Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 355 The Plan to Steal the Country Begins

A few days later, the wedding was held at the Ida family's old house.

The wedding wasn't grand, but all the proper etiquette was observed.

Ayano, dressed in a white wedding gown and wearing a horned headdress, walked into the hall with the help of her maids.

Keita Ida, dressed in a black suit, stood in the center of the hall, watching his bride walk closer step by step.

Ryuji Ida sat in the main seat, his expression complex, a mixture of relief, pride, and a hint of unspoken worry.

He knew that this marriage was not just a union of two people, but a crucial step in a grand scheme.

After the wedding, Ayano officially became a daughter-in-law of the Ida family.

Keita Ida didn't rush her back to the capital, but instead took her to live in Tagawa County.

During the day, I handle business matters, and in the evening, I accompany her for walks, to admire flowers, and to chat.

Ayano gradually discovers that her husband is not as simple as an ordinary merchant, because he has superhuman stamina and can last a day and a night, but that's not the point.

He was knowledgeable and insightful, and had a thorough understanding of the political landscape of the Land of Earth.

"You don't seem like a businessman," Ayano whispered to Keita one evening.

"Then what do I look like?" Keita asked with a smile.

"Like...like someone who should naturally stand at a high place."

Keita smiled slightly, turned around and said, "Ayano, I have something to tell you. I want to become the daimyo of the Land of Earth."

Upon hearing this, Ayano's pupils dilated slightly.

"I know this is sudden." Keita held her hand, his gaze earnest and honest. "But I don't want to hide it from you. From the very first day I started pursuing you, I've had this plan. I want to marry you, not just because I like you, but also because... I want to be in that position."

But the princess wasn't angry. She just felt that her husband was so sincere. He would say such things to her, so he must love her.

"You're willing to tell me all this, aren't you afraid I'll tell on you?"

"I'm afraid. But I'm even more afraid that you'll hear about this from someone else and then think I'm using you."

Qi Tai didn't urge her; he simply held her hand quietly and waited.

"My father... he is still alive."

"I know. So I won't have any designs on you while your father is alive. You'll help me, right?"

"Who wants to help you? Ugh!" The princess turned away.

To his surprise, Qi Tai rolled over and pulled her into his arms. "Looks like I haven't been loving enough for you!"

"Oh dear, get out of the way, I can't take it anymore, or I'll go find my maid."

"It's alright, there are only exhausted oxen, not overworked land."

Qi Tai lowered his head and kissed her until dawn. He gently rubbed the princess's little belly, apologizing and tempting her at the same time.

"Forgive my bluntness, but they haven't treated you well. Three years ago, the eldest prince wanted to remarry an old noblewoman from a neighboring country, but his wife threatened to kill herself to stop him. Two years ago, the second prince wanted to use you to exchange for iron ore from the Iron Kingdom, but his wife interfered and it didn't work out. As for the third prince... he's even more despicable; he actually wants to marry you."

That's right, this is the Japanese daimyo. Marrying one's relatives is a perfectly normal thing for someone of legitimate bloodline.

In other words, only when a princess is favored can she be protected from harm.

The princess trembled slightly. Of course she knew all this; she had always known.

In wealthy and powerful families, a princess's value is never happiness, but rather marriage.

"I swear." Qi Tai placed her hand on his chest, letting her feel his heartbeat. "I won't use you as a tool. You are my wife, the person I chose to spend my life with. Our future children will also not be used as tools."

Ayano's eyes reddened. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Every word is true."

Ayano threw herself into Keita's arms. In a wealthy and powerful family, love is the rarest thing, and she seemed to have it.

June, the old house of the Ida family.

While repairing the old wall in the backyard, the workers unearthed a huge stone tablet.

The stone tablet has been buried underground for who knows how many years, its surface covered with a thick layer of soil and moss.

The workers cleaned the stone tablet and discovered that it was covered with dense ancient characters, which were written in ancient times and were very different from modern characters.

Upon hearing the news, Keita Ida rushed over and stood in front of the stone tablet, trying to decipher each character one by one.

"Goddess of the Rabbit Day...Descendants...Bloodline...Inheritance..."

This stone tablet records the ancient origins of the Jingtian family. According to the inscription, the ancestors of the Jingtian family were descendants of the goddess Mao Ri.

The Goddess of the Rabbit Sun is one of the oldest deities in this land. Legend has it that the Goddess of the Rabbit Sun governs light and life, and her bloodline possesses power and lifespan surpassing that of ordinary people.

His family truly has the blood of gods.

His face lit up with delight: "Someone, find the best stonemason to make a rubbing of the inscription on this stone tablet. Then, spread the word."

"The Ida family are descendants of the goddess of the sun. From today onwards, I will change my name to Kaguya Keita."

The news elicited mixed reactions.

Some nobles were dismissive. They thought the so-called "Goddess of the Rabbit Day" and "Descendant of the Heavenly God" were nothing but self-aggrandizing tricks. These days, who didn't have a legend about their ancestors? If you really wanted to be serious, everyone in the world could claim a connection to the gods.

Some people actually believed it.

The people of Tagawa County, in particular, felt a sense of awe as they watched the Ida family grow from a small trading firm into a large merchant group, and as Ida Keita grew from an ordinary boy into a talented young man.

Now that they've heard that their family are descendants of gods, it seems perfectly natural. "No wonder they're so successful; they must have divine protection."

However, many people scoffed at it.

"Gods? The only true lineage of gods belongs to the Daimyo family. It was only after a human prince was favored by the goddess Kaguya that he gave birth to a divine child, and only then did we humans come into being. What is the Ida family? How dare they claim to be descendants of gods?"

"Exactly, that kind of talk only fools uneducated people."

Keita Ida ignored these discussions.

He doesn't need everyone to believe him; just a few are enough. In the game of power, sometimes prestige is more important than swords.

Late September, Daimyo Prefecture, Land of Earth.

Daimyo ate his meal as usual, but his health had deteriorated significantly, and he could only eat soft, mushy foods each day. Today's meal included a bowl of red date and white fungus soup, his favorite dessert.

The red dates were preserved in honey, sweet but not cloying, and melted in the mouth. Daming scooped up a red date with a spoon, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

Then he stopped.

His face began to turn blue, he covered his throat with both hands, and opened his mouth but could not make a sound.

The maids rushed over in a panic, some patting his back, some pouring water, some calling for a doctor, but it was all too late.