Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 493 Drag Hu Hai out and beat him~
Pei County.

A county's talent is enough to govern a country.

"What the Central Plains has in abundance is talent."

Upon entering the county, Lin Dao sighed, "Even without compulsory education."

"A minor official, a rogue, a grassroots worker, a groom, a butcher, and someone who plays music and sings at weddings and funerals."

“These people, when gathered together, can also establish a country.”

"The Central Plains are a land of outstanding people and abundant resources; this is not just a rumor."

"Born to be the master of the world."

The group traveled along the official road and came to the edge of a village, where they heard the sounds of gongs and drums and laughter.

Everyone fell silent and looked at Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao, who appeared to be all smiles, went inside to inquire about the situation, but inwardly he was cursing loudly.

'Even away from the First Emperor, why am I still doing the work of a servant?'

His position as one of the Nine Ministers was truly insignificant.

Before long, Zhao Gao came running out of the village.

He bowed to the crowd and said, "It's the local village head's daughter's 100-day celebration, and we're having a lively banquet for the guests."

Hu Hai yawned, looking impatient.

He had absolutely no interest in such a small, rural place.

He was also summoned in an emergency.

I have never witnessed Lin Dao's ability to summon wind and rain.

I didn't see Lin Dao's ability to conjure objects out of thin air.

Therefore, they still retain some of their original nature.

Fusu and the others then looked at Lin Dao.

"Pavilion Chief~"

Upon hearing this title, Lin Dao chuckled, "Local pavilion chief, what's your name?"

Zhao Gao was slightly taken aback.

He really didn't ask!
After all, he was just a minor village head; how could he be qualified to be personally questioned by the Grand Charioteer?

There's no other way but to make another trip.

When I returned, I was already a little out of breath.

“Master, the head of this village is named Liu Ji.”

Lin Dao didn't say anything, but dismounted and led his horse toward the village.

Although the crowd was puzzled, they all followed suit.

This place was originally part of the territory of the State of Chu.

After Qin conquered Chu, it established prefectures and counties following the old precedent.

Although it never suffered from war, it could still be described as a prosperous place.

As they walked along the dirt road in the village, several men approached and asked, "Where have you all come from?"

During the Qin Dynasty, there was no such thing as leaving doors unlocked at night or picking up lost items on the road.

The primary task of the village head was to maintain local order.

Upon seeing outsiders, they would inevitably be questioned and investigated.

Meng Yi stepped forward and took out the token.

"I am on official business and passing through this area."

They no longer need to issue certificates for forest trail manufacturing; the certificates they use now are absolutely genuine.

What Meng Yi took out was a token from the military.

This is the Great Qin, not a cowardly nation.

The Qin army's token was the most powerful pass in the world.

The men were so frightened that they hurriedly bowed and admitted their guilt.

"Your village head."

Lin Dao casually asked with a smile, "Does he have the money for today's banquet?"

Liu Ji said he came from a peasant family, but his ancestors were not always peasants.

His ancestors once served as high-ranking officials in the State of Wei.
This is also the origin of why Liu Ji's idol was Lord Xinling.

His grandfather served as the magistrate of Fengyi, similar to a town mayor.

By the time of his father, Liu Taigong, although they had completely become farmers, they still had some wealth.

However, Liu Bang and his brothers all had to spend money, especially on getting married. Liu Ji even needed to go to school.

Moreover, Liu Bang admired Lord Xinling so much that he traveled to the State of Wei, hoping to become Lord Xinling's retainer.

In this day and age, the expenses of traveling far from home are beyond the reach of ordinary families.

Of course, Lord Xinling had been dead for many years at that time, and Liu Ji then spent some time under Zhang Er's tutelage.

After the fall of the Wei Kingdom, Zhang Er became a wanted criminal, and Liu Ji returned to his hometown to farm.

A few years later, the State of Chu also perished.

Old Master Liu used his last savings to help Liu Ji become the head of the Sishui Pavilion, a minor official in the area.

From then on, the Liu family's accumulated wealth was completely used up.

Holding a banquet has always been an expensive affair.

Food, drinks, and entertainment all cost money.

Lin Dao was also curious: how could Liu Ji, who was so poor, afford to hold a banquet?

Logically speaking, although the head of the pavilion was a minor official, he should have no problem making a living.

However, Liu Ji had a wide circle of friends and kept a large group of cronies.

He also likes to step in and take responsibility for anything that happens.

Although he gathered a large number of people to follow him, he still ended up penniless.

In movies and TV dramas, it seems that Liu Bang only had a few famous founding heroes around him.

In reality, almost all the idlers in Sishuiting and even Fengyi followed Liu Bang.

Those few who appear frequently in movies and TV dramas are just the best and luckiest among them, who survived until the founding of the country and made it to the top.

"This~"

The men looked troubled.

However, he ultimately said, "Pavilion Chief, please accept the congratulatory money."

Upon hearing this, Lin Dao burst out laughing.

"Sure enough, that's his style."

Zhang Liang and the others following behind frowned slightly.

Is the Immortal Master here specifically to find this person?

But he's just a village head!
It's normal for them to have this kind of thinking.

Before Liu Ji, those who could rise to prominence were all of noble birth.

All those dukes, marquises, and kings were nobles.

It was only after Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty that the first instance of someone from the lower class rising to the top was seen.

From then on, people from the lower classes often took Liu Ji as their target.

'If Liu Ji could establish a country and become emperor, so can we!' 'In that case.'

Lin Dao gestured, "Lead the way, let's go and join the fun."

