Chapter 242: Aid Means No Money, Business Means Making Money!

Liyang, Li Shimin's marching command tent.

"Brother Zi Hou."

Li Erfeng, his face full of joy, enthusiastically stepped forward to greet him: "Since you left, I have missed you day and night, hating that I cannot immediately fly back to Chang'an City to find you."

Not a shred of shyness, bashfulness, or embarrassment.

When he spoke these words, Li Erfeng's expression was sincere and natural; at a glance it was entirely genuine emotion revealed.

So it is said, being the boss is not something just anyone can do.

This posture of winning hearts, many people would even crack up laughing while describing it.

Without changing expression, Lin Dao moved his hand to the side, signaling: "Sit down and talk."

The two sat down; the civil and military officials of the Prince of Qin's Mansion all stood erect on both sides.

Lin Dao spoke directly: "Ying Zheng imprisoned his mother and killed his brothers; what do you think of him as a person?"

"The Ancestral Dragon swept across the Eight Wastelands and unified the Six Harmonies; he is a heroic ruler who orders heaven and maps the earth."

Lin Dao asked again: "Emperor Wu of Han killed his son and imprisoned his grandson, cast off the mother and kept the son; what do you think of him as a person?"

"Emperor Wu of Han eliminated external threats, pacified the frontiers, expanded the realm by ten thousand li, enfeoffed the vassal kings, stabilized the altars of soil and grain, brought the four seas under one heaven; he is also a heroic ruler. A monarch's private virtue, before his glorious martial achievements, is not worth mentioning."

Lin Dao continued: "As the Son of Heaven, what should one take as the foundation?"

"One must naturally take the people as the foundation!"

Li Erfeng glanced sideways without changing expression at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were signaling him with their eyes.

"The people are the foundation of the world."

"With the people as the foundation, the realm is settled by heaven."

During the days Lin Dao was gone, the Prince of Qin's Mansion think tank had been seriously analyzing Lin Dao.

His every word and deed had been carefully kneaded open and weighed.

The conclusion they finally reached was that this man was selecting a wise ruler for the world.

His tone was truly grand, and the things he did were also wild.

But he truly has this ability!

Fang Xuanling's exact words were: 'The core Lin Dao values is: esteem the commoners, slight the scholars!'

All responses, revolving around this core, are guaranteed to be correct.

"How do you view the Turks and Tibet?"

Li Erfeng's expression was heavy: "They must be pacified!"

"Regardless of strength or size, as long as it is an external threat, it must be pacified."

"The Central Plains' troubles of several hundred years are clearly before our eyes."

"The overturned chariot ahead is a warning for those behind."

Also from the Prince of Qin's Mansion strategists' deduction, Lin Dao has a grudge against the Hu.

"How do you view the aristocratic clans?"

Li Erfeng pondered briefly: "Divide and disintegrate, scatter them from their fixed bases to various places."

"Those with both virtue and talent employ them; those whose hearts hold only clan interests discard them!"

Lin Dao shook his head on this side, and Li Erfeng and the others instantly felt their hearts tighten.

"It can only treat the symptoms, not the root."

"Ultimately there will still be an opportunity for them to raise their heads again."

Lin Dao proposed: "Education, breaking the aristocratic clans' monopoly on knowledge is very important."

"What do you think about age-appropriate compulsory education?"

Li Erfeng, his bearing composed, froze.

Every single word spoken was understandable, but strung together he could not make sense of it.

"Compulsory education? Age-appropriate?"

Lin Dao explained: "Age-appropriate means children; compulsory education means letting all children be able to read and write, to learn knowledge."

The command tent instantly erupted in an uproar.

This proposal really is, really is.

"Why so agitated?" Lin Dao spread his hands. "Is it not a good thing?"

"Of course it is a good thing." Li Erfeng scratched his head, dandruff flying. "But first, there aren't that many teachers; second, there isn't that much money, grain, and supplies."

"Teachers are simple."

