Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1162 - 1159_1

Chapter 1162: Chapter 1159_1

Jinghao shared his plans of building several unique county cities with Xiao’er.

Upon hearing this, Xiao’er felt thrilled and smiled, "I can already imagine Zezhou thriving in the future! I need to start saving money to buy land and shops there!"

"You’re always welcome to start a workshop, sister. With you owning a shop there, I believe I have nothing to worry about when it comes to Zezhou’s taxation! If you could establish more workshops, more shops, and generously fund the construction of more roads and schools, then I can rest easy." Jinghao joked.

"Remember to offer me some perks. I’m a big customer and a major investor!" Xiao’er said seriously, nodding her head.

"Definitely, definitely!" Jinghao responded seriously.

Then, both of them started laughing.

Finishing their laughter, Xiao’er switched to a serious topic, "We don’t know much about ceramics. Brother Di owns a ceramics workshop. We can ask him. We could even hire some people to learn from his experiences. All workshops take time to be established, so in the meantime, we can train our workforce. We could even ask Brother Di if he wants to collaborate."

Xiao’er has been providing design drawings for Di Shaowei’s ceramic factory. Now, their ceramic products are arguably the most advanced in the continent.

With several branches in Minze Country, their exquisite vases, plates, tea sets, floor tiles, and other porcelain products are sold domestically and internationally.

As for whether Marquis Zhongyong would worry about people learning and stealing their technology, Xiao’er isn’t concerned at all.

After all, the world is vast. No industry can be dominated by one entity alone!

There are countless people in the world, and one family just cannot cater to everyone’s needs!

Nor can there be only one ceramics factory in the market!

Once people realize they can make a lot of money in an industry, more and more people will follow. Eventually, the industry will become saturated.

Then market competition emerges as well as the survival of the fittest.

Those who perform well will survive!

Whether it’s an individual, a workshop, or a nation, each must strive for progress because it’s survival of the fittest. Those who fall behind will suffer!

Moreover, the advanced technology of Marquis Zhongyong’s ceramic workshop largely comes from Xiao’er. Even though she obtained the information from a tactical space and the workers in the workshop figured out how to apply it, she has played a crucial role in their growth and success. They will never worry about Xiao’er learning their technologies.

"Alright, I’ll consider how to go about it." Jinghao nodded.

"Also, you should start your own business, or else you won’t be able to support your wife and children in the future." Xiao’er said half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Even the big piece of cake that was Marquis Shengping’s Mansion would not be enough if it were divided among too many people.

"I know. Over the years, I’ve used my pocket money to invest in several shops, started a few bookstores and tea houses, and established one academy." As the citizens of Minze Country love tea, they frequent tea houses to enjoy tea and listen to storytelling. Indeed, these tea houses have alerted him to the future demand for tea leaves.

As for bookstores, they are in even better business. If people can afford tea, wouldn’t they want to save some money for their children’s education? Many schools are expanding.

Now, he has only established one academy. In the future, he plans to open one in each major city across the country.

Xiao’er is aware of Jinghao’s plan to build an academy, "If there’s anything that you need help with, feel free to ask me."

"Sure!" Jinghao wasn’t shy about it. Since childhood, whenever there was something he didn’t understand, he always asked Xiao’er. Apart from the conventional eight-part essay that Xiao’er didn’t know and didn’t want to learn, she could give very good answers to many other things in life.

Afterward, Jinghao and Xiao’er discussed the state of politics.

Since Nangong Country was newly captured territory, all the land there could be said to belong to the Imperial Court. The Court would no longer sell land or farmland there and instead, would implement a policy of land division to households.

Each household would receive paddy field, dry land, homestead, and vegetable garden according to their population. There would be mountain lands in mountainous areas and bamboo gardens in plain areas.

All these lands belonged to the Imperial Court and were rented to the people to use. A small amount of rent would be collected each year, which was the tax paid. This was a policy set by the Emperor, which was very attractive to the people.

However, there was hidden concern that over time, the native people of Minze Country might grow resentful when they saw the benefits of the land division policy.

Therefore, the Emperor is now looking for ways to reclaim the land from the hands of landlords and many senior officials.

Jinghao analyzed, "The price of grain falls every year. Just after each year’s autumn harvest, the grain price drops by one or two wen per catty. At this rate, the lands in the hands of landlords can no longer provide them with the affluent lifestyle they previously enjoyed. The annual silver earnings from the farmland may not even match the income from some small workshops. They would then sell their farmland, convert them into cash, and start other businesses."

Xiao’er: "That’s correct. The increase in grain production will inevitably lead to the fall in grain prices. The Court forbids selling grain to other countries, only domestic sales are allowed. With so much grain, there’s no way to consume it all, and now some landlords are even willing to use grain to feed livestock!"

Jinghao: "Whether they are willing or not, they have no other choice. Some people still have old grain from three to five years ago. Selling it would result in a low price, so they can only feed poultry. It’s better than wasting it! However, with the war between the two countries now, the Court has already started buying excess grains from the people."

...

After discussing the actions of the Court, they discussed what Jinghao should do after taking office, such as how to ease the people’s concerns and win their hearts towards the Imperial Court.

"I think once you arrive in Zezhou, the first thing you should do is to rebuild a home for those who are homeless. Home is a shelter from the wind. With a home, people will feel secure and their hearts can settle."

"I’ve thought about this as well, but I’m afraid that the money allocated from the national treasury will not be sufficient."

"The court will provide the materials, and the size of the houses will be determined according to the number of family members. Then matching materials will be provided. But the people will have to build the houses themselves, help each other. There are no labor costs and meals are not included." While saying this, Xiao’er pulled out a bundle of silver banknotes.

"This is 500,000 taels, you can decide how to use it."

Seeing this, Jinghao quickly declined, "How can I accept your silver! This is the Court’s business!"

"Take it, isn’t the Court’s business, my family business too? You can say this silver is a contribution from the Emperor! Don’t worry!" Xiao’er generously said.

It’s just a matter of taking from the people and using it for the people!

It’s not that Xiao’er is so generous, but she cherishes such happy days. These happy days are partly due to her prestigious status! She hopes this happiness can continue, including her children being able to be happy too, so naturally, she needs to expend both manpower and resources to maintain this status!

"Contributed by the Emperor? From the Full Moon Wine?" Jinghao immediately thought.

Xiao’er smiled and nodded: "Exactly."

After hearing this, Jinghao didn’t hesitate, the Emperor building houses for his subjects is only right!

"The second group to pacify is the wealthy merchants. The shops operated by the wealthy merchants could bring tax income for the Court and provide job opportunities for the people. It’s the foundation for enriching the entire county. However, I fear that those wealthy merchants might have already fled..." Xiao’er shared her thoughts.

Jinghao also expressed his opinions and plans.

...

They discussed like this for a day, allowing Jinghao to gain much insight.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.