Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1102 - 133: Purpose

Prior to Prince Dai's departure from the Northern Border, Prince Han journeyed specially from Youzhou to see him off, presenting a bounty of gifts. In the presence of the Northern Border's troops and officials, Prince Dai and Prince Han staged a heartfelt display of brotherly bond, fooling the masses into thinking their connection was rock-solid.

Chu Ying chose not to head back to the capital alongside Prince Dai; he remained stationed at the Northern Border. Along with the emperor's command summoning Prince Dai to the capital, Chu Ying received his own imperial edict, naming him Great General of the Northern Border Camp to keep defending against the Xiongnu.

Prince Han never foresaw the emperor keeping Chu Ying in place. By all logic, the emperor ought to have summoned him back to the capital too, now that General Deng had recovered fully.

Ever since Great Zhou's founding, General Deng had commanded the Northern Border Camp's forces in battles against the Xiongnu. The sudden order dispatching General Deng to the capital with Prince Dai while leaving Chu Ying behind left Prince Han utterly stunned.

For Prince Han and his faction, having Chu Ying linger at the Northern Border Camp spelled trouble.

The emperor commanded General Deng to return to the capital for rest and recovery. After over twenty years battling the Xiongnu at the Northern Border, General Deng merited a proper break in the capital. His son, originally set to be brought back for interrogation over poisoning his father, shockingly ended his life in guilt from the camp prison.

Be it real suicide or something sinister, plenty grasped the hidden truth.

Soldiers who plotted with General Deng's son weren't worthy of transport to the capital for questioning. Chu Ying had grilled them himself earlier, then sentenced them by the book.

These wayward soldiers faced exile to Lingnan, with Zhao Yao sending men expressly to collect them. Zhao Yao petitioned the emperor for their banishment to Lingnan. Some Xiongnu prisoners from the Northern Border Camp got shipped there too.

In these times, Zhao Yao snapped up people across the lands. He dispatched agents to spots in the Western Regions to buy hordes of slaves. Though Great Zhou outlawed slavery, places like the Western Regions, Xiongnu, and Annan still embraced it.

Across recent months, Zhao Yao acquired tens of thousands from those realms. This drew fresh backlash from capital officials, who blasted him for building private armies with treasonous designs, pressing the emperor for stern punishment.

Zhao Yao scoffed at the capital officials' charges, skipping any defense and letting them yap while he kept grabbing people everywhere.

Zhao Yao's influx of workers greatly relieved the Ministry of Industry's strain, wiping the anxious frown from its Chief of Staff. The second rice harvest came in too, drawing throngs of commoners to build up the Swamp Prefecture. Construction there surged ahead rapidly of late.

The common folk didn't labor on the Swamp Prefecture for nothing; the state handed out wages. Slim though they were, pay included meals and beds. Everyone jumped at the chance to join in.

Swamp Prefecture thrummed with energy lately, workers hustling busily all over. Best of all, smiles beamed on their faces instead of bleak despair. In the past, government work meant forced toil—no coin, barely enough food. Slack off, and whips fell. Countless commoners had perished under officials' lashes in Swamp Prefecture before.

Exiled convicts and purchased slaves earned wages too, meager as they might be. Naturally, they ate their fill each day, with meat on every plate.

Meat abounded in Swamp Prefecture, drawn entirely from sea fish. Daily, markets and stalls hawked all kinds of fish across the land.

Most fish sold dirt cheap, within reach for ordinary folk. Cheap seafood filled bellies, so Swamp Prefecture's people packed on visible pounds and glowed with robust health.

When Zhao Yao first set foot in Swamp Prefecture last year, locals sported sallow cheeks, withered frames, and bony husks, eyes dull and faces etched with utter hopelessness. Today, radiant smiles lit their features, hope sparkled in their gazes.

Noon had arrived by this point. Commoners, exiled convicts, and acquired slaves gathered in unity for their meal. The feast featured three dishes alongside a soup: two platters of meat, one vegetable serving, and a flavorful bowl of fish broth.

All of them huddled close, devouring their food while conversing lively. Language differences posed no barrier, as gestures bridged the gap to convey meanings clearly.

Post-meal, steaming hot tea flowed without end. As evening approached, hearty snacks were on offer. Naturally, these avoided dainty sweet pastries unfit for toiling workers. Evening provisions included steamed buns, meat-filled buns, or crispy pancakes. With nightfall, yet another bountiful dinner was served.