Su Shiyi looked at Lin Feng with a strange expression.
The gaze was so intense that she couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.
He said, "Ask me any questions you have."
Marshal Chu often said that this old fellow was cunning and wicked, unlike those brainless members of the Ten Crow tribes. This guy not only had brains but also incredible luck. He wouldn't openly express his grudges, but would lie in wait like a venomous snake, ready to bite.
Lin Feng refrained from commenting on the former for the time being—Su Shiyilu harbored resentment towards him and made no attempt to conceal her malice, a stark contrast to Marshal Chu's assessment. As for the latter, Lin Feng was convinced; Su Shiyilu was now indeed a venomous snake.
but--
Ha, she knows how to make poison.
As one of the five poisonous creatures, she has dealt with venomous snakes countless times over the years. Many rare and deadly snakes were personally captured by her from their habitats. Snake catching is her forte.
Su Shiyi Lu didn't stand on ceremony with her either: "We've only been at Zhuyue Pass for a short time, and we've only rested for an hour. Where did you find the time to bribe the 'ghost'? I admit that money is indeed very useful. One dose can produce immediate results, but no matter how powerful it is, you have to spend it to see any effect."
He kept his eyes on Lin Feng.
The other person was out of sight for no more than 15 minutes.
What can you do in a mere 15 minutes?
To his surprise, Lin Feng glanced at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, a casual look that ignited Su Shiyi's fury, making her want to gouge out his eyes and use them as a snack. He said coldly, "Hey Lin, what's with that look?"
Lin Feng withdrew his gaze: "It's nothing. I'm just a little surprised. General, you once led the Wuzhou army to fight Marshal Chu to a standstill. Surely you don't know that those in power don't have to do everything personally? Taking on everything yourself will exhaust even the strongest person. Before we arrived, someone had already bribed some scoundrels. Since it concerns the survival of Kang Kingdom, it's natural to make arrangements in advance."
The person who did this was a merchant.
This person is shrewd and clever; Lin Feng has dealt with her twice.
Su Shiyi's face turned from blue to black.
He might just laugh it off if someone else said that.
However, coming from Lin Feng, it sounded nothing short of sarcastic and sarcastic to Su Shiyilu, and its effect was doubled.
In a fit of anger, Su Shiyilu lashed out.
Before the fall of Kangguo or the downfall of Chu Yao, he couldn't touch Lin Feng. If he did, that damned Shen Youli would immediately launch an attack on the old nobles of Wuzhou; Lin Feng's death would be the perfect pretext for a massacre and purge. Even if Shen, concerned for her reputation, didn't act ruthlessly, Chu Wuhui wouldn't let it go easily. Chu Jie was still Chu Wuhui's most loyal and obedient hound—he would bite!
Su Shiyilu has studied the civil and military officials of Kang State for many years, and there are not many people he can truly fear. Chu Yao ranks among the top three. This Lin Feng in front of him has a very powerful backer.
Su Shiyilu, who had been angry for a moment, was still sulking.
The disguised generals of Su Shiyilu all hung their heads, looking up at the sky and down at the ground, but not daring to look at their superiors. Their superiors couldn't touch Lin Feng right now, but that didn't mean they couldn't touch them.
It's best to avoid trouble at this critical juncture.
Su Shiyilu's current mentality is somewhat resigned. Since Lin Feng boasted that she would seize military merits, he would see how she planned to do it. He would only be responsible for fighting; everything else was secondary.
Lin Feng didn't care about this.
After traveling for half an hour, Su Shiyi Lu suddenly became alert.
He lowered his voice: "Someone is approaching."
Lin Feng's expression remained unchanged: "Let's continue on our way."
Su Shiyilu worried that the newcomers were Northern Desert soldiers, and that their identities would likely be exposed. For a moment, he regretted following Lin Feng here in this reckless adventure. His eyes were fixed on Lin Feng's vest, his mind racing with the thought that since he was going to die anyway, he would tear her heart out with his bare hands and crush it before he died!
What you fear most is what comes to pass.
The troops approaching in their direction were indeed from the Northern Desert.
Lin Feng stepped forward naturally.
To Su Shiyilu's surprise, the newcomers didn't make a move. They glanced at the flags they were displaying and, unusually, restrained their imposing aura. Lin Feng naturally stepped forward, took out an object from his pocket, and spoke to the leader of the group in fluent, accent-free Northern Desert language. Su Shiyilu also knew some Northern Desert language and, secretly listening, managed to understand most of it.
Lin Feng, unlike his usual taciturn and aloof self, became obsequious and expressive: "I am here on the orders of my master to deliver some words of comfort."
She took out several pieces of silver from her bosom: "The family specifically instructed that you, sir, do not think it is too little. There will be another batch in a few days, and this amount is for you, sir."
Upon hearing this, the team leader's eyes lit up.
