Giant Ship Across the Song Dynasty: My Supplies Come from My Motherland

Chapter 133 Six Days Left

Lin Zhou didn't say anything to Zhao Shen, mainly because he couldn't say anything substantial. Firstly, Lin Zhou knew his own shortcomings; he was truly lacking in knowledge and couldn't utter any words that would shake the world. Moreover, Lin Zhou had no idea where Zhao Shen's quotations came from.

Casual conversation is fine, but if you really want to talk about ideals and the future, you'll just have to admit you're clueless. Lin Zhou has run a small business and has met all sorts of people. People are strange; when someone finds that another person's views differ from their own and that the other person is clearly at a lower level, they'll automatically categorize that person as a fool, and anything they say afterward becomes meaningless.

Changing someone's mindset is too costly, so it's better to reduce contact from the beginning and gradually increase contact later.

Of course, it's possible that Zhao Ji is a wise man who has achieved great enlightenment, but the probability is low, and the chance of winning by taking a gamble is too small, making it really not worth it.

Therefore, Lu You became the best intermediary. Although the two were of vastly different social status, they were about the same in terms of wisdom and could be considered as people who could speak with each other.

But it doesn't matter now, because ever since those two bastards dragged him and covered him in cow dung, nothing else matters anymore. It's not that Zhao Ji treats Lin Zhou like an idiot anymore, but that everyone who sees him looks at him with disgust.

This applies to Tang Wan and Princess Fu Rui, not to mention those who don't know Lin Zhou very well.

"You guys are seriously out of your minds!"

Lin Zhou grimaced as he slung his coat aside. The clothes were definitely ruined; the cow dung was still quite fresh, watery and sticky, and had even seeped into the inner layer of clothing, leaving a large, cow-dung-smelling stain on the back. Lin Zhou felt like he was about to die; it was truly disgusting.

The two who had caused trouble sat down next to each other, pretending to casually look at the scenery. Hongliu pointed to the clouds in the sky and said with an admiring expression, "Look, those clouds in the sky are really beautiful."

Xiao'e nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, Zhenyun."

"Look at me!" Lin Zhou roared angrily from the side, "Look at the clouds my ass!"

At this moment, Lu You stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, and began to wipe the stains off Lin Zhou's back, his manner even more meticulous than that of a woman.

"There's no need for that." Lin Zhou dodged his wiping: "It's unseemly—"

"What is your brother worried about?"

"My wanderer—we've already become a major traitor and a major villain."

Lin Zhou leaned against a tree, gazing at the sky with a touch of melancholy, his voice filled with endless sorrow and the faint scent of cow dung.

"Being a traitor is the current trend; nobody dares to call us traitors." Lin Zhou patted Lu You's shoulder wistfully while rubbing his back against a tree. "Be good to yourself; you can't afford to have any problems with your backside."

Lu You's expression was somewhat strange. He narrowed his eyes and took a few steps back, looking Lin Zhou up and down. His brother Lin's posture at this moment was a bit odd, like a dog whose bottom was a little itchy because it hadn't finished pooping.

"Young Master Zhao must think I'm a complete idiot right now," Lin Zhou sighed. "All the persona I worked so hard to build is ruined."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the two women. Just then, Xiao'e turned around, and their eyes met in mid-air. Xiao'e was filled with shame and collapsed at the slightest touch. She scrambled away to avoid the confrontation.

"No, he was just envious." Lu You leaned closer and whispered, "His eyes were practically glued to him just now, his gaze was so sticky."

Lin Zhou was taken aback and turned to look at Zhao Chun, who was standing with his sister eating meat in the distance. He looked so bright in the sunlight, like a star in the sky compared to Lin Zhou, who was writhing in the shadows.

What's wrong with him?

"Who knows? Maybe he just likes it." Lu You also glanced back at Zhao. "He was lost in thought at the time, I wonder what he was thinking about."

Lin Zhou didn't speak, but his gaze towards Zhao Ji carried a somewhat strange quality.

"I gave him the things. Brother Lin, do you think they'll really work?" Lu You was also a little uneasy: "Some of the things inside are indeed treasonous, and his identity is somewhat—"

"What are you afraid of?" Lin Zhou said in a low voice, "If he really objects, he'll just turn to the first page and draw his knife to kill you. Do you see the knife on his waist?"

"That's a sword."

"It doesn't matter," Lin Zhou waved his hand and said, "As long as he takes the stuff, he can just take it one step at a time. Do you expect him to achieve instant success?"

That makes sense.

"Let's go have a drink."

Lin Zhou brought a lot of wine. Although they weren't used to drinking beer at first, and the harsh taste and bubbles made them feel a little uncomfortable, the Song Dynasty was known for its openness and inclusiveness. People in the Song Dynasty generally liked to try new things, otherwise Dongpo pork wouldn't have become so popular so quickly.

Especially in a place like Lin'an, which is a melting pot of diverse cultures, the spirit of inclusiveness goes without saying. After a short period of adjustment, people here, with their Song and Jin styles, began to drink heartily.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere improved considerably. Although Xiao'e still ignored Zhao Ji, Zhao Ji, now that he was drunk, was no longer so pretentious. He would respond if she wanted, but it didn't matter if she didn't.

"Our Great Song Dynasty isn't without its good points. While it can't be said that all the people are doing well, at least no one has starved to death in a long time. However, things have become a bit tight in recent years. There's less land and less food, and alas—the people have suffered a lot."

