Chapter 99: Where is my sleeping palace?!

"He who holds the office should not plan its policies."

"As a general, he cannot protect the land and its people."

"As an official, he cannot ensure the people live and work in peace."

"As the Son of Heaven, he is even more cowardly than a chicken, so foolish as to say: Why do they not eat meat?"

Squatting by the Luo Riverbank, Lin Dao habitually searched for a suitable stone.

"Millions have suffered because of you; what right do you have to cry injustice?"

"High-ranking families?"

"Back then, you were nothing but local ruffians and scoundrels."

"In the early Han, the Han court relocated powerful families from all over to Guanzhong; who dared disobey?"

"The ancestors of the Yang Clan of Hongnong were merely ordinary soldiers, who made their fortune by clinging to Xiang Yu's leg."

"Always full of bovine arrogance, what bull is what bull~"

Finding a flatter stone, he held it in his hand and weighed it.

He stood up, pinching the stone, and turned sideways: "If the Luo Goddess is willing to let you go, then I admit it!"

"Pa pa pa~"

The stone in his hand flew toward the Luo River, skipping seven or eight times on the water before sinking to the bottom.

Lin Dao clenched his fist in satisfaction: "Technique hasn't declined."

He turned and greeted the officers and soldiers: "Let's go."

"Lord."

Liu Hu stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Should we arrange for someone to stay by the riverbank, in case someone really comes out of the Luo River?"

"Hmm?"

Lin Dao was stunned, his eyes full of surprise.

After a moment, he asked with slight doubt: "Not tied tight?"

Liu Hu immediately denied it.

"Then you stay."

"You guard here for one night."

"If someone really comes out, ask him for the Luo Goddess's token."

"If he doesn't have one, then send him back to get the token."

He patted his shoulder: "You'll have a hard night tonight."

Liu Hu immediately saluted.

"I accept the order."

Lin Dao entered the dilapidated Luoyang City.

After the ravages of war, this ancient capital of a thousand years was truly in ruins.

Houses collapsed, roads crumbled, rats and ants ran rampant, dust everywhere.

Almost no one could be seen; those who were hid warily.

An ancient capital of a thousand years, like a den of ghosts.

All the way to the Imperial Palace, it was another world entirely.

Palaces towering, halls brand new.

In the sunlight, like an Immortal Realm.

Shi Hu conscripted hundreds of thousands to build Luoyang's palaces.

Palaces and temples were refurbished, but looking back at the city interior, they were two completely different worlds.

"This beast Shi Hu."

Lin Dao frowned and shook his head slightly: "Only thinking of pleasure, treating everyone as slaves."

"The Greek and Persian way doesn't work here."

Essentially, the Qianghu were white slaves captured by the Xiongnu from the River region and elsewhere.

Purely a matter of timing and fate that gave them a chance to rise.

But what they used was still that distant Western Frontier way, which simply doesn't work here.

Even without Lin Dao's appearance, they were doomed to be completely destroyed.

He strode into the Imperial Palace; he would rest here overnight.

Around the halls were all soldiers of the Beggar Army.

Although many ladies were settled in the city, Lin Dao had no intention of seeking someone to sleep with.

Like a joke: send their relatives to see the Luo Goddess by day, and let them sleep with him at night?

How big-hearted, or how thirsty, would one have to be to do such a thing?

"These ladies are important resources."

Thinking of work matters, Lin Dao gradually fell asleep.

The next day at noon, Wang Meng, who had been traveling day and night, finally arrived at Luoyang City.

On the road he had heard that the Lord sent the Sima Clan to seek the Luo Goddess to fulfill the agreement.

But when they met, he didn't mention it at all.

The matter is done; what's the use of saying this and that?

Joy hard to suppress was on Wang Meng's face.

"Lord, the world will be settled~~~"

One battle to bring down Jiangzuo, and under heaven none could bar the Begging Army's steps.

"The Liangzhou Great Horses remain."

"Cheng Han still holds Chuan Shu."

"Jingzhou's Huan Wen remains."

"To the north there is Gaogouli, and many tribes on the Grassland."

"South of Yangzhou, Jiaozhi in all places"

Wang Meng, smiling, quietly listened to the lord's words.

When Lin Dao finished speaking, he then opened his mouth to respond, "These are nothing but scabies and ringworm."

"Gaogouli is nothing; General Ran Min has already broken Tuoba Shiyugan's Dai lands."

"The various Grassland departments are not worth worrying about; the Yemaek, Tiefu, and Rouran are all small departments, unable to withstand a single blow."

Hearing this, Lin Dao interjected.

"Tiefu~~~"

Wang Meng bowed his head, quietly waiting.

He also thought in his heart that this Tiefu Tribe had no strength at all, yet would actually be kept in mind by the lord?

Lin Dao remembered the Tiefu Tribe because he had read materials, knowing that decades later this tribe would produce a ruthless man.

Similar to Shi Hu, a cruel, bloodthirsty, and slaughter-loving ruthless man.

Helian Bobo.

His famous anecdote is the building of Daxia City, also called Tongwan City.

Tongwan City means unifying the ten thousand states.

Helian Bobo strictly controlled engineering quality.

At inspection, he arranged soldiers to nail nails into the city wall.

If the nail went in, kill the craftsman.

If the nail could not go in, kill the soldier.

This was absolutely the strictest quality supervision in all dynasties and generations.

He later changed his name to Helian Bobo, and his origin was this Tiefu.

"This Tiefu must be given special attention."

On this side Wang Meng immediately responded and accepted the order.

Being personally named by the lord, there was nothing more to say.

This Tiefu Tribe is destined to be completely exterminated.

Even the cow dung stored by the herdsmen in their tents must be burned to nothing with one torch!

Seeing the lord had no further instructions, Wang Meng continued speaking.

