Chapter 160: The Ministry of Works Stunned, the Power of the Ancient Spirit‑Gathering Array, the Nation

Ministry of Works.

Compared with the other departments, the Ministry of Works is the liveliest; the officials coming and going are basically just delivering documents.

The Ministry of Works is very busy.

All civil engineering and water‑conservation projects nationwide must be handled by the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry can be divided into three distinct sectors.

Civil and water works, machinery manufacturing, and mining‑metallurgy‑minting are the three biggest divisions.

As for things like tombs and ceremonial guards, those are minor matters and rarely arise.

The main focus remains the nation's civil projects: the Ministry drafts the plans, approves and issues them, then moves on to machinery manufacturing, primarily military equipment, followed by civilian goods.

At that moment,

With Gu Jin Nian's arrival, someone immediately entered the Ministry to report to Wang Qixin, Minister Wang.

Before Gu Jin Nian even stepped inside, Wang Qixin's figure appeared.

"Lord."

"What brings you here?"

Wang Qixin hurried out, his face full of puzzlement as he looked at Gu Jin Nian.

"Minister, by His Majesty's decree, I have come to handle the Da Xia dragon‑boat treasure‑ship matter."

Gu Jin Nian lowered his voice and informed the minister.

"Dragon‑boat treasure ship?"

"Understood."

"Lord, shall we first go see the dragon boats or go in to rest a while?"

Wang Qixin asked.

Wang Qixin dared not delay Gu Jin Nian; it wasn't merely because Gu Jin Nian had been ennobled as Da Xia's First Marquis.

The main reason is that Gu Jin Nian is now the Ministry's patron, its cash tree; if we aren't courteous, how will we earn silver later?

"We'll go straight to see the dragon boats and skip rest. I still need to visit the academy later, and tomorrow I'm heading to the palace to prepare for the investiture ceremony."

Gu Jin Nian said.

"Very well, Lord, follow me."

Wang Qixin didn't dawdle and led Gu Jin Nian out of the Ministry.

The Ministry's casting yard is outside the capital, heavily guarded; establishing one inside the capital is impossible, given the precious land and the crowded, watchful populace.

When it concerns the dynasty's military industry, how could one act recklessly?

Mounted on a warhorse, Wang Qixin led a batch of Ministry officials straight to the casting yard.

After roughly half an hour, Gu Jin Nian arrived at the casting yard.

The Da Xia Ministry of Works casting yard spans six thousand mu, with thirty‑six melting pits, seventy‑two iron cauldrons, one hundred eight furnace rooms, and twenty thousand workers, mostly forging top‑grade battle armor and swords here.

It also has a huge open ground for testing armor and swords.

A quarter of the area is devoted to developing civilian devices and the mint.

"Lord."

"His Majesty gave orders a few days ago, directing the Ministry to craft three each of dragon boats, treasure ships, and war chariots, in large, medium, and small models. Look, this is the Ministry's large‑size dragon boat."

After bringing Gu Jin Nian into the casting yard, Wang Qixin pointed to an open ground and said.

On the ground stood three dragon boats of varying sizes.

Currently, the Da Xia Dynasty's dragon boats measure about twenty‑two zhang in length, fifteen zhang in width, and nine zhang in height.

The Ministry's large dragon boat is thirty zhang long, twenty zhang wide, twelve zhang high, and has four stacked levels.

This is the large type.

The medium dragon boat is twenty zhang long, fifteen zhang wide, nine zhang high, like a standard dragon boat.

The small dragon boat is twelve zhang long, eight zhang wide, five zhang high.

Looking at the dragon boats, Wang Qixin's voice rang out.

"His Highness the Crown Prince, this large dragon boat can hold three thousand armored soldiers at once, or transport three thousand shi of grain."

"The medium dragon boat accommodates two thousand armored soldiers, or about two thousand shi of grain."

"The small dragon boat holds one thousand armored soldiers, roughly one thousand shi of grain."

One shi equals 120 catties; three thousand shi is 360,000 catties, equivalent to a load capacity of 180 tons.

The large dragon boat carries 180 tons, the medium 120 tons, and the small 60 tons.

That's actually quite good.

A flying vessel that can transport 180 tons is impressive; after all, the cargo isn't always grain—beyond disaster relief, moving grain alone isn't meaningful; freight transport is the key.

Along the Guangjiang River there is a fruit called white jade fruit, i. e., lychee. In Guangjiang its price varies: cheap ones cost two to three liang of silver per jin, expensive ones seven to eight liang per jin, never exceeding ten liang.

