Lin Feng took a light sniff of the wine cup, and his eyes lit up.
He smiled and said, "General, you are very kind."
The grain inspector was overjoyed by the address of "General." After a few cups of strong liquor, his throat burned. He smacked his lips, closed his eyes, and savored the taste. When he opened his eyes again, they were slightly glazed. He leaned closer to Lin Feng, his breath reeking of alcohol: "Even I, your brother, am reluctant to drink too much of this fine wine. But when entertaining family, we must have the best. It's most important that you like it, brother."
Lin Feng smiled and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing Lin Feng's straightforwardness, the grain inspector couldn't help but clap his hands: "Hahaha, little brother, you have a good capacity for alcohol! Come on, fill it up again!"
Lin Feng politely declined by placing his hand over the wine cup.
“A few drinks are fine for enjoyment, but too much…” She glanced around cautiously, then leaned close to the grain inspector’s ear and said, “Things are getting tense right now, and there are quite a few people eyeing the general’s lucrative post. If they’re secretly jealous and ruin the general’s future…”
The displeasure on the grain inspector's face eased.
With a sigh, she removed Lin Feng's hand.
He leaned closer and whispered, "Why is your brother so careful? There are many people eyeing your position, but who told the Chen family to think highly of you? Those little brats want to take your place? Hmph, they'll have to see if the Chen family will even give in."
After saying that, he filled Lin Feng's wine cup again.
With gifts paving the way, the grain inspector was in high spirits.
Because Lin Feng not only secretly gave him a generous gift, but also took a 20% cut of the official consolation. The Chen family never bothered with formalities when giving gifts; they always delivered exactly what was needed. The grain was top-quality, the wine was fine wine, and most importantly, there was silver—cash on the coffers was what people liked most. All they had to do was make things easier for the other party's business.
Ultimately, it's all at someone else's expense.
He pocketed all the benefits.
They always looked down on other merchants, ripping them off without considering the future. But it was different with this Chen family patriarch. The more he earned, the more profit they would ultimately receive. This wasn't a one-off deal, but a steady, long-term income stream. Many soldiers relied on this wealthy man for financial assistance; otherwise, their families would starve.
Lin Feng and the grain inspector exchanged toasts several times.
The soldiers in the camp took the new grain and dried meat brought by Lin Feng and others to cook. There were also many seasonings on the cart. Before long, the rich aroma of meat began to tempt every soldier who smelled it.
Someone swallowed hard twice, their gaze filled with envy: "This smells so good, even cow dung would taste delicious."
He was somewhat knowledgeable and knew that this was a unique culinary custom of the Kingdom of Kang. Rumor had it that the ruler of Kang was an eccentric; things that others used for incense, she used as cooking ingredients. Some people who had lived in Camel City said that once you tasted it, you couldn't forget it.
The more you smell it, the more and faster your mouth waters.
Upon hearing this, the soldiers couldn't help but jeer.
"What, you've even eaten cow dung?"
"Hahaha, what does cow dung taste like?"
The soldier being teased was a newly recruited soldier.
In the Northern Desert army camp, where the culture of valuing strength was rampant, soldiers like him, without any connections or experience, were inevitably bullied by the seasoned veterans during their rookie years. He never received any benefits and had to do all the dirty and tiring work. So even though this place was close to the granary, offered plenty of opportunities for manipulation, was lucrative, and occasionally received handouts from the "God of Wealth," these were all things that new recruits couldn't enjoy.
Other veterans have tasted it and know what it's like.
The recruits who were being mocked looked embarrassed.
The food was ready in no time.
The veteran soldiers rushed forward to enjoy the meat, while the new recruits hesitated, looking around tentatively. It wasn't until the grain inspector, reeking of alcohol, escorted Lin Feng, who also reeked of alcohol, out that the situation changed. Lin Feng seemed unable to distinguish between the veterans and new recruits, and asked one of the new recruits, "Young man, why don't you try some? The meat delivered today is all pork from He Yin's region; it's very sought-after in Kang Kingdom."
Heyin's premium pork is famous throughout Kangguo and sells well in Northwest China.
Made using a secret method from Kangguo, this jerky is simply a piece that can be simmered with wheat rice whenever you want to eat it. No other seasonings are needed; the flavor is irresistible. A premium fat pig from Heyin, delivered to Camel City, can fetch at least four or five times its original price, making it a favorite among many Northern Desert nobles.
A meat-loving nobleman from the northern desert ate it once and could never forget it, saying that he had wasted all the meat he had eaten in the first half of his life.
The new recruit looked at Lin Feng and took a slight step back.
Soon after, her cheeks flushed.
Upon seeing this, the grain inspector laughed and kicked his buttocks.
