Chapter 1541: The Beginning of the Myth

Qingyang didn't know what his ultimate goal was, but with every move He Xiao made, he pushed the State of Yao further towards the edge of a precipice. In that regard, He Xiao and she seemed to be doing the same thing: overthrowing the State of Yao!

Was this possible? What deep-seated animosity existed between him and the King of Yao? If his actions were merely at someone else's behest or simply fulfilling a task, he wouldn't display such powerful initiative.

She could feel He Xiao's drive and ambition. Should she then revise her own plans and methods? Qingyang was lost in thought for a long time until the carriage came to a halt and Yuan Xuan reported, "Palace Master, we've returned to Youhu Lake."

Once the myth of wealth creation began to spread, popular fervor took hold. The new city expansion had only been underway for a month; the projected blocks were still just on paper, with no actual terrain yet constructed, but the price of residential land had already tripled! Initially, the government had raised prices itself, but by now, it was the people's spontaneous enthusiasm driving them up.

Even Zhao Song, the commander of the palace guards assigned to He Lingchuan by the King of Yao, had purchased seven plots of residential land. The regulations permitted each household to buy only four, but as an insider, he easily circumvented the rules.

Gu Xuan and others had become quite familiar with He Lingchuan. One time, after a heavy drinking session, they couldn't help but ask, "Brother He, how much land did you buy?" He Lingchuan's handling of the Youhu Villa had left a deep impression. Could someone so adept at accumulating wealth pass up such a great opportunity with the Tianshui expansion? Surely he would strive to profit immensely amidst such a whirlwind?

He Lingchuan smiled, "I can't compete with the common people for profit, so I just bought five or seven plots of land."

Nobody believed him. Only five or seven plots? Gu Xuan pointed at Yuwen Xu and said, "Don't believe him. His family bought fifty plots!" Fan Shuang suddenly understood. So, it was the Yuwen family who bought fifty plots? Yuwen Xu was momentarily stunned, then immediately retorted, "Didn't your family buy any?" Gu Xuan grinned, holding up one finger: "My family only has this many." Yuwen Xu scoffed, "Pfft, don't listen to him, everyone. His family didn't buy individual shops; they directly acquired an entire street."

These aristocratic families present had all pledged allegiance to the King of Yao, and thus secured positions within the new city project. They were now thriving and doing very well. He Lingchuan leisurely remarked, "Both your families are deeply trusted by the King and possess such profound foundations! How can I compare to you?"

Someone with ulterior motives remembered his words and later investigated at the official registry. Sure enough, He Xiao had bought seven plots of land, all in the Shanghu District. While the number wasn't large, the plots were extensive and of high quality. The Shanghu District was adjacent to Youhu Villa, separated from this high-end official residence only by Mang Creek, offering pleasant scenery and convenience. The Shanghu District was also home to numerous government offices and public facilities. If Youhu Villa was for high-ranking officials, then the Shanghu District would, in the future, become a gathering place for the wealthy.

In truth, He Lingchuan had no interest in purchasing land in Tianshui City, knowing full well that in the future, he might acquire it for free. However, he was aware that his every public move was being observed by those with an agenda. With the Tianshui New City project proceeding so vigorously, and him being a consultant for the expansion, it would be highly suspicious if he didn't buy any land, especially with such a prime opportunity. It would look as if he didn't have confidence in the new city. To play along, he decided to buy a few plots.

Jing Yuanxun curiously asked, "Why didn't you acquire more plots? You're the head of the expansion team!"

"Master You is the real head; I'm just a minor official."

Upon hearing this, everyone scoffed loudly. Although he was nominally a "clerk," he was effectively the principal manager of the eastern expansion project. He could obtain anything except signing authority – He Xiao's demonstrated ability to make money had made the King of Yao highly wary, fearing that He Xiao might invent pretexts to divert all funds to himself. Therefore, the King adamantly prevented him from handling the project's money. But could such a person truly not profit from it? Anyone who believed that was utterly naive.

Yuwen Xu tugged at Jing Yuanxun, "Alright, keep your mouth shut!"

"What's the point of saying all this? With Brother He's capabilities, where can't he make money?" Zhang Shan raised his cup and toasted He Lingchuan, "For you, money chases the man, not the other way around!" When people chase money, they might pant and gasp without ever catching it. It's when money actively seeks you out that one truly achieves effortless abundance.

Everyone agreed that Second Master Zhang spoke well, and then they moved on to discussing hot topics in the city. What new events were happening on the Flash Gold Plain, how the allied forces and Bixia were fighting to the death, or even what was happening elsewhere in the State of Yao outside Tianshui City — who cared about any of that now? Their minds were entirely preoccupied with the Tianshui City expansion. Matters on the Flash Gold Plain belonged to the Flash Gold Plain; what did they have to do with their State of Yao?

Just then, an attendant from Yangshan came to find He Lingchuan, who then left the private room and went outside. As soon as he left, Yuwen Xu lowered his voice and mysteriously asked, "Hey, hey, do you know where the Panjin Stone used for constructing the government offices and the royal palace came from?"

Everyone shook their heads. The expansion project involved countless complexities, and they hadn't given it much thought until Yuwen Xu brought it up, making everyone feel it was peculiar. The Panjin Stone used in Tianshui City was all produced in the Northern District, but for the past two and a half years, its output had been extremely small due to insufficient allocation. The Tianshui City expansion project was publicly stated to have been in preparation for seven or eight years, but in reality, it was hastily launched only after the Youhu Villa began construction, leading to an obvious shortage of building materials. Panjin Stone was a high-end, niche material, so exclusive that even high officials and nobles couldn't use it freely; its annual output was minuscule. The capital's expansion had suddenly created massive demand, which it simply couldn't meet. Yet, the King of Yao's temporary palace at Youhu and the various government offices along Mang Creek were indeed being built in full swing.

Where did the stone come from? Yuwen Xu directly addressed Zhang Shan, "Second Master Zhang?"

Zhang Shan shook his head. Why would he pay attention to such a minor detail? Gu Xuan also said, "The royal palace is right across from the villa. When I went there last time, I did see Panjin Stone already on site. But I wouldn't have remembered this detail if Brother Yuwen hadn't brought it up."

"A new batch of Panjin Stone just happened to come from the north, and the construction office immediately paid for it and brought it to build the temporary palace at Youhu Lake. As a result, the Divine Temple was displeased, saying that this batch of stone should have been used to construct the Goddess Temple. The temple's construction has been severely delayed for over two years."

Everyone let out a long "hiss," and Gu Xuan rubbed his nose: "Whose order was this batch of Panjin Stone originally for?"

"Not the Divine Temple. The Divine Temple doesn't pay for its own orders."

The room fell silent for a moment. Finally, Gu Xuan broke the silence: "Since it wasn't the Divine Temple that ordered the Panjin Stone, there's no... no problem with the temporary palace buying it for use, right? After all, the palace's renovation is a benchmark and holds great significance for the capital's expansion. The King probably hopes that good steel is used on the blade's edge."

Ever since the new city construction began its pre-sale model, the national treasury had been steadily receiving money. Now, it no longer complained about being short on funds and simply paid for the Panjin Stone without hesitation. What was currently in extreme shortage were materials like Panjin Stone; even the temporary palace had to scramble for them.