knife

Chapter 683 The beginning of the war
Jinbao's physique was rapidly approaching Lü You's. Judging by his appearance, this guy's current weight was at least over two hundred pounds. So much so that when he stepped onto the second floor, the thin floorboards creaked and groaned, making one worry that the floorboards might collapse at any moment.

Ding Ergou stood up, pointed to his seat, and said, "Manager Jin, please sit here!"

Jinbao repeatedly bowed and apologized: "Brothers, I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. I was just about to leave when Liu Yi, the clerk, dragged me away for a talk. We talked for almost half an hour. Clerk Liu is my benefactor, how could I dare to offend him?"

"Stop talking nonsense, who's blaming you? We brothers are just having a talk!" Lü You said. "Aren't you going to sit down?"

Jinbao chuckled, "I'll sit below Fatty. Er Gou's seat is not a place for me."

"Bao, Er Gou told you to sit over there because he was afraid you'd collapse the floor if you sat over Fatty's. Look how fat you've gotten these past few years!" Cai Ming said, suppressing a laugh. "I think you're going to surpass your master. How did you get so fat when you used to be such a strong and muscular man? You've probably lost all your kung fu skills too."

Jinbao sat down with a smile and said, "With my brothers here, it doesn't matter whether I have my mediocre skills or not. In the border region, if someone doesn't give me, Jinbao, some face, then they're not giving face to my brothers!"

Jinbao is the fastest-rising businessman in Tai'an City in recent years.

If you're just an ordinary businessman with no connections, you're lucky if you can break even and make a little profit. Those who truly make big money are naturally those with connections.

The stronger the background, the bigger the business can be.

The shareholders of Jinbao's business were initially just a group of colleagues who pooled their capital to make their lives more comfortable. Jinbao was in charge of running the business. However, as these shareholders rose through the ranks in their respective industries over the years, Jinbao's business naturally grew bigger and bigger.

The junior officers from back then have now grown into mid- to high-ranking officers, the least of whom are captains of local military commands. Ding Ergou, on the other hand, is now the highest-ranking and most promising among them. Although he is the youngest, he has already become the de facto leader of their group.

Ding Ergou wields considerable influence within the military, and his wife, Tu Jiaojiao, works in the Protectorate General's Office, now directly serving Xiao Changche, further enhancing her power. Meanwhile, at the Zhi Qiu Academy, the newly appointed Director of the Logistics Department is also a shareholder. Furthermore, Jin Bao is adept at social maneuvering, yet he doesn't abuse his power; instead, he adheres to the principle of "harmony brings wealth," earning him an excellent reputation. As a result, his business has snowballed, growing larger and larger. Today, Jin Bao has become a highly influential merchant outside the Great Wall.

"Brothers," Jinbao said, pouring wine into their cups, "Liu Zhubu has just given me another big business deal. However, he wants me to pay upfront, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to pay. But as a way of thanking our trading company for supporting the Protectorate, he'll grant us a few years' exclusive rights to one or two types of goods after the war." He continued, "I think this is a very promising opportunity. With the exclusive rights, we can make money while lying down!"

Lu You nodded and said, "That makes sense. We should do this kind of business. If you're willing to pay upfront, that's fine. Do you not have enough? I have some more."

"This order is a bit too large, and I've already spent a lot of money on goods for the New Year, so I'm really short on funds," Jinbao said. "That's why I'd like to ask you brothers for some help. The Protectorate can owe us money, but we can't owe those people below us! Especially those who rely on wages for their livelihood. It's our reputation, and we absolutely can't let it be ruined!"

"Money is no problem!" Ding Ergou raised his glass. "Go back to Jiaojiao, she can easily lend you some money!"

"Then I thank you all very much, brothers!" Jinbao happily raised his glass: "Brothers, do I feel like we're about to have a big war? The earlier news doesn't quite match the current atmosphere, and this time, Chief Secretary Liu's purchases are mostly..."

Several people looked at each other.

Ding Ergou put down his chopsticks and said, "I'll be leaving Yangguan for a while from now on."

Cai Ming asked in surprise, "Brother Er Gou is going out too? I just received orders that we'll likely be entering the pass to fight soon! What about you, Fatty?"

Lu You shook his head. Ding Ergou pondered for a moment and said, "Whether you're about to leave Yangguan or staying here, be as careful as possible. Jinbao is right about one thing: a major battle is indeed about to begin. The danger of this battle will be no less than, or even greater than, our last campaign against the Northern Yuan. Officers of our rank are in a precarious position, and the casualty rate is quite high. Everyone, try your best to survive!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining people all swallowed hard.

Ding Ergou's information network was far more advanced than theirs. Since he had said that, the upcoming battle must be extraordinary.

The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment, then Lü You laughed and said, "After this battle, I should at least be able to earn the rank of lieutenant general, right? Er Gou, who knows, you might even become a regional commander!"

"Impossible!" Ding Ergou shook his head: "To become a town general, one must undergo comprehensive assessment. Just one's martial arts cultivation level must be at least at the eighth rank of Xuan Yuan, which I don't qualify for."

"Even the Protector-General says you're a martial arts prodigy! Reaching the eighth rank of the Profound Origin Realm is a piece of cake!" Cai Ming chuckled. "Come, come, let's drink! Let's have another drink here after this battle!"

“Old Cai, the next step is definitely to march into the interior and unify the country, but I estimate that this war will not be over in two years. Are you really going to retire after two years?” Jinbao asked. “This is almost the founding war. If you don’t stick it out to the end, you will be much worse off when it comes to rewards.”

"Contentment brings happiness, contentment brings happiness!" Cai Ming laughed and raised his glass: "Now I have a huge ranch in Dading, and I just redeemed Xichun from her servitude at Yingchun Pavilion this year. With the new year over, I can submit my application. Anyway, you guys have bright futures ahead of you, and with your support, I can live comfortably. Come on, bottoms up!"

Everyone has their own ambitions. Just like Jinbao, he retired from the army early to go into business. The fact that the rest of them are living such comfortable lives now, never having any financial worries, is also closely related to Jinbao.

After several rounds of drinks, everyone was in high spirits and the party ended.

Three days later, it was Lu You's turn to patrol the city. That very night, Lu You saw Ding Ergou leave the city with a full 500 men, carrying all their equipment, leaving the city silently.

Upon seeing Lü You standing atop the city wall, Ding Ergou turned around and gave him a bright smile.

That night, it wasn't just Ding Ergou's troops that left the city, but several others.

Gu Xiaoman was the last to leave Yangguan.

At the same time, in Boling County, Linghu Zhishu also welcomed Li Guohua and the three thousand soldiers of the Guanlong Li clan who had arrived with him.

Five thousand armored soldiers from Boling are assembling, but they will not gather in the county town. Two thousand White Feather soldiers from the Yang family are rushing here, and other major families' private armies, more or less, are also gathering in Boling with their own provisions.

Soon, Boling will become a large military camp.

Such a large-scale gathering, with such formidable military power, has only occurred once in hundreds of years: more than three hundred years ago, when everyone set aside their disputes and united to overthrow the Dayong Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)