You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

"Don't worry, we won't let you pay for everything. We're just setting an example by depositing your money in the bank, and other people will follow suit. In return, the temple plans to start a school, and you can invest in that..."

Lu Zhengshu immediately moved on to the next topic.

Come again?

They found it too simplistic to categorize the dean as merely a technician; the guy was far too good at salesmanship, a silver-tongued smooth talker.

Most people can't remember such a long list of solutions, let alone apply them to other situations and recite them fluently.

You must be very good at making money to be elected as the dean of the college, right?

In fact, the merchants were right. Specialized academies and inner court institutions often promoted members through internal referrals, with even Feng Tianyin rarely interfering. Therefore, facing a new era of commercial prosperity, the academy recommended a scholar with a businessman's temperament, and the High Priest was quite satisfied.

They hit it off immediately and took office.

The first daunting task facing the new dean was to implement the temple's decisions and projects in the south.

Jiang Bai was the one who recommended the person for the mission.

She has already grasped the secret of her teacher and grandmaster: "Put the right person in the right position." This mission will also be a plus for her, so that she can successfully succeed to the position of prime minister in the future based on her achievements.

For business people, today is all good news, and they are overjoyed.

Absolutely support.

Everyone knows Feng Tianyin's style of doing things. She doesn't need to deliberately set up a scheme to swindle your money. Instead, she will create a profitable scheme to attract all parties to join in.

The temple also consistently implemented this plan under her influence.

Lu Zhengshu reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions, successfully persuading the various chambers of commerce with the power of the new policies.

"Sir, I have a question:"

"Since we're going to establish schools on a large scale in the future, what about the previous selection process? After all, we're still counting on some descendant to bring honor to our ancestors and enter the temple... How will this be handled in the future?"

"Change it, everything has to be changed."

He then gave a brief explanation: the future academy would be transformed into a school, directly becoming an institution under the temple to train clerks.

The colleges outside of that became universities, and thereafter focused entirely on academics...

Despite spending a lot of time explaining, the merchants didn't quite understand. They were just slightly disappointed, feeling that knowledge had become devalued and was no longer accessible to ordinary people. Lu Zhengshu inwardly scoffed at this, thinking them a bunch of ignorant people.

I don't know.

The high priest's concept of "the world belongs to all" was beyond their comprehension; they lacked the wisdom and understanding to grasp it.

How can a mere merchant with such a short-sighted view understand the greater good of the temple?

Although he knew he was dealing with people tainted by money, he didn't think it was anything special; they were just tools of the temple.

Just make good use of it.

In any case, after today, the entire South will cooperate with Your Majesty's work more efficiently, and Your Majesty should be on the move in Linchun in the northern desert now.

Chapter 146 I'm Super, Uranium (6K)

The land beyond the Great Wall.

Faced with the arrival of the long-absent High Priest, the entire Linchun County adopted the highest level of etiquette, lining the streets to welcome him, and the whole city turned out to be deserted.

Feng Tianyin's visit was not only politically significant, but also religiously significant.

The fact that this is the first city she visits after the Heavenly Way Festival symbolizes its importance and is a great honor. It is a festival for both local officials and residents.

Moreover, the great prophet also came.

Although Gegentana usually resided in Xiayi and oversaw the inner palace, she frequently returned to her hometown, thus accumulating a long-standing reputation in the area.

The two rode in a carriage, proceeding through a red carpet and amidst ceremonial cannons and streamers.

"Welcome, High Priest and Great Prophet."

The clerks who came to greet them were all smiles. After all, they could finally show them the achievements of their years of construction in the northern desert. Political achievements always need to be witnessed to be counted, and this was a rare opportunity.

It had been a long time since Feng Tianyin had come here, so this was a way of expressing her respect for the area outside the Great Wall.

"Look over there."

Sitting next to her in the open carriage, Gergentana pointed into the distance and said, "The original Holy Land Library has been converted into a church. The place where we fought the Warp Familiars has also been restored. The ancient books have been purified and preserved. The architectural design is quite good, isn't it?"

"It is indeed spectacular; it is no longer the village and town style of yesteryear."

"Of course, I gave it a lot of funding. It's the tallest and largest building in the entire northern desert."

More than half a century has passed in the blink of an eye.

They traveled together for many years, revisiting familiar places and returning to the place where they first met, filled with many emotions and a myriad of feelings.

The place of promotion.

For Gegentana, it held even greater significance, being the place where she was elevated and blessed by the Heavenly Dao, a place brimming with commemorative value. Otherwise, she would likely have perished in the subspace contamination long ago, and would never have achieved her current position, second only to the Emperor.