But when sold in Da Xia Capital, the starting price is fifty liang per gua—yes, one gua, roughly half a jin.

And it's sold at market price without a set value.

Transported along the sea route on ice stones, each city must bring ice to keep it fresh; even the fastest shipment of white jade fruit from Guangjiang takes fifteen days to arrive.

Unless the court commissions cultivators to transport it; each year the court sends some cultivators to deliver premium white jade fruit as tribute—the emperor eats one gua, the Empress Dowager three pieces, the Empress two, and each other consort one piece.

Additionally, the Crown Prince gets two pieces, the Crown Princess one, Li Ji one; counted per piece, this shows the fruit's value.

If delivered by dragon boat, the freezing effect allows arrival in Da Xia Capital within three days, making it sell for a hundred liang per jin—a twenty‑ to thirty‑fold profit.

Don't worry about unsold stock; Da Xia Capital has plenty of wealthy buyers.

One dragon boat can carry a hundred thousand jin; the profit from that is nearly ten million liang of silver.

Of course, if the price is lowered for mass sale, every commoner in the capital can afford it; the fruit can be graded—the rich buy the best‑looking ones, the poor the ordinary, but they all taste the same.

Just this item alone brings a continuous stream of silver.

"What is the maximum speed of a Da Xia dragon boat, assuming we ignore the cost of spiritual crystals?"

Gu Jin Nian glanced at the dragon boat and then asked Wang Qixin the question.

"Yes, Lord."

"If we ignore cost, the limit is forty thousand li per day, but it requires at least ten jin of spiritual crystals."

Wang Qixin gave the answer.

"One jin of spiritual crystal fetches a market price of one hundred thousand taels of silver."

Finally, Wang Qixin reminded us of the crystal's value.

One hundred thousand taels of silver for one jin of spiritual crystal.

Forty thousand li per day.

A cost consumption of four hundred thousand taels of silver is truly outrageous.

Forty thousand li equals twenty thousand kilometers; a day has twelve shi, so one shi equals 1,666 kilometers.

Half a shi is 833 kilometers.

Honestly, this speed isn't especially fast; the fastest combat aircraft in the previous life could reach 4,100 kilometers per hour.

This is only 833 kilometers.

The only difference is that a fuel tank runs out and the aircraft is done, whereas as long as there are spiritual crystals, acceleration can continue; moreover, combat aircraft are individual, small, and cannot carry loads, while this device can.

But the cost consumption is exaggerated; four hundred thousand taels of silver equals forty‑one million copper coins.

It's simply not worth it.

"What's the manufacturing cost in silver?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke up, continuing to ask about the dragon boat's manufacturing cost.

"Yes, Lord, a large dragon boat requires one hundred thousand taels of silver, a medium one seventy thousand, and a small one forty thousand."

Wang Qixin replied.

The cost is acceptable; the main expense is iron ore. The iron used to forge the dragon boat isn't ordinary iron stone but an extremely sturdy iron stone, especially the chassis, which ensures the boat won't be damaged upon landing, though normal wear is expected.

Thus they usually land on the water surface; landing on solid ground is rare and always involves some suspension.

"How many years can it last?"

Gu Jin Nian asked.

"It's hard to say. If it's not used often and is carefully maintained, it can last about ten years; if used frequently, roughly three years."

The latter gave that answer.

"What's the reason? A material issue?"

Three years is rather short; honestly, the construction cost is one hundred thousand taels of silver, plus maintenance and labor fees, so over three years it totals at least two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Using it for only three years is a loss.

"Yes, the material is the main issue."

"It can be improved, but the cost would be even higher."

Wang Qixin nodded.

Hearing that, Gu Jin Nian didn't think further; a larger cost indeed makes improvement unnecessary for now.

"Alright."

"I'll go up and take a look; you stay down below."

Gu Jin Nian didn't dawdle, leapt upward, and arrived on the dragon boat, while Wang Qixin and the others watched from beneath.

The exterior of the dragon boat is essentially no different from a deck; ancient imagination was limited to that—turning a flying craft into a dragon boat—but it no longer matters.

Gu Jin Nian now has only one thing he's awaiting.

How powerful the Ancient Spirit-Collecting Array truly is.

If it can't make the dragon boat lift off, or lacks sufficient speed, its purpose is limited.

If it can make a large dragon boat take off.

Bold ideas kept surfacing in Gu Jin Nian's mind.

Da Xia combat aircraft.

Da Xia carrier group.

If these could be built, they would redefine the strategic landscape.

