My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 318 Flood
Li Mi sat in the carriage, admiring the scenery on both sides, and chatted with Wang Bodang beside him with a smile.

Wang Bodang could only smile wryly; he didn't know why Li Mi was still so optimistic.

Despite their initial agreement to conceal their identities, Li Mi was the first to expose himself, resulting in their arrest. After spending some time in Wild Buffalo Mountain, they were taken to a carriage and left the village, continuing their journey along the mountain road. Wang Bodang had no idea where they were going.

Li Mi knew perfectly well what was going on.

He looked at the buildings in the distance and marveled at them.

"There really is an ironworks. Look, those smoking things must be what Qingzao Village uses to forge weapons and such. Hahaha, but judging from the armored rate of Qingzao Village, their armor and weapons are definitely not made by themselves. This Duke Tang is stealing from his own entourage!"

Li Mi recounted this incident, but instead of belittling Li Yuan, he actually held him in higher regard.

Compared to Yang Xuangan, who only thought about contacting those young men to secretly plot a rebellion, Li Yuan's more brutal approach was far superior. This is how a rebellion should be carried out: first, you need territory, people, iron, and food. Once you have all these things, then you can take action.

Why are there so many silly things happening? They're busy all day long, but they don't even know what they're doing.

Wang Bodang lowered his voice and asked, "Teacher, I see that the people outside have changed. What do they mean by this?"

"What else could it mean?"

"We've arrived at Mangshan."

"Mangshan??"

"Then why did you bring us here?"

"Naturally, it's to meet someone important."

Li Mi said with a smile, but Wang Bodang dared not say more. Wang Bodang already knew his teacher's identity. He was not just a nobleman from Guanzhong, but a great nobleman from Guanzhong! He was a nobleman of the level of the Eight Pillars of State! Wang Bodang had no chance to come into contact with such a great figure. Suddenly learning about Li Mi's identity, he respected Li Mi even more.

That's how nobles are; they can acquire many resources simply by virtue of their status.

The carriage gradually slowed down.

When Li Mi peeked out, he saw a large mansion in the distance.

That residence was located in Mangshan. If Li Mi remembered correctly, it seemed to belong to Minister Yuwen of the Ministry of Works.

The carriage stopped, and several soldiers helped Li Mi and Wang Bodang get off.

The two of them walked to the entrance of the mansion.

Li Jiancheng led a large group of people and stood at the door, sizing up Li Mi and Wang Bodang.

When the news reached Li Jiancheng in Qingzao Village, Li Jiancheng was very surprised. Of course, Li Jiancheng also realized that this Li Mi was different from the Li Mi he knew.

The other party was not some scholar or anything like that; he was a genuine nobleman from the Guanzhong Plain, belonging to the old military faction.

Upon entering officialdom, one would become a Qianniu Beishen, just like Li Yuan and Li Xuanba.

However, Li Mi was later transferred out by the emperor because of his dark complexion, and he became more low-key.

Li Jiancheng collected a lot of information about Li Mi, and the people around him told him that Li Mi was a talented person, with outstanding martial arts skills, strategic acumen, and the ability to lead troops. Of course, there was also Wang Bodang, who came with Li Mi. Hearing this name, Li Jiancheng felt strange. There was no Wagang Village at the moment, so how did you all end up together?

Li Mi smiled and stepped forward, bowing to Li Jiancheng.

"Son."

"Master Li."

Li Jiancheng returned the greeting politely, and then met with Wang Bodang, who was flattered and overwhelmed.

Li Mi secretly praised him, thinking to himself, "He truly deserves to be called a man of great things. He shows great respect even to such a humble person, demonstrating courtesy and humility."
Li Jiancheng invited Li Mi into the manor, and then had the door closed.

The two walked side by side, and Li Jiancheng said in a low voice, "I really didn't expect that the person who tried to harm my brother was actually Lord Li?" "Back then, it was because the Duke of Chu gave the order that I dared not disobey. I have offended you in many ways, and I hope you will forgive me, young master."

"It's alright, it's all in the past!"

Li Jiancheng and Li Mi entered the room, and everyone sat down.

