Chapter 308: Canal's Cost

Late spring to early summer, the Tongji Canal section outside Bianliangcheng bustled with activity.

Tens of thousands of laborers, like an ant colony, were spread along the long riverbanks.

The chants of tamping earth, the sounds of breaking stone, and the overseers' shouts blended into a noisy chorus.

Amid flying dust, the nascent form of the newly dug canal stubbornly extended toward the distance.

Chen Wen stood on a makeshift high platform, gazing out at the massive project.

The dredging and widening of the Tongji Canal were key to linking the Bian River and the Huai-Si water system, determining whether southeastern grain transport could reach the capital more smoothly, and thus of great importance.

Zhang Cheng and the Ministry of Works officials stood aside, reporting on the project's progress.

"Your Majesty, this section of the project is the most perilous; the soil is loose and prone to landslides, so progress is slightly slow;"

"If the current work pace continues, it may not be completed until late autumn, affecting the large northward transport of southeastern grain this year."

Chen Wen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the laborers toiling in the dust.

He could see the sweat on their faces and feel the fatigue brought by their heavy physical labor.

With a thought, the vast, sea-like power within him began to turn quietly.

This time, he was not conducting a small-scale test.

His goal was to cover the entire work section, stretching several li and employing over ten thousand workers.

【Massive Endowment — 2x Effect】

An intangible, yet mighty and gentle force, like a warm early-spring breeze, swept silently across the entire worksite.

There was no dazzling light, no earth-shaking portent.

But the effect manifested instantly.

The laborers swinging their hoes to dig felt their arms grow lighter; the formerly hard, tough soil seemed to soften slightly, and each strike lifted more earth;

The crews hoisting huge stone rammers and chanting as they tamped the foundations felt the poles on their shoulders no longer pressing so hard that they could barely breathe, their steps grew steadier, and the falling rammers seemed heavier;

Even those pushing wheelbarrows back and forth on narrow walkways found their balance easier to maintain, and their efficiency unknowingly increased a bit.

The pace of the whole worksite noticeably quickened.

The minor overseer from the Ministry of Works rubbed his eyes, somewhat disbelieving as he watched the labor crews suddenly become vigorous, and muttered to his companion:

"Strange, today these laborers seem as if they had taken strength pills."

Although Zhang Cheng could not directly perceive that intangible force, he keenly sensed the change in the worksite's atmosphere and efficiency.

He looked at the calm-faced Majesty beside him, and already understood in his heart.

This must be the Majesty employing that mysterious, godlike 'ability'.

Chen Wen closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling it carefully.

Simultaneously covering such a vast area and bestowing double strength on tens of thousands of targets, even at the lowest twofold effect, placed a mental burden on him far greater than his previous small-scale trial at the dock.

A subtle fatigue, like a taut guitar string, began to accumulate in his sea of consciousness.

But this remained within tolerable limits.

What he paid more attention to was the 'Fortune Momentum' within him, representing the dynasty's foundation.

Initially, the Fortune Momentum vortex remained rich and massive, flowing slowly, seemingly unaffected.

However, after he maintained the 'Massive Endowment' for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick,

He keenly sensed that the outermost layer of the vortex's originally solid golden halo had faintly dimmed.

Extremely slight; unless his mind was highly focused, he could hardly notice it.

At the same time, an ineffable sense of detachment subtly arose.

It seemed as if something was being quietly drawn away from this vast dynastic entity.

A thought moved him, and he gradually withdrew the ability.

The intangible force that had enveloped the worksite quietly receded.

The laborers noticed nothing abnormal; they merely felt that the unexplained ease had vanished, their exertion returned to normal, yet work efficiency had risen and overall progress surged ahead.

Zhang Cheng's face lit up with joy:

"Your Majesty, at this pace this section will surely be completed within the month!"

Chen Wen nodded, saying nothing more.

On the way back to the imperial capital, he kept savoring the subtle sensation of Fortune Momentum being drained.

This was not a direct attack or destruction, but rather… a 'cost'.

Employing power beyond reason to accelerate the dynasty's construction seemed to consume the unseen Fortune Momentum that binds the dynasty's rise and fall.

Returning to Wude Hall, he immediately examined recent memorials from all regions.

Soon, several documents that had previously failed to attract sufficient attention caught his eye.

One from the Shannan East Circuit reported that after summer began, rainfall in some areas was slightly low, hinting at drought;

One from the Huainan West Circuit mentioned that a small pond within its jurisdiction, damaged by rodents and ants, showed slight leakage;

And one from the Jingdong Circuit noted that a patch of forest somewhere had inexplicably withered……

Such matters, in ordinary times, might have been dismissed as routine natural disasters or administrative oversights.

But at this moment, combining that subtle sensation of Fortune Momentum depletion, Chen Wen's heart was stirred.

Could it be……

Does using ability to accelerate the nation's fortune, and the resulting 'cost,' feedback to every aspect of the dynasty in the form of seemingly random 'misfortune' and 'calamity'?

He recalled the information fragments he had sensed during his earlier breakthrough, which vaguely hinted that excessive deviation or forced acceleration would provoke a backlash from the 'rules'.

Is this 'misfortune' caused by consuming Fortune Momentum precisely the initial manifestation of that backlash?

If that is indeed the case, then should he later employ higher multiples and larger scales of ability—and, as the fragments suggest, at some future point actively consume Fortune Momentum to unleash great power—what fierce 'cost' would that entail?

Heaven collapsing and earth splitting? Vast droughts and floods? Plagues rampant? Even… internal rebellion?

Chen Wen sat behind the imperial desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the smooth surface.

His gaze was deep, unfathomable.

For the first time he clearly felt that, beneath the facade of prosperous times and flourishing national destiny, lay an icy, cruel "balance" rule.

Ability is not a gospel that can be used without limit.

Every surge of speed beyond reason may be drawing on some unseen "national fortune," requiring the whole dynasty to bear the corresponding "interest."

This gave him a deeper awe for the immense power within him and the profoundly mysterious "Fortune Momentum," and made it clearer what caution he must exercise when using them in the future.

"Haste makes waste."

He murmured to himself, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

"It seems even I must follow some invisible 'measure' that exists between heaven and earth."

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right, and Bianliangcheng remained bustling and full of vitality.

But Chen Wen knew that, the moment he sensed that subtle cost, the responsibility on his shoulders grew a little heavier.

He not only had to lead the dynasty forward in a run, but also had to constantly be wary of the invisible trap hidden beneath the speed of that run.