But these are extraordinary times, and the necessary procedures still need to be followed. His eyes were fixed on the fully loaded wooden cart.
He turned to someone and ordered, "Go and take a look."
After he finished speaking, more than a dozen people stepped forward to search him.
Instead of searching the people in the group, they searched the animal hides covering the carts. Underneath the hides were plenty of warm clothing, strong liquor, dried meat, and provisions. Su Shiyilu only then realized what was inside and wondered what Lin Feng was up to. These Northern Desert soldiers didn't conduct a thorough search, and even if they had, they wouldn't have been afraid; the items were indeed safe.
The leading Northern Desert soldier led his men away.
Before leaving, he reminded Lin Feng not to be late.
After Su Shiyi and the others had all left, he couldn't help but speak up: "If these people were my soldiers, I would have killed them all."
Lin Feng laughed and said, "What are you talking about? Don't even mention these soldiers, even if their superiors came, the result would be the same. Money makes the world go round, and there's no difference between small devils and big devils. If there's any difference, the big devils will have a bigger appetite."
Su Shiyilu nearly stared in disbelief: "What?"
Lin Feng said, "The living environment in the Northern Desert is very harsh. Only one or two out of ten thousand are wealthy, and the rest are impoverished. Even though there is a trade market in Camel City, most of the good goods end up in the hands of high-ranking officials and nobles. In order to expand southward, the Northern Desert openly exploits the lower classes, tricking them into handing over their wealth. The Northern Desert Royal Court has purchased large quantities of high-yield grain seeds from Kangguo for five consecutive years, and the harvest has been increasing every year, but the number of people starving to death is also increasing. They use every means possible, from exorbitant taxes to inventing new pretexts!"
Su Shiyilu had a strange feeling that he was also being criticized, because in some aspects of the Ten Crows back then, they were just as bad as the Northern Desert.
"Is this related to that group of people from earlier?"
Lin Feng said, "It's related, it's extremely related."
Because the Northern Desert, under the banner of conquering the Northwest Continent and seizing power, lured the ignorant into sacrificing themselves to achieve this dream—they believed that if their generation suffered, future generations would be grateful for their ancestors' sacrifices. Many commoners in the Northern Desert responded, only to be squeezed dry. As long as there is profit to be made, greedy individuals will flock to it. Initially, it was only ordinary people who tightened their belts; then it was those slightly better off, and then those even better off…
Exploitation and corruption at every level.
Su Shiyilu: "This—"
Lin Feng initially thought it was a bit outrageous, but that was the reality. Some neglected small tribal troops were having their rations and salaries withheld, and were almost starving. When they pressed their superiors, they were either given the runaround or told to figure it out themselves.
It's not that the higher-ups don't want to pay salaries, but rather that they don't have enough salaries either—those who have tasted the sweetness of corruption feel that they are taking too little and it won't affect the overall situation, but there are too many corrupt people.
The merchants who contacted Lin Feng saw a business opportunity in this.
She secretly collaborated with these soldiers in smuggling.
Building relationships layer by layer.
He was known by name to several nobles from the northern deserts.
This merchant's smuggling business grew larger and larger, and a portion of the troops in the northern desert region depended on her for money to buy food. She was their god of wealth! Without their god of wealth, how would they eat? Naturally, they would protect her with their lives.
Give those who need a favor, and those who need to use the back door, use the back door.
The nobles of the Northern Desert turned a blind eye to the benefits they received.
If that's not enough, you can close both eyes.
Su Shiyi's expression twisted: "This is too absurd!"
While there are many problems with the Ten Crows, none are this outrageous.
Can't these people see that there might be something fishy about that merchant? A mere merchant, without powerful backing or authorization, would find it difficult to pass the three checks even with extraordinary abilities. Even if the trade was operating normally at the time, wouldn't Kangguo take such a large volume of trade for such a long time seriously? Are these people crazy?
Lin Feng said, "The general underestimated human nature."
On one side are people who withhold and delay their pay and exploit them to the death; on the other side is a benevolent benefactor who provides them with food, money, clothing, and warmth. Who would turn down the latter? They also have families to support. If they go hungry, can their parents, wives, and children?
Furthermore—
Because the high yield of the grain varieties was evident to all, the people in the northern desert had enough to eat for the first two years. They were full of expectations for the future and were not afraid of going hungry. With food and clothing plentiful, people started to indulge in lustful desires, and the number of children born and raised in these two years was more than double the previous peak.
Even though the Northern Desert intensified its exploitation in the following years, the number of children born did not decrease much, because the Northern Desert pulled off a clever maneuver at a crucial moment—well, this maneuver was inseparable from her teacher's secret actions—by having more children now, the Northern Desert would have more warriors in the future, and the Northern Desert's goal was not just the Northwest!
Listen to this: they are not giving birth to children, but to future warriors.
There are now more mouths to feed in every household.
