With the people's support behind them, utterly crushing and defeating a once victorious but now much-weakened Fate’s Son... it really couldn’t have been more easy and enjoyable. In just two years, all three Fate’s Sons were "recycled," and even the World Will was highly satisfied. “Money well spent! Next time, I'm just going to blindly pick Fate’s Sons without even reading the background info!”
Normally speaking, the World Will preferred to choose “half-finished products” with significant innate fortune when picking the Fate’s Sons—those already carrying thick destinies. But just as anyone can make mistakes, even a genius who has gathered fortune over several lifetimes can still fall into a pit after being picked as a Fate’s Son.
The World Will was in a great mood and added, “When ordinary people make mistakes, it doesn’t really affect the grand scheme of things. But when a Fate’s Son I chose falls into a pit, I have to yell for help!”
Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing both laughed and began telling anecdotes from the various Task worlds they’d experienced. The World Will was delighted. “All the fortune I’ve recovered, I’ll give to you both.”
Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing exchanged smiles: truly a model client.
After taking care of the three wayward Fate’s Sons, Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing pressed onward with their plans.
Thanks to two consecutive years of bountiful harvests, not only were the cellars and storage rooms of farmers and gentry bursting at the seams, but even the Ministry of Revenue and the Inner Court’s huge granaries were filled to capacity.
The new granaries were still under construction, but it was clear they wouldn’t be ready in time for the next autumn harvest.
And the Capital and the surrounding four provinces all planted single-season rice...
With two consecutive years of bumper crops, the price of grain—especially staple grains—had dropped by about half compared to before Qin Jingzhou’s new land laws were implemented, even by conservative estimates.
As the saying goes, “Cheap grain hurts the farmer.” The two knew they had to intervene.
Starting this year, the Mercenary Corps going to the Western Regions and the Northern Steppe would go twice a year: departing from the Capital in spring and returning at the start of summer, then heading out again at summer’s end and returning near autumn’s end.
The Mercenary Corps would bring back large quantities of precious metals and livestock. Qin Jingzhou saw that the time had come to introduce a grain protection price—not only could farmers sell their grain to the Inner Court at this guaranteed price, but they could also use grain at the protection price to buy livestock and tools.
Of course, livestock and tools would be sold at market price; using grain as payment wouldn’t let prices be hiked up on the spot.
With warehouses already overflowing, the grain the farmers sold... was taken straight to the new workshops they’d just built.
From their point of view, food processing factories weren’t worth any less than cotton or woolen mills. Moreover, producing animal feed also fell under the remit of the food factory.
So by late summer, giant butter biscuits, spicy salted flatbread crisps, crunchy chili rice crackers, White Rabbit milk toffees, spicy sticks, and sugar-soaked candied mixed fruits all hit the market. From high officials and nobility to commoners, everyone’s curiosity was piqued, and they scrambled to buy some to try.
These classic snacks, which had always been popular back in Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing’s hometown, quickly won over the vast majority of people in Great Zhou.
The food processing factory made an impressive debut. Like the cotton and woolen mills, it was running at full capacity with more orders than it could handle. Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing immediately decided to set up branch factories.
It had to be said, when it came to jobs, enlisting in the army paid best, followed by working on infrastructure with the Inner Court or Ministry of Works officials. Factory work paid the least. Yet even the lowest-faring factory job paid at least one and a half times what the average peasant made in a year, not counting extra benefits. And all the factories hired women.
Because of this, people in the Capital felt it was a matter of pride if they themselves, their spouses, or children could get a job in a factory.
Incidentally, among dozens of factories, the cotton and woolen mills were the most highly sought after—because in addition to pay and bonuses, they also gave workers their own cotton and wool fabrics as benefits. The cloth these factories produced was thick and soft; even wealthy official families had to reserve it in advance if they wanted any.
After this “battle,” the food factory seemed poised to surpass the others, because it too gave out its own products as benefits.
Whether it was biscuits or candy, everything could be used as a present... not to mention sold for cash!
As Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing gradually opened new branches throughout the surrounding four provinces, more and more people started flocking over in large numbers, regardless of whose Noble Clan territory they hailed from.
