Chapter 731: Interesting Events at the Camp

Blasting the mountains.

After all, it is not something that can be accomplished in one stroke.

Liu Zheng values these Wangchuan Mountains highly. In his vision, this will be a road, a Great Dao that can connect Liaodong and Longyan. Perhaps it is even more than that; this will be a Great Dao that can connect Longyan to the entire Nanyang region!

Of course.

The southern coastal areas are closer to Nanyang.

But Liu Zheng does not want to participate in the competition in the south. That is territory controlled by the Scholar-official Group, and he does not want to truly go to war with the Scholar-official Group for the time being.

Because in his planning for Longyan, the Great Northern Wilderness must be developed into Beidacang!

In his past life in Zhongguo, how many people did Beidacang feed? If one wants to scheme for something greater, the granary is the top priority!

Blast the mountains, clear the debris, and then pave the road.

This task is certainly a massive engineering project.

Even the simplest road would take a month to finish. In between, there are all kinds of dangers that could strike at any time. For instance, improper handling could cause landslides, collapses, and the like. But despite this, the group of people following Liu Zheng did not show any resistance, because they all knew they were currently participating in a major project comparable to the Grand Canal!

Outside, people were working, shouting with all their might.

Inside the tent, Liu Zheng was working on the project plan.

Beside him, wine was being warmed, and Prince Yong was also discussing something with him.

"Hahahaha, you two fellows really know how to enjoy yourselves! Do you know how cold it is outside?"

Prince Wei ran in, rubbing his hands while laughing heartily.

Prince Yong smiled and hurriedly had him sit by the stove, saying, "That is why we must hurry the construction. Looking at this weather, in another month, it will be completely frozen, and it will be impossible to work at all!"

Liu Zheng also nodded, poured a cup of wine for Prince Wei, and asked, "Is there no movement from Qiao Yuan's side?"

Prince Wei entered the warm tent, took off his cotton-padded jacket, and laughed loudly: "What movement would he dare to have? I reckon he is over there every day, listening to us firing our cannons! This cannon fire must be scaring him half to death, right?"

The three of them laughed together.

"He really doesn't dare to come! With both cannons and a great army, he can only stare blankly over there!"

Prince Yong also said with a smile.

Liu Zheng, however, shook his head: "That may be so, but we must still be careful. You two must not forget, over in Liaodong, it may not just be the people of Liaodong..."

The two were startled: "You mean..."

Liu Zheng nodded calmly: "Since this Qiao Yuan is the biggest human trafficker in this Longyan Dynasty, have you two ever thought... where all these large batches of people are being sold to?"

Upon hearing this, the complexions of Prince Wei and Prince Yong changed drastically.

Sold to where?

Does that even need to be asked?

From Liaodong Port, there is only one direction they go, and that is Nanyang!

"Sheng Tang Remnants?"

The two reacted, so frightened they both jumped up.

Those who followed Liu Zheng to Liaodong this time were wealthy merchants from all over Longyan.

When the mountains were being blasted, their subordinates helped, while they themselves had been drinking and exchanging cups in these tents.

"This damn weather, it really won't do without drinking!"

Several wealthy merchants in silk robes gathered together, with beauties serving them on the side.

The cold and hardship of the Liaodong region clearly exceeded everyone's imagination. Three stoves could not make the entire tent warm. But these people still intended to follow Liu Zheng. Who is this? This is Vice Minister Liu! The man who, wherever he goes, finds gold everywhere! Merchants pursue profit; ever since Vice Minister Liu began to rise to fame, this group of merchants had made unknown amounts of money following Yinzhou Coin and Yintan City! From then on, they had a creed!

That is, follow Vice Minister Liu, and there will be meat to eat wherever you go!

What is there to fear about being a little bitter or tired?

"Hey, hey, has anyone of you been to Vice Minister Liu's tent?"

Suddenly, a pot-bellied wealthy merchant asked with a smug smile.

A group of people became curious and asked one after another.

"What's going on?"

"I really haven't been..."

"Hahahaha, that is Vice Minister Liu, how would we have the qualifications to go? Being able to catch a glimpse on the road occasionally is already a blessing!"

"Hey, don't say that, Vice Minister Liu is truly so handsome; I even want to marry my daughter to him!"

As soon as this was said, the whole room burst into laughter.

"Forget it, is your rough-looking daughter worthy? He is an Imperial Son-in-law!"

After the crowd finished joking, the fat merchant said with a smug look: "I, myself, have had the honor of going inside to pay respects to Prince Yong once!"

The whole room gasped.

Being able to establish a connection with Prince Yong, Prince Wei, Vice Minister Liu, and the others now—these are all big-shot level existences!

"Let me tell you... in his tent, there is a stove, just one stove, and the whole tent is incredibly warm!"

"Really?"

"Hahahaha, I don't believe it!"

Isn't that nonsense?

The wealthy merchant smiled slightly and said no more.

What they did not know was.

At this moment, someone had already set their sights on them—no, set their sights on their pockets...

And this person was not Liu Zheng—his Coal Ball Stove was intended for mass production only after arriving in Liaodong, so even he did not know that Pei Qianyun, whom he had casually sent away, had already preemptively looted all the gold and silver he intended to scrape up using the Coal Ball Stoves.

Ji Yong followed happily behind Pei Qianyun, walking around the camp of hundreds of thousands of people.

"General Pei, what exactly are you planning?"

Gambling?

He felt it was a bit absurd.

This sort of thing, wouldn't others be doing it? Gambling, like tiles or similar games, is basically something these wealthy men would do once after drinking. You want to swindle their money in this area? Every one of them is craftier than a monkey!

Pei Qianyun chuckled: "Then let's come up with something fun!"

Ji Yong was stunned again.

Suddenly he felt he really had nothing to do; why was he wandering around here with this brainless guy? It would be better to go work with the mountain-blasting team...

"Find a Method that can attract everyone..."

A sharp light flashed in Pei Qianyun's eyes: "Something only we can do, that others can't pull off, and that can make people's blood boil!"

Ji Yong blinked.

Has this guy gone crazy wanting to make money?

Pei Qianyun suddenly said excitedly: "When blasting the mountain, did you see those wild beasts in the mountains?"

Ji Yong nodded.

In this era, are there few wild beasts in the deep mountains? Although at this time, many bears have already begun to hibernate, there are still other beasts that do not need to hibernate, such as wild boars, tigers, leopards, wolves, lynxes, and so on and so forth...

Suddenly.

Ji Yong jumped up: "Does General Pei mean..."

Pei Qianyun laughed heartily and patted his shoulder with a thud-thud-thud: "A child who can be taught!"

"We go capture these wild beasts, then sell them, and then set up a beast-fighting casino, how about that?"

Damn!

Ji Yong was completely dumbfounded.

He had been in Liaodong for so many years, why hadn't he thought of making money this way?

He stared blankly at Pei Qianyun.

Talent?

Or just being influenced by what one sees and hears?