Chapter 485: Daily nitpicking

Da Wang met Zhu Ti and they exchanged updates on recent events. Hearing that Taotie's pouch would soon be finished, Da Wang assigned the tasks of Zhenhai Palace, and the wool‑gathering construction project continued.

Before the mission was announced, Zhu Ti specially went to see Qing Xu once. Although they had secured Zhenhai Palace, the old Daoist wasn't that important anymore, but… who knows when they'll next encounter a Daoist with some skill?

Zhu Ti went to tell Qing Xu, Da Wang greatly revered Daoism and also admired the Daoist priest, deciding to build a Daoist temple within the territory to glorify Daoism. At that time, the temple's affairs will rely heavily on the Daoist priest's help.

Qing Xu was overwhelmed with favor, exclaiming, "Spreading the Dao— isn't this exactly their lifelong pursuit!"

He didn't think the Northern Border King would spend money on large‑scale construction at this time; he figured it would be no more than the scale of an Earth God Temple, maybe a City God Temple as wide as five bays.

As a result, the next day the prince's mansion issued a new conscription notice for laborers, recruiting three thousand people.

Three thousand people? Couldn't they just build a high tower like the southern gate instead?

He and his little apprentice stood dazed on the street for half a day, still unable to figure out whether the Northern Border King was truly poor or just pretending.

If you say he's rich, anyone can see that the Northern Border's vast but sparsely populated, everything in disarray waiting to be built— that shows the treasury income is just average, enough to support cavalry. If you say he's poor, just look at the Taotie Tower at the southern city gate, and look at the scale of laborers mobilized for building the Daoist temple!

Da Wang, mysterious and hard to fathom.

That Taotie, once its exterior was completed, the southern city gate had already become a famous tourist spot. Ordinary folks would go to stare at that black, menacing beast; even the people of Youzhou had never seen a warehouse built into such a lifelike beast shape. The little Daoist thought it was to deter thieves, because the tower looks a bit scary after dark…

When Youzhou was vigorously recruiting laborers, the treasure ship finally turned around and headed back.

Even if Wei Ke changed his address to call Da Wang his elder cousin, he still had to go ashore at least once.

They gave it a noble name: "Since we've come, we might as well make use of it."

Da Wang switched to the landing craft, and with a command the boats turned west.

Now aboard the ship, no one could persuade him; even Zhao Bao was tossed onto the treasure ship by Da Wang to look after Bai Ze and the bear. Bai Ze said its target was too big, agreeing to return with the ship, and Da Wang's sticky Zhetian was recalled and stuffed into the homestead; everything ready, Da Wang became excited again.

The Wei brothers had to come along; he planned to bring Ling Yin as well, saying that four people going ashore would keep a low profile. This time Wei Ke refused no matter what, insisting at least a detachment of personal guards stay hidden to protect them. Da Wang thought about it and agreed—someone had to run errands.

Da Wang paced the deck; by day he raised a telescope to stare at a coastline that showed no sign, and at night, when the sailors rested, he went back into the water to keep fishing.

After another day's travel, they finally spotted the silhouette of a small fishing boat.

"This boat isn't any stronger than ours from Youzhou..."

Wei Shen squeezed forward to look; they were a few wooden boats three or four meters long. "Really giving it their all! To dare come this far from shore—if the weather suddenly changes at sea, they won't be able to get back."

"Ah! The south isn't that rich either~"

"Jiangnan is wealthy because the powerful are many." Wei Ke spoke a sentence that pierced the truth, and the deck fell silent.

Once the coastline came into view, Da Wang studied the map and thought they must have passed Guangling, of course just guessing. Only when they sneaked ashore late at night and entered the city did they realize they had actually reached Wu Commandery, farther south than his estimate.

Wei Shen: "I dare not even imagine how long it will take us to get back to Youzhou by land, let alone make it in time for the New Year."

Wei Ke: "We don't even have a decent horse, so at minimum it'll take two months."

Da Wang, solemn: "It doesn't matter where we celebrate the New Year; offering sacrifices to heaven and ancestors is done every year, missing one year the ancestors won't mind—if they do mind… the perspective is too narrow."

Wei Ke: ……

Even the ancestors of the Bai Li family had it rough—not only was the realm divided into four parts, they also had to endure Da Wang's constant nitpicking.

Youzhou still didn't know that Da Wang had abandoned his fishing trip midway; they had just learned that the imperial court could no longer sit still about the population influx into the Northern Border, so they dispatched troops to block the main routes and even set up porridge stations in several county seats, intending to manage the refugees.

It has to be said, court officials also breathed a sigh of relief—though the daily influx of refugees actually puts great strain on food supplies in the Northern Border. These people arrive penniless, just bringing their mouths, and the northern lands are about to enter the harsh winter; it's truly a bottomless pit.

With their hands freed, officials also had time for other things—for example, the newspaper formally announced the schedule for next year's imperial examination, which would begin in March, early spring.

Registration ends at the end of February, and the exam opens in mid‑March.

Xie Yuan thought that announcing it early would let people with ideas arrange their schedules. Xie Yuan also feared that delays would bring second thoughts, wishing to fill the Northern Border's official vacancies as soon as possible; this timeline is actually tight—people south of Luoshui Pass should set out after the New Year.

Yes, this examination is open to all under heaven; no matter where you're from, as long as you have learning and ambition and pass the Northern Border's exam, you can serve as an official there. It doesn't reject any background—scholars, wealthy merchants, even artisans and farmers—as long as you have genuine talent.

When someone asked about the court's blockade, Xie Yuan didn't mind. For this first round of the examination, the eligible candidates are basically scholars, and they also need to be clear‑minded scholars; those who want to come will generally be able to.

Lu Xiu then asked his uncle Lu Tong whether the southern scholars would actually come.

Lu Tong chuckled, his tone affirmative.

"Of course. Do you know how many juniors of roughly our age there are in the Lu clan?"

Lu Xiu had never paid attention to this; once brought up, he couldn't even count them off the top of his head. "…There are quite a few. I'm only familiar with those of the main branch, plus the side branches… there are just too many."

"Which family doesn't have countless branch and side lines? Someone will always hedge their bets, spreading their stakes. Relying on Your Highness's cavalry, even if the main branch doesn't come, the branch lines will still manage to secure a spot. They'll jump up and shout angrily while arranging clever juniors to come try this examination."

Lu Xiu was stunned, "That's really… terribly hypocritical."

The Northern Border had mentioned the examination in newspapers before, and it did stir some discussion, but after all it was just talk—staying at the pie‑in‑the‑sky stage. This time it's different: they've issued the application forms and concrete dates, and underneath bears the Northern Border King's great seal.

The last time this great seal appeared in the newspaper was in Da Wang's "Warning to the World". This undoubtedly tells the world that the Northern Border is getting serious. The Northern Border King truly intends to change the worldly order, genuinely beginning to tamper with the cake of the powerful scholar‑elite.

The first round of participants might still be literate scholars, but the second round is less certain.

In the Northern Border, they've started to disregard background—everyone can now attend school.

The new issue of the newspaper sold to the south, and the situation really matched what Lu Tong had expected. What he hadn't anticipated was that there would also be strong opposition, especially from stubborn old-timers. Those planning to take the exam hadn't set out yet, but the protesting old-timers had already left…