Chapter 295: Fugitive

The Great King that day found an opportunity to meet with Zhu Ti for a while, and the next day the people of Secluded Prefecture welcomed another piece of good news.

Although the Great King was away on campaign, he didn't waste any time causing trouble in Secluded Prefecture.

The Prince of Secluded Prefecture's mansion again issued a notice for conscripting laborers, and this time, to facilitate troop movements, they were repairing the road for the neighboring Wing Prefecture, and the Great King actually let the people of Secluded Prefecture take the lion's share of the benefits.

The Chancellor and the previous dynasty had no concept whatsoever of the Great King's finances.

How the Great King could support the huge military expenses of the western expedition while not forgetting to spend money on road repairs—everyone had already given up trying to figure it out.

This time, Secluded Prefecture recruited families that had not yet been selected, a total of 5000 people.

For Wing Prefecture, this was the first time they had to handle such a matter; therefore, Zhao Chuan specially brought people to make a trip to Wing Prefecture, personally handing this matter over to Ge Zhong, the Chief Director in charge of Wing Prefecture's affairs.

Ge Zhong was extremely envious; if it weren't for the Great King's order that only civilians were needed, he would have planned to divert some border troops—it was practically a quick path to wealth!

Soon, notices appeared all over Wing Prefecture, and soldiers were there to explain them.

"……We aren't under the Prince of Secluded Prefecture's jurisdiction, are we? Now, to facilitate troop movements, the Prince has specially allocated a huge sum of silver for us in Wing Prefecture to build a set of Eight Directions Speedway just like the one in Secluded Prefecture! Have you seen the Secluded Prefecture Speedway? It's flat and wide; goods arriving by sea in Secluded Prefecture can be loaded onto wagons, pulled by two good horses, and reach Wing Prefecture in a day—there's no better road than this. Once this Speedway is completed, it will be a tremendous blessing for us in Wing Prefecture."

That soldier deliberately paused, looking at the excited whispers of the crowd, and couldn't wait to tell those nearby how, if it could pass by his home, it would be great, making it easier to bring goods into the city to sell, and so on.

"This is the first good thing since we came under the Prince of Secluded Prefecture's jurisdiction. Second, it's also a favor from the Prince. Building this Speedway requires manpower……"

Upon hearing this, the smiles of the onlookers vanished instantly—yeah, building the road requires labor service!

"……Originally, the labor service dispatched by the court was conscripted by household registration, not only unpaid but also arduous. But our Prince of Secluded Prefecture, he loves the people as his own children."

The Prince of Secluded Prefecture issues subsidies for such conscripted labor tasks every year; the selected laborers not only receive 300 wen in wages per day and grain rations, but also receive a set of new work clothes, called work uniforms, convenient to wear while working. After the project is completed, those clothes are yours to keep.

The discussion below grew louder, with the impatient urging the soldier to hurry up and explain how people would be selected.

"It's simple. Those with Wing Prefecture household registration, no criminal record, and families with members serving in the military get priority; if there are too many applicants, then priority goes to military families facing financial hardship."

"Each county in Wing Prefecture has 100–200 slots; I see that your Linbi County…… has 120 spots. The way the Prince of Secluded Prefecture drove away the Xianbei people, which you have also seen, relies on the military. The Prince needs to maintain the army to protect the people's safety; in Secluded Prefecture, military families are the most honorable, and the same will hold for Wing Prefecture."

"So, those with family members in the military can first go to the Linbi County Office to register; after passing, they will assemble at the Wing Prefecture City Governor's Office. Our county only has 120 slots, first come, first served."

"-"Are they asking for those currently serving in the military?"

""Current service gets priority."

"-"Really giving 300 wen a day? That much? Impossible!"

""It's true, paid daily. If you don't believe me, ask the people of Secluded Prefecture; when the time comes, they also have quotas and will work alongside you."

"-"My father died fighting in the Northern Frontier; does our family qualify?"

The soldier hurriedly asked: "When did this happen? This year? Then that counts as one for your family; I'll note it down first—you have Wing Prefecture household registration, right? Our Prince said you belong to the martyr's family, having fought and died for the country, glorious! In the future, you'll get priority for any good things."

Upon hearing about the quota, one of the onlookers immediately lost it, and there were dissatisfied voices: "……Third Zhu's father didn't give his life for our Prince; he served the Southern court……"

They switched roles quite quickly.

""Exactly!"

""That's right, his father was in the Chang'an Court's Northern Expedition Army……" Many others chimed in as well.

300 wen a day, and competition sprang up instantly.

The little eunuch who had been silent behind the soldier stepped forward and said, "Earlier, those who sacrificed for the Great Jin were also recognized by our Prince! The Prince is also a son of the former emperor, so we didn't mention it before; as long as you remain loyal to the Prince from now on, that's enough."

"This is a rough selection; if this martyr's family member has any other issues, they will also be rejected, and the county office will conduct further screening. Please rest assured, in the future, anyone from Wing Prefecture who remains loyal to the Prince, obeys the law in daily life, and has hardly any misconduct records will have a chance—every household will get an opportunity. The people of Secluded Prefecture are already almost through rotating every household……" The one who chimed in was none other than the Great King's close attendant, Tongchen; the Great King was away on campaign, and Tongchen, idle, had been sent by his master to help in Wing Prefecture.

Upon hearing this, everyone felt the temptation was enormous!

Some people immediately turned and ran to get ahead in signing up; others, who temporarily didn't meet the conditions, prepared to ask acquaintances from Secluded Prefecture for the truth; the previously lethargic small county instantly came to life.

The Great King baited with money; once the people got a taste of the benefits, they wouldn't want to leave Wing Prefecture and head south.

They will also, like the people of Secluded Prefecture, actively demonstrate law-abiding behavior under his rule.

The Great King, while idle, also boasted to Wei Shen in this way: "……When the time comes, I will further promote Secluded Prefecture's few high-yield crops; once they have enough to eat, Wing Prefecture will be stable."

Wei Shen nodded and said, "All right, Wing Prefecture is easy to handle; it's just that this pastoral Liangzhou is not so easy! Look at them dragging their families everywhere, causing chaos—it's hard to manage, making it seem like a refugee situation!"

Tang Qian, who had been stationed at Yumen Pass, sighed and said, "Is it possible that they are really fleeing as refugees?"

Even newborn lambs are held in their arms while they drag all their belongings—this is definitely a case of running away!