Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 362: I need to pay!
"So they're going to retreat?"

Seeing the bustling activity in the Han army camp, the experienced Lin Dao immediately realized that they were preparing to withdraw.

"The Xiongnu Chanyu's royal court has withdrawn its troops to the northern desert."

Slightly surprised, Wei Qing responded gently, "Our army is not well prepared, so we should withdraw to reorganize and prepare for battle again."

Lin Dao then asked, "What were the results of this battle in Mobei?"

Logically speaking, such information should not be easily leaked.

However, Wei Qing, who was known for his composure, hesitated for a moment before informing Lin Dao.

"The battle was very successful, with more than 10,000 Xiongnu killed or captured."

"Our army also suffered considerable losses, numbering close to 10,000."

He gave a rough figure.

As for the embarrassing events of the complete annihilation of General Su Jian's army and the defeat and surrender of General Zhao Xin, we will leave those aside.

"They only scratched the surface."

Based on the information he had read, Lin Dao concluded that it "didn't even qualify as a serious injury."

At this time, the Xiongnu ruled over tens of millions of square kilometers of land, including the Western Regions and even the North Sea.

Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, all recorded nomadic tribes, including the Gui Rong, Yi Qu, Yan Jing, Yu Wu, Lou Fan, Shan Rong, Xian Yun, Hun Zhou, Da Li, and others, became subordinates and slaves of the Xiongnu.

The Wuhuan, Xianbei, and other tribes that later became arrogant and domineering, repeatedly oppressing the Central Plains, were slaves to the Xiongnu.

Its population was about two million, with nearly 400,000 archers capable of fighting.

The quantity doesn't seem large; it's not even as much as what Bai Qi buried at Changping.

However, these were all cavalry, and with their superior mobility, eliminating them would be extremely difficult.

Just like in the Battle of Mobei, more than 100,000 Han troops launched a full-scale attack, but only more than 10,000 were captured, including the merits of Huo Qubing.

The generals all looked very uncomfortable.

This is tantamount to being told you are incompetent to your face.

Li Guang couldn't help but snort, "You're not a soldier, you don't understand these things, so don't talk nonsense."

His gaze swept over them, and Lin Dao asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Li Guang!"

"Oh," Lin Dao suddenly realized, "You're that lost marquis seeking a title!"

These words left everyone stunned.

At that time, the highest rank a military officer could achieve in the Han Dynasty was that of a marquis.

The title "Liehou" was originally "Chehou," but it was changed to "Liehou" to avoid using the name of the pig.

Seeking a title and honor is the dream of every military general.

But Lin Dao's casual remark about being lost broke Li Guang's guard.

He knew what getting lost meant, and he had indeed gotten lost when he led his troops out before.
"Wow yeah~"

Li Guang was furious and instinctively reached for his sword.

Fortunately, the crowd quickly grabbed him and comforted him.

Lin Dao, with his hand on the gun handle, was completely unconcerned, saying, "Only I can cure your ailment of getting lost and not being able to find the Huns."

"Instead of trying to please me, you want to resort to violence?"

"Serves you right for never being able to be a marquis!"

Lin Dao has experienced a lot, and has even served as an emperor, so naturally he doesn't need to give Li Guang any face.

Moreover, he was telling the truth.

Of course, the truth is hard to hear.

Enraged, Li Guang struggled fiercely, yelling, "Get out of the way! I'll fight him to the death!"

In his anger, he nearly threw off several generals who were holding him.

Fortunately, Huo Qubing, who was frowning, said, "With eyes that can see a thousand miles, we can find the traces of the Xiongnu on the vast grasslands."

"Searching for roads is naturally not a problem either."

"If that's the case, then Master Lin hasn't said anything wrong. Why does the general have to do this?"

Li Guang finally calmed down.

Thinking about it carefully, if one really had the help of a clairvoyant eye, the problem of not being able to find one's way might actually be improved.

Just moments ago the atmosphere was tense, but now they were too proud to ask for favors, leading to a brief awkward silence.

"My achievements in this battle are the greatest in the entire army." Huo Qubing took the initiative to invite Lin Dao, "Many thanks to your help, Daoist Master! Let us drink together!"

Lin Dao went drinking with Huo Qubing.

However, before leaving, he gestured to Li Guang.

It means you shouldn't expect my help.

What are your dreams?

"No." While drinking, Lin Dao simply asked Huo Qubing, "What are your ambitions and wishes?"

"This~"

Huo Qubing thought about it carefully and said, "I have been taught by the emperor since I was a child."

"The thing I wanted to do most in my life was to wipe out the great threat of the Xiongnu for the emperor."

"We trampled through the Xiongnu royal court, watered our horses at the North Sea, captured the Chanyu alive, and threw him down to the emperor's feet."

"Only in this way can we live a life without regrets."

These words resonated deeply, and his young face shone with confidence.

It wasn't just empty talk; he genuinely thought that way.

Staring at the young man's hopeful face, Lin Dao slowly nodded.

"If that's the case, then I'll help you achieve these goals!"

Although Huo Qubing in history did very well, he ultimately did not achieve all his goals.

Despite suffering heavy losses, the Xiongnu were not wiped out. In fact, they invaded China hundreds of years later, causing a great disaster.

His failure to capture the Xiongnu Chanyu was also a regret.

Ultimately, it wasn't that they lacked the ability to achieve it, but that they died too young!

After crossing the Great Wall, the various troops gradually dispersed and returned to their respective camps.

The generals headed straight for Chang'an.

Previously, the emperor's messenger, or angel for short, delivered the emperor's order: the generals should return to Chang'an to receive their rewards.

