Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 195 Bastards, Here I Come! (Bonus Chapter by Silver Alliance Leader Warm Sun 1314)

The leaden clouds hung low, as if stained with ink.

A cold wind is rising, and the air is slightly chilly.

"The Jurchens have arrived, and the weather has turned bad."

Looking up at the darkening sky, Lin Dao stopped his electric scooter.

The buildings along the side of the road caught his attention.

Left Treasury.

This is where the wealth from all directions is received; it is the national treasury.

The Song Dynasty was probably the most economically developed dynasty in history.

Its tax collection ability is also outstanding, with an annual income of tens of millions of strings of cash.

Of course, all kinds of goods, such as grain, cloth, and copper coins, are converted together.

"Strong trunk and weak branches".

Lin Dao strode toward the Left Treasury, saying, "All the wealth in the world is concentrated in the capital."

"As a result, the enemy broke into the city, and all the accumulation of a century became the spoils of war for others."

"The Northern Song Dynasty did the same, and the Southern Song Dynasty did not learn from that lesson, and still created Hangzhou."

"Wanyan Gou is not in Hangzhou."

"He's lucky."

The Left Treasury Deputy Envoy led the treasury guards to stand watch here.

Upon seeing the armored soldiers approaching, they immediately stepped forward to stop them.

"This is a heavily guarded area; trespassing is strictly prohibited!"

His response was a large foot.

The guards were terrified and rushed forward, brandishing clubs, knives, and spears.

"You guys are really brave."

Lin Dao also exclaimed, "They dare to face armored soldiers; their courage is far superior to that of the Imperial Guards."

The Imperial Guards, who were terrified and collapsed at the sight of just over ten Jurchen riders, were no easy task.

With punches and kicks, in just a few breaths, a group of Cudins were knocked to the ground.

At this point, the Kuding who were further away all retreated in fear, and no one dared to go up again.

The enemy is impervious to swords and spears, how can we fight them?

Zuozangku is a vast architectural complex.

The inner courtyard is surrounded by walls and has numerous guard posts.

Numerous warehouses, large and small, housed various taxes and levies sent from all over the world.

"you."

Approaching the pale-faced deputy envoy, he said, "Take me to the gold and silver vault."

The deputy envoy's lips trembled slightly. "This is a capital offense."

"The yamen runners and soldiers are looting and plundering people's homes in the outer city, stealing their wealth." Lin Dao said in a muffled voice, "I've come to see if the imperial court is really out of money and has resorted to robbing the people."

The deputy envoy remained silent, his face resolute.

"He is a rare find who is truly dedicated to his duties."

Lin Dao smiled, turned around and found a storekeeper, "Take me to the gold and silver vault."

Not everyone is as dedicated to their duties as the deputy envoy.

Standing before the vault of gold and silver, gazing at the thick, copper-clad gate and the chains as thick as a baby's arm.

Lin Dao looked at the guide, Kuding, and asked, "The key?"

"Stop dreaming."

The deputy envoy, who had struggled to his feet and followed, shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Only the chief envoy has the key to the vault."

He laughed along, "The envoy has long since disappeared."

"It would be a good thing if you could find it."

There is definitely a spare key, but there isn't time to look for it right now.

Lin Dao's figure suddenly disappeared.

Everyone was shocked!

Fu rubbed his eyes hard and tried to open them wide to look around, but he couldn't find any trace of Lin Dao.

"Ghost~~~"

The Cudins panicked and scrambled away.

The deputy envoy was also frightened and tried to run away with trembling legs.

The next moment, the armored man reappeared.

He was carrying a handheld metal cutter in his hand.

The cutting machine was started, and with a buzzing sound, the rotating wheel came into contact with the chain.

'Zzzzz~~~'

Fire splattered.

The thick chain was gradually cut deeper.

The smelting technology of that era was rudimentary, and the quality of the metals was far inferior to that of later generations.

