Chapter 104

Chongzhen Spacetime, by the Qinhuai River.

Lin Dao, dressed in late-Ming attire, appeared in the alley with a Tiger Cart beside him—the handcart from the Cang Ku.

He brought quite a lot of things, enough to require a cart to push.

Boxes and cases of all sizes, and an entire wrapped Standing Mirror.

He pushed the Tiger Cart out of the alley mouth.

"Master Wang didn't lie to me."

Staring around, everything he saw was a prosperity different from daytime.

"The Qinhuai River at night is truly the height of prosperity."

Qinhuai River water flowed amid the dimming lights.

Brilliant lights reflected on the river surface, stars dotting the water, as if the Galaxy hung upside down.

Flower Boats along the river and storefront Houses lining the street were hung with all kinds of Lamps.

There were traditional Lanterns, and rare Western Glass Lamps.

The latter were hung on the largest, loveliest, and brightest few Flower Boats.

Pedestrians thronged the street, sedan-chair bearers and servants with their masters waited before their masters' sedan chairs.

Horse-riding hawkers, pole-climbers, and ventriloquists all performed with vigor.

Ying Tian Fu Yamen Runners patrolled back and forth; beggars begging along the street hid in dark corners, eyeing solitary figures.

Passing vendors shouted loudly, hawking the food in their hands.

The air was filled with the aroma of candied hawthorns, plum blossom cakes, duck blood vermicelli soup, and other snacks.

Large and small Flower Boats on the river were all festooned with lanterns and hung with Red Silk, bright as daylight.

From open windows came Laughter and Joy and the aroma of wine and dishes.

Standing in the crowd, light flickered in Lin Dao's eyes.

"Who would believe this is the Great Ming, soon to perish?"

"The Northern Lands suffer natural disasters and human calamities, with military disasters one after another."

"How many people cannot survive, eating Earth to live?"

"Is this really the same Nation?"

Lin Dao sighed with Xi Shu.

If the financial, material, and human resources of the Southern Land could be used to support the disaster-stricken Northern Lands.

How could the Great Ming perish as a Nation and face extinction?

"The Nation may perish, but the people cannot face extinction!"

"Shaving Hair and Changing Clothes, slaughtering a hundred million!"

"I have come; I absolutely cannot give Wild Boar Skin this Opportunity!"

Lin Dao Calmed Breath, pushing the Tiger Cart toward the Meixiang Fang moored by the Riverbank.

This first-class large Flower Boat, moored by the Riverbank, looked like a House.

At this time sedan chairs and Horse Carts were moored by the boat, with many sedan-chair bearers, cart drivers, servants, and guards gathered.

Seeing Lin Dao approach, everyone's gaze turned toward him.

A squad of Ying Tian Fu Yamen Runners nearby, dressed in blue-black runner uniforms and wearing half-red half-black hats, Twitched their water-fire clubs, iron rulers, and Iron Chains in hand and stepped forward.

"Young Master Lin~~~"

The Madam of Meixiang Fang waited outside, and seeing Lin Dao she Greeted him enthusiastically: "You've finally come; all the masters and young masters are waiting for you."

The Yamen Runners Turned Around and left, and the people by the boat also looked away.

"Masters and young masters?"

Lin Dao said in Confusion: "Isn't it just Mr. Mu Zhai?"

The Madam raised a handkerchief to cover her Mouth and smiled: "All my thoughtless daughter's doing."

"Saying Young Master Lin came to Jinling to buy property and needs a grand show, inviting many friends to witness Young Master Lin's treasures."

Lin Dao '.'

What you say makes it easy for people to let their imaginations run wild~~~

Lin Dao pushed the Tiger Cart to the boat's side, untied the Rope securing the Goods, and handed over the items one by one.

Servants from the boat came forward to take them, sending them inside.

"Young Master, please~~~"

The old Madam also wanted to see Lin Dao make a fool of himself.

Today quite a few people, hearing that their own daughter had been embarrassed, wanted to come and regain face.

No matter how fine the treasure, they would find fault.

By then, they might not even be able to do business.

Just because Lin Dao ignored Dong Xiaowan, she wanted to vent her anger and cause trouble.

Kong. Muscular Man. Second Brother once said: Only women and petty people are hard to raise~~~

The Ancient People truly did not deceive me.

Walking in, what met his eyes was spaciousness.

The partition screens inside the Chuan Cang had all been removed, and the whole space instantly became large.

Lin Dao estimated the length at over thirty meters, width at over ten meters.

The Chuan Cang was very bright, with two rows of expensive Western Glass Lamps hung, and many Candles.

Lighting lamps and burning wax—burning money.

The extravagance here speaks for itself.

It truly lives up to its name as a den of pleasure.

The musicians stayed in the corner, their strings and flutes echoing through the beams.

A group of maidservants likewise stood by the side, waiting to be called forward to serve.

Inside, three tables of wine were set out in order.

Many men and women were already seated, chatting and laughing, extremely lively.

"Is Zihou here?"

Qian Qianyi on the main seat had a flushed face and a slightly trembling beard, clearly having drunk quite a lot.

Seeing Lin Dao enter, he smiled and called out, "You're a bit late."

Lin Dao smiled without speaking, stepping forward under the simultaneous gaze of everyone.

He carried absolute confidence about him.

So what if there are many people and they are of high status?

I'm still the Beggar Chief.

I've dealt with your kind plenty in Yonghe Spacetime.

"Brother Jizhi," Qian Qianyi turned his head to smile at an old man beside him, "this is the Lin Dao I mentioned before, Lin Zihou."

The old man's gaze swept over, carrying an inherent gloom.

This was a born Ruthless.

He held a wine cup, his gaze frivolous: "Do you have any official titles?"

