Chapter 217: National Fortune Nine Tripods, Li Yang Divine Tripod, the Never‑Night City Chain, Eastern Wilderness Boils

Da Xia Imperial Palace.

As Emperor Yong Sheng began to speak.

Gu Jin Nian was full of curiosity; when Emperor Yong Sheng said that, he must be hiding something.

But the method that can melt celestial fallen gold is rather unbelievable.

Gu Jin Nian knew how hard the celestial fallen gold was; it required a Sixth Realm cultivator to melt, and the Ministry of Works only managed to melt a tiny portion by using earth fire, then forged it into battle armor.

The process was exceedingly troublesome.

Now that Emperor Yong Sheng dares to say this, how could one not be curious?

He followed Emperor Yong Sheng forward.

They eventually arrived inside the Grand Temple.

Upon entering the Grand Temple, Emperor Yong Sheng's voice rang out.

"Jin Nian."

"Do you know the Da Xia Dragon Cannon?"

Emperor Yong Sheng opened his mouth and asked a very odd question.

"I know."

"Back then, the founding emperor used the Da Xia Dragon Cannon to quell the Ten Kingdoms' turmoil."

Gu Jin Nian replied.

Gu Jin Nian still remembered that piece of history.

"Yes."

"But the Da Xia Dragon Cannon was not developed by the founding emperor; the Ten Kingdoms also had Dragon Cannons, and even the Fuyu Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty possessed artillery. Do you know why the Da Xia Dragon Cannon is something every major power in the world covets?"

Emperor Yong Sheng continued, questioning Gu Jin Nian.

"This"

Gu Jin Nian was confused.

"Because the founding emperor once obtained a divine artifact."

"A dynastic artifact."

Emperor Yong Sheng approached the statue of the founding emperor, then knelt in worship; Gu Jin Nian also knelt behind him, revering the founding emperor.

At the same time, his heart was profoundly shaken.

Dynastic artifact.

What is this? "The Immortal Sect has nine great divine implements, the Buddhist Sect has nine great Buddhist implements; why does the dynasty lack nine supreme artifacts?"

Emperor Yong Sheng spoke, and after finishing, he stood up; then a strand of national fortune coalesced within his body and merged into the statue of the founding emperor. Beneath the Dao platform, a golden door appeared.

Emperor Yong Sheng walked toward the interior.

Gu Jin Nian followed inside.

Following Emperor Yong Sheng inside, they soon entered a black space.

It was a specially created space; a black ancient tripod appeared before Gu Jin Nian, about three zhang and three chi tall and one zhang and two chi wide.

The tripod's body was jet black, covered with numerous patterns that seemed wondrous, the designs resembling flames, looking extraordinarily extraordinary.

Moreover, within the tripod drifted strands of deep black gas, exceedingly extraordinary and primitive, as heavy as a mountain.

"What is this?"

Gu Jin Nian, curious, looked at Emperor Yong Sheng and asked.

"National Fortune Nine Tripods, Li Yang Tripod."

Emperor Yong Sheng spoke, describing the object's uniqueness.

"National Fortune Nine Tripods?"

Gu Jin Nian was somewhat astonished.

"The dynasty also has nine supreme artifacts?"

"What is the purpose of this tripod?"

This time Gu Jin Nian was truly curious; he had always thought that only Confucianism, Daoism, Immortal Path, Buddhist Path, Demon Race, Sword Path, and Technique Path possessed nine supreme artifacts, and never imagined the dynasty had them as well.

"This tripod has only one function: tempering. It can temper all things in the world; items tempered by this tripod become exceptionally powerful, just like the Da Xia Dragon Cannon."

"All major dynasties have Dragon Cannons, but none match the Da Xia Dragon Cannon's power; the fundamental reason is this."

"After being tempered, the Da Xia Dragon Cannon's power increases tenfold."

"This is why the founding emperor could quell the Ten Kingdoms and establish Da Xia back then."

"Each National Fortune Tripod is of extraordinary value, surpassing any of the nine supreme implements of other systems."

Emperor Yong Sheng spoke these words with extreme confidence.

"I see now."

Gu Jin Nian now understood the Da Xia Dragon Cannon; he hadn't expected it to be due to a Dragon Tripod.

"Then where are the other Dragon Tripods?"

Gu Jin Nian asked curiously.

Hearing this, Emperor Yong Sheng was somewhat irritated.

"If I knew where the other Dragon Tripods were, I would have seized them long ago."

"The National Fortune Dragon Tripod is Da Xia's highest secret; others have no idea, though some may have guessed a bit."

Emperor Yong Sheng answered thus.

Gu Jin Nian nodded, also understanding this point.

"If that's the case, the Fuyu Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty probably also have Dragon Tripods, right?"

Gu Jin Nian asked.

"The Fuyu Dynasty is unclear, probably doesn't have it, but the Great Jin Dynasty definitely does; the Great Jin Golden Dragon rice is renowned worldwide, and this dragon rice must be linked to the Dragon Cauldron."

"The Central Continent Dynasty also must have a Dragon Cauldron, but half of its Dragon Cauldrons have not yet manifested, likely connected to Heaven's Mandate."

"When Heaven's Mandate descends, the Dragon Cauldron appears; if Heaven's Mandate does not descend, the Dragon Cauldron probably will not appear."

"Jin Nian, your uncle has something to remind you: you have obtained many nine artifacts; they seem to have little use now, but sooner or later they will become immensely useful."

"Only, we must wait for Heaven's Mandate to descend."

"No one knows when Heaven's Mandate will descend, nor does anyone know what will happen when it does."

"The only thing known now is that after Heaven's Mandate descends, the world will undergo massive changes."

