Chapter 168 - 136: Power
Chapter 168: Chapter 136: Power
’This is the kind of high-end stuff the upper crust plays with.’
"Prince, one Spirit Stone should be exchangeable for one hundred thousand taels of silver. But generally, no one does that. Firstly, ordinary people can’t afford them. Secondly, they are Cultivation Resources used by the upper echelons, so no one would ever trade them for silver.
They are only used for one’s own cultivation or to purchase other useful Cultivation Resources," Cai Chong explained.
This time, Lu Yuan truly realized just how powerful an imperial court was. The hundreds of thousands of people at Celestial King Stronghold worked themselves to the bone, yet they couldn’t match his income for a single month.
The main reason was that these Spirit Stones were just too valuable.
However, he couldn’t just take them out to sell. After all, exchanging them for silver wasn’t worth it, and it would also be rather embarrassing.
After thinking this, he asked, "Can the Prince’s Mansion start businesses outside?"
"Of course. Although the nobles use Spirit Stones, the servants and Guards are desperately short on silver. Therefore, many high officials start their own businesses. As long as they don’t exploit the common people or force them into transactions, no one will interfere.
But you don’t need to worry, Prince. After our Prince’s Mansion was built, His Majesty specially approved a sum of silver, in the tens of millions of taels. It has already been deposited into the Prince’s Mansion’s Inner Treasury."
After Cai Chong finished speaking, he glanced at Lu Yuan and added softly, "His Majesty truly dotes on you, Prince. The imperial court’s finances are very tight right now.
Silver for the Border Army and the Imperial Guard is being spent like water. His Majesty worries about the pay silver daily, and I’ve heard even the Crown Princess is cutting back on expenses. To still be able to allocate ten million taels to you now shows that they truly consider you family, Prince."
A bitter smile appeared on Lu Yuan’s face.
In that case, he felt even more guilty about spending this silver.
’It seems I need to not only go to the battlefield but also start earning silver as soon as possible.’
’Otherwise, the expenses of my huge Prince’s Mansion will fall on the imperial palace.’
’Although the Xiao Clan mother and daughter wouldn’t say anything, I can’t let that happen.’
’I’ll go out and have a look around in a while,’ Lu Yuan thought, then gestured for Cai Chong to withdraw.
He himself then resumed his meditation on the Military Array.
Over the next few days, Lu Yuan was very busy. Not only did he have to attend banquets hosted by the court officials of the Northern Barbarians, but he also needed to look for suitable business opportunities.
After all, many of the profitable businesses among the Northern Barbarians were already taken. Although some officials were willing to share a piece of their profits, Lu Yuan didn’t want to owe them any favors.
He planned to start his own business, not only to cover the expenses of the Prince’s Mansion.
But also to help the Xiao Clan.
Now that they clearly treated him as family, he felt he should also do his part for the court of the Northern Barbarians.
As for his mother from the Lu Clan, Lu Yuan planned to bring her over after the battle at Ancient River Pass was finished.
Then, he could finally be at ease.
On this day, just after he had finished his meal and stepped out of his courtyard, he heard a fragmented conversation. It was the servants of the mansion chatting.
"Hey, have you heard? Dingsheng Pavilion is holding an auction today. They’re auctioning off a fragmented Third-Grade Cultivation Skill. It’s not just us from the Northern Barbarians; many wealthy merchants from Dayong and Great Yu have come too.
They’re all waiting to buy this Cultivation Technique."
"Tsk, tsk, that won’t be cheap. It’s probably going to cost a lot of silver."
"It’s a Cultivation Technique. What do you expect?"
...
Hearing the servants’ chatter, he seemed to have an idea for making money—an idea that might also have a huge impact on the Northern Barbarians.
Thinking of this, he said to a Guard beside him, "Find Cai Chong for me."
After speaking, he went to the pavilion.
At the same time, he sent someone to find Wei Yong and Zhang He.
A moment later, Cai Chong arrived at the rear residence.
Wei Yong and Zhang He also walked over.
Upon seeing Lu Yuan, the three of them first bowed in greeting.
"No need for formalities. I’ve called you here today to assign you an important task," Lu Yuan said.
He then looked at Cai Chong and asked, "Are there large plots of empty land in the Imperial City?"
"Yes. The area in the South City was originally included within the Imperial City’s walls, but due to population and development issues, not many people live there. It’s sparsely populated.
Ordinary commoners can’t move in, and those who can afford it don’t want to live in the South City, so it’s a bit of an awkward situation.
The imperial court has been trying to find a solution, but they can’t exactly force people to move there. So, a lot of space in the South City remains empty. It’s not completely deserted, but it has far fewer people than the other districts."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
He seemed to have grasped a huge opportunity. He knew how large the Imperial City was; the South City alone could house hundreds of millions of people without a problem.
