The promulgation of the new commoner system stirred up a massive uproar across Qingming. Countless people cheered and rejoiced, some even hoping the Shamans would launch a few more attacks soon so they could earn greater military merits.
People constantly snuck out to inspect where the granted lands were located and what they looked like, gesturing and debating which parcels they would claim if they had enough merits to exchange.
Yet voices of discontent lingered as well. Many merchant caravans doing business in Qingming grumbled about the rule prohibiting the resale of granted lands, casting cynical remarks both openly and in secret.
Others attacked the twenty percent tax rate, claiming that tenant farmers registered under aristocratic families paid no taxes to the imperial court at all, making a twenty percent levy nothing short of sucking the marrow from their bones.
Wei Yuan caught several of the loudest troublemakers red-handed. He had them tied up in the bustling market districts and slapped across the face a hundred times each, leaving their cheeks bloody and mangled.
In an instant, the clamor of dissent died down considerably.
Anyone who dared plead for leniency on their behalf received fifty slaps of their own. Finally, the merchants understood whose territory they were walking upon.
Following the implementation of land grants for military merit, a vast mountain of tedious and complex work remained—how to calculate commoners' current merits, which plots to grant, how to arrange subsequent grants into contiguous tracts, and so forth. Every single detail entailed immense, complicated labor.
Fortunately, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World excelled at processing vast quantities of trivial affairs, and doing so could enhance the spirituality of a Dao Foundation. Ever since Wei Yuan had Maiden Yin-Yang delineate designated entry zones, he had relaxed restrictions on entering the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. As the mortal population increased, the dharma idol's spirituality rose once more.
Yet no matter how many times Bao Yun tried, she simply could not get in.
The vast majority of people who entered the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World served as basic task units. Raising one's Dao Foundation spirituality was only possible by serving as a processing node, as Cui Yu did. Only a few dozen Dao Foundation cultivators were assigned as nodes; they were either individuals with accumulated merit or those of extraordinary potential, and all had to swear a blood oath of eternal loyalty.
For anyone else wishing to improve their Dao Foundation's quality, they likewise needed to perform meritorious deeds, prove their loyalty, and ultimately swear a blood oath before gaining the opportunity. This was the final avenue of upward mobility within Qingming's cultivation system, so Wei Yuan kept it under exceptionally tight control. Only those single-mindedly devoted to Qingming could earn a chance.
Around this time, the Creation of Heaven and Earth Research Institute finally yielded results: a new generation of silk brocade looms!
The operating principle of this loom was not difficult. Its core breakthrough lay in a single point: utilizing a spirit qi formation as the driving force to run the machinery.
By now, mortals within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World had long grown accustomed to the concept of power, considering the power source first whenever designing any device. The most mature option at present was spirit qi power driven by formations.
In the absence of spirit items, Dao Foundation cultivators could also serve as power sources. The institute therefore proposed quickly training a cohort of Dao Foundation cultivators with great endurance and steady magic power output, suggesting they begin with the Water, Wood, and Earth phases—Water being the best, followed by Wood.
Reading this, Wei Yuan's expression turned somewhat peculiar. If his Dao Foundation warriors used a modified Water Blade Art to spin an impeller, they could likely power a dozen looms and work continuously for several days before needing replenishment.
However, such work was naturally suited to the new Dao Foundation cultivators who had broken past the limits of a Mortal Tier Dao Foundation. Anticipating a future where large numbers of newly ascended Dao Foundation cultivators would struggle to find employment, Wei Yuan certainly had no intention of snatching away their livelihoods.
Beyond the power source, the new loom featured numerous minor improvements—such as an automated feeding system that steadily and continuously supplied silk, and a core mechanism that allowed the brocade pattern to be altered simply by swapping out pattern plates.
The institute had further improvement plans in store, such as replacing the fixed plates with an updated mechanism where patterns could be changed directly via an adjustable control panel.
According to evaluations by the Creation of Heaven and Earth Research Institute, the new loom was twenty times more efficient than traditional Ning brocade looms. It could slash the traditional weaving labor cost of roughly two liang of immortal silver per bolt down to just one qian. Consequently, the production cost of a bolt of Ning brocade plummeted to one liang six qian, of which one liang was overhead—including warehousing, transport, checkpoint duties, miscellaneous taxes, and material loss. Even this portion could be reduced significantly in the future.
In Western Jin, however, weaving costs and overhead could not be lowered; in fact, overhead showed a rising trend. For instance, a few months prior, the King of Jin had imposed a "Northern Expedition Tax" of one qian on every bolt of brocade, disregarding all objections.
Factoring in soaring raw silk prices, the cost of a single bolt of brocade in Western Jin had reached four liang three qian against a selling price of five liang. Profits were razor-thin; a single road checkpoint could easily plunge the venture into a loss.
Yet when sold to the Shamans, the bartered goods converted to immortal silver amounted to roughly fifteen liang per bolt.
Wei Yuan was thoroughly satisfied with the new looms and began manufacturing them secretly on a large scale. However, every finished loom was sealed away in storage and left unused for the moment, as the time was not yet ripe.
With the new loom successfully developed, Wei Yuan went to seek out Perfected Chuhe, who held the key to the next vital step.
Perfected Chuhe's current residence stood right beside the medicinal herb garden, and the large expanse of spirit land adjoining it had become his experimental grounds. In the center of this land sat a three-foot-square raised flower bed surrounded by intricate formations. Four mulberry saplings grew inside the bed, each of a different variety.
Leading Wei Yuan to the edge of the bed, Perfected Chuhe pointed at one of the saplings and said, "This is a sapling I cultivated using the spirit soil bestowed by Patriarch Huangyun. It matches our requirements fairly well. If we breed along this direction for another two or three generations, it should be ready for use."
