If Oliver Sheng knew what Finn Chen was thinking, he would definitely praise him: “Not bad, you have the potential to be a real estate mogul.”
“Not bad, it’s alright!” Oliver nodded.
This was almost equivalent to half a year’s income from the distillery.
“Keep ten million taels here for the prefecture office. Use it for the construction of River West City, other military fortresses in the River West Protectorate, and the straight roads,” Oliver instructed, leaving ten million taels of silver for the operation of the River West Protectorate.
In the vast expanse of the River West grasslands, River West City was the only city.
Over at the Moran grasslands, county towns and garrisons also needed to be established, all of which required money.
“Set aside another ten million taels to be handed over to the imperial court,” Oliver added.
“Yes, my lord!” Finn Chen nodded.
Paying taxes to the court was unavoidable. Given the grand scale of their operations, it was impossible to hide it from the Empress’s eyes. It was better to be proactive and hand over the court’s share.
To keep the Empress’s mouth shut.
“Wang Zhan!” Oliver called.
“General!” Wang Zhan entered.
“Tell the Hu brothers to collect spiritual herbs from all over the world, money is no object,” Oliver ordered.
“Yes, General.” Wang Zhan left to relay Oliver’s military orders.
With so much money, it was either used to make more money or spent to convert it into resources to enhance strength.
Oliver instructed his men to purchase large quantities of spiritual herbs, preparing to refine pills to boost his subordinates’ strength.
The pills exchanged from the Pill Sect with wine were no longer sufficient for his commanders’ cultivation.
As his forces grew, the pills from the Pill Sect could no longer keep up. After all, the Pill Sect’s pills had to supply countless forces across the three nations.
It was impossible for them to provide exclusively for Oliver!
……
Soon, the auction results from River West City spread, shocking countless people.
Not only did it fetch a terrifying price of fifty to sixty million taels, but a Martial Saint-level cultivation method was also auctioned.
“My God, just some shops, and they sold for so much money!”
“Over fifty million, how much silver is that?”
People with limited imagination couldn’t even fathom how much silver that was.
“It could be piled into a mountain.”
“I can’t even imagine what a mountain of silver looks like.”
“Say, do those wealthy merchants have such high hopes for River West City?”
“With the golden trade route to the Western Regions open, River West City is the dazzling jewel on this route, with limitless potential.”
The martial artists of Great Wei were in an uproar, many of them filled with regret.
A Martial Saint-level cultivation method was auctioned, and they missed it.
“Damn it, a Martial Saint-level cultivation method, and I missed it.”
“Don’t be upset, you couldn’t afford it even if you went.”
“So many people pursue Martial Saint-level cultivation methods, and it was auctioned off. That Oliver Sheng is truly extravagant.”
The martial world was also shaken by the appearance of a Martial Saint-level cultivation method.
Luo Capital, the Imperial Palace!
The Shadow Guards quickly delivered the news to Empress Hazel Han.
Empress Hazel Han’s phoenix eyes widened as she read the report from the Shadow Guards.
“F… fifty million taels of silver?!” Empress Hazel Han was filled with shock and disbelief.
Just auctioning some shops, and it made so much money?
For a moment, Hazel Han also had an idea.
If she had over fifty million taels of silver at her disposal, maybe she could secretly build a strong army too.
“With so much money, Oliver, you won’t be skimping on the taxes owed to the court, will you?” Hazel Han muttered.
Great Wei had thirty-six provinces, a vast territory, and enormous national expenditures. Money was needed everywhere, and Minister of Revenue Jasper Zuo was always complaining about the lack of funds.
Seeing Oliver Sheng’s ability to make money, Hazel Han even considered bringing him back to the Capital to serve as the Minister of Revenue.
River West City was bustling for several days. The wealthy merchants who won the auction for the shops began mobilizing their resources to renovate and prepare for business.
Meanwhile, the large trading companies, already prepared, began forming caravans to head to the Western Regions.
The entire River West City visibly became busier.
Caravans carrying large quantities of goods arrived at River West City to restock.
After handling the auction, Finn Chen started focusing on the construction of the straight roads.
Oliver directly ordered Wesley Hu to lead the army and supervise tens of thousands of Barbarian captives in building the roads.
Building the straight roads was a massive project, and many people from Ding Prefecture saw the business opportunity and came to discuss providing various supplies with Finn Chen.
