Blessed by Abundance, Scourge of Terra

Seeing this miraculous scene, Shi Huaiya felt as if his heart had stopped beating for a few seconds.

"This isn't Originium Arts..."

Shi Huaiya hadn't even blinked from tension just now.

He was certain the other party had performed no pre-motion for Originium Arts, and didn't even carry a "wand" on him.

"I only have this one small jar of soil on me. Its manufacturing process is extremely tedious, and only I can make it. This stuff also has to be diluted before use, otherwise it's not very effective."

"Mixing this special soil with other earth can drastically shorten crop growth cycles, and even increase yields, as long as you apply more fertilizer during the growing process."

"Fertilizer... that stuff isn't cheap."

"If it really comes down to it, tossing in a few high-purity Originium stones will have a similar effect." Huang Cao said.

As long as the new nobles mixed this soil throughout all of Victoria, wouldn't the nation's crop yields be entirely in my hands?

What Huang Cao could do wasn't just increase crop yields—he could also suppress their growth.

Even if the Victorians discovered it later, what could they do? Could they sift through every bit of soil and pick it all out?

Shi Huaiya didn't understand Huang Cao's thoughts. Blinded by the enormous benefits, he had already forgotten what caution meant.

"Now I need you. Gather all those who hate the old nobles the most at the Victoria Commercial Association headquarters. If some refuse to come, show them the effects of the Originium Inhibitor and this jar of soil."

"I believe the new nobles, having held back for so long, are already itching to stage a glorious comeback."

Huang Cao said with a smile, not a trace of malice in his eyes.

I'm helping you, after all!

I'm not a bad guy!

The Originium Inhibitor could lower the margin for error when the new nobles personally tested new technology.

And the soil that could make crops grow quickly completely shattered the old nobles' monopoly on land.

With these two things backing them, victory was almost certain.

What Huang Cao had to do next was make these people believe in him.

And at the same time, speedrun through Victoria in one month!

The effects and results of these two items quickly spread throughout the entire Victorian capital under Shi Huaiya's promotion.

More and more people began spreading the news, treating Huang Cao as their trump card for turning things around.

Because Shi Huaiya had first notified those who resented the old nobles the most—many of whom even bore blood debts.

So they were far more fanatical than anyone else, eager to chop off King Aslan's head on the spot.

The Aslan Royal Family being sent to the guillotine after centuries was no overnight affair. It was the result of long-accumulated contradictions finally erupting.

More and more people gathered from all directions into the Victoria Commercial Association's lecture hall.

By then, Huang Cao had already dressed in a splendid gentleman's suit, standing on the podium with piercing eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the opportunity to change the era has arrived!"

Chapter 38: You've Really Put Me in a Tough Spot!

"Ladies and gentlemen, are we content to just stay as we are?"

"Aslan defeated the stronger Draco, but can the victor truly enjoy everything?"

"Wasn't every one of your ancestors a hero who followed King Aslan into the pass? Why have we fallen to this state?"

Standing on the podium, Huang Cao spoke with fervor, pounding the table with his fist.

He stated the facts one by one.

And each time he spoke, he paused for a moment, letting the others soak in the atmosphere.

Only silence and stillness filled the hall.

Over two hundred people sat below without a word, their faces darkening as they recalled the humiliations they had suffered, following Huang Cao's words.

This brother is right.

My ancestor also followed King Aslan into the pass—why can't I be a noble?

Why do they get to lord it over everyone? I don't see anything impressive about them.

There was a clear difference between old nobles and new nobles.

The difference was that even an idiot could be an old noble, but if a new noble's descendant slipped up, they might fall from grace immediately—there was no safety net.

Don't talk about wealth lasting ten generations; you just haven't met someone who knows how to squander it.

"So should we just accept this? Why do those lofty Aslan royal clansmen get to occupy resources that aren't theirs? Victoria can still turn without these people."

"Bloodline is definitely not what binds us."

"The first King Aslan was certainly a hero—no doubt about it—but his descendants have rotted through and through."

How do you destroy the last shred of monarch-subject loyalty in the new nobles' hearts?

Simple: give them a sense of moral entitlement.

In a feudal state, the monarch is nominally the master of the country, but if truly forced to choose, the vast majority still believe the nation comes before all else.

Now Huang Cao had placed everyone on the level of the nation itself, while simultaneously undermining the power currently held by the King Aslan.

Once the last shred of moral guilt faded away, nothing remained but boundless fervor.

"That's right! The most ancient King Aslan only took the throne by defeating the Red Dragon. Without our help, could he have sat securely in that position?"

"We've already done more than enough! Why should his descendants still enjoy everything we're denied?"

This was a trick of swapping concepts. In reality, the King Aslan distributed positions based on merit.

If these new nobles' ancestors truly had great achievements, the King Aslan would not have failed to grant them proper social standing.

But since I'm standing on the podium spouting nonsense, what kind of profound truth do you expect me to preach?

Stirring up emotions is what matters most!

"So, we must reclaim what belongs to us and show the lofty king our strength."

"Esteemed colleagues, I am a merchant from Sargon who loves making friends. I saw Victoria's nearly hopeless situation and chose to lend you all a hand."

"Though I am not a Victorian, wealth binds us together. My family's industries have also suffered greatly due to the obstruction of those old nobles."

