"Feipeng, this is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it. Jiangdong is not like the Central Plains; it is quite desolate. More importantly, the powerful families there are rather xenophobic, and the various forces are quite complex."
After a pause, Cai Yan continued, "Throughout history, the failures in expanding Jiangdong have not only been due to natural disasters, but also to human calamities. On this journey, you must be careful, very careful, extremely careful."
After saying that, she took out a sachet, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, her pretty face flushed red. She continued, "You should keep this sachet with you at all times. It contains a large amount of righteous energy, which can enhance your Confucian and Taoist cultivation on a daily basis. In critical moments, it can even unleash an attack with eighty percent of my father's strength."
Then, Lin Yang carefully accepted the sachet. The entire surface of the sachet was embroidered with gold thread, and it featured a picture of playful children. The material was Shu brocade. Overall, it emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance.
Then, Lin Yang actually closed his eyes and, quite rudely, took a sniff. Then, he said happily, "Not bad, it smells really good. Wenji's cooking is really good."
It's unclear whether they were referring to the fragrance of the sachet or something else. Then, they simply wore it around their waist.
As for Cai Yan, she blushed and lowered her head, as if there was something interesting on the ground, pretending she hadn't heard anything. Shi A, on the other hand, raised his head and looked up at the sky intently, as if there was something wonderful there.
Just as the situation became somewhat awkward, Su Qing'er rushed over from the side. Even from a distance, her rapid breathing could be heard, as if she were in a great hurry.
Upon arriving, he glanced at the sachet at Lin Yang's waist and then immediately reminded him, "Young Master, it's time. If we don't leave now, we might be delayed for a whole day. Besides, if you want a sachet, you can just say so. I have one too."
After saying that, she took a sachet from her waist and, in front of Cai Yan, personally hung it on Lin Yang's belt. Then, she gave Cai Yan a defiant look.
It has to be said, this is a bit awkward. Looking at Su Qing'er's angry little face, Lin Yang felt like he was caught cheating on his wife and then getting caught in the act. It was truly, truly unbearable.
It seems the blessing of having multiple wives isn't so easy to enjoy. I certainly don't possess that kind of charisma that can make anyone pregnant with a mere glance. Let alone building a harem, I'm already struggling to handle just these two right in front of me.
So, what should I do in this situation? I need help urgently!
Seemingly noticing Lin Yang's predicament, Shi A spoke up in time.
"Ahem, well, Fei Peng, your rank in the Mercenary Alliance has been raised again. You've reached the county level. Speaking of which, you're one of the highest ranks in Jiangdong."
“Once you arrive in Jiangdong, you can easily find the local officials anytime and ask for information. You can also access a lot of county-level intelligence for free. I believe this will make things much more convenient,” Shi A said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang quickly echoed, "Yes, thank you very much, Brother Shi. By the way, it's almost time, so I'll be going now." After saying that, he gave Cai Yan an apologetic look, and then left as if fleeing.
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Chapter 4: The little girl from back then has grown up!
Outside the pavilion, Lin Yang sat on his warhorse, clad in armor and wearing a helmet, looking quite heroic.
Beside him stood Xi Zhicai, still dressed in Confucian robes, holding a feather fan, and wearing a turban, looking every bit the dashing scholar.
"Zhicai, I'm entrusting this to you to stay in Luoyang this time. The Great Han Daily is also in your care," Lin Yang said.
After all, even if the journey to Jiangdong goes smoothly, it's uncertain how long it will take to return to Luoyang. There simply isn't the time or energy to continue managing the Great Han Daily. This foundation can't just be thrown away or given away for no reason.
Moreover, it's essential to maintain a presence in the capital at all times to monitor various news. Even if real-time monitoring isn't possible, we can't afford to miss any major events or insider information.
Therefore, after much consideration, it was decided that it was essential to leave reliable people in the capital. Moreover, and more importantly, this position was not easy to hold. One wrong move, and one could be assassinated.
"Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly handle the Great Han Daily well. However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Given the Great Han Daily's enormous influence, I'm afraid we may have to relinquish some of its benefits," Xi Zhicai said, shaking his head.
After all, he was merely a baron, and a nobleman of the Wu Kingdom at that. In Luoyang, he was really nothing special.
If you anger those powerful families, it's not impossible that one day, you might accidentally die in your sleep, drown, or choke on water.
It should be noted that the entire population of the Han Dynasty was only a few hundred million households, totaling around ten billion people.
Now, after this period of development, the daily circulation of newspapers has reached a full 100 million copies.
What does this mean? It means that one in every hundred people buys a newspaper every day. And how many people read newspapers? I wouldn't dare say, but it's probably five or six hundred million, or even seven or eight hundred million.
Such immense influence naturally represents enormous profits. The reason they haven't acted yet is precisely to wait for Lin Yang to leave.
At that time, how much influence will a Duke of Wu, who is going to his fiefdom, have on the distant capital?
By then, even if Lin Yang is unwilling, he will naturally have to give up many benefits under various means. He might even have to give up control of the newspaper.
On the contrary, if we take action now, we will face Lin Yang's counterattack. He might even destroy the Great Han Daily, which would be a huge loss.
Therefore, at this very moment, countless people were watching, waiting for Lin Yang to leave. At least under his Divine Eye of Fortune, Lin Yang had spotted dozens of spies.
“Yes, Zhicai, you are not me after all. When the time comes, all sorts of underhanded tactics will probably come one after another. So, you can allocate some space to those aristocratic families.”
"Win one faction over the other, and you can decide how to do it yourself. But your safety is the most important thing. If it really doesn't work out, you can give it up," Lin Yang said.
To be honest, this was Lin Yang's honest opinion. Don't underestimate Xi Zhicai just because he's not a chosen one yet; in the future, almost all of these people who will go down in history will be chosen ones. The only difference is that some will be chosen sooner, and some later.
You should know that a loyal chosen one is valuable in itself!
"Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly handle this well. These powerful families, though influential, are also quite disunited. There are local tyrants in the capital, as well as outsiders who have crossed over. There are also various noble families and rivalries among the commoner families. Given the opportunities, there may be a chance to exploit them," Xi Zhicai said confidently.
"Well, what are you planning to do?"
"It's nothing more than promoting the advantages of Jiangdong, cultivating its reputation, befriending famous figures, and having them praise it. Then, cultivate relationships with scholars and intellectuals. As for the demands of aristocratic families, as long as they don't affect the very foundation of the newspaper, just agree to them. And..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang nodded. Everyone has their own area of expertise; he was indeed neither a true scholar nor a true strategist, at least not as organized as Xi Zhicai.
It seems my idol is Liu Bang, and I should learn from him. Although Liu Bang himself was an old rogue who knew nothing, he still managed to conquer the country. Wasn't it all because he knew how to recognize and appoint capable people? He is truly a role model for us all.
With this matter settled, there was nothing more to worry about. Lin Yang then left the capital with peace of mind.
"Let's go."
With a command given, the group finally set off.
The entire team numbered nearly 10,000. Among them, the vanguard, who were responsible for building bridges over water, numbered a full 300.
In addition, the more than three thousand artisans, excluding the army, were all on horseback. While their horsemanship wasn't expected to be exceptional, they could manage to stay on their horses without falling off. As a result, the marching speed naturally didn't slow down.