Of course, Gu Jin Nian's notion is merely forward‑thinking; creating an actual combat aircraft is still impossible, but a functionally equivalent device—like an ultra‑small dragon boat loaded with gunpowder—would not be excessive. Flying aloft and delivering a bombing run would, in effect, be a combat aircraft.

It would just be a castrated version of a combat aircraft.

The carrier group is even easier to envision: the carrier's core role is to transport combat aircraft; add a few hundred Da Xia dragon cannons, and it instantly becomes a sea‑borne hegemon.

It would command both air superiority and maritime dominance.

From there the plan is straightforward: fight around air superiority, launch a barrage of shells, then have Da Xia troops pilot dragon boats for another carpet‑bombing run, followed by ground troops charging in to reap the harvest.

How else to wage this war? If it truly works, the next war launched by the Da Xia Dynasty would leave the whole world stunned.

Three shi to crush the entire Xiongnu forces.

Six shi to seize the Xiongnu royal court.

It would change the nature of war, shifting from cavalry battles to semi‑modern warfare.

Of course, all of the above is Gu Jin Nian's own speculation; realizing it would be difficult and lengthy.

Everything hinges on whether the Ancient Spirit-Collecting Array actually works.

If it works and its effect is strong, there is genuine hope for pseudo‑industrialization.

If it doesn't work, or its effect is weak, then only agriculture and transport production can be improved.

Inside the dragon boat.

Gu Jin Nian approached the spirit crystal furnace; rather than calling it a spirit crystal furnace, it is more like a recessed formation diagram, with the formation engraved on it—placing spirit crystals inside provides the dragon boat with continuous power.

However, Gu Jin Nian, on another side, inscribed the Gathering Spirit Ancient Formation.

After the formation diagram was finished engraving.

Gu Jin Nian infused a formation seal.

Afterwards he exhaled a long breath, his eyes full of anticipation.

However, beneath the dragon boat.

Some officials of the Ministry of Works involuntarily spoke up.

"Sir, why does His Majesty suddenly want to build a dragon boat again?"

"Indeed, this dragon boat has little value, its flight cost is too high, and it's not cheap to build; building this thing would be better replaced by constructing a few more treasure ships."

"Moreover, Da Xia has many waterways; this dragon boat is showy but useless—it needs two or three taels of spirit crystals for a 3,000-li round trip, basically worthless; for that distance, hiring a single Dragon Realm martial artist would let them finish in ten or so hours."

Ministry of Works officials, slightly curious, inquired of Wang Qixin.

Hearing these voices, Wang Qixin also felt puzzled; he didn't know why Emperor Yongsheng suddenly ordered the Ministry of Works to build a new dragon boat, but it wasn't good to ask further.

"Unclear what His Majesty means; we'd better not speculate."

Wang Qixin spoke up, not wanting to say more.

"Ah, Your Majesty must absolutely not entertain the idea of reviving the dragon boat; all countries are researching it, and supposedly the Zhongzhou Dynasty is also researching dragon boats, having poured in vast amounts of silver, yet achieved nothing."

"It consumed over ten million taels of silver."

An official spoke up, saying thus.

"To operate this large dragon boat, a thousand-li journey requires at least five catties of spirit crystals; if filled with people, it would need seven or eight catties—not worth the loss."

"Even disaster relief would be at a loss."

Another official spoke up, pointing at this large dragon boat.

Several of them are Ministry of Works officials, and their calculations are correct.

But just then, a series of eerie sounds rang out.

Boom! Boom! Squeak—squeak! Accompanying these eerie sounds.

Soon, everyone understood what had happened.

The dragon boat had moved.

Only see, the large dragon boat on the far left directly rose into the air, hovering bit by bit, hovering several hundred meters high, finally disappearing into the clouds.

Afterwards the dragon boat set off; its initial speed was not fast, but as time passed bit by bit, its speed grew ever quicker.

Inside the dragon boat, the Gathering Spirit Ancient Formation absorbed copious spiritual energy, causing the dragon boat's speed to increase.

Gu Jin Nian continuously empowered the Gathering Spirit Ancient Formation; after flying for a full half-day, Gu Jin Nian looked down and saw an ancient city.

After a rough mental calculation, it was about five hundred li.

Good fellow, this speed is fast enough.

Five hundred li equals 250 kilometers; compared to the aircraft of my previous life it's certainly insufficient, but for ancient times this speed is more than enough.

One double-hour equals 500 kilometers.

Twelve double-hours equal 6,000 kilometers; the Da Xia Dynasty spans 18,400 kilometers east to west.

