Getting Stronger by Paying Wages in Zhenguan Era

Cheng Chuliang, second son of the famed general Cheng Yaojin, is known as one of Chang'an's most notorious wastrels. On the very day of his transmigration into the Tang Dynasty, his father gives him a lashing and exiles him to a barren fiefdom. But Chuliang has a system: the more workers he hires, the greater his rewards. His plan is simple—farm peacefully, sell spiced meat, and live as a happy landowner. Yet things never go as expected. He builds a road for easier transport—Li Jing praises it as a strategic military route serving the nation. He raises poultry to expand trade routes—Li Shimin interprets it as foresight against a locust plague. He takes in refugees to scale up operations—Kong Yingda hails it as great chivalry and compassion for the people. He distills strong liquor and floods the steppe with it—the court calls it an unprecedented economic warfare tactic. Cheng Chuliang can only stare in bewilderment: all he wanted was to slack off—why must everyone read so much into his actions? Before he knows it, he has become the "unfathomable" hidden pillar of the Tang Empire, while the emperor and his ministers spiral into ever more elaborate theories: "Surely Young Cheng's every move conceals a grand strategy!" Meanwhile, Chuliang just keeps putting up signs: "Hiring now—daily wage 100 cash, meals and lodging included!"