Chapter 101: Traveling Through Spacetime, Without Some Knowledge Reserves, One Might Embarrass Oneself at Any Moment

"My lord."

Wang Meng came to report his work: "Guanzhong is initially pacified, and the news has spread everywhere."

"I hear my lord is distributing land, and many wild people have come running out of the Qinling Mountains to return."

"It is said there are nearly ten thousand of them."

"These wild people have no means for food, clothing, shelter, or travel; I beg my lord to provide a batch of supplies for relief."

Lin Dao heard this and couldn't help but ask, "What about the inventory? Don't tell me the inventory supplies are all used up."

"The inventory supplies all have their uses and cannot be lightly moved."

Wang Meng looked somewhat worried: "Not only the Qinling Mountains."

"Now that the world is pacified, many wild people are returning one after another from mountains, forests, lakes, and even islands everywhere."

"The number is far more than imagined."

"As for distributing land, there are plenty of ownerless fields; if all else fails, we can reclaim wasteland."

"But before the fields are harvested, the expenses of supporting these wild people keep increasing."

"Now the inventory is running a deficit; I beg my lord to provide strong assistance."

When the world was in chaos, many people fled into mountains, forests, lakes, and islands.

When the world was pacified, they would gradually come out.

Especially since Lin Dao specially sent people to various places to announce land distribution, causing the fleeing wild people to emerge on a large scale.

Before the first grain harvest, their expenses need to be provided by the Beggar Army.

If it were someone else, like Shi Hu, he would probably kill the wild people for amusement.

If it were high-ranking families, they would select some to serve as serfs for their manors everywhere, and the rest would either be killed or driven away, left to fend for themselves.

The only one willing to support these wild people is Lin Dao.

The population of the world has already been slaughtered too much; every remaining person is very precious.

Lin Dao was still thinking of using a population war to occupy the whole world.

These people, he must raise them.

"Sigh~~~"

Lin Dao closed his eyes and leaned back: "Landlord families have no surplus grain either~~~"

Supplies from the Modern World also cost money to buy.

When there were few people, it was still manageable.

But now it is calculated in units of ten thousand at every turn.

One person eats one jin of feed a day; ten thousand people would eat ten thousand jin in a day.

And those eating this beggar commander's large pot meals at this moment number no less than a million.

This expense is really too great.

The precious metals, pearls, medicinal herbs, and such that were obtained.

Although some money was made from selling them, it is far from enough to support several million people.

"My lord."

Wang Meng took the initiative to mention: "If Liangzhou submits, envoys can be sent to the Western Regions to reopen the Silk Road."

Under years of natural disasters and human calamities in the Yonghe Spacetime, commercial trade economy had already collapsed.

Without trade routes, it is not easy for Lin Dao to obtain some good things.

"Hmm~~~"

Wang Meng's words enlightened Lin Dao.

He can now go to the second spacetime.

In the Chongzhen Spacetime, the commercial trade economy in Jiangnan is very developed.

Those local gentry are richer than one another; this is a new path.

"I know about this matter."

Lin Dao's expression was calm: "You first try your best to raise funds; I will try my best to obtain things as soon as possible."

After Wang Meng left, Lin Dao instructed Xie Daoyun and others: "Tonight you sleep by yourselves; I am going into seclusion."

When a beggar commander goes into seclusion, he usually doesn't see anyone for several days.

Xie Daoyun and the others have experienced this many times and are long used to it.

"My lord."

Jin Lian, who manages the Imperial Palace, spoke softly: "Princess An Ding and the others have arrived; how should they be arranged?"

Compared to those world-class lechers like Shi Hu who conscript all young women in the country to fill the palace, Lin Dao can absolutely be considered a moral model in terms of beauty.

As a beggar commander who basically unified the world, the beauties around him can be counted on one hand.

You should know that even ordinary disciples of high-ranking families basically have women around them starting from double digits.

This doesn't even count the serving maids or songstresses treated as gifts.

Besides the three women by his side, namely Princess An Ding and Zheng Yingtao.

These two are both Shi Hu's empresses.

"You arrange it."

Lin Dao waved his hand: "You manage the palace; you don't need to ask me about such small matters."

Chongzhen Spacetime, a lane by the Qinhuai River.

Lin Dao, changed into Ming Dynasty clothing, walked out of the lane entrance.

The scene before his eyes was not much different from when he came here some days ago.

It was still a scene of romance and revelry, bustling and lively.

Unfortunately, in a few more years the Wild Boar Skins will march south, and everything here will become the Wild Boar Skins' war spoils.

"Never mind." Lin Dao's gaze swept over the shops lining the street. "First, attend to my own business."

"Jinling City, the place where Great Ming's wealth is most concentrated."

"Harvest a wave of wealth first, then we'll see."

Along the street, after walking a few steps there was a cloth shop; he straightforwardly walked inside.

Seeing him enter, the shop assistant hurried forward to greet him. "Sir, are you looking to buy cloth?"

The shop assistant was very enthusiastic. "Our shop sells Songjiang Fine Cotton Cloth, all newly arrived goods from this year."

"There are also various silk brocades, and we can accept printing and dyeing orders."

Lin Dao surveyed the various samples in the shop, nodding slightly.

"Your shop's cloth is truly not bad." He said with a smile. "Do you buy cloth?"

"Sir, you sell cloth?"

The shop assistant appeared slightly disappointed. "Sir, please wait a moment; purchasing cloth requires the shopkeeper to discuss."

Before long, a shopkeeper sporting a goatee came out.

"May I ask, sir, do you have a travel permit?"

"Ah?" Lin Dao was surprised. "Travel permit?"