"Get out of here, go eat. Don't you even know if you're pretty enough to get into bed?" After saying that, he stopped and looked at Lin Feng seriously, saying, "Brother, remember not to be too soft-hearted."
Lin Feng maintained his refined smile.
The grain inspector exaggeratedly covered his face.
"Brother, you must listen to your brother's advice, please stop laughing. If a widow can't control herself, neither can a brother. Be careful, these people might strip naked and climb into your bed tonight."
"General, you're exaggerating. Is my appearance really that bad?"
The grain inspector, contrary to his usual demeanor, appeared serious.
"It's not serious, not serious at all."
This is not just something that might happen, it's something that will definitely happen.
Lin Feng's disguise was that of a man in his twenties or thirties. Because of his good mixed heritage, he possessed a high nose, deep-set eyes, a tall and robust physique, fair skin, and soft, slightly wavy blond hair. His long hair was tied up in a neat style common in the Northern Desert, adorned with turquoise and agate, giving him a dashing and dissolute appearance.
Lin Feng didn't have any strange smell on him.
Only one last point: the initial impression score must be above average!
Due to geographical location, temperature, and other resource constraints, the various tribes of the Northern Desert are not particularly enthusiastic about bathing. They tend to sweat under their arms, resulting in a generally strong body odor, which they naturally need to mask with various spices. If you get close, you can smell the unpleasant stench of their armpits mixed with the spices. These issues don't exist with Lin Feng. The spices he uses have a very faint and pure scent, and combined with his appearance, he's truly alluring!
The grain inspector looked at Lin Feng, who was even taller than himself, and couldn't help but sigh with envy. The vulgar words that came out almost made Lin Feng lose his composure: "If you're willing, little brother, there's a line of people wanting to bend over!"
Lin Feng: "..."
No, she didn't want to at all.
The supplies brought by Lin Feng and his entourage were plentiful. After a symbolic inspection, the grain inspector led Lin Feng and his group into the granary.
Besides building relationships, Lin Feng's trip also included acting as an envoy of the God of Wealth to do some "small business" with the people at the granary.
Su Shiyilu and others played the roles of deaf-mute people throughout the entire process.
Eat and drink as you please.
He was worried about how to approach the granary—which, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would be the key to his military success—but granaries were always heavily guarded. With so few men, the only way to get close was to force his way in. Taking action would be easy, but escaping would be difficult.
Su Shiyi Lu's brainstorming session.
While cooking braised pork and wheat rice, I racked my brains for ideas.
He downed seven or eight large bowls in one go, and Lin Feng, reeking of alcohol, came over to tell them they could stop eating for a moment, as they were going to the granary. Su Shiyi was so shocked that she almost dropped her chopsticks.
His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Well, just to be on the safe side and prevent these fake deaf-mute people from making a sound and exposing their deception, they've all been placed under a [Silence] restriction. Unless they break through by sheer luck, they can't make a sound right now. Su Shiyi almost choked on his wheat porridge.
So they managed to sneak in?
Haha, so you managed to sneak in.
Not only did she sneak in, but she was treated like a distinguished guest and welcomed in with utmost respect. While Su Shiyilu was still bewildered, she saw Lin Feng drinking with the grain inspector, seemingly transformed. He grinned lewdly at everyone he met, and even the Northern Desert soldiers who glanced in their direction avoided his gaze. His eyes were like electric shocks, the kind that sent chills down your spine. Seeing this, Su Shiyilu cursed inwardly, wondering who he was trying to seduce.
The grain inspector didn't react much to this.
On the contrary, they felt more at ease with Lin Feng.
Money, alcohol, and women have always been powerful tools for winning people over and quickly building relationships. Lin Feng, as a confidant of the God of Wealth, lacked neither money nor alcohol, but he also lacked women to bribe. It's a different story when the God of Wealth's confidant prefers men.
The military camp may lack many things, but it certainly doesn't lack male beauty.
Even among the odd ones, you can still pick out a few good ones. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Northern Desert soldiers aren't as clean-cut as the men of Kangguo; they have the advantage of natural wildness—the God of Wealth's confidants are used to eating big fish and meat every day, so they should occasionally change things up and have some simple porridge and side dishes.
Su Shiyilu: "..."
Did he go to some kind of brothel?
As laborers, Su Shiyilu couldn't stay with Lin Feng indefinitely. They were settled in one place, each doing their own thing until a unified operation was launched. As deaf-mute individuals with communication difficulties, the Northern Desert soldiers didn't try to build close relationships with them, further reducing the risk of exposure.
At midnight, Lin Feng returned under the moonlight, holding a contract scroll in his hand.
