Chapter 1517: Bottomless Pit

Chapter 1502: Bottomless Pit

He chuckled, "If Tianhe City expands, no matter the price of new houses, I'd want to move out!" Previously, he would have had no place to speak in front of so many princes and nobles. But as he spoke by He Xiao's side, after several instances, others no longer found it out of place.

Gu Xuan also said, "That's right, this internal flooding has plagued us for decades; it can't be changed! As soon as the flood season arrives, river and lake water flows back into people's homes."

He Lingchuan had already gathered this information, but at this moment, he feigned ignorance and surprise. "Then just expand it," he said. "Is there some taboo preventing it? The country of Yao is strong and its treasury is full; isn't expanding the capital such a small matter that can be done with ease?"

Zhang Shan waved his hand. "There are difficulties with large-scale projects, Lord He, you don't know," he said. "Our national treasury has been running deficits for years. The accounts for the past six years have never been in the black." These were not secrets, nothing that couldn't be said.

He Lingchuan was startled. "No way?" he exclaimed. "Yao Country is still in deficit? Then how can other countries on the Blazegold Plains survive?"

"In such a large country, there are simply too many places to spend money," Zhang Shan said, pointing to Gu Xuan. "You can ask them; a deficit in the national treasury doesn't necessarily mean widespread hardship for the people. However, many new, large-scale projects cannot be undertaken. A project as massive as the expansion of Tianhe City is a bottomless pit that devours money; no matter how much you throw into it, it won't be filled. Do you think the royal court wouldn't hesitate?"

When he used the phrase "bottomless pit," everyone present understood what he meant.

"It will eventually need to be expanded," he said, "and it's better to expand sooner than later." Of course, He Lingchuan didn't voice what he was thinking. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Since it has been discussed many times, is there a direction for the expansion plan?"

"There are several plans, roughly divided into three directions: west, east, and north. All have suitable conditions for expansion."

Lake You was east of Tianhe City. He Lingchuan picked a bunch of grapes and washed them in a golden basin by the table. "Which plan does the King favor?" he asked.

"Originally, the thought was to expand west, but recently, the possibility of expanding east has been discussed."

Eastward? "Is it related to Lake You?"

Zhang Shan laughed and chided, "You're quite narcissistic!" But he didn't deny it.

The south shore of Lake You was currently being developed; it was very popular and would become a gathering place for officials and nobles in the future. If Tianhe City expanded in that direction, it would have a solid foundation.

"Does everyone approve of the eastward expansion?"

"Of those present, fifty percent approved, twenty percent opposed, and the rest abstained. Compared to previous meetings, this proportion was already quite astonishing." He added, "Of course, the final decision rests with King Yao."

He Lingchuan smiled, clearly understanding why the courtiers had suddenly changed their attitude. Many among them had already purchased villas at Lake You Estate. To preserve the value of the properties they had bought at great expense, they would naturally hope that Tianhe City would expand eastward, encompassing the entire Lake You. This was a classic case of one's position determining one's perspective.

"What about the Regent?" he asked. Qingyang rarely missed important court discussions.

"The Regent opposed it, believing it would be a drain on resources and the people. She argued that it's not appropriate to undertake large-scale construction when the national treasury is empty. This was also the reason given by other opponents."

He Lingchuan picked a grape and ate it. Mmm, it was sweet and sour, very flavorful. What he was thinking was: Why was Qingyang opposing the expansion of Tianhe City? On the surface, this matter had no apparent downside for Qingyang; it wasn't even substantively related to her. Was she opposing for the sake of opposing, just to create trouble for King Yao? Political struggle was often like this: sometimes, one didn't necessarily benefit personally, as long as the opponent suffered a loss. After all, the struggle between Qingyang and King Yao—or rather, the tug-of-war between Beijia and Yao Country—was likely multifaceted.

He Lingchuan chuckled outwardly. "A drain on resources and the people?" he scoffed. "Believe it or not, if I were in charge of Tianhe City's expansion, there would be no need to consider insufficient funds. I could even replenish the national treasury in the process!"

Zhang Shan couldn't believe him. He pointed at He Lingchuan and laughed. "Big talk!" he said. "Lord He, have you had too much to drink?"

"I'm serious," He Lingchuan said, pointing eastward. "Look at how I built Lake You Estate. What was the cost? And how much has already been earned?"

Everyone knew the price he paid for the land: a mere thousand taels. Even if most of the profits had to be handed over, three tenths still remained in his hands at the end! What he earned in a month was equivalent to what others earned in ten lifetimes; the process was akin to making money out of nothing. Zhang Shan and the other noble scions, reviewing it afterwards, thought that if only their own families had thought of this trick, it wouldn't have been difficult to implement at all.

Zhang Shan whispered, "Brother He, do you mean the eastward expansion of Tianhe City should also use this method?"

"Yes, pre-sales," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Didn't I first collect your money and then build the villas for you? I didn't need to put in any of my own money at all! It didn't matter how much silver I originally had in my pocket; even if I only had ten coins, I'd dare to take on this project!" He leaned forward. "If Tianhe City's eastward expansion adopted this method, where would there be any need to use money from the national treasury?" he asked. "What does the national treasury's deficit or surplus have to do with the capital's eastward expansion?"

Zhang Shan and Gu Xuan's eyes gleamed; they almost blurted out, "The King also thinks this way." This method would both eliminate security risks and utilize external labor.

Zhang Shan glanced at Gu Xuan, who immediately asked, "But how exactly should it be done?"

"The method isn't difficult, but I need to think carefully," He Lingchuan said. How could he reveal everything? "Expanding the capital is a huge project, not comparable to a small one like Lake You Estate. There are simply too many things to consider."

Zhang Shan knew he didn't want to elaborate, so he changed the subject and began talking about the war on the Blazegold Plains.

"The eastern and northern parts of the Blazegold Plains, it seems few people mention them?" He Lingchuan asked curiously. "It's like this in allied territory, and also in Yao Country. Why is that?"

"The eastern Blazegold region is a barren land where tribes even practice cannibalism," Yuwen Xu explained. "Because there are no valuable mineral deposits there, even the Blazegold Empire a thousand years ago left the eastern region to its own devices. As for the northern Blazegold region, that's a haven for monsters. It's rarely visited by humans, and the weather is cold. The countries on the plains are also powerless to expand northward, so the northern Blazegold region remains as it is."

"I see," He Lingchuan said. It was similar to the information he had gathered from Yang Shan; there was nothing new. It seemed Yao Country also had no interest in these two places.

Just then, Prince Qing's Residence sent someone to find the Second Young Master. Zhang Shan raised a cup to He Lingchuan and then left early.

After he left, everyone continued drinking and conversed more openly as their faces grew flushed and ears warm. Only then did He Lingchuan ask about the Flower Festival again. Gu Xuan smiled. "It was so lively," he said, "it's such a pity Brother He didn't come."