Several days later, a passenger ship slowly docked in Australia.
A pier had been built here, and many wooden boats were moored at the shore, all belonging to merchants from China.
They transported silk and porcelain from their country, selling them to the natives of Ryukyu, Luzon, and Australia along the way. On their return trips, they carried local specialties from these places.
With one round trip, they earned considerable profits.
Fang Er, leading Chai Yue, disembarked the ship via the gangplank, with Xiao Qing and Xing'er following behind.
"Yee~"
Fang Xin, whether from joy or heat, wriggled in Hua Niang's arms.
Little Ya sat on Fang Er's shoulder, gazing at this new and novel world, her eyes darting around. She would laugh from time to time, and occasionally raise her small palm to tap Fang Er's forehead.
Chai Yue turned her head with concern and asked, "Xing'er, how are you feeling? Better?"
Xing'er covered her mouth without speaking, only nodding slightly.
It wasn't that she lacked respect for hierarchy, but the nausea and seasickness she'd endured throughout the journey had taken a severe toll on her.
If it weren't for Changsun Ling'er and Yuan Mengjia accompanying them, Fang Er would have ordered a return journey upon arriving in Ryukyu.
Just then, a group of people by the pier surrounded them. Leading them were the two hundred Tianhuo Army soldiers who had been stationed here earlier.
"Your subordinate, Ge Ya, Battalion Commander of the First Battalion, Second Regiment, Fourth Division of the Tianhuo Army, greets Your Highness!"
They had been here for almost a year, their skin much darker and their appearance more robust.
Besides them, another group of people bowed to Li Tai and Li Ke; they were officials from the Wei and Han Princely Mansions.
Since Li Shimin had agreed to change their fiefdoms to this location, he had dispatched a large contingent of personnel from the court to help them establish their administrations.
Also sent were their trusted eunuchs and princely officials.
When enfeoffing a region, the administrative units within a princely mansion were akin to the Six Ministries in the imperial court, such as the Chief Clerk, the Administrator of Granaries, the Administrator of Household Affairs, the Administrator of Military Affairs, and so on. Above these were roles like Recorder, Chief Secretary, and Registrar.
After Fang Er casually inquired about the current situation from Ge Ya and the others, he nodded and said, "Good. It seems you haven't been idle this past year!"
"Lead the way ahead. Let this King see your achievements."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Ge Ya and his subordinates led the way. Merchants at the pier, seeing this, voluntarily retreated to the sides of the road, their gazes shifting between Fang Er and the passenger ship in the sea.
The reputation of the steel treasure ships had already spread throughout the Great Tang. Those qualified to board were all high-ranking officials of the court; they were not to be trifled with.
They wondered when the legendary Prince Kun would make such ships available for sale.
Leaving the pier, they encountered a wide cement road.
Fang Er glanced at Li Tai, knowing without a doubt that the people dispatched by this fellow had built it.
Eight-Claw Lake, named for its resemblance to an octopus in shape, was located approximately in the area of the Northern Territory Wildlife Park in Darwin, Australia, in later times.
Numerous wooden houses dotted the lakeside, forming the nascent stages of a city. It wasn't just Ge Ya's camp; merchants from China had also built houses and warehouses here.
The indigenous people of Australia also resided here, with the various groups coexisting, creating a lively atmosphere.
Over time, this place also acquired the name Eight-Claw City.
"What do they transport back from here?" Fang Er asked, pointing to the shops of the merchant houses.
Ge Lao Ya replied, "Some alligator skins, kangaroo skins, and the like, as well as timber and spices from here."
"They are permitted to hunt and fell trees themselves, but our people must accompany them throughout the entire process."
"When loading onto ships, credentials will be inspected, otherwise, everything will be confiscated."
"This is the rule set by the two princes' men, who said this would allow merchants to see the benefits and contribute to development."
Fang Er slowly nodded. Australia was still in its primitive state, with inexhaustible resources. A reasonable approach to opening it up was indeed necessary.
Only by letting merchants see the profits would they be drawn to it.
Concurrently, they brought large quantities of Chinese goods to the indigenous people here. Their interaction and exchange would also promote ethnic integration.
"You say what? Collected nearly 700,000 guan in taxes in one year?"
Suddenly, Li Tai's surprised voice came from the side.
Fang Er turned to look and saw the fellow staring dumbfoundedly at an official from the Wei Princely Mansion. Even Li Ke's expression appeared quite taken aback.
While this figure couldn't compare to Shenyang, it was only the first year, and it would certainly skyrocket in the future.
Furthermore, the taxes collected here did not need to be submitted to the national treasury; whatever they collected was their personal pocket money!
Li Tai quickly recovered and looked meaningfully at Li Ke.
"Third Brother, this matter must not reach Father's ears, otherwise, you understand!"
Li Ke immediately understood his meaning and nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Brother isn't foolish~"
Fang Er:.........
How afraid were these two fellows of their father "fishing" for money?
The princely mansions of the two brothers were still in the process of site selection. They had each built a three-courtyard residence on the north shore of Eight-Claw Lake, serving as temporary offices for their officials.
After enduring the thousands of miles of sea voyage, everyone felt a bit unsteady on their feet. They found a place to settle down casually.
The next day, Fang Er left alone.
In a wasteland cleared by the Tianhuo Army, following the system's instructions, he arranged six conduits in a hexagonal shape with sides of 100 meters.
Standing in the center of the hexagon, his heart was filled with anticipation. He wondered what scene would unfold when this last device was placed.
He took out the remaining device, and under its own weight, the rod at one end of the sphere plunged straight into the earth.
Lightning flashed, thunder roared, fierce winds blew!
The earth shook, torrential rain poured!
Alright, these were all scenes Fang Er had imagined.
In reality, there wasn't even a slight reaction, as if nothing had happened.
This left him greatly disappointed, so he called out to the system.
"System Sister, what next?"
[hiahiahiahia~~~ Next, it's my turn to appear!]
[Halt! You scoundrel, open your titanium alloy dog eyes and welcome my grand arrival~]
Fang Er was stunned by her words. Had this woman taken the wrong medicine?
He had never seen her act so outrageously before!
But in the next moment, a beam of light shot out through the skin of his forehead, condensing into a human figure about three meters in front of him.
It was the system, in a new outfit!
She wore knee-high boots, black stockings, a very short skirt, and a tight nurse's outfit on top.
Damn it!
What kind of apparition was this!
Fang Er's head buzzed. His mood couldn't be described as merely bewildered.
He had never expected the system to appear before him!
"No, why are you out here?"
As he spoke, he subconsciously took two steps forward and reached out to touch the system.
[What are you thinking? You want to touch before paying?]
The system rolled its eyes at him, but even such a simple movement appeared extremely provocative on her.