Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 237 Lan Ke is a Thief
Sun Zhong's words echoed in Lin Jiang's ears, and Lin Jiang couldn't help but glance at Zhou Canshen beside him.

Zhou Canshen had a gentle smile on his face, peaceful and kind, which made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.

He spoke in a low voice, as if admonishing Sun Zhong:

"Old Sun, talk things out. Don't keep that deadpan face and scare the young people."

“Isn’t this a proper conversation? Besides, this is quite important. I need to tell him.”

Sun Zhong muttered a couple of things, his eyes becoming somewhat cloudy for a moment, but quickly returning to normal.

"Xiao Lin, you have to listen to me. The people you brought are not good people."

"You say."

Sun Zhong lowered his voice and said slowly:

"Lanke Kingdom is a notorious bandit kingdom in the southwest of Daxing. They have done many absurd things in the Western Regions, and we in Daxing have suffered a lot from them."

"The first people they came into contact with were caravans from Daxing. They claimed that the Kingdom of Lanke was rich in gold and used this method to deceive Daxing into giving them various goods and livestock. In the end, not only did they not give them all the gold and silver, but they also sometimes used sweet words to take away some extra property."

"Is that so? Then why not just not trade with them?"

Lin Jiang asked.

"And that's exactly what happened; most of the merchants from Daxing stopped trading with them. However..."

A bitter look appeared on Sun Zhong's face:
"The general's men coveted the gold of the Western Frontier and secretly provided the country with substantial support, allowing them to act with impunity. With this support, Lanko grew increasingly powerful, even influencing other caravans."

"Many of the caravans sent by Daxing originally had close ties with the local tribes, but the Lanke people, for their own selfish interests, slaughtered the tribes and seized the gold. As a result, that area became a place that many Daxing merchants were unwilling to go, and only the merchants from the General's Mansion were left to do business there."

After saying all this, Sun Zhong sighed deeply:
“I don’t know where you met the Bluek people, but they are indeed dangerous. Take Grandpa Sun’s advice and stay away from them as soon as possible, lest they get you into trouble later.”

“Yes, your Grandpa Sun is doing this for your own good,” Zhou Canshen continued. “You can ask the merchants in Daxing; they don’t have a good impression of Lanke either.”

After listening to this, Lin Jiang did not respond immediately, but pondered for a moment, and then nodded solemnly:
"You're right. But I have a question for you."

"You said."

“I brought two Blue-collar workers into the city half an hour ago, went back to my courtyard, and came straight here without any delay,” Lin Jiang said. “You found out about this way a little too quickly.”

"Huh? Such a short time?"

Sun Zhong was clearly stunned and turned to look at Zhou Canshen.

Lin Jiang saw through it all at once.

This was clearly told to Sun Zhong by Zhou Canshen.

Lin Jiang then looked at Zhou Canshen.

Zhou Canshen, still smiling, said:

“I check the files every day, and sometimes I even go on field trips. I went to the North Gate this noon and saw some Lan Ke’s people there.”

Lin Jiang smiled and said, "I see. But I didn't leave my name at the time. I suppose Master Zhou asked the gatekeeper who came with them, and the gatekeeper said there was a handsome man. That's how Master Zhou knew it was me, right?"

Zhou Canshen's expression remained unchanged:
"Yes."

At this point, Zhou Canshen sighed:
“Young man, I know you are a good person and can't bear to see others suffer. No matter who is in trouble, you want to help. But you must understand that not everyone in this world deserves to be saved. Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. There are so many people in Daxing who are suffering because of what the General’s Mansion has done. Why are you so fixated on these outsiders?”

Lin Jiang looked at Zhou Canshen, thought for a moment, and said:
"It's not that I'm obsessed; I'm just doing people a favor for money. Besides... Daxing isn't at war with Lanke, is it? They're not enemies. If I encounter someone in distress on the road and they're willing to pay me, isn't it normal to lend a hand?"

"It's just a small country, only far away. If Daxing wanted to attack it, it could be conquered in less than seven days."

"But we didn't fight, did we?" Lin Jiang laughed. "And I remember that although Daxing annexed many neighboring countries, His Majesty still left most of the population behind when the iron cavalry trampled through. This is exactly what it means to be inclusive."

"Moreover, Daxing never sends troops without cause. They always send envoys first. Only when the envoys die for their country can the cavalry have a legitimate reason. If Lord Zhou really hates Lanke so much, he should go to that country himself and die for his country. When the capital sends troops, I will not stop him."

Zhou Shenshen's smile stiffened slightly.

Lin Jiang maintained his smile, his emotions remaining unchanged throughout. Seeing that Zhou Canshen had fallen silent, he continued:
“Master Zhou, I have something I’d like to discuss with Master Sun. If you have nothing else to say, could you please excuse me for a moment?”

"...Alas, I'm really getting old and useless. In the end, I was taught a lesson by the young people."

Zhou Canshen stood up and walked towards the courtyard gate, but when he reached the gate, he suddenly turned back, his gaze fixed heavily on Lin Jiang:
"Xiao Lin, the world is a murky and deep pool, and it will only get murky from here on out. You should be content with having a business in the capital and living a stable life. Don't delve into anything else."

