"This should be about right," Bai Ze muttered.
Abolishing the slave system as soon as possible was the top priority.
Aurora had already warned Tang under the name of "God." No one would dare disobey.
Afterward, as Bai Ze continued observing, the results aligned with his expectations.
[After Tang ascended to the throne, the first thing he did was abolish the slave system, granting amnesty to all slaves and turning them into free citizens. These freed individuals then contributed to farming, weaving, and even military service!]
[Next, Tang actively recruited the population left behind by the Xia Dynasty, integrating them into his kingdom to develop agriculture, handicrafts, and, most importantly, commerce.]
[This transformation caused the population of the Shang Dynasty to surge, leading to rapid economic growth. The people lived in happiness and prosperity, and the dynasty grew increasingly powerful.]
[However, the abolition of the slave system undermined the interests of the tribal leaders. These leaders played a key role in helping Tang overthrow the Xia Dynasty. Now that the Shang Dynasty was established, their positions were naturally elevated within the court.]
[To protect their interests, the tribal leaders began secretly opposing Tang, as the abolition of slavery threatened their influence.]
[Under such pressure, Tang was forced to halt the implementation of the slave abolition midway. Without sufficient military power to counter the tribal leaders, he could only find ways to navigate the situation.]
Tang had not forgotten the mission given to him by "God." He continued to promote the divine faith fervently. However, no matter how much he yearned, he could not encounter "God" again.
[Midway through the Eighth Era: As Tang aged, the stories about gods that had been passed down from the Xia Dynasty evolved into legends. The Shang Dynasty, with its population exceeding one million, saw the divine faith flourish.]
[Tang's legendary story, featuring a character referred to as 'God,' became a widely spread folktale. Eventually, it was recorded in books to be preserved for generations.]
[Some even claimed, "All people are created by the gods. We are the descendants of gods, and our ruler, being a wise king, naturally drew the favor of the gods and was guided by them. Therefore, he should be revered as the Son of Heaven!"]
[This statement caused a stir in the Shang Dynasty, with the notion of the ruler as the 'Son of Heaven' spreading rapidly.]
[Late in the Eighth Era: Following Tang's death, his son inherited the throne according to the hereditary system and became the second monarch of the Shang Dynasty.]
[Upon hearing these tales circulating among the people, the new ruler was delighted. He declared himself the 'Son of Heaven,' a person blessed by the heavens, destined to reform history, break old shackles, and become a ruler for the ages!]
[However, this ruler's ideas were the complete opposite of Tang's. He disdained the idea of mingling with slaves. After ascending to the throne, he allied with the tribal leaders and reinstated the slave system. Class divisions were reinforced, and all of Tang's reforms were undone.]
[The second ruler believed himself to be the chosen one, asserting that his actions were justified and absolute, supported unequivocally by the gods.]
"Alright, time to overthrow another one," Bai Ze muttered, exasperated.
Just when it seemed possible to bypass this outdated system and move to a more advanced one, the second ruler ruined everything.
"Well, the outcome is still the same," Bai Ze sighed. "At worst, I'll just support another force."
He weighed his options. Sending Aurora to guide the second ruler personally seemed futile. It would be more efficient to back a new power.
[Meanwhile, the overconfident second ruler, driven by his ambitions for conquest, led the Shang Dynasty to new heights. With over one million citizens and tens of thousands of well-equipped bronze-armored soldiers, the dynasty was unmatched in the region.]
[Even the fiercest beasts, from tigers to lions and wolves, avoided the area, giving the people confidence to develop their pastoral industries.]
[With ample food supplies, the Shang Dynasty's expansion proceeded rapidly. Over a dozen smaller tribes were quickly annexed.]
[This news spread fear among neighboring tribes, ranging from tens of thousands to fewer than ten thousand members.]
[Among them was a Zhou tribe located in the fertile central western region. Though it had over ten thousand members, it could barely muster a thousand warriors, making it no match for Shang's bronze-armored army.]
[The Zhou tribe grew anxious. Situated in a humid, temperate region with rich soil yielding top-quality crops, it was an obvious target for Shang's ambitions.]
"The central western region, huh? The climate there is excellent, and food resources seem abundant," Bai Ze mused.
A plan began to form in his mind. If he were to topple the Shang Dynasty he had supported, the Zhou tribe appeared to be a promising successor.
"This tribe should work," he decided. "But since the Shang Dynasty is at its peak, I'll let them develop further before taking action."
As Bai Ze observed Aurora on the floating island, something caught his eye.
"Wait, has the Sacred Spirit King Dragon grown larger?" he asked curiously.
The little creature lay in the crystal forest, basking in the multicolored light reflected by the crystals, peacefully asleep.
Compared to its newborn state, it was now twice Aurora's size.
[Ding! That is correct, Host.]
[The Sacred Spirit King Dragon represents nature and life. Besides absorbing others' life force to grow, it can also mature slowly in rich natural environments.]
Bai Ze nodded, glancing at the abundant resources below.
Since the Ice Age ended, the world has grown increasingly prosperous. Some minerals even emerged above the ground, easily accessible.
This abundance likely contributed to the Sacred Spirit King Dragon's steady growth.
"By the way, system, is it entering its juvenile stage soon?" Bai Ze asked.
Dragon species were classified into five stages: infant, juvenile, young adult, adult, and ultimate. Judging by its current size, Bai Ze estimated the little one would reach its juvenile stage soon.
Now that he thought about it, Tang Qingcheng's Order Dragon, during the new generation test, had likely just entered its young adult stage.
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