diymy Chapter 34 Fructus Felicis
Chapter 34 Fructus Felicis
Tianjin, the backyard of the Palace of Saints.
Si Chen moved his residence here.
The front courtyard was bustling with incense offerings. Centered on the nine-story platform where the main hall, dedicated to the Yellow Emperor Taiyi, was located, the buildings on the left and right were well-arranged. This place was separated from the temple dedicated to all people by only one wall.
In just two days, the Palace of Saints, originally built of brick and stone, was also tinged with a brilliant emerald color.
On sunny days.
From the roof to the columns, countless rainbows are refracted in the sunlight.
"You mean, someone is manipulating grain prices?" Si Chen examined the jade fragment in his hand.
Cao Youyi wiped the sweat from his brow. Upon receiving the message from the Tiger Guards, he dared not delay and hurriedly traveled dozens of miles to report, "Yes, sir, the price of grain has recently doubled."
Si Chen's hands were steady as he used the Samadhi True Fire of the Six Ding Divine Generals to repeatedly burn the jade-like fragments. "Sit down and talk. What's the rush?"
"Aren't we fed enough? The fish in the granary has been pickled and dried. There are fresh fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse; we're just short of manpower."
"Has the Haihe River canal been dredged completely?"
"And then there's the construction of the new Tianjin city, which involves countless tasks."
"It's just some silver; let them take it."
Before the ice melts, Si Chen will dredge the Haihe River, ensuring unobstructed passage from the Sanchahekou to Dagukou, thus gaining control of this outlet to the sea.
The jade slowly melted in Si Chen's hands.
It transforms into a cool liquid with a unique fragrance.
Cao Youyi stared blankly, his index finger twitching as he looked at the drop of liquid. "Your Excellency, why do I find this so tempting?"
Si Chen tilted his head and glanced at it. "What's the rush? This thing can only be melted by Samadhi True Fire. Find a death row inmate to try it out."
Ding Chou, dressed in purple, approached, holding the imperial seal. "Let me take the position."
Si Chen looked at them in surprise, only to see that the Six Ding and Six Jia in the Palace of the Saints had sensed it and were waiting outside the door.
The twelve guardians said, "This exotic fragrance is extremely alluring."
"Fine, you come here." Si Chen pointed.
Ding Chou clenched his fists loosely and swallowed it impatiently.
In no time, the attack began, his face glowed, sweat poured down his face, and fine emerald scales grew rapidly on his skin.
Ding Chou slowly opened his eyes. "Your Excellency, this item has healing properties."
The Jiazi Divine General suddenly cupped his hands in congratulations, saying, "Congratulations on your ascension to the position and the acquisition of divine treasures."
Cao Youyi then realized with a start, "This is all thanks to the good fortune bestowed by those in power."
Si Chen slowly gazed at the jade liquid in his hand, then casually distributed it to everyone. "I never expected that it would need to be tempered with Samadhi Divine Fire. This makes it very difficult to mine."
Jadeite veins, which are normally difficult to process, possess such extraordinary qualities.
This is mostly due to the supernatural powers possessed by Si Chen.
Even the last rays of light from the "longevity and long life" can have such an effect.
Si Chen looked at his almost flawless palms; the effects of the blood were probably even more pronounced.
This is walking immortal flesh!
Still basking in the joy of having found a life-saving item, the crowd quickly realized their mistake and were filled with regret. "It's a pity that most of the current Torchbearers and Ash Warriors are useless, all talk and no action. Where can we recruit any usable Torchbearers right now?"
"Moreover, given their temperament, they wouldn't even consider such a trivial task."
The Torchbearer should be high above others. The Samadhi Divine Fire is a weapon used for intimidation and a symbol of status. He also serves as a landlord to govern his clan and a merchant with financial power to amass wealth.
How could I possibly work as a miner for Si Chen?
For them, this was a blatant humiliation.
Everyone looked around and suddenly realized that the Great Teacher's subordinates were all warriors, with only the Six Ding Divine Generals being considered half civil officials.
Moreover, no one would feel comfortable handing over such a core industry to an outsider.
"Why don't we kidnap a Jinshi? We won't have to worry about him disagreeing."
"What kind of crooked idea?"
"No, no, that's not right." Si Chen slowly shook his head.
It's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality. This kind of secret can only be kept in Si Chen's hands. Besides, possessing such a treasure is a crime. If it were to be leaked, things would get really interesting here.