The actual operation of the religious affairs in the Great Qian Dynasty almost entirely relied on her, even though Feng Tianyin had reduced her involvement in this area.

"Please come in, both of you. This is our newly expanded temple."

The host city lord officials led them to the temple study, which was usually the office of clerks in the Great Qian Dynasty.

The integration of politics and religion.

Every detail repeatedly corroborates this.

After all, the temple system of Xiayi was basically replicated in various places, and some small villages and towns simply handled official business in churches. Therefore, the Tiandao Sect became more and more secular and never deliberately created a sense of mystery.

In any case, the priesthood doesn't need to emphasize a mysterious atmosphere.

There are gods three feet above your head.

Feng Tianyin approached the desk, where a series of reports from the northern desert region were already laid out:

In fact, after years of development, the vast grasslands have become more than just Linchun, a major city. There are also the Ku Rong Pass, a trading city with close exchanges with the river valleys of the northwest and the western regions, and a city that has gathered local barbarians after connecting to the sea in the northeast...

They are all located in the northern desert region and are thriving.

pity.

Given its natural endowments, most areas have focused on developing agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade, with Linchun being the only exception that has some decent manufacturing industry.

Thanks to continuous exploration and mining, a large number of smelting workshops have been maintained here.

Even in the office, Feng Tianyin could see traces of coal ash, smell sulfur in the air, and hear the occasional sound of explosives or mine carts rumbling out of the depths of the cave.

Linchun is beginning to take on an industrial feel.

She quickly memorized the detailed information on production volume, processing, and new mining sites; things seemed to be going well. Although there was also information on discovered mineral deposits in other regions, the technical and cost issues had to be considered.

Because volcanic activity pushed large amounts of ore to the surface, most of the mines in Linchun are open-pit mines, which are inexpensive.

You can earn money with just one swing of the pickaxe.

“I have you collect all the types of minerals you have collected so far and lay them out.”

The group carefully displayed each ore one by one, even through glass cases, to avoid easy spoilage and to guard against potential contamination.

铀？

Feng Tianyin immediately spotted the earthy uranium ore. Its brilliant asphalt luster was quite beautiful. If processed, it could yield other elements such as radium and rare earth elements, but its most famous applications were undoubtedly in the nuclear industry.

Seeing it was a relief; based on the analysis, it should be a mineral deposit.

“Seal off the uranium mines, protect them, and don’t touch them.”

After issuing the warning, Feng Tianyin immediately explained the precautions in detail, and the professionals present nodded in understanding.

Precious yet dangerous.

The radioactivity in uranium ore can be fatal, so she unusually gave an extra warning. The rest of the ore was normal, consisting mainly of common metals like copper and tin, as well as some rare metals, making it remarkably well-rounded.

"You seem to be in a good mood. Will Linchun become a mining base in the future?"

Gedentana is very concerned about the future of her hometown.

"Yes."

"That's good. We've been given this opportunity by Heaven. We'll never have to worry about food and drink as long as we keep mining."

"Let's get down to business. It's about time we headed to the gold mine."

"I've been wanting to see it for a long time." Her eyes lit up when she mentioned their destination, and she quickly pulled Feng Tianyin into the carriage.

After about half a day's journey.

The two ventured deeper into an underground mine, and after about a hundred meters, they saw a faint shimmering gold. Excited, Gegentana rushed over, and sure enough, the crevices in the rock walls were filled with golden granular ore.

After scanning the ore once, Feng Tianyin nodded. "The average ore grade is 30 grams per ton, which is not bad."

"Who understands what you're saying? All I know is that we're going to make a fortune."

The great prophet wished he could embrace the entire mineral deposit, but every rock was enormous, making it impossible to begin. He could only hope for the finished products after mining and refining.

"What is your estimated total refining volume?"

"Hundreds of tons."

Feng Tianyin's unwavering answer surprised everyone present. The number was staggering, and the wealth behind it was immeasurable.

Moreover, there must be other unexplored mineral deposits in Linchun, and there must be reserves in various parts of Daqian.

The total number is absolutely staggering.

"Wait a minute, after we hold this blessing ceremony and announce the news, won't it create a gold rush?"

Absolutely.

There's no doubt about people's enthusiasm; upon hearing news of the gold mine, many will undoubtedly venture beyond the borders, drawn by the allure of gold like vultures. Moreover, the mine has been blessed by the High Priest and the Great Prophet, making it a natural advertisement for those with a keen eye for gold.

Gegentana's expression was complex, suggesting that the place was a mixed bag, but it would also contribute to the development of her hometown.

Gold panning won't make you rich overnight; it's serving gold panners that makes you wealthy.

"Let's talk about that later."

Wait and see.