Chapter 100: Separation of Military and Civil Administration

One step, two steps, three steps.

Lin Dao slowly retreated, stepping into the alley behind him.

"Go back!"

The next moment, his figure appeared once more inside the warehouse.

"Huu~~~"

Surveying the various supplies all around, Lin Dao calmed his breath. "Being able to return is good enough."

Being able to return was his greatest confidence.

He quickly entered the duty room, took out the chain mail armor from the cabinet and put it on.

Holding a hammer in one hand and picking up the riot shield in the other, "Transmigration!"

This time he did not transmigrate directly; two green light halos floated up before his eyes.

The green light on the left was very deep in color, like the lush Great Grassland, green to the point of dazzling.

The other green light on the right was slightly lighter in color, similar to the extent where if a guy asks for WeChat you add him.

Lin Dao's heart stirred slightly, and he focused his attention on the deep green light halo.

The next moment, his figure appeared in the familiar Qin Palace.

Lin Dao coughed once. "Liu Hu?"

"Lord Lang?"

Liu Hu's inquiry came from outside the door. "What orders do you have?"

"A bit thirsty." Lin Dao calmed his breath. "Get some alcohol."

He set down the riot shield and sat on the couch with legs splayed.

"How could it turn out like this?"

"Last time I went back to the Modern World, it was before the Luo River Swimming Competition. How come this time, after going back and returning, it changed?"

"Was there any major event during this period that caused the change?"

Before long, Liu Hu personally brought two bottles of Snowflake beer.

Lin Dao opened one bottle and handed the other to Liu Hu. "These past few days, has any big event happened?"

"Lord Lang."

Liu Hu expertly opened the bottle. "If we speak of big events, there is only the Luo River Swimming Competition."

Lin Dao appeared thoughtful.

One bottle of wine finished, Liu Hu, like a man with nothing to do, wiped his mouth and went out to continue standing guard.

"Could it really be the River God manifesting?" Lin Dao again felt it impossible.

Opening a new world — that kind of ability, the River God probably couldn't manage; even Pangu showing up would be about the same.

"Is it because the various Hu were exterminated, or because the Sima Clan was made to fulfill their oath?"

"Judging from the timing, it should be because of the Luo River Swimming Competition, due to arranging for the Sima Clan to fulfill their oath."

"Speaking of which, opening a new spacetime is a good thing."

"Finances are always tight; one more spacetime means one more trade route."

Recalling what he had seen and heard during the brief time in the new spacetime before, Lin Dao set down the wine bottle and slapped his thigh. "Let's go take a look."

Not bringing the riot shield; the new spacetime's arrival location, the surrounding environment looked relatively peaceful.

He tucked the hammer into his waist and tightened the chain mail armor inside his clothes.

Lin Dao spoke with a calm expression. "Transmigration."

Not the slightest reaction.

"Go home!"

His figure flashed, and he appeared in the Modern World's warehouse duty room.

"Between different spacetimes, one cannot travel directly; one must use the Modern World as a transfer point."

"Transmigration!"

Sure enough, two green light halos appeared before his eyes once more.

"Arranged from left to right, the first one is Yonghe Spacetime, the second is the New Spacetime."

"As for the future, we'll see then if any other new spacetimes appear."

He chose the second, lighter green light halo.

The next moment, Lin Dao appeared inside the alley where he had left before.

One hand on his waist, he strode out of the alley mouth and arrived at the previous Linhai Street.

The river before him was not large, only several dozen paces wide.

Having stayed in the military for a long time, Lin Dao's first thought was: 'Only need a Seven-Dou Bow, I can shoot into the windows on the opposite bank.'

He carefully surveyed the various large and small boats moored at the riverbank.

The large ones were comparable to tower ships, fully three stories tall.

The boat sides were inlaid with carved railings, silk cloth lanterns hung all around; looking at them, the workmanship was exquisite, carved corridors and painted eaves.

'The boat is quite big, can hold three hundred soldiers.'