In other words, crossing the Da Xia Dynasty requires only three days and three nights.

This is actually not bad.

Most importantly, the dragon boat beneath my feet is a large dragon boat.

If it were a small dragon boat, increasing speed two- or threefold would pose no problem; even if remodeled into the smallest dragon boat for warfare, covering 1,500 kilometers per double-hour would be absolutely fine.

In one day one can cross the Da Xia Dynasty.

In terms of speed, it's fully sufficient.

At least in the age of cold weapons, this speed is fully sufficient; as for future improvements, we'll talk about them later.

This is like everyone using cold weapons when you suddenly produce a machine gun; even the worst, most ordinary machine gun absolutely cannot be matched by cold weapons.

No matter how strong your cavalry, within a hundred paces before a machine gun, they're all just extra dishes.

For warfare, this speed is absolutely sufficient; striking the enemy off-guard poses no problem at all.

To achieve Gu Jin Nian's expectation might still fall short by quite a bit.

But domestic transportation is completely problem-free; his Da Xia Sleepless City is basically a sure thing.

The most terrifying point is that it consumes no spirit crystals, automatically absorbing heavenly and earthly spiritual energy—just that alone is enough.

Perfect.

Extremely perfect.

Gu Jin Nian controlled the dragon boat to turn.

Experimentally adding a bit more acceleration, he ultimately found the speed capped at around 500 kilometers per double-hour, unable to go any faster.

Very good, really good.

After one double-hour.

Da Xia Foundry.

The dragon boat descended slowly; finally, with a dull thud, this large dragon boat came to a complete stop.

Immediately afterward, Gu Jin Nian rushed straight to the smallest dragon boat.

And Minister of Works Wang Qixin also hurried over, arriving before Gu Jin Nian and saying.

"Marquis."

"No need to test; for this small dragon boat to fly for one double-hour, it would require spirit crystals worth roughly thirty to forty thousand taels of silver."

Wang Qixin appeared and informed Gu Jin Nian of the spirit crystal consumption of the small dragon boat.

Wang Qixin subconsciously thought Gu Jin Nian was testing spirit crystal consumption, so they stepped forward to remind him, feeling a bit of concern.

After all, just now Gu Jin Nian had activated the large dragon boat for a round trip of two shi chen; they had calculated that at least half a catty of spirit crystals was gone, which amounts to seventy‑to‑eighty thousand silver.

A casual test that wastes nearly a hundred thousand taels of silver as splash—how could they not feel concerned?

The Ministry of Works is already poor; silver, that thing, is hard to part with, even if Gu Jin Nian pays out of his own pocket, they are reluctant.

Pure white, give it.

"About half a catty?"

"Then for that large dragon boat just now, traveling a thousand li per shi chen, how many spirit crystals does it need?"

Gu Jin Nian asked curiously.

"A thousand li, huh, that's not fast; about half a catty, I guess."

"But Lord Hou, don't you know how much you yourself used?"

Wang Qixin winced and said.

"Half a catty?"

"That's not bad."

Satisfied with the answer, Gu Jin Nian was pleased: saving half a catty of spirit crystals per shi chen equals a saving of fifty thousand taels of silver; over twelve shi chen, that's six hundred thousand taels.

Using it to transport goods, just the canal transport fees bring in a million silver each day.

Bloody profitable.

If we don't open Shunfeng, we'd really be shortchanging the Ancient Spirit‑Collecting Array.

Another avenue for making money has appeared.

"Not bad?"

"Lord Hou, Da Xia doesn't store many spirit crystals; let's not waste them."

Wang Qixin wore a bitter expression and said.

"Who says this lord wasted them?"

"Come, I'll show you the world."

Gu Jin Nian grabbed Wang Qixin, leapt, and landed directly on the dragon boat.

Then, ignoring Wang Qixin's chatter, he proceeded to imprint the Ancient Spirit‑Collecting Array.

After inserting the array seal.

Gu Jin Nian activated the formation.

At once, the small dragon boat set off, gradually rising to a full kilometer altitude, passing the low cloud layer, then began to fly.

The small dragon boat's speed was clearly much faster than that of the large dragon boat.

Beside the spirit crystal furnace.

Wang Qixin was somewhat surprised.

"Lord Hou."

"Why did you carve another spirit crystal array?"

He looked curious, gazing at the Ancient Spirit‑Collecting Array, and with some doubt turned to Gu Jin Nian.

"This isn't a spirit crystal array."

"It's a Spirit‑Collecting Array."