Lin Dao imparted his experience: "Run night schools in the army, teach the soldiers to read and write."

"They are Auxiliary Soldier; when they are not at war and return home, they naturally become teachers in various places."

"As for the money, grain, and supplies you mentioned."

Speaking of this, Lin Dao spoke frankly: "The Great Tang has so much land, money, and grain bestowed on meritorious nobles and imperial relatives; just take some out, and it is surely enough to push compulsory education."

These words spoken, everyone's faces looked ugly.

Li Yuan's lavish rewards made these civil and military officials fighting on the front lines very angry.

The land and wealth they fought to the death to win fell into the hands of those grass-single things.

Not to mention the ill-tempered generals, even the civil officials were cursing.

Even Li Shentong, a true imperial relative, was privately grumbling nonstop.

Before, Li Yuan actually issued an edict transferring the land Li Erfeng gave to Li Shentong to his favored concubine's family.

This move truly left people speechless.

A younger cousin with troops in hand, fighting outside, still cannot compare to your, Li Yuan's, woman?

"This matter~" Li Erfeng was also displeased, yet could not show it.

He was a man who valued reputation.

Lin Dao rose, and everyone's gazes fell upon him.

"Return to Chang'an City as quickly as possible." He instructed Li Erfeng, "Retrieve what rightfully belongs to you."

"Once you succeed, I will provide you with assistance."

"Beyond assistance, there is also business."

Suppressing the joy in his heart, Li Erfeng hurriedly asked, "Brother Zi Hou, where do you intend to go?"

"Going to find Liu Heita."

Lin Dao glanced at him, "Those unwilling to live in the Great Tang, I will give them a new path."

After he left, Li Erfeng hastily looked at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, "How is it?"

Fang and Du nodded in unison, "Done!"

Li Erfeng was overjoyed, letting out a long breath of relief.

"Good, now we just wait for Da Da Da Daozhang Lin's assistance."

"Best if he can provide another batch of bicycles; tens of thousands of people riding bicycles, carrying grain and military supplies, run faster than cavalry."

"Wouldn't the ballistae for breaking cities be even better? No city wall can withstand them."

"What does the business Lin Zihou spoke of mean?"

"This I understand; assistance means no money, business means making money!"

Fang Xuanling walked to Li Erfeng's side, "Prince of Qin, Da Da Da Daozhang Lin intends to push the Prince of Qin to ascend the throne as quickly as possible."

"This King knows."

Li Erfeng frowned, "But Father Emperor there~~~"

"Prince of Qin!" Qin Qiong, who was on duty today, entered to report, "An Imperial Edict from Chang'an City has arrived."

Li Erfeng was puzzled; they had already returned to court in triumph, so how could there still be an Imperial Edict on the road?

If it were rewards, it would be discussed after returning.

Upon receiving the Imperial Edict, everyone's expressions were weird.

"Never expected that Da Da Da Daozhang Lin actually accomplished such a major deed within Chang'an City!"

Investigating Lin Dao's background would inevitably lead to the Prince of Qin's Mansion.

Identity, guarantors, and such are all the Prince of Qin's Mansion; this connection cannot be washed clean no matter what.

The Imperial Palace was breached, a favored consort was killed; Li Yuan, his face swollen from the slap, vented his rage onto his Second Son.

Ordering Li Erfeng to immediately return to the Capital to give an explanation.

"His Majesty does not permit the army to enter the city, only permits the various household generals to enter."

Du Ruhui was deeply worried, "This is clearly guarding against Your Highness."

Li Erfeng showed no change in expression, "Prince of Qin's Mansion guards, plus the various household generals, how many men and horses in total?"

"Eight hundred!"

Beizhou, Zhangnan County.

"Holding a history book to find people is so convenient; whatever era, wherever the person is, one glance and you know."

Arriving at Zhangnan County, Lin Dao spent money to hire people to inquire about Liu Heita's whereabouts, and soon found the village he was in.

Liu Heita, planting vegetables in his own vegetable field, raised his head due to instincts honed on the battlefield.