The slightly inferior medium-sized boats were basically all two stories.

In terms of structural layout, they were about the same as the large ships.

Lin Dao's feeling was: 'Can hold a hundred armored soldiers.'

As for the small boats, there wasn't that much fuss; similar to wupeng boats.

Lin Dao glanced once and paid them no further attention.

His gaze fell upon Linhai Street.

The street was paved with gravel, filled with sand and earth.

Occasionally, someone from the shops along the street would come out carrying a basin of water and sprinkle it on the street to avoid dust.

The buildings along the street were mostly alike, with white bricks, black tiles, and wooden facades.

The doors opened onto the road; Lin Dao looked over and saw that the building fronts all hung signboards and advertising cloths.

The advertising cloths had large characters for wine, gourds, copper coins, and so on.

These represented different trades.

Under the eaves of the various shops along the roadside, many small vendors were hawking their wares along the street.

They sold fish, birds, beasts, and fowl, dried mushrooms and bamboo shoots, melons, fruits, and vegetables, needles, thread, and brains, tiger-head shoes, rattling drums, wooden hairpins, copper jewelry, and so on.

The pedestrians on the street mostly wore cotton and linen clothing, which was rather loose.

Looking around, Lin Dao always felt as if he had forgotten something.

He raised his hand and slapped his thigh.

"My wine!"

Several cases of wine he had previously prepared to take to Yonghe Spacetime to bribe Liangzhou Great Horses were gone without a trace.

"Just like that, in a moment's time."

"Truly, the world's morals are declining day by day!"

Calming his breath, Lin Dao walked along the street, intending to find someone to ask where this was and what era it was now.

He had not walked a few steps when he saw an old man wearing a Confucian robe and a square flat cap, disembarking from a boat by the riverbank.

The old man's hair and beard were both white, and he walked somewhat unsteadily.

The middle-aged woman who saw him off wore a brocade silk skirt, her hair styled in a bun, and a string of pearl necklaces around her neck.

Though there were traces of age on her face, one could still tell that she had been a beauty in her youth.

"Master Wang, will you come again tonight~~~"

The old man straightened his back with effort and waved his hand, "Come, I will surely come."

The woman returned to the boat and slipped into the cabin.

That Master Wang walked for a while, then stopped and looked around.

Not seeing a familiar figure, he immediately cursed loudly, "Where the hell have those two or three little bastards gone?"

His attendant and servant boy, who should have been waiting here with the sedan bearers, were nowhere to be seen at this moment.

Lin Dao stepped forward, cupped his hands in salute, "Sir, greetings."

Master Wang, whose eyes were somewhat cloudy, subconsciously returned the salute, "Young sir, do we know each other?"

"First meeting," Lin Dao said with a smile, "I have a few words I would like to ask you."

"Oh." The old man surveyed Lin Dao, whose attire was somewhat strange, and said warily, "Speak."

"I have returned from overseas and have just arrived at this blessed place; seeing it so prosperous and lively, I am truly delighted."

"May I ask, where is this?"

Master Wang laughed heartily, "Now that the sun is high, it is precisely the most leisurely time."

"Only when night falls is this Qinhuai River truly prosperous and lively."

Upon hearing Qinhuai River, Lin Dao suddenly realized.

No wonder there were so many flower boats; it turned out to be the famous Qinhuai River.

He subconsciously glanced at the old man's hair.

No queue.

"I have traveled overseas for many years," Lin Dao asked again, "I do not know who the current emperor is."

Master Wang immediately showed displeasure and flicked his sleeve, "Judging by your appearance, you must be a Han family son."

"How is it that you do not even know the current Ming emperor?"

Lin Dao's smile did not diminish, "Please teach me."

"The Ming emperor's reign title is Chongzhen, and it has now been fifteen years."

Chongzhen Year 15, Jinling City, by the Qinhuai River.

"Thank you."

Lin Dao turned around and left.

He knew the time and place; now he wondered, "The green light sent me here, what does it mean?"

