Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 127 Illusion, All Illusions (Bonus Chapter by Silver Alliance Leader Nuanyang 1314)

"Hurry up!"

He wore a black gauze hat with a flat top and a double-ringed round-necked shirt.

The constables of Yingtian Prefecture, with their bestowed badges hanging from their waists, iron rulers slung over their shoulders, and knives and iron chains in their hands, moved swiftly across the stone slabs.

The constables' faces flushed red, their eyes filled with ecstatic joy.

The family that was raided and people arrested this time belonged to a very wealthy and famous man in Nanjing.

Lin Dongzhu, also known as Lin Wansan!
To say that someone is extremely wealthy is an insult to Master Lin.

Many people say that Mr. Lin has at least a million in assets.

In the home of such an ultra-rich person, even the bricks on the floor might be made of silver.

They could easily plunder enough to keep them entertained for a long time.

In the past, such good deeds were always the work of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This time, it was because Master Lin was a member of the eunuch faction. In order to prevent the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was controlled by the eunuch faction, from leaking information, the good thing happened to these constables of Yingtian Prefecture.

The opportunity to make a fortune was right in front of them, and they all rushed off like madmen.

At the street corner, a door was half-open.

The boy behind the door kept his eyes fixed on the bailiffs who were running past quickly, while silently counting in his mind.

A moment later, he turned to his companion and instructed him, "They are heading towards the teachers' house; there are seventy-two of them."

His companion nodded, then turned and ran.

He ran into the house, picked up the walkie-talkie on the table, and skillfully turned it on.

"01, 01, calling 01."

Amidst the buzzing sound, Lin Dao's slightly low response quickly came through the walkie-talkie.

“I am 01, say it.”

"This is Eagle Eye position number seven. There are seventy-two constables from Yingtian Prefecture. Quickly approach Eagle's Nest."

Lin Dao remained silent for a moment.

"Understood, continue to observe."

Lin Dao put down the walkie-talkie, sat in the chair, and closed his eyes.

"We underestimated the greed in human nature."

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest. "Actually, I'm greedy too."

"If it weren't for my greed for summer taxes and autumn grain, I wouldn't have had to endure this long."

"Jinling City should have been taken long ago."

This is not boasting; Lin Dao truly believes it.

It wasn't because he thought his own trained and trained elite guards were particularly capable, but because the garrison in Jinling City was utterly incompetent.

As for how bad it is...

Flip through history books and look at the records of Japanese pirates running rampant during the Jiajing era, less than a hundred years ago.

At that time, a few dozen Japanese pirates were able to rampage through Jiangnan and fight their way to the city of Yingtianfu.

The garrison, numbering 120,000, clashed with the Japanese pirates.

As a result, Commander Zhu Xiang was killed in battle, Deputy Commander Jiang Sheng was seriously wounded, and hundreds of Ming soldiers were killed.

The panicked defenders closed all the city gates, leaving dozens of Japanese pirates to swagger around outside the city.

And this is the fighting strength of the garrison of Yingtian Prefecture in the Ming Dynasty.

The defending army was so weak a hundred years ago, and it has not only failed to improve a hundred years later, it has become even worse.

Lin Dao had seen many of the garrison troops of Yingtian Prefecture.

On the pleasure boats, there were cooks, plate bearers, and deck wipers; craftsmen renovating the Jubaolou; peddlers and laborers on the streets; musicians playing instruments and singing in the gardens; farmers tilling the land and fishermen, and so on.

Just like the imperial guards of Bianliang during the Jingkang era.

They can do and do everything except fight.

As for the rumored 120,000 garrison troops...

In the early Ming Dynasty, the garrison in Yingtian Prefecture did indeed number over 100,000.

However, over the course of more than two hundred years, thanks to the concerted efforts of civil and military officials, most of the garrison troops have become centenarians receiving salaries on the military register.

The military register even includes veterans who are two hundred years old and still receiving salaries.

In reality, the number of truly usable troops inside and outside the entire city of Jinling was very limited.

That is, there were more than 10,000 people in the large and small training grounds, 2,000 in the Shenji Battalion, 3,000 in the Xunyou Battalion, and 5,000 in Xinjiangkou.

These are the core military forces of the entire city of Jinling.

Moreover, the army had long been in arrears with military pay, and the military households were busy working to make a living, so the drill grounds were overgrown with weeds and no one was training.

No wonder Lin Dao looked down on the Ming army.

This so-called army has absolutely no fighting power whatsoever.

Lin Dao opened his eyes and stood up.

He glanced over the group of young guards whose eyes were filled with a desire to make a name for themselves.

"Put on your armor!"

The inner lining is made of silk, and the outer lining is made of chainmail.

The outermost layer is a full set of lamellar armor made of countless steel plates linked together, as well as various auxiliary protective gear.

Leather boots, shin guards, groin guards, iron skirts, iron gloves, arm guards, shoulder guards, lamellar armor, neck guards, helmets, and face shields.

The entire set of equipment was ordered by Lin Dao from a machine shop in the modern world.

Although the average thickness is less than one millimeter, it is made entirely of carbon steel.

After heat treatment, it has extremely strong defensive capabilities.

The entire set of armor underwent polishing, cloud-patterning, sanding, and coloring.

The entire piece is predominantly dark blue-green, and also features laser-engraved inscriptions and graphics.

Lin Dao said it was for filming, and the manufacturer even added a white feather to every single helmet as a stylist~~~
In terms of appearance, it is so exquisite that it resembles a work of art.

In the Chongzhen era, it was still in the early stages of its development, so it was understandable that a large amount of capital was invested.

The blades clanged together, their sound crisp and clear.

With the assistance of the auxiliary soldiers, the young guards put on armor that was slightly too large for their size.

