Chapter 320

Da Wang held a victory celebration for the unification of the Northern Border in the mansion, scattering countless silver, and the atmosphere was unprecedentedly fervent.

The commoners outside the mansion couldn't join in, but the Vermilion Bird Avenue celebration, the Grand Steward also managed it with proper style.

Vermilion Bird Avenue was decked with lights and colorful ribbons, adding festive red lanterns to the original setup. Stores under Da Wang's name gave out small gifts upon entry; these trinkets were uniformly wholesaled from White Poplar—fortune characters, fans, handkerchiefs, everyone got a share.

A newly opened pastry shop released a new product called Victory Cake, saying it was specially made to celebrate Da Wang's victorious western campaign and the unification of the Northern Border; anyone who entered the shop got a piece, limited to one per person!

What a bunch of good fellows—the You Prefecture Guard almost entirely had its personnel on the street maintaining order.

Da Wang brought Wei Shen to South Splendid Gate, holding a telescope to look south, exclaiming, "How lively!"

Wei Shen warned, "You're not allowed to scheme randomly!"

Da Wang innocently: "What bad ideas could I have?"

Wei Shen sincerely: "You do."

Da Wang: ……

"The Youzhou Guard is miserable enough today—look at how packed it is outside, don't go out! You really don't know how popular you are among the folk these days! Last night I went to a tavern for a meal, the whole place was talking about how you, Da Wang, Taibai's descent into the world, the Youzhou troops are invincible under heaven! They say only you, Da Wang, can guard the peace of the northern borders and the Great Jin. That fervor... how to put it? It's fervent, yes, extremely fervent! Right now you must not show your face; the day before yesterday you just made a big splash, too little time has passed—if someone recognizes you, just think about the size of that crowd outside!"

Da Wang proudly: "Trampled into meat patty?"

Immediately this fellow changed the subject: "My cousin went out to sneak some tasty food, and didn't even call me?"

Wei Shen: ……

Da Wang then shrewdly: "Besides, you actually have silver to go to the tavern? Didn't you let Zhetian pile up a stack of IOUs?"

Wei Shen gave a foolish smile: "Of course I put it on your account, Da Wang~."

Outside, Da Wang's tavern also sells products from his ranch and vegetable garden bases—things he can't finish eating. Over the past half year Da Wang hasn't been at the manor; the Chief Steward has taken all those outside to sell. These high-quality grains, vegetables, and meats are sent to the tavern to make a high-priced special menu.

The manor's kitchen is relatively conservative, never haphazardly changing the menu for the growing Da Wang. But the tavern offers far more variety; under Chief Steward Zhu's leadership, there are many fresh dishes from ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign—as long as you can pay!

Wei Shen spent half a year on the western campaign, eating only rations; occasionally Da Wang would secretly prepare a little extra stove for him. His palate, spoiled by Youzhou, was terribly disadvantaged—once back he slipped off to the outside tavern. To avoid leaking news, he even didn't bring Wei Ke.

The Chancellor and the Grand Tutor, two old men, returned to work overtime; while patrolling past South Hua Gate, they saw Da Wang waving his little fists chasing and beating Colonel Wei. Compared to the Da Wang just sitting upstairs, lifeless, they were like two different beings...

Such vitality—it's a shame not to work overtime!

Only Da Wang felt that after this western campaign he was penniless; nobody else believed it. That night Zhu Ti came over and gave him a shot of adrenaline, successfully saving Da Wang.

The Chief Steward sent him a procurement list, urging him to quickly contact Baiyang to place an order.

And also sent the profits she had earned over the past half year from her operations.

Da Wang was first shocked by the quantities on the procurement list: "Did I sell everything I had left in the warehouse when I left?" He knew he'd be away a long time; during the march it wasn't convenient to leave to find Baiyang, so before departing he went to Baiyang's place and collected a huge amount of goods.

Zhu Ti: "About right. Now southern merchants dare not run to the northern borders, but we can go. Our caravan used treasure ships to sail south by sea three times, dumping large quantities of stock; this list is all profit accounts."

Da Wang delighted, so much money!

"Isn't the south also quite chaotic? How come these food, drink, and entertainment items sell so well?" Could it be that only the northern folk are suffering dire straits? No, the south also has constant internal strife!

"My lord has read many books from Baiyang; have you heard the line 'The merchant's daughter knows not the hatred of a fallen state, yet across the river she still sings the songs of the rear garden'? The great aristocratic clans of southern Great Jin still live in carefree revelry. Upon hearing of the successful peace talks in the north, with the Xiongnu and Xianbei threats gone, they have already resumed their former way of life. Although internal unrest remains unsettled, it seems to have little effect on them—several rebel kings have myriad ties with them and would not lightly move against them.... It's just that there are more refugees now."

Da Wang resentfully: "Three hundred years of peace—these aristocratic clans have been too comfortable for too long..."

Zhu Ti suddenly interjected: "Ninety percent of Great Jin's land is in the hands of the aristocratic clans."

Da Wang lifted his head, blinked, and suddenly got the Chief Steward's hint.

Ninety percent?

★

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ps: I love Da Wang, won't pit. Normal updates resume around the 3rd. ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