[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-celestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld":3,"chapter-celestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld-celestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld-chapter-161":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Celestial Master： I Have an Otherworld",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1836409,2442,"Chapter 161 63: Three Blood_3","celestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld-chapter-161",161,"\u003Cp>\"To pay a donation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Qi pursed his lips, lowered his voice, and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This year's drought affected four prefectures and thirteen counties, almost leaving no grain produced; now it's a harsh winter, and many refugees have flooded into the county town.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we don't open the warehouses to distribute food, they might not survive the year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\" Mr. Han sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Fang is not an outsider, so I'll speak frankly; the granary has long been empty of grain, with more rats inside than rice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Money,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally must come from people like us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\" Chief Luo nodded, his face full of helplessness:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As far as I know, the Ren Family has already contacted the grain merchants in the Prefecture City, and the price has been negotiated. As soon as the silver arrives, the grain will be sent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ren Family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Zheng squinted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ren Family is the largest landowner and grain merchant in Gu'an County; there's even a saying that they own half the city, with rumors of grain piled as high as mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet they are buying grain from the Prefecture City?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several months ago, the Ren Family began stockpiling grain, causing market prices to skyrocket, now doubled compared to previous years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Natural disasters,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>are disasters for ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it's an excellent opportunity to amass wealth and expand lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Han, I heard you recently bought a lot of land?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha…\" Mr. Han lightly stroked his beard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks to Young Master Fang, I managed to save some extra money; a few days ago, the price of fertile land near the ancestral home dropped to five taels of silver per acre.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was tempted and bought twenty acres.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five taels?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In previous years, fertile land was priced between ten to twenty taels per acre; the fact that someone is selling at five means they urgently need money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Almost.\" Officer Qi nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also bought a few acres; such a rare opportunity, but twenty acres is a hundred taels—Elder Han, you are truly willing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I must thank Young Master Fang.\" Elder Han commented with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Otherwise, how would I have such confidence; unfortunately, I have no spare funds now and don't know how to handle the donation required by the lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At most, it's only a few months' wages.\" Chief Luo waved his hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Having fertile land is the true foundation for a family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Precisely!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Absolutely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Zheng smiled silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early Dynasty, after the initial chaos settled, every citizen had acres of land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This realm also had a Zhou Dynasty, and during its era, every newborn male received a hundred acres upon reaching adulthood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the land was vast and the population sparse, naturally posing no issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as the population grew later, the land allocated diminished, eventually leading to the abolishment of the system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With any natural or man-made disasters, ordinary people, lacking resistance, were often forced to sell their land for temporary peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>although temporarily escaping disaster, they lost their vital land, becoming tenant farmers for others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the majority of the crop yield would go to the landowner, with only enough for personal sustenance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This continued for generations, with no possibility of change, and in facing another disaster, they'd have no escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wealthy families occupy more land, while the poor lose more, leaving only their lives; ultimately…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it naturally leads to great turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a cycle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this point, it should be said that the rise and fall of society is the responsibility of every person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The Wei Dynasty has seen seventeen emperors over six hundred years, surpassing the three-hundred-year limit seen throughout modern history.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Nowadays, it likely is the late Dynasty period.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Even those like Chief Luo will buy quality land at low prices; the city's wealthy families will most certainly do the same.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And in reality, there's very little land remaining in the hands of the common people!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Yan has arrived!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Ren Sr. is here too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Patriarch Linghu…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd whispered amongst themselves, standing to salute the few individuals arriving from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, please sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Yan, draped in sable fur and wearing leopard-skin soft boots with a White Jade Belt at his waist, with just this attire, costs a thousand taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ascended to the second floor, gently lowered his hand, displaying a concerned expression for the people and nation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This year, Jizhou experiences severe drought, and four prefectures plus thirteen counties suffered a complete crop failure. Now, with winter here, the common people flock to the county seeking the Imperial Court's relief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As the local parent official, I cannot ignore their plight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guests weren't entirely aware of Lord Yan's intentions for the gathering, apart from a few well-informed individuals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Yan sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I intend to open the granaries and provide relief to the populace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The lord is benevolent.\" Someone praised:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If there's anything needed, we are willing to offer a token of our effort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this a setup?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Zheng glanced towards the sound, pondering; others seemed to understand, their expressions subtly shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Yan smiled, clapping his hands:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seeing the people starving and homeless, I cannot bear it, willing to contribute a year's salary for distributing porridge and emergency relief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unfortunately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alas, my strength alone is limited.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head, sighing softly with a regretful expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Lord.\" Linghu An bowed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Linghu Family wishes to contribute two thousand taels of silver to help the people through this crisis.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I share this intention.\" Mr. Ren Sr. nodded slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ren Family will also contribute two thousand taels.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thousand taels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expressions of most people downstairs turned rigid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Donations aren't unheard of; practically every year, the Government Office comes asking, ostensibly for the people, but truly for their own pockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There's a tacit understanding of the proportions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Linghu and Ren Families are the two major powerful families in the county, others naturally cannot compare, with affluent merchants contributing a fifth to a tenth of theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>",1015,"2026-06-09T06:29:55.938Z",1,"novelbin.me","79386c1437df40716a825855db03355ab9ae3742d9c966fc1b0c510f22a69e46","celestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld-chapter-162","celestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld-chapter-160",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcelestial-master-i-have-an-otherworld-cover.jpg"]