The chains and locks fell together, and the heavy doors of the vault were slowly pushed open.

To prevent theft, these warehouses typically have only very small ventilation windows.

At this point, there was naturally no light inside.

Lin Dao put down the cutting machine, took out a flashlight, and stepped inside.

The rows of iron racks were completely empty.

The gold and silver accumulated over a century in the Northern Song Dynasty have vanished without a trace.

"Some time ago."

After recovering from his initial shock, the deputy envoy followed him inside. "The Emperor has been detained in the military camp by the Jurchens."

"The gold, silver and silk stored in the Left Treasury and the Inner Treasury have all been sent to the Jin camp to be exchanged for the government."

"What kind of ruler is this, a king who has lost his country?" Lin Dao snorted twice. "Why would I save him?"

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) and his son Emperor Huan of Song were truly two of a kind, both being incompetent rulers who brought about the downfall of their kingdoms.

"Big, bold~"

The deputy envoy was furious and exclaimed, "How dare you slander the Emperor!"

Lin Dao ignored him, turned around, went out, picked up the cutting machine, and returned it.

When it reappeared, it left immediately.

"this."

The deputy envoy caught up, panting, and asked, "May I ask how I should address you?"

Lin Dao ignored him and continued walking.

"If you are a celestial being," the deputy envoy cried, "please use your supernatural powers to save the Song Dynasty from this dire situation!"

Lin Dao finally stopped and turned to look at him.

"Why?"

"Why should we save a court that plunders the wealth of the people to pay reparations, binds the wives and daughters of the people with ropes, and sends them to entertain the rich and powerful?"

"Why should we save a court that is besieging the city, dares not resist, and is eager to surrender?"

"A small group of people destroyed the lives of millions, why should we save them!" "If I were to save people, I would only save ordinary people."

"As for your Song Dynasty, it should be swept into the dustbin of history!"

"I will make your officials and ministers pay with their lives!"

Seeing that the deputy envoy was still able to perform his duties faithfully despite the chaotic situation, Lin Dao had the opportunity to say a few more words to him.

This is to praise his work attitude, but that's all.

With a flick of his snow-white cloak, Lin Dao strode away.

The plume on the helmet swayed in the wind, making him look dashing.

The deputy envoy collapsed to the ground, covering his face with his hands and weeping.

"Even immortals are unwilling to save the Song Dynasty!"

"It's all over, everything's over~"

The electric cart traveled along the Imperial Street, all the way to Xuande Gate.

Xuande Gate is also known as Xuande Tower.

It originated from the Qianyuan Gate of Bianzhou during the Tang Dynasty, and was renamed Xuande in the second year of the Mingdao era.

The main city gate has five gates, with towers built on both sides.

Xuande Gate is a magnificent and imposing building, a symbol of imperial power.

This is the main gate of the imperial city; once inside, you enter the inner palace.

This place was historically a hub for interaction between the emperors of the Song Dynasty and the people of Bianliang.

Many important ceremonies and rituals originated from this.

It's always bustling with traffic and people, making it a popular spot for taking photos in Jingkang Time and Space.

Nowadays, when cycling along the forest road, apart from the occasional patrol, there are no other civilians to be seen.

Many shops and residences along the street had their doors and windows tightly closed.

Upon seeing Lin Dao, the guards at the palace gates immediately stepped forward to stop him, shouting, "This is a heavily guarded area!"

'Puff puff puff puff~~~'

Lin Dao, riding an electric scooter, was firing his AUG with one hand while driving with the other, causing chaos and disarray in front of Xuande Gate.

Six or seven imperial guards were swept down, and the rest of the people scattered in panic.

The Imperial Guard, composed entirely of sons of military and noble families, members of the imperial family and wealthy households, and even those who bought their places, was all show and no substance; they had no fighting ability or courage whatsoever.

If the original imperial guards and palace guards from the early days of the Northern Song Dynasty were still around, they would have taken Huanglong Prefecture long ago.

