Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 242 Aid means no money; business is about making money!
Liyang, Li Shimin's military camp.

"Brother Zihou."

Li Erfeng, beaming with joy, warmly stepped forward to greet you, saying, "Since you left, I have missed you day and night, wishing I could fly back to Chang'an to find you immediately."

There was not the slightest bit of shyness, bashfulness, or embarrassment.

When Li Erfeng said these words, her expression was sincere and natural, and it was clear at a glance that it was a genuine expression of her feelings.

That's why I said, not just anyone can be the boss.

This charming and appealing attitude makes many people burst into laughter while talking about it.

Without making a sound, Lin Dao gestured to "sit down and talk."

The two took their seats, and all the civil and military officials of the Prince of Qin's mansion stood on either side.

Lin Dao bluntly asked, "Ying Zheng imprisoned his mother and killed his brother. What do you think of him?"

"The First Emperor swept across the eight wastelands and unified the six directions; he was a great ruler who governed the world with unparalleled power."

Lin Dao then asked, "Emperor Wu of Han killed his son and imprisoned his grandson, but spared the mother and kept the son. What do you think of him?"

"Emperor Wu of Han defeated foreign threats, secured the borders, expanded the empire to ten thousand miles, divided the country into feudal lords, stabilized the state, and brought the world under one rule. He was a great ruler. The personal virtues of a monarch are not worth mentioning in the face of his glorious military achievements."

Lin Daoxu asked, "As the emperor, what should be your foundation?"

"We must put the people first!"

Li Erfeng glanced discreetly at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were giving him meaningful looks.

"The people are the foundation of the nation."

"If the people are the foundation, then stability will be assured by Heaven."

During the time Lin Dao was away, the Qin Prince's think tank had been carefully analyzing him.

Every word and action he takes is carefully considered.

The final conclusion was that this person was selecting a wise ruler for the world.

He's very arrogant, and he does very boastful things.

But they really do have that skill!

Fang Xuanling's original words were, "The core principle that Lin Dao values ​​is that he values ​​the common people more than scholars!"

All responses should revolve around this core principle; otherwise, you'll be wrong.

What is your view on the Turkic and Tibetan peoples?

Li Erfeng's expression was solemn. "It must be quelled!"

"Regardless of strength or size, any external threat must be quelled."

"The troubles that have plagued China for centuries are still vivid in my mind."

"Learn from the mistakes of the past to guide the future."

Similarly, the deductions from the strategists of the Qin Prince's mansion suggest that Lin Dao harbors hatred towards the Hu people.

How should we view aristocratic families and powerful clans?

Li Erfeng pondered for a moment, then said, "They will break apart and disintegrate, spreading from their fixed locations to various places."

"Those who possess both virtue and talent should be employed, while those who only care about the interests of their families should be discarded!"

Lin Dao shook his head, and Li Erfeng and the others immediately felt a pang of anxiety.

"It can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause."

"There will eventually be a chance to rise again."

Lin Dao proposed that "education is very important in breaking the monopoly of knowledge held by aristocratic families."

What do you think of compulsory education for school-age children?

Li Erfeng, who had been calm and composed, was stunned.

I can understand each word he says individually, but I can't understand them when they're put together.

"Compulsory education? School age?"

Lin Dao explained, "The school age is for children, and compulsory education is to enable all children to read, write, and learn knowledge."

An uproar immediately erupted inside the tent.

This suggestion is really, really.
"Why are you so excited?" Lin Dao shrugged. "Isn't this a good thing?"

“Of course it’s a good thing.” Li Erfeng scratched her head, dandruff flying everywhere. “But firstly, there aren’t enough teachers, and secondly, there aren’t enough money, food and supplies.”

"Being a schoolteacher is simple."

Lin Dao shared his experience: "Run night schools in the army to teach soldiers to read and write."

“They were soldiers of the local government. When they were not fighting and went home, they naturally became teachers in various places.”

As for the money, food, and supplies you mentioned.

Speaking of this, Lin Dao bluntly stated, "The Tang Dynasty bestowed so much land and wealth upon nobles and imperial relatives; any amount taken out would be enough to promote compulsory education."

These words made everyone's faces turn sour.

Li Yuan's lavish rewards infuriated the civil and military officials fighting on the front lines.

The land and wealth they fought so hard to acquire ended up in the hands of those worthless scoundrels.

Not to mention the short-tempered military officers, even the civil officials were cursing.

Even Li Shentong, a true member of the imperial family, secretly kept crickets.

Previously, Li Yuan had actually issued an edict transferring the land that Li Erfeng had given to Li Shentong to the family of his favorite concubine.

This move is truly speechless.

Your cousin, who has troops and is fighting abroad, is not as good as your women, Li Yuan?
"This matter..." Li Erfeng was also dissatisfied, but she couldn't show it.

He is a person who values ​​his reputation.

Lin Dao stood up, and all eyes fell on him.

"Return to Chang'an as soon as possible," he instructed Li Erfeng, "and take back what rightfully belongs to you."

"I will provide you with assistance once you succeed."

"Besides aid, there's business."

Suppressing her joy, Li Erfeng hurriedly asked, "Brother Zihou, where do you intend to go?"

"Go find Liu Heita."

Lin Dao glanced at him and said, “For those who are unwilling to live in the Tang Dynasty, I will offer them a new path.”

After he left, Li Erfeng hurriedly looked at Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui and asked, "How did it go?"

Fang and Du nodded in unison, "It's done!"

Li Erfeng was overjoyed and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Alright, now we just need to wait for Master Lin's help."

