LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 28
At the gates of the Capital City, a soldier was posting an imperial edict.
The posting of an imperial edict signified that something significant had occurred, and the surrounding commoners all gathered around.
“Mister soldier, what does it say on there? There are so many characters!”
“I can’t read. Can you read it out for me?”
“Has something big happened again?”
After the soldier finished posting the imperial notice, he turned to face the curious crowd and bellowed, “Listen well, for this is a matter of great fortune!”
“Due to the earth dragon turning over, many mineral deposits have been discovered, and thus the imperial court is recruiting 100,000 people to mine! As long as you follow orders and work hard without complaint, you will receive a monthly wage of 300 wen!” (TLN: Wen” (文) is a unit of coins currency that was historically used in China.)
“Furthermore, the imperial court will also provide two meals a day! This is a rare opportunity, so come and sign up!”
This news instantly caused a stir among those present.
“What? The imperial court is calling us to mine, and we’ll get a monthly income of 300 wen?”“That’s a lot of money! I can’t earn that much even in two months!”
“And it even includes meals, two meals a day!”
“This is indeed a great opportunity, I must sign up!”
In an instant, the common people were excited, a surge of emotion rippling through the crowd.
You see, for ordinary folks like them, working hard for a whole month might earn them just 200 wen, and 300 wen was considered a high salary. And now, to have meals included, two meals a day—what a dream job this was!
“Sir, is what you’re saying true? Can we really earn 300 wen a month by mining, and it includes meals?”
The soldier tapped on the imperial announcement, smiling, “This is the imperial edict, personally issued by His Majesty. How could it be false? What do you think? As long as you can endure hardship, you might even earn a bit more!”
“Yes, yes, yes… You’re absolutely right, Commander!” Everyone was overjoyed.
“Commander, I’m signing up right now!”
“I’m young, I have great stamina, I can do a lot of work, pick me!”
“I’m especially good at enduring hardship…”
Everyone was clamoring to sign up, eager to land the job.
“Silence! Everyone, be quiet! There are still more things to announce!”
The soldier shouted loudly, “This time, the imperial court has issued a conscription for 100,000 people to go mining, and another 200,000 to clear and cultivate the land! Those who work on the land will receive a monthly income of 200 wen, and they will also be provided with food and lodging!”
Few were tempted, after all, a monthly income of only 200 wen was not much, especially when it meant leaving their homes behind, and it was far less appealing compared to mining.
At that moment, the soldier continued to announce, “The grain harvested from the cleared land can be shared with you, with 50% as an incentive!”
“What? We can also get grain?”
“Fifty percent? Such favorable terms?”
“That’s incredibly enticing!”
Everyone became excited once again.
For the common people, the most important thing is still food!
With food, there’s no panic in their hearts.
And reclaiming wasteland not only provides wages and meals but also yields fifty percent of the crops harvested—it’s simply a fantastic opportunity!
Therefore, many people were tempted.
“I’ve decided to go reclaim the wasteland!”
“I want to sign up, I’m especially good at farming!”
“Commander, choose me!”
“Silence, silence! There’s one last thing to announce!”
The soldier continued to proclaim loudly: “We are also conducting conscription this time, recruiting 300,000 soldiers, ranging in age from 16 to 30! As long as you are physically able, with no diseases, you can come and register!”
“Our military pay has increased, it is now 500 wen per month! If you perform exceptionally and achieve meritorious deeds, there will be additional rewards, such as land and so on. The more merits you earn, the more you will receive, with no upper limit!”
The people were once again stirred up with excitement.
“The military pay is so high, I meet the criteria, I’m going to join the army!”
“To gallop across the battlefield, to achieve great deeds!”
“This is truly a man’s dream!”
That day, the imperial edict turned the Xia Kingdom upside down.
The common people of the entire Xia Kingdom had a sleepless night filled with excitement and exhilaration. Some considered becoming miners, some thought about becoming farmers to reclaim the land, and some contemplated enlisting in the army…
But no matter which occupation they chose, they were bound to reap the rewards.
And this matter was radiating out to the neighboring kingdom at an unbelievable speed, leaving everyone in shock.
“What kind of mess has that little foolish emperor gotten into now?”
“He’s recruiting 100,000 miners, 200,000 pioneer farmers, and 300,000 soldiers… and he’s offering high wages! It all adds up to at least 200,000 taels of silver a month, which means he needs 2.4 million taels a year. Can he really afford such wages?”
“The annual income of the Xia Kingdom’s national treasury is only a little over 2 million taels. With him playing around like this, won’t the national treasury collapse?”
“What I’m more concerned about is the fact that he’s providing food as well. Does he have that much grain?”
“There’s no need to think too much about it. This foolish emperor is definitely up to his usual nonsense. He can’t seem to rest easy without causing some sort of trouble!”
“I just want to see how he’s going to bring about his own downfall and that of the Xia Kingdom!”
Many people were mocking Lin Beifan, laughing at his expense.
However, the common folk were very tempted.
Because the wages Lin Beifan offered were too high, at least thirty to forty percent more than their usual jobs, and it included meals, which meant they could save a considerable amount of money.
The money saved could then be used to build houses and find wives.
Thus, many commoners headed towards the Xia Kingdom with hopeful hearts.
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