Li Jiancheng was quite surprised by Li Mi's sudden appearance in the mountain stronghold, as were the people around him. They didn't understand why Li Mi would suddenly appear there.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and completing the formalities of aristocracy, the two got down to business.

Li Jiancheng asked, "I heard that Lord Li has been traveling around enjoying the scenery and studying these days. How did you end up in this mountain stronghold? And why did you specifically ask to see me by name?"

Li Mi said earnestly, "Young master, you don't need to hide it. Back in Xingyang, I actually had my suspicions. But when your servant was brought here, I understood completely."

"Young master, there's no need to worry. You're not alone in thinking this way. That scoundrel Yang Guang has committed countless evils. Those southerners, who have done nothing of merit, have all been entrusted with important positions and made generals and ministers. But those of us who have made great contributions have had our titles stripped away. And he shamelessly tells us to reclaim them through military merit. Why didn't those southerners earn their titles through military merit?"

In reality, the dissatisfaction of the Guanzhong aristocracy with the emperor mostly stemmed from the emperor's favoritism towards the southerners, which can also be categorized as a favoritism towards the literati.

These powerful clans in Kanto were not on good terms with the warriors in Kansai. After the emperor ascended the throne, he promoted and appointed these scholars and used various reforms to deal with the old nobles, which made many warriors dissatisfied with him.

The tragic deaths of He Ruobi and others, in particular, sparked some discontent.

Upon hearing Li Mi's words, the men under Li Jiancheng exchanged glances but remained silent.

Li Mi then talked about his thoughts and experiences over the years, emphasizing Yang Xuangan's unreliability and his observations in the local areas.

“I foresaw that the world would be in great chaos, and I also knew that the Duke of Tang had the ambition to accomplish great things.”

"Therefore, I have come to seek refuge with you, hoping to attach myself to Duke Tang and accomplish great things. Our two families are already close, and we should support each other. I have friends in the court and in the provinces, and I can help you, Duke."

Hearing Li Mi's words, Li Jiancheng was neither in a hurry to accept nor reject them. He asked, "Then, in your opinion, what should be the first step now?"

"They naturally recruited refugees."

Li Mi said without hesitation, "This time, the number of people who fled to avoid corvée labor is countless, which is unprecedented. The most important thing for you now is to recruit these refugees. I think you should have mountain strongholds like Wild Buffalo Mountain in various places, and you should do your best to absorb and settle these refugees."

"I believe there is a high probability that the military operations at the front will fail. When that happens, the world will be in chaos, which will be the best time for you, my lord, to raise an army."

Li Mi then assessed the situation in various regions.

"Currently, the corvée labor is heaviest in Hebei. However, Shandong and Henan have suffered severe floods, causing great disasters. The court has no ability to provide relief. Therefore, I predict that the largest number of refugees and bandits will emerge in these two places. We can send people to these two places to recruit and resettle them. Although the corvée labor in Hebei is heavier, the presence of a large army will prevent a popular uprising from easily breaking out."

Li Jiancheng and the others listened quietly to Li Mi's analysis.

Li Jiancheng's expression gradually became serious.

"Lord Li, to be honest, my men also made the same suggestion as you. I think what they said makes a lot of sense, and we are prepared to act according to this plan. If Lord Li doesn't mind, please stay by my side for the time being and help me solve these problems."

Li Mi hurriedly got up and was about to bow when Li Jiancheng helped him up.

"We're handling important matters together; there's no need for this!"

Li Mi had traveled a long way, and Li Jiancheng did not keep him any longer. After they finished talking, he told Li Mi to go and rest. Only after Li Mi left did Wei Zheng walk to Li Jiancheng's side, and the two of them watched Li Mi leave together.

"Young master, this man is arrogant and ambitious. He doesn't even respect Yang Xuangan, let alone you. If you want to use him, you shouldn't let him go to the frontier. It would be best to keep him by your side."

Li Jiancheng nodded, "Okay."

He frowned. "Is the flood really as serious as the rumors say?"

"It's very serious, and the government is no longer able to handle it."

(End of this chapter)