Chapter 1547: Where Did the Money Flow?

The emperor at the time also adopted this method to fill the national treasury, and it lasted for over seven years. I tell you, in the initial stages of implementation, every preparation was made to minimize risk. Housing prices increased gradually, much more gently than in Yao, and Lingxu City was confident that the situation was stable and controllable. I tell you, some of the methods He Xiao adopted were modeled after those used by Beijia in those days. However, by the end, housing prices had more than quintupled compared to before, and the people of Beijia were as infatuated as the Yao people are today.

She sighed softly, “At that time, Beijia was flourishing like a fire fed with oil; its commerce was unparalleled in prosperity. The most renowned banks were all in Beijia, and the banknotes they issued circulated freely among people. Moreover, the common folk were incredibly wealthy, unlike those smaller nations that suppressed trade in favor of agriculture. Later generations often said that if Beijia hadn't been so prosperous, that evil trend wouldn't have swept through so fiercely, becoming uncontrollable in the end.”

Bai Tan couldn't help but ask, “And then what happened?”

“Then, these major cities in Beijia turned into bottomless pits, especially Lingxu City. Housing prices shattered, and countless people not only lost everything within six months but also became heavily indebted. Then came skyrocketing prices, widespread public unrest, and rampant bandits.” Qingyang sighed deeply. “In less than two years, the Yuan Kingdom rebelled. That was a profoundly impactful rebellion.”

If not for the Yuan Kingdom rebellion, perhaps there would have been no subsequent series of wars around the Great Square Pot involving Panlong City and the Great Wind Army.

Those two wars not only severely depleted Beijia's vitality but also profoundly impacted the human realm.

This was all history Qingyang had personally witnessed, and she was filled with emotion.

Of course, Qingyang did not mention that last sentence to Bai Tan, but instead said, “Whether it was Beijia in the past or the current Yao, both used a potent, dangerous medicine. Regardless of how effective it might be in curing the ailment, its toxicity is immense.”

Bai Tan murmured, “I've also heard of the Yuan Kingdom rebellion. Was this the reason for it?”

Even the incredibly powerful Beijia couldn't withstand the toxicity of this potent medicine?

“I won't go into the intricacies of what happened back then,” Qingyang said softly. “Let's just say that the current Yao Kingdom is riddled with corruption from top to bottom, stagnant and unable to recover, and has even forgotten its founding principles. It is on the verge of collapse. Envoy Liang has come to me several times, expressing the dissatisfaction of the Gods.”

Bai Tan looked up. “Is the Goddess also dissatisfied with His Majesty?”

“Naturally. The Goddess has given the Yao Kingdom so many chances, but it has disappointed her time and again. Without even mentioning distant matters, you know about the most recent incident, don't you?”

“The temple stones from Xilin Temple were diverted to build the new city's ceremonial pillars?” Bai Tan said. “I was also greatly surprised when I heard about it.”

“Envoy Liang suspects that He Xiao is connected to the accelerated collapse of Xilin Temple.”

Bai Tan's face changed color. “They wouldn't be so deranged, would they?”

Undermining the main deity's temple—that's something no sane person would do! Has the Yao King gone mad?

“Xilin Temple is the second largest in Tianshui City. After its collapse, the precious gilded stones from the temple could be used in the new city for quite some time.” Qingyang shook her head. “Perhaps they believe Xilin Temple would collapse and need rebuilding sooner or later anyway, so they might as well carry out a major relocation first.”

Isn't this what “resource allocation” is all about? Prioritizing limited resources to meet demand.

Bai Tan murmured, “To fill his personal coffers and the bottomless pit of the national treasury, he would treat the Exquisite Heavenly Goddess with such disrespect! This is outrageous!”

What he wanted to say was, “This is a path to ruin.”

Bai Tan now understood clearly: the Yao King's rush to build the new eastern city was merely to replicate the money-making scheme of Youhu Villa. Once the residential plots in the new city were sold at high prices, the Yao court's treasury and the Yao King's personal coffers would naturally be full.

To quickly initiate this cycle, the Yao King resorted to unscrupulous means, even temporarily casting aside his reverence for the Gods.

Could the Gods be treated with such disdain?

Qingyang continued, “The funds allocated to the temple for the past two and a half years have been negligible. The most powerful nation on the Shanjing Plains, unable to build a main deity's temple in two years—it's a joke! Such contempt is everywhere, and I couldn't list it all in days. With such disrespect, how could the Exquisite Heavenly Goddess be satisfied with him?”

Whatever the reason, the Yao King's actions showed he was no longer deferential to the Gods, and did not prioritize their needs.

Of course, Qingyang did not vocalize the fundamental reason for the Gods' dissatisfaction with the Yao Kingdom in front of Bai Tan.

She then added, “General Bai, it was wise of you to come to me. In the past, the ancestors of the Bai family provided strong support, enabling Emperor Gaozu of Yao to establish the kingdom. But after two centuries, how much gratitude does the Yao King still hold for the Bai family? Like other officials, you even have to pay to acquire Youhu Hermitage just to please him.”

Bai Tan's gaze deepened.

Indeed, his ancestors once stood as equals with the Yao King's ancestors. Without the support of the Bai family's forebears, how could the royal family have secured their throne?

After several generations, the mediocre royal family became increasingly arrogant, indulging in pleasure under the shadow of their ancestors' glory, while the descendants of the founding general became their servants, appearing utterly humble.

Was this fair?

Qingyang smiled faintly at him, making her point without elaborating, then changed the subject. “Although the Yao King's expansion of the capital used a potent, dangerous method, its backlash will only become apparent after a year or two. If further measures are taken in between, it might be delayed for five, six, seven, or even eight years. General Bai, the Gods cannot wait that long.”

Bai Tan said solemnly, “Please, Regent, advise me.”

The surreal situation in the Yao Kingdom today was once experienced by Beijia. Qingyang specifically brought this up, implying she could offer advice.

“Do you know why, despite Beijia's former strength, it still couldn't withstand the collapse of housing prices?”

Bai Tan didn't know. “Please, Regent—no, please, Palace Master, enlighten me!”

Qingyang poured tea, and some spilled over the rim of the cup. “When the cup is full, it overflows. Nothing can rise indefinitely; there will always be an end. I ask you, when the Yao Kingdom uses this method to acquire money, where does the money go?”

Beijia's problems were, of course, not that simple, and this wasn't even the main reason, but she didn't need to explain everything to Bai Tan.

“It's all spent on housing plots.”

“Oh? So, is there money in the housing plots? Can you dig it out and show me?” Qingyang smiled. “Aren't those just piles of wood and stone? What I'm asking is, where did the money flow to?”

The housing plots were bought, and the money was paid out.

Bai Tan was a military general, who rarely pondered such matters, and thinking on the spot proved difficult for him. He pondered for a while before saying, “The money all went into the national treasury, and into some people's pockets?”

“The Yao Kingdom is a small country, and its money is limited. Even if you can make money from the Shanjing Plains, the total amount is only so much. Now, the majority of it is hoarded by the Yao monarch himself. How much is left for the common people?”

Bai Tan thought for a moment. “But aren't prices currently cheaper than before?”