Chapter 231
Chapter 231: The Gathering of Power in the Capital!
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The situation was the same in other small vassal kingdoms!
They all became the laughing stock of the whole world. âThe Prince of Northern Hebei is truly ridiculous. He wanted to make money by selling cement, but scared away all the remaining merchants!â
âThe Prince of Southern Jiang is just as absurd, trying to exchange cement for food! People there canât even get enough to eat, how would they consider building houses? When they disagreed, he resorted to force, driving the merchants of Southern Jiang insane!â
âThe most laughable one is the Duke of Wuxi! Who would dare to do business with him, given his character?â
âThe other vassal kings are no better; they canât support the cement market at all!â
âŚ
At this moment, desperate merchants all headed to the capital, as if guided by an instinctual urge.
âFather, why are we going to the capital?â
âThereâs no way to survive here anymore. We can only try to make a living in the capital!â
âBut havenât you always said that the capital is full of corrupt officials and powerful nobles, and itâs impossible to do business there?â
âThat was in the past, but now the situation has reversed! Chaos is rampant throughout the Great Wu territory, and only the capital is relatively stable and safe! If we stay here, we might not even survive! But if we go to the capital, we might be able to live as refugees and get by!â
âI heard that the new city in the capital is under massive construction, with a million laborers and numerous merchants gathering there. The policies are more favorable to businessmen, which might be a way out for us! Letâs go to the capital, Son!â
âFather, youâre right. Weâll go to the capital!â
âŚ
In addition to the merchants, many impoverished common people who couldnât even afford food heard that a million refugees in the capital were provided with work, food, and even houses, and they all flocked there.
It seemed like a great momentum was gradually gathering in the capital!
The biggest beneficiary of this trend was Lin Beifan, as well as the court behind him.
On that day, while Lin Beifan was inspecting the progress of the construction, a soldier rushed over to report, âLord Prefect, a few merchants from Northern Hebei have donated a large amount of grain, charcoal, and blankets, a total of 20 carts. They wish to see you!â
âSee me? How interesting!â Lin Beifan smiled and said, âI happen to have some time, so letâs meet them.â
Lin Beifan went to the outskirts of the city and met the merchants as the soldiers mentioned. Straight to the point, he said, âOur contribution system has come to an end! Even if you donate these things, you wonât get much in return!â
âWe know, but fairness should prevail! We donate these goods with modest requests, hoping that you can accommodate us,â pleaded the merchants.
âWhat do you want? Letâs hear it,â Lin Beifan said with a smile on his face.
âInform Lord Prefect, we have all fled from Northern Hebei to save our lives, so we seek a place to settle down and accommodate our families! The houses donât need to be too big; cement houses will suffice. Please grant our request, My Lord!â The Northern Hebei merchants nodded earnestly.
Lin Beifan nodded in agreement, âYour request is quite simple, and I can fulfill it.â
The Northern Hebei merchants were overjoyed, âThank you, My Lord!â
Subsequently, Lin Beifan continued to meet with many small merchants. Most of them had fled from other places, and they donated money and goods in the hope of having a place to settle down and make a living.
It had to be said that these merchants were truly shrewd. The houses in the capital were too expensive for them, so they came here to find a place to live. Their cement houses were readily available, and they could build hundreds or thousands of them in a day, with prices absolutely reasonable.
Lin Beifan was happy to accept them, as the cityâs development required not only labor but also other talents. He welcomed anyone who made contributions.
With more merchants, trade began to flourish. However, unfortunately, most of the people here were refugees who didnât have much money to spend, so consumption was limited.
âIt seems like itâs time to pay some wages and activate the economy of the new city!â Lin Beifan mused to himself.
A cityâs development depended on its economy, and the economy depended on money. Only with money could there be consumption, and with consumption, there would be economic growth. A thriving economy would allow everyone to live a better life.
Now, the conditions were gradually ripe, and Lin Beifan decided to intervene by providing some manual labor to activate the market economy. He wanted to make the entire city run efficiently through the market, blessing everyone.
At this moment, from a distance, came a neat and deafening sound, âGreetings to Your Majesty, long live the Empress, ten thousand years of prosperity!â
It turned out that the Empress had arrived! Since the construction of the new city began, she frequently visited to inspect the progress. Seeing everyone so enthusiastic, well-fed, and well-clothed, and witnessing buildings rising one after another, she felt deeply satisfied.
âGreetings, Your Majesty!â Lin Beifan smiled and greeted her.
âMinister, thereâs no need for so much courtesy!â The Empress looked around and commented, âMinister, this place is changing every day! I still remember that when I came here a few days ago, it was just an empty space! Now, there are rows and rows of houses, as far as the eye can see!â
Lin Beifan nodded with a smile, âIndeed, it changes every day!â
âMinister, how many cement houses are there now?â
âYour Majesty, currently there are a total of 20,000 houses, which have solved the housing problem for approximately 60,000 people!â
âHmm, not bad!â The Empress was very satisfied.
âIs the cement production still keeping up?â The Empress asked again.josei
âItâs still very tight! If it werenât for the issue of cement production, I would have already built 50,000 houses!â
âThen continue to expand the production, let me know if you need anything!â
âThank you, Your Majesty!â Lin Beifan thanked her with a cupped hand and a smile.