"The Eight Realms transcend all past and present."

The Eternal Prosperous Emperor spoke, urging Gu Jin Nian to pay attention to the nine artifacts he has obtained.

"Understood."

Gu Jin Nian firmly kept these matters in his heart.

"But Uncle, to activate this Sun-Departing Cauldron, it will likely require a hefty price, right?"

Gu Jin Nian asked a crucial question.

"Yes."

"To activate this cauldron, a massive amount of spirit crystals is needed; if only spirit crystals are required, it's manageable, but to temper and amplify it, one must harness national fortune."

The Eternal Prosperous Emperor spoke, revealing the extraordinary nature of the Sun-Departing Cauldron.

Simple tempering consumes spirit crystals; to achieve perfect tempering and amplification, national fortune must be expended.

"National fortune?"

"With Da Xia's current national fortune, isn't it enough?"

Gu Jin Nian looked at the Sun-Departing Cauldron and asked.

"It's definitely enough."

"If it weren't enough, why would I bring you here?"

"Jin Nian, tell me honestly, what exactly do you intend to do with this Heavenly Fallen Gold?"

"To forge a ten‑thousand‑strong golden iron cavalry—what's the purpose?"

"I think it would be better to devote ourselves entirely to building the dragon boat and treasure ship you mentioned."

The Eternal Prosperous Emperor still could not grasp the meaning of forging a golden iron cavalry.

"To be frank, we should build Sky Dome No. 1 and Oceanic No. 1; they seem far more powerful, so there's no need to waste time on conventional troops."

"It has great use."

"But it's hard to explain."

Gu Jin Nian thought for a moment, hesitating whether to explain this base gold thing.

"Can it earn silver?"

He did not expect the Eternal Prosperous Emperor, after pondering, to ask such a question.

"It can."

"It earns a lot."

Gu Jin Nian nodded.

"Then I understand."

"In a month, I will forge ten thousand sets of battle armor."

"During this period, you will act as regent."

"Since it can earn silver, I'll stay here to calmly forge weapons and battle armor, and also boost the gunpowder's power a bit."

The Eternal Prosperous Emperor spoke, not wanting to think further; since Gu Jin Nian is confident, he will begin forging weapons.

"As you command."

"But Uncle, how much can the gunpowder's power be increased?"

Gu Jin Nian asked curiously.

Da Xia cannonballs have strong destructive power, but they can only deal with ordinary soldiers; against cultivators above the third realm, their effect diminishes.

Mainly because the blast radius is small.

"Boosting tenfold is not a big problem."

"In theory, with the Sun-Departing Cauldron, continuous tempering is possible, but the later stages require increasingly more national fortune."

"However, I think the effect of the Sun-Departing Cauldron is far beyond this; when Heaven's Mandate descends, the cauldron will surely be amplified."

"For now, we can only infuse national fortune; if we use too much, I'm reluctant and it isn't really necessary."

The Eternal Prosperous Emperor thought for a moment and gave this reply.

His words were also without issue.

Gu Jin Nian thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Then, Uncle, you first temper the Fallen Gold and forge ten thousand sets of battle armor."

"I have already improved the gunpowder; let the Ministry of Works study it thoroughly. The gunpowder's power should increase several times; if the Ministry does a good job, tenfold enhancement isn't difficult, and using the Sun-Departing Cauldron to amplify it later might be even better."

Since we know the Sun-Departing Cauldron can amplify gunpowder power, let's wait until the Ministry of Works perfects the gunpowder before tempering and amplifying.

"The power will be greater."

"Very well."

The Eternal Prosperous Emperor nodded and agreed.

"Leave this matter to me."

"But, there are two matters, Gu Jin Nian, you need to pay attention to now."

Yong Sheng Great Emperor spoke.

"Old Uncle, just speak plainly."

Gu Jin Nian asked.

"First, the matter of the Jixia Academy is also at hand; the Jixia Academy has delayed for you this long, and if you continue to postpone, it seems the Jixia Academy will no longer keep delaying for you."

"Second, this time at the Jixia Academy, the first trial should be the Way of Go; Gu Jin Nian, can you play Go?"

Yong Sheng Great Emperor asked.

"Go?"

"I'm not very good."

Gu Jin Nian did know that the Jixia Academy's Way of Go was extremely famous; previously Su Wenjing had been diligently studying Go, but he himself was completely clueless about Go.

He was even mediocre at Gomoku; he had once seen a joke that a common person faced a Go master, made a random move, mistook it for Gomoku, and then beat the national player.

Later, when he actually met a Go master, he learned that those were all jokes; Go values the opening, long-term and short-term strategies—short-term openings are about fighting, long-term openings treat the game as a Dao.

Although there is the saying that a single move can decide the world, it is impossible to claim that a lucky accidental move can change the whole game.

The main reason is the opponent isn't foolish; you don't know how to play, you play randomly, while they methodically build their position. Even if you happen to win a stone at the end, what good is it? The overall battle is lost, the great dragon forms, and you have no effect.

Therefore, Gu Jin Nian holds no expectation regarding the Way of Go; this thing cannot be won.

"Not knowing is fine."

"Do you know why you can't?"

Yong Sheng Great Emperor seemed very pleased with Gu Jin Nian's answer and posed this question.

"Why?"

Gu Jin Nian was curious.

"Because I have not taught you,"

The next moment, Yong Sheng Great Emperor said confidently.

These words caused Gu Jin Nian to fall into silence.

How should one say it? You could claim this statement is incorrect, yet also correct, because Yong Sheng Great Emperor truly hasn't taught him the Way of Go.

