Chapter 1847 - 592: The Coal Business and Xiang Yan
Chapter 1847: Chapter 592: The Coal Business and Xiang Yan
Great Xia, Year 13, early June 10th
The sky was just beginning to dawn, and pedestrians were returning home one after another.
The bustling Xia City gradually fell into silence, with more and more rooftop chimneys starting to emit thick white smoke—a clear sign that the open fires inside the houses had been replaced by coal stoves.
The people of Xia City switch to burning coal stoves at daybreak for three reasons:
First, to ensure temperature, as the temperature drops significantly after daybreak, and the heat from ordinary fire sources is insufficient; only burning coal can maintain indoor temperatures;
Second, people sleep during the day, so households do not need open flames;
Thirdly, for safety considerations, as Cold Beasts and Deceitful Monsters are drawn to light. However, this reason is less valid now, as Xia City hasn’t faced attacks from monsters or beasts for many years, and given the current pace of development, it likely won’t for many more.
However, this pertains to the Outer City!
The main reason most residents of the Outer City switch to coal stoves at daybreak is to save money.
Coal stone is a basic commodity with a fairly fixed low price. However, as a household necessity—not just for heating, but also for melting water, cooking, forging tools, even for planting—the diverse applications make its consumption rather enormous.
The Great Xia Camp Supply Department has long conducted statistics. For example, during the Holy Tripod heating period, the average coal consumption per resident of Xia City is about 30 pounds per day, and without it, it triples to about 100 pounds.
In the early days, when everything was priced in Contribution Value, the price of coal stone was roughly maintained at 100 pounds per contribution point, allowing some adjustments for coal stone stock and city population changes, but the fluctuation wouldn’t exceed 20 pounds;
Later, with silver mine discovery, Contribution Value was linked to silver, with 10 Contribution Value converted to 1 Liang of silver, making the price of coal stone 1000 pounds per Liang of silver;
By early this year, the Camp Supply Department began implementing silver monetization across Xia’s territory. Only all members of the Military Department, top teams of the Hunting Department, and Nobles retained their Contribution Value, whereas other Xia people’s Contribution Values were converted into silver or goods.
In other words, Great Xia’s Contribution Value system will continue only in parts of the high-level society and the military, becoming mostly history for most Xia people.
For Xia City residents, 1000 pounds of coal stone for 1 Liang of silver isn’t much of a burden, but coal stone is just one necessity. Great Xia now offers a variety of resources, from basic needs to essential bows, crossbows, weapons, and other iron tools for traveling, to refined salt, spiritual wine, Dan medicine, all necessary for cultivation. The expenses can be daunting for a large family, especially if a family has a couple of talented and ambitious members.
So, saving is crucial. For instance, a typical family of three might consume about 9000 pounds of coal stone per month, equating to 9 Liang of silver; saving just 1 Liang could buy 20 pounds of beast meat.
Moreover, as there has been no Holy Tripod heating this half-year, the Camp Supply Department has been continually raising coal stone prices. At the end of last year, 1 Liang of silver could buy 1100 pounds, yet by June this year, it could only buy 800 pounds.
The impact isn’t vast, but for some thrifty families, it adds a certain burden.
Thus, ordinary residents of the Outer City opt to use wood alongside coal for warmth and light at night, switching to coal heating only by daybreak.
The Inner City is different!
Since the beginning of the year, after vanquishing the Northern Five Towns and settling the Dingding South Slope, the Xia Capital has experienced a population boom, with the capital city population exceeding five million. Yet, the Inner City hasn’t relaxed its population limits, currently housing just over twenty thousand people.
Considering Great Xia’s total population exceeds 16 million, families residing in the Inner City are invariably affluent or noble, making the cost of coal stone negligible for them.
The Inner City, being the hub of Great Xia with the Lord’s Palace, Sect Temple, Three Pavilions, and Eight Ministries Hall, contains Great Xia’s most important buildings. It’s understandable; all resources that Xia yearly surpluses are stored in the Camp Supply Department’s storeroom under the hall.
Moreover, with Xia’s vast territory and the Eight Departments handling endless affairs, with daily visitors from all jurisdictions and frequent dispatches to manage offsite tasks, convening all hours requires continuous street illumination with coal lamps—day or night, there’s no difference.
"The Holy Tripod hasn’t ignited in the Xia Palace for nearly half a year; this hasn’t happened before. Guess why?"
In the depth of the Inner City, Xiang Yan, having just unloaded a cart of coal stone in the Xia Palace’s inner storehouse, turned to gaze longingly at the Star-picking Hall above, then couldn’t resist asking the others inquisitively.
Alongside him were five individuals, all a decade older than him, appearing middle-aged with exceptionally honest appearances.
Upon hearing his question, the five glanced at each other before one respectfully replied, "Our master doesn’t know such a thing; how could we? However..."
The person paused, then continued with a smile, "Our master should be happy. As coal stone prices rise, our coal firm makes increasingly more silver."