Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

Qin and Han moved closer.

"She started it."

Cheng Ying was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.

Qin Han said seriously, "She touched my face, isn't that teasing your man?"

Cheng Ying almost laughed in anger.

"Brother Qin, even if you try to fool Zhong Ling with those words, she won't believe you."

"It's true."

"I don't believe you."

Qin Han didn't argue anymore. In the end, he was the one who benefited. Wang Yuyan's body was delicate to begin with, and she couldn't withstand his torment.

But it must be said that Wang Yuyan no longer has any place for Murong Fu in her heart; it is completely filled with Qin Han.

"Hmm... You don't believe me? Then you'll believe me when Chengmei comes to see for herself next time."

Cheng Ying blushed at the sudden teasing.

She wanted to pinch him, but felt she had to give her man face in front of Tianbao and Junbao, so she gave him a shy glare.

He cursed inwardly, but said no more about it.

Anyway, she already knew what kind of person this man was, so there was no point in saying anything.

Qin Han knew when to stop and quickly changed the subject.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Take good care of things at home, Cheng Mei. If there's anything important, have Fei Xue send a message. That big eagle can find me."

Cheng Ying nodded and stepped back to make way for the side door.

Qin Han led Dong Tianbao and Zhang Junbao out through the side door.

The three of them went out through the side door and turned into a narrow alley.

This alley is a side passage of the Prince's Mansion. Few people walk on it on weekdays. It is surrounded by high walls on both sides, which make it very well hidden.

After passing through the narrow alley and turning another corner, you'll find yourself on a street in Chengdu.

There were already quite a few pedestrians on the streets in the early morning.

The steamed bun vendor pushed his cart and called out his wares, the waiter in the teahouse was wiping the tables, and the blacksmith's shop on the street corner had already started forging iron. The clanging and banging sounds mingled with the voices of people, making it very lively.

The three of them blended into the crowd and did not attract much attention.

Dong Tianbao looked left and right, his face showing interest and curiosity.

"Brother, it's been so long since I've gone shopping like this."

"What? Still thinking about when you and Junbao were busking?" Qin Han teased casually.

Chengdu has changed a lot.

It's become so much more prosperous than when he first took over Sichuan. Looking at the street scene of Chengdu, I couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

The three-year tax exemption policy has been even more effective than he had imagined.

The people get as much grain as they grow, without having to pay a single grain of rice in tax.

In this day and age, this condition is practically a divine policy.

After the news spread, not only did local farmers in Sichuan work desperately to reclaim wasteland, but also migrants from surrounding areas flocked to Sichuan in droves.

With a larger population, the market becomes more active.

When the market is active, vendors come.

When merchants arrived, agricultural taxes were exempted, but commercial taxes were not.

The Qin and Han dynasties were not worried about a lack of merchants. Even with increased taxes, there was no shortage of merchants because the Southern Silk Road started from Sichuan: with Chengdu as the starting point, it passed through Yunnan and Myanmar, leading to India and Southeast Asia.

It's just that the Qin and Han dynasties didn't have time to go to India or Southeast Asia, otherwise they wouldn't have minded contacting foreigners in the world.

It is worth mentioning, however, that the southern route was an ancient trade route connecting Sichuan and Yunnan to Tibet. Unlike the true Silk Road system, it could only be considered a branch line, but it was sufficient for Sichuan.

Now, with the integration of the Ruan family's business network by Ruan Xingzhu, and the governance capabilities of Xu Xingzhi and Li Jing, the economy of Shu is recovering faster than anyone expected.

Qin Han walked past the entrance of a cloth shop, where the shopkeeper was smiling and greeting customers, with various kinds of silks displayed on the counter.

The grain store next door was even more bustling, with several men carrying sacks of grain in and out; business was booming.

Nowadays, farmers dare to plant, merchants dare to transport, and craftsmen dare to take on jobs. In teahouses and taverns, people talk about new policies and this year's harvest.

There are vendors selling hot pancakes by the roadside.

Dong Tianbao hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and the smell made him slow down.

"Has your older brother had breakfast?"

Qin Han glanced at the stall. He hadn't eaten much this morning, but it wouldn't take long anyway.

"no."

Dong Tianbao was overjoyed and immediately took out his money.

The stall owner was an old man who was almost sixty years old, but he was very quick and efficient.

"How many tickets would you like, gentlemen?"

Dong Tianbao held up five fingers.

Five?

The stall owner asked a question.

"No, ten!" Dong Tianbao said confidently, thinking to himself, how could five be enough?

Zhang Junbao warned, "You think you can finish ten of these by yourself?!"

Dong Tianbao said confidently, "Martial arts practitioners need to eat a lot to have the strength to practice."

The stall owner couldn't stop smiling; this was a big customer.

"You all look like chivalrous heroes. Recently, quite a few outsiders have come to Sichuan, especially from Chengdu. Many of them are refugees and common people. Everyone says that the Shu King's rule is peaceful and he's willing to give us poor people a way to survive."

Qin Han took a hot pancake. It was his first time eating this kind of street-side hot pancake, and it tasted pretty good.

"Is the King of Shu really that well-regarded?"

The stall owner looked around and spoke proudly.

"That's natural."

"In the past, the Wu and Wang families held military power, while the other officials collected taxes, practically scraping the bottom of our pots and pans."

"Now things are much better. The king has said that there will be no taxes for three years, and he has also made great efforts to repair roads, eliminate bandits, and reorganize the army. Now Qin soldiers patrol the city and its outskirts every day, there are no more mountain bandits or outlaws, and we are no longer afraid of being robbed when we go out."

"My son went to register a few days ago, saying he wanted to be a soldier under the King of Shu."

Dong Tianbao mumbled something while munching on a pancake.

"Are you really willing to let your son join the army?"

The stall owner sighed, then laughed again.

"Even though I'm an old man, I have to let him go."

"Following a prince like this, at least you won't be a coward. Even if you die, you'll be sacrificing for your country and your name will be on the list of martyrs."

Qin Han didn't reply. He had prepared the list of martyrs a long time ago. As long as someone killed an enemy, they would become a martyr after death, and no one was allowed to humiliate such a family without cause.

Killing ten people will result in their entry into the martyrs' cemetery; killing a hundred people will result in them being posthumously honored as heroes, and every October they will be worshipped by the people of Sichuan.

Qin Han considered this to be normal, and even the Ming Cult disciples and Sichuan soldiers who died in the battle against the Jin Dynasty were honored.

Unexpectedly, this move brought the previously unruly Sichuan soldiers to tears. The fact that killing one person could earn them the title of martyr made the soldiers want to take others down with them even if it meant their own death!

Not only will they receive a pension after death, but their orphans and widows will also be protected. Why wouldn't they be loyal to the emperor?!

This is the main reason why Li Jing was able to take over so quickly; the only thing lacking now is money, food, and equipment.

Hearing the old man's honest words, Qin Han was quite pleased.

The three left some silver and walked a short distance when Dong Tianbao suddenly laughed.

"Brother, how does it feel to hear someone praise you to your face?"

Qin Han glanced at him.

"What's wrong? Your swordsmanship has improved lately, want to spar with your older brother?"

Dong Tianbao coughed twice and immediately looked up at the sky.

"The weather is nice today."

"hehe."

Zhang Junbao chuckled softly from behind, thinking, "He's bad at it but loves to play."