The archers on the city gate tower just watched helplessly.

Watching Lin Dao ride his electric scooter into the palace, they did not fire a single arrow.

It's good enough that they're even here on guard duty.

If there are no rewards, who would risk their lives?
Lin Dao stopped the car and bent down to pick up the magazine that had fallen to the ground.

He intended to change the magazine with one hand, but unfortunately, his skills were lacking and he dropped it on the ground.

There was no other way but to stop and replace it.

"You need to practice more in the future."

Looking at the palace gates and main hall ahead, Lin Dao took a breath.

"You little bastards, I'm coming!"

Inside the Daqing Hall, the Emperor, the Retired Emperor, and a host of civil and military officials waited anxiously.

"Fan Qiong is such an incompetent fellow!"

"No matter what the Jurchens say or want, they must at least send a message."

“He’s a mere novice, what rules can you expect him to know?”

"We have not raised enough funds; we do not know if the Jin people will be satisfied."

"Alas, I only hope that the Jurchens will leave soon."

The ministers were all deeply afraid of the Jurchens.

No one dared to step forward to receive the Jurchen envoys, so the task was simply delegated to the military man Fan Qiong.

But no news came for a long time, and everyone was inevitably anxious and flustered.

The retired emperor sat there expressionless, like a statue.

After he abdicated, his power waned day by day.

In particular, the killing of Cai Jing and others, and the death of Gao Qiu and others from illness, resulted in the complete elimination of all his trusted and important officials, leaving him with no one to command.

He has now become a true mascot.

It seems that he would have died peacefully after the Jurchens left for the north.

Zhao Ji glanced at his son Zhao Huan, who also had no expression on his face.

'When he was the crown prince, he was humble, obedient, timid, and cowardly—he really knew how to act!'

'If I had known you were such a heartless scoundrel, I should have locked you up against the wall back then!'

I thought Zhao Huan was a cowardly and incompetent man.

By abdicating the throne to him, he could still retain power, while Zhao Huan would take the blame.

Unexpectedly~ Unthinkable~
He was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing!
Zhao Huan paid no attention to the ministers' quarrel, and even less noticed the Emperor Emeritus's inner turmoil.

He kept thinking about the terrible scene of being detained in the Jin camp some time ago.

I'm so scared I don't even dare to sleep.

'If the Jurchens find the gold and silver insufficient, then they will conduct a city-wide search, confiscating not only the common people but also the homes of the wealthy and nobles. No matter what, they will gather enough gold and silver.'

'If you're not satisfied with the women, then just send all the princes, ministers, and palace women over there!'

'No matter what, we must get rid of the golden man!'

Only then can I get a good night's sleep.

'Only if the Jurchens are willing to form a brotherly alliance can I truly secure my position.'

'If we could give the old man to the Jurchens to take away, that would be best.'

As everyone was lost in their own thoughts, they vaguely heard a commotion coming from outside the hall.

Geng Nanzhong, the imperial tutor, frowned in displeasure.

"What time is it? Stop making a scene here! You have no manners at all!"

No one spoke.

After the imperial treasury was emptied, even the Imperial Guards could no longer receive their salaries.

It's perfectly understandable for someone to cause trouble out of dissatisfaction.

Disputes over unpaid wages were something the Imperial Guards often did in the past.

I thought the noise outside would soon subside, but to my surprise, the commotion only grew louder and louder.

Occasionally, there were sounds similar to firecrackers exploding.

Geng Nanzhong, dressed in purple robes, was furious. He tucked his scepter into his belt and strode toward the palace door, intending to reprimand the troublesome imperial guards.

The heavy palace doors were slowly pushed open.

Before Geng Nanzhong could even step outside, a series of firecrackers went off.

All the people saw was Geng Nanzhong trembling all over, shaking violently like a leaf.

The next moment, he fell backward onto the gold brick.

A large amount of blood gushed out, staining his noble purple robe red!

(End of this chapter)