But you would say it's right, Gu Jin Nian was very doubtful about his old uncle's proficiency in the Way of Go.

Seeming to notice Gu Jin Nian's doubt, Yong Sheng Great Emperor directly grabbed Gu Jin Nian and led him out of the space.

"Come, old uncle will definitely teach you today what the Way of Go is,"

Having said that, Yong Sheng Great Emperor truly took Gu Jin Nian to the Yang Xin Hall.

He also had the board and pieces prepared.

The ivory-made pieces felt excellent to the touch; Yong Sheng Great Emperor placed one piece, then took out four more and set them around.

"Gu Jin Nian, this means being surrounded; without liberty, the stones will be captured. Understand?"

Obviously, in Yong Sheng Great Emperor's mind, Gu Jin Nian knew nothing about Go, and he forcefully taught a heap of beginner knowledge; Gu Jin Nian still understood a bit of these things.

He gave an explanation, but did not expect Yong Sheng Great Emperor to frown and say,

"To learn and practice at times, is it not a joy?"

"Reviewing the old to know the new, one can become a teacher."

"You don't even understand this principle? Though it is basic, everything in the world starts from the basics."

"Continue learning."

Anyway, Yong Sheng Great Emperor insisted on dragging Gu Jin Nian to study the Way of Go.

After a full two hours,

Gu Jin Nian was forced to learn some basic Go rules, including some dead-game records and the like.

Whether Gu Jin Nian was happy or not, Yong Sheng Great Emperor was delighted; if the court assembly hadn't been about to start, he would have wanted to pull Gu Jin Nian into a match to see.

Eventually, Yong Sheng Great Emperor went to attend the morning court.

Gu Jin Nian then went to see the Empress Dowager, perhaps not having seen her for a long time.

Thus.

It lasted until after noon.

There was no way; she was too popular. The Empress Dowager forcibly kept him to dine, coaxed the old man into happiness, and only then did Gu Jin Nian leave.

Upon learning of the existence of the Li Yang Tripod, a divine artifact, Gu Jin Nian conceived many ideas.

The Celestial Dragon Boat and Oceanic Treasure Ship require more precise study, including gunpowder improvement, and ground war machines could also be refined.

Previously, considering the trouble of melting heavenly fallen gold and various other reasons, Gu Jin Nian gave up on ground war machines.

Now it's different; since there is a way to solve it, there is no need to abandon those ground war machines.

Thus.

Gu Jin Nian returned to the Nocturnal City and began dual-track development.

On one hand, Gu Jin Nian continuously refined the dragon boat and treasure ship as finely as possible, so that the Ministry of Works could speedily forge the corresponding items.

On the other hand, matters of Da Xia's Nocturnal City could not be neglected by Gu Jin Nian.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

During these ten days, everything seemed utterly calm; only three matters were conveyed within the court.

First, Gu Jin Nian acted as regent in place of the emperor.

Second, the Ministry of Works expanded, recruiting soldiers and horses; it had issued an imperial edict nationwide, enlisting various craftsmen, offering stable salaries, food and lodging, and granting official posts if their skills were stable.

Of course, this position provided stable guaranteed income, also recruiting apprentice workers; the pay was modest, but included meals and lodging, with age limits and a requirement of a clean family background.

After the Ministry of Works' notice was released, an enormous response came instantly; every prefecture, commandery, and county became busy, sending people to the capital, for after all, eating imperial rations was such a rare privilege.

Especially, the salary is indeed not low; a Da Xia Dynasty craftsman earns about twenty to thirty taels per month. Excluding those who run their own shops, a pure craftsman probably makes only about twenty taels of silver.

Here in the Da Xia Dynasty, craftsmen receive at least twenty taels of silver, plus an annual subsidy of ten shi of dragon rice, as well as housing, and the job is long‑term and stable—how could that not be attractive? At the same time, the Ministry of Works is urgently carving out a thousand mu of land outside Kyoto to build the Tiangong Pavilion.

In short, it's just throwing down silver.

Third, the development of the Da Xia Nightless City: in the past ten days its popularity has not waned but increased. The number of Kyoto residents has dropped, but out‑of‑town visitors keep growing, and its reputation has already spread.

Consequently, the Da Xia Nightless City is even more bustling, and business is unusually fierce; sales of dragon rice, official salt, and mirrors are the hottest.

Especially dragon rice and mirrors, scalpers have already appeared. Dragon rice that costs twenty taels per shi is bought by them for twenty‑five taels of silver and resold for thirty to forty taels of silver, and they sell as much as they can get.

Kyoto residents do not sell it; it is mainly people from other prefectures who come to profit from the price difference. Each household is limited to one shi per month, and depending on the circumstances they cannot be too lax.

But regarding this situation, Gu Jin Nian has not yet cracked down; anything that exists is deemed reasonable, and indiscriminate suppression is of little use. It is better to let nature take its course—having these scalpers actually promotes the virtues of Jiangzhong dragon rice.

However, the number of Kyoto residents entering the Da Xia Nightless City has decreased, which is not a good sign.

To boost the hype, Gu Jin Nian rolled out several big moves: white sugar, high‑quality oil, and some seasonings, all sold at low prices.

Especially white sugar—while not especially expensive in the Da Xia Dynasty, it is still something only the upper class can afford. Even in Kyoto, every household may have a little, but most of it is only taken out during festivals or celebratory occasions.

One tael of white sugar costs about five taels of silver at market price, and it is often unavailable.

Basically it is supplied exclusively to the rich.

But in the Da Xia Nightless City, the price of white sugar drops to one tael of silver per tael, leaving roughly a twenty‑percent profit after costs.

