As soon as Lin Yi stepped into the courtyard, he was stunned by what he saw there.
At a glance, the open space in the mansion was completely filled with treasures piled up everywhere. Even the huge backyard was almost overflowing with them, which was simply outrageous.
"Your Highness, isn't this a bit too much money?"
Seeing this spectacular scene, Haitang was speechless with astonishment, and her voice trembled slightly.
This is a real mountain of money, as tall as four adults, filled with gold, silver, jewels, and all sorts of precious items. Around it are piles of other priceless treasures.
She had seen the Prince of Northern Liang's Residence's treasury, but she was certain that the Prince of Northern Liang's Residence didn't have that much money; that amount would have been enough to support the entire palace for several years.
Why!
Looking at the mountain of wealth, Lin Yi couldn't help but sigh, saying quietly, "If anyone still says that Xiliang Commandery is poor, I'll slap them across the face. This mountain of money is the biggest proof!"
Just as Jia Xu, holding the account book, was about to answer, he suddenly saw Chen Qun behind Lin Yi and his eyes lit up.
This man has an extraordinary bearing; he seems to be a newly recruited talent by the Crown Prince.
"My lord, who is this gentleman?" he asked curiously.
Lin Yi laughed heartily and said solemnly, "I found this person to help you. From now on, the position of Prefectural Magistrate will be handed over to Chen Qun. You will focus on advising me and serving as the strategist for my Xiliang Iron Cavalry."
Jia Xu has been working diligently these days, so naturally we can't abandon Jia Xu just because Chen Qun is here; that would be like kicking someone after they've served their purpose.
The position of military advisor is quite good. It is outside the official establishment of the prefectural governor's office and holds a superior position. Jia Xu will not be treated unfairly, and I believe that given his personality, he will be satisfied.
Really?
Jia Xu's eyes lit up, and he tossed the account book aside, excitedly exclaiming, "Waaah! My lord, you've finally come to your senses! I, Jia Xu, am perfectly suited for the position of strategist; the position of prefectural magistrate is far too difficult for me!"
He almost cried, but not from sadness; he was crying from excitement.
Finally, I don't have to look at those documents and files anymore, I don't have to struggle with those things anymore. I'm going to go to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion to have some fun and find some pretty girls...
"Damn it, you're supposed to be Jia Xu, can't you be a little more dignified?"
Lin Yi gave him an annoyed look. This guy was too lazy. If he wasn't pushed, he would just lie there and die.
Jia Xu chuckled at this, thinking, "Why work so hard when you can relax a little?"
He wants to live a few more years, but if he stays up all night reading like this every day, he'll probably die from it sooner or later. It's really not worth it.
Lin Yi remained silent and stopped dwelling on the issue.
" Jia Xu, approximately how much money is here?"
"My lord, according to a preliminary count, there are 100,000 taels of gold, 2 million taels of silver, and about 1 million strings of copper coins here. Adding in various rare and precious items, the total is approximately 5.3 million strings of cash. In addition, there is the captured grain, enough to feed my Xiliang Commandery for more than half a year."
Jia Xu held the account book, looking excited.
"Over five million strings of cash? That much?"
Lin Yi took a deep breath. He was also shocked by such a huge number. It was more than five million strings of cash, which was more than what he had obtained in Northern Liang City.
To feed an entire prefecture for more than half a year is simply insane.
The Xiliang Commandery is even more outrageous than the Northern Liang City.
This is clearly not scientific!
Northern Liang City is a royal city, and even after wiping out all the dark forces in Northern Liang City, I only obtained two or three million strings of cash. But I actually got more than five million strings of cash from an abandoned Xiliang Commandery, which is quite unbelievable.
He couldn't help but ask curiously, "How come Xiliang Commandery is so wealthy? These people are incredibly rich!"
Logically speaking, given how chaotic this place is, its economy should also be quite underdeveloped. The fact that so much money has suddenly appeared here is truly astonishing.
Jia Xu whispered, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but in the Northern Liang Royal City, with a prince in charge, those people naturally wouldn't dare to act recklessly. But here, there are no such restrictions. Most of these people are engaged in shady businesses that generate huge profits. Things like human trafficking and smuggling various goods are very lucrative."
"According to the account books, Zhuo Feifan's family alone has nearly two million strings of cash."
"So that's how it is! No wonder there's so much money and supplies; they're absolutely insane!"
Upon hearing his explanation, a cold glint flashed in Lin Yi's eyes; these people certainly deserved to die.
Whether it's smuggling people or supplies, this is a huge blow to Northern Liang; to put it bluntly, it's aiding the enemy. Moreover, these people who are bought and sold will likely not have a good end, being treated as slaves and suffering their entire lives.
The Zhuo Feifan family amassed two million strings of cash, which gives you an idea of the depth of their sins—they are simply too numerous to recount.
Since such a thing has been done, there must be a price to pay; otherwise, it would be an injustice of Heaven.
Grunt!
The people in the backyard couldn't help but gasp. No wonder they were called the three great clans; one family alone had more than two million strings of cash. This was simply outrageous.
Everyone couldn't help but think of the other two families, but unfortunately they had both pledged allegiance to the lord; otherwise, they probably would have had even more money.
"My lord, if that's the case, wouldn't it cost us tens of millions of strings of cash if we also wiped out the other two powerful clans?" Haitang said subconsciously.
Upon hearing this, many people couldn't help but nod in agreement; this was definitely a sign of great wealth.
Lin Yi shook his head and laughed, "Not only did the Duan and Wang families voluntarily surrender, but they also contracted the construction work and expenses of the new prefectural government. One shouldn't be too greedy!"
If the water is too clear, there will be no fish; these creatures can never be completely eradicated.
Leaving these two entities behind to control smaller and external forces is undoubtedly the easiest approach.
"Those two guys know what's good for them!"
Jia Xu's eyes lit up. Duan Yingxiong and Wang Chengfei were really going all out; they were desperately trying to please their lord. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken on this job at the prefect's office.
Based on the lord's requirements for the size of the new prefectural government, it will probably cost nearly a million strings of cash, so it's no wonder the lord is no longer pursuing the matter.
This is like paying money to save your life.
Lin Yi smiled but didn't say anything; he was pondering how to use the money.
His Winning People Over with Virtue System virtue doesn't really require much money. There's no system shop or anything like that. At most, it only involves purchasing some food and economic development.
Now, thanks to these spoils, we have enough grain to last for more than half a year, so the only remaining expense is construction.
However, having too much money can be a burden, so it's necessary to make arrangements as soon as possible.
Thinking of this, he said in a deep voice, "Draw two million strings of cash from here, plus some grain, and send it to my father. Northern Liang is having a hard time right now, and as the heir apparent of Heir of Northern Liang, I should at least do my part."
"Just give it away for free?"
Haitang couldn't help but pout; this was a lot of money, and she was a little reluctant to part with it.