Chapter 8

"The Beggar Army, irreconcilable with the Jiehu!"

Feng Dun shouted out the hearts' voice of all the Beggar Army.

The barbarian slaves raged rampant, the Northern Lands a mess of chaos, white bones exposed in the wilds.

Among the various Hu, the most cruel were the Jiehu.

Their cruelty was simply hair-raising.

The Beggar Army were mostly victims who had experienced it personally.

Send their own sisters to the Jiehu to be humiliated, and they themselves still have to go do hard labor and corvée for the Jiehu?

If these Settlement commanders and generals like Feng Dun really dared to agree, they'd be served up on the dining table that very day!

The slogan was shouted; next came the talk of the real difficulties.

Lin Dao didn't waste words either, directly asking, "Fighting a war with Shi Hu, what do you need?"

"This..."

Feng Dun paused slightly, his eyes surveying Lin Dao with some uncertainty.

Though he was a noble Settlement Commander, in his whole life he had never met someone this generous.

Xiao Yi Feng Dun spoke up, "The Jiehu cavalry are invincible in field battles; we lack horses, fearing we are not their match."

Lin Dao raised an eyebrow, "If the Grand Commander has me find warhorses, that really is making things difficult for me."

In the Modern World, horse prices are one more expensive than the next.

And even if he could buy them, bringing them over they could only serve as meat supply.

Qin Lang, sitting to the side, hurriedly spoke up, "Not so."

"Brother Zi Hou."

"Right now it is bitterly cold, field battles are inadvisable; we need only hold fast to the Settlements, and we can make the Jiehu cavalry return empty-handed."

Feng Dun nodded, "Precisely so; the only worry is insufficient grain for defending the city."

The barbarian slaves raged rampant, causing the Northern Regions' productivity to suffer enormous destruction.

On top of that, right now is the Little Ice Age; grain yield has sharply declined.

And defending a city, what is most feared is lacking grain.

Without enough grain, they'll besiege the city and starve you to death.

Lin Dao's expression was calm, not speaking, just nodding slightly to show he had heard.

Qin Lang stared straight at him, "What's most feared is the Jiehu cavalry besieging without attacking, dragging it out until spring plowing ends."

Miss the spring plowing, come autumn harvest there's not a grain to be had; that's when it becomes a heaven-falling disaster.

"Report a number."

Lin Dao's gaze fell on Grand Commander Feng, "How much grain do you need."

I don't want to hear your difficulties, I only hear how many you need.

Feng Dun immediately conferred in a low voice with the Sima beside him.

Exactly how much grain is needed, that has to be calculated.

Qin Lang leaned over, lowering his voice, "Brother Zi Hou, Shangbai here has fully tens of thousands of households, two hundred thousand able-bodied men."

"Worst case, we have to feed them until next year's autumn harvest."

"Brother Zi Hou." Qin Lang caught his breath, "Do you have that much grain?"

Lin Dao was silent a moment, "The Beggar Army, how much gold do you have?"

"As long as the gold is enough, I can afford to feed them."

In Qin Lang's view, this was just boasting.

Feeding two hundred thousand men and horses for nearly two years requires an astronomical amount of grain.

Besides the Imperial Court and official offices, only the great aristocratic clans could produce that much.

But the barbarians have thrown the Northern Regions into chaos for years; what great clans are left in the Northern Lands?

Those who could flee already fled to Jiangdong during the Yongjia Dongdu.

Those who didn't escape, the men were slaughtered and their heads hung from horse necks, the women captured and taken away to be humiliated, even reduced to food for bellies.

He Lin Dao, where would he get that much grain!

Feng Dun's side gave a light cough, "My Shangbai Beggar Army needs one million shi of grain."

In ancient times lacking side dishes, grain is the most important food source.

A household calculated at five persons needs one and a half shi of grain per month.

The Shangbai Beggar Army's forty thousand-plus households need over a million shi of grain a year.