Gu Jin Nian replied calmly, not hiding anything from Wang Qixin.

To be frank, Wang Qixin, as Minister of Works, has little reason to be kept in the dark; after all, he knows all Ministry matters.

Now that the test succeeded, the Emperor will surely order mass production of dragon boats; without a suitable reason, Wang Qixin would certainly not agree.

Although no one dares defy the Emperor's orders, you can't act recklessly. Mass‑producing dragon boats requires silver and must be approved by the Ministry of Revenue; if the Ministry of Works refuses and resolutely resists, trouble will erupt, and the Ministry of Revenue will certainly cause a stir as well.

When the time comes, the Emperor will still have to explain the situation.

Moreover, handling a nation's major affairs without the Ministry of Works—doesn't that indicate a problem with one's mind?

It would be better to discard the Ministry of Works altogether and let imperial authority be outright autocratic.

So perhaps it's best to let Wang Qixin know exactly what this is, to settle his mind.

"Spirit‑Collecting Array?"

"Lord Hou, I, Wang, haven't read much; don't deceive me."

"How could a Spirit‑Collecting Array make a dragon boat run? And why is the speed so fast?"

This time Wang Qixin was bewildered.

He stubbornly refused to believe it was a Spirit‑Collecting Array.

"I, this lord, happened upon an ancient Spirit‑Collecting Array; it has a hundred times the effect of ordinary ones and requires no spirit crystal augmentation. Minister Wang, you wouldn't think…"

Gu Jin Nian's tone was calm.

He was also feeling the speed of the small dragon boat.

The top speed was indeed twice that of the large dragon boat, i. e., a thousand kilometers per shi chen.

It fell short of the expected fifteen hundred kilometers, and the size was still too large; it should be reduced further.

But it was acceptable and did not disappoint.

Only Wang Qixin, standing aside, was already numb, rooted to the spot.

His breathing gradually became rapid.

His eyes stared straight at Gu Jin Nian.

"Lord Hou."

You-you... you didn't swindle me, old man?

Wang Qixin breathed heavily, his hands shaking uncontrollably, just like Parkinson's, as he pointed at Gu Jin Nian and spoke, trembling.

"Minister Wang, I truly didn't deceive you; if you don't believe me, look for yourself—I, the marquis, didn't bring out any spirit crystals."

Gu Jin Nian replied calmly.

The next moment.

Wang Qixin's voice sounded.

"Hiss!"

"Impossible, this is impossible, this is impossible!"

"How could there be such an ancient formation that doesn't need spirit crystals, automatically absorbing heaven and earth's spiritual qi to let the dragon boat fly?"

"This is impossible!"

Wang Qixin sucked in a breath of cold air, then kept muttering "impossible".

But when he carefully searched the interior of the dragon boat and indeed found no spirit crystal, Wang Qixin finally had to believe it.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Da Xia will soar, Da Xia will soar!"

"The nation's divine artifact, the nation's divine artifact, this is truly the nation's divine artifact!"

"My lord, we're going to make it big, we're going to make it big!"

Soon, an ear‑piercing laugh rang out; the fifty‑three‑year‑old Minister of Works waved his arms and kicked his legs in excitement, even wanting to embrace Gu Jin Nian.

Fortunately, Gu Jin Nian was quick‑eyed and quick‑handed, directly pushing Wang Qixin away, and said with a solemn face.

"Lord Wang, it's me who's going to make it big; this has nothing to do with you, don't try to mooch."

Gu Jin Nian said solemnly.

Damn it, this was entirely my own doing.

What does it have to do with you? Can you even leech off this? You're just being disgusting here, right? "Lord, whoever sees gets a share."

"Hahaha, even without merit it doesn't matter; Da Xia will truly soar this time. I, in my lifetime, can witness the birth of such a divine artifact—this is my honor, my honor!"

"Hahahaha!"

Wang Qixin was completely mad; he lay flat on the ground, wanting to hug the dragon boat and laugh loudly.

Gu Jin Nian could also understand the other's emotions.

That's quite normal.

Who wouldn't be excited? Even if ordinary people can't imagine it, in military warfare they know how important such a flying vessel is.

Setting aside other matters, just trade and transport alone could boost the Da Xia Dynasty's economy; of course, the dragon boat's manufacturing cost is laid out here, wanting to achieve full‑scale transport would definitely be difficult.

But the problem is, there are also treasure ships and war chariots.

With sea, land, and air combined, transport costs are greatly reduced, and the boosted trade is absolutely superb.

After a while.

