In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Once the 100,000-mile-long highway is successfully completed, it will bring immense benefits to the Zhang family, the empire, and the people!

Zhang Xiaoshan's explanation left everyone only vaguely understanding.

In short, once completed, the project will be of great benefit to the Zhang family, the empire, and the people.

The Zhang family's investments, such as dams and private schools, were all done with the intention of doing good deeds, so they didn't care whether they could recoup their costs.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Zhang Xiaoshan with admiration.

"Furthermore, you should not underestimate the enormous benefits involved. Since the Zhang family is involved in the investment, apart from charitable causes, when have you ever seen the Zhang family make a losing deal?"

"That's true, the Zhang family has never done a losing business!"

Wang Li thought for a moment and realized that he would be the first to disbelieve that the Zhang family's investment would result in a loss.

Looking at Yingcheng on Yizhou Island, which had only been established not long ago, the Zhang family had invested a huge sum of millions of gold.

Leaving aside the core chamber of commerce, the Zhang family owns shares in almost every shop here, to varying degrees.

In addition, Yizhou Island is so large and rich in resources that the Zhang family is the only buyer and processor there, so it's only a matter of time before they break even.

After recouping the costs, what remains is a massive gold mine.

It is inexhaustible!

···

Sun and Moon Tower!

The sun and moon did not refer to the Ming Dynasty; at least, neither Wang Li nor anyone else had ever suspected the Zhang family.

At the same time, Riyuelou is the only high-end restaurant in Yingcheng. It is divided into three floors: upper, middle and lower. Even the lowest floor is not affordable for most craftsmen.

Therefore, only junior and senior officials from various powerful factions are frequent visitors here!

This time was no exception; the Zhang family hosted a banquet for everyone.

"General Wang, Yingcheng is located in the East China Sea and is also the place where the empire set sail. Originally, the Zhang family should not have been the host."

"Now that the Zhang family has established themselves here, I won't stand on ceremony with the general. If anything happens, both families should look out for each other!"

Hiss...

"Your two families and mine?" Which two families?

The Empire and the Zhang Family!

If an ordinary person dared to say such a thing, Wang Li would have already kicked them, but the Zhang family truly had the right to speak.

However, the Zhang family's strength within Yingcheng, along with the Xiao family father and son on the right, are both top-tier experts.

Even after spending only a short time together, he knew that Xiao Feng was an unparalleled master, and that Xiao Yuanshan was also a top master among the older generation.

Moreover, not to mention the guards recruited by the Zhang family here, even the blacksmiths in the workshops, every single one of them eats meat three times a day, and when they pick up weapons, they are a group of brave Jiangdong youths.

It can be said that the Zhang family is the most powerful force here.

"You're too kind, young master. Wang Li is only stationed here to guard Dongjun for a short period of time."

Furthermore, His Majesty has said that everything here revolves around the Zhang family, and if anything becomes troublesome, just give the order.

“The Zhang family are businessmen; they have no law enforcement power and dare not cross the line.”

Zhang Xiaoshan's adherence to his identity as a businessman left everyone speechless.

However, they also knew that as long as they didn't provoke the Zhang family, the Zhang family wouldn't self-destruct, making them perfectly qualified businessmen, as exemplified by this 100,000-mile highway project.

After the Zhang family took over the contract, it greatly reduced the burden on the empire.

Imperial corvée labor was unpaid work, not only was it hard and tiring, but you also had to bring your own food rations.

But the corvée labor collected by the Zhang family was different; it included food, lodging, and a fixed allowance.

This is also why Emperor Qin Shi Huang relinquished his power.

He wasn't truly ruthless; rather, the empire had just been unified, and everything was in need of rebuilding, so he was too impatient.

Zhang Xiaoshan's monopoly on the imperial highway project was, in effect, giving those forced laborers a chance to survive.

Otherwise, under the empire's cruel and demanding construction schedule, just like building the Great Wall, countless people would die tragically from the forced labor required to build the roads.

