eurekapd Chapter 214 If you want to get rich, build roads first
Chapter 214 If you want to get rich, build roads first
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Nangong Wenrui looked at Xia Yichen in surprise.
Xia Yichen had invested in most of Wen Yuxia's businesses and made a lot of money. How could a hundred or two hundred silver notes make him lose his composure and even get so excited that he was about to shed tears?
Xia Yichen casually raised his hand and gently wiped the corner of his eye, which had no tears at all. His gesture was entirely deliberate, a ploy to trick Nangong Wenrui into contributing to the development of Great Xia.
Xia Yichen frowned slightly and said slowly in a low voice, "Mu Hua told me that if we want to become rich, we need to repair roads. The official roads in remote areas and the small paths between villages all need to be properly repaired."
Not only that, she also said that all the official roads and streets in the cities of the Great Xia should be paved with smooth and flat bluestone slabs... At this point, Xia Yichen couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"Oh dear, I never imagined that road construction would be such a costly project! Mu Hua has really put me in a difficult position! Young Master, Mu Hua is your wife, you must take responsibility for this. Hurry up and give me the money!"
After Xia Yichen finished speaking, he opened his palm and looked at Nangong Wenrui with anticipation.
Faced with Xia Yichen's sudden statement, Nangong Wenrui was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He thought to himself, "This is outright robbery! Shameless emperor, Xia Yichen is probably the only one of his kind in history!"
"Your Majesty, aren't those wealthy merchants in the capital just a flock of fat sheep you're raising? Don't you even know how to 'fleece' them?"
If you're short of money, go ask them! Why do you have to come to me, a humble servant who can only support his wife and children on his salary, to be so unreasonable?
In order to protect the Nangong family's finances, Nangong Wenrui stopped acting as the young master of the Nangong family and instead adopted the identity of the Marquis of Zhennan, indicating his inability to do anything about it.
Xia Yichen's lips curled slightly, and he said in a good mood, "I've succeeded. I've not only fleeced the fat sheep, but also the wool from all the officials in the capital. The only ones left are you and Mu Hua. If you don't believe me, go back and ask my Minister of Revenue."
The newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Wen Yunhong, donated a huge sum of 100,000 taels of silver, making him the largest donor among all the ministers.
Nangong Wenrui chuckled. Even that stingy Wen Yunhong had been swindled out of 100,000 taels of silver by Xia Yichen. It seemed Xia Yichen wouldn't give up until he and Wen Yuxia had borne some of the loss.
"Your Majesty, your subject and Mu Hua will each donate 100,000 taels of silver," Nangong Wenrui said casually.
Xia Yichen waved his hand and smiled, "I will invite Mu Hua to the palace to discuss how much she should donate. It might be a bit unreasonable for Young Master Nangong to donate 100,000."
Nangong Wenrui said coldly, "The money of the Nangong family and Muhua doesn't come from thin air. One price: we'll donate 500,000 taels of silver, and you'll return the 10% share of the wineries from various countries to me."
Having already secured the shares, Xia Yichen had no intention of backing out. After some haggling, Nangong Wenrui, representing the Nangong family, and Wen Yuxia donated 300,000 taels of silver to Da Xia.
Leaving the palace, Nangong Wenrui grinned slyly: "Xia Yichen, don't be too smug. I'll deduct that money from your share of the profits little by little."
When Nangong Wenrui returned to the Princess's residence, Wen Yuxia, who was looking at account books in her room, saw him and asked, "How was your trip to the palace today?"
Nangong Wenrui snorted and recounted what had happened. Wen Yuxia couldn't help but smile after listening, "His Majesty's actions were for the development of Great Xia, so don't hold a grudge."
Before Xia Yichen ascended the throne, he invited friends to a gathering at Yunyi Tower. At that time, Nangong Wenrui was busy buying land to plant fruit trees and build a winery, so he did not go to Yunyi Tower, but Wen Yuxia did.
The road construction issue was brought up at that time. Xia Yichen did not express his opinion at the time, and Wen Yuxia did not expect that the first thing Xia Yichen would do after ascending the throne was to build roads.
Nangong Wenrui disagreed, saying, "That doesn't mean you can scheme against us like that." Wen Yuxia asked with a smile, "Do you want to make money off Xia Yichen?"
"think,"
Wen Yuxia told Nangong Wenrui that in her previous life, there was a substance called cement that was very sturdy, whether used for paving roads or building houses. She didn't know the exact formula for cement, but she knew of an ancient method for making it.
Since the two revealed their secret to each other, Nangong Wenrui was the only one who knew that Wen Yuxia's soul had transmigrated to the Great Xia Dynasty, and that the past life Wen Yuxia spoke of was the place where she had once lived.
