Chapter 735

The Da Wang said he would return to the Dong Fu residence, but of course he wouldn't really go there to walk into a trap. The three parted on the street, each going home.

Although the Da Wang had done something, he wasn't happy either; he constantly thought of unifying the world so everyone could live well. Even if natural disasters were unavoidable, he would do his best to avoid man-made calamities. At the very least, he didn't want to starve and be conscripted to fight for the princes' struggle for supremacy!

Just like that, as soon as he took a step, someone sabotaged him from behind.

At this moment, however he thought about it, he felt a bit naïve; if he didn't chop off one of these aristocrats' hands, they would never realize their mistake and would forever live in the dream of being superior. Then he would repeat his father's and grandfather's tragedy. The national treasury is empty, the people's pockets are empty, only the aristocrats still enjoy peace and prosperity.

It's hard to say whether the world belongs to him or to the aristocrats.

Having already grasped eighty percent of the world's wealth, he still reaches out to the commoners.

Actually, the Da Wang could understand this, but the Yuan clan, knowing they might later be stationed in Youzhou, had already laid out property arrangements in the surrounding areas.

Outside Chang'an City they surely have many estates where they could specially provide fresh vegetables carefully grown, and on idle days they could go play for two days, experiencing the countryside scenery. Now they've moved to Youzhou—outside Youzhou City there isn't such a place yet, so they might as well quickly stake out a good spot.

They set their sights on the farmlands of the Northern Border; as soon as the hunger index rose a little, they wanted to destroy them, which the Da Wang absolutely could not tolerate. Not starving to death doesn't mean they're all full; the Da Wang knows best how much his main quest has progressed.

That guy rushed back to the Year Feather Hall, grabbed Bai Ze and poured out a bitter complaint.

"The military budget has such a huge hole; I've gritted my teeth and avoided raising taxes, fearing that the newly hopeful Northern Border would be dragged into the abyss. I know the south has practically slipped from imperial control, so the only place taxes could be raised now is our Northern Border. If that happens, both the happiness and hunger indices will collapse together, making reconstruction even harder."

"I also don't want to betray the trust of the Northern Border's people; they have suffered grassland disturbances for generations, been poor for hundreds of years, and now that there's a turning point, I can't bear to dash it."

"How hateful that these southern aristocrats dare, at this juncture, to come to Youzhou to seize land! Do they think I'm young and easy to bully?!"

"Do they all think… what's the use of me waging war, what's the use of gaining the world? This world will ultimately belong to the aristocrats. My father these years—his life may not be better than those top clan heads. As for wealth, let's not even mention it; it's far inferior." He couldn't possibly not know his father's assets? They're far worse than the Langya Wang Clan. All he's seen is just the warehouse of the Wang ancestral home; who knows how much more there really is?

"How are you going to deal with the aristocrats?" Bai Ze asked directly.

"... Originally I wanted to wait until the world was unified, then proceed step by step. Acting now would only intensify the southern aristocrats' backlash, driving them into the arms of other forces. Besides, I'm not the type to forcibly seize people's interests..." Upon saying this, Bai Ze lifted his head and gave him a meaningful look.

The Da Wang's defenses broke: "Well, what do you mean?!"

Bai Ze: "Not seize anything? You're just going to watch as the aristocratic merchants hold eighty percent of the world's wealth?"

Da Wang: ……

"In what way are the aristocrats still my subjects? Looting them doesn't count." The Da Wang felt contemptuous.

"The strong prevail and take the world; if the world can be won, I don't believe I can't defeat those weakling aristocrats!"

Bai Ze shook off the Da Wang's shudder, stood up and stretched, then said in his usual leisurely tone: "So? What's there to be unhappy about? The news of the grassland battle will spread, and the northerners' hearts will rise another level. He who wins the people's hearts wins the world; you're only thirteen, not seventy-three—there's really no need to rush. Slow your steps, take it bit by bit."

Bai Ze really felt the Da Wang was too wound up; six years time is enough.

Being able to let go is the Da Wang's greatest strength; after pondering a moment, that guy suddenly stood up and shouted loudly: "Tong Chen! Bring some food, I'm hungry."

Bai Ze: ……

After the Da Wang finished venting his bitterness and Bai Ze comforted him with a couple of sentences, his appetite returned—even faster than dinner arriving was Zhao Bao.

"Your Majesty, the Minister of Justice has delivered the household registers of the five commanderies: Chang'an, Changzhou, Guangling, Hongnong, and Luoyang."

That guy almost jumped up from his seat, exclaiming: "I've been waiting in agony, and finally they've come!"

We've struck it rich!

He had previously gone crazy from poverty, disliking the slow pace and even thinking of urging it on, but before he could act, Lu Tong had already gathered everything together for him.

"... Honestly, do I need to rush this money with an eight-hundred-li express?!"

The Da Wang couldn't wait a moment; he sent Zhao Bao off, immediately began uploading, and already started humming a chaotic tune, his mood shifting like the wind.

"Five commanderies, five commanderies, we've struck it rich, struck it rich—there's no way we could ever spend it all~"

Bai Ze: ……

Xiao Jin kicked the door open with one foot, stuck his big head in to look around, wondering if it was time to eat?

"Isn't this worth celebrating? Braised pork, roasted lamb leg, egg fried rice, and how about some seafood?" Lord Xiao Jin's eyes instantly sparkled—he loves roasted lamb leg!

Zhao Ba had already heard about what happened during the day, and thought this was due to a major stimulus turning anger into appetite; the King, even eating so greasy late at night, didn't dare to oppose, so he hurriedly went to personally supervise.

The next day, His Majesty, preoccupied, rose especially early; as soon as he opened his eyes, he first checked the task's progress.

Seeing at a glance that the review had passed, His Majesty immediately jumped up.

"Oh oh, it's been delayed this long, but the work is still quite meticulous!"

【Already obtained the plain, terrain, and population data of the old capital Chang'an, the secondary capital Luoyang, Hongnong Commandery, Guanghan Commandery, and Changzhou Commandery.

Congratulations, my lord, on gaining the new territories of five commanderies～

Mission reward: Chang'an 3D full terrain map x1; Luoyang 3D full terrain map x1; Hongnong 3D full terrain map x1; Guanghan 3D full terrain map x1; Changzhou 3D full terrain map x1;

Chang'an, Luoyang, Hongnong, Guanghan, and Changzhou five commanderies' fully connected imperial roads x1;

A-level spin wheel x1 (Chang'an); B-level spin wheel x2 (Luoyang, Hongnong, Guanghan, Changzhou)

Whether to claim the reward now, yes/no】

The King saw Mengmeng call the old capital Chang'an and laughed—what keen eyesight~

Then, upon seeing the number of spin wheels behind, he almost started picking his fingers.

"Chang'an, as the capital, got an A-level spin wheel—that's good, but giving just one is too stingy?"

"Qinghe Shangdang at the time gave three Cs; according to this conversion, the other four places should get six Cs, but now they're given two Bs? If we submit the five commanderies together, am I profiting or losing?" The King was full of energy, and immediately spotted the difference.

His Majesty, who usually gets groggy when waking up with morning grumpiness, instantly became sharp—Bai Ze admired this trait.

"Getting a low-grade item from a high level is also a loss; you also drew a rare item Yingtai Island from a C-level—this depends on luck."

That's right.