Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 237 Roujiamo and Yangrou Paomo
"Your Majesty~~~"

"Woooooo~~~"

Zhang Jieyu, dressed in a palace dress, fell to her knees in front of Li Yuan.

She tilted her head back, her once beautiful face now streaked with tears.

Li Yuan, who was drinking at the time, was immediately heartbroken.

He hurriedly helped Zhang Jieyu up and gently stroked her pretty face with heartache.

"What's going on here?"

"You previously mentioned requesting land in Luoyang for your father, and I have already granted it."

"Your Majesty~~~" Consort Zhang choked up, sobbing uncontrollably.

Consort Yin, standing to the side, covered her mouth and chuckled, "What's wrong, sister? Just talk things out. Crying and calling for His Majesty like that...!"

The dangers within the imperial harem have always been like this.

They can stab you in the back without you even noticing.

She glared at Consort Yin with hatred.

Consort Zhang finally managed to recount, albeit haltingly, "Your Majesty, my father was attacked by thieves on Zhuque Street and has already succumbed to his injuries!"

"Woooooo~~~"

"What?!" Li Yuan roared in fury. "Who has the audacity to assassinate a member of the imperial family on Zhuque Street?"

"Somebody come!"

"Summon the Right Martial Guard General immediately!"

Li Yuan immediately embraced Zhang Jieyu and comforted her, saying, "My beauty, rest assured, I will surely seek justice for you!"

He had no idea that the madman he casually dealt with was Lin Dao, the father of the emperor's favorite concubine.

They had now arrived outside the Qin King's mansion.

Soldiers stepped forward to drive them away.

In the mansions of the powerful and wealthy, you wouldn't even be allowed to enter; you'd be driven away just for peeking out the door.

The people being driven away weren't security guards, but armored soldiers.

"I'm here to deliver a message."

Lin Dao took out the letter and handed it over.

The soldiers were startled to see that it was a letter from the King of Qin.

They hurriedly invited Lin Dao inside.

"The letter has been delivered, and I have fulfilled my request."

Having said that, he turned and led his horse away.

By the time Changsun Wuji finished reading the letter and rushed out, Lin Dao had already disappeared.

Leading the horse, I strolled through the vast city of Chang'an.

Lin Dao admired this city, which can be called a cultural symbol.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty had not yet entered its period of prosperity.

Yet the city was still bustling with people and lined with shops.

Especially in the East and West markets, there were countless merchants and customers.

Lin Dao ate a flatbread in the East Market and also sold his horse.

In the West Market, I met many merchants from various parts of the Western Regions and bought a pot of Sanlejiang (a type of fermented beverage) to drink.

We strolled around until dusk, when the various neighborhoods began to close and shut down, before finally heading to Yonghe Time and Space.

“Ling Jiang.”

Lin Dao called to Xie Daoyun, who was soothing the child, "Try this."

Curious, I took the Sanlejiang and drank a sip; it tasted pretty good.

Xie Daoyun asked softly with a smile, "Lin Lang, is something on your mind?"

"It's not that I have something on my mind."

Lin Dao sat down to the side, fiddling with the tiger-head shoes and various children's clothes that Xie Daoyun had made herself. "I was just thinking about how to easily understand a person."

“Living people, not those recorded in books.”

“That’s easy,” Xie Daoyun said, gently rocking the cradle. “Just listen to their reputation and observe their actions.”

"As you know, reputation is something that can be easily faked."

"Then listen to the people who don't lie, and hear their word of mouth."

Seeing that the child had fallen asleep, Xie Daoyun breathed a sigh of relief and got up, saying, "A person who is busy making a living all day long and worries about the next meal is unlikely to be faking it."

She stepped forward to help Lin Dao take off his clothes.

"Lin Lang, I love children so much~"

"I'd like to have another one!"

Lin Dao's eyes flickered slightly. "Actually, my daughter is great. I like her very much."

What he said next was cut off.

The next day at noon, Lin Dao appeared in an alley outside the West Market of Chang'an City.

Upon entering the West Market, Lin Dao found a shop selling Hu Bing's products.

“This young man.”

The shopkeeper greeted us warmly, "How many sesame cakes would you like?"

"Shopkeeper," Lin Dao said, finding a stool to sit on. "How's business?"

"This~~~"

The shopkeeper was puzzled, unable to understand what this person intended to do.

"It's just about making a living."

The shopkeeper casually replied, "I don't make much money."

Lin Daoxiao asked, "One hundred coins a day?"

The shopkeeper casually replied, "There aren't that many."

Even if it's one hundred coins.

"That year it was thirty or forty strings of cash."

Lin Dao opened his travel bag and took out several silver ingots.

"Here's about three hundred taels of silver. How about I sell you your shop?"

In the early Tang Dynasty, currency was scarce, but purchasing power was very strong.

The exchange rate between silver and copper coins was roughly one string of cash to one tael of copper coin.

Three hundred strings of cash is undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

The shopkeeper stared at the silver ingots on the table, his hands trembling slightly.

After a moment, he still shook his head and refused.

“Young man, this shop was passed down from my father. We’ve been selling flatbread here since the Sui Dynasty. We dare not sell our family business.”

Lin Dao bent down and took out a few more silver ingots, placing them on the table.

"Six hundred taels."

The shopkeeper nodded emphatically, "Success!"

Six hundred strings of cash!

He worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk selling flatbread, but his daily profit was barely a few dozen coins.

How much does a house cost in Chang'an?
With this money, he could not only buy another shop to continue selling flatbread, but he could even buy another house in the market.

This is a business opportunity that we certainly can't miss.

