Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 235 Wei the Big Mouth
'Swish swish swish swish~~~'

Watching Lin Dao take out his notebook and quickly write on it.

Li Erfeng was extremely anxious!
Although it's unclear what exactly was written in that little notebook.

But he could sense that this was important.

It could even influence Lin Dao's attitude towards himself and the Tang Dynasty.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Li Erfeng immediately rebuked, "That was just a temporary measure, and it was merely a matter of addressing each other as brothers!"

"Hahahaha~~~"

Dou Jiande, in a state of utter despair, laughed incessantly, "Do you even believe that yourself?"

Historically, the Turks were divided into the Eastern and Western Turks by Emperor Yang Guang.

After that, he was beaten so badly by Li Erfeng that even his own mother couldn't recognize him, and he completely collapsed.

From this perspective, the Turks seem quite weak.

In reality, the Turks, among the border troubles faced by successive dynasties, held a position of strength that was among the top three and aspired to be the best.

Especially at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when the country was in chaos, tens of millions of people were killed, and most of them were killed.

Not only has the strength of the Central Plains declined sharply, but it is also in a state of fragmentation.

Any power that came close to the Turks basically had to fawn over them.

Otherwise, if hundreds of thousands of Turkic cavalry were to attack, they would truly be unable to withstand it.

The eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother for acknowledging his submission.

The various warlords in the north have all been involved in some of these conflicts, and some were even directly supported by the Turks.

Dou Jiande wanted to say something more, but Lin Dao had already put away his paper and pen and stood up.

He looked at Li Erfeng and asked, "Who decided on the matter of submitting to the Turks?"

This question left Li Erfeng extremely embarrassed.

It had to be his father, Li Yuan, who did it; no one else had the right to do it.

But Li Erfeng couldn't talk about her father.

This is when the abilities of your subordinates become apparent.

When Luoyang was captured, Du Ruhui, who was escorting grain supplies, stepped forward to explain, "At that time, the Turks posed a great threat. To avoid being attacked from both sides, Your Majesty was forced to comply and never truly regarded yourself as a subject."

"His Highness the King of Qin was strongly opposed at the time."

"Unable to gain the support of the Crown Prince and the court officials, His Highness the Prince of Qin was isolated and powerless, and had no choice but to accept the situation."

The main point is mentioned, the lord is ignored, and the crown prince is taken aback.

Du Ruhui certainly had no problem with that kind of eloquence.

Seeing Lin Dao take out paper and pen to write and draw again, everyone breathed a sigh of relief for no apparent reason.

Li Erfeng didn't delay and waved her hand, ordering Qin Qiong and the others to take Dou Jiande away.

"Hold on."

Lin Dao instructed, "Prepare drinks and dishes. I'll bring your uncle and the others back for a late-night snack."

The night was dark and the wind was high; the world was shrouded in darkness.

On the city wall of Mingzhou, laborers patrolled back and forth with heavy steps.

Soldiers need to rest to conserve their strength for battle.

Night patrols were performed by laborers who had no social standing whatsoever.

"There seems to be a sound in the sky."

"Bird~"

"There really is a sound, wow~"

It's a bird!

"I'm so scared~~~"

"Shut up!"

After a flurry of punches and kicks, the city wall finally fell silent.

As the laborers carrying torches gradually walked away, this section of the city wall quickly fell into darkness.

Not long after, with a soft thud, the grappling hook was shot up and fell onto the city wall.

The hanging rope was pulled back, and the grappling hook firmly gripped the battlement.

Before long, amidst the sound of gears turning, Lin Dao, wearing infrared night vision goggles and dressed in gray, reached the city wall.

After packing up, we slid into the city from the other side of the city wall.

The relevant structural maps of Mingzhou City were already recorded during the daytime drone reconnaissance.

Lin Dao skillfully avoided the city's night patrols and successfully approached the villa.

