Chapter 294

The main force was cooking rice in a pit oven; the king who went out for a stroll quickly returned, dragging a sheep, very pleased. Tang Qian welcomed him with a delighted face, 'Your Highness, where did you

Wei Shen had an expression full of unspeakable things, he made a fist and shook his head; the Tang General, who greatly admired the King, saw this and nodded, saying, "Was it a punch? Awesome, awesome!"

Wei Shen: "…… I said ten taels, bought it."

The King bought a sheep at several times the price and was quite pleased, "Uncle Tang, I only spent ten taels and found out a lot of news!"

Wei Shen argued with him, "Only one thing is useful; originally I could have settled it with three taels, but you messed it up into ten taels. How many sheep, how many sons do they have that's worth ten taels?"

The King was very proud, "It's worth more than ten taels." He also went to the small village at the mountain's base to check, getting a grasp of the border herders' current situation, right?

The herders living on this mountain range told him they had seen two batches of troops pass through that strategic pass, meaning the two successive detachments of the Southwest Army had come this way; when withdrawing, if they returned they would also take this sparsely populated border route rather than the ceded Xiongnu Liangzhou, which means his maternal uncle is still at Yumen Pass.

If it weren't for Bai Ze being able to see that Wei Shen's parents are both safe, the King wouldn't have the mood to worry about how the sheep are eating.

"Roast a lamb leg for the King, add more water to boil the rest into soup, everyone gets a sip." After saying that, he laughed himself, "It's like throwing two eggs into the Bohai Sea, asking the people of several coastal commanderies to drink egg-flower soup."

Wei Shen: ……

The King mindlessly praised Tang Qian: "Hahaha, still Your Highness caring for subordinates! Having a meaty soup is not easy."

When the King's requested roasted lamb leg arrived, he meticulously took out his military knife to cut it; no one noticed that the more he cut, the more there was, and he took the opportunity to eat some of the ranch-produced roasted lamb leg, smuggled some private goods, then brought it over to give to Wei Shen.

Wei Shen's father and brother missing, he was actually tormented; unlike the King who had peace of mind, he had visibly lost weight recently, his chin becoming pointed.

The King carried a big oil-paper-wrapped package full of lamb leg meat to find Wei Shen; Wei Shen was moved, "This sheep is really fat, the leg is so big? You wouldn't be unwilling to eat even a bite, would you?"

The King nodded without hesitation: "I can't eat it; my cousin has lost weight, so I'm saving it all for him~"

Wei Shen was almost moved to tears by him; this is what a real brother is like—aside from the King, who else could care for him so much! Before eating the lamb leg, his cousin was already warmed and full; just as he was about to decline and return it to the child, he heard the King let out a belch, a waft of roasted lamb meat…

Wei Shen: ……

The King calmly said: "I'm not saying anymore, I really can't eat it; if I eat more I'll throw up."

Wei Shen thought the soldiers had roasted two legs for the King, and gleefully took it to show off to Tang Qian and the others, a fine younger brother of the Great Jin.

The King usually uses his alone time to summon Zhuti, to learn about Youzhou's situation that he can't see on the full map.

Recently Zhuti also took the NPC stationed at the Longtou military dock together on a boat trip to Liaodong, which also has a satellite dock.

"The military knowledge NPC instructor at the Academy is very capable; the ten thousand slave troops in Liaodong have been trained to look proper. On this trip I issued them new armor and weapons; their morale and appearance are incomparable to when they were in the mine."

"Can they be used once recalled?"

"Yes, after the autumn harvest we'll send them back; normally, having the female slaves there to salt and maintain the fields is enough."

"Then have Ketu make another trip, bring it back and give it to Zhao Chuan to take along. Build Rong pavilions at the southern borders of Yi and Bing provinces, then send people to guard them. As for this location, let the Chancellor and the Grand Tutor decide. Liangzhou, once retaken, also needs one, to be placed on the north bank of the Wei River."

