"Prince and an unpredictable person are collaborating..."
Lin Yue narrowed his eyes slightly, "This is indeed a good opportunity to accumulate merit."
Merits have limited uses, mainly that during reincarnation, merits can ensure a good life, also called 'the blessings accrued from a previous life'.
But for princes and princesses, this was already the best possible outcome for reincarnation.
Thus, merit has only one use.
Acting against those protected by national fortune incurs sin, no matter how impressive their national fortune is for self-protection, sin still exists, and strong national fortune can only conceal sins.
Once the sins are too overwhelming, they can taint the protective national fortune and might become unable to conceal.
Truly resolving sins can only rely on merit.
Therefore, princes generally seldom attack those protected by national fortune, preferring to eliminate opponents through rules to minimize sins, since even minor sins, once accumulated, are not to be underestimated.
The means to obtain merit are simply doing good deeds beneficial for the Human Clan or killing sinful individuals.
If Great Yong really faces widespread disasters, the Prince distributing food for disaster relief and saving countless lives would definitely account for considerable merit.
"If during the disaster, I partake in the relief efforts with the Prince, I can also take away a fair share of merits."
Lin Yue pondered thoughtfully, "However, the Prince has been planning and scheming in advance, stockpiling food from everywhere quite early, I fear that most of the food of Great Yong is now with the Prince..."
According to the ledgers from Princess Zangyan, Prince Cheng Mansion and the Prince had been trading food for several months already.
Recently, he also had his men investigate the granaries in various states and counties, and most stockpiles had been bought, only enough left to maintain normalcy.
After all, that high-up Prince, seeking to buy billions of catties of grain from mortals was trivial, wasn't it?
Even the ancient monarchs of previous lifetimes would be hard to defy, let alone the disparity between cultivators and mortals in this world, where the opponent was among the highest-ranking Princes.
To many cultivators, mortals served merely as a population base, to consolidate national fate... and as a source of merit.
"To divert some merit from the Prince, I would need a comparable amount of stockpiled grain; collecting it now from various places will definitely be too late, however..."
Lin Yue contemplated for a moment, but suddenly had an idea, "The Seventh Princess might have a way to prepare something, maybe it's best to pass the merit to her?"
He didn't need merit himself.
First, he was not going to go through reincarnation, even the Second Prince Star Lord had warned him against entering reincarnation.
Second, he wasn't plagued by sins either.
Thus, it was better to leave it to someone trustworthy.
Wanting a share from the Prince was also because he, the Twelfth Prince, and others were on the same side, and there were secretive dealings this time, maybe they had some schemes.
With the Twelfth Prince there, how could he not meddle?
Qianyan Square, Seventh Princess Mansion.
"Why has my brother found time to visit me?"
Inside the main hall, the Seventh Princess personally poured Lin Yue a cup of tea, her lips curling into a smile, "This is spiritual tea I grew myself, try it, it's even better than the Immortal Pavilion's spiritual tea, I usually can't bear to offer it to anyone else."
Lin Yue tasted it, the fragrance rich and lingering, making his eyes brighten as he declared, "I'll take a few dozens of catties with me later."
"...A few dozen catties?"
The Seventh Princess rolled her eyes at him, saying, "I've meticulously cultivated it for who knows how long, I only have a few catties in stock."
"Then it wouldn't be too much for Sister Qiuhe to share half with me, would it?" Lin Yue unabashedly smiled.
"Well... alright, half it is."
The Seventh Princess reluctantly nodded in agreement, then added, "But you have to tell me what brings you here today, don't tell me it's just to visit me."
"Of course, it's to visit Sister Qiuhe." Lin Yue smiled, "And I have some good news to share with Sister Qiuhe."
The Seventh Princess sized him up and said, "Let's hear it?"
Lin Yue promptly said, "Have you heard about the killing of the five Fengtian Orders from the Divine Pivot Institute?"
The Seventh Princess nodded slightly, saying, "It is said that the celestial signs can't be altered for now, and it will remain blisteringly hot until the end of the year. I have to rely on my own efforts to water my crops and change the climate in the mansion through arrays just to grow them properly."
"If the scorching summer continues , it will eventually lead to barrens everywhere, and there could likely be famine among the common folk," Lin Yue shook his head.
"It's possible." The Seventh Princess nodded slightly again, adding, "But, the climate should recover in no more than half a year, and with stockpiles from various places, enduring a year or so wouldn't be difficult, the likelihood