Chapter 1149: Artemisia (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Gong Xichou waved his hand in front of Shen Tang's eyes.
He asked, "What's wrong? Are you too happy?"
He was absolutely certain that Mama had been distracted just now. If he had taken the opportunity to launch a sneak attack and assassinate her, she wouldn't have been able to escape. This was not the quality a powerful martial artist should have. Gong Xichou was initially a little annoyed—even Xun Yong'an would have to shake his head at his brother's role as an extra—but Mama's reaction made him feel relieved.
That's enough, that's enough.
True friends should share both good times and bad.
These days, Gong Xiqiu has finally realized how pitiful Shen Tang's position as ruler truly is. He hasn't enjoyed any of the riches and honors, but he's been suffering every single day of the year. He's always broke when he goes out, and he has to borrow money to entertain his friends. His lavish lifestyle is entirely supported by Chu Wuhui and a few others who are devoted to him, as well as the system of the Three Departments within the palace. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to afford decent clothes for all four seasons. Isn't that outrageous?
When my older brother found out, his eyes were red and he was about to cry.
Indeed, to the high priest, Mama is simply the idol on the altar. To not cast a solid idol from pure gold, but merely to cover it with a few layers of gold leaf, is a grave disrespect. Seeing his elder brother struggling to recall what could be demolished from the old ancestral land, Gongxi Chou crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
Why don't you just tear down all the ancestral halls?
Gong Xiqiu remembered the old priest saying that the main materials of the old ancestral hall were sandalwood and gold. It was grand in scale and magnificent, and even the floor tiles of the main hall were mixed with a large amount of gold. These metals were precious in the secular world, but in the clan's territory, they were not as precious as a grain of food. In addition to gold, there were piles of white, red, yellow, and green stones, as well as a pile of small white stones.
Ji Moqiu thought for a moment: "It can be dismantled."
In any case, the souls of the clan members have returned to the embrace of the gods, so the ancestral hall no longer holds the same importance as in the secular world. It's basically only used for clan meetings. Besides, the old clan land has long been abandoned, and the new ancestral hall was built on the new clan land. The old ancestral hall can be demolished.
Gong Xichou almost choked on his saliva.
[They can even demolish this? Then they might as well demolish the statues of gods too.]
The statues of the gods in the new settlement are carved from giant stones.
The statue of the local earth god is meticulously carved from gold and gemstones.
Yes, pure gold, solid.
It's just not as big as the stone statue.
Ji Moqiu hesitated for a moment: "...That works too."
Gongxi Chou was speechless: "That's a statue of a god."
If you want to move it, you might have to cut it into pieces and melt it down to make gold bars, and then transport it away piece by piece. That would be an absolute disrespect!
Ji Moqiu's reasoning was sound: "A statue is merely a vessel holding a wisp of divine thought. Without that thought, it's just an ornament."
Offerings are made in the heart, not in the form.
[This is truly—a son giving away his ancestral property without a care in the world.] Gong Xichou knew he couldn't stop his elder brother's decision to give away the ancestral property, so he simply resigned himself to it. [Fine, consider it targeted poverty alleviation. I'm one of the last remaining members of the clan, so I should have a share of the ancestral property. Just leave me a box, brother; I don't want any more.]
【what would you like? 】
"My uncle said it's called 'Sparkling.'" With that, Gong Xichou pulled a delicate and beautiful pearl and diamond hair chain from his robes, adorned with lustrous gemstones. "It's this kind of sparkly white one! The old priest said there's a large pit in the old clan's territory specifically for piling up these kinds of things."
He wasn't interested in anything else.
I particularly like the shiny white pebbles.
The old priest had also given him a bunch of different sizes, which, after being cut and polished, were indeed shiny. When he was young, his uncle would inlay various stones and pearls to make hair ties, which he would then braid into small braids. As he grew up, his aesthetic sense changed.
