Chapter 123: First Volume, Chapter 123: Entering the Right Track

First Volume, Chapter 123: Entering the Right Track

Jingdu is vast yet compact; within and beyond the imperial palace walls, things are not as rigidly divided as people imagine.

Everyone inside the palace relies on external forces, while most outsiders bear the shadow of someone within.

Yet these entangled interests, though important to Qin Feng, were not so critical as to make him hesitate or overthink his actions.

After all, Qin Feng now had not only the "madman" immunity title, but also a solid gold belt—and the most reliable immunity medal, of course, was the Sage himself.

Having achieved his goal, Qin Feng no longer hesitated and stepped out.

But just as he reached the door, Zhao Zhangfu blocked him.

Though Zhao Zhangfu wished Qin Feng would be crushed by a carriage right now, his face was beaming with a smile as he spoke softly: "Young Master Qin, have you forgotten something?"

Qin Feng looked puzzled: "Huh? I've a poor memory—remind me?"

Zhao Zhangfu cursed inwardly but bowed respectfully: "Young Master Qin, truly, nobles forget easily—even what's right before their eyes? Hahaha, this fundraising banquet will surely win you the Sage's favor again; I congratulate you in advance. But my Zui Xian Lou has trailed behind you all day—feeding, drinking, and tending to so many isn't cheap. Might you settle the bill?"

No wonder he ran a wine house—he knew how to talk!

As the saying goes, you don't hit a smiling face; besides, Qin Feng had made a fortune today and was in high spirits, so he fetched paper and ink, wrote a note, and handed it to Zhao Zhangfu: "Five thousand liang of silver—enough? Come to the Qin Residence anytime to claim it."

Zhao Zhangfu frowned at the IOU: "Young Master Qin, this IOU isn't invalid, but shouldn't you sign your name—or at least press your thumbprint?"

Hearing this, Qin Feng grew annoyed: "What, don't you trust me? I'm the son of the Minister of War—do you think I'd cheat you out of a few silver taels?"

Zhao Zhangfu nearly wept—I really don't trust you at all…

Before he could speak again, Qin Feng waved his hand, ignored him entirely, and walked off.

As for the IOU, Qin Feng smiled inwardly—you Zhao Zhangfu go to the Imperial Treasury and try to claim it; if you succeed, I'll admit defeat!

Back at the residence, Qin Feng headed straight for the Back Courtyard, which had transformed completely from its former tidy, elegant appearance.

The ground was piled high with crushed sugarcane pulp; dozens of laborers worked day and night pressing sugarcane juice.

Looking at the chaotic courtyard, Qin Feng smiled with satisfaction, then called Qin Xiaofu and asked softly: "These laborers work diligently—by this pace, sixty thousand jin of sugarcane will be pressed tonight. Where did you hire them from?"

Qin Xiaofu grinned, beaming with pride: "All hired from outside the City Gate."

Hearing "migrants," Qin Feng's heart jolted—he kicked Qin Xiaofu in the buttocks and hissed: "Migrants? Are you trying to make my last two days too easy by giving me trouble? The Jingdu regulations explicitly forbid outsiders from entering without permission—if the Jingzhao Yin finds out, he'll send men to investigate us!"

Qin Xiaofu rubbed his rear, his grin fading: "Master, don't panic—I've already alerted the Jingzhao Yin. No problem. Besides, these migrants are originally from our Jingdu region; their land was seized by landlords, leaving them homeless. They've been sleeping under the City Gate Tower for days, and the guards didn't even chase them away—definitely safe."

Hearing this explanation, Qin Feng finally exhaled.

The Great Liang Code forbids migrants from wandering freely; if caught, they're either sent back to their hometowns or exiled to military service.

Large-scale migration could not only devastate a region's economy and People's Livelihood, but even spark rebellion…

Qin Feng stood with his hands behind his back, inspecting progress and nodding in approval.

Qin Xiaofu trotted behind, whispering: "Master, these migrants don't need labor cost—just a meal will do. Hehehe, we're saving money again."

Qin Feng had been satisfied with Qin Xiaofu's efficiency—finding so many "skilled workers" in such a short time, working nonstop, wasn't easy.

But hearing he paid no labor cost, Qin Feng's face dropped—he raised his hand and gave Qin Xiaofu a sharp tap on the forehead.

"Are you cruel? They're working—why not pay them? We're in business; some costs you cut, others you absolutely don't."

"Remember this: we only take from the wealthy—if you even exploit the poor, heaven will strike you with thunder!"

"Alright, what's the daily wage for workers in Jingdu?"

Qin Xiaofu was used to Qin Feng's ways—being scolded and hit proved his status; if Qin Feng ever treated him politely, he'd be unnerved.

Qin Xiaofu covered his mouth, feigning pain as he answered: "Master, Jingdu wages are generally thirty percent higher than the provinces—unskilled laborers earn five cash per day; skilled ones earn ten to twenty cash."

Qin Feng felt these laborers deserved better—he thought a moment, then declared firmly: "They've worked hard to meet our deadline—pay them fifty cash per day each. Don't skimp on food or drink. When this job's done, settle wages immediately. If they want to leave, send them off; if they want to stay, rent a shed outside the city and house them. When idle, give them two cash daily for living expenses; when working, pay the full daily wage of twenty cash."

Hearing this, Qin Xiaofu hesitated, whispering: "Master, even some artisans don't get this treatment? These are just manual laborers—if…"

Before Qin Xiaofu finished, Qin Feng glared at him, irritable: "Counting small coins leads to big losses! I want everyone to know—working for the Qin Family means no one gets cheated! And you—you're always sucking up, now fatter than our own accountant. Have I spoiled you too much?"

At once, Qin Xiaofu's attitude flipped—he raised his thumb, praising Qin Feng as a rare, exemplary "Young Master," declaring his admiration flowed like an endless river.

The master and servant, singing in harmony, spoke loudly.

The laborers all heard it. The foreman, a rough forty-year-old man, dropped his tools, knelt, and banged his head on the ground several times, tears welling: "Young Master, we, the Nubi, are truly blessed by fate to meet a great benefactor like you. Rest assured—A Qin Family job is now our own. We'll never slack off."

Qin Feng smiled warmly, helped the foreman up, and patted his broad shoulder: "Work hard. When this job's done, have Qin Xiaofu buy pork—everyone eat your fill."

Hearing pork was coming, the workers' eyes turned red with excitement, and they worked even harder.

At that moment, Lin Quqi returned with a beaming smile: "Brother Qin, as you instructed, the Wuhu Da Jiu Lou will open officially tomorrow!"