"In the blink of an eye, just as the white snake lunged forward, the Great Ancestor reached out with his right hand and a precious sword adorned with seven-colored beads and nine-colored jade appeared. Inscribed on this sword were two unique innate divine runes, which, when translated, meant 'Crimson Sky'..."
"This must be the legend of Emperor Gaozu's uprising after slaying the white snake. It's quite a stretch. But being able to spout nonsense with a straight face is a skill in itself," Xi Zhicai said calmly.
"That's nothing, take a look at today's third edition," Guo Jia said with a smile, as if he had discovered something interesting.
"There are 3,600 peach trees here. The first 1,200 have small flowers and small fruits, ripening once every 3,000 years. Those who eat them will become immortals and attain a healthy and light body. The middle 1,200 have layered flowers and sweet fruits, ripening once every 6,000 years. Those who eat them will ascend to heaven and live forever. The last 1,200 have purple-veined, yellow-kernel peaches, ripening once every 9,000 years. Those who eat them will live as long as heaven and earth and be the same age as the sun and moon."
"Heh, you make it sound so real. There's no such thing as a free lunch. You can become an immortal just by eating it. Even if you could become an immortal, there would definitely be drawbacks. Besides, even if it were true, how could ordinary people possibly have a chance?" Xi Zhicai mocked.
“Hehe, just because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean others won’t. Even if only one out of a hundred people believes it, the Duke of Wu has already made a profit. At least, everyone’s impression of the South has changed from barren to one of treasures everywhere,” Guo Jia said.
It has to be said that with all this information, both true and false, it will be much easier for Lin Yang to persuade (or mislead) the people to go to the south with him.
Day 4
"The first volume today is about Emperor Gaozu officially slaying the white serpent..."
"The third volume describes the undeveloped south, where there are many gold mines..."
"Volume Four contains several tips for adjusting one's mindset before the county-level examination, including..."
Day 5
"The first volume today is about Emperor Gaozu..."
...
Day 6
...
Day 7
...
Day 8
"We started charging today, one cent per serving, at cost price. However, it still sold out very quickly, so it didn't have any impact at all."
Day 9
"The reservation function was launched today, and it is said that almost all the major academies, prominent families, and restaurants, big and small, have made reservations. The trend is set, the trend is set!"
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Chapter 50: Nobility and Fiefdoms
The Duke of Wu's Mansion—speaking of which, this mansion was directly bestowed upon Lin Yang by the imperial court. It's said that its previous owner was a prince. Later, this prince, ambitious and determined, challenged the throne, and then...that was the end of that.
Then, Lin Yang became the master of the mansion. Moreover, although Lin Yang's title was only Duke, he was a Duke among the powerful feudal lords, and in terms of prestige, he was no less than a prince. Therefore, enjoying these dragon-shaped ornaments was not considered a violation of regulations.
Meanwhile, Lin Yang was in the back garden, assessing his team. Or rather, engaging in friendly and in-depth exchanges with these people.
"I've invited everyone here today to ask for your opinions on our next steps. Since we're all on the same side, feel free to speak your mind. There will be no punishment for your words here," Lin Yang said with a smile.
At a glance, there were more than thirty people in the audience. The strongest among them was an old man whose strength was originally only at the peak of the second tier. Recently, with Lin Yang's help, he successfully broke through.
After that, they were completely satisfied and pledged allegiance to Lin Yang, becoming his retainers. The remaining men were not fools either, so Lin Yang's retainers suddenly increased from ten to more than thirty.
At a glance, among these thirty-odd people, the one with the best fate was a young man named Li Qing, who was an illegitimate son of the Li family of Longxi.
This person's destiny is at least four levels. This means that as long as enough resources are invested, this person can break through directly to the fourth level. Among this group of misfits, he is quite a rare gem.
"My lord, I think we should try to improve our relationship with the powerful clans. After all, you currently possess a powerful weapon like the Great Han Daily. If you are willing, the powerful clans will surely agree."
As he spoke, the old man glanced at Lin Yang. When he saw that Lin Yang didn't react, he continued, "After all, things are different now. With the Great Han Daily, those powerful families probably won't pressure us too much. With their help, things will definitely be much easier."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang glanced at the audience and noticed that the vast majority of people looked on in agreement. Although he had anticipated this outcome, Lin Yang still felt somewhat resentful.
Is this all the people I have? What use is a bunch of scum? It seems I need to do something about it.
"Alright, Hu Feng and Li Qing stay, everyone else can leave," Lin Yang said calmly.
Of the group, Hu Feng remained silent, his expression unchanged. Li Qing, on the other hand, wore a gloomy face, indicating his opposition, though he didn't voice it.
"Alright, what are your thoughts, you two?"
“Your Highness, I don’t have any particular ideas either. However, I do know one thing: with Your Highness’s wisdom, if you wanted to cooperate with aristocratic families, you would have done so already.”
"Therefore, Your Highness is certainly unwilling. Besides, I, Old Hu, am just a household guard, so naturally I will do whatever Your Highness thinks," Hu Feng said.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile. He hadn't realized his head retainer was so clever. Not bad, all the time he'd spent training him hadn't been in vain.
"Your Highness, you must not take the initiative to cooperate with the world. After all, although Your Highness is now the Duke of Wu and has founded the Great Han Daily, your foundation is still too shallow. You still need far too many talented people."
"With so many talented people, cooperating with the aristocratic families will raise the issue of priorities. If the aristocratic families take the lead, then Your Highness will have to engage in all sorts of struggles with them. If Your Highness takes the lead, how could the aristocratic families willingly send their truly talented individuals?" Li Qing said.
As an illegitimate son of the Li family of Longxi, Li Qing was naturally familiar with the various methods used by aristocratic families. It could be said that they were constantly engaging in despicable acts; apart from their good reputation, almost everything else about them was bad.
Ultimately, it all boils down to a fundamental issue. Although Lin Yang has been constantly stirring things up since arriving in the capital, his foundation is shallow, and that's an undeniable fact.
To give a simple example, a true scion of a noble family will be accompanied by a large group of servants from a young age. As they grow up, they will be constantly selected and a master-servant relationship will be formed.
In this way, this scion of a prominent family would naturally have a sufficient team around him after coming of age. Moreover, most of these people would be exceptionally capable and knowledgeable. Most importantly, they would be trustworthy.
In long-established families, there might be servants for generations, even dozens of generations. These servants are generally extremely loyal, and in terms of loyalty, they are no less than so-called assassins.
"Yes, those scions of noble families are indeed very capable, but they are too difficult to manage. If my territory had already developed into a county, or even a prefecture, the situation would be much better," Lin Yang said with a hint of helplessness.
"Here, take a look, this is my plan." With that, Lin Yang handed over a piece of paper.