Wang Qixin came to from his excitement, then looked at Gu Jin Nian and said.

"My lord."

"Can this ancient spirit‑gathering formation be applied to any object?"

Wang Qixin was somewhat excited, gazing at Gu Jin Nian, his old face flushed.

"Some places still cannot."

"Minister, don't overthink it."

Gu Jin Nian slightly furrowed his brows, giving a friendly reminder.

"No, my lord, I mean the object—don't get it wrong."

Although Wang Qixin didn't know what Gu Jin Nian had thought of, he still explained a sentence.

"But speaking of objects, it should apply to all things."

Gu Jin Nian nodded and replied thus.

"Hiss."

"Then we'll really make it big."

"My lord, the Ministry of Works has many newly invented devices; for example, there's something called a hoist cart that can pull tens of thousands of catties, used to build palaces."

"However, it can only rely on manpower, making labor costs too high; if aided by spirit crystals, the cost would be even greater, so it hasn't been mass‑produced. Currently used in palace construction, your lord's Da Xia Sleepless City needs this device."

"But if we had this ancient spirit‑gathering formation, first it could save a great deal of labor, second it could be used to build bridges and roads—just this alone could save countless expenses, and it could also open up many major routes between prefectural cities, benefiting the state and the people, benefiting the state and the people!"

Wang Qixin said, extremely excited.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin Nian also became interested.

He roughly knew what it was—a hoist crane—and this thing is indeed useful.

He just didn't expect that the Ministry of Works had actually invented this; no wonder it's the Ministry of Works.

To be frank, Gu Jin Nian had always thought the Ministry of Works focused solely on military development; he hadn't expected it to also have some achievements in this area.

"This can work."

"Are there any other inventions?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke up.

"Yes, there are many; as long as we can ensure this ancient spirit‑gathering formation applies to all objects, the Ministry of Works has many inventions, even a tilling device, though it also needs spirit crystals to activate."

"Now, if we had this ancient spirit‑gathering formation combined with the tilling device, we could greatly improve the problem of fertile land turning barren."

"My lord, this thing of yours can change the Da Xia Dynasty—in every aspect, too many places can be remade."

Wang Qixin was so excited he didn't know what to say.

Ministry of Works.

The Ministry of Works mainly deals with military affairs; other than that, it handles coin casting. Other inventions aren't non-existent — the Ministry has plenty of talent and ideas, but most inventions turn out to be of little use.

For example, the farming tool just mentioned was developed five years ago, but it's useless because it lacks power and still requires oxen to plow.

It even needs seven or eight oxen pulling in front, just like pulling a cart, and the oxen may not obey; if they go the wrong way, the device stops.

Besides, if one had seven or eight oxen, who would bother using this thing?

Moreover, the oxen's strength can be exhausted; once they lose their power, the device becomes useless.

However, spirit crystals can replace the oxen.

But the problem is, one catty of spirit crystal costs 100,000 taels of silver; even if it can be used for a day, it can cultivate 100 mu of land per day.

Couldn't those 100,000 taels of silver buy 100 mu of land?

With that money, what's wrong with using it to farm? Are you crazy? But now it's different: with Gu Jin Nian's Spirit-Gathering Ancient Formation, the Da Xia Dynasty will undergo a fundamental change, and many Ministry of Works devices will reach their full potential.

It will change the entire dynasty's structure.

Wang Qixin can allocate the budget.

If it truly works, given the conditions allow, within a year we can reclaim all the wasteland fields of the Da Xia Dynasty.

Thus, the Da Xia Dynasty's grain tax will at least triple.

This grain tax is one of the Da Xia Dynasty's largest sources of revenue — indeed, it's practically the only one.

The Da Xia Dynasty's annual grain tax, after subtracting local reserves, amounts to 100,000,000 taels of silver and cannot be avoided.

What does tripling mean? It means 300,000,000 taels of silver will enter the accounts each year; plus, as the people have grain and gradually become prosperous, commerce and trade will flourish, ushering in an age of prosperity.

In the Eastern Wilderness, the measure of a prosperous age is simple: the people can eat their fill.

So, Wang Qixin realizes how terrifying the value of this thing is.

"Minister Wang."

"This thing is hard to say; it depends on the specific situation."

"Moreover, if it's temporary, this ancient Spirit-Gathering Formation will only appear on dragon boats, treasure ships, and war chariot cannons; it shouldn't appear elsewhere."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

He poured a bucket of cold water on Wang Qixin.

"Why is that?"

Hearing this, Wang Qixin was somewhat astonished; clearly this benefits the country and the people, so why hold it back?