A few days after meeting Zhuti, while on the march that day, the King heard a familiar bell sound.

Riding on horseback, the King couldn't slow down to check; he was utterly bewildered.

Calculating on his fingers, the autumn harvest is still early; what mission has been completed? Or has the Northern Border Academy suddenly turned red, black, or black-red?

Impossible, lately he hasn't had time to cause trouble; could the Northern Border Academy move on its own?!

At noon, after a break, the King hid and opened the light panel.

A familiar screen full of flower petals,

【Flower shower～Congratulations, Lord, you have completed Main Mission Two! Would you like to claim the reward now? Yes/No】

Oh, Main Mission Two?

What is that?

So much time has passed that the King has almost forgotten; tasks like hunger index and happiness index are now measured in years, and the King, busy filling the huge hole left by his father, hasn't checked progress in a long time.

This guy, feeling guilty, first checked the mission and saw that Main Mission Two was to increase Youzhou's populace happiness index by eight percent.

The King was still completely confused.

He was still eating dirt in the northwest; how could the folks back home suddenly become happy?

This isn't important; he'll just call Zhuti again later to ask. He happily clicked to claim the reward. Main Mission, this is an A‑rank spin! It's the best comfort for his tedious campaign, and the King began to see money and get greedy.

"Mengmeng, either give me a mine, or something especially useful, like building city walls for other counties in Youzhou, got it?" The King unilaterally threatened the game system, then eagerly went looking for Bai Ze everywhere.

He can't just draw randomly; his auspicious beast must be present!

What is Bai Ze doing? It's watching the commotion.

The owl riders had roasted a few birds, and Zhetian, passing by, went over to watch the fun with no brotherly love at all. Who knew there was a simpleton who said the bird was too small, not much meat, eating it would be meaningless. Up to that point it was nothing, but the key is, after he said that he shifted his salivating gaze onto Zhetian, and even a few of his foolish comrades nearby looked over… just a glance, just a glance…

Zhetian is a bird spirit; it instantly got their meaning and immediately refused to cooperate!

Heavens, what kind of look are you giving Lord Zhetian!

On the spot, the simpletons covered their heads and fled like rats; Bai Ze watched the show with relish. So boring—hit them, hit them hard!

When the King arrived and saw this chaotic scene, he shouted anxiously, "Fellows, fellows, don't hit arms and legs—we still have to march on! Zhetian, why not slap the face instead?"

Owl Riders: ……

Zhou Ke: ……

The King also spoke up for the bird, "You've eaten a leopard's gall to dare provoke Lord Zhetian; next time on the battlefield they won't cover your retreat—what will you do then? Idiot!"

Upon hearing that, Zhetian became even more justified, extending a claw to step on someone's face, looking at the sorry lot with heads down and spirits low, then proudly perched back onto the King's shoulder.

Bai Ze yawned lazily; the King came too fast, and he hadn't had his fill of watching.

Only then did the King remember he had come to find this audience: "Come here, I have something to tell you."

Then, without further ado, he dragged Bai Ze away, looking like he wanted to share a little secret. Bai Ze wouldn't walk on his own, so the King hoisted one of its front paws and struggled to drag it across the grass…

Tang Qian, seeing from afar, asked Wei Shen what the King was up to; Wei Shen said solemnly, "He's grown up, has his own secrets, maybe he feels it's safe to talk to a pet." I said you can't believe they're whispering just because of that.

Tang Qian pondered there… a pet?

He always felt that the big white creature's eyes were interesting; a glance seemed able to pierce the heart.

The King dragged Bai Ze far away, then used its large frame to block him and the light panel, sat on the grass, and began to draw the lottery.

【Congratulations, Lord, you have drawn an A‑rank medium prize—Eight Directions Chariot Road (one commandery). Would you like to claim it now? Yes/No】

The Great King took a look at the intermediate level, about to pout, then looked at the Expressway again starting to glow, "Can we build the Expressway again?"

Bai Ze: "Look at the parentheses."