As for good oil and the seasonings—such as chili powder, and things like monosodium glutamate and soy sauce—they are also sold with a twenty‑percent margin.

Thus the entire Nightless City boiled over once again.

People regard food as heaven.

Everyone eats this stuff daily; ordinarily Da Xia commoners eat nothing more than food cooked in inferior oil, with a pinch of salt, some spice, or odd flavorings as seasonings.

This is still the Da Xia Dynasty; if you switch to the Xiongnu State or the Fuyu Dynasty, it's basically the same—just cook, sprinkle a bit of salt, and eat if you like, otherwise not.

Now salt, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, high‑grade oil, white sugar, and other daily necessities.

How could the populace not be excited? Prices are low and portions generous, so during this period the Da Xia Nightless City is practically at capacity every day; without certain regulations, the lines would actually stretch into Kyoto.

The horror doesn't stop there.

Inside Kyoto, countless merchants are trying every trick to acquire these seasonings, especially some taverns.

Whichever household has the seasonings sees its business explode.

All the aristocrats in Kyoto send their servants out in droves; even some dukes, marquises, and the Six Ministries' secretaries come to Gu Jin Nian, hoping he can supply them with seasonings from within.

There's really nothing you can do—think about it, what you eat daily is either salty or a bit sweet; beyond that, there's little room for culinary creativity.

But now it's different; all kinds of bizarre seasonings have appeared, and many Kyoto cooks instantly grasp how to use them.

A previously ordinary dish, sprinkled with MSG, drizzled with soy sauce, and stir‑fried over high heat—can it taste any worse?

Without claiming it's the ultimate earthly flavor, for countless people it's already a delicacy.

Because of this, even the Crown Prince and the Qin King, as well as many in the palace, have come to Gu Jin Nian to request these seasonings.

Upon learning this, Gu Jin Nian naturally didn't hold back; the methods to produce these seasonings aren't hard, and acquaintances who came to the door each sent a cartload.

Moreover, to let the merchants who bought shops earn silver, Gu Jin Nian provided an internal channel, delivering the seasonings to them at cost price. Those who run taverns can use them directly; others can take them home or give them as small gifts to customers.

This small gesture moved those merchants immensely.

To be honest, those who bought shops were still somewhat anxious, since a single shop could cost several million taels, even ten million taels.

A real loss would be a total loss of capital—calling it a family's ruin would be an understatement.

But with Gu Jin Nian's several maneuvers, the Da Xia Nightless City's fun and playability increased, and he mass‑produced guidebooks that even listed their shops.

At the same time, their supply sources were strictly inspected by the Da Xia Nightless City to ensure no counterfeit goods were sold; as for pricing, it was fair, recognizing that these merchants needed profit, so high prices were permitted.

Some are willing to sell low, which is fine, as long as a unified price acceptable to everyone is maintained to prevent disputes among shops.

Under this support, their business can truly be said to bring in gold daily.

All previous worries vanished at this moment; a survey a few days ago showed that within the Da Xia Nightless City, the best‑selling items were rouge, liquid and powder cosmetics, which already had some fame, now amplified by the Nightless City's endorsement.

On the best sales day, they earned 170,000 taels of silver, shocking every merchant in the Nightless City.

Earning 170,000 taels of silver in a single day—what does that mean? That's five million taels in a month.

Of course that was the peak day, but on ordinary days sales still reach one hundred thousand taels, and even the lowest‑earning shop makes over ten thousand taels in a day.

Moreover, the lower‑earning shops are mostly taverns; after all, the Nightless City has its own taverns, and those they run can't compare to the Da Xia Nightless City's.

Thus Gu Jin Nian supplies various seasonings internally at low, stable quantities, but they are not allowed to be sold externally.

Under this measure, the major taverns in the Nightless City became fully stocked.

Da Xia taverns are landmark establishments, mostly housing out‑of‑town tourists, while the patrons of these smaller taverns are generally Kyoto residents who are not especially rich but certainly not poor.

After all, these seasonings are in perpetual shortage; taverns that have stock naturally enjoy flawless business.

One could say these merchants have completely dispelled their worries; now they spend idle days wandering the Nightless City, and at night tally how much silver they've earned.

They also compare with each other.

But the most outstanding is a merchant who arrived in Kyoto two months ago; he was famous in the Longxi region, with three generations of ancestors in trade, accumulating substantial capital.

Unfortunately, not long ago his business nearly went bankrupt; after venturing into silver‑note trading, in less than three years he was left with only a small seed capital.

Two months after arriving in Kyoto, with the remaining five million taels of silver, he planned to spend the rest of his life in Kyoto.

By chance he learned of the Da Xia Nightless City shops; without hesitation he leveraged every connection, even mortgaging his ancestral home and all assets for silver.

He raised 14 million taels of silver, bought seven shops, and sold various tonics.

In just half a month, his net profit reached a million taels, proving his gamble paid off, much to the envy of other merchants.

The profit‑making in the Nightless City is no longer a secret; merchants who bought shops now regret deeply, wishing they had purchased more shops at the time.

Those who didn't buy any shop are extremely regretful, lamenting why they didn't buy then.

But the most regretful are the merchants who initially rented and later sold their premises to others, missing the chance to earn tens of thousands of taels.

One can say there are those who rejoice and those who worry.

But everyone knows one thing: Da Xia Sleepless City really makes money; merchants make money, Gu Jin Nian makes money.

Jiangzhong Dragon Rice, government salt, MSG, soy sauce, chili powder, and other livelihood goods attract countless people to come and buy.

The construction of various aspects of Sleepless City, at a cost spared no expense, is nearing completion. Artificial lake, rockery, extremely suitable for scholars to go on spring outings, families coming to play.