"Minister Wang, don't you understand?"

"What this means, you surely understand better than anyone."

"If used on a large scale, it will inevitably be leaked; if it truly leaks, what will the other dynasties think?"

"Then, will they demand it from the Da Xia Dynasty? If the Fuyu Dynasty, the Great Jin Dynasty, or even the Zhongzhou Dynasty come seeking this ancient Spirit-Gathering Formation, what should we Da Xia do?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke calmly.

It's not that he doesn't understand the value of this Spirit-Gathering Ancient Formation; precisely because he does, he knows it must be hidden well.

At least we must produce many dragon boats and treasure ships; commercialization is needed, but militarization is more important.

Build an invincible fleet and master air supremacy; only then need we fear no enemy's covetousness.

If anyone dares to reach for it, we will strike so they dare not reach again.

And this is a long-term plan requiring patience.

In the early stage, taking out the dragon boats and treasure ships worries us nothing; we will outwardly proclaim that the Da Xia Dynasty has discovered several large spirit crystal mines, and to develop the dynasty's economy, we will spare no expense, using dragon boats and treasure ships to transport goods.

For the other dynasties, this may cause some resentment, but it won't actually make them break ties outright.

After all, the Da Xia Dynasty's fortunes are rising; discovering several spirit crystal mines is perfectly reasonable—didn't the Great Jin Dynasty also experience this? They discovered a super-large spirit crystal mine.

It is estimated that at least 200,000 catties of spirit crystal can be mined; what do the other dynasties have to say about that?

Now the Da Xia Dynasty has also discovered it—what can you do? First strengthen the domestic economy, then secretly train new troops.

Once the boat is built.

Even if the enemy knows, what can they do?

Gu Jin Nian's words gradually calmed Wang Qixin.

"I've been enlightened."

"What the Marquis said is absolutely correct; I was impulsive."

Wang Qixin took a deep breath, calmed his emotions; he had indeed been overly excited just now, which is why he reacted that way.

Now calmed, after hearing Gu Jin Nian say that, he feels there is indeed no problem.

If this thing is widely applicable, it will surely be noticed; then, upon investigation, they will discover that the Da Xia Dynasty possesses an ancient formation that can make dragon boats fly without spirit crystals.

Frankly, they're not stupid; they'll immediately think of many things.

By then, everyone will come knocking on your door demanding it.

What if we don't give it?

If we don't give it, we fight.

It's the same principle: once a dynasty possesses a weapon of mass destruction, it will be opposed by the whole world.

Either way, it's death; no one wants to submit at your feet.

But when several dynasties possess weapons of mass destruction, the world will become very quiet.

And as long as one becomes the strongest among those dynasties.

then you are number one in the world.

"Minister, I can understand your position."

"However, Minister, you can certainly let people continue inventing new things; there's no need to rush mass production—just improve it well. Initially use spirit crystals for testing; once perfected, it will eventually be usable."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

He said so.

"Alright."

"With the Lord's words in mind, I shall certainly study this carefully from now on."

"Then we just need to go to the Ministry of Revenue to allocate some silver."

Wang Qixin's eyes were resolute and excited, as if he could see Da Xia's future.

"Alright, Secretary Wang, the Dragon Boat has been tested; now go test the Treasure Ship."

Soon, the Dragon Boat returned to the forging yard.

Gu Jin Nian and Wang Qixin hurried straight to the moat, where the Treasure Ship was built beside it.

They were still large, medium, and small types.

The normal speed of a Da Xia Treasure Ship is about twenty kilometers per shichen, mainly powered by wind; if there is little wind, it manages ten kilometers per shichen, half of which relies on manpower, since a ship cannot compare with a Dragon Boat.

Gu Jin Nian and Wang Qixin conducted a test.

Under the boost of the Ancient Spirit‑Gathering Array, a large Treasure Ship reached nearly sixty kilometers per shichen.

That's comparable to the normal speed of cargo ships in the previous life.

That's six times the current Treasure Ship's speed, since wind is stronger at sea, while inland rivers have little wind and rely purely on manpower.

How exaggerated is six‑times speed?

From Da Xia Capital to the Yangzhou River is a distance of fifteen hundred kilometers; on a normal river, accounting for wind speed and shortcuts, it would still take at least half a month.

And each day one must row for more than eight shichen.

Now it would take at most three days.

Saving twelve days in between—what does those twelve days mean? A large Treasure Ship's cargo capacity is over twenty times that of a large Dragon Boat; a large Dragon Boat can carry three thousand stones of grain, while a large Treasure Ship can carry over seventy‑five thousand stones of grain.