Thinking of this, he said to Cai Chong, "I’ll approve thirty million taels of silver for you. How much land can that buy in the South City?"
"Thirty million taels is enough to buy over three thousand plots of land," Cai Chong said quickly.
Although land in the South City is not valuable compared to the other districts, if you were to actually buy it, even an undeveloped plot would cost tens of thousands of taels.
It was so expensive that many people wouldn’t even dare to dream of it.
Lu Yuan said softly, "I’ll approve forty million taels of silver for you. Go purchase four thousand plots of land. Hire many Craftsmen to build houses, and build them as small courtyard houses, one per plot.
Start by building two thousand of these small courtyards.
Set aside a quarter of the land to build me an Academy Palace. Use another quarter to build larger residences, gardens, training grounds, and cultivation chambers—get all of it done." Although Cai Chong was surprised and didn’t know what Lu Yuan was planning, he didn’t dare to be negligent.
He quickly bowed and said, "As you command!"
Now that he was a man of the Prince’s Mansion, he only took orders from Lu Yuan.
This was the way of survival for a subordinate.
After he withdrew,
Lu Yuan glanced at Wei Yong and Zhang He.
Then he said with a smile, "You two must be bored out of your minds. I have a job for you."
After he finished speaking, he took out two booklets.
"Wei Yong, Old Huang will be accompanying me to Ancient River Pass, so you and Zhang He will stay in the Imperial City. This Cultivation Technique is called the Mixed Element Golden Bell Shield. It’s a Third-Grade Cultivation Skill. Take it back and begin cultivating it first.
After you get back, send a message to Wu Han. Tell him to bring a Hundred-Man Squad of our old brothers from the Organ Refining realm. The same Hundred-Man Squad that was always with me at the stronghold will do.
Once they arrive, have them familiarize themselves with this Cultivation Technique.
At the very least, they should be able to teach it to others in the future."
Lu Yuan’s words made Wei Yong excited. A Third-Grade Cultivation Skill! This was something that even some General’s Mansions would treasure, yet Lu Yuan had just casually taken it out.
Then, Lu Yuan turned to Zhang He. "You cultivate a Sword Skill, don’t you? This is a Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill, the Spring and Autumn Saber Technique. Also, recruit a group of loyal old brothers to cultivate it.
I have only one requirement: after I return from the battlefield this time, they must be capable of passing these Cultivation Techniques down."
"Yes, Prince!"
the two said at once.
Lu Yuan waved his hand, signaling for them to withdraw.
His idea was simple. Since so many wealthy merchants wanted their children to cultivate but lacked the necessary Cultivation Techniques, he would provide them with complete ones.
These things might be precious in the eyes of others, but he had a system that could continuously upgrade them. Therefore, he could easily take out his previously unused Cultivation Techniques to teach others.
Anyone who bought one of his houses would gain the qualification to cultivate in the Academy Palace, where teachers would impart Cultivation Techniques.
’In that case, the price of these houses will be anything but ordinary.’
Moreover, he would serve as the first Palace Master of this Academy Palace.
Not only could he earn silver, but he could also recruit a large number of talented individuals.
After all, the houses would be priced very high. Those who could afford to buy here would certainly come from wealthy families.
They wouldn’t lack Cultivation Resources in the initial stages.
They would all become his students.
No matter what, there would be a teacher-student relationship.
It was a much more stable bond than a typical superior-subordinate relationship.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on the corner of Lu Yuan’s lips.
’Once the entire South City is developed, I won’t be short on silver anymore.’
He wasn’t afraid of others copying him, either. Firstly, no one else had so many Cultivation Techniques. Secondly, within any Imperial Dynasty, no one besides the imperial family would dare to do such a thing.
’And even if someone did, whose Cultivation Techniques could be higher-grade than mine?’
As far as he knew, even among the major Imperial Dynasties, the strongest Cultivation Technique was only a Seventh-Grade Cultivation Skill.
It was the foundation upon which the imperial families secured their destiny.
Who would be willing to share something like that?
But Lu Yuan was willing. As long as his Cultivation Techniques could be upgraded to the Eighth Grade, he could toss out a Seventh-Grade Cultivation Skill. Just giving students a sliver of hope that they could cultivate it...
...would be enough to attract talented people from all over the world.
What other power would dare to do this? Even if they were green with envy, they could only watch.
’When the Academy Palace is established, that will be the day my, Lu Yuan’s, name is known throughout the world.’
Then, Lu Yuan returned to his room.
More than ten days had passed. ’My Military Array should be ready for an upgrade now.’
He prepared to give it a try.