Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 504 Heading West

"Finally, we can leave."

Xiang Yu, riding his horse, gazed northwest, his eyes filled with a sense of relief.

This period of time has been quite tumultuous for us on this land.

Hu Hai, who had rushed over anxiously, whispered, "I heard from Han Xin that it was because the weather was getting colder and we would freeze to death if we stayed here any longer, so the immortal had no choice but to lead us away."

"Immortal Master~"

Even the impetuous young Xiang Yu couldn't help but tremble at the mention of the immortal.

This was a very rare occurrence for him.

There was no way around it; he was genuinely shocked.

They lingered in this place called Hegus for several months.

In the words of the immortal, it means to carry out the most thorough and clean cleaning.

Whether it flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water, we'll catch them all!
Even ant nests need to be watered and buried.

Wild boars, in particular, suffered a devastating blow, with everyone hunting them frantically with bloodshot eyes.

To motivate everyone, the immortal offered a price of fifty taels of silver per wild boar.

Silver was already in use as currency in China thousands of years ago.

In the Qin Dynasty, although the official currencies were gold and copper coins, silver was not insignificant and was considered a valuable collectible.

Because silver production is even lower than that of gold, its value naturally increases.

More importantly, among the seven Warring States, only the State of Chu actually minted silver coins and put them into circulation.

In other words, Xiang Yu and his fellow Chu people understood the value of silver and also liked it.

When Lin Dao took out a huge sum of silver and made it clear that it was a reward, the people of Chu went on a hunting spree across the land.

All the wild boars, even those hiding underground, had to be dug out.

Recalling his past frantic search for wild boars and the need to kill any animal he encountered along the way, even Xiang Yu felt a pang of unease.

However, when he looked at a horse-drawn carriage not far away, a smile appeared on his face again.

The carriage contained Yu Ji, who could withstand his seven charges in and out, as well as several large chests of silver coins he had earned.

Beautiful women are important, but wealth is even more important.

Along the way, Xiang Yu was also growing rapidly.

Now, he has completely broken free from his father, gathered a group of talented people, and fully controlled his eight thousand Jiangdong warriors.

On the surface, the future looks promising and thriving.

However, all of this is based on the provision of supplies by the immortals.

On the journey, all the food, clothing, and supplies were of the finest quality, provided by the immortal.

What happens after we arrive at our destination?
The immortal could not stay with them forever; he would probably leave after they reached their destination.

When the supplies provided by the immortals are gone, we'll have to resort to robbery!
To incite soldiers to plunder, you have to give them enough benefits.

These silver coins were the best lubricant to motivate the soldiers.

Xiang Yu wasn't the only one with similar ideas; most of the Chu nobles shared this plan.

These nobles of Chu may have had various drawbacks.

However, one thing cannot be denied: they were all military aristocrats!
They are not like the so-called aristocrats in our minds who drive luxury cars, live in mansions, have beautiful women, live extravagantly and have countless savings, and rely entirely on umbilical cords to become rentiers.

The Chu state was at war just a few years ago, so those who survived must have been military nobles.

After hundreds of years of war, there was simply no space for non-military nobles to live in the Central Plains.

If even a young man like Xiang Yu could understand this, these military nobles certainly understood it as well.

Therefore, when hunting wild boars, they were all incredibly ferocious and insane.

They really dug up all the soil.

As for the results, it is said that the immortal was quite satisfied.

Xiang Yu turned his head and looked at Hu Hai, who was cautiously following him not far away, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

But he remembered Chen Ping's instructions and forced a smile at Hu Hai, suppressing his anger.

Hu Hai was practically flying to the heavens!
Having no other choice, Chen Ping suggested that Xiang Yu find a way to defeat that Qin army.

Those were all veterans of the Qin people, seasoned warriors.

Moreover, at this time, the brutal fighting of the late Qin Dynasty had not yet taken place, and Xiang Yu had not participated in the war that led to the destruction of the Chu state.

Spending a long time with Chen Ping and Han Xin influenced him, making him increasingly pragmatic.

Those tens of thousands of Qin soldiers and their families were of great importance in Europe, a land teeming with barbarian tribes.

Besides the immortal's attitude, Hu Hai was also crucial in winning him over.

After all, he is a prince of the Great Qin.

On this westward journey, Lin Dao made a special detour to get those wild boar hides.

Now that the matter was settled, he quickly led the migration group south.

Before leaving, they also paid tribute to a group of pedantic scholars who defended the wild boars, claiming they were harming innocent lives.
hmm~
They were buried directly underground, so they could stay with their boar-skinned masters forever.

The Confucian scholars in the Central Plains, those who advocated revenge, martial prowess, and were outstanding in archery and horsemanship, all followed Fusu in establishing a new Confucianism.

It reinterpreted benevolence and righteousness, and advocated winning people over with the virtue of physical principles.

Those who did not accept Neo-Confucianism were all labeled as corrupt Confucianists and were banished to the westward journey team.

Many of these pedantic scholars have been eliminated, and those who remain are all shrewd and capable.