"The Emperor of the Han Dynasty".

Lin Dao, who was traveling with them, also exclaimed, "They are so generous!"

Without a doubt, the little pig is indeed a generous emperor.

In order to defeat the Xiongnu, he was willing to plunder the wealth of the world to supply his army for the war.

This martial spirit truly deserves his posthumous title.

The only regret is that after Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, we couldn't find any other generals who could fight.

"The Emperor intends to bestow a marquisate upon me." Huo Qubing, with an air of pride, said, "My military achievements are unparalleled in the entire army, and I should be granted the title of Marquis of Champion."

In this battle, Huo Qubing annihilated thousands of Xiongnu people.

Although it may not seem like much, it was actually a rare victory for the Han army, which had been suppressed for decades.

The Xiongnu people were actually very strong in combat.

Throughout Chinese history, they have definitely ranked among the top three threats from the north.

Eight hundred people taking down several thousand is truly impressive.

"Champion Marquis."

Lin Dao nodded repeatedly, "You are a good match for me."

He took out a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda and handed it to her, saying, "You will definitely live up to your reputation."

Ultimately, Huo Qubing was still just a seventeen-year-old boy.

Although he also drinks alcohol, he prefers the beverages Lin Dao provides, especially carbonated drinks.

However, I wasn't very interested in snacks or anything like that.

After taking the drink and drinking it, Huo Qubing let out a satisfied sigh of relief. "With the magical artifacts provided by the Taoist priest, I will surely achieve great feats in the future!"

"We click."

Lin Dao began to build rapport, saying, "We hit it off immediately. How about we call each other brothers from now on?"

Huo Qubing nodded repeatedly, "That's excellent!"

"Big brother!"

"Second brother!"

"Here, here." Lin Dao took out a case of drinks and handed it over. "This is my humble gift to you. Please don't find it offensive."

"Thank you, brother!"

As they arrived in Guanzhong, Lin Dao kept taking pictures of everything around him with his phone.

The Guanzhong region in this time and space is different from the one he has seen in other times and spaces.

The biggest difference is that what you see is lush and green, with an extremely high forest coverage.

Especially when passing through Shanglin Garden, there are forests and farmlands everywhere, and you can even see many wild animals moving through the forest.

"there."

He pointed to a group of buildings hidden in the woods in the distance. "What place?"

"Oh~"

Huo Qubing glanced over and said with a light expression, "That's Changmen Palace, the place where the deposed empress was placed under house arrest."

Lin Dao withdrew his gaze and didn't pay much attention to it.

She was just a foolish and pathetic woman.

It began with a marriage alliance, but they were unable to have any children.

Once the family's prestige and support fade, being abandoned becomes the norm.

Of course, her successor wasn't much better.

The deaths were even more gruesome under the influence of witchcraft.

Thinking of this, Lin Dao looked at his newly recognized second brother.

If my second brother hadn't died, or if either my second brother or Wei Qing hadn't died, there probably wouldn't have been this witchcraft calamity.

I won't go to Chang'an.

Just before arriving in Chang'an, Lin Dao raised his walkie-talkie and gestured, "If anything happens, use this to contact us."

"Brother~"

Huo Qubing was puzzled: "The emperor specifically asked to see you."

"He says he'll just let us meet?" Lin Dao shrugged. "I just want to help you."

"We'll talk about worldly matters later."

"Oh, right, don't forget the thousand gold pieces we agreed on before."

If you go to see Little Pig now, you'll at most be seen as a Taoist priest or cultivator.

Only by demonstrating truly useful skills can one sit down properly face-to-face with the little pig.

Discuss with him on an equal footing regarding the acquisition of mineral resources using industrial products.

No matter how much everyone tried to persuade him, Lin Dao resolutely left.

He didn't go far; he found an open space in Shanglin Garden and built a simple house and courtyard.

I'm usually busy in various places and times, and I only come to visit occasionally.

After Huo Qubing finished the ceremony of being conferred a title, he could no longer contact Lin Dao via walkie-talkie, so he simply rode his horse to block him.

Fortunately, he came from a noble family and was not a brute.

If there's no response after calling out, just wait outside; there's no reason to barge in.

By the time Lin Dao arrived, several hours had already passed.

"Brother~"

"Second brother."

Lin Dao pushed open the simple courtyard gate and beckoned Huo Qubing and the few Imperial Guards behind him to enter the courtyard.

Chairs and tables were set up in the courtyard, and Lin Dao invited them to sit down.

Huo Qubing curiously examined the chairs and tables, which were quite novel to the Han Dynasty people who were used to kneeling and sitting on low tables.

I glanced at the sky; it was almost time for dinner.

"Wait a minute, I'll go get some food and drinks."

Back in the house, Lin Dao set off to return to the modern world to buy fast food.

Without even bothering to choose a brand, I walked into the nearest Abik store and ordered a bunch of takeout.

"Double carbonated drinks, with ice."

He remembered that someone had sent various snacks and drinks to Huo Qubing's tomb in front of Maoling.

If that's the case, then let him experience it for real now.

Huo Qubing was already used to his elder brother's ability to conjure things.

He invited several Imperial Guards to enjoy the meal together.

Only after they had eaten and drunk their fill did they explain their purpose.

"His Majesty greatly admires the cavalry three-piece set you invented, elder brother."

"Your Majesty would like to know if you have any other inventions that can enhance the combat effectiveness of the cavalry?"

"Of course I have some," Lin Dao said with a smile. "If you want it, I'll give it to you for free."

"But what if the Emperor of Han wanted it?"

He raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together.

"You have to pay!"

(End of this chapter)