Of course, this is calculated by adult standards.

The old, weak, women and children get half rations, plus some wild vegetables and wood chips and such, a year of several hundred thousand shi would be enough.

If it's like now, long-term in a semi-starved state, the demand can be even less.

And this is merely grain; other life necessities like salt haven't even been mentioned yet.

Feng Dun's side also doesn't believe Shi Hu can commit his main army to besiege the Beggar Army for a full year.

Ask for a big number first; whatever can be gotten in the end is what it is.

Lin Dao didn't speak, took out his phone, opened the calculator, fingers tapping away.

In the Jin Dynasty one shi equals roughly 120 market catties; one million shi is 120 million catties, 600,000 tons!

Lin Dao's eyes went wide, his full face incredulous.

Looking carefully again, turns out he added an extra zero; it's 60,000 tons.

Lin Dao visibly relaxed.

The figure of six hundred thousand tons truly shocked him.

An aircraft carrier is only tens of thousands of tons, yet these Qihuo Army actually eat several carriers' worth a year~~~

Scared him to death.

"Small-scale individual purchasing definitely won't work; we must follow company procedures."

"Transportation tools also need upgrading—a tiny tricycle would take until the Year of the Monkey and Month of the Horse to deliver."

Lin Dao muttered to himself, while Weichang Commander Feng Dun and the others watched him nervously.

If this powerful grain merchant cannot provide enough grain, then our Shangbai Qihuo Army will have to seriously consider the Great Zhao Heavenly King's orders.

Surely not everyone can starve to death~~~

Lin Dao raised his head and looked at Weichang Commander Feng Dun. "Besides grain, what else do you need?"

"This"

Feng Dun exchanged a glance with the Squad Commander beside him, and for a moment couldn't react.

Meanwhile, Qin Lang grinned. "Brother Zi Hou truly knows how to joke—our Qihuo Army lacks everything from top to bottom."

Needless to say, the woods near the Qihuo Army Old Camp have all been chopped down by them.

In every aspect of food, clothing, housing, and transport, there are endless material needs.

Lin Dao nodded. "Understood. Starting next month, I will increase the grain shipments."

"As for other supplies, I will do my best to procure them for you."

Saying this, he shifted the topic. "But as for the payment for the goods~~~"

Feng Dun doubted in his heart whether Lin Dao could get so many things, but on his face he nodded repeatedly. "Get as much as you can, we will definitely not shortchange you."

"I only want gold."

"That is only natural."

The Qihuo Army is not merely a vagrant group.

It includes many aristocratic clans, officials, military households, and so on.

In this chaotic era, homes and fields cannot be easily taken away, but gold, silver, and trinkets are essential to carry on one's person.

Various Hu barbarians also like gold, silver, and trinkets.

After every battle, the victor can obtain large amounts of gold, silver, and such as war spoils.

Coming to the courtyards within the fortress, seeing the women idling and chatting in the courtyard, Lin Dao wanted to find them something to do.

Women in ancient times are actually quite busy.

During the farming off-season, they do housework and cooking, weave cloth and raise children, and so on.

Mending and patching, washing and scrubbing are all women's work.

During the busy farming season, they even have to follow the men into the fields to work.

Working in the fields means men are truly used like beasts of burden, and women are used like men.

Under these circumstances, there truly weren't many beautiful village girls in ancient times.

In the modern world, fairies in their thirties or forties who still call themselves young misses spend all day eating, drinking, and playing.

If placed in ancient times, at that age they would either be working or caring for grandchildren, calling themselves old women.

"Lord!"

From outside the open Da Men came a low call.

Lin Dao, who was considering what tasks to arrange for the women, turned to look.

He saw Sun Dalang, his clothes tattered and complexion somewhat pale, leaning on a horizontal saber and limping in.

He tossed the ferocious head he was carrying onto the ground, causing the women to cry out in alarm.

"I have not disgraced my mission!"