·········Requesting flowers·· 0

With all the guests enjoying themselves, Zhang Xiaoshan not only hosted a banquet for everyone, but also proposed expanding the wharf.

This expansion is nothing more than a plan to set up a transit station here.

Now that the Zhang family is going out into the world, they will naturally increase the number of merchant ships going to Southeast Asia and the West, and they also have several super-giant ships.

With the massive supply of materials and goods to be transported, Yingcheng is the best choice as a transit point.

This also allows for the expansion of Yingcheng's population.

Wang Li and the other people from the empire naturally did not refuse.

They knew that although the Zhang family called it a discussion, in reality, even the Dragon Emperor had no chance of objecting.

Who made Zhang Xiaoshan the real 'King of the East Sea'?

Moreover, for these imperial families, this was also an opportunity to make a fortune.

The Qin Empire did not have a rule that officials' family members could not engage in business.

They were mostly sent here by prominent families of the empire.

The Wang family had three generations of generals; Li You was the son of Li Si; and another member of the Li family was from the lineage of the famous imperial general Li Xin…

..... . 0

Given their status, none of them are cowards.

The Zhang family set up a transit point here. Even if they didn't go by ship, they would buy cheap Western specialties here and resell them in the Central Plains for at least several times the profit.

You have to understand that this is a piece of fat meat, and the Zhang family can't possibly swallow it all by themselves.

Besides, even if it's hard work, taking tea, porcelain, and silk with the Zhang family's merchant ships to the West can bring in nearly ten thousand taels of gold per trip.

For these imperial families, that was already quite a lot.

Moreover, they came from an open and aboveboard business background.

As for the big head eating meat?

They didn't think they could compete with the Zhang family. If they angered the Zhang family, they wouldn't even have a chance to get a taste of the soup.

The proposal to expand the docks was agreed upon, and at the same time, another request was made to the Empire to relocate 100,000 people to the area.

With the expansion of the port, Yingcheng would inevitably need to increase its population.

Over the next few months, Zhang Xiaoshan took Zhang Zhong, Huang Rong, and the other women on a tour of Yizhou Island.

There were no guides, but Zhang Xiaoshan and his companions were dressed in luxurious and brightly colored clothes. Wherever they went, the villages and tribes of Yizhou Island treated Zhang Xiaoshan as an honored guest.

Because they also learned of Yingcheng's existence.

Moreover, Yingcheng is considered a sacred and prosperous place by them, and they often recruit some local residents to work there, with extremely high treatment and salaries.

It could be said that they had slighted Zhang Xiaoshan and the others, and they were worried about retaliation from Yingcheng.

As for those with ulterior motives, Zhang Xiaoshan naturally didn't hold back.

After all, all the women present, even the six female sword attendants, were top-notch, even the most skilled.

Zhang Xiaoshan stayed on Yizhou Island for ten days to half a month.

While later Sun Moon Lake and Alishan may not possess the unique scenery found in later times, Zhangxiaoshan's pristine natural landscapes still offer a distinctive charm.

Moreover, the fireworks in those earthen villages and the bonfire parties held for Zhang Xiaoshan and others at night were even more unforgettable.

Even Huang Rong, seeing the idyllic life here, wanted to stay longer.

However, Zhang Xiaoshan still rejected him.

These are all ancient villages and hamlets, and there are too many mosquitoes in the mountains. He was worried that it would be bad for the children.

Chapter 620 Five Years Later, the Dragon Emperor Invites Him

The East China Sea is vast and boundless, with undulating waves.

After unifying the empire, it adopted a policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, allowing the country to recuperate and thrive.

However, there were exceptions, namely the Zhang family, the Ba family, and those merchants and aristocratic families who raised funds to build the highways. Emperor Ying Zheng turned a blind eye to these cases.

After all, the empire couldn't possibly remain silent about the massive investment in the 100,000-mile-long highway.

