Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 191 The Golden Man's Good Friends

The ancient road stretches along a verdant, lush field; the beauty of Bianliang is like a poem.

However, in Lin Dao's eyes, Bianliang City was lifeless and gloomy.

The trees along the imperial road had withered down to their bare branches, their leaves and fruits long gone.

The moat was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items and garbage, and the stench was overwhelming.

The once bustling streets are now deserted and devoid of people.

Shops everywhere had their doors and windows tightly shut, and the place was deserted and silent.

"This road is quite wide."

As his gaze swept across the wide and long imperial road, the first thought that came to Lin Dao's mind was...

"One machine gun is enough to block the road."

He carried Li Shishi and got out of the driver's seat.

Lin Dao looked around and called out, "Are there any survivors?"

The shouts echoed, but no one responded.

Release Li Shishi and Lin Daoxian will send the Dayun heavy truck to Yonghe Time and Space.

The car body and tires were covered in too much blood, flesh, and debris; they needed to be washed.

At Yonghe Time and Space, there are dedicated staff responsible for washing cars along the forest road.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford to pay the wages of a car wash in the modern world; he was simply worried that they would call the police.

Walking along the Cai River, Lin Dao admired the surrounding scenery. "Is this the city depicted in the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' scroll?"

"My benefactor is also familiar with the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' scroll?"

Wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet, Li Shishi asked curiously, "It seems that Master Zhang's work has not been circulated outside."

Zhang Dajia, Zhang Zeduan.

A court painter at the Hanlin Painting Academy during the Northern Song Dynasty.

His most famous work is "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".

Lin Dao casually replied, "Immortals, of course they know everything."

"My benefactor~" Li Shishi wanted to ask about her fate, but was interrupted by Lin Dao's question.

"hungry."

Lin Dao stopped in his tracks. "Are there any restaurants nearby? I'd like to get something to eat."

As his physical fitness gradually improved, his appetite also increased.

Li Shishi was a native of Bianliang City. She looked around and pointed to a street not far away, "That's the former residence of Empress Mingjie. There's a Zhang family's fried dough shop next to it, and it's very delicious."

We arrived at the shop with its doors paneled up.

Lin Dao stepped forward and pounded on the door, the force of his hand making the door panel creak.

There was no movement inside.

"If you don't open the door, we'll tear it down!"

Lin Dao let out a roar, and finally there was movement inside the house.

The door panel was removed, revealing the gray-haired old man's frail and aged face.

Upon seeing the armored man outside the door, he was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

"Guests are coming."

Lin Daomai stepped inside and said, "I've heard that your fried dough cakes are quite good, so I came to try them."

The old man swayed as he got up, bowed, and said, "Good sir, our shop is closed for business today."

Looking around at the dimly lit house, Lin Dao found a chair and sat down.

"There's a smell of food coming from behind."

"Are you not doing business with me, or do you not want to do business with me?"

The old man's face hardened, and he bowed repeatedly, saying, "It was my foolishness, please forgive me, sir."

He walked towards the backyard. "This old man will go and get it right away."

"Let's go together." Lin Dao simply got up and followed. "Let's see your fried dough sticks."

The front of the shop is inconspicuous, but the backyard is quite large.

As far as the eye can see, there are dozens of large ovens, all busy making cakes.

The people who were busy working all looked frightened when they saw Lin Dao coming over.

In today's environment, Lin Dao, clad in full armor, is far more attractive than Li Shishi.

Lin Dao remained silent, simply observing the process of making the fried dough cakes.

The fried dough here is the same as fried dough sticks.

Depending on the filling, there are regular fried dough cakes, fried dough cakes with sugar, fried dough cakes with meat, etc.

It is made primarily from flour, salt, alkali, and oil, supplemented with brown sugar, eggs, honey, and minced meat.

Lin Dao, without any hesitation, asked directly, "Where did all these ingredients come from when the Jin army besieged the city?"