Wei Yuan looked closely and noticed a faint chill lingering within the sapling's branches and leaves. Its twigs bore a light blue tint, and the foliage felt cool to the touch.
Carefully plucking a leaf, Perfected Chuhe fed it to a plump, oversized silkworm in the insect garden beside the flower bed. After devouring the leaf, a trace of chill emerged within the insect's body. Though subtle, it was plainly discernible to Wei Yuan's senses.
Perfected Chuhe explained, "This type of mulberry sapling is inherently cold and yin-aligned, already possessing the flavor of a spirit plant. Feeding silkworms its leaves yields silk that carries a natural coolness and greater tensile strength. We can call it 'ice silk.' Compared to ordinary mulberry silk, it is an absolute superior grade. Once we promote these new saplings, the mulberry farmers will naturally switch over to planting them.
"Since this new sapling carries the qualities of a spirit plant, once planted, it alters its surrounding environment on its own. From my observations, it gradually turns the soil into gravelly ground so its roots can bore deep into the subterranean layers. In less than three years, the land will become unsuitable for growing grain."
Wei Yuan said, "Very good. But growing new saplings takes time. Mulberry farmers wouldn't just chop down mature trees to plant new saplings, would they?"
The old Daoist Chuhe chuckled and stroked his beard. "Could such a trifle stump my Hall of Jianmu? There is no need to plant anew. One simply needs to snip a fresh branch, make an incision in an existing mulberry tree, and graft it on. It merely requires a cultivator with a Wood-phase Dao Foundation to tend it for a few days, nourishing it with Dao power until it takes.
"Once the new branch is successfully grafted, how could ordinary mulberry trees possibly contend with it? In just a single year, a normal mulberry tree will transform into an ice mulberry. However, ice mulberries cannot be planted too densely, so some ordinary trees must be cleared away."
Wei Yuan nodded slowly. "For ordinary mulberry farmers, the appearance of a single ice mulberry in their fields will be treasured like a family heirloom. Convincing the prominent households should be even easier. I'll pay a visit to the Yao family first!"
From the insect garden, Perfected Chuhe lifted a strand of thread and said to Wei Yuan, "This is the newly spun ice silk. Its quality is still slightly lacking; once the silkworms are fed exclusively on ice mulberry leaves, its quality will climb another step."
Wei Yuan took the strand of ice silk. It was indeed cool to the touch, and when he gave it a tug, it proved far sturdier than ordinary mulberry silk.
Perfected Chuhe laughed heartily. "Garments woven from ice silk naturally bring a refreshing coolness to the wearer. The princes, nobles, and wealthy families will surely scramble for them. Once finished goods are produced, we need only offer a batch as tribute to the King of Jin..."
Wei Yuan had to admit that aside from having a few too many immortal swords, Old Daoist Chuhe truly was a rare talent in other respects.
The ice silk was an unexpected bonus; Wei Yuan's original aim had simply been an improved mulberry tree that would render the soil unfit for grain over time, thereby severing any chance of Ningxi's seven prefectures reverting their mulberry fields back to grain crops. Given Qingming's current rate of expansion, it could easily fill the seven prefectures' grain shortfall in the future, securing Wei Yuan an unassailable position.
Now, the emergence of ice mulberries and the grafting technique not only fully met Wei Yuan's requirements, but also gave rise to an 'ice brocade' poised to sweep through Western Jin.
Drawing upon the experience of the otherworldly realm, when the rich and powerful had more money than they knew what to do with, they would throw fortunes into such luxury goods.
Though Wei Yuan struggled to comprehend the otherworldly practice of buying luxury items, looking at Great Tang's nobles doting on corals, jadeite, pearls, and gems gave him a sense of understanding.
Most such nobles had already reached the end of their cultivation paths, possessing no hope of advancement. The majority of cultivators who still had a chance to ascend buried themselves in bitter cultivation, their eyes fixed solely on spirit items and spirit medicines.
Yet how many cultivators in Great Tang still possessed the potential to advance? The vast majority faced a closed road. To them, the early stage and late stage of the Dao Foundation made little difference, so they preferred to enjoy life to the fullest.
Wei Yuan praised, "This grafting technique is truly a miraculous craft!"
Old Daoist Chuhe demurred modestly. "Haha, it is nothing extraordinary. This was originally our Hall of Jianmu's method for cultivating rare spirit plants; applied to mortal trees, its efficacy is naturally miraculous. It's just that we are still somewhat short on Dao Foundation cultivators to cast the art. These past days, this old Daoist devised a method for rapid Dao Foundation establishment. Among the next batch of cultivators ascending to the Dao Foundation, we should select a group specifically to cultivate this foundation."
Wei Yuan agreed immediately.
Perfected Chuhe's new Dao Foundation was named the Taiyi Sky-Reaching Divine Wood, which cultivated a single sprout on a branch. Its difficulty was roughly comparable to the Great Bright Demon-Subduing Sword.
Wei Yuan, however, recognized its merits at a glance.
Its Dao power was dense and enduring, with remarkably swift qi recovery. Even if one did not use it to nurture grafted ice mulberries, it could tend other spirit plants; at worst, one would make a fine hand at operating the looms. Though this Dao Foundation was ill-suited for combat, its practitioners would never lack employment.
In terms of future prospects, it surpassed even the Immortal Sword · False Sun. Cultivating the Immortal Sword · False Sun left one with few options outside stoking fires or fighting battles—aside from working as a security guard.
Wei Yuan immediately decided to vigorously promote this new Dao Foundation.
The curtain on a new grand contest slowly rose. Autumn deepened, and heavy snows fell across the north. In the blink of an eye, midwinter arrived, bringing the new year—and with it, the time for Wei Yuan to travel to the capital for an audience with the sovereign.
Chapter 449