shamed and humiliated that she wanted to die. She turned her head away, not wanting to see Li Chen at all.The phoenix sedan swayed gently, but in just a moment, it arrived outside the Qianqing Palace....Chapter 556: Spending Money Like Water

"Actually, the royal family is the one who most wants the common people to live and work in peace and contentment."

Li Chen helped up Dantai Jingzhi and said with emotion, "When the people are not living in peace, the state will be unstable. If the state is unstable to a certain extent, it will become turbulent, and if it goes further, it will collapse. Once the state collapses, those officials and ministers in the court, as well as the opportunity to survive and even continue to enjoy wealth and honor in the new dynasty, but the royal family, will surely die."

"Therefore, this concerns the fundamental interests of the nation and is a matter for all ages. This Palace cannot be careless, nor can it afford to be."

Dantai Jing deeply agreed. He looked at the grand project before him and asked, "Your Highness, such a massive academy is unprecedented, but according to your description, it will likely require a considerable amount of silver"

"Indeed."

Li Chen didn't hide anything, nodding and saying: "The Ministry of Works budgets, the Ministry of Revenue verifies, if this imperial academy is built according to this palace's requirements meticulously, then it would cost at least eight million taels of silver."

This number left Dantang Jing dizzy.

Although he had no interest in money, he was not a true immortal who had completely detached from the world. He also understood the necessities of life, such as firewood, rice, oil, and salt. An ordinary family could live comfortably with just dozens of taels of silver a year. They wouldn't have to worry about food and drink, and at least they could guarantee their family's basic needs.

Thus, the eight million taels of silver before his eyes was a sum far exceeding what Dantai Jing had ever imagined.

That's not all.

Seeing the shock on Dantai Jing's face, Li Chen continued, "The living expenses of so many students and teachers are a huge expense. In addition to the annual maintenance costs for the academy, just to keep the academy running, a conservative estimate puts the yearly expenditure at no less than 500,000 taels of silver."

This is still the bare minimum. Consciousness refers to less than 500,000 taels of silver. Either the students and masters will go hungry, or the daily maintenance and repairs of the academy will not be sustainable.

This number truly frightened even Dantái Jingzhi, who had never cared about money in his life.

"Where on earth am I going to get so much silver"

This was the first time Dàntái Jìng had ever felt how good money could be.

"The construction costs will be borne entirely by this palace," replied Li Chen.

"What about the minimum of 500,000 taels in maintenance fees every year afterwards"

Although not a businessman, Dantai Jing knew that institutions like academies, despite their high construction costs, the most formidable aspect was the persistent maintenance expense.

Even though construction costs are a one-time expense, maintenance fees must be paid every year.

One and a half million taels a year, for up to fifteen years, this maintenance fee would catch up with the construction cost.

"It makes its own money."

Li Chen pointed to the construction site and smiled at Dantai Jing, "Sir, don't you remember what I just said There will be many shops here for rent or sale, providing opportunities for merchants to do business"

Dantang Jing suddenly realized, but immediately his brows furrowed and he said: "This is not a bad idea, but wouldn't the court become like a landlord Isn't that robbing the people of their profits and engaging in such dishonorable acts as extortion"

Li Chen replied: "Kings, princes, generals, merchants, commoners—at their core, there is no difference. It's not that only kings and princes are the people of Great Qin; merchants and commoners are equally indispensable. How could a country possibly have everyone as a sage or an official"

In my opinion, as long as the country is stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment, anything can be done.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!hou's head: "You are my trusted confidante, deeply esteemed by me. And seeing your younger brother, Zhou Ping'an, entrusted with such a significant role, it seems he holds considerable importance in t...