Chapter 67: I heard that even the Empress still retains her charm~

「Are there no one cutting the trees here? 」

「Are there no one catching the beasts here? 」

Before Lin Dao lay lush greenery, everywhere in sight were trees and grasslands brimming with spring vitality.

Clear, clean streams and rivers wound their way through them.

Deer with wide eyes poked their heads out from among the trees to look around.

Between the bushes and grasslands, fat, plump rabbits came and went.

Birds perched on branches, their chirping never ceasing.

Standing on the Official Road, Lin Dao looked at the trees and animals before him, then turned to look at the other side of the Official Road—the empty, desolate Cang Ye.

In silence, he lowered his head and stepped on the Official Road with his foot.

After a moment, Lin Dao's face wore a half-smile: "Such vastly different survival environments, divided so clearly and obviously."

"One Official Road cannot do it; one must remove the 'road' character to have such ability."

In the disaster-stricken lands, tree bark had all been gnawed clean, and those still alive had begun eating dirt.

Yet near the capital Ye City, there was such a vast area, teeming with plants and animals, like a paradise beyond the world.

Lin Dao did not believe this was Nature's choice.

"Master."

Sun Rong, who had been staying by his side almost every moment these past two days, stepped forward to Advise the Emperor: "Stone bandits are good at hunting; they once made a thousand hunting carts."

"From here to Luoyang, all places along the way have been listed by them as Royal Hunting Grounds."

"Xianju Imperial Censor are arranged to specially inspect and care for the birds and beasts of the hunting grounds."

"Those who trespass into the hunting grounds shall be punished by foot amputation."

"Those who injure birds and beasts shall be executed by beheading."

Lin Dao stamped his foot: "Such a huge hunting ground, I reckon they could hunt down a million jin of meat."

"Commoners starve to death in countless numbers, bodies lying everywhere."

"These birds and beasts, on the contrary, live at ease and comfort."

"Birds and beasts rule the road; humans are not as good as beasts." Lin Dao raised his head and laughed: "If Shi Hu is allowed a good death, then haven't I come here for nothing~~~"

The Shi Hu of history murdered countless people and brought endless calamity.

His piled-up crimes were absolutely beyond description.

Yet he still received a good death.

Even before dying of illness, he formally proclaimed himself Emperor, dying with the identity of an emperor, called 'collapse.'

From this, it can be seen that whatever 'good and evil are rewarded' is all nonsense he brewed.

Lin Dao, having been chosen by Green Light, was sent to Yonghe Spacetime.

By buying and selling Yonghe Spacetime's golden goods in reverse, he changed his own fate and future.

He was a person of normal values.

Having gained benefits from Yonghe Spacetime, he was willing to do whatever he could for this world.

This was due to his character, having nothing to do with being a Holy Mother or not.

The fate of people in Yonghe Spacetime was tragic, and at least half the reason pointed to Shi Hu, who cruelly harmed the people.

Since it was so, Lin Dao absolutely could not let this beast Shi Hu receive a good death!

"These hunting grounds."

Lin Dao stared fixedly at the birds and beasts leisurely enjoying themselves inside the hunting ground: "All raised by Stone bandits, original sin!"

"All birds and beasts here should be put into the pot!"

The Begging-for-Life Army was a group that existed for the purpose of seeking survival.

To survive, they could gnaw tree bark clean.

Birds and beasts with flesh on them were heaven-sent great tonics.

Large numbers of Newly Attached Begging-for-Life Army refugees and Wild People rushed into the Royal Hunting Ground they had previously dared not approach.

They cut down trees for fuel and caught various birds and beasts for food.

Those that fly in the sky, swim in the water, run on the ground, and even burrow in the dirt.

As long as they were caught, they all met the same fate.

Put in a pot with water and a handful of salt, they were the supreme delicacy of the human world.

"Master."

Sun Dalang came to report: "Refugees and Wild People have killed many Imperial Censors."

"Zoo administrators?" Lin Dao pondered: "Have these people ever done any evil deeds?"

"According to the refugees and Wild People's account, these Imperial Censors often falsely accused nearby commoners of injuring hunting ground birds and beasts."

"Forcing the commoners to hand over women from their homes, livestock, and family wealth."

"Those who did not hand them over were all executed on the charge of injuring birds and beasts."

Lin Dao pursed his lips: "Truly, what kind of Emperor, what kind of officials."

"Shi Hu this beast, the Imperial Censors he raises are also beasts."

"Arrange people to arrest these Imperial Censors; hand the living ones over to the refugees and Wild People to deal with."

"Tell them, since they are Imperial Censors, they should naturally be dealt with using the way one treats beasts."

Sun Dalang lowered his head: "Yes!"

The various departments of the Begging-for-Life Army gradually approached Ye City.

Lin Dao, this Begging-for-Life Commander, actually did not know how many people were under his command at this time.

He didn't know how much money and grain he had.

Regarding manpower, as long as they weren't barbarian slaves, anyone willing to sell their life to the Beggar General could join, and get two potatoes to eat every day.

Not just those who joined along the way.

As the news spread, people rushed over from various prefectures and counties to join, or rather to scrounge a meal, increasing rapidly every day.

The specific numbers were changing every moment, difficult to count in detail.

As for money and grain, Lin Dao only handled transporting various supplies over.

Rice and white flour were usually used as rewards; only his bodyguards got to eat ordinary meals.

The regular soldiers' staple was corn; the local soldiers and civilian laborers ate feed.

The newly arrived refugees and wild people survived on potatoes.

After Lin Dao opened the hunting grounds, everyone could go in to hunt for a tooth sacrifice.

Whether they could eat meat depended entirely on their own ability.

How the various departments in the army were specifically arranged and allocated, how manpower was settled, how to march, how to set up camp, and so on.

