What Use Is This Fiefdom to Me?

By Central Capital City's going rate, an ordinary adult's Indentured Servant Price was around fifty taels of silver. If they had a skill or outstanding looks, the price would rise even higher.

Once the Indentured Servant Price was paid, the other party became a household servant. But household servants still had to be given a Monthly Stipend. There had once been a tragedy in which a Master's Family had exploited its servants too harshly, driving them to rebel and burn the entire household to the ground. Thus, the Great Xuan Law stipulated that anyone who purchased household servants had to pay at least six taels of silver in annual wages. In other words, the legal minimum wage was five fen of silver per month.

According to Wang Li, the Count's Mansion required at least thirty servants, inside and out. There had to be people for sweeping and cleaning, washing and tidying, cooking, and tending the flowers and plants in the rear courtyard. The front courtyard also needed guards to protect the household, along with coachmen, gatekeepers, attendants, and retainers. Otherwise, where would the Count's dignity be?

Besides, could the servants of the Count's Mansion be compared with those in an ordinary landlord's household? Naturally, they needed some status and background. Ideally, they would be household servants from the homes of convicted officials who had been implicated in their crimes—people who could read and calculate, and who had been taught every rule properly. How much did you think people like that should cost?

What? A hundred taels? That was the base price. Once they arrived, it started at two hundred taels! Don't complain that it was expensive; plenty of people had already placed orders with the Internal Affairs Department. Considering your face, they could put you in line ahead of others!

Once the people arrived at the mansion, each of them would need several sets of Summer and Winter Clothes, right? Never mind the Monthly Stipend—there had to be some rewards during the four seasons and the eight festivals, and the Master's Family couldn't be too stingy whenever there was a happy occasion. It was all about the face of the Count's Mansion...

In Wan'an County, only Uncle Ping and Xiao Huan had truly signed Indentured Contracts. Everyone else was hired labor. Otherwise, if trouble befell the Master's Family and the servants fled home, the Great Xuan Law would not forgive them. So the household servants in Central Capital City still had to be recruited anew. And this was only the basic setup.

From now on, they would be living in the capital permanently. Wouldn't entertaining visitors and seeing guests off cost money? Even if he went to an Entertainment House to listen to music, he would still have to give some tips.

Besides, Chen Xuan would marry in the future, and there would be a dowry—bah, bah, bah, don't think about that!

Just look at how large this residence was. If he didn't take several wives and concubines, who would live in all these Embroidered Towers and courtyards?

It was all about the face of the Count's Mansion!

The household did have some savings, with annual earnings of four or five thousand taels of silver. But that was the result of Chen Xuan personally managing the business. If Chen Xuan left Wan'an, they might not make that much.

Besides, now that he had gone to the capital to become a count, continuing to spend the money from the household in Wan'an County made Chen Luo feel uncomfortable. He always felt as though he were living off a woman.

You might say that Wan'an County was Chen Luo's fiefdom, so how could he have no money? Chen Luo had thought the same thing. But after asking Wang Li, he learned that a so-called Fiefdom with Real Power actually meant possessing the Three Powers of a fiefdom.

Official Appointment Power: Chen Luo could choose one person from the list of prospective officials provided by the Imperial Court Ministry of Personnel to serve as Magistrate of Wan'an County for a three-year term. All promotions, rewards, and punishments were the same as for other officials. On the surface, this seemed to give people with high noble titles a chance to interfere in court affairs. But upon closer thought, even without this provision, truly influential people who wanted to cultivate their own officials had plenty of methods, whether by taking disciples, arranging marriages, or investing in advance.

Fiefdom Military Power: Chen Luo could establish a Personal Army belonging to him in Wan'an County, his fiefdom. Under the Count's Regulations, the army could have at most three thousand soldiers. They could not leave the fiefdom without an imperial edict, but there were fifty slots for personal guards who could accompany and protect him. This was also useless to Chen Luo. Why would he raise an army now? He wasn't trying to conquer the realm, and he couldn't even leave his fiefdom. At most, he could make plans for those fifty personal guards who could be brought out.