Nangong Wenrui had no doubt that the cement Wen Yuxia described was as good as she said. Instead, he started asking about the raw materials needed to make the cement: "Show me the list."
Wen Yuxia said with a faint smile, "This time, we're not bringing Xia Yichen or Yun Hong, just the two of us. We'll split the profits 50/50, the same old rule, and I'll contribute my skills as equity."
She was serious about business. The three raw materials needed for traditional cement production didn't require purchasing money, and Nangong Wenrui wouldn't have to contribute much capital. Therefore, she demanded a higher profit-sharing percentage than before.
Nangong Wenrui looked at Wen Yuxia with a doting expression and said, "It's up to you. Divide it however you want."
Wen Yuxia slowly explained how cement with a hardness comparable to rock could be made using limestone, volcanic ash, and pumice. She then described how limestone was burned into quicklime, how it was mixed with water to form wall plaster, and the specific proportions in which volcanic ash and pumice powder were added.
As Wen Yuxia spoke, she wrote down everything she said on paper: "When paving the road, the well-mixed cement is poured onto the ground. After it hardens, it becomes a solid road surface. Of course, to ensure a smooth surface, molds are used during paving."
Upon hearing about limestone, volcanic ash, and pumice powder, Nangong Wenrui smiled. He didn't need to send anyone to search for the raw materials; they were readily available within the small world.
Haha, thanks to the 300,000 taels of silver I donated to Xia Yichen this morning, because he did a good deed, a limestone mine and a volcano appeared in the small world, and there are many, many pumice stones around the volcano.
"Mu Hua, these three materials are available in the small world. Come on, I'll take you to see them," Nangong Wenrui said, pulling Wen Yuxia's hand as they headed towards the small world.
The couple successfully produced cement bricks after three experiments in the small world. Wen Yuxia said with a faint smile, "Brother Rui, go find Xia Yichen and give him the contract for the road construction of a city."
"Contracting?" Nangong Wenrui asked with a frown. Wen Yuxia explained softly, "It means that Xia Yichen paid for us to pave all the mountain roads, village roads, official roads, and city streets in the city that he entrusted to us with, with cement surfaces."
The cement was his exclusive property; he wouldn't share the formula with anyone, including Xia Yichen. Nangong Wenrui chuckled, "It's a solid, dust-free road surface."
Wen Yuxia smiled and said, "The ancient method of making cement has a simple formula, and it can only be used immediately after it's made, so there's really no need to tell the formula to outsiders."
A few days later, Nangong Wenrui entered the palace again and found Xia Yichen. "Your Majesty," he said, "the Nangong family has a way to pave the roads of a city in a short time. You can estimate the funds needed for a city. Once the money is in hand, construction can begin at any time."
After clarifying that it involved all roads within the entire city, Xia Yichen was extremely excited. He knew how massive the road construction project was, requiring a huge amount of manpower and resources, and how slow the progress could be. It was wonderful that Nangong Wenrui was willing to help.
"Wenrui, yesterday I received the road paving budget for Fancheng submitted by Yunhong, which is 200,000 taels of silver. I feel the budget is somewhat excessive and am prepared to reject it."
"Now, I'm offering you 180,000 taels of silver, and you'll be responsible for paving all the roads within Fancheng. Are you willing to take it on?" Being a businessman, Xia Yichen intended to negotiate a slightly lower price.
Nangong Wenrui chuckled inwardly. A business with no initial investment—180,000 taels of silver! He'd made a killing. Cement had no cost, and the Nangong family had plenty of manpower; he could even save on hiring fees.
"Your Majesty, the Nangong family will take this deal, which costs 190,000 taels of silver," Nangong Wenrui said solemnly.
"Deal," Xia Yichen said, fearing that Nangong Wenrui might change his mind. He immediately instructed Eunuch Zhang to draft a contract, stipulating that the money would be paid in two installments: 100,000 taels of silver before work began, and the remaining balance upon completion and acceptance.
Nangong Wenrui carefully reviewed the contract three times before saying, "Cross out the stone slab road section and replace it with a hard, flat, mud-free surface."
Xia Yichen asked with some doubt, "Isn't a stone-paved road just a hard, flat, mud-free surface? Is there any need to change it?" Nangong Wenrui calmly replied, "Change it, it must be changed."
Xia Yichen waved his hand speechlessly, indicating that Eunuch Zhang had drafted three new contracts according to Nangong Wenrui's request, and then had someone summon Wen Yunhong to the Imperial Study.
Wen Yunhong, who was notified to come and act as a witness and guarantor, was immediately asked to sign the contract by Xia Yichen without giving him a chance to speak as soon as he entered the room.
After signing, Wen Yunhong finally had a chance to look through the contract. When he saw that the amount written on the contract was 190,000 taels of silver, Wen Yunhong said with a wry smile:
"Your Majesty, the data submitted yesterday was 250,000 taels of silver. How could 190,000 taels of silver possibly be enough to repair all the roads in Fancheng?"