As they walked and talked, the Empress mentioned the other vassal kingsâ efforts in attracting cement investments and couldnât stop laughing.
âMinister, you were absolutely right! My uncles, even with cement, couldnât get things done!â
âOne scared away the few remaining big merchants in the territory! Another had the absurd idea of using cement to exchange for food, and when it didnât work, he resorted to forced acquisition! And another one even held an investment conference but not a single person showed up!â
âHaha! Itâs really hilarious. The things they did are enough to amuse me for several days!â
âIndeed, itâs quite funny,â Lin Beifan also found it amusing. Did they really think that having cement would allow them to do whatever they pleased? They didnât even consider their own reputations and the chaos they caused in their territories. With such character, who would dare to do business with them?
Merchants are very astute; they seek profits and avoid risks. As a result, many merchants seeking refuge came to his city.
At noon, work stopped, and everyone went to have their meal.
Watching everyone enjoying the steaming hot meals with great relish, the Empress let out a sigh, âThe fundamental issue for a nation lies in its food, in the ability to feed its people! As long as the people can have enough to eat, the country will be stable and unshakable, like Mount Tai!â
âIn the Northern Hebei region, due to the previous banditry problem, the common people couldnât have enough food, leading to them becoming refugees and fleeing to other places, causing many fertile fields in Northern Hebei to lie fallow and the economy to slump!â
âIn the Southern Jiang region, it suffered from floods, and the people had no food. The Prince of Southern Jiang withheld the grain, resulting in a million refugees! Now, not only does the Prince of Southern Jiang lack grain, but there are also no people cultivating the fields, causing the economy to slump!â
âIn the Wuxi region, it has always been like this! If it werenât for the million-strong army of the Duke of Wuxi suppressing everything, Wuxi would have fallen into chaos long ago!â
âBut our court has enough grain, so weâve developed quite steadily over the past year!â
âYour Majestyâs words are absolutely right!â Lin Beifan nodded in agreement.
âThis food is truly essential! By the way, MinisterâŚâ the Empress turned her head with concern and asked, âHow is your research on rice? Any progress?â
Lin Beifanâs expression turned solemn, âYour Majesty, the research has reached a bottleneck now. We lack a crucial element! If we canât solve this problem, we wonât be able to break through the technological barrier!â
âWhatâs missing?â The Empress became even more concerned.
âWe lack funds!â Lin Beifan said gravely.
The Empress: ââŚâ
Lin Beifanâs expression became even more serious, âThis research on rice is a significant project that will benefit millions of common people. It requires a considerable amount of silver to conduct research and pave the way. Without sufficient funding, it will be challenging to continue the research!â
The Empressâs mouth twitched, âHow much do you need?â
Lin Beifanâs eyes glimmered, âYour Majesty, as long as you provide a research fund of 10 million taels, I am confident that we can develop rice with astonishing yields by next year!â
The Empressâs mouth twitched even more. This little scoundrel is trying to take advantage of the situation and get more money! Havenât you already taken so much?
However, this time, the Empress didnât outright refuse; instead, she fell into contemplation.
During the almost one year period, Lin Beifan had already proven his abilities through various impressive inventions such as the flying sky artifact âAir Balloon,â the watercraft âAir Cushion Boat,â and the construction marvel âCement.â Their effects were astounding! The rice he mentioned was also likely to be achievable. If the rice research succeeded, it could increase the grain yield of Great Wu by more than 50%! Just imagine how many peopleâs food problems it could solve. This was indeed a true national treasure!
âAlright, 10 million it is! When the national treasury budget is being prepared next year, even if I have to squeeze, Iâll set it aside for you. Satisfied now?â The Empress said somewhat irritably.
âThank you, Your Majesty!â Lin Beifan replied with a beaming smile.
After the inspection, the Empress hurried back to the imperial palace to handle state affairs. A few days later, Guo, the head of the Six Doors, came to drink with Lin Beifan.
âSir Lin, no need to apologize. I completely understand! Youâve been very busy with the new cityâs matters; thereâs a lot on your plate, and you canât find the time. Haha!â Guo said understandingly.
âHaha, thank you, Master Guo, for your understanding!â Lin Beifan laughed heartily.
âActually, being busy is a good thing! The busier an official is, the broader the future prospects!â Guo said with envy.
Now, everyone knew that Lin Beifan was busy with the construction of the new city. In the process of city development, Lin Beifan displayed extraordinary abilities that left everyone astonished. He had enough capabilities, achievements, and prestige. The day the new city was completed would also mark the moment Lin Beifan became the Prefect of the Capital!
Then, Guo could only look on with envy. If he were in that position, he would definitely not be able to accomplish such earth-shattering things!
As they drank, they discussed various topics, including worldly affairs and matters in the martial world.
The time had come, and Lin Beifan asked, âSo, Master Guo, what brings you here this time?â
Guo, the head of the six law enforcement agencies, had a serious expression as he said, âThe âEvil-Repelling Sword Manualâ has reappeared in the martial world!â