Only Lin Dao's personal guards were qualified to wear this kind of armor.

Rows of human-shaped tin cans stood like a forest.

The white feathers on the top of the helmet fluttered slightly in the wind, looking quite impressive.

"you."

Lin Dao, who was also dressed neatly, stood on the steps and asked, "Do you know why it's Bai Yu?"

The young guards remained silent, waiting for the instructor to continue.

"That's because we want to use the blood of our enemies to stain your white feathers!"

"During your leave in the camp, have you ever listened to storytellers recounting the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"

The guards nodded in agreement.

The lord forbade them from leaving the camp, and even more so from entering Jinling City.

During holidays, the most interesting pastime in the camp is listening to storytelling.

Among them, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the most popular.

"My favorite is Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong of Shi Changshan."

"White horse, white robe, charging in and out of Changban Slope seven times, what heroic spirit!" "Today, you will follow me on the expedition to rescue the suffering people."

Lindao clapped his hands.

Soon, Chen Yuanyuan and her entourage, along with a group of female relatives, came out.

Each of the women held a white silk robe in her hand and came to the young guards to drape it over their shoulders.

Dong Xiaowan, holding the white robe, came to Lin Dao.

Chen Yuanyuan and Li Xiangjun unfolded their white robes.

Dong Xiaowan tied it on for her.

After the women had left, Lin Dao slowly raised one hand.

"I will give each of you a white robe."

"May you all be as brave and skilled in battle as Zhao Zilong of Changshan, your battle robes stained with blood!"

He took a breath and exclaimed, "Victory!"

The young guards, their breathing quickening, raised their arms and shouted.

"Fight for the instructors!"

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!!"

"Victory!!!"

On the street, the large group of constables finally arrived at the gate of Lin Dao's house.

Even though they were exhausted from running all the way here, the sweat on their faces seemed to be smiling.

With wealth within reach, some people are already thinking about where to have fun that night.

The first thing to do is to have a big feast, and then find a concubine.
The imposing-looking constable stepped forward and slammed his hand on the gate.

He was already preparing to shout, "I'm here to arrest him!"

But with a hissing sound, the door slowly opened a crack.

There was no bolt on the door at all.

The constable was slightly taken aback, then his expression changed.

'Could it be that they received advance warning and ran away?'

He hurriedly raised his hands and pushed open the door.

The screen wall inside the gate was nowhere to be seen; instead, rows of heavily armored men stood before them.

A breeze blew, causing the white feathers on the armored man's helmet to tremble and his white robe to billow behind him.

The head constable stared blankly at the scene before him, his eyes wide and mouth agape, standing there dumbfounded and unresponsive.

A moment later, he took a step back and closed the door.

The constable standing in front of the gate rubbed his eyes hard.

"Hallucination, it's all an illusion."

The constable shook his head vigorously, his expression hardening once more.

He straightened his back and pushed the door open again.

He then stood there, motionless, like a statue.

The constables behind him looked at each other in bewilderment.

What's wrong with the constable?
It keeps turning on and off, what are you standing there daydreaming about?

A constable stepped forward and peered inside, only to find himself transformed into a statue.

More constables stepped forward.

Everyone who saw it was stunned.

Unable to see, they instinctively pushed forward, finally managing to open the door completely.

Everything inside was finally revealed to the constables.

"Team A controls the city gate."

"Team B controls the arsenal."

"Team C blocks the main traffic intersections."

"Team Leader Ding, assemble here."

"Each observation post shall continue to observe."

"All departments outside the city should gather at the upper gate."

After assigning the tasks, Lin Dao handed the walkie-talkie in his hand to the young bodyguard beside him.

He turned his head and looked at Chen Yuanyuan and the others.

He didn't speak, he just nodded.

He turned back, put on his helmet and fastened his face armor, and strode outside.

After watching Lin Dao leave the courtyard, the three women returned to the house and closed the door.

They sat around the chairs in silence.

A moment later, Dong Xiaowan raised her hand, took off the hairpin, and held it tightly in her hand.

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yuanyuan also took off her hairpin.

Li Xiangjun sighed helplessly, then took off the hairpin, its sharp point pointing at herself.

They didn't know what Lin Dao was going to do.

But a man going out fully armored can't be going to perform in a grand opera.

Possessing armor is a capital offense; so many sets of armor are enough to kill your entire family.

Under the terrifying system of collective punishment, if a man failed to achieve his goal...

The fate of these women will be extremely tragic, the kind that is unbearable to witness.

Rather than suffer pain and humiliation later, it's better to end it yourself.

Arriving at the front yard, Lin Dao glanced at the numerous constables blocking the entrance and gave a low shout.

"Kill out!"

Amidst a series of clanging sounds.

The armored soldiers, who had previously stood like statues, suddenly drew their swords and strode towards the terrified constables.

The one-sided fighting quickly ended, with dozens of constables lying dead in front of the door and on the street.

The tall, strong horses were led out, and Lin Dao skillfully mounted them.

Surrounded by a large group of armored soldiers, he rushed toward Jubaolou, which was just across the street.

The announcement over the walkie-talkie indicated that Ning Jinbo had personally led a team to search the premises.

Since this lord is acting so arrogantly, let's make an example of him first.

As they marched on, gates of courtyards opened one after another, and large numbers of armored soldiers came out to join the ranks.

When Jubaolou opened, Lin Dao was already making preliminary preparations for seizing the city.

He purchased several mansions and brought in soldiers from outside the city in batches to settle them.

At this time, the number of soldiers mobilized in the city exceeded one thousand.

Give him another two months, and he can settle several thousand people in.

On horseback along the forest path, I looked up at the sky.

The sun was shining brightly, and the weather was warm and pleasant.

It's a wonderful day that brings a fresh new look to the world!
(End of this chapter)