. Although seafood is not very valuable to him, such a big abalone is quite valuable according to the market price - he gave one to you, me, and your friends."

"Ahhh!" Han Xingzhi originally wanted to wave his hand to decline the dish, but when he saw the dish in front of him, his eyes lit up, "I think I can eat this abalone! Is this abalone a spirit? Are we eating abalone spirit?"

The banquet just now was a torture for him. He could only eat a few things, such as a few bowls of soup. He could hardly eat anything that Shangluo could eat. After all, it was almost the same as what he ate at home, and the portion was even smaller.

But he could actually eat all four dishes in front of him!

"You never know if it's possible." Wen Yuan also took a bite. "I've eaten bird's nest and shark's fin banquets with my grandfather. They eat it quite often. This is the first time I've eaten abalone of this quality as a cold dish. It's really the court in the sea, and there's plenty of food in the sea - if it's really an abalone spirit, don't you feel disgusted?"

"I'll just eat it! I want more! As long as it's edible, I don't care whether it's a deer goblin or a wild boar goblin. It would be best if there were more. I'll eat them all!"

"Tsk—" Ao Zang, who was sitting over there drinking tea, suddenly laughed. After Prime Minister Turtle was arrested by Shangluo with just one sentence, he had been very serious. Only when he saw Han Xingzhi's appetite was opened did he finally relax the tension in his mind.

"???" He smiled like that, and Han Xingzhi's mind became tense, "Your Excellency Dragon King, what did I just eat?"

"Guess? It's not a wild boar demon anyway."

"If it's not a wild boar demon, then it can't be a human. It can't be a human demon!"

"Puff!" Shangluo was eating lobster and this bite almost made him bite his tongue.

He quickly stopped and asked Ao Zang: "So King Ao Zang, what exactly is this? Isn't it a real abalone?"

"Yes." Zheng Shijie was also surprised, "This tastes exactly the same as real abalone."

"Ahhh!" Phaethon understood immediately, "This is simulated food!!!"

"Hey, there's someone knowledgeable here." Ao Zang also took a bite himself.

"Wait, what is this?" Shangluo asked.

"You've eaten it before. Didn't you eat it on the submarine? They opened a plate and there was everything on it."

"Isn't that something that can only be achieved in a special space? That submarine is a small, enclosed world. I remember that similar food can be eaten in Cyberlania, but those foods are just illusions after all. But what's in front of me is real?"

Phaethon nodded. "I find this strange, too. As far as I know, those simulated foods can't appear in the mortal world. Is that right?"

She asked Apollonia for confirmation.

[As far as I know, that's the case. But here, these foods appear normally in the sun, and are eaten normally by you. And Shangluo, if this thing is really dangerous, you can feel it, right? ]

"I really don't see how this thing is dangerous." Shangluo answered truthfully, "So, King Ao Zang, how did you do it? How did you get this thing from Rome?"

"This is part of a series of transactions between us [Eastern Sea] and [Western Sea], that is, Atlantis. We just took it to the next level: the outdated Atlantean technology used metabits to shape these objects, and the essence of metabits is illusion. Our advanced Eastern Sea technology uses mirages instead of metabits. Mirages are gas, and they are entities, so you can all eat them."

"So what I just ate was a mirage? Was it the northwest wind?" Shangluo asked.

"Well, to be precise, it's seaweed. These are special seaweeds grown in mirage. 95% of the main components are water and 5% are mirage."

"Is there any nutrition in that?"

"No." Ao Zang answered bluntly, "Although it tastes good, it doesn't have any nutritional value - of course, it can replenish water. As for the mirage, it will be gone after you burp after eating it."

"Ah," Han Xingzhi leaned back, "It turned out to be fake, it turned out to be a mirage. I thought I had found a way to fill myself up. Now that you mention it, I feel like my stomach is starting to get hungry."

"Oh right." Shangluo asked Ao Zang, "Does the food made from mirage have any flaws? For example, is it afraid of light?"

"It is indeed not afraid of light. The stronger the light, the clearer the image of the mirage will be. But mirages are afraid of heat. If you eat them, they will decompose immediately."

"Ah," Shangluo looked at the four small plates next to him, "So they are all cold dishes, right?"

"Yes, so we can only make cold dishes, not hot dishes. In fact, at the banquet just now, many cold dishes were mixed with mirage. You didn't taste it, which shows that our little trick is still quite promising. If Shang Tianjun is interested, we can give him these mirage snacks every day in the future."

"Why don't you give me the machine that makes the mirage!"

"Ah, this." He was too direct, so Ao Zang was not able to react for a moment. "No, Lord Shang Tian, ​​it's not that I don't want to give it to you, it's just that these mirages are not made by machines."

"What is that made of?"

"Mirage gas, mirage gas, as the name suggests, it is made of mirages. Specifically, the bubbles spit out by the mirage girls in the Dragon Palace - don't worry, Shang Tianjun, these mirage gas are all colorful bubbles made by young mirage girls. But if Shang Tianjun really wants it, it's not impossible for us to send a mirage girl to your house -"

"No, no, no, that's not necessary." Shangluo shook his head fiercely. "If I want to eat, I'd better go to the store. Oh, by the way, do you have a store?"

Ao Zang's eyes immediately lit up: "Shang Tianjun, I was just about to tell you this: since you, Shang Tianjun, have judged it to be very safe after eating it, can you let Dragon Palace also provide such mirage food in the restaurant of Yiluhua Department Store in Yingtian?"

Chapter 1095 Real Technology

"Ah, this." Shangluo understood that this was the reason why he went around in circles - he wanted to sell this kind of real technology and hard work in the store. 95% of it is water that can be found everywhere, and 5% is mirage that will make you burp if you take a bite. Rounding it off, it means you didn't eat anything, just drank a mouthful of water.