Chapter 117: Borrowing a Hen to Lay Eggs

Jinling City, Imperial Palace.

"I have long heard that Lord Han enjoys fine food."

Lin Dao pushed the sandalwood delicacy box before him toward Han Zanzhou. "Lin has prepared a delicacy here, and asks Lord Han to sample it."

Sitting opposite him, the Jinling Guard Commander, Eunuch Han Zanzhou, wore an expression as still as an ancient well.

People who used this trick to give him gifts were a dime a dozen.

To him, it was already nothing out of the ordinary.

He unhurriedly reached out and opened the box before him.

Hiss~~~

Han Zanzhou, who always prided himself on being unperturbed by honor or disgrace, saw the contents of the box and instantly changed color.

"Th-this~"

Inside the box were thirty-six perfectly round, dazzling purple pearls!

Purple is the color of nobility; the Imperial Palace is even called the Forbidden City.

Purple pearls have always been exceedingly rare.

Ordinarily, finding even one is no easy matter, let alone thirty-six.

And they are so large and perfectly round, their sizes nearly identical.

Their luster is even more brilliant, a gorgeous purple that makes one unable to look away.

Even though he was used to seeing rare treasures, Han Zanzhou could not help but let his eyes shine with greed.

This gift is simply priceless~~~

"Lord Han."

Lin Dao asked with a composed smile, "Is it satisfactory?"

He wasn't very good at gift-giving; he had chosen a box of gifts worth a thousand yuan, and didn't know if the Guard Commander would think much of it.

"Good, good, good~~~"

The vast majority of eunuchs are greedy and lustful types.

Especially greedy — the vast majority of eunuchs are the kind of existence who would stop at nothing for wealth.

Seeing such a treasure, Han Zanzhou's eyeballs practically turned purple.

He examined it carefully for a good while, then carefully closed the box, pressing both hands on the lid.

"You're Lin Zihou, right?"

Han Zanzhou beamed. "Do you hold any official degree?"

Lin Dao at this moment wanted to laugh but couldn't.

Back when he was in Yonghe Spacetime, people constantly asked what family background he came from.

Arriving in Chongzhen Spacetime, they started asking if he held any official degree.

Without a doubt, they were asking about the most sought-after identity in this spacetime, just like... cough cough~

"Lord Han."

Lin Dao didn't waste words and cut to the chase. "Lin has come this time to ask a favor."

Han Zanzhou showed not a ripple of reaction.

Sending such a precious gift — he was definitely here to ask something.

Now it just depended on what the matter was.

As long as it was doable, for the sake of this box of pearls, he would agree.

"Lin wishes to seek an assignment from Lord Han."

Hearing this, Han Zanzhou finally frowned. "You have no official degree; it's difficult for our family to arrange, and it's not a palace assignment."

"If it were a palace assignment, arranging a Minor Supervisor post for you would be fine."

"How about this: you go buy a Guozijian student status first."

"Our family here can then help operate a thing or two, and when the time comes arrange you into Ying Tian Fu."

"Lord Han misunderstands." Lin Dao fingered his tea bowl. "Lin seeks an assignment, not an official post."

Han Zanzhou looked slightly puzzled. "Please elaborate."

"Before Lord Han, I naturally hold nothing back."

Lin Dao's expression was calm. "I wish to do a major business venture with Lord Han."

"Organize and train the Jinling Yongwei Camp."

The Yongwei Camp was originally an elite guard unit selected from the Tengxiang Left and Right Guards and Wuxiang Left and Right Guards under the Imperial Horse Supervisor.

It is an army commanded by eunuchs, and the only military force the Chongzhen Emperor can truly fully command.

Because supplies are ample, the six thousand Yongwei Camp troops are the only ones among the so-called two hundred thousand Capital Camp troops who can actually fight.

Hearing this, Han Zanzhou instantly knitted his brows deeply.