It should be understood that after years of war, although the land of Kyushu was not completely devastated, it was basically in ruins and in dire need of reconstruction.

Furthermore, the empire levied a large amount of corvée labor to construct the Epang Palace, the Dragon Emperor's Mausoleum, and the northern border defenses...

The imperial road was also of paramount importance. After the Zhang family, together with many merchants, resolved the issue and raised 30 million gold coins, the Dragon Emperor naturally treated these 'patriotic merchants' well. Therefore, the usual policies of suppressing commerce could be extended to these merchants.

Although "May 10th" doesn't have the concept of "imperial merchant," at least during the Dragon Emperor's reign, this favor would be remembered.

Even Prince Fusu was not an ungrateful person.

And so, another five years passed.

The 100,000-mile-long highway, originally planned to be completed in three years, took a full five years to build due to the difficulty of navigating mountain roads and the obstruction of rivers.

In these five years, the Zhang family also accomplished a feat that shocked the empire.

Zhang Xiaoshan elaborated on later bridge-building concepts, combined them with the empire's top bridge-building masters, and further incorporated the advanced martial arts of this world...

Over the past five years, thirty-one bridges spanning the river have astonished the entire empire.

It should be noted that previously, apart from the pontoon bridge, the entire empire did not have a single real bridge spanning the Longjiang River.

Building a bridge that is at least a hundred meters long would require far more than just manpower and resources; even technology is far from sufficient.

Even if those top shipbuilding masters have perfect plans in theory, without the technology to keep up, even the best plans can only sit there and watch.

However, the Zhang family has now completed this legendary project.

This achievement alone caused the Zhang family's status in Kyushu to skyrocket.

Because this is a legend that no one but the Zhang family can replicate.

Besides Zhang Xiaoshan, who else could mobilize three grandmasters of the martial arts world, three bronze-armored warriors of the grandmaster level, and a terrifying poisonous dragon fifteen zhang in size to perfectly place those huge concrete blocks, weighing at least several hundred tons, in the center of the riverbed, like building blocks, as the foundation of the bridge?

The bridge across the river was able to be built entirely because the Zhang family erected this monument with their terrifying military force.

Therefore, these bridges spanning the river are entirely under the control of the Zhang family, who also collect tolls.

What may seem like bullying behavior is actually Zhang Xiaoshan's way of maintaining the bridge.

After all, people generally don't take care of bridges that are free to cross, and if too many people cross at once, or if there's a sudden mass sprint, no bridge can withstand that kind of damage.

Moreover, the regulations stipulated one coin per person and ten coins for riding a horse or carriage.

One coin costs at most the price of a steamed bun. Even if you take a boat across the river, it will cost more than five coins, and the speed is not as fast as walking directly on the river.

In addition, another investment by the Zhang family—a super mall—was completed two years ago.

Three months ago, the large restaurants and hotels above the mall also officially opened for business.

Even the Dragon Emperor himself attended the event, booking the highest-level banquet to entertain the imperial families and high-ranking officials, overlooking the entire city of Xianyang.

In an instant, the Zhang family became the most dazzling merchants in the entire Kyushu.

The grand hotel, designated by the empire to serve as a reception hall for various lords and delegations, is the empire's only honor.

In addition, the seven-story shopping mall below the restaurant has also officially started selling.

The seven-story mall, besides the two floors belonging to the Ba family, has five floors remaining belonging to the Zhang family, with nearly eight hundred shops.

Given the mall's popularity, the price of any shop would be at least ten thousand yuan.

Therefore, the Buffett family immediately recouped their investment.

The Zhang family directly gave away over a hundred shops to the various princes and other prominent families, and sold off another five hundred shop locations, leaving only a little over a hundred of the best-located shops to sell Zhang family specialties.

···

"Son!"

On Peach Blossom Island in the East China Sea, gazing at the vast blue sea, Zhang Xiaoshan felt extremely calm.