After saying this, he left on his own. The servants in the mansion wanted to see him off, but he just waved his hand and left without looking back.

Only after watching the old man walk away did Lin Jiang turn his gaze to Sun Zhong beside him.

While Lin Jiang and Zhou Canshen were exchanging heated words, Sun Zhong remained silent until Zhou Canshen had walked away, at which point he finally waved.

"Xiao Lin, don't take it to heart. Old Zhou just has a bad temper. But what he said does make sense. Those people are indeed quite dangerous. I know you have a kind heart. It's not worth getting angry with Old Zhou over this."

"Master Sun, when did you meet Master Zhou?"

"It's been a long time."

How long?

"It's been a long time."

Sun Zhong muttered to himself, scratching his scalp. "It has indeed been a long time."

Lin Jiang did not pursue the matter further. He softened his tone and said to Sun Zhong:
"Master Sun, would you like to take a walk with me in the capital?"

"Great! Great!" Sun Zhong slapped his thigh excitedly.

He had long noticed that the Lin family lad was always wary of him. Sun Zhong had actually been wanting to have a proper talk with Lin Jiang, but hadn't had the opportunity until now.

He immediately got up, handed over the matters that needed to be handled in the mansion to the servants, and then followed Lin Jiang out of the mansion.

As the two reached the door, they suddenly saw a young man walking towards them from a distance. Sun Xing was engrossed in reading a book when he heard a noise beside him. He looked up and saw Sun Zhong and Lin Jiang.

The boy's gaze first fell on his grandfather, then he exchanged a glance with Lin Jiang before lowering his head to read and walking away.

Knowing his own shortcomings and lack of direction, he realized that following Lin Jiang rashly might disrupt his plans, so he decided to stay home.

He only hoped that Lin Jiang could help him "cure his grandfather".

Sun Zhong looked at his grandson and couldn't help but sigh:
"This kid isn't friendly to anyone. But today he's picked up a book, though I never see him studying hard. Sigh. If he were this diligent, he wouldn't be stuck at home at this age. Old Sun's kid next door has already passed the imperial examinations."

"I think he's a good person, he cares about you a lot."

"Him? He cares about me?"

Sun Zhong snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Without paying any more attention to Sun Xing, the two left the mansion and began to stroll around the capital.

“Back when your grandfather and I were young, the capital wasn’t like it is now. There weren’t many people from the Western Regions or many merchants in the city. But since Boss Guo came, there have been more merchants.”

"I usually prefer peace and quiet and don't like such noise, but I have to say that since Mr. Guo came, life in Beijing has become much more convenient. Even people who are struggling financially can always find ways to make money."

"It's a pity that your grandfather is so eccentric and just doesn't want to stay in the capital with me. To this day, I still don't know what he's been up to. I only know that he's always running around all over the country. That old man really can't stay still. I don't know how your grandmother can put up with him."

Lin Jiang spoke very little along the way, while Sun Zhong was very talkative. Even so, Sun Zhong was still very willing to talk to Lin Jiang.

Perhaps he truly saw the shadow of Lin Shengfeng in Lin Jiang.

When you see an old friend, you'll always talk more.

As he was talking, Sun Zhong suddenly stopped.

He raised his head and looked at the city gate in front of him.

"Xiao Lin, where are you taking me?" Sun Zhong asked, a little puzzled.

"Are we heading out of the city?"

"There's a restaurant in Chengnan Fishing Town that serves really delicious braised fish tails. I'd like to invite Grandpa Sun to try it."

"It's a bit far."

"If we take a carriage, it will take at most the time it takes to burn an incense stick; there are places to rent carriages outside. If Master Sun is in the mood, we can also take a boat. It might be a little slower, taking about half an hour."

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhong resolutely shook his head:

"I won't go out. Let's eat in the capital."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing much, I just don't really want to go out."

Are you free these next couple of days?

"I don't have time either. My injury hasn't fully healed yet, so I probably won't be leaving the capital for the next year or two."

“The towns south of the capital can also be considered part of the capital.”

"Only the area enclosed by these walls can be considered the capital."

Lin Jiang stared at Sun Zhong, while Sun Zhong stared back at Lin Jiang, puzzled.

It seems he genuinely believes that.

Lin Jiang looked around.

The streets were bustling, and many people were walking into the city from the city gate.

Some people on the street glanced in their direction, but didn't pay much attention.

After all, there are just too many people in the capital; it's impossible for everyone to have the energy to pay attention to others.

So Lin Jiang took a step forward.

He grabbed Sun Zhong's clothes directly.

Sun Zhong: "Hmm?"

The next moment, Sun Zhong felt the world turn upside down before his eyes. When he came to his senses, he was already being carried on Lin Jiang's shoulder.

"Ok?"

"Since you are unwilling to go, this is the only way I can invite you to go."

Lin Jiang's voice was calm, without any emotional fluctuation.

(End of this chapter)