LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 16 – Major Construction Project
Wu Gang's palace in Peng City was called Dragon God Palace. Although the name was decided, construction on the main palace hall had just begun.
"This is the architectural blueprint for Dragon God Palace's main hall. Please review it, Your Majesty and Duke Jin."
The Minister of Works presented the blueprint.
Before Xiang Ning could even take it, just glancing from afar, she felt the building would be magnificent and extraordinary.
"It's almost on par with my imperial palace." Xiang Ning muttered to herself, but she didn't really mind. After all, Wu Gang was a Greater Vehicles Realm expert who had attained dragonhood.
With the current situation of three competing countries, one strong and two weak, having a super powerful expert like Wu Gang guarding Chu was acceptable to Xiang Ning even if she was treated completely equal to the Emperor.
"Let me take a look." Fan Li had not forgotten his persona, arrogantly snatching the blueprint first.
Seeing this, Xiang Ning was furious! She had just started changing her opinion of him, but he still couldn't change his treacherous minister nature?!
"Reporting to Duke Jin, Dragon God Palace's specifications are extremely high, built to the standard of a Chu prince."
A prince?
That was quite a high standard indeed.
Fan Li also felt it was about right, even envious that Wu Gang had just arrived in Chu yet was allocated such a luxurious mansion.
"Although the Fan clan is large with vast assets, it only started from my ancestor Fan Zeng's generation gradually building up. Truly, comparing oneself to a dragon is vexing!"
Just as he was about to speak, Fan Li heard a 'ding' sound in his mind.
"New mission issued: Major Construction Project."
"Mission description: Overstep imperial authority and construct an ultra high-spec palace."
"Mission reward: x10 Cultivation Room, quantity 1."
"Reward description: Portable cultivation room, with spirit energy convergence speed 10x that of normal cultivation state."
Another mission?
Cultivation room?
What a great prize!
Fan Li had a clone take his place in cultivation, but who would dislike their own cultivation being more efficient? With just Body Refinement Realm 1st grade cultivation, the x10 Cultivation Room was exactly what Fan Li urgently needed!
"If Duke Jin is also satisfied, then this subordinate shall immediately begin construction..." The Minister of Works fawned.
"I'm not satisfied." Fan Li spoke and directly tore the blueprint in his hands into scraps of paper.
The Minister of Works was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a 'thud'! "Duke Jin, spare my life!"
Xiang Ning at the side watched this, confused. "What are you unsatisfied with?"
"The palace is too small, the beams too thin, the enclosing wall too short, in short I'm unsatisfied just looking at it!" Fan Li said.
In order to complete the system mission, Fan Li could only continue acting the villain.
The Minister of Works was shocked. "Duke Jin, based on the current standards, if we further expand the palace and raise the enclosing wall, then it would become... become..."
He didn't even dare speak the words that followed.
"It would become imperial palace standard." Xiang Ning finished in her heart for the Minister.
What a treacherous minister. As expected of a treacherous minister!
Xiang Ning felt fortunate that she had already mentally prepared herself. She sighed and said, "Redraw the blueprints based on imperial travel palace standards."
Xiang Ning was unexpectedly so accommodating that Fan Li was quite surprised. He glanced at Xiang Ning, while she only silently looked back without the anger from before.
"Imperial standards aren't enough, raise it by one more level." Fan Li said.
"Raise it further?" Even the Minister of Works showed confusion. Did Great Chu have standards above this?
Fan Li guessed his thoughts and kindly reminded, "Use the standards of the ancestral imperial temple, that should be about right."
He had to ensure completion of the system mission, so could only act more outrageously.
After all, major construction projects like palaces didn't come every day.
"You...!?" Xiang Ning was instantly angered to the point of fuming!
She had already proactively made concessions, yet Fan Li's demands were too excessive! A guardian beast's palace actually on the same level as her ancestral temple?
What was this?
Equating Great Chu's successive emperors to a beast?
" Dragon God Palace is for Wu Gang, so why is Fan Li so concerned about it? He won't even live in Dragon God Palace..."
Suddenly, Xiang Ning recalled Wu Gang's transformed human appearance, also an unparalleled beauty with exceptional temperament.
"Could it be you covet Wu Gang's beauty?!" Xiang Ning blurted out.
Hearing this, Fan Li's old face turned red. If not for Xiang Ning's reminder, he had almost forgotten about Wu Gang's gender.
This was truly a false accusation! But Fan Li was too lazy to explain, only coldly saying: "Your Majesty is young and should not make decisions on many state affairs, rather listen more to your ministers' advice. Don't you recall what was said in Li Guang's Memorial on the Western Expedition, that Your Majesty should also plan for yourself, to ask for and adopt good counsel, and to examine and accept elegant advice."
"Don't use Li Guang's Memorial, that essay wasn't even originally written by you!" Xiang Ning angrily retorted.
But Fan Li only smiled. "That was indeed the profound words and grand principles of the ancient sages and worthies, so Your Majesty should listen even more, otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?!" The more Xiang Ning thought about it, the angrier she became. Her mind was full of imaginary scenes in the future completed Dragon God Palace, with Fan Li and Wu Gang privately meeting.
Was Great Chu spending endless manpower and resources just to provide a love nest for this treacherous villain?
‘Going three days without a beating makes one try to dismantle the roof beams.’ Fan Li thought to himself.
The little emperor's memory was too poor, actually forgetting the Fan clan already dominated Chu's court and politics. How could this insignificant Chu emperor even dare speak loudly to me?
"Otherwise, I will be very unhappy. If I'm unhappy, the Fan clan's businesses will also be unhappy. "If the Fan businesses are unhappy, tax revenues for the national treasury will sharply decline, and then military provisions cannot be paid out. Without military provisions, the 100,000 garrison troops guarding Peng City will be even more unhappy. Discontented soldiers will cause trouble. By then, I'll be too upset to manage things if that happens."
Fan Li finished speaking and calmly watched Xiang Ning.
Xiang Ning also didn't speak, only her eyes gradually turned red, moistened, and began to shed tears.
The Minister of Works at the side watched this with heart pounding furiously!
So this Great Chu's mountains and rivers had long become Chancellor... no, Duke Jin's realm!
‘When is Duke Jin planning to rebel? I want to be a from-dragon official.’ The Minister silently thought.
Fan Li estimated he had frightened the little emperor stiff. He turned and asked the Minister, "Based on what I just said, redraw the blueprints and start work. Any issues?"
"No issues, Duke Jin please be at ease!"
Having found a new goal in life, the Minister of Works suddenly kowtowed three times and prostrated nine times before Fan Li, not even glancing at the little emperor.
Fan Li scratched his nose, wondering how many kowtows was that just now. Seemed like he didn't need to kowtow that many times?
"Alright, go busy yourself. Once the palace is built, I'll personally go inspect it." Fan Li waved his hand for the Minister to withdraw.
With the cultivation world's speed, palace construction was extremely fast. He estimated completion before the Three Emperors' Alliance, only then could he finish the mission and claim the reward.
Returning to the Fan manor, Fan Li encountered Wu Gang temporarily staying there.
"Dragon God Palace will begin construction very soon. It won't be long before you can move in." Fan Li casually said.
"Oh." Wu Gang nodded.
Other than Undying Pellets, she had little interest in anything else.
Fan Li then absentmindedly muttered, "I scared the little emperor to tears today, wonder why he's so prone to crying at that age?"
"It's normal for a woman her age to cry,” said Wu Gang.
"Oh." Fan Li responded, then paused.
"Wait... what did you just say… woman?"