Nobita's Time Heist

"Something happened. If it weren't for the timely rescue, we probably wouldn't be here today," Asur said helplessly. "They didn't use any future gadgets, but just pinched her philtrum directly. I suspect she was woken up by the pain... In any case, what happened during the day had a huge impact on her."

"However, it doesn't matter to Wang Mang, right? He's the emperor now, and the Empress Dowager is just a figurehead; she's no longer of any use to him."

“Lord Wang Mang would never do such a thing!” Huang Amao insisted confidently. “He has always valued relationships. If he treats his servants this way, how much more so his blood relatives? The Empress Dowager was just confused for a moment. The aunt and niece were able to share hardships when the Wang family lost power, so they certainly won’t have any rift now. Blood is thicker than water!”

"Blood is thicker than water..." Nobita disagreed with this point.

A person who can drive even their own son to suicide is capable of anything.

Today, deep within the palace, he certainly displayed an aura of intent to kill and seize the imperial seal. If Empress Wang Zhengjun insists on not giving it to him, perhaps this scene will indeed unfold?

However… from an outsider's perspective, it's difficult to discern right from wrong. Everything was practically ready except for this one crucial step, and the old lady stubbornly clung to her convictions; every minute of delay diminished her authority as emperor. Under such circumstances, her anxiety was understandable. Regardless of his true intentions, the coup was ultimately completed relatively peacefully, without a single death, and the Han dynasty's imperial power was firmly secured in his hands.

Compared to the bloody and chaotic power struggles, this approach is far better.

"He actually became emperor!" Listening to the continuous, thunderous cheers outside the palace gates, Shizuka couldn't help but exclaim, "With such immense anticipation, launching a coup without bloodshed is almost like an emperor elected by the people. It's a bit unbelievable."

"What will happen to this country next?"

"It's definitely getting better and better." Huang Amao was practically Wang Mang's complete affirmation machine, giving his assurance without hesitation. "When the Liu family emperors held power, Heaven constantly issued warnings. But since Lord Wang Mang returned to the court, countless auspicious omens have been reported from all over the country. Isn't this the best evidence? The Mandate of Heaven has shifted, and the birth of the new dynasty is in accordance with the will of Heaven and is protected by Heaven!"

……

For people in ancient times, this was not superstition, but simply something they should believe in as a matter of course.

Will this completely new regime, as he claims, truly be blessed by Heaven, with a good leader in charge, and enjoy a life of peace, prosperity, and good weather from then on?

Nobita didn't know.

However, he had a vague sense of unease.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"The well-field system?"

In that secluded secret cabin, Wang Mang, having removed his imperial robes, was excitedly explaining his long-brewing new idea to Da Xiong. For Da Xiong, this at least meant that his desire to become emperor was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather something he had mentally rehearsed several times beforehand. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a decision after only a few days in office.

Looking at the pure smile on his face, it's hard to imagine that he is an old man. He seems more like a child who has been suppressed for a long time and finally has the opportunity to show his skills in the field he longs for.

“That’s right, the well-field system!” Every time he entered this small house, he would take off his dragon robe, as if to say that he was leaving his lofty identity as “emperor” outside the door as well.

Here, he could communicate with Da Xiong in a way that suggested he was detached from power, saying, "You're from the Western Regions, so you might not know... This is a system that was recorded in Zhuangzi and passed down from ancient times. It was used by the ancient sages!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "ancient," because in his eyes, there was probably no better adjective.

"Simply put, it's just like the field outside!"

"The fields outside..."

Da Xiong looked out the window at the square farmland and suddenly realized. This square field was divided into nine equal parts in a "well" shape! Each small plot of land had a subtle dividing line at its edge, completely different from the fields he had seen in Copperheart Village.

"So, after all this time, this is your testing ground."

"Then, the land was divided into plots and fields, nine households forming a well, four wells forming a town, four towns forming a hill, four hills forming a district, four districts forming a county, and four counties forming a capital, to manage the affairs of the land and order tribute and taxes." Wang Mang recited the original text of the ancient sages without changing his expression, while explaining, "The outer eight plots are private fields, equally divided among eight households, which they cultivate themselves, and the grain produced belongs to each individual. The middle plot is public land, which is cultivated by the eight families working together, and the grain produced is part of the tax, which is handed over to the court."

