Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

A week flashed by in the blink of an eye.

To no surprise, so far, no one had been able to clear the commoners' trial.

This was normal as players had already gotten used to the affiliated trials being harder than the regular Trial Illusion, finding themselves in a state of "Dark Sand has tormented me thousands of times, yet I treat Dark Sand as my first love."

While players challenged the commoners' trial and honed their skills, a new Trial Illusion finally opened.

Zhao Haiping arrived in front of the new Illusion Realm's portal.

Unlike the previous portals, this one looked much smaller but far more profound.

Surrounding it were faint tendrils of countless black mists, even more severe than the "Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon" instance.

Clearly, this was related to the setting of the instance.

This new version was called "All Nations Dressed for Royal Tribute," a phrase used to describe the glorious era of the Liang Dynasty.

Words like "Heavenly Khan" and "All Nations Coming to Court" were not mere embellishments but ironclad truths.

The name of the instance was "Today the Universe is Calm," and players had already found its source.

It was a poem composed by Emperor Taizong of Liang during his time.

"Resolutely grasping the longsword, who would seek fame in healing the world?

"Flags like stars abruptly raised, feathered banners solemnly cross the sky.

"Ten thousand cavalry encamped across the fields, five camps stationed by the plain.

"Climbing mountains, commanding military power, with back to the water, divine troops launched.

"In the past, weaponry surged, today the universe is calm."

This poem was created by Emperor Taizong when he quelled Guandong and returned to Guanzhong, and at the age of only twenty-three, he had laid the foundation for unifying the realm.

Such bold heroic spirit was already vividly depicted in those lines.

Although Emperor Taizong's poetry might not be considered particularly outstanding in diction, combined with his epic life, it possessed an imposing spirit that ordinary poets could hardly achieve.

But the announcement in "Dark Sand" also stated that this instance was different from previous ones.

The previous instance, "Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon," was the result of merging two historical timelines, whereas this one forcefully penetrated straight into a historical slice of the Liang Dynasty.

In terms of scale, it might not involve as vast content as the "Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon," lacking multiple stages and multiple identities, yet its peril was not reduced at all.

After all, delving deep into hostile territory, no one knew exactly what the situation inside was like.

Moreover, before reaching Emperor Taizong's historical slice, one must first pass through a historical slice temporarily pulled over by demons.

However, having passed through General Han Fuyue's instance, Zhao Haiping was quite confident in his capabilities.

...

After entering the Trial Illusion, instead of immediately proceeding to the identity selection or the talent skill card selection interface, a cutscene was played first.

From a godly perspective, Zhao Haiping's view ascended above the lands of Huaxia.

In the distance loomed a majestic city, barely glimpsing the splendid golden palaces, clearly the capital of the Liang Dynasty at the time.

However, unlike the thriving, flourishing capital, the surrounding areas appeared rather dire.

Locusts swarmed, covering the sky and earth, leaving barren lands in their wake.

Moreover, judging by the cracked earth and dried-up rivers, this area seemed to have just endured a severe drought.

If such was the state of the capital region, one could only imagine the conditions in other parts.

Before playing "Dark Sand," Zhao Haiping had chanced upon some historical records and often wondered: why did natural disasters and human calamities often occur together in the final years of a dynasty?

It even made one believe that ancient people's faith in the interconnection between heaven and humanity was quite reasonable.

Because it was too coincidental!

But having played "Dark Sand," and gaining a deeper understanding of historical content, he came to realize that this was actually a form of survivor's bias.

Actually, during the reign of a just and wise ruler, the state did not always enjoy peace, and various natural disasters also frequently occurred.

However, with a benevolent ruler, harmonious cooperation between the monarch and his ministers allowed for relief and disaster aid to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters using various means. Thus, historical records often did not devote much space to such events.

In the late years of a dynasty, an inept ruler often meant corrupt governance and greed at all levels, which significantly magnified the destructive power of natural disasters.

The camera swiftly moved towards the imperial city, quickly arriving atop the grand hall.

The emperor sat on his throne, trying hard to maintain his regal dignity, yet his eyes shifted around, clearly indifferent to the current circumstances and only thinking about retiring from court to indulge in pleasures.

He was already nineteen years old, no longer the young emperor who had just ascended the throne, but as he grew older, the only skills he developed were those of indulgence.

"Your Majesty!

"The locust plague arises in the regions around the capital, please allocate funds quickly for relief!

"I also must impeach Tian Lingzi, for his greed and disregard for law! He has captured all the treasures and goods of the merchants from the eastern and western markets of the capital city, causing public resentment to boil over! If not punished, it won't quell the people's hearts!"

The emperor looked at the extravagantly dressed eunuch beside him, "Father, is this true?"

Eunuch Tian Lingzi's slender eyes slightly squinted, and in a strange tone, he said, "Jingzhao Prefect, is this the case?"

Among the courtiers, the Jingzhao Prefect stepped forward and knelt on the ground, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed so!"

Tian Lingzi's brows furrowed, his face showing displeasure.

Clearly, this was not the answer he wanted to hear.

The faces of the courtiers also showed strange expressions.