Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 481 - 54: Bestow Rewards, Exchange Lands, Promote Officials, Fortune Golden Dragon! (6K)_3

Chapter 481: Chapter 54: Bestow Rewards, Exchange Lands, Promote Officials, Fortune Golden Dragon! (6K)_3

"As far as I know, the bulk of the Marquis’s feudal land this time is placed in Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, with only a few in the inland areas. The quality of the land is converted proportionally, so it’s a matter of luck," Xia Jing was the first to speak as he was most familiar with the matter.

"Is there room for manipulation within this?" Zhao Xing asked.

Xia Jing nodded: "Yes."

"For the likes of us, who do not rely on feudal land for our titles as Marquis, we are a cut above and have room for negotiation."

"Those who are bonded to their titles and feudal land, however, have no choice, no options to select from."

Zhao Xing nodded: "Can I exchange all of it for land in the inland areas?"

Xia Jing looked puzzled: "Why would you want to do that?"

"In the short term, the land may not be as good as that in the inland areas, but in the long run, as Great Zhou continues to thrive, Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion will become fertile ground."

"Because when the time comes, policies will inevitably focus on the development of Yingyuan Prefecture, and the value of these lands will appreciate."

Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, too, looked at Zhao Xing with surprise.

They had never considered the possibility of Great Zhou suffering defeat in the war and eventually losing half of Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion.

It’s been an overwhelming victory now, with tens of thousands of miles of territory expanded in less than two years!

In a few more years, it’s quite possible that the Southern Barbarians would be vanquished, and Yingyuan Prefecture would surely appreciate in value. So why exchange it?

Zhao Xing originally wanted to brush them off with some casual excuse, but since these three men were rather good relations, he decided to share some of his real thoughts: "You only see the victory, only contemplate this one outcome. Have you ever thought about other possibilities?"

"What do you mean?" Xia Jing frowned, "Do you think the campaign against the barbarians will fail? With a thousand years of accumulation under Emperor Wen, and the current Emperor who has been diligently governing for several hundred years, with talent emerging in waves and a strong military force, I really don’t see any possibility of defeat."

"What if?" Zhao Xing said, "Take history as a mirror, the Central Earth Divine Continent has always only had the Nineteen States. What if our dynasty also fails to conquer the Southern Barbarians?"

Seeing Xia Jing about to argue, Zhao Xing waved his hand: "Don’t rush to debate with me; I’m just saying there’s a possibility. If all our lands are in Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion and that scenario occurs, we would suffer a huge loss."

"A feudal estate of some one to two thousand households brings in a sizable sum of money every year. If we lost it, the court wouldn’t provide compensation."

"I’m not short of money," Xia Jing pondered, "but since you’ve said so, I will move half of it to the inland. It’s easy to do now, as many people want a place in Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion. If you want to exchange, just tell me directly; Yang An is not necessarily as effective as my father."

"I want to exchange all of mine, preferably to the eastern part of Pinghai State," Zhao Xing said.

"The east? You want to become an island lord?" Chen Shijie asked in surprise, "You seem to have been drawn to the coastal cities for a long time."

While in Gucheng, Zhao Xing had once talked to Chen Shijie about Bixia Yuanjun, the goddess, and he had mentioned Purple Cloud Island and even inquired whether the "Water Book" was placed there.

"I don’t necessarily want to become an island lord; it’s just that I have never seen the ocean and wanted to go there for a look," Zhao Xing said, "Old Chen, you should also move there with me. The climate above the sea is variable, as you know, with hundred-year and thousand-year weather patterns often occurring at sea."

"Maybe if we move to the East Sea, we might stumble upon treasures."

Chen Shijie looked into Zhao Xing’s eyes, then nodded: "Okay, it’s just feudal land after all, it doesn’t really matter where it is. I’ll also move there then. Princely Heir, when you make the arrangements, can you tie my land up with Zhao Xing’s?"

Long Xiao chimed in: "And me, me too, how could you two forget about me? I also want to exchange and join you."

"Brother Long, aren’t you moving back to your hometown?" Xia Jing asked in surprise, "What a great opportunity to return home in glory."

Long Xiao shook his head: "My hometown of Pingze County was submerged by a great flood at the end of the Dingxin Calendar, my mother perished in the flood, and my father contracted tuberculosis. Later, he took me to live with my uncle, and in the tenth year of the Jingxin Calendar, he passed away."

"Most of my relatives are gone, only one sister who has since married into another county. I would like to return home in glory, but there has to be a hometown to return to."

"The hometown is gone, all acquaintances are gone; am I to show it to the air?"

Xia Jing almost laughed, but he felt it would be inappropriate to laugh at such a sad story, so he held back.

"All three of you want to move to the East Sea area?" he asked Zhao Xing, "Aren’t you moving some to Nanyang County?"

Zhao Xing shook his head: "No need, I will just buy some land in Gucheng when the time comes."

In fact, Zhao Xing didn’t plan to buy land in Gucheng at all.

He intended to move Zhao Zheng, Mrs. Cai, and Zhao Ruide away at that time.

Because when Prince Liang rebels, various places in Pinghai State would suffer disasters, not only from war but also from natural calamities.

A direct prince’s rebellion in Pinghai State would have a huge impact on the nation’s fortune. At that time, with Pinghai in turmoil, even though the rebellion would be extinguished within a short two years, he feared for collateral damage.

Pinghai to the east, bordering the East Sea, was an area Zhao Xing remembered was not affected by the disasters. Moreover, he planned to work there in the future. It was wise to exchange for land there earlier on.

"If that’s the case, then I will also get a piece of land there," Xia Jing mused, stroking his chin, "I always feel like I can get rich following you, although I’m not in need of money myself, haha."

...

The exchange of feudal lands was only feasible during this time.

If the campaign against the barbarians turned unfavorable later, the value of the land in Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion would drop significantly, and no one would want to exchange it.

Now, many were willing to agree to an exchange, hoping to profit from the anticipated policy bonuses.

After the exchange, a single piece of land could potentially expand tenfold; of course, many were eager for such a deal!

Once the feudal land issue was settled, it was now time to consider official positions.

After consulting with Yang An about the official positions, Yang An then sought Zhao Xing’s opinion: "Preliminarily, you will be promoted to ’Guardian Captain,’ a Secondary Sixth-Rank position."