The Capital and these adjoining four provinces were in the northeast of Great Zhou. Compared to the south, the Noble Clans out west were always physically closer, so they saw with their own eyes how the Emperor was pouring his heart and soul into governance, even achieving what could truly be called a golden age. The Crown Prince’s health steadily improved, making it clear that he’d make a wise ruler in the future. They thought about how they or their families owed their lives to the miraculous medicines crafted by Dian Lanyu, and after much discussion, they decided to prostrate themselves before the Emperor in loyalty.
Qin Jingzhou never intended to wipe out every Noble Clan and noble titleholder. The plan was always to recruit some and battle others. When the western clans proved so tactful, he happily accepted them, as long as their submission was genuine and they were willing to change.
So he had his son Xuan Qing make a personal visit, bringing the Imperial Guards to assess the situation.
It turned out that not every Noble Clan in the west was willing to yield.
Xuan Qing and the Imperial Guards paid visits to every rebellious clan in person. After that, everyone was suddenly very loyal to the Emperor and understood the bigger picture.
By year’s end, the region Qin Jingzhou could effectively control now covered the Capital and sixteen provinces.
The western provinces of Great Zhou were vast but sparsely populated, very different from Qin Jingzhou’s homeland. They were unsuited for farming or animal husbandry... but they did have mines, with gold, silver, copper, iron, nickel, zinc, aluminum, cobalt, and titanium all present, and none too hard to extract.
Ling Jing finished reading Xuan Qing’s report and grinned, dimples showing. “Looks like we’ve struck gold this time!”
Qin Jingzhou laughed as well. “The western provinces aren’t fit for farming, but they are perfect for growing spices and many common medicinal herbs.”
Thus, the people of the western provinces found themselves set on a brand new path to prosperity.
Witnessing daily progress in the west, the clans and gentry of the southwest could no longer bear it. Although the western clans were forced by Imperial decree to turn over most of their farms and mines, the few families who’d been especially proactive had already built factories with guidance from the Inner Court and Ministry of Works officials.
Factories, actual factories!
Meanwhile, truly “Capital” goods in the southwest cost ten times as much and were still in short supply!
As soon as the topic of factories came up, the clans of the southwest couldn’t take it lightly. After some hesitation, seeing that only the families who’d had close dealings with the Wei family lost a few young men—and they clearly deserved it, while the rest of the clan was untouched and still able to sit Imperial exams—they couldn’t sit still any longer. They decisively cut public ties with the southern clans and wrote up petitions declaring loyalty.
After that, they too got to welcome the Crown Prince and one hundred thousand elite Imperial Guards.
The Noble Clans of the southwest were actually stronger than those to the west, so there were even more families willing to spar and “really test” the new regime, even if their loyalty was still only for show.
And the result?
The result was that the number of provinces under Qin Jingzhou’s de facto control rose to twenty-nine.
The southwest now fully belonged to the Emperor Jiang Jingzhou... The southern clans and nobles were thoroughly rattled this time. If they didn’t fight back now, they’d never have another chance.
Yet after losing the thirty-thousand-strong army built up over generations, many took to wanton pleasure-seeking and abandoned themselves to dissipation.
Now at a desperate juncture, expecting them to suddenly rally to action was not very realistic.
But neither Qin Jingzhou nor Ling Jing had planned to finish it all in one swoop. The eleven southern provinces accounted for about half the population of Great Zhou—even after years of families moving north for better opportunities.
No matter what, he now had people and money. He could simply encircle these clans instead of attacking, and just wear them down. That alone would be enough.
In fact, the common people didn’t even give him a chance to drag things out. What did it mean to win the hearts of the people?
When Xuan Qing and Jiang Tongqing led two hundred thousand Imperial Guards south, they got to experience firsthand what “holding out food and drink to welcome the king’s army” meant. And once they neared the Prefecture Capital long held by the third Fate’s Son, the general and his troops voluntarily opened the gates...
When news reached the Capital, the now-successfully “transcended tribulation” eunuch Number Three let out a sigh. “I knew it. A total wipeout.”
He went back to writing his memoirs, which doubled as his confessions.
Centuries later, this notebook of Number Three would be one of the most authoritative sources for research into the life of Zhou Shizong, Emperor Wen, Jiang Jingzhou...