The villa was inhabited by Li Shentong, Prince of Huai'an, Princess Tong'an, and Li Gai, the father of Li Shiji.

Li Gai was originally surnamed Xu, but because his son was granted the surname Li, he also changed his surname to Li.

That's right, the father changed his surname to follow his son's.

There was nothing we could do; it was the imperial surname bestowed upon us.

Besides these individuals, Wei Zheng, also a prisoner of war, was recruited by Dou Jiande as a personal attendant and was also present.

In the past, Wei Zheng would never have dared to come so late.

But now the city is in chaos, and nobody cares about him anymore.

"Erlang will never abandon me or disregard me!"

Princess Tong'an said with certainty, "He is a good boy."

None of the men spoke.

They considered more than the princess.

At the very least, if I were in the position of the King of Qin, I would absolutely not use Dou Jiande to exchange for hostages.

Dou Jiande, that's the whole of Hebei.

Use the entire Hebei region to exchange for hostages?
Are you crazy?!
But these words really cannot be said.

In the awkward atmosphere, Li Shentong managed to say with difficulty, "It is indeed difficult for Erlang."

Undoubtedly a difficult situation.

On one hand, there are tangible benefits; on the other hand, there is reputation.

Difficult, difficult, difficult~~~
"How difficult is this?"

Wei Zheng bluntly stated, "To avoid putting the King of Qin in a difficult position and disrupting the nation's grand plan."

"We should set an example!"

After these words were spoken, the room became even quieter.

Li Shentong and the others looked increasingly grim.

Wei Zheng's meaning was simple: commit suicide.

If I commit suicide, then I won't have to trouble anyone.

But who the hell wants to die?!
That guy really knows how to talk!
Wei Zheng snorted and was about to speak.

Just then, the door was suddenly opened.

Everyone was shocked, thinking that Liu Heita had sent people to arrest them.

Wei Zheng gripped the hilt of his sword, intending to send the prince and princess on their way first, so as not to jeopardize the Tang Dynasty's grand plan to unify the world.

By the dim candlelight inside the room, everyone saw the strange man standing at the door.

"Multi-eyed monster~~~" Princess Tong'an screamed, startling everyone.

Lin Dao, wearing four-eyed night vision goggles, spat and took out the Qin King's Decree.

"At the request of the King of Qin, I will rescue you from the city. Come with me."

Without offering any further explanation, Lin Dao turned and left.

The people inside the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li Shentong gritted his teeth and was the first to stand up.

Li Gai followed closely behind, followed by Princess Tong'an.

Wei Zheng was walking at the very back.

He had made up his mind that if he could not escape, he would definitely help the Prince save face.

We walked along the forest path, stopping and starting as we went.

Everyone was astonished.

This person was able to know the patrol route in advance and avoid all the patrol teams.

Could it be that one can foresee the future?

Logically, important hostages like Li Shentong should be under very strict guard.

However, the actual situation depends on the circumstances at the time.

With the Xia king captured, the city was in chaos.

Liu Heita insisted on fighting, but Cao Shi, Pei Ju, Qi Shanxing, and others insisted on surrendering.

Tensions were already high among their own people, and infighting was extremely fierce.

The guarding of Li Shentong and others inevitably became lax.

They will only take it seriously once they reach a consensus internally.

Arriving at the foot of the city wall, the forest path was equipped with a hook-and-lock slide, and with the sound of motors turning, the group was sent up to the top of the city wall one by one.

There was little nightlife in ancient times, no streets full of vehicles, and no KTVs or barbecues.

At night, apart from the barking of dogs, the chirping of birds, and the croaking of frogs, there was only the sound of the night watchman's gong.

The sound of the electric motor attracted the attention of the night patrolman.

But when they arrived, all they saw were two ropes connecting the inside and outside of the city wall, and something they couldn't understand.

A human shadow?
There wasn't a soul in sight.