Lin Dao shook his head: "None."

At several tables, light laughter arose simultaneously.

The old man's gaze grew more contemptuous: "I hear you've found the 'Qian Wheel'?"

"Take it out."

Lin Dao ignored him, stepping forward to the right side of Qian Qianyi.

He raised his hand and patted the shoulder of a young man sitting there.

As the young man looked up in confusion, Lin Dao calmly said, "Get up."

This person had laughed the loudest before.

The young man didn't understand and stood up instinctively.

Lin Dao pushed him aside and sat down at Qian Qianyi's right side himself.

Only then did everyone suddenly realize what this meant.

Snatching a seat.

The young man's face turned red instantly, his body trembling.

"Mr. Mu Zhai," Lin Dao looked directly at Qian Qianyi, "we are cooperating, each taking what we need."

"Putting on such a grand display today, are you trying to intimidate me?"

Qian Qianyi's face darkened.

Just as he was about to flare up, Lin Dao spoke: "It seems Mr. Mu Zhai doesn't want to return to the Court."

The old man to Qian Qianyi's left, who had been staring at Lin Dao for ignoring him, immediately turned to stare at Qian Qianyi upon hearing this.

"Brother Shou Zhi, what does this mean?"

Qian Qianyi was somewhat embarrassed.

He finally remembered that Lin Dao had said he could gain the opportunity of Xianfu by donating silver.

It was not a one-sided request for him to do things.

Seeing Qian Qianyi say nothing, the old man turned to Lin Dao: "Young friend Lin, I am Ruan Dacheng."

"What does returning to the Court mean?"

Ruan Dacheng, one of the many defectors of the late Ming.

He was once a key member of the Donglin Party, nicknamed "Unrestrained" in the "Donglin General Record."

But later, due to a struggle over official positions, he broke with the Donglin Party and defected to the Nine Thousand Years.

After the Nine Thousand Years fell from power, Ruan Dacheng also suffered misfortune and was dismissed as a member of the Eunuch Party.

After that, he always wanted to reconcile with the Donglin Party.

He had close dealings with Qian Qianyi, who was also dismissed.

Like Qian Qianyi, Ruan Dacheng was also an office-seeker, racking his brains to return to the Court.

Hearing Lin Dao's words at this moment was like a dog smelling... pfft! Like a bee finding flowers, he rushed up eagerly.

Lin Dao smiled without speaking, just looking at Qian Qianyi.

"Jizhi," the somewhat embarrassed Qian Qianyi turned his head and said softly, "Too many people and too many mouths; this matter can be discussed later."

Ruan Dacheng nodded and did not continue to press.

But it was very obvious that their spirit and energy were completely different from before.

"Cough~~~"

Qian Qianyi sat up straight, looking at the young man standing behind Lin Dao, ashamed and indignant: "Bianjiang, you sit down first."

The young man whose seat was snatched was very angry.

But Qian Qianyi's pretext was great enough, and his qualifications deep enough.

He had no choice but to find an empty seat and sit down.

A pair of not-large eyes stared fixedly at Lin Dao, wishing they could stab him to death with their gaze.

It's so embarrassing!

I've really lost my mind—how did I actually stand up!

Actually, there's nothing surprising about it.

Lin Dao fought on the battlefield for a long time, and the killing intent he unintentionally exuded deterred this kind of loud-mouthed male lead.

Dong Xiaowan, who had been sitting beside the young man, held up her round fan and looked at the person beside her who had changed, her gaze shifting unpredictably.

"Cough cough~~~"

Qian Qianyi coughed twice again and said with a smile, "Zihou, you said you have overseas curiosities and want to sell them in Jinling City."

"Most of those present today are famous scholars and beauties; if there really are fine items, we will naturally promote them for you."

"Thank you," Lin Dao smiled. "Since that's the case, then please appraise them, everyone."

He called out to the servants at the cabin door, "Bring the things in."

A group of servants carried boxes and chests inside.

Among them, the large standing mirror wrapped in packaging was the most eye-catching.

Everyone was curious what was inside.

The things were piled up not far behind Lin Dao.

He stood up, reached out, and took a box.

After opening it, he took out several makeup mirrors from inside and handed them to the people at the table.

Dong Xiaowan also received a box.

Looking at a box that seemed to contain rouge and powder, holding it in her hand felt neither wood nor metal, somewhat weird.

"Open it like this," Lin Dao beside her said, reaching out to signal how to open the makeup mirror.

Dong Xiaowan softly exclaimed, "This is, a European mirror~~~"

Glass is an important commodity exported by Europe to the Great Ming; mirrors, invented not many years ago, are also prioritized for supply to the Great Ming.

The Frankish machine people of Wanli Mirror sold some mirrors, which are very valuable.

Qian Qianyi has money and is willing to spend it, and is well-informed: "Larger mirrors sell for hundreds or thousands of taels."

He looked at Dong Xiaowan and said with a smile, "Your Madame likes this thing; I bought one for her as a gift."

"Zihou's mirror is brighter and more radiant than those of the Frankish machine people, can be called showing every hair and detail, truly a good thing."

Liu Rushi has already married into a wealthy family, so naturally she would not come to this kind of gathering on a flower boat.

Dong Xiaowan's fingers holding the makeup mirror had already turned slightly white.

Such a good thing, she really wanted it, truly loved it too much, loved it beyond measure.

Lin Dao stood up and opened the packaging of the standing mirror.

Looking at her figure, every hair and detail visible in the mirror, Dong Xiaowan with her cherry lips slightly parted trembled uncontrollably.

The makeup mirror in her hand also fell to the ground.

"I must get it!"

"I want this mirror!"

"Even if I have to comb my hair for it!"

End of Chapter