Chapter 67: Youzhou Lighthouse

Da Wang saw off the convoy heading to Chang'an that was escorting the Gold Dragon and the southbound group to Yuyang in Youzhou, and his heart had already raced to his new ferry crossing.

He wished the new ferry crossing would be finished at once so he could summon those three NPCs to train the fishermen, preferably having them go out to sea to fish right away—he didn't want to attend this lesson for even a day.

Every few days he would ride out to check the progress; the ferry crossing wasn't a building, so Da Wang couldn't tell when it would be done—he just came to see the excitement. Lured by the treasure ship, he couldn't stay cooped up in the mansion.

Meanwhile, Zhao Chuan and Zhang Tu, who were accompanying him, had their worldviews shattered every day.

This ferry crossing also includes a tall lighthouse; it's already been built quite high, but Steward Zhao says it's not finished yet—there's still a section left to build.

The two ancients, seeing such a tall tower for the first time, only learned after asking that it was meant to guide night‑returning fishermen. Built this high, its light can be seen far out at sea, so fishermen won't lose their way; they need only row hard toward the light to get home.

Along the ferry crossing, over a thousand people were in the water digging silt, loading it into huge baskets and then hoisting it ashore bit by bit with a winch, because large ships draw deeper water and ordinary shores need to be deepened further to accommodate them.

These two, previously inland dwellers, had thought building a ferry crossing merely meant leveling the shore for carts to come and go, then adding a few mooring posts for wooden boats—until these days following Da Wang to the coast broadened their horizons.

As usual when returning to the mansion, Da Wang rode his mount Xiao Zao ahead, frolicking, while Zhao Chuan chased hard behind; today Da Wang suddenly noticed people on a road where he usually saw no one.

There were voices coming from the base of the nearby mountain.

Curious onlookers, seeing how hard Zhao Chuan was pushing, simply slowed down to watch the excitement—this stretch they'd run several times before, and it was the first time they'd encountered anyone.

Da Wang, feeling nosy, turned aside and saw… oh, two men kneeling on the ground… crying?

This is serious—why would such big men be crying out in the wilderness? Da Wang thought he should show concern; after all, they were his subjects.

He dismounted and approached, asking, "May I ask… why are you crying here?"

Yu Lao Da looked up and saw a child resembling an immortal; remembering he was at the foot of the great mountain, he flinched sideways in fright. Da Wang noticed nothing amiss and kept pressing, asking what they were crying about.

"I‑I‑I'm crying for my mother…" As he spoke of his mother, he hastily glanced upward.

Da Wang grew more bewildered; he looked at the ground before the two men—it didn't look like a grave at all!

He followed Yu Lao Da's gaze upward—no, no, wait—up there seemed to be a white‑haired, shuffling figure slowly moving.

Da Wang exclaimed delightedly, "Is that your mother? Why are you crying? She's still alive! Did you think she got lost?"

Zhao Chuan, who had rushed up behind, couldn't bear to look—a child raised in the palace had never seen anything like this.

"Your… Highness!"

Then Yu Lao Da flung himself to the ground with his brother, wailing loudly, "Mother! Is it my uselessness… sob… I'm unfilial…"

Da Wang was completely dumbfounded.

Zhao Chuan pulled him aside and whispered an explanation to Da Wang: "…Our family can't get by any longer; we truly have nothing to eat. With that loving elder, we don't want to use filial piety to burden the descendants, hoping to save a mouthful of food to give the younger generation a chance at life, so we go up the mountain voluntarily… In years of famine this also happens often in the south. In the south one might still survive a few days until meeting a beast, but in the northern mountains of Youzhou in winter… there's nothing to eat at all." In short, the elder actively seeks death while the children see them off.

Hearing such a cruel thing for the first time, Da Wang's whole self went numb.

He felt inside that this wasn't right—those kneeling here were being accused of unfilial conduct, yet seeing Yu Lao Da weep like that also aroused pity. Maybe he didn't want it either?

Da Wang broke free of Zhao Chuan and ran back, saying, "You're just going to watch your mother send herself to death?"

Yu Lao Da lay on the ground, rolling over, face streaked with tears and eyes empty, "Our family isn't just about to run out of grain—we also have outside debts. Perhaps… in a few days we'll all join Mother in the afterlife. Spring and summer we can endure, but winter we cannot—sob…"

Da Wang took a closer look at the man—his frame was large, but he was shockingly thin; even his patched‑hemp clothing seemed too much for his frail body to support.

"I've hired laborers several times for work—hasn't your household ever been called up despite your hardship?" Da Wang still couldn't help asking.

The man beside Yu Lao Da, who had been silent and numb while kneeling, finally spoke: "My sister‑in‑law's natal brothers are bandits on Rock Sparrow Mountain—everyone in the county knows that sort of fortune never comes our way in the Yu family…"

That was indeed desperate; Da Wang felt like sighing.

A human life—Da Wang couldn't just ignore it.

Da Wang asked Zhao Chuan, "Do you have any silver on you?"

Zhao Chuan pulled out the five taels of silver he carried on his person from his waistband, handing it over with a pained expression—he should have kept some small change, for this was half his monthly stipend. It wasn't that he was cold‑blooded; such situations… were just too many.

Da Wang snatched it away and threw it to Yu Lao Da, saying, "I heard that in his first year as fief‑holder, Da Wang also faced the Youzhou drought and planned to give the locals a bit of relief before the year's end! Word from the authorities should arrive any moment—when it does, take your household register to Zhuque Avenue and you'll have a chance to buy cheap grain. It's said to be limited, but each family can get a portion. Take this silver, get through this winter, then next year clear land and plant; as long as you're diligent, Youzhou won't let its people starve."

Yu Lao Da picked up the silver—how long had it been since he'd seen so much money! "Give… really give it to me?"

Da Wang pointed up the mountain, "Running into me counts as your luck—hurry and carry your mother down; it gets dangerous higher up."

The half‑dead fellow beside him, having confirmed it was truly five taels of silver, sprang up eagerly, shouting for his mother as he scrambled up the slope. Da Wang nodded—acceptable, not the sort of heartless intentional act.

Having done his good deed for the day, Da Wang turned to leave, but Yu Lao Da caught up and asked how to address his benefactor.

Da Wang stopped, gave a haughty hum, and said, "Hah! Several grown men can't support one old lady! Next year I'll promote potatoes and sweet potatoes—didn't the village head tell you? Hold out through this winter and better days lie ahead! You don't need to repay the silver; just take good care of your mother."

Yu Lao Da dropped to his knees without a word and gave Da Wang a resounding kowtow—bang! —Da Wang felt uneasy inside, yet he clambered onto Xiao Zao's back using hands and feet.

Ugh, disheartening.

Even though holding out until spring brings hope, who knows how many people in Youzhou still won't survive this winter.

Da Wang returned and summoned He Guang and Zhu Ti, "When will the grain shop and cloth shop open? I'm not in a hurry, but the people can't wait!"