Chapter 53
Chapter 53
At this time, the Emperor of Mo Kingdom had already settled down in the capital city of Xia Kingdom.
Lin Beifan had bestowed upon him a mansion, along with the treatment befitting a duke, so the Emperor of Mo Kingdom and his entourage did not have to worry about their living expenses. While not overly luxurious, they at least had no concerns about food and clothing.
However, the Emperor of Mo Kingdom still felt very distressed in his heart.
After all, he used to be the ruler of an entire nation, but now he had been reduced to a captive. Even though he held the status and treatment of a duke, he had no real power, and the fall from grace was just too great.
So, he felt like going out for a walk to clear his mind.
He asked the guard sent by Lin Beifan, May I may this old man go out for a walk?
The guard replied respectfully, My lord, of course you can! His Majesty has ordered that you are free to move about as long as you do not leave the capital city!
Good, then lets go out for a walk! The Emperor of the Mo Kingdom stood up and walked out of his residence.
He wanted to clear his mind, but at the same time, he also wanted to see where exactly he had failed.
Walking on the bustling streets of the capital city, he noticed the constant stream of carriages and horses, the never-ending flow of people, and the ceaseless cries of vendors, all filled with the essence of urban life.
The Emperor of Mo Kingdom was taken aback; this place was even busier than the capital city of his own Mo Kingdom, with an even more developed commerce.
But this shouldnt be the case!
Mo Kingdom was wealthier than Xia Kingdom, so the capital city of Mo Kingdom should be busier than that of Xia Kingdom.
Moreover, this was a city ruled by a foolish emperor.
Logically speaking, shouldnt a city under the rule of a foolish emperor be in a worse state?
Why then did this place seem to be thriving?
Your capital city is really bustling. Has it always been like this? the Emperor of Mo Kingdom asked.
The guard shook his head: In response to Your Graces question, it wasnt like this before. It only started to get lively in these past few months!
These few months Since when?
About three months ago, it all started when His Majesty organized everyone to mine, reclaim wasteland, and dig canals!
The Mo Kingdom Emperor was taken aback: That time, huh?
He clearly remembered that it was during that time that he was once again defeated by Lin Beifan.
Lin Beifan returned in triumph, and then he began organizing everyone to mine, reclaim wasteland, and dig canals. He gathered over a million people, not only providing them with food but also offering very high wages.
At that time, I even mocked him for wasting money, certain that the national treasury couldnt withstand it and would go bankrupt.
But now, my own country has fallen while he hasnt collapsed.
Later, I learned that the reason for his stability was because they had created a type of house out of cement that was tall, sturdy, and incredibly cheap. It was a bestseller that quickly recouped the funds, and then they continued to spend money in large amounts.
He was utterly baffled. What was the point of all this senseless hustle?
With the time and effort spent, couldnt they just build houses directly?
Couldnt they just sell houses directly?
Wouldnt you be able to make even more money by doing so?
He has stopped trying to figure it out; after all, the foolish emperor always acts in ways that are different from everyone else.
Right now, hes just curious about what that concrete house looks like.
Can you take me to see the concrete house?
Of course, my lord, please follow me!
They arrived at the construction site in less than half an incense sticks burning time.
At that moment, tens of thousands of workers were busily building houses.
Rows upon rows of concrete houses had already sprung up from the ground, neatly arranged in a spectacular display.
The Emperor of Mo Kingdom felt a deep sense of amazement in his heart. During his time in the Mo Kingdom, he had never witnessed such a large-scale labor scene.
Now, he truly had his eyes opened.
Lord Duke, these are the concrete houses. We have already built more than 3,000 of them!
So this is what concrete houses are!
The Emperor of Mo Kingdom looked around and exclaimed in awe, These concrete houses are indeed as sturdy as the legends say, and they are built so quickly, its miraculous! Houses like these should sell for at least 50 taels, how come your Emperor is only selling them for 25 taels? Thats clearly a loss!
The moment he saw the concrete houses, his imperial habits kicked in.
Considering how to make money from the house to increase the national treasurys income.
At that moment, an old lady passing by said, Tsk, tsk, tsk dont talk nonsense, 25 taels is already very expensive! If it werent for hesitating a few days, it could have been bought for 20 taels. Thats a whole five taels of silver more!
Her tone was filled with deep regret.
The Emperor of the Mo Kingdom couldnt help but silently chuckle to himself.
He knew that five taels of silver meant nothing to him.
But for the common folks, it was a considerable sum of money, one that required careful budgeting.
25 taels is already very cheap! For a blue brick house of the same quality, you might not even be able to buy it for 50 taels! the Mo Kingdom Emperor said.
You make a good point, but who doesnt want it even cheaper?
The old lady sighed. We are all poor commoners. Our annual income used to be less than two taels of silver. Even by scrimping and saving for a year, we couldnt save up one tael of silver, so we simply couldnt afford such a house! Thats why everyone hopes to save wherever possible!
The Mo Kingdom Emperor was astonished: Your income is so low. How could you afford a cement house?
Im paying in installments, a little bit each month. Once the money is all paid up, the house will safely belong to us!
Arent you afraid of not being able to pay and having the house taken back?
Of course not, because my husband is now a miner!
The old lady said proudly. He works at the construction site, earning 300 wen a month. The pay is good, and the job is stable!
Then, we take out 50 wen each month to pay for the house, leaving us with 250 wen! This 250 wen is quite a surplus, which can be used to buy many good things to improve our lives!
Now, we have both a house and money; our lives are getting more and more promising!
At that moment, a bolt of lightning streaked through the mind of the Emperor of Mo Kingdom.
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