Lin Wencheng could only comfort himself, thinking that the Emperor of Da Qian, who looked down upon the world and was a cultivator, should not be interested in his granddaughter.
Even if he were interested... it didn't seem like a loss, after all, this was the Emperor of a cultivation dynasty!
If Lin Xue could truly become a concubine of the Da Qian Emperor, it would be an immense honor.
Xu Mo, after scolding the group before him, then said, "To cultivate, one needs more than just cultivation techniques; one also needs cultivation talent. You wish to enter Da Qian Academy, but first, you must possess cultivation talent, and second, you must pay the corresponding price."
The crowd had already been filled with disappointment, believing the Da Qian Emperor would not impart cultivation techniques to them. But unexpectedly, things took a turn, filling them with joy!
"Your Majesty, how can we know if we have cultivation talent? And what are the corresponding conditions?" Jack asked cautiously, afraid of enraging the Da Qian Emperor again.
Xu Mo smiled gently and said, "The Da Qian Dynasty has special stones for testing talent called Wu Dao Stones. If you want to know if you have talent, I will have some Wu Dao Stones sent over later for you to test."
He paused, then continued, "As for the conditions you must pay? That would naturally be the tuition fee for entering Da Qian Academy."
"Tuition fee!?" Jack and the others were astonished, but then they quickly understood and immediately asked what form of payment was required.
They were not foolish enough to offer Earth's currency. This was the Da Qian Dynasty; Earth's currency was worthless here, and perhaps even gold and silver would not be recognized.
When Jack and the others had wandered through the imperial capital, they had seen that the currency used by the citizens was similar to ancient Chinese banknotes. As for cultivators, they used more advanced spirit stones as currency.
"Resources, grain," Xu Mo said indifferently.
Although the Da Qian Dynasty was now prosperous and strong, a large portion of the spirit fields were used to cultivate spirit herbs, resulting in a severe shortage of grain production. Many commoners in impoverished regions were still starving.
When he ascended the throne, he had considered abolishing the cultivation of spirit herbs in spirit fields and replacing it with grain. However, this was met with obstruction from his civil and military officials.
Spirit fields were the foundation of a cultivation dynasty. The spirit herbs cultivated were invaluable strategic resources that could be refined into various elixirs to increase cultivators' cultivation, restore spiritual energy, and heal injuries.
It could be said that the Da Qian Dynasty could afford to support nearly a hundred thousand cultivators precisely because of these spirit fields.
If the spirit fields were abolished and replaced with grain cultivation, the Da Qian Dynasty would undoubtedly be thrown into turmoil. At that time, even with Xu Mo's prestige, cultivators would express their dissatisfaction and even incite riots upon losing their spirit herbs and elixirs.
Therefore, spirit fields were indispensable; they were the lifeblood of a cultivation dynasty.
As for the many commoners who could not get enough to eat, the civil and military officials could only express their helplessness, as this was the norm.
Not only Da Qian, but also the neighboring Da Jin, and the former Da Hao, as well as other cultivation dynasties, all experienced the phenomenon of commoners not getting enough to eat. In comparison, the Da Qian Dynasty was doing the best; at least, there were not as many starving commoners.
The reason for the insufficient grain production was not, of course, a lack of land. On the contrary, the Great Desolation had plenty of land, and it was very fertile, rich in spiritual energy.
However, the Great Desolation was also dangerous, with monsters often rampant. To cultivate grain, one had to leave the safety of the cities and go to the fields. The possibility of encountering monsters and perishing was very high during this time.
Furthermore, there were ravenous monsters like the Greedy Sky Sparrow and the Fire Locust that would devour grains, consuming entire fields at once, easily leaving the commoners who cultivated grain with nothing.
Under such perilous circumstances, the grain production in the Great Desolation was naturally extremely low.
Spirit fields, on the other hand, were protected by cultivators, and monsters dared not attack them easily, making them extremely safe.
Jack and the others were taken aback, not expecting the Da Qian Dynasty to need grain. They were stunned and didn't react immediately.
Once they understood, they nodded enthusiastically and said, "Yes, Your Majesty! We have plenty of grain on Earth. Name your price, and we guarantee to deliver it!"
Exchanging some grain for cultivation techniques was an absolute bargain!
This was the thought in everyone's mind at that moment.
"The amount of grain I require is not small. Have you thought this through?" Xu Mo asked them with a smile.
These words immediately made everyone feel uneasy, their expressions becoming tense.
Earth had a lot of grain, and it was cheap, but if the Da Qian Emperor asked for an exorbitant amount, they wouldn't be able to afford it!
"Your Majesty, how much do you need?" Jack asked, steeling himself.
Xu Mo said, "Not much, but definitely not little. The first batch of grain will be enough to feed 500,000 people for one year."
He calculated mentally. Da Qian still had 250,000 commoners who were not getting enough to eat, so saying 500,000 people was a safer bet!
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces changed in unison!
Grain sufficient to feed 500,000 people for a year was not a small amount. However, it was not an exorbitant amount either.
But the most important thing was that this was only the first batch, which implied there would be a second, third batch? Endless?
Seeing their hesitant expressions, Xu Mo said, "One batch per year, for ten years. In return, our Da Qian Academy will open 50 student quotas for you. Those who obtain a quota can enter Da Qian Academy to cultivate and learn."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present began to breathe rapidly. Jack was the first to step forward and say, "Your esteemed Majesty, I, representing the English royal family, agree to your proposal! We only ask that you allow me to enter Da Qian Academy to learn how to cultivate!"
He was incredibly excited. The cultivation techniques he had dreamed of were finally within reach!
The others quickly followed suit, all agreeing to the conditions set by Xu Mo.
When calculated, it was enough grain to feed 500,000 people for ten years, which was not a lot. Some of them could afford it themselves.
Of course, the grain Xu Mo was referring to was not just simple rice and wheat. He required a balanced diet of meat, eggs, and milk, and no food additives.
After a moment of hesitation, everyone agreed.
Xu Mo nodded with satisfaction and said, "Good, since you are willing to pay the tuition fee, the gates of Da Qian Academy will be open to you."
The fifty quotas would be divided among them. Of course, the most important thing was testing their talent.
Without cultivation talent, entering Da Qian Academy would be of no use.
Next, Xu Mo looked at Lin Wencheng, causing Lin Wencheng's body to tremble, and he felt a sense of nervousness.
Fortunately, the Da Qian Emperor only asked him about the situation on Earth, mostly inquiring about the current state of China and mentioning a certain city in China.