The people at the fried dough stall were unaware of Lin Dao's identity.

However, intimidated by its terrifying aura, they dared not respond.

“Reply to the hero.”

"The shop originally had a lot of reserves."

"You can still buy some rice, flour, and oil at the shops in the city, but the prices have gone up a lot."

Lin Dao nodded and asked again, "How long can the city's food reserves last?"

"This~"

The elderly man, nearing sixty, was visibly apprehensive when asked the question.

"I don't know, I don't know!"

According to previous research, the Jin army controlled Bianliang City for about four months.

Without the supply of goods from other places, countless people in Bianliang City, numbering over a million, starved to death in the past four months.

This is just the beginning. The Jurchens have only controlled the city gates and cut off all contact for a few days; the real difficulties lie ahead.

A knock came from the back door. "Zhao Yousan from Xianmiao Xiejie."

Someone came forward to open the door.

The man wearing a light gray linen jacket entered, and when he saw Lin Dao, he was so frightened that he turned around and tried to run away.

"return!"

Lin Dao shouted, "I have a few questions for you."

Zhao Yousan trembled with fear, bowing respectfully, "I'm just a pancake seller..."

"Why panic?"

Lin Dao stepped forward. "You sell cakes on Zoroastrian Street?"

"Yes Yes."

"How are the Lakers players living over there doing?"

Zoroastrian Temple Street was a gathering area for foreigners from Central Asia.

Zhao Yousan, on the verge of tears, repeatedly bowed, saying, "I'm just a pancake seller~"

Lin Dao stared at him. "Did those barbarians cause any trouble?"

“This…” Zhao Yousan trembled, “There are many people who buy cakes but don’t pay, and the government doesn’t care.”

The government offices were busy helping the Jurchens plunder resources and arrest women.

They had no mind to manage the city.

Lin Dao nodded.

Whenever the Central Plains fell into decline, these foreign barbarians would always seize the opportunity to cause trouble.

Although it's not something that can be done openly under the current circumstances, the harm it causes to the local people is immense. "Right now they're buying things without paying, but it won't be long before they start looting the area."

Lin Dao entered Bianliang City to find his teammates.

He couldn't possibly defeat hundreds of thousands of Jin soldiers all by himself.

If unconventional methods are used, innocent people may be harmed.

Recruiting staff became the top priority.

Of course, the imperial court was an enemy and no one was qualified to be his teammate.

If it weren't for the circumstances, Lin Dao would not have been willing to recruit people in the city.

Especially the people of Bianliang, the most prosperous city in the world.

First, we need to understand the situation in the city and see what they lack so that we can address the problem effectively.

Without a doubt, the most important thing is food.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Dao suddenly disappeared under the watchful eyes of everyone, some openly observing and others secretly watching.

This miraculous performance truly terrified everyone.

Some people who were busy baking pancakes even knelt down and shouted for Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Daoist Lord to bless them.

Before long, Lin Dao's figure reappeared.

Everyone in the courtyard knelt down, calling the immortal above.

The old man who opened the shop earlier had intended to add some seasonings to Lin Dao's fried dough cakes.

At this moment, he was so shocked that he could not speak and was terrified.

"Ah."

"The Central Plains suffered calamity, and foreign evils invaded."

Lin Dao also pretended to be an immortal, saying, "I cannot bear to see the people suffer from the pain of war, so I have come to eliminate the evil forces."

If the time and place were different, the troops would inevitably be mobilized first.

But this time there was no other way but to take a different approach.

He unzipped the travel bag he had brought, took out a silver ingot, and tossed it to Zhao Yousan.

Zhao Yousan, who was catching it in a flurry, felt that it was extremely heavy. Upon closer inspection, he exclaimed in surprise, "Silver, silver?!"

The main currencies used during the Northern Song Dynasty were copper coins and silk.

The large-scale use of silver occurred during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Although gold and silver are rarely used by ordinary people, their value is known to all.