The westward-bound caravan, equipped with countless horses and carriages, traversed the vast grasslands.

It was truly a vast grassland, so boundless that it made you feel hopeless.

Moreover, the mixed Hu people encountered here gradually became Bai Di, and some even had blond hair and blue eyes.

"Who are these people?"

Fusu was very curious about this, "His appearance is so strange."

"I've heard what the Immortal Master has to say," Meng Yi replied respectfully from the side, "that he's some kind of Ya'an person~"

"Actually, it also exists in the Central Plains."

These words immediately piqued Fusu's interest. "Oh? Really?"

"Yes." Meng Yi tried hard to recall the bamboo slips he had seen. "It seems to have existed during the time of the Shang kings, when they were called Bai Di."

"But it gradually disappeared later."

"I never imagined that their hometown was in such a remote place."

Driven by a thirst for knowledge, Fusu simply rode off to find Lin Dao and inquire about the relevant matters.

"What do you mean by the origins of these people?"

Upon hearing the inquiry, Lin Dao smiled and explained.

"They were actually a large tribe that called themselves Arya."

"Our main activities are in Central Asia, which is the land we are currently traveling in."

"Around the Xia and Shang dynasties, this large tribe carried out a large-scale migration."

"Some of them went south and entered India."

One branch went west to Persia.

"Those who went to Persia split off into another branch and entered the Asia Minor region."

"This was a large-scale migration. In fact, a small portion of them went east and eventually reached the Central Plains, where they became the Bai Di people during the Shang Dynasty."

“Those who went south to India conquered the local natives and established the caste system there.”

"Those who moved westward, the local Medes and Persians were all descendants of the Aryans."

Lin Dao proceeded to explain the relevant information at length.

They're just short of mentioning students who failed the exam.

"As for the Aryans who remained in Central Asia and did not participate in the migration."

"They would then head northwest, gradually establishing cities and states such as Rus', Kiev, and Korf."

"To be honest, these are the real Aryans."

"The bloodline of those who failed the exam isn't actually that pure."

Fusu blinked his eyes, listening intently as Lin Dao recounted his story.

What they saw was a vast, boundless grassland.

What he was thinking was how many years it would take for Qin Zhidao to build this road.

He strongly agreed with one of Lin Dao's remarks.

'Wherever the road leads, that is valid territory!'

As long as the Qin Straight Road can be repaired, this place will belong to the Great Qin.

Such a vast grassland can graze countless cattle and sheep.

With cattle and sheep, there is meat to eat!

Fusu trusted Lin Dao and believed Lin Dao's theory that eating more meat was the key to a strong body.

Only those who eat meat can become true strongmen!

He wanted to turn all the people of the Qin Dynasty into meat-eaters!
"Immortal chief."

Fusu impatiently interrupted the knowledge-sharing session, asking, "Is the cement and steel we had stored up enough?"

"Huh?" Lin Dao blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I'm thinking."

"When will General Meng Tian be able to extend the Qin Straight Road and railway to this area?"

Fusu stretched out his arms, his eyes filled with fascination as he looked around. "Such a large pasture, how many cattle, sheep and horses can it raise?"

"Now that Qin has conquered these places, everyone will be able to eat meat!"

Lin Dao nodded in satisfaction at these words.

Throughout history, the emperors who could ensure their people had enough to eat and meat to eat were the truly good emperors.

Once we've had our fill of food and meat, it's not too late to expand our territory.

If Fusu could truly achieve this, his reputation in historical records might even surpass that of his father.

The Qin state now has a population of approximately 30 million.

Now the world is at peace, there are no large-scale wars or large-scale corvée labor.

They received technical tools and even simple equipment for producing fertilizer from the forest road.

It is conceivable that a population explosion is imminent.

In just a few decades, the population will double.

Expanding outwards to gain living space is an inevitable thing.

As I said before, the most important thing for expansion is the investment of human and material resources.

Delivery, on the other hand, is carried out via roads.

Lin Dao halted the construction of the Qin Straight Road using steamed soil and provided them with cement and steel bars for road repair.

At the same time, railways are indispensable.

Large quantities of steel rails and cement sleepers have begun to be laid parallel to the Qin Straight Road.

Lin Dao's good friends in the modern world love nothing more than Lin Dao's large-scale purchases of bulk commodities such as steel and cement.

Not only are the prices extremely favorable, but various conveniences and subsidies are also provided.

The only requirement is that orders cannot be placed with just one or a few factories; they must be distributed evenly so that more factories can survive.

There's no way around it; these are the things that are most overproduced in industry.

"Raising more cattle and sheep is a good thing."

Lin Dao smiled and nodded, "When you raise too many and can't finish eating them, you can pack them up and sell them to me to pay off your debts."

Beef and mutton are also in high demand in the modern world.

After all, fake beef and mutton rolls and kebabs are really hard to accept!
Lin Dao has already moved into the modern world, spending money to buy cold chain companies and build professional warehouses.

In the future, beef, mutton, fish, and meat will also become an important part of time-space trade.

"gone."

The group rode their horses forward, heading west.

(End of this chapter)