"How about it? It's almost perfect, isn't it?!"

Chapter 201: A Long-Awaited Reappearance

Whether the well-field system was good or bad, Da Xiong couldn't tell right away, after all, he was only a second-year high school student. Perhaps he had a few farming experiences, planting crops that seemed to grow incredibly fast with just a little sunshine and rain? Back in Golden Township, it seems there wasn't much distinction between public and private fields; you just planted and that was it.

but……

Instinct told him that this so-called "new policy" seemed to be missing something very important.

“You’ll see, the wisdom of the ancient sages is absolutely correct! I have adhered to this principle all the way, and I have won every battle.” Wang Mang said confidently, “Shang Yang’s reforms in Qin completely abolished the well-field system that belonged to the ancient sages, and it eventually perished after only two generations. This is a perfect example.”

"Look how lush and prosperous the fields outside are."

Following his gaze, even though it was early spring, the crisscross-shaped patch of black soil was still quite fertile, clearly indicating that someone had specially loosened the soil.

The rich, fertile scent wafted in even through the walls and wooden doors. Perhaps because he had spent so much time in the back mountains, Da Xiong was extremely sensitive to this natural aroma. Just by feeling, he could guess that the soil and size of this field were tailor-made for Wang Mang. Of course, he himself wouldn't be wielding a hoe, so it's reasonable to assume that even tasks like sowing and harvesting were handled by specialists.

With good planting, good land, and specialized personnel doing the work, it's hard not to have a good harvest.

The question is, are the conditions on this experimental field... really universally applicable?

Da Xiong had reservations about this, but as the saying goes, "a new broom sweeps clean," he could understand Wang Mang's eagerness for institutional reform.

He wanted to quickly distance himself from the old era.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Have you heard? Have you all heard?!"

During dinner, Huang Amao was so excited that her face was flushed, and she even drank some wine. The Prince's mansion was very well-stocked; even the wine that the servants drank was a rare delicacy that thousands of farmers could only afford after a year's work. The young girl had never tasted such fine wine before, and she drank it down like water, her tongue unconsciously swollen after just a few sips.

"The slave trade is now strictly prohibited! No one will ever be forced to sell themselves into slavery again. Isn't that something to celebrate?!"

As the well-field system was implemented, Wang Mang classified all slaves as "private property" and strictly prohibited their buying and selling. He did not pursue existing slaves, but he could guarantee that no new slaves would be created in the future. This step undoubtedly pleased commoners like Huang Amao; at least he fulfilled his promise made before his election, which already put him ahead of most politicians.

“The concept of ‘private servants’ is somewhat like that of free citizens…” Asur said while picking up his chopsticks. “Every slave occupies a position in the master’s household, and all buying and selling of slaves is prohibited. No new slaves will be created. Over time, this existence can be gradually frozen out. It’s quite ingenious.”

"Has the old lady had any other reaction?"

“She’s very depressed every day and can barely eat anything. When I visit her, she’s always huddled under the covers, muttering to herself, looking terrified.” Shizuka’s tone was full of worry. “Her position has always been that of the Empress Dowager of the Great Han Dynasty. Her nephew’s sudden usurpation has made her even more mentally weak, and she’s afraid of being punished by the spirits of her ancestors.”

"I see... It's gotten to this point, their relationship is probably completely broken." Da Xiong sighed. "By the average lifespan of this era, the old lady is already considered to be very old. Their time together probably won't be much longer."

"It's other people's family matter, whatever you do is fine, right?" Asur rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "We don't have time to meddle in these things."

"That's right..."

Actually, Nobita could do this by himself; he would just have to tell Shizuka and the others the result. But he kept this part until dinner, which seems to be a long-standing tradition of the Doraemon Adventure Team—no matter what they do, everyone should feel involved.

"【Telepathic Fruit】—!!"

After eating a fruit, Nobita closed his eyes, but it didn't seem like he was resting. On the contrary, his expression was quite intense, like a child who believes in supernatural tales calling out to aliens using brainwaves.

(Telepathic Fruit: After eating the fruit, one's thoughts can be directly transmitted to the minds of others. This is a gadget that Doraemon used to prank Nobita. He deliberately misinterpreted the definition of "telepathy" and used a gadget that, instead of reading minds, allowed others to read his thoughts. Nobita suffered greatly because of it and had a psychological aversion to this gadget for a long time.)