Fiscal and Tax Power: One-tenth of the tax revenue from Wan'an County went to the Qingzhou Treasury, and one-tenth went to the Great Xuan Treasury. The remaining eight-tenths belonged entirely to Chen Luo!

This provision seemed capable of solving Chen Luo's problem, but in fact it couldn't. There was a hard line for nobles with fiefdoms: their fortune could not fall below a certain standard. Once it dropped below the standard set by the imperial court, the fiefdom would be reclaimed and the noble title abolished. But if he wanted to keep the fortune from falling, he couldn't avoid investing in the people's livelihood.

According to Wang Li, most nobles with fiefdoms reduced taxes to a crazed degree in order to increase their fortune and win over the people's hearts...

That left Chen Luo with a question. What did those fiefdom nobles rely on to make money?

Wang Li gave a sly chuckle.

Some fiefdoms had special products, which could be developed. Some were located at vital transportation routes, and once they set up a road checkpoint, they could collect tolls until their hands went numb. Others had neither of the above, so they deliberately raised a few Frontmen to gather wealth for them. When their fortune was about to fall below the standard, they launched a harvest—openly and legitimately, gathering wealth while also improving the people's hearts and fortune...

In one word, brilliant!

Chen Luo scratched his head. Could Wan'an County do the same?

Special products? None.

Location? There were probably six roads that could bypass Wan'an County.

What about raising two Frontmen? No. Chen Xuan would probably beat him to death!

Chen Luo sighed. "What use is this fiefdom to me?"

Strictly speaking, with the mindset Chen Luo had possessed in his previous life, coming up with a plan for integrated specialty development wasn't difficult. For example, he could invite more Great Scholars to give lectures, invite Dao Lords to perform rituals, then create some strange and bizarre legends and stories, build a Cultural Tourism Town, and sell land at high prices. If that didn't work, he could pour money into building a high-standard school and create an Educational Hub.

Chen Luo had never eaten pork in his previous life, but he had watched pigs run past eight hundred times. This whole process was sure to work!

But this plan required investment in the early stages, and returns would take time.

If only there were a bank willing to approve him a loan.

Perhaps he could borrow from Wei Yan?

He was an elder, after all. Surely giving a junior some startup capital wouldn't be difficult, right?

Chen Luo thought about it, then shook his head and dismissed the idea.

Even though this was a Xianxia World, it was still a Feudal Dynasty, and the movement of its population was far too limited. There could indeed be tremendous short-term returns, but over the long term, the burden would inevitably fall on the native residents of Wan'an County.

By then, raising the fortune would be difficult.

What, you say demolition and relocation? Are you kidding? These people wouldn't accept some high-rise apartments. The entire county was only so big—who would be willing to play your two-for-one trick?

His grand plan to get rich had died in the womb!

The eastern sky had already revealed a layer of rosy red. The sun's rays swept away the darkness shrouding the earth. Without realizing it, Chen Luo had spent the entire night thinking, yet he still had no plan.

Damn it. After graduating from university in his previous life, he had embraced lofty ideals and run off to the mountains to work as a volunteer teacher. He had been cut off from modern cities for too long and couldn't even think of a way to make money!

Fortunately, he had read plenty of transmigration novels and was familiar with some Indigenous Methods.

"A great man once said, 'Without investigation, there is no right to speak!'" Chen Luo rose to his feet on the roof.

"I'll take a stroll through the streets and learn about the market." Chen Luo thought to himself, "Although this is a Xianxia World, with individuals possessing power that reaches the heavens and penetrates the earth, ordinary people still make up the majority."

"Perhaps transmigration advantages like glass and perfume still have enormous markets!"

"Especially glass. I even made it with the children in the mountains before."

Chen Luo was brimming with confidence when a sudden beam of light made his eyes squint. Following it with his gaze, he saw several rows of Roof Tiles on the roof of the central hall, gleaming beneath the sun's radiance.

He hadn't paid much attention when he climbed up yesterday because it had been dark. But now, when Chen Luo looked carefully—

These transparent Roof Tiles installed on the roof as skylights... could they be...

Glass!

Spring was at its finest in the early part of the year. Your votes will help me walk the Flower Path.

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