Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Blind Prince

It was evident that the young girl before him was somewhat nervous, her jade hands clutching the Zisha teapot tightly.

As she walked, she trembled slightly, making Zhou Hao Chen wonder if she could even see her toes at such a young age.

A faint and delicate tea fragrance wafted over, refreshing the senses. Tender green leaves floated and twirled in the tea.

"Your Highness, please have some tea!"

Zhou Hao Chen took a sip and said blandly, "Not bad."

Setting down the teacup, Zhou Hao Chen paused before asking,

"I have come to the Ministry of Works to observe the administration, to share the burdens and solve the worries of my imperial father. I wonder what the Ministry of Works has been doing recently?"

A look of surprise, even shock, appeared in Ji Kongzhao's eyes.

The look seemed to say,

"Thirteenth Prince, you're serious?"

In the past, there had been no shortage of princes, imperial relatives, and sons of meritorious families who came to the Ministry of Works to observe the administration.

But they basically just went through the motions and rarely interfered in the affairs of the Ministry of Works.

It was rare to see someone as eager as Zhou Hao Chen to observe the administration.

This Thirteenth Prince had had eye problems since he was young, had no hope for the throne, and did not seem to be interested in seizing the throne.

Could it be that he truly had a filial heart and wanted to share the worries and solve the problems of His Majesty?

Ji Kongzhao pondered in his heart, but his expression did not reveal anything.

"Your Highness, the annual Earth Mother Festival is in ten days. The Ministry of Works has been preparing the sacrificial offerings for the Earth Mother Festival during this time," Ji Kongzhao said, using a prepared statement.

The Ministry of Works had many complex affairs, and preparing the sacrificial offerings for the Earth Mother Festival was considered the simplest task.

Even if something went wrong, it would be easy to remedy.

Zhou Hao Chen listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time.

The Earth Mother Festival was a major sacrificial event of the Great Yu Dynasty, an annual grand occasion.

The Earth Mother was the common name for the Earth Goddess. Every year on the eighteenth day of the tenth month, the Great Yu Dynasty would prepare sacrifices for the Earth Goddess's birthday.

If it were just a simple sacrifice, it would not be considered a grand occasion.

On the day of the sacrifice, the Mystic Realm—the Earth Mother Tree Realm—would be opened, and the younger generation of the imperial family, relatives, and meritorious families could enter the Earth Mother Tree Realm for baptism. Those with good fortune could also obtain considerable opportunities.

"How are the preparations for the Earth Mother Festival's sacrificial offerings going?" Zhou Hao Chen asked.

"There is still a shortfall of one hundred thousand catties of Earth Origin Stone that have not been put into storage. Today, the Ministry of Works is sending people to the mine to reconcile the accounts."

"I will go along. Minister Ji, you wouldn't find me a hindrance, would you?"

"Your Highness, you flatter me."

"It is truly commendable that Your Highness is going down to the mine to reconcile the accounts on your first day in office, showing your filial piety."

Zhou Hao Chen's eagerness and initiative today were not really out of filial piety.

Today was the first day of observation, and he had to do something, or he wouldn't be able to explain it to Emperor Qian Yuan.

"The terrain inside the mine is complex, Yuan Ye, you must take good care of His Highness."

Ji Kongzhao instructed the young girl, who nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

This old fellow Ji Kongzhao, could he really be planning to use a beauty trap!

Zhou Hao Chen muttered to himself.

An hour later, Zhou Hao Chen and a group of officials from the Ministry of Works arrived at the Earth Origin Mine, less than thirty miles outside Jade Capital City.

The Earth Origin Mine had a total of three entrances.

The dark and deep mine shafts were bottomless, and the interior was intricate and complex. Without a familiar guide, it was easy to get lost.

"I heard that after the late Emperor Taizu conquered Jade Capital City and destroyed the previous dynasty, the former dynasty's Great General refused to surrender to the death, leading his troops into the Earth Origin Mine to fight against our army, causing no small amount of trouble?"

Zhou Hao Chen looked at the Earth Origin Mine and recalled a rumor.

"That's right!" Ji Kongzhao nodded, revealing a trace of reminiscence, "The last Great General of the previous dynasty was also a genius of military strategy, but unfortunately, he encountered His Majesty Taizu, who was like a celestial being descending to earth, and suffered nine defeats out of nine battles."

"However, His Majesty Taizu greatly admired this Great General and wanted to recruit him."

