With Queen Wuyuan's divine assistance, the "demolition" of the old city proceeded much more smoothly.
In less than a month, Xie Yuan acquired all the land in the old city.
The old city has successfully become a ghost town.
The powerful families and ordinary people all moved away, leaving only a few yamen runners and guards at the city gate.
The new town of Crescent Moon is still under construction, so there is absolutely no need for the residents of the old town to go there so early.
However, the people discovered that building a new city required a large workforce and a variety of related businesses.
The powerful clans were desperate to cooperate with the Yue King's Mansion, hoping to become suppliers for the new city construction site.
Ordinary people have no connections or power, so they can only earn money through their labor.
Just then, the entire Yuezhou was suffering terribly due to the rampant sugarcane planting and the civil unrest deliberately instigated by Cui Boyong.
Now we're moving to a new house.
Although Princess Xie Yuan proposed a people-benefiting policy of exchanging house deeds and land deeds between the old city and the new city on a one-to-one basis.
But people are worried not only about housing, but also about their daily lives.
The need for a large workforce during the construction of the new city provided opportunities for the local people.
Furthermore, the benefits offered by Princess Xie are incredibly tempting—
First, each adult male is paid 12 copper coins per day.
Second, meals and accommodation are provided, with three meals a day, each with oil and broth, and even meat at lunchtime.
Third, those with good work performance will receive bonuses and will also have priority in participating in various "recruitment" activities at the Yue King's Palace.
For example, the recruitment of soldiers twice a year, and the various low-ranking officials within the Prince's Palace.
In fact, if someone does something exceptionally well and is incredibly lucky enough to be spotted by His Highness the King of Yue or the Queen Consort during their inspection tour, they can be chosen directly!
The Yue King's Mansion is not what it was a few months ago; its prestige in Yuezhou has reached its peak.
Princess Yue was known for being good at making money and for being kind and generous.
Furthermore, there were successful examples of people who had entered the Prince's Palace as guards through recruitment, so everyone knew that the Prince's Palace was a good place. (Read more)
If one's own children and grandchildren were to enter the Yue Prince's Mansion, they would definitely have a bright future ahead of them.
I dared not dream of making great achievements and bringing glory to my ancestors, after all, that would mean going to the battlefield and risking my life.
It's enough to support a family.
The name of the Yue King's Mansion is so famous that nowadays, not only the poor people want to go to the mansion to ask for a bowl of rice.
Even some of the collateral branches or illegitimate sons of powerful clans began to consider: why not take the exam to become an official in the Yue King's Palace?
Although they were all just insignificant low-ranking officials, without even an official rank.
However, being able to enter the Yue King's mansion and serve by His Highness the Yue King's side is already considered as having entered the gate.
A bright future is just around the corner!
For a time, the new construction site in Crescent Moon Town was bustling with people.
The recruitment department of the Yue King's Palace is also busy every day.
The once remote and quiet fishing village of Crescent Moon Town has instantly become the most eye-catching place in the entire Yuezhou.
With ample manpower, active suppliers of bricks, tiles, timber, and other materials, and blueprints drawn by Xie Yuan himself as the model, the new city was being built at an incredibly fast pace.
In less than a month, Crescent Moon New City began to take shape.
The new city is booming, and the renovation of the old city is also proceeding at a rapid pace.
"All these houses must be demolished and rebuilt!"
Xie Yuan stood on the main street of the old city, looking at the somewhat dilapidated houses, and said firmly.
Hexian County is located near the sea, and it is the first place to be hit by a hurricane.
Roofs being blown off or houses collapsing have happened in recent years.
The wealthy families were fine; they had money and manpower, and could maintain their houses every year.
Ordinary people can't do that; they don't have the money to repair it, so they can only try to piece things together and patch it up.
Therefore, the houses in Hexian County do not look very good overall.
Xie Yuan wanted to build a new city, so naturally he wouldn't leave these dilapidated and old dangerous houses behind.
"It is indeed necessary to demolish and rebuild, but it will require a large number of workers."
Helian Jue stood beside Xie Yuan, thinking seriously, and then slowly spoke.
Xie Yuan nodded, "Yes, we need manpower!"
In ancient times, without blasting or large machinery, all demolition and reconstruction work had to be done by manpower, requiring painstaking effort.
Wait, an explosion?
Xie Yuan's eyes lit up. Hey, how could she have forgotten about gunpowder, one of the essential artifacts for transmigrators?
The proportions of gunpowder are not a secret. Not to mention that she is a well-known blogger of historical trivia, even students who have completed nine years of compulsory education or those who have read a few online novels know this.
Gunpowder can be prepared by mixing one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal in the correct proportions.
When Xie Yuan was making organic fertilizer in the village, he specifically asked Xie Qing to search for some quicklime.
In addition, she also asked him to buy some saltpeter and other minerals.
At that time, Xie Yuan did not intend to manufacture gunpowder; he simply asked Xie Qing to buy more raw materials in case of emergency.
Well, the time has come.
Seeing Xie Yuan's bright eyes again, Helian Jue knew: Hey, his little princess has another idea.
“Your Highness, I saw a recipe in a sorcerer’s alchemy manual.”
Xie Yuan thought of gunpowder and naturally needed to give it a source.
Xie Yuan once again brought out the all-powerful "ancient books".
However, Xie Yuan didn't lie completely; she simply moved the timeline forward.
The gunpowder ratio of "one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal" was mentioned by Sun Simiao, the "Medicine King" of the Tang Dynasty, in his book "The Method of Subduing Sulfur in the Alchemical Classic".
Sun Simiao was not only a divine physician, but also a Taoist priest by profession.
Therefore, Xie Yuan's use of the term "sorcerer" is not entirely far-fetched.
Historically, gunpowder was first discovered when Taoist priests accidentally mixed the correct proportions for black powder while refining elixirs, which caused their alchemy furnace to explode.
After frying the oven many times, the Taoists figured out the recipe.
Standing on the shoulders of historical giants, Xie Yuan knew the formula ratio of raw materials without having to fumble around.
"Oh? Such a thing exists?"
Should we just blow up the house?
Helian Jue immediately became interested, "Like setting off firecrackers?"
Xie Yuan shook his head, "It's different!"
In those days, firecrackers were exactly what they sounded like – bamboo was thrown into a fire, and as it burned, it would crackle and pop.
It is absolutely not the same as the firecrackers and fireworks that were later made with gunpowder.
"...It was more like a bolt of lightning from the sky that shattered and destroyed the trees and houses."
Xie Yuan really couldn't give an example, so she thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, let's wait until I've made the gunpowder so you can see the effects for yourself."
No amount of words can compare to seeing it for yourself.
Three days later, Xie Yuan took the freshly made gunpowder porcelain bottle, lit the fuse, and threw it into a dilapidated house, and then—
boom!
With a loud bang, the entire house was instantly reduced to ruins.
Helian Jue, lying on the ground far away, felt the ground trembling beneath him. Looking at the ruins, a sudden light flashed in his eyes.
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