Chapter 265 The Beginning of the Immortal Dynasty
Chapter 265 The Beginning of the Immortal Dynasty (Happy New Year, Everyone!)
"Master, there are unusual movements among the salt merchants in Lianghuai." Yan Shan took out a piece of intelligence.
It said that the Lianghuai salt merchants were planning to manipulate the grain market.
Xu Qing was reviewing the blueprints of the new waterwheel jointly created by the Ministry of Industry and Fang Xiandao, the tip of the wolf-hair brush suspended in mid-air. The cicadas outside the window suddenly chirped shrilly, and the hot wind blew into the duty room of Xu Qing's office with the unique sulfur smell of the mint.
"How much food do they have?"
Yan Shan replied, "According to the information from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they have at least 300,000 dan of Jiangnan japonica rice."
Hearing this, Xu Qing put down the brush in his hand. The tip of the wolf hair brush heavily pressed on the rice paper, spreading a blob of ink, and then a landscape painting in ink was ready.
Xu Qing looked up at the copper bell on the eaves, where was tied a demon-suppressing talisman specially made by Fang Xiandao.
The government troops quelled the uprising and killed many refugees, but soon after, a large number of the fleeing refugees turned into monsters.
The refugees turned into monsters, which was more terrible than the plague.
Even the south of the Yangtze River was severely affected, causing panic among the people.
Xu Qing ordered all government offices to hang up these yellow paper and cinnabar things.
He doesn't believe this, but he needs something to comfort his heart.
And you can make some extra money from it.
In the Jiangnan area, both gentry and common people are now rich.
“How much granary is left?”
"The grain storage capacity of Yingtian Prefecture's Changping Warehouse is only 50,000 shi." Yan Shan paused and continued, "What's even more bizarre is that the grain transport ships of the eight major salt companies in Lianghuai all changed their routes to Yuhang last night."
The copper bell rings automatically without wind.
Xu Qing put down his pen and took out the Wanshou silver coin that he kept close to his body. The steam-stamped dragon pattern rubbed against his palm. This was the anti-counterfeiting pattern he designed himself - a jagged mark that could only be seen clearly with a magnifying glass made by the Ministry of Industry.
No coins since ancient times have been as exquisite and complex as today's Wanshou silver coins, and the more coins are minted, the lower the labor cost.
"Have you checked the rice prices in Yuhang?"
"The price has risen to 3.75 taels per dan." Chen Fu, the Minister of Revenue, stepped into the room, his official boots stained with red mud from the suburbs. "This is even more troublesome."
He unfolded a piece of silk cloth with a strange pattern painted on it with cinnabar: hundreds of skulls stacked up like a lotus platform, with a faceless Buddha statue sitting in the center.
"White Bone Lotus Temple!" Yan Shan took half a step back and bumped into the precious decoration in the duty room - the Duobao Pavilion. The enamel vase on it shattered. "This is a cult spreading among the refugees in the northwest. Wasn't it said that it has been suppressed?" "A few days ago, the granary in Chunhua Town was robbed, and the soldiers guarding the granary were transformed into monsters. Those refugees... Their eyes glow green, and they can tear pig iron with their bare hands." Chen Fu's face was extremely solemn.
Xu Qing suddenly stood up, and a corner of the Northwest Emergency Report under the paperweight was blown up by the wind. He remembered what the master of Chaotian Temple said when he was observing the stars at night not long ago: "Mars enters the Southern Dipper, and the blood lotus blooms in the ninth layer. Gongming, what is coming will eventually come."
The Black Mountain Old Demon, the Living Buddha of the Snow Region!
Two names flashed through Xu Qing's mind.
The birth of the Snowland Living Buddha is closely related to the Tantric Lama Shanzhi whom he met in the Liaoxi frontier. Shanzhi was the pawn of the Black Mountain Old Demon.
"Yan Shan, I'll tell you what's going on. Write it down. Three decrees will be implemented immediately." The silver coins in Xu Qing's hand slapped on the table, making a buzzing sound. "First, all steam engines in the Ministry of Industry will be equipped with drought-resistant water wheels. Within seven days, I want to see the water from the Yangtze River flowing back into the Blackwater Lake. Second, notify the Military Academy that it's time for these students to stretch their muscles. Third."
He took down the Weiyang Sword from the wall and threw it to Chen Fu: "Take the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the students of the Military Academy to seal off the private ports of the Lianghuai salt merchants. Say that I suspect they are colluding with the Dongyi people and reselling grain to the Liaodong Jurchens..."
"Then you?"
Xu Qing had already walked to the corridor. His whole body was filled with terrifying martial saint energy, like the scorching sun steaming, baking the bluestone slabs with hot steam. He then looked at the rolling dark clouds in the north, which were the thunderstorms caused by Fang Xiandao and Longhushan's altar.
This drought requires a combination of machinery and Taoism to overcome the natural disaster with human power.
It can be said that under Xu Qing's step-by-step planning, the Dayu Dynasty not only has the possibility of successfully reviving through reforms, but may also become an unprecedented immortal dynasty.
If he could achieve this, Xu Qing himself could hardly imagine how terrifying his Heavenly Demonic Skill would be.
...
...
In Yingtian Prefecture, three hundred steam engines were on standby. The steel-forged shell glowed blue in the sun, and the sound of the gears biting together was like the roar of a giant beast. This was the latest "drought killer" developed by the Ministry of Industry. Each boiler was engraved with a fire-avoiding spell, and the piston rod was made of lightning-struck wood.
Captain Zhang, who was raising horses for Xu Qing, was leading the Fire Cloud Horse that neighed like a dragon.
Xu Qing held the six golden seals on his waist. When he climbed onto his horse, thunder exploded from the depths of the dark clouds, and raindrops hit the silver coin emblem, as if tiny lightning flashed.
The rain was pouring down.
"I'm going to destroy this evil cult!"
Xu Qing's voice echoed between heaven and earth, moving and stirring.
(End of this chapter)