"It's just a pity… this person was ignorant of the times, preferring to be buried with the former dynasty rather than accept His Majesty Taizu's olive branch."

"This person is a loyal subject!" Zhou Hao Chen said.

"It's a pity he followed the wrong master!" Ji Kongzhao shook his head with emotion.

Then, Ji Kongzhao changed the subject.

"Your Highness, the Earth Origin Mine has a total of three entrances, and the interiors are not connected. According to the rules, at least three officials must be present at the same time each time the Earth Origin Stone is counted, one chief and two deputies, to restrain each other. Another ten clerks are sent to transport the ore."

Ji Kongzhao introduced the counting process, and Zhou Hao Chen nodded slightly.

From the perspective of the system, it was quite perfect.

It could effectively avoid embezzlement.

As for the actual situation…

"Your Highness, I wonder which entrance you plan to choose?"

Just then, the Bagua diagram in his sea of consciousness erupted with dazzling golden light. One trigram after another soared into the sky, combining in pairs to form new trigrams.

【Heaven-Marsh: Upper-Middle Trigram. Choosing the eastern entrance, completing the counting of the Earth Origin Stone, encountering disaster, but with some thrills and no danger, obtaining a Seventh-Rank opportunity, Small Auspicious.】

【Earth-Mountain: Middle Trigram. Choosing the southern entrance, completing the counting of the Earth Origin Stone, no gain, no loss, Average.】

【Fire-Wind: Lower-Middle Trigram. Choosing the western entrance, obtaining a Third-Rank opportunity during the counting of the Earth Origin Stone, attracting attention from all sides, falling into the whirlpool of seizing the throne, life and death unpredictable, Small Ominous.】

【Heaven-Mountain: Lowest Trigram. Choosing the southern entrance, completing the counting of the Earth Origin Stone, exploring deep into the mine, causing the awakening of the Nether Evil Demon, ten deaths and no life, Great Ominous.】

The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ is ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ book ⊥ ⊥ bar ⊥ ⊥ first ⊥ hair!

Three entrances, four trigrams!

Zhou Hao Chen's eyes narrowed after reading the trigrams.

The content in the trigrams was very rich.

Among the three mines, the eastern mine and the western mine both had opportunities.

Although the opportunity in the eastern mine was only Seventh-Rank, it was better because there was no risk, Upper-Middle Trigram.

Although the opportunity in the western mine was Third-Rank, with a higher grade, it was too high-profile and attracted attention, which would involve him in the struggle for the throne, which was not what Zhou Hao Chen wanted.

It could also be seen from the Lower-Middle Trigram that the opportunity in the western mine had endless troubles and was not worth the loss.

As for the southern mine, it was even a pit.

Honestly counting the Earth Origin Stone was just a wasted trip.

If he was too adventurous and explored deeper, provoking the Evil Demon, the entire group would be wiped out.

"Minister Ji, I choose the eastern mine!" Zhou Hao Chen made his choice without much thought.

"Good!"

The Ministry of Works officials split into three groups and entered the mine to count the Earth Origin Stone.

Ji Kongzhao, as the leader and the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Works, naturally entered the eastern mine with Zhou Hao Chen.

"The terrain inside the mine is complex, Your Highness, please be careful." Mu Yuan Ye's soft and pure voice sounded in his ear.

A pair of delicate and tender jade hands, with delicate skin, nervously held Zhou Hao Chen's forearm.

Entering the mine, she was nervous and focused throughout the entire process, seemingly afraid that Zhou Hao Chen, this "blind man," would have an accident.

The group went deep into the mine. The mine was deep and dark, relying only on oil lamps for lighting.

The candlelight flickered, emitting a faint light, dispelling the darkness.

The mine was winding and tortuous, and passed through several secret rooms along the way.

"Your Highness, these secret rooms were dug by the last Great General of the previous dynasty as hidden barracks, which caused a lot of trouble for our army back then."

"And here, it is a vital transportation route in the mine. Our army fought the enemy here more than a dozen times before finally taking it down…"

Along the way, Ji Kongzhao introduced the great battles of that year, speaking fluently and endlessly.

A quarter of an hour later.

The counting began.

The officials of the Ministry of Works were very familiar with the counting process, and the speed was extremely fast.

It took about half an hour to complete the counting.

"According to the trigram, the opportunity will only appear after the counting is completed."

"So, where is the opportunity…"

Zhou Hao Chen thought about the trigram in his mind.

Just then, an unexpected change occurred.

The entire mine shook, as if a mountain had collapsed.