The pressure to support a family is naturally greater.
The warriors of the Northern Desert, now facing their immediate crisis, dared not touch this God of Wealth. As long as the God of Wealth didn't betray the Northern Desert and wasn't exposed, he could continue to receive his due benefits. If things really got out of hand, they could still chop him down later.
The banner that Lin Feng raised was that of the God of Wealth.
Su Shiyilu was completely dumbfounded.
After a long pause, he finally managed to say, "That's too mean."
The Northern Desert accumulated a large amount of war supplies thanks to its high grain yield, seemingly achieving its goal, but the Kang Kingdom did not suffer any losses either.
If it weren't for war, the Northern Desert could destroy itself.
The bottom layer can still hold on for now.
But what if it drags on for another year or two?
I'm afraid countless people will starve to death.
Lin Feng looked at Su Shiyilu and smiled without saying a word.
In fact, the various schemes devised against the Ten Crows back then, especially the inscriptions on the ten ancestors' tombstones, were quite insidious. However, given what the Ten Crows did, they deserved this treatment.
Su Shiyilu also thought of this, and his face turned even worse. He said sarcastically, "Isn't the Lord afraid that the Northern Desert will follow suit?"
No one can resist the temptation of profit.
Corruption is not something that only affects people in the northern deserts.
There are countless ways to silently corrupt and decadent people, and it seems that Jinli County in Kunzhou is a similar lesson.
The people of Kangguo were not so incorruptible as to be completely honest and incorruptible.
Lin Feng: "Of course they're afraid, which is why the Censorate frequently inspects various places, nipping any signs in the bud. Is it faster for the Northern Desert to cultivate corrupt officials, or for the Emperor's executioner's blade to do so?"
Isn't the answer obvious?
Su Shiyilu's face turned blue.
Only now did he realize the difference between himself and those heartless bastards like Shen Tang. The difference was that he was simply heartless, while the damned Shen Tang and his gang were utterly ruthless and rotten to the core! If those methods had been used on Shi Wu back then, he couldn't even imagine what kind of wretched Shi Wu would have been left in. Consequently, Su Shiyilu also felt a slight fear towards Lin Feng, who was chatting and laughing beside him.
This person's heart is black and rotten!
Although the group was unfamiliar with the Northern Desert, Lin Feng had unique connections. Whenever they encountered someone being investigated, Lin Feng would step forward to negotiate, while Su Shiyilu and the others would pretend to be mute. In fact, they were not only mute but also deaf—a suggestion Lin Feng had made to the wealthy merchants years ago. While the people of the Northern Desert could be bribed, they were also afraid of being exposed. Using a group of mute and deaf people to transport smuggled goods ensured they wouldn't leak their secrets, and the people of the Northern Desert could rest assured—now they weren't even worried about being discovered due to language barriers.
They managed to slip through unnoticed and proceeded without hindrance.
Su Shiyi Lu both scorned and yet empathized with the Northern Desert.
Despairingly, they realized that if they were soldiers from the Northern Desert, they too would be deceived—Lin Feng's performance was flawless, and even his accent, which was usually the source of problems, was perfect; the soldiers they encountered had all been corrupted and bribed by the God of Wealth, and were given the green light; even though some troops followed cautiously along the way, the convoy did not carry any maps and relied entirely on Lin Feng to lead the way, so the route was flawless.
Who would doubt the authenticity of their identities?
Apart from Lin Feng, who possessed some skill, the rest of the convoy consisted of relatively strong deaf-mute individuals. Even Totem, the scout with the most sensitive sense of smell, failed to detect anything amiss. The disguise was too perfect!
Lin Feng and others escorted the gifts to a nearby granary.
She even brazenly walked up to the grain inspector.
Both large crates were filled with grain gifts for the grain inspector.
The grain inspector's expression remained calm, but his gaze slid smoothly to the open trunk. The top layer contained only ordinary winter clothing. Lin Feng had said that inside were just clothes, some fine wine and dry rations, and Kangguo specialties for the inspector's wife and daughters. However, just by listening to the sound of the trunk hitting the ground, one could tell that there was more to it than met the eye. The grain inspector had clearly received gifts more than once and understood the intricacies of the trade.
He said, "The Chen family has gone to great lengths."
"It's no trouble at all. My family often says that without your help and care, we wouldn't have the family fortune we have today. These are all worthless things; how could they possibly repay even a fraction of your kindness?"
Much of the grain here was bought at low prices by the wealthy official, saving those who were procuring the grain a lot of trouble and allowing them to make a considerable profit. The grain supervisor also benefited from this, and now, after being flattered, he felt even more pleased and was even less likely to cause trouble.
They even prepared special food and drinks to entertain the people who were supposed to be the God of Wealth.
He even teased Lin Feng for being clever and tactful.
"Hmm, he has some of the demeanor of the Chen family."
|ω`)
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