"How about it, do you want to buy the mountain? Is it the hill where the Tong family lives?"
"Well, not just there, but also the area at the foot of the mountain where you picked me up."
Xiangbei said a little be excited,"Do you know that? Behind the bamboo forest where you stopped the carriage is an entire coal mountain. If we sell refined coal in the future, we won't have to worry about others copying our methods. We can sell the resources directly and become coal barons."Xiangbei Laughed suddenly,
"Cough, cough, cough, haha, ha, coal barons, oh, Cheng Mo, we'll make a fortune."
"Um, Xiao Bei, the entire East Shore is a royal fiefdom, and you can buy mountain land as long as you pay taxes to the county office. Mountain land, residential land, farmland, and commercial land all have different tax rates based on their use. "
Cheng Mo paused for a moment, "However, extensive mining is not allowed. If significant mineral deposits are found, the royal family has the right to reclaim the land."
"Oh? Does that mean it belongs to the emperor or the Prince of the East Shore? If my dad's nitrate mine is discovered, will we be expelled from our home?"
"In this dynasty, there are very few princes, and among the imperial sons, only the second prince, who is the Prince of the East Shore, manages the fiefdom. Therefore, the management of the fiefdom is relatively lenient. Except for gold and silver mines, which require annual reporting and notification of the mining quantity, the Prince of the East Shore has the authority to dispose of other resources as he sees fit."
"This emperor is quite generous to his two sons. Isn't he afraid of the other sons being resentful of the favoritism?"
"Xiao Bei, be careful with your words. The current emperor has only two adult sons, both of whom are already titled as princes. The other sons are still underage. The eldest son has his own support in the capital, so there's no need to grant him a fief. The second son, being young and without family in the capital, had to come to the East Shore."
Chang Mo stated the general situation in an emotionless manner.
"The second prince is quite pitiful. Is he not that old? Have you met him? If he's approachable, we could be friends with him. If he's reasonable, we could work together for mutual benefit. Under such circumstances, maybe we can even ask him to help vindicate Brother Zi Qiu's family."
Xiangbei was contemplating the possibility of establishing a connection with the young Lord of the East Shore.
"Young Master is back? Miss Bei, is everything alright? Is there any discomfort? Should I call Physician Li to check on her?" They had entered the side door of the counter in the east of the Fuhai Tower while talking. Uncle Zhong was surprised to see someone being carried in on the back.
Bei blushed in embarrassment and pretended to be asleep with her head buried in Cheng Mo's collar.
"It's nothing. She's just exhausted and can fall asleep at any moment. I had to carry her back because she seemed to be in a deep sleep. By the way, Uncle Zhong, please arrange for our departure the day after tomorrow. We're heading to the seaside." Cheng Mo smiled slightly, understanding that Bei was feeling embarrassed at the moment. He signaled to Cheng Zhong with a few glances before heading upstairs.
Uncle Zhong happily watched the couple until he heard the instruction to go to the seaside together the day after tomorrow.
He visibly froze, then became unusually delighted. "Master, Madam, little Zhongzi can finally bring you good news. Master, can you see this? The old servant is bringing you good news too."
Once on the third floor, Cheng Mo placed Bei Bei on the bed and sat down. When he turned around and saw that she still refused to lift her head, he also sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her.
Speaking to himself, he said, "Did she really fall asleep? Should I give her some vital energy to treat her?"
"You dare? Do you still dare? Trying to tease me to death?"
"Oh, you're awake? Ah, is Uncle Zhong really going to call Doctor Li to check on you? Falling asleep from exhaustion might also be a kind of illness."
"You're still talking, making fun of me. I told you not to mock me." Bei Bei raised a small fist, scolding him while pounding on him.
Cheng Mo dodged left and right but couldn't avoid her. He simply wrapped his arms around her, letting the girl scold and pound him until she quieted down, as if they could hear each other's slightly offbeat heartbeats.