One tael of silver could be exchanged for a little over one string of copper coins.

The silver ingot in Zhao Yousan's hand weighed at least several dozen taels.

"This is your reward."

Lin Dao spoke up, "Keep an eye on those Hu people."

"Report to me immediately if there is any unusual activity."

"Yes, yes!" Zhao Yousan grinned, clutching the silver ingot, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Rest assured, Immortal Master, I will definitely take care of it."

"Where shall I seek the immortal master?"

Lin Dao turned his head and looked at Li Shishi.

"Maqian Street, Jinqian Lane, the small building of General Fei's residence."

In the past, every nightfall, countless lights would be lit up in Bianliang City.

The entire city was brightly lit, as bright as day, and was known as a city that never sleeps.

Nowadays, standing atop Xuande Tower and looking out, the city appears like a ghost town, shrouded in darkness.

Only a very few places had a few lights on.

On the contrary, the outer city walls and gates were ablaze with lights, like a fiery dragon.

The retired emperor, standing atop the city wall, tightened his fox fur coat and sighed deeply.

"Your Majesty~"

The tall and handsome Qin Hui stepped forward to pay his respects and said, "Your ministers request that we discuss this matter in the Yanhe Hall."

"It is a meeting."

With a gaunt face, Zhao Ji managed a weak smile and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Qin Hui bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject dares not complain of hardship!"

"Let's go."

After descending from Xuande Tower, Zhao Ji proceeded to Yanhe Hall amidst a crowd of people.

Although it was already night, the important officials of the court were still discussing important matters in the palace.

Upon seeing the Emperor Emeritus arrive, the ministers displayed a variety of expressions.

The era of Zhao Ji has passed.

Almost all of his trusted ministers were dead, and Zhao Huan's group achieved final victory.

If the Jurchens hadn't invaded from the south, this retired emperor would likely have died peacefully not long afterward.
After the perfunctory formalities were completed, everyone began to discuss the important matters.

"Your Majesty."

Prime Minister He Li, who had just returned from his mission to the Jin camp, stepped forward to report.

"The Jurchens demanded ten million ingots of gold, twenty million ingots of silver, and ten million bolts of silk."

"Demanding ten thousand mules and horses!"

"Seeking 1,500 young and beautiful women~"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the hall.

Mules and horses are easy to find, but where can one find gold, silver, and silk?

With a grim expression, Zhao Huan managed to say with difficulty, "The treasury has been completely looted and given to the Jurchens."

Where can one find so much wealth again?

He Li said calmly, "The Jin people said that if we don't gather them all, they will let their troops into the city and take it for themselves."

"And~"

At this point, he looked at Zhao Huan and said, "The Jin people demand that Your Majesty enter the Jin camp for negotiations."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan broke out in a cold sweat, his heart filled with fear.

He was almost scared to death the last time he went to the Jin camp.

After countless twists and turns, he was finally released.

How could I dare to go now!

"Official!"

Geng Nanzhong, who served as the Left Prime Minister in his capacity as the Imperial Tutor, stepped forward solemnly and said, "At this critical moment, only by satisfying the demands of the Jin people can we make peace."

Li Bangyan, Li Zhuo, Zhang Bangchang, Feng Xie, Xiao Qing, Wang Shiyong, and others stepped forward to agree.

At a glance, apart from Qin Hui and a few others, all the ministers agreed with Geng Nanzhong's words.

"That's it."

Zhao Huan appointed Mei Zhili, Fan Qiong, and others to be responsible for looting gold, silver, and silk in the city, capturing women, and collecting mules and horses to send to the Jin people.

After the discussion ended, He Li spoke again.

The Jin people also said~~~

Zhao Huan and the others couldn't help but shudder upon hearing this.

"The Jurchens said, 'Hand over the iron carts that entered the city and the drivers.'"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Geng Nanzhong waved his hand impatiently, "Search quickly, and send the captured animals directly to the Jin camp!"

(End of this chapter)