"It would be best to give them another batch of bicycles. Tens of thousands of people riding bicycles, carrying provisions and military supplies, can run faster than cavalry."

"Wouldn't it be better to have a ball car that breaks through the city walls? No city wall can withstand that."

"What does Lin Zihou mean by 'business'?"

"I understand. Aid means no money, and business is about making money!"

Fang Xuanling walked to Li Erfeng's side. "Prince Qin, Daoist Lin intends to push you to the throne as soon as possible." "I know."

Li Erfeng frowned. "But what about Father Emperor...?"

"King Qin!" Qin Qiong, who was on duty today, came in to report, "An imperial edict from Chang'an has arrived."

Li Erfeng was puzzled. They had already returned to the capital in triumph, so why was there still an imperial edict on the way?

As for the reward, we'll discuss that when we get back.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, everyone wore strange expressions.

"I never imagined that Master Lin would accomplish such a great feat in Chang'an!"

Investigating Lin Dao's background will inevitably lead to the Qin Prince's Mansion.

The identities and guarantors all belong to the Qin Prince's Mansion; this connection cannot be severed in any way.

With the palace stormed, his beloved concubine killed, and his face swollen from being slapped, Li Yuan vented his anger on his second son.

He ordered Li Erfeng to return to the capital immediately to provide an explanation.

"His Majesty forbids the main army from entering the city, but only allows the household guards to enter."

Du Ruhui said with deep concern, "This is clearly a precaution against His Highness."

Li Erfeng asked calmly, "How many men are there in the Qin Prince's mansion, including the guards and retainers?"

"Eight hundred!"

Beizhou, Zhangnan County.

"It's so convenient to find people with a history book. You can tell where someone is from what period just by looking at it."

Upon arriving in Zhangnan County, Lin Dao hired people to inquire about Liu Heita's whereabouts and quickly found the village where he lived.

Liu Heita, who was growing vegetables in his own field, looked up, his intuition from the battlefield making him look up.

The armored man in front of him was immediately visible.

Liu Heita stood up and gripped the sickle tightly in his hand.

He knew this thing was useless against armored vehicles, but it was still better than fighting bare-handed.

Lin Dao walked up the ridge of the field and strode over.

When they were seven steps apart, he stopped and asked, "Do you want to spend your whole life growing vegetables in the fields?"

How could someone who has been on the battlefield and served as a renowned general possibly be willing to spend the rest of their life toiling in the fields?

Liu Heita took a breath and said, "I don't want to."

"Alright." Lin Dao nodded. "I'll grant you a great opportunity."

You are not just Liu Heita alone.

Besides him, there were also a group of former subordinates of Dou Jiande who had previously stepped down, including Fan Yuan, Dong Kangmai, Cao Zhan, and Gao Yaxian.

It took more than a month of effort to find them all and gather them together.

Some people came because they were obedient, while others came after being educated.

They gathered together, all puzzled and confused, not understanding what the strange armored man was trying to do.

"This is the official gazette of the Li Tang court."

Lin Dao tossed out an official document and said, "You can see for yourselves."

Among the crowd, some who could read stepped forward, picked up the official gazette, and read it aloud.

"~~~The Xia King has been beheaded?!"

The crowd was both shocked and furious.

Although I had a premonition, I was still furious when it actually happened.

It's not that they were particularly loyal to Dou Jiande.

More than anything, they are worried about their future.

Wang Shichong died, and almost all of his generals were killed.

Now that King Xia is dead, will his generals soon follow suit?

"I suppose you all know what your fate is about to be."

Lin Dao's gaze swept over the crowd. "Li Tang will not let you continue to live."

Fan Yuan immediately knelt down and bowed.

"We are willing to follow the Daoist Master as our leader and rise up against the Tang Dynasty!"

With someone taking the lead, the others who realized what was happening also bowed and expressed their loyalty.

This was originally Lin Dao's backup plan.

Even though they're no longer needed, we still need to find a way out for these people.

"Anti-Tang means a major war."

"At that time, the two armies will fight back and forth, and the people of Hebei will suffer greatly."

"Daoist Master!" Fan Yuan hurriedly spoke up, "Daoist Master possesses immortal magic and a mechanical beast that can move on its own without being pulled by oxen or horses. We will surely win!"

Everyone offered words of advice, hoping that Lin Dao would lead them to a counterattack against Li Tang.

"The people in various places have settled down and are living a peaceful life with land distributed equally. How can we start a war now?"

Lin Dao shook his head. "I gathered you all together to find a way out for you."

Liu Heita and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. The Li Tang dynasty had already gained control of the country; what other way out could they possibly have?

"Go to sea."

"Go to Japan."

Lin Daoyan said, "The territory of Japan is larger than the land of Hebei."

"The land is fertile, and the grain yield is very high."

"There are many minerals in the mountains, either gold or silver."

"They are all short and have little fighting ability; they can be easily defeated."

“You can gather people who are dissatisfied with the Li Tang dynasty, and I will send you to Japan.”

"Slaughter all the male monkeys, and everyone will get hundreds of acres of land, and countless Japanese women."

"Isn't this better than farming and selling vegetables here?"

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

Going abroad these days is no easy feat.

"May I ask, Master?" Liu Heita asked, "Is Japan really that easy to defeat?"

After all, it's not that easy to call a country.

Lin Dao's figure disappeared.

When it reappeared, it was surrounded by armor, weapons, food, and supplies.

"With my help, they're just a bunch of monkeys!"

"Don't tell me you can't even beat a monkey!"

(End of this chapter)