This kid comes straight for military command — this

"The tax grain from all Jiangnan Provinces is sent to Jinling City." Lin Dao seemed not to notice Han Zanzhou's change of expression and continued on his own. "These riches are still nominally the Imperial Court's."

"If we can obtain an imperial edict to organize the Yongwei Camp, then we can legitimately mobilize this tax grain."

Hearing this, Han Zanzhou's expression gradually eased.

"Find some desolate land, casually build a few camps to serve as military camps."

"As for manpower." Lin Dao added, "There are so many refugees outside the city — just enroll them all into the Yongwei Camp."

Han Zanzhou's face revealed a satisfied smile.

He understood Lin Dao's meaning.

Under the pretext of drilling the Jinling Yongwei Camp, he would openly and legitimately mobilize the tax revenue stored in Jinling City.

Moreover, the Yongwei Camp was an Inner Court military force; those civil officials, military officers, and even the meritorious nobles had no qualifications to interfere.

When the time came, he would find some refugees to fill the ranks, and that military funding would go straight into his own pocket.

His previous wariness toward Lin Dao vanished instantly without a trace.

"Zihou~"

Han Zanzhou praised repeatedly, "What kind of shop are you opening? That could only earn a few coins."

"Doing it this way, scheming for the court's tax revenue — that is the real big business~~~"

He truly admired him; this man was truly a great talent.

His audacity was immense!

As for any disloyal intentions, a group of refugees nearly collapsing on the road — what use would gathering them be?

Han Zanzhou's hands finally left the delicacy box.

He first picked up the tea bowl and took a sip.

Following that, he spoke gently, "There are two matters now."

"First matter: how to make the Emperor agree to drilling the Yongwei Camp in the Southern Capital."

"Second matter: how to make all the grandees in Jinling City shut their mouths."

Although at this time the Chongzhen Emperor's imperial edict, once it left the Capital, would gradually lose its effectiveness as the distance increased.

But with the imperial edict, he could legitimately mobilize the tax revenues of the Jiangnan Provinces.

So he still needed the Emperor's authority to conduct affairs.

"This matter is not difficult."

Lin Dao had long prepared a countermeasure: "On the Emperor's side, send a batch of treasures over, and have the worthies in the Imperial Palace speak a few good words — that will suffice."

"The worthies naturally have their own rhetoric before the Emperor."

"As for the grandees within Jinling City."

He lowered his voice: "This matter — one cannot eat alone."

Not wanting others to expose it, with all kinds of dragging feet and sabotage, he had to pull all the big shots in to eat the pie together.

Everyone eating the pie, naturally there would be peace under heaven.

"You go first to the Guozijian and donate for a Jiansheng status." Han Zanzhou was greatly satisfied. "Our family appoints you as Jiao Lian of the Jinling Yongwei Camp, with full authority to handle this matter."

If it succeeds, best of all — he himself could make a huge profit.

If it fails, it doesn't matter either — the benefits have already been collected.

Lin Dao was smiling, smiling seriously.

Seizing military authority, controlling the troops, capturing Jinling City.

When that time comes, however much you have eaten, you will have to spit it all back out, and with your entire family fortunes and lives as interest.

Previously, outside the city at the porridge factory, he had wanted to find some refugees to build a team.

But those tens of thousands of people, all crazed as if mad, begging Lin Dao to accept their whole families as slaves — that scene truly caused chaos.

For Lin Dao, of course he could raise them all.

But outside Jinling City was not a chaotic-era land.

The Great Ming Court's defenses in all aspects were extremely harsh.

Raising tens of thousands of people?

Marquis Xincheng's manor would immediately, with great relish, take the lead in swallowing up all of Lin Dao's businesses.

Seeking help from omnipotent netizens, an expert actually gave him this idea — borrowing a hen to hatch eggs.

Looking at it now, the expert truly is an expert — brilliant, truly brilliant~

Lin Dao forged a complete set of identity documents.

His registered ancestral home had been massacred clean when the bandit army captured Zhongdu.