The Great King opened the map; he now had four separate terrain maps: You Province, Liao East, Yi Province, Bing Province.

Usually You Province stays on top; a swipe switches to another, "So it's pick one of three? Seems there's no choice, Yi Province, and connecting it to the native You Province is best."

The Great King touched the corner of his mouth, "I ought to be happy, right? But they only give one, and I don't know when the next draw will be! Just like the city walls. Won't the common folk think I'm playing favorites?"

Bai Ze casually said, "Being closer gives you an advantage, letting everyone understand this is a good thing sooner. This Expressway in Yi Province is a good opportunity for you to consolidate the people's hearts there; you can use that set from You Province."

The Great King is an easily satisfied happy kid; instantly his mood turned especially bright, excitedly clicking to claim.

As soon as the page refreshed, three side quests popped up at once:

"Wow, three?!"

★

★

………………new chapter………………

………………new chapter………………

………………new chapter………………

The Great King chose to place the Expressway in Yi Province for construction, and the side quest refreshed immediately.

【Side Quest One: Construct an Expressway connecting all of Yi Province.

Official subsidies: all raw materials; all tools and equipment; ;

On-site technical supervisor NPC x1 (recovered after quest completion); professional technical personnel x8000 (recovered after quest completion);

Logic chain supplement: recruit the lord's subordinate personnel x8000;

Estimated construction period: 3 months (90 days);

Quest supplies: work uniforms x8000; meals x8000×90; labor costs x8000】

The Great King immediately noticed the difference: "Previously that logic chain supplement was local manpower from You Province; now it's changed to any manpower from my fiefdom?"

"Bing Province probably hasn't even sorted out its household registrations yet, so we'll just use Yi Province and You Province this time. Are there any You Province locals who haven't gotten a turn yet!" The Great King didn't hide his partiality at all, and Bai Ze strongly supported him. You Province is his home base; later these indeed couldn't compare.

【Side Quest Two: Complete household registration for Liaodong, Yi Province, and Bing Province, then submit the register.

Quest reward: c‑level lottery spin x3】

"Huh? Isn't this just the census we did in You Province last time?"

Bai Ze's focus differed from his: "Have they come out with a third‑level spin wheel?" c‑level it is.

Only then did the Great King notice the reward's spin wheel had changed tier: "Good thing this quest isn't hard; just give the order and it'll be done." He felt that compared to the hard‑to‑achieve Academy Palace quest, this one was extremely friendly.

Your Majesty only then noticed that the reward wheel had changed its level, "Fortunately, this task isn't difficult; as long as you give the order, it can be done." Your Majesty felt that compared to the nearly impossible academy task, this one was quite friendly.

【Side Quest Three: Achieve the goal of unifying the Five Provinces of the Northern Border, establish the Northern Border State (modifiable). (Includes You Province Commandery, Liaodong Commandery, Yi Province Commandery, Bing Province Commandery, Liang Province Commandery five commanderies; the unification standard is actual control in both political and military affairs.)

Quest reward: five border checkpoints (location unrestricted); a‑level lottery spin x3】

Bai Ze looked at all three, then glanced at the Great King's complexion.

This thing could no longer be hidden; he directly opened the map! He'd never seen such a huge side quest, still tucked away secretly at the end.

Liang Province, whether in area or other conditions, is far more complex than Bing Province and Yi Province.

Liang Province's territory extends deep into the Western Regions, bordering three sides on foreign tribes.

To the north are the Xiongnu; to the west, the Western Regions' states; to the south, several Qiang peoples, and now the southern court also has factions not united with them.

The border line is extraordinarily long, neither easy to defend nor easy to administer.

The Great Jin had stationed four hundred thousand troops at Liang Province's Jade Gate Pass and Shuofang combined, yet the Xiongnu still broke open the gate. Not counting the Southwest Army that specifically targeted the Qiang, even in peacetime these tribes never ceased harassing and disturbing Liang Province's populace; taking over, the Great King had plenty to worry about.