They also specially opened a horse field and an archery field for visitors to come and play.

The business of Da Xia taverns is even more booming day by day; ahead-of-its-time concepts, sauna rooms, essential oil massages, including a series of activities, further attract countless merchants to come and play.

Whatever can be imagined, Da Xia Tavern can arrange.

Everything is orderly, and what the people most look forward to is still the Beast Garden; Gu Jin Nian specially designated an area, built it into a Beast Garden, with various fierce beasts inside, and there are iron net enclosures and heavy guards.

Gu Jin Nian has also had people start preparing an Ocean Garden, as well as Water Park entertainment facilities.

But these all need to come slowly, always keeping the people's appetite hooked; when one project gets boring, open the next.

The plan for Sleepless City can be said to have achieved tremendous success.

Furthermore, Gu Jin Nian ordered that, for every resident of Da Xia Capital, each month they have one chance to freely enjoy Da Xia Sleepless City; this can also be considered a preferential treatment for the capital's residents.

When this news came out, countless residents of the capital praised Gu Jin Nian.

At the same time, Gu Jin Nian also took out the night market street, several thousand stalls, and rented them to the residents of Da Xia Capital; however, it is by drawing lots, as long as you are a resident of the capital you can come to draw lots.

Those who draw a quota enjoy the stall leasing rights; they cannot be transferred, only allowed individual operation, can sell anything as long as it does not violate Da Xia law.

This amounts to driving the people to prosperity.

The purpose of doing this is actually to stimulate the people's consumption concepts and values, letting them know that doing business can make money.

Moreover, every matter of Da Xia Sleepless City is for promotion, to let everyone in the Da Xia Dynasty know the benefits of Sleepless City.

Benefiting merchants: they can buy stalls and make money.

Benefiting the people: life is convenient, buying things is cheap.

Benefiting the government and court: terrifying tax revenue, enough for local officials and the court to have silver; with silver they can do more things.

It can be said this is a win-win situation.

Precisely because of this, the influence of Da Xia Sleepless City keeps growing, relying on various promotions.

Now, in the entire Da Xia Dynasty, who doesn't know about Da Xia Sleepless City?

Let alone other things, government salt, Dragon Rice, these condiments, and the extremely precious white sugar, their selling price is practically giveaway.

Even, several prefectures already have merchants united together, planning to replicate a Da Xia Sleepless City.

They are currently negotiating with local officials, demanding that the local officials allocate land; as long as land is allocated, several major merchant guilds are willing to spend money, and will proceed according to the Da Xia Sleepless City model.

Local officials naturally are pleased; some prefectures do not even want to report to the court, after all, this is not considered a big deal.

But after serious investigation, these merchants have become hesitant.

Because they cannot sell rice and sugar cheaply, nor produce some strange novelties.

Only after careful study did they discover that Da Xia Sleepless City is not as simple as they imagined.

Of course, if they insist on copying, doing it without regard to cost is also possible, but it carries certain risks.

But nowadays there are timid people and bold people; eventually, various places submitted memorials to inquire of the Ministry of Revenue.

Logically, local merchants wanting land to build such a commercial city, to promote people's consumption and willing to pay taxes, this is a good thing; but unexpectedly, the Ministry of Revenue had no hesitation at all and rejected them all.

Private construction is not allowed, and they deliberately issued a notice.

Absolutely not allowed.

Now more people know that Da Xia Sleepless City is the court's business, not for the masses.

But where there are policies above, there are countermeasures below.

Da Xia Sleepless City is known not only throughout the Da Xia Dynasty, but also other dynasties know of this.

The Fuyu Dynasty and Great Jin Dynasty, as well as merchants from some small states, have come to study.

Some already plan to take this business to other countries.

Although they cannot achieve Gu Jin Nian's such low prices, this is a technical issue, but everyone understands the business logic of Da Xia Sleepless City.

It is nothing more than attracting customers with low-priced goods, then earning money by selling stalls.

After understanding, many people have started to think.

At this moment.

Inside the Sleepless City.

Wang Qixin placed a thick stack of list before Gu Jin Nian and said.

"Marquis, this is the list made by the Ministry of Works."

"Develop the Ministry of Works, divided into three levels in detail; the first is, based on the current foundation, recruit a hundredfold workers, build the Heavenly Works Pavilion; this way, the Ministry of Works is expected to have one million artisans, plus focusing on training new artisans; only three years needed, this batch of new artisans will be able to take over, and their work speed will certainly be several times that of current artisans."

"The first year requires an investment of two billion taels of silver; thereafter each year needs an investment of one billion taels of silver."

"At that time, the number of artisans will reach up to two million."

Wang Qixin said, this is the simplest expansion; because the first year needs to build the Heavenly Works Pavilion and recruit personnel, naturally the expense is high; afterwards it becomes much better, each year one billion taels of silver is enough to stabilize.

"Two billion taels of silver?"

"What about the second type?"

Gu Jin Nian asked.

"Recruit five million workers, build four Heavenly Works Pavilions, with two million workers on duty, three million in training."

"The first year requires an investment of four billion taels of silver; thereafter each year needs at least two billion taels of silver."

"After three years, a stable five million artisans can be achieved."

Wang Qixin replied accordingly.

"Third type."

Gu Jin Nian still somewhat dissatisfied, Da Xia Dynasty's population is not small; now with Jiangzhong Dragon Rice, in two or three years the population birth rate will definitely reach an extremely exaggerated level; in other words, not long from now, the Da Xia Dynasty's population will reach at least ten billion.

