Free Web NovelChapter 590: 675 Preparations Before the War
"What business do you have with me, coming to the palace?"
After finishing lunch, Xiao Yunxi lay in Chen Mo’s arms, her jade-like hand caressing his chest. Her phoenix-like eyes were slightly squinted, revealing a hint of laziness.
"It’s been some time since I last saw you, I missed you." After speaking, Chen Mo picked up a jug of fruit wine, tapped her nose, and smiled, "Think carefully about what I said. There’s no need to do everything yourself. Come, let me feed you some wine."
Chen Mo raised the wine jug.
Xiao Yunxi, nestled in his embrace, rolled her eyes at him shyly and then gently crouched in front of his thighs, tilting her face up to receive the wine.
Chen Mo deliberately held it higher, playing amusingly, which caused some of the wine to spill onto her face, tracing down her neck and into the half-revealed curves.
Xiao Yunxi got up and gave Chen Mo a push, causing him to fall back, and the wine jug dropped to the side.
She leaned over, without swallowing the wine in her mouth, kissed Chen Mo’s lips, and transferred the wine into his mouth.
Judging by their familiarity, it was not their first time playing this game.
Lying in Chen Mo’s arms, Xiao Yunxi said, "I also don’t want to do everything myself, but to reach that pinnacle, I need to achieve something and set an example for others to follow. Only then will the ministers be genuinely convinced. Relying solely on force isn’t sustainable, and you can’t always stay on the Canglan Continent..."
At this point, Xiao Yunxi thought of Fujin, wondering how she was doing over there.
Seemingly aware of Xiao Yunxi’s thoughts, Chen Mo said, "Before my master left, she entrusted me with some things. From what I understand, my master probably holds a high position over there. With her taking care of Senior Sister, there shouldn’t be any problem.
Moreover, Senior Sister possesses outstanding talent. If the Shenxiao Sect values talent, they will surely nurture her well."
"I hope so," Xiao Yunxi sighed softly, then said, "Let’s do as you suggested. Let her come into the palace to help me, and also have Xin’Er come as well. As the legitimate daughter of the Wu Family, she can offer me some advice from the perspective of the noble families."
Chen Mo nodded and suddenly had another idea. He gently lifted Yunxi’s chin with his finger, caressing her lips with his thumb, "During this period, I’ll stay in Weiyang Palace."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunxi’s eyes widened as she sat up from Chen Mo’s embrace, quickly saying, "No, no, that’s too outrageous. With you in the palace, how can I focus on state affairs..."
"What are you thinking? I’m just going to cultivate in seclusion at Weiyang Palace." With so many memorials, she would definitely need the Heirloom Seal of the Realm. If Chen Mo took the Heirloom Seal of the Realm out of the palace, it would surely affect the approval of the memorials. If he were cultivating at Weiyang Palace, it would serve both purposes.
If she needed to use the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, she would use the Phoenix Seal. When she used the Phoenix Seal, he would use the Jade Seal.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yunxi was puzzled as to why he needed to cultivate at Weiyang Palace.
Chen Mo simply explained without mentioning the Emperor’s Divine Sealing Skill, just saying that his cultivation required the use of the Heirloom Seal of the Realm and the Phoenix Seal.
Xiao Yunxi was half-skeptical, afraid that Chen Mo was using the excuse of seclusion to actually bully her.
Yet, seeing his earnest expression, Xiao Yunxi still nodded.
The matter was settled, and Chen Mo left the palace once again to call Xiyue and Xin’Er into the palace to assist.
Meanwhile, he stealthily slipped into Weiyang Palace.
This way, staying in Weiyang Palace for a significant duration wouldn’t lead to rumors and gossip.
...
During Chen Mo’s seclusion, the abandoned farmlands seized in Bianliang finally reached the second round of auctions. freewebnovёl.ƈom
The first auction was a trial, with not much farmland released. After summarizing the first experience, the second batch put all previously seized abandoned farmlands up for auction.
Farmlands are undoubtedly the most precious asset for ordinary people, something to pass down through generations.
Selling farmlands is considered a great act of unfilial conduct.
Now large tracts of fertile land were to be auctioned formally, how could there not be many attendees?
Initially, Chen Mo wanted to make a deal, privately purchasing a large amount of farmland, thereby removing it from the auction.
But upon reconsideration, he decided not to. His future did not lie here, and such immovable assets couldn’t be taken away, so he wouldn’t compete with the populace for profit.
The official in charge of auctioning the farmlands was Cao Benyuan, representing the people backed by the Empress Dowager. Gao Zheng brought people from the Fire Qilin Army to maintain order on-site.
When the time came, Cao Benyuan ascended the platform, cleared his throat, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, with a population of millions in Bianliang, vast amounts of grain are consumed daily. Every time a natural disaster strikes, there is the danger of a food shortage, with tens of thousands dying of starvation in the streets, affecting our Great Song profoundly.
Yet now, around Bianliang, there are large swathes of fertile land lying fallow, uncultivated..."
Cao Benyuan rambled on about the severity and then praised the virtues and deeds of the Empress Dowager and Prince Zhen Nan, making sure that the people knew it was because of them these neglected lands were available for auction.
After finishing his praises, he moved on to the main topic, "Today’s auction is different from the last. Everyone present can step forward to draw lots, and only those who draw successfully will have the opportunity to purchase the land. If unable to pay, the draw will be considered null, and this spot cannot be transferred..."
Upon hearing this, the crowd below erupted in gasps.
In the last auction, although it was stipulated how many mu each household could auction, the powerful still found loopholes, buying through farmers to participate in the auction.
But now, with the drawing of lots, this method purely based on luck and fairness could significantly mend the loopholes from the last auction.
After this auction, Xiao Yunxi’s prestige deeply rooted itself in the hearts of the people of Bianliang, with some even calling her a saint.
...
Soon, two weeks passed.
In Jiangnan, at the Wu Family’s shipyard.
"Chief Engineer, the family has sent a letter requesting us to immediately start constructing a batch of warships. These are the blueprints sent from the Capital," a member of the Wu Family handed the letters and blueprints to Wu Cai, the chief engineer and person in charge at the Wu Family shipyard.
Wu Cai opened the letter and began to read. Upon learning that these were warship blueprints, drawn personally by Prince Zhen Nan, he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
He acknowledged that Prince Zhen Nan was formidable, but when it came to warships, within the entire Great Song Imperial Dynasty, if he claimed to be second, no one would dare claim first.
However, seeing the instructions in the letter to follow the blueprint’s design, Wu Cai inevitably harbored doubts, thinking, "What does an outsider know about warships?"
But upon glancing at the blueprint, he was stunned.
Exclaiming in shock, "A warship can be built like this?"
This suddenly opened Wu Cai’s mind to many new ideas. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Later, after constructing the large sail ship depicted in the blueprints and testing its 1500-stone carrying capacity, he couldn’t help but admire Chen Mo.
Indeed, these warship blueprints were precisely those from Ming Dynasty in Chen Mo’s previous life.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty’s naval equipment was considered the best in the world.