Too many colors are too flashy; simple and elegant is better.
However, children prefer this one.
Out of boredom, Gong Xichou braided a few strands of hair, intending to use them for Alai's daughter. He wondered how long her baby hair had grown and whether she could tie it up. Ji Moqiu, thinking it was something else, said, "Oh, it's diamonds! If you want some, you can knead them during your daily cultivation. With your strength, you could make several boxes in ten days to half a month..."
If Gong Xiqiu finds it too troublesome, he can do it for him.
Gong Xichou's face fell: "Ah, I'll make it myself?"
No, is this thing really that cheap?
Ji Moqiu said: 【What else?】
Gong Xichou is indeed capable of doing it now, but he's not familiar with the process, so it will be quite difficult at first. Once he gains more experience and becomes a skilled worker, his production capacity will see a qualitative leap. However, since it's rare for his elderly younger brother to ask for it, as the elder brother, he should naturally oblige.
Gongxi Chou: [...]
It took Shen Tang a while to recover from the joy of unexpected wealth before she said, "Hand-crafting diamonds? I want to learn too!"
Gong Xichou was almost speechless.
"Wait until my older brother comes back and teaches me, then I'll teach you."
True friends should share both good times and bad!
Shen Tang nodded vigorously: "Absolutely! Only aristocratic families deserve to be adorned with the biggest, shiniest, and most magnificent diamonds. With such a powerful tool in hand, it would be a shame not to make a killing! Your older brother said you can make it by hand, right? Did he mention the minimum requirements? When there's no war, martial arts masters can shine in other areas besides infrastructure construction!"
This falls under the category of re-employment.
The employment opportunities for graduates majoring in martial arts have expanded once again!
Gong Xichou curled his lip: "Who would we sell it to? They're not stupid."
Shen Tang waved her fingers left and right: "NONONO, you don't understand people's hearts. There's a saying, 'Wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown is like wearing brocade at night!' If you don't flaunt your glory, how will people know you've become successful? Similarly, if these aristocratic families, royal nobles, and the like don't display the symbols of their status and position, such as their attire and carriages, how will people know that their status is higher than that of ordinary people?"
The same principle applies throughout history.
Shen Tang flicked the pearl ribbon on his braid with her fingers.
"Tell me," Xu Quan, the president of the Gongxi Chou Conservation Association, said, "if you and your elder brother hadn't flaunted these pearls, who would know your family had so many? You two brothers have made pearls incredibly popular throughout Kangguo, the supply can't keep up with demand, and you've fed countless pearl farmers." He spearheaded the promotion, highlighting the high demand for pearls. If young people are chasing pearls, why wouldn't the aristocratic families pursue diamonds?
It's the same principle!
Gong Xichou frowned and said, "But this thing..."
Shen Tang closed his palm and said with a smile, "It's cheap! But it's rare. Martial arts masters of your level are very valuable! Rarity and high price are the attributes that buyers seek! It's just like the velvet flowers that were once in high demand and sold very well."
How much money did the velvet flower help Shen Tang earn when it first came out?
It was a cash cow in the early stages of a business! Unfortunately, there were few technical barriers to entry, and as skilled embroiderers gradually mastered the craft, making money became less easy. With promotion, velvet flowers also began to curl inwards, creating patterns and shapes.
Even so, it remains a stable source of income.
Because Shen Tang had already established a brand.
The same old tricks don't have to be old, as long as they work!
"Besides, if you don't tell, I don't tell, and your older brother doesn't tell, who will know how much this thing costs? People will only marvel at its exquisite beauty and preciousness!" Mentioning ways to make money, Shen Tang's eyes shone brightly, and with a quick thought, she added, "And this artemisia is another opportunity to get rich quick! Let's take a country with a million people as an example! Everyone has ascariasis. Let's say each person takes one a month. How many would that be over a year? Even if we only make one penny per piece, how much could we earn from this country in a year? Two countries, three countries, four countries… My God, we're going to be rich!"
