Chapter 40

After leaving the imperial palace, Li Xian immediately slumped into his seat, "Phew, talking to the emperor is really tiring."

Xu Ren chuckled, "It's tiring to play mind games with the emperor, isn't it? Young Master, I have to admire you. Let me count what you've achieved tonight.

"First, you completed the technical protection and blockade.

"Second, you promoted industrial concepts, pulling the royal family onto your chariot, forming an industrial and commercial alliance.

"Third, you quietly secured a huge order; ten thousand textile machines, any piece of which would be a gold mine.

"Fourth, you quietly resolved the unreasonable antics of the Wang family and the prime minister—I believe the emperor now thinks they were being unreasonable.

"Fifth, the imperial inscriptions for the 'Industrial Expo' and the 'Colorful Clothing Textile Machine'; from now on, the reputation of industry, the expo, and the textile machines will all be credited to you.

"Sixth, by getting involved, you may have extended the life of the Great Xia Kingdom by a few more years; this extra time will be enough for you to develop and lay a solid foundation.

"Seventh, you've been emphasizing the trade of sea soul silk with the sea people, and by publicly sharing the design concepts of the engine, I see a vast net covering all those who want to study the engine.

"Eighth, countless small troubles and issues have been resolved along the way. I think tomorrow's morning court will be very interesting."

"Ah, I'm not as good as you say, Mr. Xu, you're flattering me. Hehe..."

"But I'd like to hear your evaluation of the Great Xia emperor."

"Enthusiastic about hunting, fickle, fond of rare treasures but neglectful of state affairs, ambitious but lacking in talent and resolve. In a prosperous era, he would be a ruler who maintains the status quo; in a chaotic era, he would be a ruler who loses the kingdom. And now, well, hehe...

"However, such an emperor has one advantage: if he has capable advisors, he will surely achieve great things; his character means he won't be jealous..."

"Hehe, no need to say more. People always change. If life were just thirty to fifty years, it would be different, but cultivators have long lifespans. Hehe..."

Li Xian chuckled, curled up, and fell asleep. The journey, combined with the impromptu responses and various calculations, had drained him.

But while Li Xian rested, Xu Ren couldn't. He diligently prepared for the Industrial Expo according to Li Xian's plan. The two imperial edicts were to be framed in glass.

Construction began on the outskirts of the imperial city, along the main road. The craftsmen used magic to quickly build simple walls, steps, and houses. Li Xian's people were responsible for planning the layout of the various exhibition areas. Since it was the first expo, there wasn't much to display, so it wasn't too complicated.

By dawn, a decent expo had taken shape, covering an area of about a hundred zhang—quite small. Eighty percent of the items were provided by Li Xian, with the rest being ordinary goods brought by Shangguan Yong, Zhang Quan, and Yuan Zhao. To add prestige, Li Yulong, Li Xian's father, and two others brought some magical artifacts.

But the emperor was very supportive. At dawn, the head of the imperial guards, Fu Minghui, personally brought a batch of royal treasures for display—just for display, not for sale; this added a lot to the modest expo.

On Li Xian's suggestion, Xu Ren also trained and hired many children and small ruffians to promote the expo.

"Want to see a textile machine that can weave ten bolts of cloth a day?"

"Want to buy cloth at an 80% discount?"

"Want to buy a colored light that lasts five years?"

"Want to buy a rust-proof, mirror-like weapon?"

"Want to buy a seven-color, pure crystal vase made from the finest glass?"

"Want to buy a royal-standard crystal chandelier?"

"Come to the first Industrial Expo outside the city, inscribed by the emperor, and witness the miracle of industry, the power of industry.

"The expo will last three days, until the New Year. Our slogan is: let everyone have a cheap New Year, a colorful New Year.

"The first expo, free admission; whether you're a child or an elderly person, if you're willing, we welcome you with open arms."

The promotional slogans were shouted repeatedly. The children and ruffians, motivated by the promise of two taels of silver for three days, shouted enthusiastically, finding it a fun task, especially since they could bring their friends and family—cheap things are always limited.

Li Xian brought 6,000 bolts of cloth, and with the help of three friends, they gathered 10,000 bolts for a massive sale. They managed to gather 10,000 bolts thanks to the two days the Colorful Clothing Shop was closed.

The novel expo immediately attracted countless people's attention. The promotional slogans, personally arranged by Li Xian and Xu Ren, each sentence was a highlight, and each highlight attracted a different "class."

By noon, the expo site, which covered a hundred zhang, was packed.

"Lottery, lottery! Draw number 'one' and get one bolt of cloth; draw number 'two' and get two bolts; the highest is number 'five.' Hurry up, we've already sold 884 bolts.

"Today's target is 3,000 bolts, don't miss out."

"Don't push, form a line!" Song Xing, leading the guards, helplessly sighed as his hundred men were quickly overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd.

"Five-year lifespan colored lights, five-year warranty. Limited quantity."

"Stainless steel weapons, truly rust-proof. What are you waiting for? Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone. Warriors who fight in dangerous, damp, and corrosive environments, you need such weapons."

"Glass cups, sunglasses, crystal vases, mirrors, hurry up. Look at this red glass cup, more beautiful than a rose; look at this blue glass cup, purer than the sea. Look at this emerald green glass cup, brighter and purer than jade. And look at this flawless crystal cup, without a single crack or impurity, this is the highest quality.

"This is the new 'sunglasses,' wear them with a folding fan, that's style!"

"Mine, mine, save it for me..."

"Don't cut in line, get lost, don't dare to take my chance..."

The scene was far more chaotic than Li Xian had expected. When he arrived after a lazy morning, he could only enter the expo through a reserved passage.

But the most popular area in the expo wasn't the cloth or the glassware, but the textile machine section!

This massive textile machine section took up about thirty percent of the expo area. Forty-nine textile machines were arranged in five rows, with Wu Lili, He Lin's apprentice and daughter-in-law, personally directing the newly recruited female workers to demonstrate and guide on-site.

The textile machines were guarded by Fu Minghui and his royal guards.

Originally, there were fifty machines, but one was given to the emperor, leaving forty-nine. Even with just forty-nine machines, they still attracted a crowd of buyers. Li Xian glanced over and saw at least three hundred people挤在这里；有一个大胖子都被挤得变了形。

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(Note: The last sentence was cut off in the original text, so it is translated as is.)