NOVEL WEB Chapter 78.2
The battle quickly spread throughout the world.
“Oh god, someone dares to disrupt the grand ceremony?”
“Three Innates and dozens of First-rate experts have actually failed!”
“Who could have imagined that the Xia Kingdom has gained two more Innates without making a sound? One of them is the murderous Wine Sword Immortal, and the other is an Innate-level assassin, both strong among the Innates!”
“What the heck! The Xia Kingdom now has five Innates? We really can’t afford to offend them in the future!”
“The Great Xia Kingdom is truly on the rise!”
Everyone sighed in amazement.
The greatest weakness of the Xia Kingdom used to be the lack of top-notch experts.
Now that gap has been completely filled, they have enough qualifications to stand among the great kingdoms.
The three major noble families also received the news and were completely dumbfounded.They never expected that their foolproof plan would actually fail.
This layout should have been successful because the Xia Kingdom only had three Innates, and they also had three. A 3-on-3 fight could have completely tied them down, while the rest could cause havoc, ensuring utter chaos.
As long as the ceremony couldn’t continue, they would have considered it a success.
But who would have thought that the Xia Kingdom would have two more Innates, one of whom was the Wine Sword Immortal, whom they despised so much that they gritted their teeth in hatred.
Thus, the plan failed.
The loss of several dozen first-rate experts was a bit painful for them, but it was not unacceptable.
What worried them the most were those three Innates.
“Is there still no news of them?”
“Your Excellency, there is no news at the moment!”
“Weren’t they said to have escaped? How come there’s still no news?”
“They have indeed fled, but…”
“I don’t care, go find them immediately! I want them alive or, if dead, I want to see their bodies!”
Three days later, the three escaped Innates were finally found in a desolate wilderness.
They were dead. Apart from their heads, which were relatively intact, the rest of their bodies had been devoured by wild beasts, leaving no bones behind. Their deaths were extremely tragic.
Upon hearing the news, the three major noble families were so enraged that they fainted.
……
By this time, the grand ceremony had concluded, and everyone returned to their respective duties.
Since the canal had been completed and no longer required labor, some of the workers who had dug the canal went off to clear new land for farming, while others returned to assist Lin Beifan in constructing the new imperial palace.
This imperial palace was being built on a scale befitting a dynasty, an immense undertaking.
Even with hundreds of thousands of workers, plus the miraculous construction aid of cement, it would likely take two to three years to complete.
The amount of resources involved would probably exceed ten million taels, a sum that the dynasty’s national treasury could not sustain.
It was a project that exhausted the people and drained the finances, yet Lin Beifan persisted in his determination.
No matter how many voices of opposition there were, they were all suppressed.
The name “foolish emperor” was incessantly heard.
The more fiercely others cursed, the more invigorated Lin Beifan became.
“Convey my command, gather the finest wines and delicacies from all over the land!”
“Any wine that I have not tasted will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver! If someone presents the method of brewing, a reward of a thousand taels of silver! If anyone is willing to brew wine for me, they will be granted high official posts and rich rewards! The same goes for delicacies!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” someone responded to the decree.
The Wine Sword Immortal beside him slapped his thigh: “That’s a great idea, I love fine wine the most! If there’s good wine, don’t forget to share a portion with me!”
Lin Beifan laughed: “Of course! How could someone be called the Wine Sword Immortal if they don’t drink various wine over the lands?”
“That’s right, I’m starting to like you more and more, young Emperor!”
The Wine Sword Immortal burst into hearty laughter, winking at Lin Beifan and the Consort: “I’m going back to enjoy my drink, I won’t disturb you two!”
With that, he picked up the fine wine from the table and slipped away.
After the Wine Sword Immortal left, Bai Zhu appeared, somewhat angrily saying: “Your Majesty, your actions are exhausting the people and draining the treasury, the country will soon be ruined by you!”
She had placed her hopes for revenge on Lin Beifan.
However, in recent days, watching Lin Beifan spare no expense in grand construction projects, building a new imperial palace, and collecting fine wines and delicacies from all over the world for his own pleasure, indulging in luxury and debauchery, he undoubtedly seemed like a foolish emperor, and she was somewhat disappointed.
So, unable to help herself, she popped her head out to advise Lin Beifan.
Lin Beifan spread his hands, laughing, “You say that I am ruining the country, but ever since I ascended the throne, I’ve always done things this way! Have you seen my Great Xia Kingdom fall to ruin?”
Bai Zhu was stunned and confused.
Indeed, this foolish Emperor had always been doing things that would ruin a country.
Logically speaking, the nation should have perished by now.
Why is it that up to now, the national power has not weakened at all but instead has grown stronger and stronger?