Ji Moqiu is such a kind person. First, he gave her a large amount of ancestral property, then he wanted to give her wormwood seeds to make medicine for roundworms, and he even provided technical support for cultivating diamonds... He's not just a generous benefactor, he's a god of wealth! Gong Xiqiu was speechless upon seeing this.
"Your eyes are practically bulging with money."
Shen Tang waved her hand, her tone sour, "How could someone like you who has never been poor understand my heartache? I've never been financially independent in my life... Hanzhang has left me with a mountain of debt again, I... wait, don't give away your elder brother's ancestral property yet!"
Gong Xichou raised an eyebrow: "Why?"
Shen Tang said somewhat awkwardly, "The assets currently under my name, cough cough cough, will all be subject to forced execution."
Tsk, why does this sound like a shameless deadbeat?
Gong Xichou: "..."
Shen Tang scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "...Hehe, this is, after all, the family fortune accumulated by your ancestors. Although it's mine now that it's given to me, and I can do whatever I want with it, wouldn't it be disrespectful to your elder brother to use it to pay off Han Zhang's debts?"
Gong Xichou carefully pondered the meaning of this sentence.
He agreed, saying, "That's true."
If my older brother finds out, he'll probably be so shattered he can't be glued back together.
Upon waking up to find three windfalls about to enter her pocket, Shen Tang was in high spirits, her face beaming with joy, showing no trace of weakness or haggardness. She couldn't wait to discuss with Xun Zhen, the Minister of Revenue, where to spend these three large sums of money.
"Keep up the good work, and keep playing with your bugs!" Shen Tang's smile was even more uncontrollable than an AK. She patted Gong Xi Chou on the shoulder, skipped away with cheerful steps, humming a little tune, "I'm going to welcome my boundless wealth first!"
Gong Xiqiu almost lost his balance and fell forward.
"Forget your friends for personal gain!"
If I lost my balance and fell forward after that slap, wouldn't I just get slapped in the face by a bug? Disgusting!
"My dear sister, please..."
"...Hehehe, it's a deal..."
"...After this matter is over, I will invite you to visit..."
Qi Miao pestered Lin Feng to come to the wounded soldiers' camp with her, calling him "good sister" repeatedly, making his pretty face blush. Gong Xi Chou saw her from afar and secretly shook his head. This Qi Miao not only looked like Shan Qi from back then, but also had the same skill in sweet-talking people.
Even if her elder brother could retrieve the Artemisia seeds, the trial planting, improvement, and large-scale cultivation would still depend on Lin Feng's intervention. Lin Feng was already busy, so Qi Miao could only use her connections to get ahead of the queue.
Gong Xiqiu looked in the direction they came from.
They asked, "Have you seen Mama?"
Lin Feng's eyes flashed with joy: "My lord has woken up?"
Gong Xiqiu pouted: "They just left not long ago."
They probably missed each other.
The unfamiliar layout of the camp led Shen Tang astray quite a bit, but fortunately, she was able to follow the scents to find people. She roughly determined Xun Zhen's location and headed straight for him. She suddenly flung open the curtain of the temporary tent: "Hanzhang, our chance to make a fortune has arrived!"
Inside the tent, Xun Zhen, who was worrying about money, suddenly perked up.
He immediately abandoned the officials discussing matters inside the tent and asked, "Is it true?"
He was so happy that he forgot to ask Shen Tang when she woke up.
Xun Zhen has been leading men to audit the accounts of the Gao Kingdom's treasury for the past few days, and his brain is about to explode from all the calculations. The more he calculates, the more he feels that the war against Gao Kingdom was a bad one! A huge loss! If it weren't for Wu Xian's special status, he would have stormed up to Wu Xian and demanded an explanation!
Many account books were destroyed in the fire.
There weren't even enough officials to handle these matters.