Through the donation route, he smoothly entered the Jinling City Guozijian and became a Jiansheng.

After finishing the matter and receiving the Jiansheng identity document, when he came out of the Guozijian.

Lin Dao caught his breath: "If I had come two years later, I would have been Zheng Sen's classmate."

This day, he came to the Yonghe Spacetime to check in.

Wang Meng and the others, however, had already been waiting for a long time.

"Zhang Liangzhou is dead."

The Former Liang ruler Zhang Jun, gravely ill, finally passed away.

Previously Lin Dao had recruited Liangzhou to surrender, but Zhang Jun, loyal to the Eastern Jin Court, had sternly refused.

He had also taken in numerous tribes including Fu Hong's Di forces, posturing to fight Lin Dao to the death.

Lin Dao originally planned to have Li Nong, stationed in Guanzhong, send troops to attack Former Liang.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Jun actually died.

"Good thing."

Lin Dao nodded: "Liangzhou newly bereaved, people's hearts unstable — precisely a good opportunity to send troops."

Wang Meng here, however, wore a face full of delight: "Langzhu, after Liangzhou Crown Prince Zhang Zhonghua succeeded, he took advantage of the funeral to fire-clash the Di People and other tribes, and sent envoys to request surrender!"

Hearing this, Lin Dao was stunned.

The father firmly resisted, the son surrenders immediately upon taking over?

Is the gap in personality and decisiveness between father and son really that large?

He somewhat suspected it was a delaying tactic: "Really?"

"Really."

Wang Meng spoke again: "The heads of more than a thousand leaders, chieftains, and nobles of Fu Hong and other tribes have all been verified."

"They truly want to surrender."

Liangzhou is a mix of Hu and Han; a large-scale massacre of the Hu would inevitably lead to a great loss of strength.

If this is a ploy of suspicious troops, the losses would be too great.

Lin Dao pondered for a moment: "Then order Zhang Zuohua to send all the heads of every Hu within his territory here for verification."

"As for him personally, Liangzhou is unstable, so he needs to hold the fort."

"Order him to arrange trusted generals to lead half of the Liangzhou troops south to Jingzhou."

Liangzhou is very important.

Recovering the Western Regions secures the throat leading to Central Asia and India.

Since they are willing to surrender, Lin Dao is also willing to give them a chance.

"Li Nong can enter Shu now."

"Tell Li Nong that there are no Hu captives in Shu."

"As for Huan Wen's side, send troops before the autumn harvest."

The Yonghe era is gradually entering a period of stability.

People everywhere are dividing land and fields, busily tending to their own small homes.

After recovering Shu, Jingzhou, Lingnan, Jiaozhi, and other places, they will continuously expand outward based on the rate of population growth.

First, fill up all existing lands.

Once the population recovers, they will seize more living space outward.

Anyway, new Hu captives will always spawn on the borders.

Fight and fight, and the land will be gained.

After discussing major matters, Wang Meng then mentioned a small matter.

"The people Lord ordered, such as Wang Xizhi, have all been found."

"They were previously hiding in deep mountains and old forests, building thatched huts and surviving through farming, fishing, and hunting."

"Many did not know how to farm to survive and starved for a long time; after taking Wu Shi San, their bodies rotted, and they died in agony."

The Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion is definitely gone.

Wang Xizhi and the others committed no great crimes.

But during their unrestrained night feasts and daytime revelry, countless commoners in coarse clothes were wailing over their miserable lives.

Beneath the gorgeous robes of the great clans, countless commoners in coarse clothes hunched their bodies, spinning their blood and sweat into threads.

These young masters of the great clans may not be evil in themselves.

But what they enjoy is all the blood and tears of the commoners in coarse clothes.

Lin Dao thought for a moment: "Let's do this: keep the women, give each of them two hundred jin of fodder, and send them back to the deep mountains and old forests."

"From now on, they are not allowed to leave the mountains."

(End of chapter)