As for the family-owned shop~
I imagine my father, even in the afterlife, would smile and agree.

Upon arriving at the city government office, I found the city magistrate, paid a fee, and completed the transfer procedures. This sesame seed cake shop, located in a relatively remote part of the West Market, was Lin Dao's.

The shop owner left with his personal belongings and family, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Two bewildered men were left behind.

"You didn't get paid?"

Both men shook their heads.

"Now we have it." Lin Dao nodded. "Ten coins a day, would you be willing to continue working here?"

"willing!"

During the Zhenguan era, a dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice cost only three or four wen (another unit of dry

Besides the significant increase in grain production, the most important factor was the lack of currency.

Prices were even higher during the Wude era, but there was still a shortage of currency.

Ten coins a day is quite a lot.

"Shopkeeper!" Both of them were overjoyed. "Don't worry, shopkeeper, the flatbreads we make will definitely be delicious."

"No more flatbreads."

Lin Dao shook his head. "From now on, this place will be used to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and yangrou paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup)."

"Each of you will learn one thing, and I will teach you."

The sesame seed cake shop closed for two days, and many regular customers expressed their dissatisfaction.

Fortunately, it finally opened on the third day.

The rich aroma of meat wafted out, attracting many people to enter.

The fragrant braised pork was chopped on the cutting board and filled with a crispy baked bun, the aroma of meat permeating the wheat.

After blanching, the mutton is simmered in a large pot with bone broth, along with spices such as Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and fennel seeds.

Add a little chili oil, sugar, cilantro, and chopped garlic, then serve in a large bowl.

The aroma and presentation alone delight customers who enter the store.

It's a bit pricey, but people are still willing to eat it.

“It smells so good~”

"It's so delicious, but a bit pricey."

"This is all meat, of course it's expensive."

Lin Dao sat to the side watching.

The guests, while eating and drinking, casually shared all sorts of stories and news.

The main news circulating recently has been about the King of Qin.

"Dou Jiande was born with three heads and six arms, a blue face and fangs, could breathe fire, and had eyes like copper bells."

"Leading an army of 200,000, all riding tigers, leopards, bears, and wolves, they charged toward the King of Qin in a dark, imposing mass."

"The King of Qin showed no fear, riding his dragon steed and wielding an 800-pound spear, leading three thousand iron cavalry in a charge into the enemy lines~~~"

Lin Dao simply listened to such words with amusement.

"His Majesty ordered us to find the murderer, but where are we supposed to find him?"

"How can we find someone if we don't even know what they look like?"

"The Crown Prince was very angry and scolded the Right General of the Martial Guard."

"Tell me, why is the Crown Prince so concerned about Zhang Jieyu's father's accident?"

"That goes without saying, hehehe~~~"

The words of officials from the municipal government, the stabilization department, and the ever-normal stabilization department were somewhat useful.

Lin Dao seemed to be deep in thought.

"Could it be that the affair between Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, Consort Yin, and Consort Zhang is true?"

"Impossible! Given their status, how could they lack beautiful women by their side?"

Lin Dao had some vague guesses in his mind, but he couldn't be sure.

After closing up shop, Lin Dao went to Yonghe Time and Space and found Wang Meng.

After listening to Lin Dao's story, Wang Meng pondered for a moment.

He raised his head and said, "As the master said, matters of the heart between men and women are not worth mentioning."

"It seems they formed an alliance to defend themselves, supporting each other from both inside and outside."

"More importantly, the two sides should work together to influence that emperor."

Li Shimin's contributions were immense.

He conquered almost half of the Tang Dynasty.

His prestige in the military, the imperial court, and among the common people was too high, and he still held military power.

How could Li Jiancheng not be anxious?

Connecting with both internal and external forces, and winning over everyone who could be won over, became inevitable.

Wang Meng continued speaking.

"If we're talking about personal feelings, then perhaps there are some."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this gossip, Lin Dao became interested and asked, "Tell me more about it."

Wang Meng smiled and said, "This matter was likely initiated by the woman herself."

"The purpose is nothing more than to ensure greater security in the future."

"After all, for women, romantic relationships are the most important means for them to keep a man."

Lin Dao nodded. "I see."

Consort Yin and Consort Zhang were the ones who took the initiative.

As for the rumors about Li Shimin that followed, they were probably spread by them on purpose.

Lin Dao wasn't too concerned about matters of personal morality.

Most people treat it as gossip and gossip.

What he truly cares about is his attitude towards the people.

Attitude towards border troubles.

And, their attitude towards aristocratic families.

"My lord," Wang Meng said with a smile, "Ran Min and the others have sent another petition urging you to ascend the throne."

"Tell them to just focus on fighting the war."

Lin Dao shook his head. "We'll do it together when they return victorious from their western expedition."

"correct."

Wang Meng spoke again, "The Kong family has also sent someone to urge us to ascend the throne."

"the Kongs?"

Lin Dao scoffed, "We don't need them."

At this time, the Kong family was not yet the Duke Yansheng, and their influence was not as great as it would later become.

But Lin Dao knew all too well what disgusting things the Kong family would do in the future.

After a moment's thought, he instructed, "Arrange for the Kong family to divide its property."

“Arrange for them to go to various frontier regions to educate and civilize the barbarians.”

"Didn't Confucius say that education should be provided to all without discrimination?"

"Let the Confucius family teach the barbarians properly, so that they become knowledgeable and reasonable. From now on, they are not allowed to use weapons, but only to use words to preach great principles!"

"If the Kong family can do that, I will grant them a hereditary title of Duke Yansheng!"

(End of this chapter)