"Cheng Han is weak in power and can be destroyed in one battle."

"Jiaozhi is distant, but there will eventually be a day of arrival."

"The Liangzhou Great Horses can be settled by transmitting documents."

"As for Huan Wen." Wang Meng acknowledged his ability, "He should be the first person of Jiangzuo."

"But Jingzhou is exhausted, its population not flourishing, its products insufficient."

"Moreover, the Qiang vassals cannot be trusted."

"Not worth fearing."

Huan Wen has only Jingzhou; wanting to oppose the Begging Army, he basically has no possibility of success.

Tens of thousands of Qiang are also an unstable factor, the kind one wants to use but dares not use with ease.

Just give it time, then directly crush them with strength.

By that time, even if the world is not completely stable, it will be.

"This time many noblewomen were brought back."

Lin Dao continued arranging, "You arrange it, distribute them to military households and soldiers, and restore the population as quickly as possible."

He himself definitely would not stay, after all the danger coefficient was too great.

Arranging them to the soldiers was actually the best choice.

If they were not taken away and remained in Jiangzuo, these noblewomen would be devoured by countless serfs, military households, wild people, and refugees.

After all these noblewomen could not work; in farmer households desperately short of labor, just surviving was difficult.

And the Begging Army's soldiers received extremely high treatment; supporting them was no problem, and they could provide a relatively good quality of life.

The only drawback was perhaps that the soldiers were rather coarse.

But compared to being served up on the table, this could not be counted as a drawback.

"The yamen in all places must be built as quickly as possible."

"Soldiers retired from the army must be properly settled as quickly as possible."

"The matter of distributing fields must be vigorously promoted; whoever dares to play tricks on this, then cut off their hands and feet."

"In this season, plant whatever can be planted, as long as it is edible."

"Military affairs can now be eased somewhat."

"After continuous campaigns, the soldiers are already very exhausted and need time to rest and reorganize."

"I intend to bring Liangzhou under control, mobilize the Liangzhou Great Horses to attack Jingzhou."

"Education must be strengthened as much as possible, breaking the high-ranking families' monopoly on knowledge."

"Build schools in all places."

"From now on, I plan to implement the imperial examination system for selecting talent."

"As for those xuanhuan stories about lying on ice to catch carp, it's best they remain forever in books."

After discussing with Wang Meng for a long time, they settled on many military, political, and civil affairs.

Lin Dao only set the general direction, leaving all specific execution to Wang Meng.

He is a talent fit to be a chief minister; if he can be used, he must be used well.

As dusk fell, Liu Hu, who had guarded by the Luo River bank all night, arranged for dinner to be served.

After dinner Wang Meng left, and Lin Dao worked by candlelight attending to official duties.

The realm had just been pacified, and there were far too many matters requiring attention.

As the de facto chief minister, Wang Meng had almost no time to rest.

Lin Dao returned to the sleeping palace.

Outside, Liu Hu led the imperial guard soldiers in standing watch.

There was nothing urgent here for now, so he chose to return to the Modern World.

Lin Dao's new house in Haicheng was ready to move into.

He took a Wang Che to the supermarket and bought some alcohol, drinks, and snacks.

He picked up the elaborately dressed Su Tongtong, and together they went to the new house to warm it.

"This place is really not bad."

Su Tongtong was very pleased with the house. "You've finally made something of yourself, able to buy a house in Haicheng."

"It's okay, I guess."

Lin Dao opened the wine, took out cups, and poured wine. "It may not be the city center, but at least it's not in the suburbs, and commuting doesn't require rushing from a neighboring county."

When he was working, his greatest dream was to own a house here.

Unfortunately he wasn't a local, had no ancestral house to be demolished for compensation, and could only save up.

The money he had saved before was all spent on his ex-girlfriend.

Every holiday required a transfer, and shopping meant buying gifts, drinking milk tea, watching movies, buying clothes and shoes.

Occasionally they had to go eat Korean or Japanese food.

Looking at the plates, there were many, but actually not much food, and he couldn't get full.

He really couldn't understand why so many people liked to go eat there.

Calculating it this way, he indeed couldn't save any money.

He wasn't exactly complaining; after all, the money wasn't spent for nothing, after all he had received emotional value so many times, and it could be considered worth it.

It was just that he felt buying a house in Haicheng was truly too difficult.

Relying on work?

Even if his ancestors for eighteen generations had worked and saved money, it probably wouldn't be enough.

After drinking, he turned off the lights, put on music, and they danced together in an embrace.

As they danced, they~~~

Early the next morning, Su Tongtong, with a rosy complexion and in high spirits, woke Lin Dao: "I made you breakfast; I'm going to work."

Lin Dao lay there for a good while, and only got up after relieving his fatigue.

It was just that he had been traveling continuously, and marching and fighting across a thousand li was too exhausting; there was no other meaning.

He washed up, ate, and returned to Cang Ku.

He moved several cases of bottled wine without packaging, preparing to take them to Yonghe Spacetime as gifts for Liangzhou.

He planned to win over the Liangzhou Great Horses, mobilize Liangzhou's troops, and attack Jingzhou.

He pressed his hand on the cardboard box: "Transmigrate."

Brightness returned before his eyes, and at the same time clamoring sounds reached his ears.

What met his eyes was a river not very wide right in front of him.

Many towered boats were moored by the riverbank, with silk and cloth lanterns hanging on the upper decks, looking very beautiful.

Through the open window, a woman poured the water from a wooden basin into the river.

Along the road by the riverbank, many pedestrians came and went.

Quite a few people were looking at Lin Dao in amazement.

"."

Lin Dao, his hand pressed on the cardboard box, looked at everything before him with a wooden expression.

"Where is my sleeping palace?!"

End of Chapter