But as the saying goes, there's no such thing as trash, only resources in the wrong place. Even such a seemingly useless gadget can be transformed into something quite powerful through Nobita's ingenious ideas.

Under such immense temporal turbulence, the [Interdimensional Video Phone] also failed to connect due to signal fluctuations. Separated by two thousand years, this was his only means of contacting his companions. He hadn't used it before because Nobita was determined to meddle in the affairs of Copperheart Village and had stayed in that small village, never managing to gather enough intelligence.

And now...

……

"Woo..."

A sudden itchy sensation came from inside the bridge of my nose, and I subconsciously increased my breathing, causing two streams of blood to crawl out like earthworms.

"Nobita?!" Shizuka was quite frightened by him and wanted to go forward, but Asur grabbed her clothes and shook his head to stop her with a serious expression.

"Shh—! He's channeling powerful mental energy outwards, don't disturb him!" Asur's eyes darted to the mulberry-shaped telepathic fruits he had placed on the table, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Just by eating such a small fruit, one can gain mental sensitivity comparable to a mind mage... these are truly remarkable things."

……

Thinking about something intensely and continuously is undoubtedly very physically demanding. Across the vast expanse of time, Nobita heard no prompts, feeling as if he were constantly holding his breath, unable to breathe freely, his vision blurring, his lungs feeling like they were about to explode.

Could it be that we were wrong from the start? Shouldn't we have used this tool to make contact?

……

Just a second before he was about to give up, a familiar voice transcended time and space and entered his ears.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Nobita-kun?"

……

"Xiaoshan!" Upon receiving a response, Da Xiong was overjoyed. "Great! Finally... finally we've made contact! How's it going on your end? Have you gotten any information?"

This is the true use of the telepathic fruit—when two people eat the fruit at the same time, they can establish a communication channel using their mental energy simply by thinking of each other's images.

As long as they remain focused, their inner thoughts can be exchanged instantly, making it extremely efficient. This method was also the communication method they had agreed upon before they dispersed; if they were to hear each other's thoughts at any time, they would immediately consume the telepathic fruit to complete the information exchange.

"Zi...ZiZiZi..."

However, for some reason, a rather ominous sound came through the telepathic communication.

An inexplicable interference sound came from this fragile communication spanning two thousand years, making the conversation between the two sides extremely difficult.

Chapter 202: Doraemon's Adventure Team's Top Initiator!

"Xiaoshan, are you alright?" In the dimly lit yet seemingly empty room, Fat Tiger asked in a low voice while keeping a watchful eye on the door on the right. "Your expression looks a little scary."

“The communications are being jammed.” Dekisugi quickly realized what had happened, but he didn’t panic. Instead, he continued in his mind, “Daio-kun, I can’t hear you anymore. If you can still receive my signal, listen carefully! We tried to investigate the original history, but the new dynasty has covered everything up, and I can’t make out anything. Anyway…”

"All records of the new dynasty begin with the second emperor. The only thing missing is its founder; no history books worldwide record his name or his life story. For some reason, he was erased from history, which ironically reveals that he is the problem itself! The dynasty you are currently in is at a crucial turning point!"

“We have now arrived in Chang’an and conducted some investigations there. It remains safe. They seem to have found a way, similar to a form of absolute force to suppress them.”

"If it were modern weapons like guns and cannons, they should be able to cope with this suppression. The problem is that the new dynasty was established too early. Before humanity had acquired the corresponding technology, they had already used this method to nip the budding development of all civilizations in the East and West in the bud, suppressing their potential in the primitive era. In the age of cold weapons, there was simply no way they could match their power."

"That is……"

The interference was stronger than he had anticipated; before he could even finish conveying his thought, the communication between the two was abruptly cut off. Dekisugi was stunned; this was one of the few times he had encountered things that didn't go as planned, and he was immediately taken aback.

"It's alright, it's alright. Nobita's comprehension always seems to reach its limit at times like this." Gian, as always, had a big heart. He patted Dekisugi's shoulder with a grin and comforted him, "We've done everything we could, so there's no need to overthink it."

"Thank you, Gouda-kun..." Dekisugi still felt something was wrong, but he smiled so as not to worry his companion.

