The next day.
Yu Xian sent away Chief Steward Li, who had come to deliver gifts. Then he turned to look at the pile of large and small packages filling the courtyard and couldn't help shaking his head.
Fancy and flashy, but it would have been better if they gave him cash instead.
Fortunately, his monthly salary would increase in the future. The extra five hundred taels of silver wasn't much but it was a steady trickle of income.
And the spending power of a Middle-stage Innate and early-stage Innate was different. In the future, general tasks from the Royal Mansion would probably not be assigned to him anymore, as the cost-performance ratio would be too low.
Of course, even if he was given tasks, he wouldn't take them.
Why bother working when you can freeload?
On the other hand, Yulan seemed quite happy.
After Eunuch Li left, she busily sifted through the gift boxes, occasionally opening and admiring one. A few royal-contributed brocade silk fabrics caught her attention and she couldn't put them down.
"My lord, this fabric is so beautiful. I'll make you clothes from it." Yulan said excitedly.
Yu Xian looked at Chen Yi, who was quietly standing by his side. He suddenly remembered her cute expression last night when she stubbornly bit the corner of the blanket, refusing to make a sound, and couldn't help but smile:
"That's fine. There's plenty of fabric here. Remember to make one for yourself and Sister Xiao Yi, too."
"My lord, you're too kind to me! Sister Xiao Yi, you'll help me, won't you?"
Yulan looked at Chen Yi, extending an invitation.
These days, very few women didn't know how to sew. Even the Princess Consort was skilled at embroidery and handcraft.
Chen Yi softly agreed, though she didn't seem very enthusiastic about it.
However, Yulan didn't notice her disinterest and immediately started to discuss clothing designs, holding hands with her.
"By the way, you two stay home today. I have some things to do outside. If Tributor Ding comes with the compensation, just accept it,"
Yu Xian wilfully ignored the two women's scheming, left a few instructions, then went out of the royal mansion with his wine gourd.
...
Treasure Tower.
This was the largest merchant house in Prosper City, boasting millions of treasures and acting as a hub of north-south trade. The wealth held in this building could buy half of Prosper City, and it was rumored to have the Royal Mansion's backing.
Yu Xian thought it didn't need to be a rumor.
Not long ago, he asked Chief Steward Li where he could buy large pieces of jade in the city.
Chief Steward Li immediately recommended the Treasure Tower and revealed that the Royal Mansion was indeed the owner of the business.
If he went to purchase items, as a Heavenly-rank Tributor, he could get a thirty percent discount.
Without trying to be discreet, Yu Xian entered the building and presented his Royal Mansion token to the usher. Soon afterward, a high-ranking manager of the Treasure Tower appeared to greet him.
Upstairs in the VIP room.
A serving girl arranged pastries on two plates before courteously stepping back. The manager personally served tea to Yu Xian, his face showing an appropriate amount of respect.
"Tributor Yu, please enjoy the tea. May I know what kind of item you're looking for? As long as our store has it, I will help you find it."
Yu Xian took a sip of tea and stated his purpose.
"I need a whole piece of jade, any variety is fine, but the bigger the better, and it should be at least three feet square."
Chances of finding a good magic artifact in the Mortal World were slim, and Yu Xian had never considered himself lucky enough to stumble upon one easily.
So, he planned to create one himself.
Of course, he had no idea how to do any proper Artifact Refining, but he did know a little about blood refinement.
This was a refining method used by impoverished cultivators.
They would find suitable material and nurture it day and night with their blood, mana, and spiritual sense. In about three months, an artifact embryo could be produced.
If continuously nurtured like this for three to five years, it would likely transform into a Low-grade Magical Artifact.
Such a low-grade magical artifact was more compatible with the user and had greater power than ordinary magical artifacts when wielded.
If further materials were added and melted down, there would be an opportunity to upgrade the magical artifact.
However, this method consumes blood and energy over time, which easily hinders the path of cultivation. An ordinary cultivator can refine at most one magical artifact, and once it is damaged, it will also significantly harm their Primordial Qi.
