"Oh?"
Huo Feng stared at Long'Er with a faint smile. "Are you threatening me?"
Long'Er said pitifully, "Actually, I don't want to show off. I just want to discuss this with Sister Huo Feng."
Huo Feng smiled. "Haha, there's no room for discussion. Go get some water!"
"Oh …"
Long'Er was like a deflated balloon. She looked at the cake she was making reluctantly, then slowly turned around and left.
Her little heart was about to collapse. She had revealed such a big secret. Was her ancestor's face that bad?
At the same time, at the foot of the mountain.
Three figures slowly arrived. It was Zhou Yunwu, followed by Meng Junliang and Huo Da.
Zhou Yunwu's face was filled with worry. He said unnaturally, "Is it really okay for us to come here without bringing anything?"
He had prepared a carriage full of rare treasures, almost emptying the entire Xia Dynasty. If possible, he even wanted to send a few stunning beauties over.
Meng Junliang said, "Your Majesty, Sir is an immortal. Not only will he not be interested in those worldly things, they will even cause Sir to be disgusted."
Huo Da also said, "Yes, Your Majesty. I feel that bringing this battle report to Young Master Li is already the best gift."
Zhou Yunwu frowned deeply, not knowing what to do. "Sigh, Sir has done a great favor for the Xia Dynasty, but I can't do anything. I'm … ashamed!"
Meng Junliang said, "Your Majesty, you have defeated the Demons, unified the mortal world, helped Sir spread the Dao to the human world, and helped the human race prosper. This is the best reward for Sir."
Zhou Yunwu nodded and said solemnly, "Of course, I will do that!"
As they spoke, a courtyard house appeared in front of their eyes.
Meng Junliang walked over slowly and knocked on the door three times.
Creak.
It was Daji who opened the door.
"Greetings, Miss Daji!" Zhou Yunwu and the other two did not dare to be arrogant. They hurriedly bowed respectfully to Daji.
Daji nodded at the three of them. "Please come in."
As they entered the courtyard house, a strange sweet fragrance wafted into their nostrils. They could not help but sniff a few times. Then, following the fragrance, they looked at Li Nianfan, who was busy, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Young Master Li."
"So it's you guys." Li Nianfan smiled and nodded. "Greetings, Zhou Wang. You came at the right time. I'm making a dessert. You're in for a treat."
Xiao Bai said casually, "Everyone, feel free to sit...
Zhou Yunwu and the other two immediately chose a spot that was neither too close nor too far away and sat down. Their gazes involuntarily fell upon Huo Feng.
At this moment, the three of them were stunned, and a chill ran down their spines.
. Why did this woman … look like the woman who descended from the Immortal Realm that night?
There was probably no other person in the Immortal Realm with this kind of dress and hairstyle.
As the Human Emperor, Zhou Yunwu naturally heard some things about the Immortal Realm. Many people talked about the Phoenix crossing the Tian Die that night and flying around.
Then wasn't she … a Phoenix?
"Hiss —"
Zhou Yunwu sucked in a breath of cold air. Master was indeed Master. His means were unimaginable.
He was somewhat glad that he did not bring his carriage of rare treasures. Otherwise … it would be too tacky. Just thinking about it made him embarrassed.
Huo Feng felt their gazes and said coldly, "My name is Huo Feng."
The three of them immediately stood up and cupped their hands. "Greetings, Miss Huo Feng."
Li Nianfan asked while making the cake, "Why are you here?"
Now that the Demons were rampant and the Southern Land was in chaos, this group of people should be busy with the battlefield.
Zhou Yunwu smiled and said proudly, "Master, we won a great victory five days ago. We finally broke the Demons' winning streak and boosted the morale of the soldiers!"
"Oh? That's good! " Li Nianfan's eyes lit up. It seemed that his safety was temporarily guaranteed. This group of people was good. They were reliable!
Huo Da quickly said, "It's all thanks to the forging method taught by Young Master Li. Those weapons played a vital role."
Zhou Yunwu nodded. "Yes, it's all thanks to Master that we won this time! Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable! "
"You flatter me. I only provided a technique. The ones who contributed were the soldiers." Li Nianfan felt quite good about it. However, he still said it sincerely. He would not claim credit for it.