"Uncle~~~"

"Auntie~~~"

Inside the Tang army camp, Li Erfeng slid to her knees, hugged her aunt's legs, and wept bitterly, "Erlang, you're too late~~~"

There's not much to say; what followed was a scene of family reunion, embracing and weeping.

All the generals were greatly amazed and impressed by Lin Dao.

He single-handedly entered the enemy city and rescued everyone without making a sound.

This skill is truly admirable.

Mingzhou is not some unknown small county town.

This is Dou Jiande's stronghold, and it is still in a state of war.

That's truly admirable.

"My benefactor~~~"

Li Shiji also slid down and knelt down, bowing to Lin Dao.

"I will never forget your great kindness and grace. Please accept my bow, my benefactor!"

His father, Li Gai, was also rescued incidentally, which finally put his mind at ease.

After all, what would Li Shiji do when Liu Heita actually hanged his father on the city wall?
Disloyalty, or filial impiety?
Disloyalty is unacceptable, but being unfilial will make you the target of public criticism.

Lin Dao helped him solve the problem.

I can take it even if my scalp is bruised from being kowtowed.

After a performance that was half acting and half genuine emotion, everyone entered the main tent.

Various drinks and dishes had already been prepared to welcome Li Shentong and his companions and help them calm their nerves.

"Brother Zihou."

Li Erfeng took Lin Dao's arm and pulled him forward, saying, "Please take a seat!"

If you can save someone silently, you can also kill someone silently!
Such powerful individuals with extraordinary abilities can only be eliminated or won over by any means necessary.

Lin Dao, without hesitation, sat down in the seat of honor.

The most senior members of the family, Li Shentong, was Li Yuan's cousin, and the other was Li Yuan's sister. They sat on either side of him.

The two of them were the first to toast Lin Dao, expressing their gratitude.

Then Li Gai, accompanied by his son Li Shiji, stepped forward to offer a toast to Lin Dao, expressing their gratitude for saving their lives.

Finally, it was Wei Zheng who stepped forward alone.

"Wei Zheng, thank you for saving my life, my benefactor!"

Lin Dao, who had been just smiling and nodding, finally spoke up.

"You are Wei Zheng?"

The once cheerful and lively tent suddenly fell silent.

Everyone was surprised.

When the prince and princess offered them a toast, they simply nodded.

Why did Lin Dao respond to such a minor official?

A glint flashed in Li Erfeng's eyes as she stared intently at Wei Zheng.

Lin Dao stepped forward with a wine glass in hand and helped him up, saying, "No need to be so polite."

“You’re capable; I’m glad I was able to rescue you.”

The smiles of Li Shentong and Princess Tong'an were somewhat awkward.

Doesn't this mean we're incompetent?
Lin Dao hadn't finished speaking when he said, "If I had known you were also trapped in the city, I would have gone to rescue you long ago."

A commotion immediately erupted inside the tent.

It's unbelievable that such a cold and aloof person, who even ignored the King of Qin, would value this minor official so much.

Li Erfeng's eyes were already shining like lamps.

They wished they could see right through Wei Zheng's heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys!
While drinking with Wei Zheng, Lin Dao turned his head and glanced at Li Erfeng.

Li Erfeng immediately understood.

He immediately stood up and came over with his wine glass.

"Shimin is late, causing you distress, sir. You should be punished~~~"

Wei Zheng repeatedly said he dared not.

After finishing his drink, Li Shimin immediately said, "I wish to appoint you, sir, as the chief clerk of the Prince of Qin's residence. I request your assistance!"

Wei Zheng respectfully returned the greeting, "Thank you for your high regard, Your Highness!"

Lin Dao's special regard for Wei Zheng changed his fate.

Instead of going through the transition of relying on Li Jiancheng, they directly joined Li Erfeng's ranks.

It seems that Li Erfeng will soon be facing verbal attacks from Wei, a few years ahead of schedule.

(End of this chapter)