Lin Dao strode forward and supported his shoulder.

His gaze fell on the reddened clothes under his ribs. "Where are you injured?"

"I shot a Hu Cavalryman, and when going to take his head, that bastard played dead and slashed my belly with a knife."

Sun Dalang's frail body trembled slightly.

"Lord, I am done for."

"My younger sister, I entrust her to you, Lord."

Lin Dao immediately supported him and walked toward the Main Room. "No nonsense, your sister can take care of herself; with me here, you won't die!"

"Jin Lian!"

Placing Sun Dalang on the couch on the west side of the Main Room, Lin Dao called out, "Bring the first-aid kit over!"

In recent days, Lin Dao had brought some daily necessities over here bit by bit, placing them in this world for emergencies.

Medical supplies were naturally indispensable.

Opening his clothes, he saw Sun Dalang's wound under the ribs.

The wound had been covered with wood ash, but it had cracked open many times.

"Too much blood loss; I just don't know if the organs are injured."

He raised his hand to feel Sun Dalang's forehead, which clearly showed signs of fever; the wound might be infected.

"Lord, my younger sister is sensible and obedient; she will surely serve you well."

Sun Dalang, feeling dizzy and seeing stars, thought his end was near.

The only thing he couldn't rest easy about was his own younger sister, and he earnestly recommended her to Lin Dao.

"As long as I'm given food to eat, I will surely serve wholeheartedly~~~"

Given food to eat, there will be girls willing to work like oxen and horses.

If this kind of thing happened in the Modern World, it would probably shatter the little fairies' worldviews and draw countless martial artists to denounce it.

But in this World, it was a sliver of life that Sun Dalang had exchanged with his own life for his own younger sister!

"Stop talking nonsense."

Lin Dao, holding alcohol to clean the Wound, scolded him to shut his Mouth: "I can save you."

Sun Dalang refused, even refusing Lin Dao's treatment, and insisted that Lin Dao promise.

"Fine, fine, fine, I Agree."

Lin Dao had nothing to say, so he could only placate and agree for now.

Hearing Lin Dao's promise, Sun Dalang then Relaxed and closed his eyes.

"Lord." Jin Lian, helping at the side, couldn't help but speak: "He seems to have died."

Lin Dao's expression turned serious: "I said, with me here, he won't die."

"Go call a few more clever ones from usual to come in and learn well; later they can be Doctors!"

No matter which Era, Doctors are professions with high Income and social Status.

Of course, wanting to learn real skills, under the stinking master-disciple system, one must inevitably go through it.

Like a cook learning a dish, going through the back kitchen and such is already Convention.

Lin Dao was willing to teach them life-saving skills without reservation; this was simply the behavior of a sage.

Jin Lian's little Face turned red with excitement.

Hurriedly calling a few usual playmates into the Room to help out.

When there are many women, especially after settling down, they naturally form Circle after Circle.

This point, whether ancient or modern, wherever it is, even in Lin Dao's Small Courtyard, is the same.

First is cleaning the Wound.

Next is applying Medicinal Powder.

Then is suturing the Wound.

Followed by bandaging it up.

Finally is giving Sun Dalang anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing Drugs.

Lin Dao himself was feeling his way across the River, doing it according to the experience he had seen and understood.

As for whether Sun Dalang could survive.

In Lin Dao's view, the young Sun Dalang, though thin and weak, had vigorous Vitality and the Desire to survive.

Most importantly, the Wound actually wasn't that serious.

That Hu Cavalry's final strike before dying probably didn't have much strength.

Just a Flesh Injury, even the ribs were fine.

It would be best to also transfuse blood and fluids, but these were too advanced; Lin Dao truly didn't know how and didn't have these things.

He couldn't even blood type, so he could only let Sun Dalang endure it himself.

After finishing these, he arranged for Jin Lian and others to stay and Care For him.

Lin Dao, having washed his hands, went to the East Room and returned to the Modern World.

End of Chapter