At that moment, Consort Wang Xiangjun smiled slightly, “Sister Bai, please take a seat. Actually, you have misunderstood His Majesty. Everything he does is for the sake of the country and the people!”
Bai Zhu was even more bewildered, “For the sake of the country and the people?”
She truly couldn’t associate this phrase with the foolish Emperor in her mind.
“Sister Bai, please sit down. Let me explain things to you,” the consort said.
Bai Zhu hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to Consort Wang.
Lin Beifan turned his head to look, curious to hear what kind of explanation his consort would give.
“Do you know why His Majesty wants to build the imperial palace?” Wang Xiangjun asked.
“Isn’t it just for the sake of indulging in pleasure?” Bai Zhu asked.
“It is and it isn’t!”
Wang Xiangjun laughed. “His Majesty indeed has this reason, but what’s more important is to make the common people wealthy! Sister Bai, let me ask you a question first! Do you know what the most important thing is for the common people?”
“What is the most important thing for the common people?” Bai Zhu fell into thought.
“Actually, there are three things that are most important for the common people: the first is to have food to eat, the second is to have money to spend, and the third is to have a house to live in! With these, they can live without worry about food and clothing, and the people can dwell in peace and work happily!”
“As long as the common people can achieve these three things, then one can be called a sage ruler for all ages!”
“Yes, yes, you’re right!” Bai Zhu nodded repeatedly in full agreement.
“Such a simple demand, and which Emperor has achieved it in thousands of years? Only our sovereign has managed to do it!”
“Him?” Bai Zhu was dumbfounded.
“His Majesty organized hundreds of thousands of laborers to build the imperial palace, and during the process, he provided food, ensuring everyone was well-fed and warm. Doesn’t this solve the problem of having enough to eat?”
“Moreover, His Majesty also provided wages. Once the common people received money, they had money to spend!”
“With money, the commoners could afford to buy houses! His Majesty provided cheap yet high-quality cement houses and even allowed installment payments, making it possible for most of the common people to afford good homes!”
“In this way, the people have food to eat, money to spend, and can afford good homes!”
“Now tell me, is His Majesty a foolish emperor indulgent in luxury, or is he a wise ruler who serves his country and his people?”
Bai Zhu was somewhat confused: “What you’re saying makes sense! But why does everyone oppose the construction of the imperial palace, saying it’s a project that exhausts the people’s resources and wealth?”
“That’s because those emperors who want to build imperial palaces are unwilling to provide food, let alone pay! As a result, the common people end up doing work that leads to losses. They either starve or become impoverished. Over time, such projects naturally exhaust the people’s resources and wealth, and complaints are widespread!”
“But if they were provided with enough food and money, who wouldn’t want to work?”
Wang Xiangjun sighed: “In this era, the common people lead hard lives; human life is as cheap as grass. It’s too difficult to survive! The job opportunity provided by His Majesty is a rare blessing that they couldn’t find even if they searched with a lantern! Even if they had to work tirelessly until the end of time, until they could work no more, they would still savor the opportunity!”
“So that’s how it is!” Bai Zhu suddenly saw Lin Beifan in a new light.
It turns out that all he did was for the sake of the common people!
“So, when he organized everyone to dig canals and reclaim land for farming, it was also for the sake of the common people?”
“Of course!”
Wang Xiangjun said with a smile: “As long as there is enough food and sufficient money, it’s a good thing for the common people. They would prefer to have more of this kind of work! Haven’t you noticed that the lives of the people in the Great Xia Kingdom are getting better and better?”
Bai Zhu nodded in agreement.
Many things that she had not understood before, she was finally beginning to comprehend!
Suddenly, her view of Lin Beifan changed a lot.
It turned out that he was not a foolish emperor but a wise monarch who truly cared for his people.
Lin Beifan, with a beaming smile, looked at Wang Xiangjun and asked, “My beloved consort, how did you figure it out?”
Wang Xiangjun lowered her head apologetically, “Your Majesty, because of my limited experience, I often feel guilty for not being able to assist you! Therefore, I frequently ponder aimlessly within the palace. Coming from the lower class, I understand the suffering of the common people, and so I have come up with this idea! If there is any impropriety, please forgive me, Your Majesty!”
“My beloved consort, what you’ve said is excellent. Where is there any crime?”
Lin Beifan embraced Wang Xiangjun into his arms: “You are much more intelligent than others! The principles that so many do not understand, you have managed to see through! Only you understand the hardships I endure! With a wife like you, what more could a husband ask for?”
“Then, your collection of fine wines and delicacies from all over the world, is that also for the sake of the common people?” Bai Zhu asked again.
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