After getting married, Liu Ji naturally separated from the family and had his own house and courtyard.

The courtyard was packed with people, filled with laughter and the sounds of music, creating a lively atmosphere.

At the entrance, there were people specifically collecting congratulatory gifts.

Lin Dao gave him a wink, and Zhao Gao immediately stepped forward.

After taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, "A gift?"

"Mm." Lin Dao smiled and waved his hand. "A congratulatory gift of ten thousand!"

Upon hearing this, the people outside the courtyard fell silent.

Even those who were playing music stopped what they were doing and looked over in astonishment.

Ten thousand coins!

That's ten thousand coins!

Even if Liu Ji's father and Lü Zhi's father came together, they couldn't possibly give this much!
At the level of the imperial court, ten thousand coins were naturally insignificant.

But it happened in a mere county, at the 100-day celebration of a mere village head's daughter.
Is this guy here to cause trouble?
Zhao Gao reached into his robes, took out two yi coins, and placed them in the hands of the person recording the congratulatory gifts.

Seeing the person recording the congratulatory gift in a daze, he frowned unhappily. "Announce the gift! This is ten thousand coins!"

When the man came to his senses, he picked up the coin with trembling hands, and even took a bite out of it.

For these people from impoverished rural backgrounds, they may never have the chance to see Shanghai Coin in their entire lives.

The person who recorded the congratulatory gift must have some knowledge.

After some inspection, it was confirmed that it was indeed after the listing.

First, he looked at Lin Dao and his group with a look as if he had seen a ghost.

His face immediately turned red, and his eyes became as red as bronze.

I took a deep breath and then exhaled.

His face flushed red. "May I ask, may I ask who you all are?"

The people in front of them made a generous gift, but they didn't even reveal their names.

When did Liu Ji meet such a wealthy and powerful person?

Strange, so strange!
Recalling the place where he came from, which was Bolangsha in Yangwu County, Lin Dao immediately took this place as his birthplace.

"I came here because of its reputation in Yangwu Forest."

Once you have a name, the rest is simple.

The person who had prepared the congratulatory gift took another deep breath and shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Yangwu Forest Road ~ Ten thousand coins as a congratulatory gift!!!"

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy courtyard immediately fell silent.

The sound of hurried footsteps grew louder as they approached, and a handsome middle-aged man came running out.

The man stood at the gate, his gaze sweeping over Lin Dao and his group, before quickly stepping forward to bow and offer a cupped-hand salute to Lin Dao.

"Liu Ji of Pei County thanks you for your esteemed presence, young master!"

Lin Dao raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

Liu Ji had never seen them before, but he recognized Lin Dao as the person in charge at a glance.

That's quite an impressive eye.

Liu Ji stepped aside and gestured, "Please, gentlemen."

He was originally going to escort a group of laborers to Mount Li, but just as they were about to set off, the First Emperor's order arrived.

Major construction projects across the country have been temporarily suspended.

The laborers no longer need to be sent, and even a significant amount of taxes have been reduced.

Even the prohibition on alcohol was lifted.

As long as you have the money to buy it, you can drink as much as you want.

Things finally started to get better.

My daughter is 100 days old now. Although she's a girl, she's still my second child, so I'm still very happy.

But the sudden appearance of the group of people made Liu Ji's heart pound.

He offered ten thousand coins in one go; such an important person coming to find me, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing~
The courtyard wasn't large, but it was packed with people.

They included villagers, artisans, and minor officials.

Everyone looked at Lin Dao and his group with curiosity.

Ten thousand coins in one go, that's really something!
"Please take your seats, everyone."

Liu Ji was very enthusiastic, and his smile never stopped.

After taking his seat, he loudly introduced to everyone in the courtyard, "Young Master Lin from Yangwu County has come to attend the banquet!"

Everyone in the courtyard bowed in greeting.

After a series of formalities, several men stepped forward to serve wine and dishes.

The liquor is locally brewed.

After the prohibition was lifted, traditional liquor shops sprang up everywhere like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

As for the dishes, there's really not much to say about the dishes of this era.

Lin Dao was also thinking of bringing more iron pots.

Their diet mainly consists of vegetables such as celery, and the only meat they eat is dog meat.

Lin Dao and the others, their expressions unchanged, raised their glasses in celebration with smiles.

Only Hu Hai was extremely dissatisfied, muttering to himself and not raising his cup.

How could this rural place compare to the bustling city of Xianyang?

He genuinely didn't want to come.

Lin Dao glanced at him but didn't say anything.

After the banquet, Lin Dao said with a smile, "Since it is the hundredth day of your noble lady's life, why not invite her out to meet us?"

"Hahaha~"

Liu Ji laughed loudly, "Absolutely! Absolutely!"

He turned and called out into the house, "Madam, bring your daughter out to greet our distinguished guest!"

Before long, a woman in a simple cloth dress and a hairpin emerged, carrying a swaddled baby.

Just as everyone was about to say something joyful and lively, they suddenly heard Hu Hai's slightly shrill voice.

"Surprisingly, beauty can be found even in the countryside!"

"This woman is alright, come and serve me, young master~"

The noise inside the courtyard suddenly stopped.

Liu Ji and the others looked over with anger on their faces.

Zhao Gao felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that something bad was about to happen.

Sure enough, Lin Dao put down his wine glass and calmly gave his instructions.

"Drag Hu Hai out and beat him!"

"Beat him until he doesn't want to talk anymore!"

(End of this chapter)