To make matters worse, most of the key officials in charge of Gao Kingdom's finances fled with the new king on the day of the fire! In other words, they are all dead! There's no way to verify anything! Many bad debts have simply become uncollectible!
This piece should have been a spoil of war for the Kang Kingdom!
Everything is gone!
The losses suffered by the Kang Kingdom's army since the start of the war, daily expenses, post-war compensation... all of these amount to money! Not only that, Kang Kingdom wants to completely control Gao Kingdom and win over the hearts of its people, so it will inevitably have to spend money to help rebuild various parts of Gao Kingdom, which also adds up to expenses!
The sight of the two strokes together made Xun Zhen's vision go black.
With the quarterly military pay season approaching, military officers led by Wei Shou and Qian Yong were secretly inquiring about when the emperor would wake up and when rewards would be distributed... Xun Zhen was heartbroken at the thought of having to allocate money again, with the Ministry of Revenue only spending and not receiving.
"...You still ask me what to do?" Xun Zhen wished she could burn all these disgusting, rotten accounts, drag the people who swallowed the money back from the gates of hell, and strangle them until they vomited back all the money they'd eaten! The Ministry of Revenue hated nothing more than discrepancies in the accounts, and secondly, it hated nothing more than someone throwing a tantrum and demanding money. Xun Zhen was so angry she was ready to explode at anyone, her spirits remarkably high. "What else can I do? This is such a huge hole, what can I possibly do? Should I go and dress up right now, go out on the street and sell myself to make some money?"
In the face of utter despair, Shen Tang descended from the sky.
Every word is heavenly.
Xun Zhen was so excited that her legs almost trembled, her eyes were bloodshot, and she asked Shen Tang again and again, "Really?"
Shen Tang said, "Uh, really."
Xun Zhen wiped away a bead of sweat: "Phew, that's good."
Putting aside his other abilities, his ability to make money is top-notch.
He knew best how much debt his lord had accumulated over the years. The amount was so large that he once doubted his lord's future! Fortunately, his lord was an excellent earner and an excellent saver; he gritted his teeth and managed to balance the accounts!
He doubted nothing more than Shen Tang's ability to make money.
Xun Zhen's mind cooled down, and he calmed down.
"The Lord said to make a lot of money, could you tell me how much we can make?"
Shen Tang said, "I'm not really sure either."
She pulled Xun Zhen aside and briefly explained the unexpected windfall. The two, ruler and minister, huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. Xun Zhen listened intently, afraid of missing a single word. The more he listened, the brighter his eyes became: "How much profit can be made from diamonds and roundworm medicine depends on the production of diamonds and the effectiveness of the roundworm medicine; the profits are hard to estimate. But the Gongxi clan's savings accumulated over hundreds or even thousands of years..."
Just hearing "hundreds or thousands of years" makes his mouth water.
"...This is ready to use right away!"
This will not only settle the current debt, but also replenish the national treasury!
Shen Tang said in a low voice, "But this is not a good idea..."
Xun Zhen was displeased upon hearing this: "What's wrong with it?"
“To just squander someone’s ancestral inheritance like this is somewhat disrespectful, and it wouldn’t look good for me if word got out.” Although Shen Tang was also incredibly tempted, she was too proud to admit it. “It’s just as shameful as a man squandering his wife’s dowry!”
Xun Zhen nearly jumped up in anger upon hearing this.
"What does shame matter? What does losing face matter?"
"We can't let this easy prize slip away!" Xun Zhen said sternly. "One shouldn't throw away money for the sake of saving face! There's a saying among the common people: 'If my virtuous husband helps me achieve my lofty ambitions, I'll repay him with ten thousand taels of gold! Even the lord's lofty ambitions are worth more than this price!'"
|ω`)
Tang Mei: She sells diamond products to the countries in the Central Continent with the most aristocratic families, and promotes ascariasis medicine to the areas where people love to show off their pickled fish.
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