He just wanted to protect himself. Those people were the ones who sacrificed themselves.
He couldn't help but smile. "I was wondering why I suddenly wanted to make a cake today. It's because there's a good thing to celebrate."
Daji played with the flour in her hands and asked curiously, "Master, is this cake related to the celebration?"
Li Nianfan said casually, "It is. It's a habit where I used to live. Whenever there's a good thing, we have to eat a piece of cake."
"I see."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat. They didn't show it on their faces, but their minds were not calm.
They used to live in the ancient Celestial World.
So, the big shots in the ancient times celebrated with cakes.
Thanks to the expert, they could eat such a special delicacy from the ancient times. Their lives were perfect.
Zhou Yunwu and the other two thought even more.
Was this a coincidence? Obviously not!
The expert must have predicted that we would come after winning, so he made a cake for us to celebrate!
It seemed that the expert was very satisfied. They must work harder to achieve unification as soon as possible!
"It's almost time."
Li Nianfan clapped his hands, then went to the stream in the middle of the yard and washed his hands. Daji took a cloth and wiped Li Nianfan's hands gently.
"Let's make this much cake first. It should be enough after steaming it for a few minutes. Xiao Bai, look after it. Don't burn it. I'll keep the guests company."
Li Nianfan said, then walked to Zhou Yunwu and the others.
With a smile, he asked, "Are those herbs convenient to use?"
"Smooth, it's too smooth!" Zhou Yunwu nodded. "Many people are sick now. They can be cured with a few herbs. It's not like before, when they were sick all the time. In this war, many soldiers relied on herbs to prolong their lives. Master, you've benefited millions of people. Your name should be passed down through the ages!"
"There's no need for that. You don't have to leave my name. Just tell the others that I'm Shennong." Li Nianfan smiled and waved his hand.
Men were afraid of fame, and pigs were afraid of being fat. This was the Immortal Realm, and he was just a mortal.
Everyone wanted to exclaim in admiration, but when the words reached their mouths, they swallowed them back down.
Praise? It seemed unnecessary. The expert's realm did not need to be praised. Moreover, words of praise would seem weak and useless.
In the end, they could only exclaim in their hearts. This was the realm of the expert!
Li Nianfan continued, "Everything else went well, right?"
Zhou Yunwu smiled and said, "Basically, everything went well. It's all thanks to the transgenic planting method you provided. I asked the immortal cultivators for some hastening medicine. Although it's not ripe yet, the harvest is estimated to be about five times more than before. At least the soldiers won't have to worry about food at the front line."
"That's good." Li Nianfan nodded.
Suddenly, Meng Junliang sighed and said, "Mister, actually, I have a question. I don't know how to solve it and I don't know how to solve it."
Zhou Yunwu and Huo Da also looked worried. Obviously, Meng Junliang's problem was everyone's problem.
Li Nianfan made an inviting gesture and said, "Go ahead."
Meng Junliang organized his words and said slowly, "Master, the foundation of the Xia Dynasty is still shallow. After such a big war, it's still okay for a short period of time, but … the treasury is gradually emptying. If this continues, I'm afraid we won't be able to pay the soldiers."
Li Nianfan nodded in realization. "So it's because of this."
Two words, money!
It had to be said that money was a treasure no matter where it was placed. As far as Li Nianfan knew, even immortals had to succumb to the power of money. Of course, immortals and mortals had different currencies.
In fact, money was the economy of a country, and the economy was directly linked to the strength of the country!
As the saying goes, the economic foundation determines the superstructure, and the economy is the foundation of everything!
The Xia Dynasty was just a small country in the past, and it had to suppress bandits. Obviously, it couldn't be considered strong, and had entered a high-intensity war. It obviously couldn't last long.
Li Nianfan pondered for a moment and said, "This has already risen to the level of governing a country."
Just by hearing these words, one could tell that there was a chance.
Zhou Yunwu had already stood up and bowed deeply. He said respectfully, "Please teach me, Master!"
Governing a country was a very difficult topic to answer. Everyone knew the principles and could talk about it, but how to do it and how to implement it wasn't something that could be solved with principles.