Ding Chou said, "Sir, leave this matter to me."
He always felt that these derived mineral veins had other uses.
Seeing everyone's eager expressions, Si Chen said, "My mind is made up. The Six Ding Generals will take turns on duty."
After saying that, all six Ding and six Jia turned their gazes toward Cao Youyi.
Cao Youyi immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and the atmosphere froze for a moment. Si Chen waved his hand, and everyone dispersed.
Si Chen turned to Jiazi Divine General and ordered, "These days, pay attention to Cao Youyi's every move, including his elite troops. You can decide how to deal with them yourself."
Jiazi nodded. "Your subject understands."
Si Chen turned his head and watched the jade droplets gradually solidify. He gently tapped them, and they made a tinkling sound.
"After melting, take out 50% and dilute it 10 times, store it in the treasury as a medicine, and from now on call it the Felix Felicis, in case of emergency."
"Let's try adding silver powder to the remaining 50% while it's melting. Maybe we can forge it into a weapon."
It's a bit of a shame that such excellent physical properties are wasted.
Moreover, powerful and vigorous psychic cultivators can use it as medicine when necessary.
The six Ding and six Jia stared at Si Chen and nodded firmly.
"Ascend."
"The generals in Changping and Miyun are frequently being transferred."
"And there are a large number of Divine Warriors moving around Tianjinwei."
Si Chen waved his hand. "Don't worry about them. How many decent young men are left to choose from?"
Jia Chen said, "Besides Weicheng, we selected two thousand strong men from among the refugees, but they all already had some part-time jobs in agriculture. After all, having such skills is essential for surviving longer during the migration of refugees."
"After this period of investigation, we also discovered that some of the displaced people were also working as bandits and thieves."
"Bandits advance by burning, killing, and looting, while thieves base their profession on theft."
"We have executed the three hundred bandits on the spot."
"More than two hundred thieves were imprisoned in the dungeon, awaiting their fate."
The best army seed is the miner, for although among all trades, the miner possesses the divine power of being proficient in machinery.
Si Chen looked at the names marked in bold red on the list and felt a headache coming on.
"Those who have taken on part-time agricultural duties, remove them all, and each find a plot of land for a greenhouse so they can put their skills to use."
"Let the experienced ones mentor the new ones. Tell those officials in charge of agriculture, 'Didn't they say they were short of people? If we train a few of these idiots to become competent, we won't have to work so hard.'"
While military strength is important, it's unwise to send farmers to fight armored warriors. They would be at a disadvantage as time went on, as they were inherently lacking in a crucial combat skill.
The Six Ding Gods held the document and carried out Si Chen's instructions.
"What should we do with those thieves?"
"At least it has dexterity."
Si Chen shook his head. "On a large battlefield, an individual's role is negligible; they become increasingly useless as the battle progresses."
"The death penalty may be spared, but punishment is inevitable; send them all away."
"I have other uses for the rest of them. I'll take them to train in the camp first."
He actively recruited respectable people from good families who were not engaged in legitimate occupations, but it was necessary to crack down hard on those who did not engage in legitimate occupations.
There is no harm without comparison.
"Have there been any thefts or robberies in the city these days?" Si Chen asked again.
Liu Ding presented a red ledger. "It happens from time to time, but it's all been dealt with. Our unified mess hall follows the same rules as the military camp, and each area is supervised by Yu Lin Guards carrying apricot-yellow flags. No one will ever go hungry."
"It's impossible to please everyone; there will always be some people who feel like they're being treated like dirt."
Each person is assigned to a different area.
It's clear at a glance.
This brought all the hidden households of the various powerful clans under the control of the Water Palace.
"Try to adjust the allocation."
"Even the emperor doesn't lack hungry soldiers. I don't want anyone talking behind my back."
"There's only one bottom line: don't let anyone starve to death, and don't let anyone get sick from the food. If the cook's cooking isn't good, replace him."
Everyone listened intently; this was a policy open to everyone.
Si Chen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Add one drop of Felix Felicis to each large area."
"Isn't this a bit too extravagant?" Everyone suddenly looked up.
Si Chen chuckled lightly, "No one says anything about how much I eat, drink, and spend on myself, but don't treat them like they're not human."
"Stop immediately from the construction of the palace you are preparing for me."
"People are not worried about scarcity but about inequality. Gratitude is only temporary. Right now, they are probably cursing me in their hearts. Don't keep thinking about these useless things."
"Whoever knowingly violates the rules will be punished."