Seeing this reaction, the shopkeeper knew he was a novice; his gaze also carried a few hints of amusement. "A travel permit issued by the yamen."

"Without a travel permit, our shop cannot easily accept goods."

"I see." Lin Dao nodded, expressing understanding.

He turned to inquire. "May I ask for guidance."

Seeing his imposing bearing and proper attire, not like a common person, the shopkeeper invited him to sit down and also called the shop assistant to serve tea.

In Yonghe Spacetime, Lin Dao usually sat cross-legged.

Now switching to sitting on a chair, he also felt some emotion in his heart.

'Crossing time and space, without a bit of knowledge reserve, who knows when one might make a fool of oneself.'

The shop assistant served tea; he sipped a mouthful to get past the opening, only then getting down to business.

"I wonder, sir, how should I address you?"

Facing the inquiry, Lin Dao calmed his breath and brought out his prepared lines.

"My surname is Lin, given name Dao, courtesy name Zi Hou; I mainly do maritime trade business."

The shopkeeper's expression changed; he lowered his voice. "Sea Lord?"

The so-called Sea Lord originally refers to pirates.

Similar to bandits who gather in the mountains and forests, called Mountain Lords.

"Don't misunderstand." Lin Dao waved his hand with a smile. "I am a law-abiding citizen."

Observing Lin Dao's complexion, he also did not look like someone who sails the seas year-round.

The shopkeeper set his mind at ease. "I wonder, Young Master Lin, are you a traveling merchant or a resident merchant?"

"May I ask for guidance." Lin Dao cupped his fists. "What is the difference?"

"If a traveling merchant, one must have a travel permit issued by the yamen, pay taxes according to goods, and only then can we accept goods."

The shopkeeper wore a gentle smile. "If a resident merchant, it means we open a shop to sell goods; one needs a guild badge and must join a guild."

"Whatever business you do, you join that guild."

"If selling cloth, naturally it is the Cloth Guild."

"If selling grain, then the Grain Guild."

"Once in a guild, one must abide by the guild's rules."

"Cannot arbitrarily sell at low prices, disturbing market prices."

"Nor can one casually open a shop; must open where there are no competitors."

The shopkeeper drank a mouthful of tea. "Of course, joining a guild also has benefits."

"When goods cannot turn over, peers can also adjust among themselves."

"If business encounters trouble, the guild will also step in to mediate."

Lin Dao smiled.

This perhaps is the difference between a chaotic era and a commercially prosperous zone.

Doing business in a chaotic era, however you want to do it is casual, and almost no one comes to collect taxes.

But doing business in a prosperous place, all kinds of rules come.

The official government wants to collect taxes, peers want to set rules, local hoodlums and rascals want to collect protection fees, even beggars come to the door demanding celebration money.

"I have learned."

Lin Dao stood and cupped his fists. "Many thanks."

Exiting the cloth shop, Lin Dao looked at the myriad various shops on the street.

Indeed, there are no two shops of the same trade opened.

"Don't be impatient, take it slow."

He walked leisurely along the riverside road. "This is not Yonghe Spacetime; I don't have several hundred thousand Beggar Troops backing me here."

"Don't be stubborn and force it; understand the situation in detail first."

"A resident merchant opening a shop is also constrained by guild rules; that is more troublesome."

"As for a traveling merchant, selling goods to shops, without identity background, one will inevitably suffer a loss."

"Looks like doing business in Jinling City isn't as simple as I thought."

Lin Dao still understood how to open a shop.

Once a shop was opened, all sorts of people would come knocking.

If he couldn't handle them properly, he'd have to bleed heavily before the business even opened.

Moreover, Jinling City was so prosperous that every trade existed, and under the suppression of the Yahang, business couldn't grow large.

Simply selling goods seemed simple and convenient, but the problem was he had no background connections.

In the Modern World, factories shipping goods couldn't possibly settle payment immediately, let alone in the Chongzhen Spacetime.

Lin Dao had no background connections; once the goods were sold, others might refuse to settle payment, or even maliciously default on the debt—what then?

Hundreds of thousands of refugee soldiers wouldn't come over to help him collect debts by force~~~

Things like in novels, where taking out rare items such as glass would have countless people waving silver notes to fight over them, leading to overnight riches—such things didn't exist in reality.

The greater possibility was that local strongmen would use various means to swallow both him and his goods!

Lin Dao had previously looked up information on the late Ming Dynasty.

He knew not to overestimate the moral standards of officials and local gentry merchants in this era.

One could even say that the vast majority of these people had no morality at all.

If Lin Dao brought out rare items, it would inevitably draw countless covetous gazes.

What to do then—throw Molotov Cocktails, or drive a Hook Machine to demolish Jinling City?

"Truly troublesome."

"I really wish to raise a great army." Lin Dao walked with his head lowered, muttering softly, "Doing business by clearing the way with swords and spears."

"Whoever dares to owe money and not pay, immediately collect the debt by force."

A hand reached over and pushed toward Lin Dao's shoulder.

Lin Dao's reflexes, honed over a long time in the army, quickly seized the hand, twisted and flicked it, and the next moment he was about to snap it directly!

"Wait!"

A shout made Lin Dao stop his movement.

Only then did Lin Dao realize that, while walking and thinking, he had blocked someone's sedan chair.

The servant whose arm was being twisted screamed incessantly.

The person inside the sedan chair stepped out, looking at Lin Dao with a slight frown: "Speak properly if you have something to say, don't resort to violence."

Lin Dao couldn't be bothered to argue; it was your servant who struck first.

Casually pushing the servant aside, Lin Dao looked at the newcomer: "Who are you?"

"I am Qin Huai."

End of Chapter