Then the role of craftsmen becomes even greater; it touches every aspect—national military affairs, major livelihood projects—and none of these can do without craftsmen.

This is why Gu Jin Nian is determined to strongly support the Ministry of Works.

"If we choose the third option, near Da Xia Capital we will build a new city, recruit five million craftsmen, and train ten million craftsmen."

"At the same time, across the nation we will establish branches of the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion to teach the populace to become craftsmen."

"But such a plan would require enormous costs: at least sixty hundred million taels of silver in the first year, and in the second and third years the outlay would likely only increase; thereafter at least thirty hundred million taels of silver each year."

"Lord, I know you have greater ambitions, but I do not recommend this course."

"If, in haste, we recruit so many craftsmen, once the court stabilizes those masses will become a burden on the court, bringing even greater trouble."

Wang Qixin spoke; naturally he hoped Gu Jin Nian would value the Ministry of Works, but he also knew that moderation was enough—going too far would inevitably become unmanageable later.

If the two problems cannot be solved, they become a massive hidden danger and trouble.

One is the issue of future revenue; now the Da Xia Dynasty needs craftsmen, with countless projects awaiting revival, so the more the better, even training ten million craftsmen is no problem.

Because they will be needed later.

But what about twenty years later?

When the Da Xia Dynasty no longer needs craftsmen, what will happen? How will these craftsmen survive?

But the worst part is, if we set up Heavenly Crafts Pavilion branches in every prefecture to train children as craftsmen, how huge would the cost be? It is unimaginable.

Yet we must face such a problem.

Gu Jin Nian only paused briefly in thought, then spoke.

"We will proceed with the third plan."

"Having many craftsmen is no worry; if the Da Xia Nightless City later expands across the entire Eastern Wilderness, or even the whole Shenzhou Continent, it would still be far insufficient."

"If we cannot achieve that, a few million craftsmen are nothing; even the Dragon Boat Treasure Ships alone can sustain these craftsmen."

"I, the Lord, know that Lord Wang's greatest worry is the subsequent training, which need not be a major concern."

"We will pour silver in the first few years; once these craftsmen are trained and start earning, we will stop investing and let the people send their children to the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion branches to learn skills, while charging the corresponding tuition."

"If impoverished peasants cannot pay, they may borrow silver to study, and once they become craftsmen and earn silver, they will repay the court each month proportionally."

"Lord Wang, rest assured; the future Da Xia Dynasty will need even more craftsmen."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, directly adopting the third scheme.

There is no other reason.

Jiangzhong Dragon Rice can solve the Da Xia populace's food problem.

And with the future planting of Da Xia Dragon Spike, plus the Ministry of Works naturally inventing new farming tools, the Da Xia Dynasty's food supply will only increase, never causing starvation.

Consequently, the population will also rise; within a short time it could even multiply tenfold.

After all, ancient entertainment facilities were few; the only nightly amusement for the people was making offspring.

Combining all these factors, the future number of craftsmen will certainly outstrip demand.

"But this…"

Wang Qixin still thought it somewhat exaggerated and wanted to explain further, but Gu Jin Nian shook his head and said,

"Lord Wang, craftsmen are not limited to blacksmithing; they can be trained in many trades, covering all aspects of livelihood."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

He could not elaborate much; in Wang Qixin's eyes, craftsmen might only be blacksmiths, but Gu Jin Nian actually envisions craftsmen as diversified, doing whatever becomes profitable.

In any case, they are all handicraft work; training a variety will naturally attract merchants to hire craftsmen.

By then, even the silver given by the court will be looked down upon.

"I understand," said the elder.

Wang Qixin nodded, not truly understanding, but simply trusting Gu Jin Nian.

"Then how shall we obtain this silver?"

"Lord?"

Since we chose the third option, the biggest issue now is the silver.

Sixty hundred million taels of silver, not a single tael less.

Building a new city and managing the food, drink, and waste of a crowd is no small matter.

"Wait another month."

"After a month, the Da Xia Nightless City will fully affect the whole nation; then we can send envoys to negotiate Nightless City construction with the prefects of the Seventy-two Prefectures."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

He is not worried about the silver; after a month the Da Xia Nightless City will begin its chain expansion, and Gu Jin Nian does not intend a modest effort—the situation of the capital's Nightless City is laid out here.

Every day it is overcrowded, and even the allotted land is still a bit small.

"All Seventy-two Prefectures will build Nightless Cities?"

"Lord, it's not that every prefecture will be so prosperous, is it?"

The latter spoke, looking at Gu Jin Nian; he knows the Da Xia Nightless City will eventually open chain branches, but did not expect Gu Jin Nian to launch so many at once.

"A single prefecture cannot sustain even one Nightless City."

"Moreover, the land area of every Nightless City must be twice that of the capital's Nightless City."

"Lord Wang, rest assured; I have the numbers in mind for this business venture."

Gu Jin Nian said lightly, and that remark completely silenced Wang Qixin.

Because he was not wrong; everyone before had doubted, yet the problem is that Gu Jin Nian not only succeeded, but exceeded expectations.

Soon, Wang Qixin left.

Gu Jin Nian promised that within at most two months the silver would be handed over to Wang Qixin, allowing him to proceed with full fanfare immediately.

At present the Da Xia treasury, plus the Nightless City's stored silver, suffices for the initial work.

After Wang Qixin left.

Not long after, He Yan arrived.

It was Gu Jin Nian who sent him.

"I have met Lord Hou."

Seeing Gu Jin Nian, He Yan immediately spoke and bowed to Gu Jin Nian.

"Lord He, you are being courteous."

"I came today to seek Lord He, mainly for one matter."