Zhao Ji, slightly drunk, began to mutter to himself. As a staunch patriot, he was actually quite optimistic. If it weren't for the presence of several Jurchens, he would probably have already expressed his grand vision for the Northern Expedition.

"They just want to launch a northern expedition."

Yangti, with his legs crossed, leaned against a tree, swinging his toes and laughing, "Come on, come on, let's meet on the battlefield like men. Then it'll be a fight to the death, and neither of us will have a say."

He was also a little drunk at this moment, and Zhao Fen laughed at this provocation: "One day."

97

"Haha, I'll be waiting for you." Yangti crossed his arms. "Will we meet in Fancheng, Huai'an, or Dasanguan?"

"Let's go to Zhuxian Town," Xiao'e suddenly said. "See you in Zhuxian Town."

When Zhao Ji spoke, Yang Ti dared to respond. But after Xiao E uttered the words "Zhu Xian Town," Yang Ti merely shrank his neck and buried his head in his meat.

It was in Zhuxian Town that Yue Fei defeated his grandfather Wuzhu, forcing him to flee back to Bianjing. If it weren't for those twelve gold tablets, he would probably have already returned to the old capital.

Xiao'e only uttered eight words, yet they brought out a lingering sweetness to her unfinished passion. If it were anyone else, Yang Ti might have mocked or ridiculed them, but when this person, who had Yue Fei's blood flowing through her veins, spoke, it was like a muffled thunderclap striking his heart.

They were afraid, genuinely afraid. Even four years after Yue Fei's death, the Jurchens were still afraid. That's why they simultaneously studied Yue Fei's tactical thinking and battle system while colluding with Qin Hui to suppress Yue Fei's faction.

"What the hell are you fighting for?" Lin Zhou was also a bit drunk by now. He lay on the grass next to him, smelling like cow dung, and said lazily, "After this trip, it won't be long before the Jin Kingdom is in internal strife. At that time, you two won't be able to go to the battlefield, and you might even be put on an execution order."

"Brother Lin!"

Lu You lunged forward to cover Lin Zhou's mouth, but Hong Liu grabbed his belt.

"And what do you know?"

"I—I don't know anything, I just know that your two grandfathers are going to lose this time. Once he loses, Wanyan Liang will take the opportunity to suppress him. The faster he loses, the faster Wanyan Liang will rise. When he rises again, will you two still have any good fruit to eat?"

Lin Zhou was saying something offensive, but as the saying goes, what is said without intention may be taken to heart. Yang Ti leaned closer to Lin Zhou and poked him with his finger: "Brother-in-law, who told you that?"

"Who else would I listen to? It's obvious. Putting aside other places, a few days ago, a lot of Jurchens came to the market to dump grain. I was wondering, since the Jurchens aren't exactly a grain-producing region, why are so many Jurchens coming to sell their grain? Then I heard that your two grandfathers went out to fight."

Lin Zhou's speech was a bit slurred: "I don't understand anything, but I do understand one thing. Fighting a war requires both men and horses. You can't just feed horses hay; you have to feed them fine grains. The effort it takes for people and horses to eat is already considerable. I asked Old Xu, the rice seller on the street corner, and he said that in previous years, the Jurchens would buy up tens of thousands of bushels of rice every spring. This year, they've started selling off their stock. Why do you think that is?"

"If the domestic food supply dwindles, can the front lines sustain themselves? If the front lines can't sustain themselves, won't that mean we'll lose the war?" Lin Zhou sat up. "Hiss—would losing the war benefit the Jin Kingdom?"

Zhao Ji quickly shook his head: "Of course there's no benefit."

"Would that be good for our grandfather?" Lin Zhou put his arm around Yang Ti's shoulder.

"That goes without saying, of course there's no benefit."

Lin Zhou snapped his fingers and clicked his tongue: "Then tell me, who benefits from this?"

"It's good for the Song Dynasty. Rice prices usually rise in the spring, but they haven't risen this year." Zhao Ji immediately realized this as well.

"Hey!" Lin Zhou slapped his thigh: "It was our Great Song Dynasty that made the Great Jin Dynasty sell grain!"

Zhao rolled his eyes at him, thinking, "If the Song Dynasty had that kind of ability, why would it even bother with a northern expedition?"

However, he suddenly realized something: "So that means—if it were Wanyan Zongbi—"

Hongliu raised her hand and pointed at Zhao Ji, who quickly slapped his forehead: "If Marshal Wanyan fails, then Wanyan Liang will naturally gain power!"

"I didn't say that," Lin Zhou turned to Hong Liu and said, "I don't study this. I only know a little about business, so let's do market analysis. Looking at rice prices, you see, according to the rule that 10,000 shi can cause the average price of rice to rise or fall by 1 li per jin, the price should rise by about 3 wen every spring. But this year it has fallen by 1.3 wen and is still falling. I conservatively estimate it will fall by 2 wen. That's about 500,000 shi of goods shipped. Young Master Zhao, how much grain is stored in the Song Dynasty's granaries at the beginning of spring?"

"Lin'an's regular reserves are around one million shi (a unit of dry measure), and its war reserves are eighty shi."

"So, the Jin Kingdom is either selling off its regular reserves or its war reserves?" Lin Zhou slowly sat up. "Which one are they selling off?"

Hearing this, Zhao Fen sat up straight, his eyes wide: "How about we go take a look?"

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