In the newly renovated palace in Luoyang, the capital of the Zhou Kingdom.
King Jing of Zhou looked around with envy, wishing he could live there instead of his own palace. His palace was last renovated by his grandfather, while Ding Yun's had just been completed. Not only were the materials of the highest quality, but many aspects had been improved. For example, the windows were now made of glass, the roof tiles were glazed, and the palace was equipped with underfloor heating covered by carpets.
In short, everything was much more luxurious and comfortable than in his palace.
Apart from the lack of electricity and internet, the convenience in other aspects was already comparable to that of millennia later.
King Jing of Zhou already found Ding Yun's meals far superior to his own, not just in variety but also in quality. He came to her for both meals every day, and now that Ding Yun's palace was renovated, he came even more frequently, not missing even afternoon tea.
As soon as Ding Yun sat down in the garden and the pastries and tea were served, King Jing of Zhou rushed in.
He brought his son and daughter with him. Upon seeing Ding Yun, he claimed the two children missed their grandmother and naturally led them to sit on stools that Ding Yun had made only a few months prior.
While distributing pastries and milk tea to the children, he also helped himself.
After eating and drinking their fill, he sent the children to play on the swings in the garden. King Jing of Zhou then shyly began to speak:
"Mother, you know that a ruler must have regal authority. But compared to your palace, mine is like the difference between heaven and a privy. Some newcomers to Luoyang even mistake yours for the royal palace. Mine is merely a secondary residence, decrepit. When officials attend court, kneeling on the cold ground, several elderly ones have to be helped away after the session. It's not as warm as yours. Your garden pavilion even has underfloor heating, and the temperature is noticeably higher than elsewhere. And then there are the fresh fruits and vegetables..."
"What exactly are you trying to say? I'll tell you now, I'm not giving up my residence. Tell me the rest first, and then I'll consider if I can agree!"
Ding Yun could largely guess her son's intentions, but she had no intention of giving anything away for free. It was impossible to get something for nothing. Therefore, Ding Yun waited for him to speak so she could state her terms in exchange.
Hearing Ding Yun's directness, King Jing of Zhou gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, finally managing to express his thoughts: "Mother, I also wish to renovate my palace. And can my meals be supplied by you instead? After eating your food, I can barely stomach anything from my own kitchen. I wish I could live like you do..."
For King Jing of Zhou, conquering or expanding territory had never been part of his plan. His earlier move to seize power was merely for personal freedom. He had no grand ambitions. Now that he had experienced the unimaginable comfort and pleasure at Ding Yun's place, he even felt indifferent about being the King of Zhou, as long as he could continue to enjoy these benefits. He was willing to relinquish any authority. After all, the King of Zhou had very little power anyway. Now, he had completely abandoned his previous reservations and only wanted to live a leisurely life, enjoying the good things.
"Agreed. But business is business; even between siblings and mother and son, accounts must be clear. I am currently short of manpower and land, and I need your full support. Furthermore, I will need to make some changes involving the layout and security of the entire Luoyang city. Therefore, I need you to grant me comprehensive authority. Rest assured, you are my only son, and this is not an attempt to usurp your power, but merely to facilitate economic development and generate more wealth. What do you say, do you agree? If you agree, you will stay here with me. I will renovate your palace as quickly as possible. You will enjoy all the same treatment I do and won't need to come here to mooch."
Ding Yun had overestimated the literacy rate of this world. The empty workshops, which should have been filled long ago, were still empty. She had to start from basic literacy to train people, which would take a lot of time. Moreover, comprehensive renovations of Luoyang city would indeed require the authority of the ruler. And these were things her son could provide. Literate people were crucial. The ruler's authority could also be perfectly provided.
Ding Yun truly did not want to continue being constrained and proceeding slowly. Moreover, her son was a man who lacked ambition and indulged in pleasure. This was why Ding Yun openly revealed her ambition.
King Jing of Zhou, who had somewhat anticipated Ding Yun's demands, was a little surprised. However, after some thought, he nodded in agreement. He knew very well that almost all the nobles and officials in the Zhou Kingdom were making substantial profits because of his mother. With no one having greater ambitions, making money and enjoying life was undoubtedly their greatest pursuit. Therefore, under the current circumstances, if his mother truly wanted to seize power, it would be easy. A ruler who couldn't help them make money was far less appealing than a Queen Mother who could lead them to great wealth. The pursuit of profit was human nature.
With King Jing of Zhou's compromise and compliance, Ding Yun's future endeavors undoubtedly became much smoother. King Jing of Zhou became a mere figurehead who only enjoyed a comfortable life, while the entire Zhou Kingdom was managed by Ding Yun as a conglomerate. Luoyang city was the conglomerate's headquarters and dormitories, while areas outside Luoyang were gathering places for various factories. In addition, the construction of various convenient infrastructure and public facilities began.
The only problem was probably grain. The grain was mostly supplied from outside. However, this was unavoidable. The Zhou Kingdom had limited land, and Ding Yun was temporarily unwilling to engage in large-scale warfare against neighboring countries, while also needing to vigorously develop factories and the economy. Therefore, she could only temporarily forgo grain self-sufficiency. Of course, the most important thing was that Ding Yun had the inter-realm takeout software to purchase grain, which meant she didn't have to worry too much about the food supply being cut off.
At the same time, this also made other surrounding countries much more at ease with the economically booming Zhou Kingdom. After all, a country with a fatal weakness, no matter how well its economy developed, would be seen as harmless by larger nations, or even as easy prey to be harvested. If it had no fatal weaknesses, its economy developed, and its army grew, the surrounding countries would not be happily watching as they are now, but would directly attack and bleed it to prevent the Zhou Kingdom from continuing to grow stronger.