"The Da Xia Nightless City is to open a branch city."

"For now we choose a location in the Seventy‑two Prefectures; later we will need to send officials from the Ministry of Revenue there."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, saying that opening a branch city must be discussed with the Ministry of Revenue.

Upon hearing this, He Yan couldn't help to click his tongue.

He hadn't expected a branch city to be opened so soon, but on second thought it was reasonable; the current hype of the Da Xia Nightless City is indescribable.

Every day countless people line up, and many common folk from hundreds or even thousands of li away come just to see the Nightless City's prosperity.

It's the right time to open a branch city; the goods are solid, and there's no worry about lacking customers.

"Lord Hou, what do you mean?"

"Give your orders, I will handle them properly."

He Yan spoke, directly asking Gu Jin Nian what he wanted to do, and said that whatever Gu Jin Nian says, he will do.

"There are several matters; please, Lord He, note them down."

Gu Jin Nian said.

"Lord Hou, speak directly."

He Yan nodded.

"First, the Da Xia Nightless City currently has a hundred chous; after deducting those who have contributed, seventy chous remain. Of those seventy, half are taken by this Lord, and the remaining twenty chous are allocated to local government forces. Of course, as with you all, this silver stays within the government and will be used later for building bridges, roads, or subsidizing the populace, etc., requiring this money."

"It can modestly improve officials' lives, but extravagance is prohibited; the Ministries of Justice, Revenue, and Personnel must be prepared to guard against abuse. Those found acting unlawfully will be severely punished—lightly dismissed from office, severely exiled with their families to the border."

Gu Jin Nian said, this is the first point.

The Da Xia Nightless City operating in the Seventy‑two Prefectures must certainly allocate silver so that local aristocratic governments gain benefits; only by binding interests will the Nightless City continue to improve.

Though it sounds harsh, it is the truth; expecting everyone to become a saint is impossible.

We can only say to loosen some policies; when there is money, we should allow some spending, and after so many years of hardship, a bit of ease is understandable.

Of course, that's enough; if anyone truly dares to act recklessly, they will be punished.

"Understood."

He Yan instantly grasped Gu Jin Nian's meaning: only those with vested interests can create a win‑win situation, which is good.

"Second, notify that for the first three years the Da Xia Nightless City will be tax‑exempt; any business operating there can enjoy tax exemption for the first three years, provided they do not engage in violations."

"Furthermore, the sale prices of major shops will not be adjusted, except in certain affluent prefectures such as Jiangnan Prefecture, where all shop prices will double; elsewhere, prices remain as they are now."

This is the second matter.

The prosperity of the capital's Nightless City made Gu Jin Nian realize his own shops were still cheap, so he thought perhaps to raise prices dramatically.

Hearing this, He Yan's expression changed.

"Lord Hou."

"Are you still raising prices?"

"Some areas are relatively poor."

He Yan frowned; he wasn't saying it couldn't be done, but mainly a small portion of places—charging ten million taels per shop is fine, yet in impoverished regions like Longxi Prefecture, selling at ten million taels per shop would likely find no buyers.

Even if popularity is high, what's the point? The people have no silver.

"Proceed with this price."

"Lord He, rest assured, those who have already tasted the benefits will find every way to keep buying stalls, and many merchant guilds within the Da Xia Dynasty are planning to replicate the Nightless City, so there is no worry about unsold stalls."

"Moreover, with the emergence of Jiangzhong Dragon Rice, Da Xia's future will be prosperous; even if the people are poor this year or next, in three to five years they will no longer be poor."

Gu Jin Nian said this with great confidence.

"Your words are reasonable, I understand."

He Yan nodded, instantly understanding Gu Jin Nian's meaning.

"Third, inform everyone that aside from adjustments in size, nothing else changes; everything the capital's Nightless City possesses will be the same in other Nightless Cities, treated equally."

This is the third point, also important; everything will follow the capital's Nightless City model.

"Understood."

He Yan noted it in his mind.

"There are no major issues for now; regarding shop sales, don't rush—first spread the news, then negotiate with the prefectural governors of the Seventy‑two Prefectures; if any princes or nobles are involved, invite them as well—anyone capable and with silver can profit together."

"The promotion is almost done; now collect the cash, which must be settled on the spot—first come, first served."

"Apologies for the trouble, Lord He."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, giving clear instructions.

"Very well."

"Lord Hou, rest assured; I will handle this immediately."

He Yan nodded, then quickly left.

After He Yan left, Gu Jin Nian let out a long sigh.

The Da Xia Nightless City means so much.

Firstly, Gu Jin Nian wants to control the prices of some basic goods, so that future disasters won't cause prices to soar.

Firewood, rice, oil, and salt—these things must be firmly controlled, so that the common people can purchase life's necessities at the cheapest price.

Second, implementing the Da Xia treasure notes also must rely on the Da Xia Sleepless City.

The Great Jin Dynasty hoped to achieve the effect of a gold standard through Golden Dragon rice, with one treasure note exchangeable for how much dragon rice.

This method is indeed good, especially the Golden Dragon rice, which is famous throughout the world.

But Gu Jin Nian plans to rely on the Da Xia Sleepless City, river dragon rice, and plus extraterrestrial meteoric gold—a threefold strike.

One Da Xia treasure note can be exchanged for equivalent goods in the Da Xia Sleepless City, or directly exchanged for river dragon rice; if that truly fails, if you are willing, it can also be exchanged for extraterrestrial meteoric gold.

These three components must appear together in order to crush the enemy in future currency wars.