It is said to be the earliest method of artifact refining.
Later, due to the advancement of artifact refining techniques, the Cultivation World gradually eliminated this outdated method.
However, for poor cultivators, it doesn't matter as long as they can save money. Spending some time and consuming some Qi and blood is considered nothing. Thus, this Blood Refining method has become quite prevalent among them.
As a former reserve who once dreamed of becoming a cultivator, Yu Xian naturally wanted to be ahead of others and got his hands on this method early.
"Not restricted to material, large and intact jade pieces?"
The chief steward repeated Yu Xian's request in a low voice, quickly recalling the items available in the Treasure Tower,
Yu Xian quietly sipped tea, not bothering the chief steward's thoughts.
In his eyes, the most valuable thing in the Mortal World was probably minerals.
Whether it is gold, silver, copper, iron, or jade mines, they all have a certain value even in the Cultivation World.
Gold Essence, Liquid Silver, Copper Mother, and Profound Iron can be extracted from ordinary ores, but the required raw material is too vast for ordinary cultivators to handle.
Not to mention, they can barely afford a large-capacity storage magical artifact.
Yu Xian wanted to buy iron ore to refine it himself.
However, considering the workload, coupled with the environmental limitations of the Mortal World, where even replenishing spiritual energy is hardly possible, he decisively gave up.
So he chose jade.
Jade is the essence of stone, naturally containing weak spiritual energy. It is a natural material for refining artifacts and is easy to work with. Even if it is made of just a single material, an artifact embryo can still be refined.
The disadvantage is that you get what you pay for. The power of the magical artifacts refined from this method will be relatively weak, making them less effective in combat.
But as long as it works, that's enough.
Yu Xian had a clear understanding of his wealth and combat abilities.
Despite racking his memory, the chief steward could not find a piece of jade that met Yu Xian's requirements.
"I apologize, Tributor Yu, our Treasure Tower does not have the large piece of jade you're looking for. The largest piece we have is a jade pak choi that is only about a foot long and wide. Would you like to see it?"
Yu Xian was somewhat disappointed and shook his head: "No need. You all just keep an eye out for me. If there's any news, send someone to Duke Fu's Mansion to find me."
After saying that, he stood up.
"Tributor Yu, wait."
The chief steward stopped Yu Xian, appearing as if he just remembered something: "Your words just reminded me, Tributor Yu, if you want a large piece of jade, maybe you can come back in a few days to have a look.
By then, a group of jade merchants from the Southwest will be auctioning off a batch of raw jade ore and some jade collections at our Treasure Tower."
"In addition, there will be jade merchants from several surrounding counties coming here to buy goods. If they don't have what you're looking for, it's likely that the entire Prosper County doesn't have the jade that meets your requirements."
Prosper City is a hub of water transportation, and due to its location advantage, it has a strong commercial atmosphere. Every year, merchant ships from all over the country stop here to trade.
The Treasure Tower, with the backing of the Royal Mansion, serves as the best middleman, providing a communication channel and platform for the unfamiliar merchants, thus becoming the foundation of the Tower's wealth.
Hearing this, Yu Xian suddenly felt lucky. Although he didn't find any magical artifacts directly, he did find a solution to his problem.
"Alright, what's your name? When I come back, I'll just look for you."
"My name is Liu Sanquan."
This time, the chief steward's smile was even more sincere.
Yu Xian showed off his token which belonged to a Heavenly-rank Tributor, indicating his high status in the Royal Mansion.
Today, by establishing a relationship with Yu Xian, the chief steward would have an easier time moving up the ranks in the Treasure Tower, and might even have a chance to get his name known to Prince Wang.
"Hmm, I'll remember you."
Yu Xian didn't waste any words and left the room after saying this.
Since he liked to buy things directly and not wander around aimlessly, he headed straight for the exit.
However, his footsteps suddenly stopped, and he quickly walked over to the two guests chatting casually in the nearby hall.
"What did you just say about the military equipment case? And what's the story behind the Guangnan Uprising?"