Chapter 1382

But if Duan Yu were to win in the future, then apart from Yuan Shao's branch, there would basically be no possibility of the Yuan clan surviving.

That was why he had let Yuan Ji go to Jizhou.

Besides seeing Yuan Shao's reaction, he also had the intention of letting Yuan Ji stay in Jizhou to assist Yuan Shao.

In this way, if Duan Yu won in the future, perhaps out of consideration for Yuan Shao's friendship, and because Yuan Ji hadn't participated much in the struggle against Duan Yu, this branch of the Yuan clan's direct line could be preserved.

Of course, as a sacrifice, Yuan Ji would need to assist Yuan Shao; this was a difference in status that Yuan Ji would need to accept.

As the next generation's clan leader, Yuan Ji had always been the object of the Yuan clan's wholehearted cultivation.

At Yuan Ji's age, he had already been ranked among the Nine Ministers several years ago, and his future as one of the Three Ducal Ministers was already a certainty.

While Yuan Shao had previously been at most a Magistrate of Puyang, far inferior to Yuan Shu's Tiger-Brave Commander.

"Sigh..."

Yuan Kui sighed.

Brothers fighting within the family was not uncommon; the struggle between brothers in noble clans was no less than the struggle between imperial princes in royal families, and was even more cruel.

Because cultivating outstanding clan descendants was itself like raising poisonous insects.

If Yuan Ji had shown resistance or any other emotions from the beginning, he would have been on guard.

But Yuan Ji hadn't shown any extreme or dissatisfied behavior.

Who would have thought...

This had ended up burying Yuan Shao.

Of course, not only Yuan Shao, but it also buried the last link between the Yuan clan and Duan Yu.

"Gongdao... I hope you can win. If you don't win, then if there really comes a day when Duan Yu is victorious, the Yuan clan..."

Yuan Kui shook his head and sighed.

If that day really came, the Yuan clan would be in grave danger.

November.

Snow fell in Chang'an.

At that time, the inside and outside of Chang'an City were covered in silver.

But inside and outside the city, it was still bustling.

The construction work on Chang'an City was still ongoing.

Countless corvée laborers walked into Chang'an City early in the morning to begin repair work on the city walls and buildings inside the city.

The laborers coming and going all had smiles on their faces.

For no other reason than that the corvée laborers recruited for the repair of Chang'an City were paid daily wages.

Last year, there was a great drought in Guanzhong; not to mention a total crop failure, but the few acres of thin fields in the hands of the commoners, after the exorbitant taxes and levies, were not enough for a family's food supply.

Besides food, they also had to save seeds for the coming year.

If there were no seeds, they would have to borrow from the powerful clans the following year, and what was borrowed had to be repaid.

But after repaying, it was another year of working in vain. In the long run, as long as there was the slightest accident, they would face the whole family starving, or even selling the only remaining fields to become tenant farmers for the powerful clans.

But ever since the Emperor ascended the throne in Chang'an, and ever since the King of Liang, Duan Yu, arrived, everything had changed.

The King of Liang, Duan Yu, said that next year he would distribute seeds to all the commoners in Guanzhong who had land, and they would be free, high-yield seeds.

Besides that, he would also rent out farm tools, plow oxen, and so on.

More importantly, there were daily wages for building and repairing Chang'an, as well as a free lunch.

The lunch wasn't thin porridge; it was filling, and from time to time, there was minced meat and flatbread.

They had enough to eat themselves, and the wages they earned could supplement their household expenses.

Naturally, everyone was willing to do such a good thing.

At first, the commoners of Chang'an didn't believe in such a good thing, and many people were still watching from the sidelines.

But as some people received their wages—and they were full wages without a single bit deducted—it completely ignited the enthusiasm of the commoners in Chang'an.

In addition to the repair of Chang'an City, the Jianzhang Palace, which had been burned down by the new dynasty outside Chang'an City, also began to be rebuilt.

Of course, it was no longer called Jianzhang Palace, but was renamed the King of Liang's Mansion.

A few miles outside the Zhicheng Gate and the Zhangcheng Gate to the west was the newly built King of Liang's Mansion.

The newly built King of Liang's Mansion enclosed the entire Taiye Pond within it.

After a month of construction, the general outline and prototype could already be seen.

And the Jihou Mansion in the city also had the plaque of the King of Liang's Mansion hung up. ===== CHAPTER 1384 =====