Once seventy-two Da Xia Sleepless Cities are opened, as soon as they prosper, the people of the Eastern Wilderness will certainly know, and it will inevitably draw all the dynasties to eagerly imitate; Gu Jin Nian can guarantee that if those dynasty merchants imitate, they will surely die.

Because they cannot sell firewood, rice, oil, and salt at low prices without counting the cost, they will ultimately drag themselves down, and the unlucky ones will be the merchants who bought the shops.

River dragon rice, after a period of time, once exported among various countries, its reputation will be able to coalesce.

As for extraterrestrial meteoric gold, in the near future it will astonish the world.

At that time, implementing the Da Xia treasure note will become the most valuable currency, requiring no action at all; the common people will make the choice themselves.

"If this plan is set, it will be a continuous stream of silver income, surpassing the Central Plains dynasty within ten years."

Gu Jin Nian muttered to himself.

This plan can be said to be the greatest plan; if it succeeds, as long as the Central Plains dynasty does not intervene early on, once this opening is made, no one will be able to stop it.

This plan can be said to be the biggest plan; if it succeeds, as long as the early Zhongzhou dynasty does not intervene, then once this opening is made, no one can stop it.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

There is still one month left before the opening of the Jixia Academy.

Over the past half month, Gu Jin Nian has been incredibly busy, either going to the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Revenue.

As Gu Jin Nian had guessed, the Da Xia Sleepless City is becoming increasingly popular; earlier claims that queues stretched to the capital may have been exaggerated, but now it really is the case.

The capital's Sleepless City can no longer meet the demands of Da Xia's people.

People from every prefecture couldn't help but come out of admiration; after arriving, they would return and spread what they saw and heard, adding a bit of exaggeration, to the extent that people from every prefecture hoped their own prefectural government could build a Sleepless City.

Moreover, merchants also flocked in droves, even offering astronomical prices, wanting to buy shops from others.

Shops originally worth 2.5 million taels have been bid up to 8 million taels each, yet no one is selling.

Everyone knows that the shops in the Da Xia Sleepless City are a hen that lays golden eggs.

Over the past half month, the entire Da Xia Dynasty has been discussing the Da Xia Sleepless City, to the extent that the Fuyu Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty are also closely monitoring its developments.

Furthermore, according to reliable reports, several merchant guilds have already united, collaborating with the merchant guilds of the Fuyu Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty to replicate the Da Xia Sleepless City, with the Jiangnan Merchant Guild being the most active, having completed negotiations.

However, they can only replicate it in other countries, not in the Da Xia Dynasty.

What can currently be confirmed is that the Fuyu Dynasty has approved three Sleepless City plans, while the Great Jin Dynasty, with a generous gesture, has approved twelve Sleepless City plans.

Following the Da Xia Sleepless City model exactly, they provide land for free and exempt taxes for three years.

The various dynasties are not foolish; they know what a Sleepless City means—letting merchants invest money, solving the people's labor issues; if it succeeds, they will collect taxes year after year, and if it fails, for the dynasties it is merely a matter of a piece of land.

At worst, they would just build a new city to resolve the population residency issue.

Moreover, the Hundred Beasts Park has also recently opened, once again igniting the enthusiasm of several prefectures surrounding the capital.

Furthermore, the Da Xia restaurant has completed a counterattack, with daily full houses and extremely exaggerated revenue; moreover, the revenue of other shops has also doubled because of the Hundred Beasts Park.

Thus, many merchants have become even more envious.

In this way, many merchants became even more envious.

At this critical juncture, the Ministry of Revenue released news that it would establish branch cities in the seventy-two prefectures to accept advance purchases of shops.

As soon as this news came out, the gates of the Ministry of Revenue were trampled flat; who knows how many merchants swarmed in, and some merchant guild leaders, upon hearing the news, directly brought silver cash and came running.

When this news came out, the doors of the Ministry of Revenue were trampled flat; unknown how many merchants swarmed in, and some guild presidents, upon hearing the news, directly brought silver and came running.

Because it was simply too exaggerated.

However.

Furthermore, there is another matter: the Jiangnan tax issue and the new policy of integrating labor and land have been effectively resolved, and it was resolved by Chang Yun Tian.

If this had happened before, it would still be considered a rather big matter, after all Jiangnan tax revenue accounts for a considerable portion of Da Xia's national tax, but now the Da Xia Sleepless City's fame completely overshadows Jiangnan tax revenue.

This matter, if placed in the past, would still be considered quite a big matter, after all Jiangnan tax revenue accounts for a large portion of Da Xia's national tax, but now the limelight of Da Xia's Sleepless City completely overshadows Jiangnan tax revenue.

Gu Jin Nian also didn't care about this matter.

But just on the second day.

Two figures arrived at the Da Xia Sleepless City.

They were Yu Yi and He Zhai.

The two had previously been sent by Gu Jin Nian to Jiangnan Prefecture to be responsible for implementing the new policy.

Before and after, it had been a little over two months, almost three months.

The two of them have returned.

On this return, the two clearly understood more principles.

But it also brought Gu Jin Nian a piece of news.

It concerned the Da Xia natural disaster.

The general situation is that, during the Da Xia natural disaster, the Jiangnan Merchant Guild sold inferior medicines and other goods, causing soldiers to become infected and die, or commoners to freeze to death.

The general situation is that, during Da Xia's natural disaster, the Jiangnan Merchants' Guild sold inferior medicines and some goods, causing soldiers to become infected and die, or civilians to freeze to death.

The second King's Glory competition ended.

The prize money has also been fully distributed.

Listening to Wu Ya say there are not a few strong individuals.

Listening to Wuya say there are many strong people.

It's a good thing I don't play this game; otherwise I'd be forced to get my head beaten.

They breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of chapter)