At a glance, he saw the iron-armored man before him.

Liu Heita stood up, gripping the sickle in his hand tightly.

He knew this thing was useless against iron armor, but it was still better than bare hands.

Lin Dao walked onto the field ridge, striding forward.

When the distance was seven steps, he stopped and spoke, "Want to spend a lifetime planting vegetables in the fields?"

A person who once went to the battlefield, who was once a general commanding the winds and clouds, how could he possibly be willing to spend the latter half of his life facing the yellow earth with his back to the sky?

Liu Heita calmed his breath, "Don't want to."

"Good." Lin Dao nodded, "I will give you a stroke of fortune."

You all, naturally, are not just Liu Heita alone.

Besides him, a batch of Dou Jiande's former subordinates who had previously retired — Fan Yuan, Dong Kangmai, Cao Zhan, Gao Yaxian, and others.

Over a month's effort was spent, and they were all found one after another, gathered together.

Some came willingly, some came after being educated.

Gathered together, they were all full of doubt and confusion, not understanding what that weird iron-armored man intended to do.

"This is the Li Tang Imperial Court's Dianbao."

Lin Dao threw out a document, "You read it yourselves."

Among the crowd were those who could read; they stepped forward, picked up the Dianbao, and read it aloud.

"~~~ The Xia King was beheaded?!"

The crowd was both shocked and enraged.

Although they had long had this premonition, when the matter truly happened, they were still filled with indignation.

It wasn't that they were exceptionally loyal to Dou Jiande.

It was more worry for their own futures.

Wang Shichong died, his generals almost slaughtered to the last man.

Now the Xia King is also dead; will they, these generals of the Xia King, be next?

"One would think you all know your own fate from here on."

Lin Dao's gaze swept over the crowd. "The Li Tang will not allow the likes of you to continue living."

Fan Yuan immediately knelt and saluted.

"We are willing to revere Da Da Da Daozhang as our lord and rise up against the Tang!"

With someone taking the lead, the rest who reacted also saluted one after another, pledging their loyalty.

This was originally Lin Dao's backup plan.

Now that it was no longer needed, he still had to arrange a way out for these people.

"Rebelling against the Tang means a great war."

"When the time comes, the two great armies will clash back and forth in a grinding slaughter, and the common people of Hebei will suffer deeply."

"Da Da Da Daozhang~" Fan Yuan hurriedly spoke. "Da Da Da Daozhang possesses Immortal Methods, and there are Mechanical Beasts that can move without oxen or horses to pull them. We are certain to win!"

Everyone chimed in to persuade him, hoping Lin Dao would lead them to strike back against the Li Tang.

"The common people everywhere have already settled down, living their days under the Equal Field System. How can there still be war?"

Lin Dao shook his head. "Gathering you all was to find a way out for you."

Liu Heita and the others exchanged blank looks. The Li Tang had already gained the empire; what way out could there be?

"Go overseas."

"Go to Wokou Country."

Lin Dao spoke: "Wokou Country's territory is even larger than the Territory of Hebei."

"The land is fertile, and the grain yield is very high."

"The mountains contain many mineral resources; if not gold, then silver."

"They are all dwarfs, with no combat power to speak of, and can be easily conquered."

"You can gather those dissatisfied with the Tang, and I will send you to Wokou Country."

"Kill all the male monkeys, and everyone can divide several hundred mu of land, with countless Wokou Country women."

"Would that not be better than farming and selling vegetables here?"

The crowd also exchanged blank looks.

In this era, going abroad is no easy matter.

"May I ask, Da Da Da Daozhang." Liu Heita spoke. "Is Wokou Country really that easy to defeat?"

After all, it is a whole nation; how could it be that easy?

Lin Dao's figure disappeared.

When he reappeared, a pile of armor, weapons, grain, and supplies lay beside him.

"With me assisting, they are just a group of monkeys!"

"Don't tell me you can't even beat monkeys!"

End of Chapter