Xia Yichen slapped his forehead and said exaggeratedly, "I remembered it as two hundred thousand taels, and I even managed to lower the price for Wenrui. What am I going to do? The contract has already been signed!"
“Let’s void this one and sign a new one,” Wen Yunhong suggested. Xia Yichen shook his head: “No, the Nangong family keeps their word. Once a contract is signed, it cannot be voided.”
Nangong Wenrui said coldly, "If you don't want to re-sign, just say so. There's no need to beat around the bush." Xia Yichen laughed heartily, "You understand me best, Wenrui!"
After Wen Yunhong and Nangong Wenrui left the palace, Wen Yunhong suggested that the road leading out of the mountains be made as narrow as possible, which would save a lot of money.
Nangong Wenrui laughed and said, "Yunhong, don't worry, I won't do a losing business." Wen Yunhong nodded helplessly.
Nangong Wenrui summoned all the spare manpower from the Nangong family to Fancheng. The cement production site was set up in the black market, and road paving began simultaneously outside Fancheng and in the mountain villages.
Wen Yuxia instructed the Nangong family in making cement on the black market, while Nangong Wenrui was responsible for transporting the well-mixed cement to various locations.
All the elders of the Nangong family were mobilized to supervise the construction of each section of the road. The Nangong family worked enthusiastically for more than a month, and all the roads in Fancheng were transformed from dirt roads into cement roads.
Xia Yichen was very surprised to receive the news from Nangong Wenrui. The Ministry of Works typically takes at least a year to pave all the roads in a city, but Nangong Wenrui completed it in just over a month.
Xia Yichen led a large entourage of officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to Fancheng for inspection. At the border between the capital and Fancheng, he saw the road paved by Nangong Wenrui.
Seeing the smooth and even road surface, Xia Yichen was greatly impressed. He dismounted, walked forward, and stepped on it, finding the road surface to be very solid.
"A solid, level road, free of mud, Your Majesty. This road was indeed built according to the agreement," Wen Yunhong said respectfully.
Xia Yichen nodded repeatedly, "I am very satisfied. The Nangong family is indeed powerful. Yun Hong, pay the balance after you have inspected all the roads in Fancheng."
Xia Yichen instructed some of the accompanying officials to split up and check in the villages and mountain towns outside the city to see if the roads were the same as the ones they were currently facing.
He then led the remaining officials onward. Nangong Wenrui and his wife, waiting at the city gate, saw the smile on Xia Yichen's face and knew that the cement road had been approved by him.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," the couple bowed respectfully to Xia Yichen, who offered a slight gesture of support and smiled, "No need for formalities, please rise, you two meritorious officials."
After driving around the city, I listened to Wen Yuxia explain how the unevenness of the road surface, which doesn't have paved stones, becomes noticeable after prolonged use.
Xia Yichen was increasingly satisfied with the road surface and was thinking about how to pave such good roads all over the country. "Wenrui, do you still want to continue paving roads?"
Nangong Wenrui laughed and said, "As long as the money is in place, everything is negotiable."
Others might not understand the meaning behind Nangong Wenrui's words, but Xia Yichen knew perfectly well. "Don't worry, the next contract will be signed at the price Yunhong has estimated."
"Okay, let's discuss the next collaboration after we settle the final payment," Nangong Wenrui said, his face expressionless but his heart overflowing with joy.
In the afternoon, the officials who had inspected the roads in various villages returned to Fancheng and reported their findings to Xia Yichen. Xia Yichen was astonished by Nangong Wenrui's extravagant efforts.
In the deep mountains, wherever there were villages, the roads leading out of the mountains were all wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side. Thinking of the single-lane roads that the Ministry of Works had built in the mountains within the capital, Xia Yichen felt somewhat ashamed.
"Wenrui, I've thought about it. Let the Nangong family pave all the roads in the Great Xia territory that haven't been paved yet. For each city's road surface, I'll have Yunhong provide a fair estimate..."
Xia Yichen was very sincere; before paving the road, he would have Wen Yunhong give him a reasonable estimate, and he would never delay the final payment after the road was completed.
After a moment's thought, Nangong Wenrui said, "Deal."
After receiving the final payment and seeing Xia Yichen off, Nangong Wenrui and his wife returned to Muhua Garden. After a moment of contemplation, Wen Yuxia spoke:
"Brother Rui, let the local people do the road paving work. Except for the supervisors, all the other members of the Nangong family should go to the black market to get cement."
Nangong Wenrui said with a faint smile, "Okay."
Previously, the Nangong family could finish all the work when they only needed to pave roads in one city. Now that there are many cities to pave roads in, it is natural to hire workers to do the work.