If another incident like Jiangning County occurs, with a direct river route, ten Treasure Ships could resolve any famine.

When the data was presented.

Gu Jin Nian was also a bit surprised, while Wang Qixin was completely stunned.

He could almost see Da Xia's future prosperity.

Next, they tested the War Chariot; there isn't much to test about it—its speed is indeed fast, but the main problem is uneven roads, reaching nearly five hundred kilometers per shichen.

But uneven ground makes accidents easy.

Unless it's on a plain.

Moreover, Gu Jin Nian noticed a problem: the War Chariot is small, so it should be faster, but its structure is ordinary; although it absorbs spiritual energy adequately, its body is already overloaded.

So the War Chariot idea can be abandoned.

They decided to directly test the Da Xia Dragon Cannon.

The Da Xia Dragon Cannon's power is quite good.

Engraved with the Ancient Spirit‑Gathering Array and having absorbed a quarter‑hour of spiritual energy, its power, though less than half that of the Da Xia Dragon Cannon, is still present.

Its maximum range is ten li.

Its power is also impressive: a pit about three meters deep, with a damage diameter of twenty meters; the force is estimated to be beyond what the Human‑Dragon Realm can withstand, and below the Human‑Dragon Realm, no survivors remain within the cannon's damage zone.

It has a good effect; mass‑produced, it could perfectly eliminate Xiongnu cavalry.

After a barrage from a thousand cannons, at least ten thousand iron cavalry could be annihilated.

This result is quite good; Gu Jin Nian was very satisfied.

After the test results came out.

Gu Jin Nian also weighed some considerations in his heart.

"We're about to become prosperous, huh."

After a brief moment, Gu Jin Nian sighed, patting Wang Qixin's shoulder.

"Prosperous, prosperous."

"Truly prosperous."

Wang Qixin didn't care about Gu Jin Nian's gesture at all, but kept muttering about prosperity.

"Once the Da Xia Never‑Night City is completed, just these Da Xia Dragon Boats and Da Xia Treasure Ships could bring us huge profits."

"Secretary Wang, the greatest luck of your life is joining this Lord's trade."

"With the boost of these two things, our business income will at least triple or quadruple; if the Da Xia Dynasty's people become prosperous, think tenfold, even a hundredfold."

Gu Jin Nian murmured to himself.

After saying that, he patted Wang Qixin's shoulder again.

"Secretary Wang, please go to the imperial palace and inform His Majesty of these matters."

"I won't go; I still have to go to the academy."

Gu Jin Nian also didn't intend to go to the palace, leaving it to Wang Qixin to make the trip.

"Alright, alright, alright."

"Lord, take care."

Wang Qixin nodded repeatedly, but after Gu Jin Nian left, Wang Qixin was suddenly startled.

"What?"

"Revenue tenfold?"

Wang Qixin had been in a daze earlier; now that he recovered, only one sentence remained in his mind.

"Trade income tenfold? Previously it was said a few tens of thousands of taels of gold per month; now tenfold means a few hundred thousand taels of gold per month? Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver in accounts? Over a year, tens of millions of taels of silver?"

"Doesn't that make the Ministry of Works equivalent to the Ministry of Revenue? Will the Ministry of Works still have to answer to the Ministry of Revenue in the future?"

Wang Qixin was stunned.

He was a bit confused, but he did not doubt Gu Jin Nian at all.

Only, a little after a quarter hour.

Wang Qixin did not hesitate either, and headed straight for the Da Xia Imperial Palace.

He just didn't know.

Although Gu Jin Nian had disappeared, he was still observing from the shadows, for the matter of the Spirit-Collecting Array was no small thing.

He indeed needed to supervise a bit.

Sending Wang Qixin into the palace was actually telling His Majesty that Wang Qixin also knew about this matter.

For His Majesty to consider himself.

Gu Jin Nian kept watching from the shadows, ensuring Wang Qixin had no problems, and only left after Wang Qixin entered the palace.

And after entering the palace.

Wang Qixin sprinted all the way, not stopping for a moment, his face beaming with joy, heading toward the Hall of Nurturing the Heart.

Soon, he arrived outside the Hall of Nurturing the Heart.

He took a deep breath, unable to contain his excitement, and said.

"Your Majesty."

"I have money now."

"Oh, no, Your Majesty, I have astonishingly joyous news to report."

Wang Qixin misspoke, and quickly corrected himself.

(End of chapter.)