"You may not believe it, but in the eyes of those nobles, pepper is no different from ordinary seasoning. They can buy it freely, even at low prices, because they set the tariffs themselves."

"In such an environment, how can we defeat these vermin? So if we want to achieve the same social status as the old nobles..."

"But we have no land," lamented a graceful noblewoman.

Huang Cao performed an elegant gentleman's bow to the lady, then raised the item placed on the podium.

"I believe Mr. Shi Huaiya has already shown this to most of you, but some colleagues have yet to experience the true use of my invention."

Huang Cao explained and demonstrated the soil's effects and functions once more. The miraculous power displayed by the earth instantly stirred an uproar among the crowd.

"Land is certainly important, but not absolute. Knowledge and technology are the true driving forces of the future. So-called bloodlines are merely the unique advantages of warriors."

"Without relying on bloodlines, we can still create wealth of our own."

After saying this, Huang Cao put on a pained expression and placed the jar of soil on the table:

"For my own sake and for everyone's benefit, I am willing to contribute this jar of soil. Unfortunately, it is so precious that even I cannot supply everyone at once."

"But even so, I will never bleed you dry like those old nobles. I absolutely will not lie."

"I promise you here: just one jin of this soil can increase the yield of twenty mu of land by at least 20%.

All you need to do is add more fertilizer and toss in a few low-concentration Originium shards—but be careful not to hurt yourselves."

"As for my price: one jin of soil costs only two gold coins!"

The moment the price was announced, the entire venue erupted. The nobles were nearly driven mad, each one pouring out every compliment they knew to praise the youth on stage.

Huang Cao placed his hand on the table to signal silence, then introduced the Originium Inhibitor he had brought.

But compared to the soil, the Inhibitor sold at an exorbitant price—two hundred gold coins for a single dose.

Yet all the new nobles felt the price was perfectly reasonable. After all, either of these items alone would be a game-changer anywhere.

Mr. Huang had already been so generous—what more could you ask of him?

If he goes bankrupt, I'll hold you responsible!

"But possessing these things only allows us to accumulate wealth; it doesn't touch the root of Victoria."

"The King Aslan's decrees must be decided through assemblies. So we too must establish an organization capable of influencing their decisions. Therefore, I propose forming a parliament."

"Abandon the hypocritical Victoria Commercial Association. Have you gained any benefit from it? After joining for so long, has our situation changed at all?"

Here it comes—time to play the trump card of the Lower House system.

In the original story, Victoria also had a Lower House, likely the predecessor of today's Victoria Commercial Union, but it appeared much later.

Now Huang Cao had accelerated its emergence.

"Chairman, whatever you say goes!"

At once, a crowd of new nobles began cheering, directly bestowing the title of Chairman upon Huang Cao.

Huang Cao put on a flustered expression and waved his hands hurriedly. "But I am merely an outsider from the barren land of Sargon. What qualifications do I have to serve as your esteemed chairman?"

"You're all making things difficult for me!"

There will be another update this afternoon. Please vote for me—thank you, everyone!

Chapter 39: Sir, You Are Truly Divine!

"Since the old nobles call their place for discussing state affairs the Upper House, let our organization be called the Lower House—just to save them a little face."

"I think it's better to hand the position of Chairman to Mr. Shi Huaiya."

Huang Cao pulled Shi Huaiya, who had been watching the show from below the stage, up beside him.

Dragged onto the stage, Shi Huaiya faced the crowd's gaze with a bewildered expression, then instantly understood Huang Cao's intent.

Wasn't this just acting? Old Shi Huaiya was a first-rate genius at that.

"I say, Brother Huang, don't be so modest. In the eyes of those Noble Lords, aren't we all just ordinary people?"

"Are we sitting here attracting even a shred of their attention?"

Shi Huaiya seized the moment to raise Huang Cao's hand high, his voice ringing with fervor and volume: "Let us welcome the first Speaker of the Victoria Lower House."

The nobles in attendance offered up their loudest cheers, and one by one, in order, they joined the Victoria Lower House.

After the revelry, Huang Cao retrieved from backstage a large bucket of dark, muddy soil and a batch of prepared Originium Inhibitor.

"Since you all flatter me so, I'll oblige with pleasure. Consider this a small token of mine—not much in quantity, but I guarantee everyone gets a share. This is also the founding principle of the Lower House."

"I believe that to overthrow the nobility, we need not only verbal support but also concrete action."

"This world is, after all, material; it won't change a whit because of anyone's words."

Huang Cao was in no hurry to squeeze benefits from these people—he understood the principle of casting a long line to catch a big fish.

Besides, establishing his commercial standing in Victoria with just one speech—was there a better bargain in this world?

And it hadn't even taken much effort?

"May I ask what brilliant plan Mr. Huang has?" someone from the audience inquired.

"Establish the Federal Reserve Bank, consolidate all resources while building a thorough auditing system, so that every ounce of resource is utilized to its fullest."

"But don't we already have a unified bank?" a puzzled noble in the audience asked.

"Who controlled the previous bank?"

"The chairman of the Victoria Commercial Association."

"Then you need to see whether he's a lackey of the old nobility or your guide forward."

At these words, the crowd below erupted in uproar. Some wondered why Huang Cao knew this.

The credit, of course, went to the Originium Database.