In terms of principles, Zhou Yunwu had already done well. He knew how to use people well, treated the wise, and loved the people like his own children. However, there were many things that required specific methods.
Everyone looked at Li Nianfan and waited for his answer.
Even Huo Feng was no exception.
The expert was indeed an expert. He knew everything in the world and knew all kinds of principles like the back of his hand.
No one doubted that Li Nianfan was boasting.
Li Nianfan didn't answer and asked back, "If you didn't come to me, what were you going to do?"
Meng Junliang didn't hide anything. He said, "To be honest, I made two suggestions to the king. One was to increase the taxes of the farmers, and the other was to let the officials of the dynasty donate money."
"Neither of these are advisable."
Li Nianfan shook his head and didn't show any mercy. He said, "First, farmers rely on physical strength to farm. Now that most of the men have gone to the front lines, leaving behind women, children, and the elderly, you want to increase taxes. This doesn't make sense. Second, during times of war, maintaining the hearts of the officials of the dynasty is the most important. If you let them donate money, it will leave behind a huge hidden danger!"
Meng Junliang stood up and said shamefully, "Master's insight is like a torch. You hit the nail on the head. This student has learned."
Zhou Yunwu couldn't wait any longer. He said, "Master, please enlighten me."
"This is a special time. It is indeed difficult to find a solution in a short time."
Li Nianfan had enjoyed being a teacher. He smiled and said, "Actually, there is a very good way to solve this problem. It is to go into business!"
"Business?"
Zhou Yunwu and the others were stunned.
Among the so-called scholars, farmers, merchants were ranked at the bottom. Moreover, they only cared about profits and were the least liked by people.
Meng Junliang said doubtfully, "Master, merchants hate work. They don't farm or produce. They can't create any value. How can they solve this problem?"
"You only see one side and not the other." Li Nianfan shook his head. "This means that you don't really understand merchants."
Meng Junliang's face was slightly red. He realized that there were too many things that he didn't know. How ignorant was he in the past to think that he understood the rules of the world?
"Merchants pursue profits and resell goods. Therefore, they can act as market regulators. They can sell things that others don't need to those who do. They can transport things that are overproduced to areas where there is a shortage of goods. They can realize the exchange of goods and avoid waste. They can realize the circulation of wealth and maximize the utilization of resources. This kind of potential value affects more than just a little bit of money."
After a pause, Li Nianfan continued, "Raise the status of merchants, provide them with convenience, and then collect taxes from them. I think that your problem will be greatly alleviated."
"So it can be done like this!"
Meng Junliang's eyes suddenly brightened. He knew a lot, so he understood immediately. He felt a sense of enlightenment.
Zhou Yunwu sat upright and still. He tried to keep his face calm. In fact, there were question marks above his head.
He secretly glanced at the dumbstruck Huo Da and then looked at the frowning Huo Feng.
Suddenly, he felt much better.
Although he didn't understand the Heavenly Axiom that the expert was talking about, he understood the final conclusion. There was nothing wrong with following it.
He immediately showed a look of realization and said seriously, "Thank you, sir, for your explanation."
Meng Junliang frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask, "Sir, if we strongly encourage business, won't everyone turn to business instead of production? What should we do then?"
Li Nianfan said casually, "The world is bustling for profits, and the world is bustling for profits."
Meng Junliang's brain went blank. He had goosebumps all over his body. He only felt that this short sentence went directly to his soul. It was like the evening drum and the morning bell. It made him suddenly enlightened. His emotions fluctuated and he had the urge to cry.
This was like a question that you couldn't figure out no matter how hard you tried. Someone explained it to you with a simple sentence, and the conclusion was very accurate. It was very cool.
Bosom friends, worship, excitement, and other complex feelings swarmed up. It was hard to describe.
"Sir, you are the teacher of the world!" Meng Junliang wanted to worship him. He said respectfully, "It is Junliang's honor to be taught by you, sir!"
This was the understanding of Dao. Manipulating the world was just a matter of control. He was too far away!
At this moment, Xiao Bai walked over. "Master, the cake is ready."
Li Nianfan smiled and said, "What a coincidence. The timing is just right. Let's all try it together."
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