Munitions Empire-Chapter 1119: Meet at 1040

In fact, aside from Chu Muzhou’s group, there were a few others who chose the Great Tang Empire: these two were also members of the Zhao Family, one named Zhao Zheng and the other Zhao Feng.

Zhao Feng enjoyed commanding the formidable Air Force too much; he had experience flying and fighting in planes himself, so he knew all too well how crucial powerful fighter jets were to pilots.

Therefore, he chose to become an air commander in the Great Tang Empire and returned to the Great Tang Empire with some pilots who came for training.

As for Zhao Zheng, since his family had already been escorted to Tang Country, he directly resigned from his position with Zhao Yu. As a former soldier of Dahua, he took the money promised by the Great Tang Empire and prepared to live a wealthy life there.

However, Qian Jinhang secured him a position as a staff officer, so he became a member of the Staff Department of the Great Tang Empire, received the rank of Colonel, and was responsible for some work there.

Upon entering the Great Tang Empire, Zhao Chen and Chu Muzhou’s group were all stunned by the scene before their eyes. They originally thought Fengjiang was the most prosperous city in the world, but after seeing Chang’an, they were utterly dumbfounded.

In their minds, this could not be a city of this world: skyscrapers rose one after another, the streets were bustling with traffic, and pedestrians were elbow to elbow.

They had never seen such a prosperous city, where even traffic signals were in use, and the number of cars was beyond their wildest imaginations.

Now they understood just how affluent the Great Tang Empire was; it seemed every household in Chang’an had their own car.

When they saw the Forbidden City, they seemed to finally comprehend the true grandeur that befitted a sovereign’s residence.

The red walls and green tiles were solemn and awe-inspiring; the entire palace complex was frighteningly large and imposing to an unsurpassable degree. To be frank, if a monarch built such a palace in the past, they would have surely been castigated by the ministers.

Yet in the Great Tang Empire, anyone who mentioned the Forbidden City did so with reverence and awe, as if their monarch was born to live in luxury, as if Tang Mo would defy all reason if he didn’t indulge lavishly.

As Chu Muzhou passed by the halls of Wenhua and Wuying, he was drawn to the hustle and bustle. The entire administrative machinery of the Great Tang Empire was thriving with vitality, and the officials walked so briskly as if walking slowly was a desecration to their own status.

Next to the Forbidden City was a massive parking lot, reportedly three levels underground and two above, filled entirely with cars, all black government vehicles, each bearing the license plate of a government department.

All the family members were previously sent to the residences allocated to them; to provide so many properties in Chang’an at once, only the Royal Family could afford the price.

It’s no joke; Chang’an is truly worth its weight in gold. Apart from some land still in the hands of the Royal Family of the Great Tang Empire, the rest of the places command astronomical prices indeed.

A small merchant from the Imperial Capital of Dahua might bankrupt himself and still not be able to purchase a decent property in Chang’an: as they say, "It’s tough to settle in Chang’an."

Locals in Chang’an joke that selling a slightly larger residence in the city could finance the opening of a factory elsewhere. In reality, this is no laughing matter but simply the truth.

Of course, in many other places, this kind of talk is dismissed: property prices in places like Tongcheng and Linshui remain high. If not for the poor air quality in Tongcheng, the prices might not be much lower than in Chang’an.

In addition, the pricing in Dragon City and Dongwan is "unspeakably expensive," and wanting to buy a house in Dragon City requires more than just money; one must also prove their loyalty.

When they heard the current market value of the properties bestowed upon them by the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, everyone was shocked. It wasn’t that the Tang Country’s reception staff were trying to show off; on one hand, they were afraid these Dahua newcomers would misunderstand His Majesty The Emperor as being stingy, and on the other hand, they genuinely feared they might carelessly sell the properties...

In fact, similar instances had occurred long ago when officials from other regions came to Chang’an to take up posts and thought the soaring housing prices were just a fluke, excitedly selling off the properties awarded to them by the Empire...

Now that brother has become the laughingstock of Chang’an; he moved to live in a rental in the suburbs of Chang’an the year before last, facing a 2-hour commute to work, leaving home before dawn and not necessarily reaching home after dark.

After settling these families from afar, Chu Muzhou and the others went to the Forbidden City to express their gratitude. In reality, it was about meeting with Emperor Tang Mo for a chat, as tomorrow they would take up their new posts and prove their worth to their new lord.

Zhou Qiang was an exception; he did not need to meet with His Majesty The Emperor. It was only today that he realized what his and his son’s greed had cost them.

Not many are privileged to drive into the Wumen Gate, but Chu Muzhou and his group definitely qualified. Furthermore, considering their age, Tang Mo allowed them to use the internal parking facilities of the Forbidden City.

