Chapter 302- Mountain Rain is Coming
Translator: TeamTWO
Editor: Jun
Gaia first year 12th month 25th day
A system notification sounded throughout the Chinese region.
“System notification: to celebrate the game’s first anniversary, the system will hold the 2nd system auction on Gaia 2nd year 1st month 1st day at 10 AM. There will be many rare items on auction, so please look forward to it! Friendly reminder: please prepare enough funds, or else you will go home empty handed.”
When the notification went out, the lords started to rub their palms in glee.
During the first system auction, Ouyang Shuo had stolen the spotlight and single handedly bought five of the ten items.
The effect of the auction had showed itself through the three battles.
Only because of the weapon and armor creation manuals was Shanhai County’s army able to be so strong and achieve so many battle contribution points through killing.
As time passed, although there was a grain crises, those territories with a foundation of support and strength had already walked out of that and had accumulated thousands or maybe tens of thousands of gold.
Hence, the 2nd system auction would be a more intense battle.
Ouyang Shuo similarly did not want to miss out!
Just yesterday, the Financial Department had calculated the financial situation of the 12th month.
After the prefecture changes were pushed out, the financial tax plans, after being altered by professionals and checked by Ouyang Shuo, were pushed out.
Based on the new plan, the county grade taxes would be given to the House; the House ( including independent cities) would give a portion to the prefecture, directly to the Lord’s Manor.
The types of taxes were different, and the percentages for them to hand over was different too.
Similarly, the income tax was pushed up to 1/15, double from the previous tax.
In the 12th month, Shanhai House handed over 15,500 gold, Tianfeng House 7500 gold, Beihai City 14,500 gold (including profits from Beimu Saltpans), Yishui County 3500 gold, and Gushan County 1000 gold for a total of 42,000 gold.
The Industry Division handed over 8,500 gold from the Langshan Minefields, Three Flower Wine Factory 7,500 gold, the mulberry gardens and other industries handed over 4000 gold, a total of 20,000.
In total, it added up to 62,000 gold.
The expenditure of the Lianzhou Lords manor mainly included the military expenditure, the administrative expenditure, as well as financial transfer payments. The military expenditure was the highest amount, including the salaries of the 3 divisions, the Guards protection regiment, Beihai Naval fleet, as well as other fees for a total of 27,500 gold.
The administrative expenditure mainly included the divisions and departments, the four military workshop, the cave military factory, Xinan University, and the Army Military Academy that was currently being built, for a total of 4,500 gold.
The military workshop and military factory held the highest amounts. Of course, once these equipment was sold to the outside, it wouldn’t be a financial burden but a place of profit.
As for financial transfers, it included 40,000 for the official roads, 3,500 for the Tianfeng City city wall, 5000 for Shanhai City city wall, 2000 for the Army Military Academy, 1,500 for the migration of Gushan County for a total of 16,000 gold.
Once he totaled the expenditures, it cost him 48,000 gold.
Everything considered, the territory had a 15,000 gold profit in the 12th month.
Be it tax handed over or financial transfer payments, all was done through the various branches of the Four Seas bank, with the Auditing Division in charge of monitoring everything.
With Yingyu coordinating everything, the Four Seas bank banknote printing bureau was set up. The paper workshop and the printing workshop were built directly opposite to the main branch and managed personally by Meng Zhida.
Of course, they were still a period of time away from pushing out banknotes.
As he had to pay the costs for the division trial, Ouyang Shuo now had 105,000 coin in his bag. Hence, he stored away all the remaining profits for the 12th month.
He had a total of 120,000 gold, which he would bring in for the auction.
At the border of the hundred thousand mountains, a young male used a branch as a walking stick and climbed up the mountain path.
He hobbled a long distance. His hair was messy, there was even some bird sh*t on his face; his face was a little tan, and his eyes were sunken.
He was like a traveler who was tired and hungry.
Looking closely, his shirt was broken and through the holes in it, one could see his injuries, the blood seeping onto the shirt. Some wounds had already closed up while others formed pus after being infected.
Those scars weren’t only wounds from falling; some were clearly left by sharp daggers.
All this showed that this man wasn’t a simple traveler.