However, the Jin had stationed a total of 400,000 troops at Liangzhou's Yumen Pass and Shuofang, yet in the end they still had their gates knocked open by the Xiongnu. This doesn't even count the southwestern army that specifically targets the Qiang; even when there is no war, these ethnic groups have never ceased their infringement and harassment of the people of Liangzhou, and Your Majesty, upon taking over, has plenty to worry about.

The Great King propped his chin, silent for a moment, "……It's called Capital Prosperity Dream; Mengmeng won't be a world‑conquering game, will it? They've founded a state this fast? Bai Ge said it's a game……that Capital, wouldn't it be You Province?"

Your Majesty rested his chin on his hands and fell silent for a moment. "…It's called 'Capital Prosperity Dream'; Mengmeng surely isn't a game about contending for the world, is it? They've already founded a country this quickly? Bai Ge said this is a game… That capital, could it not be Youzhou?"

Bai Ze twitched his paw, "Congratulations, you got it right."

The Great King almost jumped up, but Bai Ze pressed him down with a paw.

Your Majesty almost jumped up, but Bai Ze pressed him back down with a paw.

"Mengmeng is way too ambitious! Although I once thought it'd be best to occupy everything myself and not return it to Chang'an, but, but……"

Bai Ze took over: "Too fast, huh? I get it. But the four great provinces of the Northern Border can't wait; we've taken them over, exerted effort, spent money, and we're not lacking a title."

Bai Ze helped him continue: "Too fast, right? I understand. But the four great commanderies of the northern border can't wait any longer; we've already taken them over, exerted our strength, spent the money, and we're not lacking a title."

Bai Ze once again spoke for him: "But you didn't deliberately betray the Bai Li clan. The Northern Border plus Liaodong—these five commanderies—were made into commanderies by Chang'an merely because the population is sparse; in fact they outweigh ten or twenty southern commanderies in area. The five commanderies' territory is vast; though they may not be as wealthy as your second brother's Guangling commandery, there's no reason to just give away such a vast land to foreign tribes—this is another way of filial piety. The Bai Li clan relies on you to preserve the ancestral estate; you live up to the ancestors in the imperial mausoleum."

Bai Ze spoke for him again: "But you didn't deliberately betray the Baili clan. The northern border plus Liaodong—these five commanderies—Chang'an designated them as commanderies merely because the population is sparse; in fact, their total area exceeds that of ten or twenty southern commanderies. These five commanderies cover vast territory; they may not be as wealthy as your second brother's single commandery of Guangling, but with such a vast expanse of land, there's no reason to just hand it over to foreign tribes. This is another way of showing filial piety. The Baili clan relies on you to preserve the ancestral legacy; you can answer to your ancestors in the imperial mausoleum."

Bai Ze: "Isn't it clear enough? What else is there to 'but' about?"

"Nothing left? I just wanted to see what else you could 'but' about, Bai Ze—it's been ages since I heard you talk this much~"

Your Majesty: "Nothing left? I just wanted to see what else you could 'but' out, Bai Ze—it's been ages since I heard you speak so much!"

Bai Ze closed the mic.

This guy is really crafty.

This problem is indeed just a matter of title; for the big‑hearted Great King it's not a big issue.

He quickly turned to researching the rewards.

These border checkpoints given aren't unfamiliar to him; he built one in Liaodong Commandery, though he never saw it in person, from the map it looks tall and sturdy—nothing like the flimsy Shangguan Pass, and even stronger than the ones guarded by the Wei family.

Such border checkpoints come in sets of five, and he can freely decide where to build them; the Great King immediately became happy again.

This kind of border checkpoint gives him five at once, or he can freely decide which one to cultivate—the king immediately becomes happy again.

Liangzhou, well, looking now it's not impossible to fight; first go to Yumen Pass, then come back and attack Shuofang!

The Great King, having made a decision, immediately ordered Zhou Ke, "Don't leave any of the Xiongnu scouts behind us."

Yes!