The bustling scene in River West City made the wealthy merchants who bought the shops even more confident in their investment.
Oliver delegated all the tasks and then went into seclusion to cultivate.
Simultaneously, large amounts of gold and silver were spent to purchase countless herbs. In his spare time, Oliver began refining pills.
He refined pills for cultivation from the first to the seventh tier, including breakthrough pills. As his experience and techniques improved, the success rate of pill refinement increased.
A large number of pills were refined and distributed to his subordinates for cultivation.
……
Half a month later, under the escort of a thousand heavy cavalry, ten million taels of silver were delivered to Luo Capital.
At the gates of Luo Capital, the guarding soldiers, seeing the menacing heavy cavalry, were on high alert, their hairs standing on end.
“Stop, who goes there? This is the Capital,” the guarding Colonel shouted, ordering his men to prepare to close the gates.
Deng Wei waved his hand, signaling the army to halt, then pointed to the battle flag.
On the battle flag, a black-patterned, gold-edged “Sheng” character fluttered in the wind.
The Colonel of the Five-City Military Command, Yuan Lang, seeing the “Sheng” character on the flag, realized that these must be the soldiers under Oliver Sheng.
He had been so shocked by the aura of the heavy cavalry that he focused on them and overlooked this detail.
He had heard that Oliver Sheng had an invincible heavy cavalry, and this must be part of it.
Looking at the heavy cavalry, their thick armor gleaming coldly, each soldier’s gaze was icy and bloodthirsty, all of them at least at the Martial Master realm.
Yuan Lang couldn’t help but swallow hard. These were indeed the elite soldiers who followed Oliver Sheng in his campaigns against the Foreign Tribes. Among this thousand-man unit, there were ten Postnatal Realm experts, all stronger than him.
The leading general seemed to be a Prenatal Realm expert.
“Are you the heavy cavalry under Oliver Sheng? What brings you to the Capital?” Yuan Lang asked as a formality.
Even soldiers under Oliver Sheng couldn’t enter the Capital at will.
“We are here under the General’s orders to deliver ten million taels of silver to Luo Capital. Here is the General’s letter of authority,” Deng Wei presented Oliver Sheng’s letter.
Yuan Lang stepped forward, took the letter, and saw Oliver Sheng’s seal on it.
“General, please!” Yuan Lang returned the letter and said to Deng Wei.
“Let them pass!”
The people at the gate, seeing this elite unit, were filled with fear. The soldiers’ murderous aura was so intense that just a glance made one shudder.
But when they heard that they were escorting ten million taels of silver, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
“Ten million taels of silver?!”
The residents, common people, and merchants at the gate all had their expressions change.
Many had a flash of greed in their eyes.
But they quickly regained clarity.
That was something sent by Oliver Sheng. Who would dare touch his belongings? That would be a death wish for their entire clan.
Everyone in Great Wei knew of Oliver Sheng’s ruthless reputation, slaughtering tens of thousands of Foreign Tribes without batting an eye.
Looking at the carts filled with boxes, all containing silver?
Deng Wei led the troops, escorting the silver into the city. No one dared to approach, as the soldiers’ eyes were filled with killing intent, as if anyone who came close would be cut down.
The Empress, in the middle of a court session, was informed that Oliver Sheng had sent ten million taels of silver, which had already entered the city.
Empress Hazel Han was so excited that she left the court session and headed to the palace gates with her courtiers.
Deng Wei led the troops, transporting cartloads of silver to the palace gates.
Seeing the Empress in her dragon robe, Deng Wei cupped his fists in salute.
“Deng Wei of the River West Army greets Your Majesty!”
The heavy cavalry also saluted.
“Greetings, Your Majesty!”
Hazel Han looked at the thousand heavy cavalry, their iron-blooded aura marking them as elite soldiers.
So these were Oliver Sheng’s heavy cavalry? They were indeed elite, even stronger than her imperial guards.
“At ease, soldiers,” Hazel Han raised her hand.
“Open them!” Deng Wei ordered.
The soldiers opened the boxes on the carts.
Row after row of boxes filled with silver were opened, the dazzling silver reflecting in the eyes of the courtiers.
It was blinding!
Over ten million taels of silver, hundreds to thousands of boxes, the impact was unimaginable.
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