His mental strength was strong, and the hunger and pain couldn’t waver him as he pushed on.
Walking into the morning sun, he finally walked out of the mountain, his face finally breaking into a smile. His tightened muscles finally relaxed. He wanted to continue forward but his body didn’t listen and he fell into the ground.
The hunger and fatigue hit him as he instantly fainted.
“Hey, wake up! Wake up!” The soldiers who was patrolling found the fainted man.
“He has fainted!”
“Check him, maybe he has a insignia or something. He came from the mountains, that’s unusual.”
“Hai!” The soldier searched his body, finding an iron tablet.
“There really is one!”
“Let me see.” The leader took over the tablet, he froze, “This is the Military Intelligence Division tablet.”
“Military Intelligence Division?”
“Quick, he must be a spy sent to investigate the mountains. Send him to the hospital, I’ll go inform the lord.”
“Hai!”
When Leng Qian woke up, it was already night time.
Due to his job habit, he looked around and found that he was in a hospital. Not only was he wearing clean clothing but his wounds were tended to.
“Seems like I was saved!” Leng Qian heaved a sigh of relief.
At this moment, a doctor walked in and seeing him awake, smiled. “You’re awake? Great, I’ll bring you some food.”
Hearing him say that, Leng Qian was indeed really hungry; his stomach was growling as he hadn’t eaten in three days. “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to. You were sent here by the city protection unit, and the county magistrate even came to visit you.” The doctor walked out of the room and went to prepare supper.
Ouyang Shuo heaved a sigh of relief once again. He remembered he had fainted at the border of the mountain. It seemed like the patrolling soldiers of Gushan County had saved him.
The hundred thousand mountain was a treacherous place; it wasn’t a place for outsiders to enter.
A month ago, he brought 10 elite spies in to investigate. Only he alone survived, and even the Feng Bird with him had died.
Just as Leng Qian was thinking, the door opened again.
This time, apart from the doctor, there was also the county magistrate, Lei Fan.
The doctor placed down the food box and left the room, closing it shut. As for what Lei Fan wanted to say, he didn’t care, nor did he dare to care.
Lei Fan had seen Leng Qian, and before he entered the mountain, they also talked to one another. He was the first to find out about the unusual mountain barbarians and had been waiting for news for the Military Intelligence Division.
What made him feel weird was that there was no news from them after they entered, like they had vanished, making him feel panicked and anxious.
What the two talked about wasn’t as confidential as the doctor had thought.
Ever since the territory was built, the military and administration were separated. Hence, even though Lei Fan was the county magistrate, he didn’t have the authority to ask.
Lei Fan was just here to care for him. He knew that Leng Qian was not only one of the three heavyweights of the Military Intelligence Division, but also an individual the marquis had high hopes for him. His future was very bright.
After Lei Fan left, Leng Qian ate his food, and after regaining his strength, he left the hospital.
Gushan County was close to the hundred thousand mountains, and was at the border of the territory; to make it easier to collect information, the Military Intelligence Division had a contact point in the county.
The place was very secret and even Gushan County didn’t know about it.
After Leng Qian left, the first thing he did was rush there.
“Leader!” Upon seeing Leng Qian, the spy was pleasantly surprised.
Leng Qian waved him off and said, “Don’t say or ask anything. Just prepare two of the fastest horses. I need to rush back to the main camp in the morning to see the marquis.”
“Yes!” The spy had undergone good training and immediately turned around to prepare.
Leng Qian nodded. He found the Feng Bird in the contact point and reported to the Military Intelligence Division.
If nothing went wrong, they would receive the news at latest tomorrow morning.
Ever since they had gotten the Feng Birds from Xuanniao Tribe, the Military Intelligence Division had started to breed them on a large scale, forming a perfect information network.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that the Feng Bird that they brought had been killed by the enemy, there wouldn’t be no news from them for a month.
After arranging everything, Leng Qian went to his room to rest.
The next morning, he left sneakily and returned to Shanhai City.
Just as he set out, the Military Intelligence Division received the news he sent. When the secretary Song San heard it, he immediately rushed to the Lord’s Manor to report.
