Chapter 582: Clan Genealogy Warning

Da Wang slyly merged the two tasks; whether they were Chang'an residents or people of the world, who could in a short time know what project was being built in Youzhou?

Given the current traffic and news dissemination, aside from Da Wang himself placing ads in the paper, when the world will hear about this remains to be debated.

The construction site is in Ning'an County, Youzhou Prefecture, which is Da Wang's main base. Da Wang has made up his mind, so this matter can be kept tight.

After so many tasks, Da Wang has become a seasoned master of extracting gains; he no longer thinks only of exploiting the system, he even takes the opportunity to skim a bit from the laborers.

Last time, during the city‑building task in Qingyu Commandery, Da Wang withheld most of the wages to fund the reconstruction of Jinhui City. This time, he plans to deduct part of the workers' wages to settle the refugees.

"It's not that We discriminate against the northern border folk and other Jin people; Qinghe and Shangdang truly belong to Us, everyone is the same. The imperial road conscripts locals in the two commanderies; they are Our new subjects, and when We say three hundred cash a day, they might even think it's a scam. Look at the Qiang people of Qingyu Commandery—after the deductions, the amount they receive is hard to believe."

Bai Ze cooperated, "When poor, one thinks of change; that works."

Da Wang: … felt as if an arrow had struck his knee. He wanted to agree, but not like this.

"Although poverty is a fact, I don't like to hear it."

Da Wang calculated that supervising the garden could withhold 150,000 taels of silver in wages, the two commanderies' imperial roads could withhold 144,000, rounding to 300,000 taels! He instantly found a place for it, intending to give it to Zhu Ti to have her build a new village in Liangzhou to settle the refugees.

Going to Jiangnan requires no mobilization; the barbaric lands of Liangzhou need carrots.

He immediately summoned two NPCs; who would have thought an old acquaintance long unseen would appear—Zhao Zhu Ge.

Zhao Zhu Ge knows Da Wang extremely well; after exchanging pleasantries, as soon as Da Wang mentioned it, he immediately said he would pay out two‑thirds of the wages in a lump sum and hand it to Zhu Ti to arrange. As for the confidential work at the construction site, he had nothing to worry about. Having an acquaintance makes things easy, and with Zhao Zhu Ge keeping him quiet, Da Wang felt more confident about secretly building the garden.

He gloated, thinking that once the world learns of Yingtai Isle, perhaps We will have already unified the realm!

By then, whatever rhythm Da Wang brings won't matter; excess will be met with the clan's warning.

Da Wang's project sounds sizable; even the Grand Minister of Agriculture thought Da Wang had been crying poverty, for a truly poor person wouldn't just start building an imperial road.

It's the first time seeing conscripted laborers actually paid—plus a hundred cash a day with meals! Hauling cargo at Jinling Port for a day earns about that, assuming a good harvest; it's said earnings these years are less than half. More important than the hundred cash is the extra two dou of rice per day—that's the real trump card.

Da Wang felt bitter; if he could choose, he wouldn't want to work on the rivers? Although… well, the flooded rivers are temporarily not in his hands. But when refugees come to Chang'an, they become our own!

Da Wang will never admit he has money; he says this is breaking pots and selling iron to benefit the people.

The court assumed he was doing it to stabilize his rule and buy hearts. Shangdang and Qinghe previously had lords, and the Prince of Shangdang and the Prince of Qinghe are now living quite well in Youzhou. The officials thinking this are half right.

The method for conscripting laborers for the imperial road follows Da Wang's old practice from his time in Youzhou: villages as the smallest unit, quotas evenly divided, priority given to impoverished families. These two commanderies have no troops in Da Wang's army, so the military‑priority condition no longer applies.

As for the laborers to build Yingtai Isle, Da Wang took them to cause trouble outside the city gate.

That day a notice was posted at the city gate: Youzhou has a large project needing conscripted laborers. Seeing that the northern border folk have no displaced persons, while the south is full of refugees, Da Wang decided to allocate part of the quotas for this good job that provides food, lodging, and wages to the refugees outside the city.

But, as long as they can bring the able‑bodied of the whole clan.

Da Wang held his posture high; the threshold is too low, nobody cherishes it!

He was almost holding an open audition at the city gate: "Your family has five members here—can you bring them all? Fine, you get a slot. Your family only has one son left? That's two people; you're an alternate—if we're short, we'll prioritize filling you in."

Originally they were lying half‑dead at Chang'an's city gate; who knew a windfall pie would drop, offering five months of steady work and even settling their families! The refugees were certain this pie was issued by the court, so they started rushing for it.

The porridge in Chang'an really isn't that drinkable—starving won't kill you but it's too thin! Two dou of white rice a day is worth them breaking their heads over.

Traveling day and night, a single summons from Da Wang brought Wei Ke swiftly to Chang'an, where he saw this grand open‑audition scene.

Without even exchanging pleasantries, he asked Da Wang if he was selecting a ginseng troop? After all, Da Wang still has battles to fight, his army's treatment is unmatched, and one can learn real skills; military slots in the north are hot commodities.

Perched on the city wall watching the bustle, Da Wang suddenly realized—he glanced at his dust‑covered elder cousin, then at the noisy crowd of refugees below.

Huh?

He had previously wanted to find a chance to go undercover in the Forbidden Army to feel out its details; these 220,000 have changed hands several times, and Da Wang doesn't know how loyal they still are—such things are hard to discern from the surface.

Da Wang hasn't carried it out because he lacks a good method; at his age he really draws too much attention.

Since the Wei Hang incident, the Forbidden Army suddenly air‑dropped someone the same age as the King of the North—no wonder people speculate! Da Wang had earlier thought of waiting for Wei Ke to come, then have him bring Wei Shen in to try. Anyway, Da Wang has made up his mind: henceforth he will hand the Feather Forest Guard over to Wei Ke.

Now Da Wang has a new idea.

His troops are elite, not numerous—this…

"Old Zhang, immediately add another notice below. Broadly recruit talent and heroes to join the Feather Forest Guard! Anyone with superb martial arts, extraordinary innate gifts, or exceptional strength, as long as they pass the trial, can enter My personal guard—the Feather Forest Guard."