Chapter 181 - 141: Return to the Buffer Zone
Chapter 181: Chapter 141: Return to the Buffer Zone
Lu Yuan, meanwhile, had already returned to the Northern Barbarians’ imperial palace. Outside Jiyin Hall, nearly all the ministers of the Imperial City had gathered.
They had been waiting for some time.
Just as Lu Yuan and Xiao Hua arrived at the entrance,
the ministers all spoke in unison, "Congratulations to Prince Qin on his triumphant victory."
Such a reception was a rare sight among the Northern Barbarians. Only those who had performed great deeds for the court were granted such a high honor.
Lu Yuan dared not be discourteous, as the statuses of these individuals were far from ordinary.
Even the Grand Minister of Rites was present.
He immediately returned the courtesy. "You are all too kind, my lords."
Afterward, surrounded by the crowd, he entered Jiyin Hall. Palace maids were already setting out wine and food, and two seats remained open beside the Xiao matriarch.
She had clearly arrived some time ago, waiting for Xiao Hua and Lu Yuan.
As Lu Yuan came to a stop, the Xiao matriarch said with a smile, "The hero of my Northern Barbarians has returned."
She paused, waiting for Lu Yuan to be fully settled before continuing, "For his meritorious service in repelling the enemy, Prince Qin is awarded three manors, one hundred million taels of silver, ten Sea Jiao Pearls, one hundred Spirit Flowers..."
The string of rewards left Lu Yuan stunned. ’Is this what it feels like to be doted on?’
Back in Dayong, he had risked life and limb only to become a mere Northern Patrol Captain. But now? He had just fought one battle at the border—though it was, admittedly, a beautifully executed victory.
Still, these rewards were far too generous. He knew a tenth of his captured spoils were included, but even accounting for everything, the total value was nowhere near this much.
The Spirit Flowers were especially precious. Consuming one could temporarily enhance one’s comprehension, making it easier to grasp any Cultivation Technique one wished to learn. They were so valuable they couldn’t be measured in silver.
They were considered one of the most precious medicinal herbs of the Northern Barbarians.
And she had given him so many at once.
Lu Yuan didn’t act coy, however. He bowed and said, "Thank you for the rewards, Your Majesty."
At the side, the corner of Li Qing’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
He had gone to great lengths, pleading poverty, to hold back some of the funds for emergencies.
But Her Majesty? She was handing out rewards to Lu Yuan by the armful, as if she couldn’t wait to empty the entire imperial treasury.
’Great,’ he thought. ’Not only have I offended people, but I didn’t even get to keep the silver.’
His gaze involuntarily swept across the room, and the first thing it met was the hostile stare of the Grand Minister of Rites, Xiao Gu.
It seemed to say, ’And you said there was no silver?’
In response, Li Qing could only lower his head and say nothing.
Once the rewards were given, the Xiao matriarch waved her hand, and the banquet officially began.
This time, however, everyone had learned their lesson. They no longer crowded around Lu Yuan to offer endless toasts. After a symbolic gesture, they returned to their seats below.
They began chatting with those they were acquainted with.
The Xiao matriarch then said softly to Lu Yuan, "I’m giving you extra silver this time. Go back and patch up that hole as soon as you can. You child, you have some nerve, buying such a huge plot of land to sell houses without even discussing it with me."
"If you can’t sell them, we’ll see how you support your Prince’s Mansion."
Everyone knew the expenses of a Prince’s Mansion were enormous. After all, he had been granted over a thousand Tiger Attendants and five hundred Beast Riders. Those two groups alone were gold-devouring beasts.
Maidservants, retainers, daily maintenance for the residence—which of these didn’t require silver?
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. The houses will definitely sell."
"Fine, fine. I know you’re stubborn. But you can’t spend all the silver I’m awarding you this time on South City." The Xiao matriarch was like a mother earnestly lecturing her spendthrift son.
Seeing her like this, Lu Yuan could only smile wryly and nod, deciding to agree for now.
Besides, she hadn’t told him to stop the current construction.
For the rest of the evening, it was mostly the Xiao matriarch lecturing him, chattering on endlessly.
Lu Yuan just nodded from time to time.
Witnessing this scene, the ministers below were filled with envy.
Besides the Crown Princess, Lu Yuan was likely the only person Her Majesty treated this way.
After the meal was finished,
it was late into the night, and the ministers dispersed.
Lu Yuan bid farewell to the Xiao matriarch and her daughter, then returned to his Prince’s Mansion.
The moment he entered the mansion, Cai Chong approached with a group of Guards. They had clearly been waiting for him.
They bowed and said, "Welcome home, Your Highness."
"Cai Chong, come to the study. The rest of you may go." As he spoke, Lu Yuan headed toward the study off the side of the main hall.
Inside, a fire burned in the stove, casting an orange-red glow.
As soon as he pushed the door open, a wave of heat washed over him.
Lu Yuan turned to Cai Chong. "How are things with the housing project?"
"Your Highness, because the Crown Princess passed on a message, the Government Office approved an additional two thousand mu of land. We now have a total of six thousand mu. Three thousand mu are designated for small courtyard homes, which should accommodate about twenty-five hundred units. Two thousand mu will be used for hundred-mu grand courtyards, which can be developed into roughly one hundred manors."
"The Academy Palace was the first thing we started building. The foundations are already laid, and it will be large enough to accommodate ten thousand people for cultivation."
"The remaining open space will be paved with bluestone roads, and we’ll add several gardens." As Cai Chong spoke, he took out a blueprint.
Lu Yuan nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. "Roughly how long will it take to complete?"
"One winter will be enough. Among the people we’ve hired, there are quite a few at the Entry Level and Bone Forging realms. They work quite efficiently." In the Imperial City, there were many cultivators at the Entry Level and Bone Forging realms who didn’t dare fight on the battlefield and didn’t want to leave the city, so they could only take on construction jobs like building walls and houses.
The silver they earned wasn’t bad, either.
After all, they worked much faster than ordinary people.
Lu Yuan nodded, then said with a smile, "Good. Prioritize the construction of the Academy Palace. Have Wei Yong and his men all arrived?"
"They’ve all arrived. Following your instructions, we’ve allocated a significant amount of resources to them during this time. Their cultivation has already reached the Muscle Refining Realm, so they’ll have no problem teaching apprentices," Cai Chong said with a chuckle.
Though he considered Lu Yuan’s idea bold—even a bit prodigal—he also believed that if it succeeded, the wealthiest people in the world would come flocking.