"Previously, in Yonghe Spacetime, after dealing with the Sima Clan and the high-ranking families, the green light opened a new door for me."

"So this time, coming to Chongzhen Spacetime, who am I supposed to deal with?"

He stopped his steps and gazed toward the Northern Regions.

"Li Chuang? The Chongzhen Emperor? Or Huang Taiji?"

The green light did not seem as simple as he thought.

Returning to the alley, Lin Dao set out to return to the Modern World.

He moved several cases of red wine and came to Yonghe Spacetime.

He greeted Liu Hu and the others to enter the Qin Palace, pointing to several cases of red wine and instructing, "These are to be sent to Wang Meng."

"Tell him to arrange for a Shishi to take them to Liangzhou and give them to Zhang Jun."

"Tell Zhang Jun that one must know the times when conducting oneself."

Liu Hu received the order and had people move the several cases of red wine away, sending them to Wang Meng's place.

Returning to the couch, he sat with legs crossed.

Lin Dao began organizing his thoughts.

"Ran Min is still sweeping the Grassland in the north; someone must be sent to tell him Gaogouli must be destroyed."

"Sun Dalang is sweeping the remnants of Eastern Jin in the south; a Shishi must be sent to make it clear to him that he must understand how to mobilize the commoners of every Province and County."

"Use Land Distribution as bait to have the commoners clear out the remnants of the High-ranking Families; they are the main force."

"Qin Lang is holding Jingzhou and cannot move; it depends on Zhang Jun of Liangzhou whether he is sensible."

"If he is sensible, he will mobilize Liangzhou's troops and horses to Jingzhou, first destroy the Qiang, then destroy Huan Wen."

"If Zhang Jun is not sensible, then Li Nong of Guanzhong will Send Troops northward to attack Liangzhou first!"

Having organized his thoughts, Lin Dao rose, spread paper, ground ink, and began writing orders.

Letters to Ran Min, Sun Dalang, Qin Lang, Li Nong, and others were all written by Lin Dao himself.

In military affairs, Lin Dao had always managed them himself.

Wang Meng was also very sensible, never reaching into military affairs.

Separation of military and civil administration was necessary; otherwise, if a certain minister grasped both military and civil power, it would easily produce another Cao Cao or Sima Yi.

Although there was Zhuge Liang, a thousand years have passed; how many Zhuge Liangs could there be?

"This handwriting is truly ugly."

After finishing the letters, Lin Dao was very dissatisfied with his own brush calligraphy.

"Xie Daoyun and the others must be brought over as soon as possible; without them by my side, daily life is inconvenient."

Blotting the ink dry, Lin Dao picked up the Heirloom Jade Seal and stamped it directly on several letters.

This great treasure, he carried it by his side even when marching and fighting.

The sound of Jade striking the paper and the desk, no matter how many times heard, always felt pleasant to the ear.

Arranging for the Bodyguards to send the letters out, Lin Dao returned to the Modern World to place orders and receive supplies.

The army's scale continued to expand; he needed more Stamping Plate Armor, more Wu Feng Gang Guan Chang Qiang, more Military Supply.

After being busy for several days straight, that morning Lin Dao came as usual to Yonghe Spacetime to clock in and show his face, only to find Xie Daoyun and the others already waiting outside.

"Master~~~"

Not having seen each other for some time, Xie Daoyun and the others happily stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Good, good." Lin Dao smiled and Greeted, "Come in quickly."

"Now that you're here, things will be much easier for me."

"I plan to relocate the capital to Luoyang."

"Sun Rong, you continue to manage the accounts; all income and expenditure must be clear."

"Jin Lian, the Imperial Palace here is entrusted to you; you must also continue to supervise the work of the military medical facility and train more medical personnel."

"As for you."

Lin Dao looked at Xie Daoyun, picked up the Yushi beside him, and pressed it into her hand.

"From now on, all writing and painting will be done by you as Ghostwriter."

End of Chapter