"I never thought I'd be told such things by you," he thought to himself.

"Speaking of which, this title that sounds like a teacher calling roll should probably be changed, right? Logically speaking, although we didn't play together much when we were kids, we're not that unfamiliar with each other." Fat Tiger simply sat down on the spot, dusted off his clothes, and laughed, "You're the special guest hitter for 'Fat Tiger Team'!"

"I'm really sorry I didn't participate in many competitions." Recalling his childhood days of sweating it out, Dekisugi couldn't help but laugh. "Back then, I went to the library more often."

"None of that matters. Right now, aren't we adventuring together? We've sailed across the ocean together, weathered storms, sharks, lost our way... we've been through so much together, and now we're in a strange land, deep inland, embarking on a thrilling adventure. This kind of relationship is that of completely trusting partners." He raised his hand to rub the tip of his nose and smiled with unwavering confidence. "Just like them, call me 'Fat Tiger'."

"...I'm not used to calling people by nicknames, but this really surprised me..."

"In adversity, your ability to inspire people is almost on par with that of Daiki-kun," Dekisugi said with a smile. "Kimagure."

"Hey, hey, are you calling me by my real name like Shizuka? Isn't that a bit too cheesy!"

……

Just as the two were getting into a deeper conversation, the sound of panicked footsteps and barely concealed gasps of breath came from not far away.

Xiao Fu fled out of the shadows, his face ashen white despite no one being chased.

"Fat, Fat, Fat Tiger... Over there, over there, over there..."

"What's wrong? You're not exactly unseen before, you've even witnessed a real battlefield during the Warring States period, right?" Fatty Tiger slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Calm down, tell me slowly, what happened?!"

"It's alright, Honekawa-kun." Dekisugi also realized something was wrong, but still slowly got up, trying to reassure him with slow movements. "We still have secret items. With their power, most of the problems we encounter on the journey can actually be solved; it's just a matter of how long it takes."

“...and different from those…” Xiaofu swallowed hard. This time, he was truly terrified, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He said confidently, “You’ll see when you get here!”

……

Upon arriving in Chang'an, a solemn and austere city, the streets were nearly deserted. Everyone seemed wound up like a clockwork toy, walking on their own as if completely oblivious to their surroundings. No one made a sound on the street, and Fat Tiger, who was talking loudly, was initially seen as an oddity.

What truly puzzled them was that just a few hundred meters away stood a completely black, round wooden building that resembled a granary, yet its purpose remained a mystery. If it were truly for storing grain, why build so many separate structures? An unsettling aura emanated from these finger-shaped black buildings, prompting the three to decide to investigate.

Having just used the [Passage Ring] to break through the wall and enter the interior, they were greeted by a cross-time call from Nobita. Meanwhile, Suneo, wandering around aimlessly, made another new discovery.

Aside from Nobita, he is the only designated monster hunter in Doraemon's Adventure Team, and several major adventures were initiated by his amazing experiences. Perhaps Nobita had already considered this when assigning team members.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Following the panting Xiaofu through the darkness, the three finally came upon a "field" in the increasingly gloomy and damp air. Even without sunlight or rain, the field was still a standard grid pattern, neatly drawn into a square.

However, whether it should be called farmland or cemetery remains a difficult mystery.

"Wow..."

Even the usually fearless Gian couldn't help but frown and show a disgusted expression upon seeing this. "What a twisted sense of humor. Are they perverts?"

……

In the center of the field, several headless corpses lay silently, dressed in uniform gray clothing, their hands and feet bound, and the cuts at their necks neatly made. Ginseng roots extended from their throats, trembling slightly, as if they were alive. The corpses were spaced a certain distance apart; to someone with poor eyesight, from a distance, they truly resembled a greenhouse for cultivating some kind of plant.

Xiaofu was just casually browsing when he saw this thing from afar and wondered why things were being grown indoors. Upon closer inspection, he thought he was seeing things, but the horrifying sight nearly made him wet his pants.

"Those dark houses we passed by, inside..." Xiao Fu's voice trembled slightly, "were they all filled with things like this?"

"..."

Without a word, Dekisugi took out isolation gloves and a mask from his pocket. His face was expressionless. He stepped into the strange "field," squatted down, and actually put his nose close to it.

"Xiaoshan?!"

Chapter 202: The Longevity Army