All matters were handled by Wang Meng.

Lin Dao became a hands-off shopkeeper, only managing transport and collecting valuable resources.

Wang Meng was indeed a fierce man.

Tens of thousands of the Beggar Army, mostly still refugees and wild people, the old, weak, women and children, were all properly arranged by him, gradually gathering outside Ye City.

On this day, Lin Dao was in the camp, supervising craftsmen dismantling Shi Hu's golden carriage.

All the gold decorations on the carriage were removed, melted down, and cast into gold bars.

"Master."

Wang Meng came personally to report: "The Stone Bandit's envoy has arrived."

He was all smiles: "Sending an envoy at this time, I fear they've come to sue for peace."

"Sue for peace?" Lin Dao cleared his throat. "Sue for peace at this time, does he think I'll agree?"

"Then," Wang Meng tilted his head slightly, "see him or not?"

"Then let's see the envoy." Lin Dao stepped forward. "See what this Heavenly King still has to say."

Shi Hu wanting peace was also a helpless move.

Later Zhao was actually a patched-together nation.

Han children, Jie people, Xiongnu people, Qiang people, Di people, and even many mixed barbarians who couldn't state their own lineage, patched together into this loose nation.

In the past, Shi Hu ruled the nation relying on military might and cruel methods.

But when the cornerstone suppressing the various departments, overwhelming military force, lost its effect, the loose structure's total collapse was not far off.

The nations built by barbarian slaves during the Two Jin period were basically all like this.

The calmed Shi Hu knew the most important thing now was not to fight the Beggar Army to the death.

The most important thing was to first stabilize the crumbling Great Zhao.

To stabilize Great Zhao, the primary task was to remove the Beggar Army's military threat.

"Li Sikong."

Seeing the arriving envoy, Lin Dao immediately showed a smile: "We meet again."

Li Nong stepped forward to salute: "Your subject Li Nong pays respects to the Beggar General."

Both sides sat down respectively; Jin Lian brought people to serve yellow peach canned fruit.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lin Dao cut to the chase: "What is Li Sikong here for this time?"

"Great Commander~"

Li Nong stood and saluted: "The Heavenly King intends to reconcile with the Beggar Army."

"As long as the Great Commander is willing to withdraw troops, the Heavenly King is willing to enfeoff the Great Commander as King of Yan, with all of Youzhou's land belonging to the Great Commander."

"The Heavenly King is willing to become sworn brothers of different surnames with the Great Commander; from then on, the two brothers will jointly hold Great Zhao's authority."

Lin Dao didn't speak, both hands resting on his knees, gaze turning to Wang Meng.

"Hahahaha~~~"

Wang Meng stroked his beard and laughed: "The Stone Bandit really plays a fine abacus."

"Over in Youzhou, it's nearly been seized by the Xianbei Murong Clan."

"What King of Yan? It's just coaxing my Master to go fight the Murong Clan to the death."

Picking up the canned fruit on the table and drinking a mouthful of honey water, Wang Meng shook his head: "Shi Hu is but a lowly slave by origin; my Master is a god-person!"

"What virtue or ability does he have, to actually dare hope to address my Master as brother?"

"If Li Sikong came only for this matter," Wang Meng placed the yellow peach canned fruit on the table with a crisp sound, "then please return!"

Hearing these words, Li Nong suddenly laughed.

He laughed as if relieved of a heavy burden, his complexion even gradually turning ruddy: "Before coming, I knew this matter could not succeed."

"Not necessarily impossible." Lin Dao rallied his spirits, laughing heartily: "I heard Shi Hu's Empress still retains her charm."

"How about this: you have Shi Hu send the Empress over first, then I can consider it further."

Li Nong's face flushed red instantly.

Such humiliation truly left one speechless.

His face pale, he stood and took his leave.

Wang Meng laughed and stroked his beard: "Master quite has the Cao Cao style~"

Ye City, Xianyang Hall.

Hearing Li Nong's report, Shi Hu, narrowing his eyes, did not fly into a rage.

He even laughed upon hearing this.

That face full of horizontal flesh, when smiling, appeared slightly gloomy.

"Unexpectedly, Liu Shi is of such advanced age, yet there is actually still someone thinking of her."

"This Lin Dao, upon gaining success he forgets himself, truly believing that with the God Carriage he can be invincible under heaven?"

Li Nong lowered his head and remained silent, but in his heart he thought, 'Unable to respond to that God Carriage, then powerless to fight field battles. Cannot fight field battles, then Great Zhao is not far from perishing.'

In large army corps field combat, formation is paramount.

Once the formation is shattered, they become scattered soldiers and rogues; what combat power is there to speak of?

Facing the Qihuo Army advancing in formation, no matter how fierce the courageous warrior, there is only a dead end.

The Later Zhao Army's various departments were originally mixed, hearts not united.

Having lost morale and formation, who would still listen to the Heavenly King's words!

"We already have a countermeasure against the God Carriage."

Shi Hu's one sentence caused Li Nong to look up in shock.

True or false?

"Although that God Carriage is large, it is driven by wheels."

Shi Hu's face seemed to revive with spring, full of vitality. "We have already ordered craftsmen to forge horn iron."

"When the day of battle comes, order courageous warriors to throw horn iron before the wheels, it will surely obstruct its advance."

"As long as that God Carriage stops, it is merely an immobile giant object."

"We have already ordered people to collect fire oil, sulfur, and such things in the city interior." Shi Hu bared his teeth, enduring the pain in his leg. "Once that God Carriage stops, order dead soldiers to charge forward, sprinkle fire oil and sulfur, and ignite it with fire!"

"Even if it has steel bones, burn it to ashes!"

End of Chapter