Tang Mo met with them in his office at Baohe Hall. A young Emperor juxtaposed with such a powerful Empire created a striking contrast, shocking everyone once again.

"Welcome gentlemen, I hope you can apply your lifelong knowledge to contribute to the construction of the Great Tang Empire." Tang Mo did not put on airs, although his presence was intimidating enough: "Please rise."

The military officers and ministers from Dahua had just knelt down and performed the kneeling ritual of the Great Tang Empire: the first time they met with Tang Mo, they had to kneel, but it was not required thereafter. Apart from grand ceremonies, a simple chest touch gesture sufficed.

This ritual had been standardized within the Great Tang Empire in recent years. A single act of kneeling symbolized the absolute submission of the subjects to His Majesty The Emperor, something that was not practiced before.

After allowing them to stand up, Tang Mo approached Chu Muzhou and took his hand: "Elder Sir, you must be tired from your journey. There’s no need to rush. Rest for a few days."

"This humble official is flattered..." Chu Muzhou bowed his head slightly, unaccustomed to such treatment: he hadn’t received such respect for many years in the Dahua Empire. As a Prime Minister, he represented the balance of power against the Emperor, certainly not in the Emperor’s good graces.

In fact, he even regretted in his heart, feeling this might be his most favored day by the Emperor in the Great Tang Empire: after today, he would become the person dividing the Emperor’s power, that unpopular "old cockerel"...

"Mr. Chu, you can start working at Wenhua Hall anytime... I hope you can offer strategic advice to take the Empire’s governance to the next level." Tang Mo did not say much; he knew that to understand the operations of the Great Tang Empire, these ministers needed to experience it themselves.

"Please support Roger, I’m entrusting him to you, Elder." Tang Mo patted Chu Muzhou’s hand, then moved in front of Wang Yucái.

Seeing Wang Yucái who was even younger than Chu Muzhou, Tang Mo was even more satisfied: "The Great Tang Empire’s funds must be spent where they are needed. Do not skimp, Sir, if you spend wisely, I will support however much you need!"

"I am greatly honored to manage affairs for Your Majesty." Wang Yucái was already calculating how to spend money in his mind, ready to surprise Tang Mo. He wanted to see if Tang Mo would really support him indefinitely, as he claimed.

Tang Mo then walked up to Jiang Run, pointed at him and said to Wes beside him: "Mr. Jiang, he is an old friend of ours. He has been bullied by our diplomats for a long time."

"I hope you can also contribute to the Great Tang Empire’s foreign affairs!" Tang Mo patted Jiang Run’s arm: "First, be assertive, you’re now a diplomat for the Great Tang Empire; from today on, you need not compromise with any country; secondly, do not bully those diplomats who have once bullied you!"

"Your subject shall remember Your Majesty’s instructions!" Jiang Run smiled and bowed his head: the relaxed feeling was very pleasing for him; Zhao Kai never joked with him.

"Mr. Chen." Tang Mo walked over to Chen Jing, who was in charge of Dahua Empire’s Ministry of Works, and chatted with him for a few moments. To Tang Mo’s surprise, he was very professional and had his own insights on industrial and construction management.

Tang Mo had virtually uprooted the entire administrative layer of the Dahua Empire, a feat that was his achievement and also a unique gain.

These talents may be dated, but they are indeed wise and experienced, qualified bureaucrats. And to a certain extent, they had all withstood the tests of the Great Tang Empire’s intelligence department, which was quite rare.

There are not many who can withstand the temptations of the Great Tang Empire, which represents their loyalty and capabilities: Zhou Qiang was eliminated in this process.

"General Zhao Chen." Finally, Tang Mo approached the anxious Zhao Chen and spoke to comfort him: "Where are your family members, General? They have been taken into protective custody, so you needn’t worry."

After offering comfort, Tang Mo asked about Zhao Chen’s plans: "I intend for you to spend some time at the military academy to learn more advanced military command and military thinking. What do you think, General?"

Of course, Zhao Chen had no idea what attending the military academy meant. It usually signified that he had met certain qualifications for leading troops.

The clueless Zhao Chen was not excited but simply lowered his head and replied: "As Your Majesty commands, your servant shall comply."

"Then it’s decided." Tang Mo nodded, then as if remembering something, he reminded, "Stand tall! Look up!"

Zhao Chen was startled, then subconsciously straightened up.

"In the Great Tang Empire, military personnel are not allowed to bow or slouch... just perform the military salutes of the Great Tang Empire," Tang Mo said with satisfaction.

"Yes!" Zhao Chen had witnessed the military salutes of the Great Tang Empire and imitated one, albeit not perfectly.