Su Shiyilu reached out his hand to her without any hesitation.
Lin Feng also threw it over.
She was a military advisor accompanying the army, but Su Shiyilu was a general.
Su Shiyi Lu used the scroll to pass the time, but after a quick glance, he gasped and looked up at Lin Feng with a strange expression.
These contracts are all for the clandestine sale of supplies!
It involves both acquisitions and sales, covering a wide range of topics.
Everything that could be used in war was included.
Thinking about who signed these contracts, Su Shiyilu couldn't help but twitch her lips. The Chen family merchant who secretly allied himself with Shen Youli—that is to say, the mastermind behind the buying and selling and embezzlement in the Northern Desert—was someone surnamed Shen!
Over the years, the Chen family merchants initially used money to bribe their way through connections, fostering a large group of corrupt officials, and then further inflated their appetites. As their appetites grew, so did their demands.
They dare to take risks even when faced with huge profits.
For example, substandard or even inferior grains are used to replace newly stored grains.
In the Northern Desert, low-ranking grain officials purchased large quantities of substandard and inferior old grain from the Chen family merchants at prices lower than the new grain price, or replaced the former with the latter. The former, once in the hands of the Chen family merchants, was then resold elsewhere. The majority of the profit from the price difference went into the pockets of the involved Northern Desert personnel. Because grain consumption was high and rapid, it was difficult to detect a small amount of substandard grain mixed with new grain.
I was very cautious at first.
It has now become a closely guarded secret among a small group of people.
Whoever leaks the secret will cut off their source of income.
Su Shiyilu's inner turmoil boiled down to a single curse word. He closed the contract and tossed it back into Lin Feng's arms.
Unable to speak, he could only gesture on the ground: "This matter has already escalated to such a huge extent, why take this risk again?"
Lin Feng: [It's just a piece of flesh rotting, not the whole body. If it's discovered, they can just cut off some flesh to drain the blood; it'll hurt for a while, but it'll be fine. What we need to do is amputate!]
Su Shiyilu: [...]
He licked his lips, thinking of the size of the granary in the area.
He then asked, "How can we take the food with us?"
Lin Feng gave him a strange look: [Who said they were taking it away?]
Su Shiyi Lu: [Not taking it with you?]
Lin Feng said: 【Burn it!】
Over the years, Beimo has stockpiled a large amount of supplies using the high-yield grain seeds they acquired, storing them in five granaries, this being one of them. The Chen family, through their connections, has managed to establish relationships with two of these granaries, and Lin Feng has also made inquiries about the other three.
Su Shiyi grinned and pondered for a moment.
[Burning? Sure! But how can we burn the granary if there's nothing there? Even if there is something, our people are all here being watched and can't move around freely. How big of a fire can we start?] This whole thing seems unreliable no matter how you look at it, and Su Shiyilu is very skeptical of Lin Feng's abilities.
Lin Feng said, "Who said arsonists would demand something in return?"
She said, "Aren't I here?"
Su Shiyilu caused a great disturbance inside the granary, tying down troops and preventing them from fighting the fire. Lin Feng was confident that he could burn the entire place to ashes. The literary scholars of Wenxin were all-around capable on the battlefield.
Su Shiyi glanced in the direction outside the tent.
How confident are you?
What he really wanted to ask was, did Lin Feng have such a large reserve of literary energy at her age? Did she know the literary energy required to burn down the entire granary? Not to mention Lin Feng, even her teacher couldn't do it.
She was all alone, and she couldn't start a fire as quickly as others could put it out!
Furthermore, he laid out the unpleasant truths upfront.
[Lin Lingde, we brought too few men. I didn't bring the brave soldiers of Wuzhou here to die with you. Once their main reinforcements arrive, I will not waste any more time.]
Procrastination is inevitable.
Are you expecting him to risk his life and not delay?
Haha, stop dreaming.
Su Shiyilu's reaction was exactly what Lin Feng had anticipated. She nodded: "I know, you don't need to hold out for long."
After hearing these words, Su Shiyilu's expression improved.
He scoffed, "You'd better remember that."
Lin Feng and his group stayed at the granary for three nights.
During the day, she diligently cultivated good relationships.
At night, I obediently went back to my tent to sleep.
Take no extra step, look no more than once.
Su Shiyilu and the others were only responsible for cooking and sleeping.
Time flew by and it was already the third night.
Lin Fengming was leaving the next day, and the grain inspector and others threw a big banquet, inviting her to drink. This time, they even specially arranged for about twenty shirtless, blond, black, red, and brown-haired strong men to perform a dance.
Each soldier tensed their muscles, displaying their well-built and muscular physiques to Lin Feng. The men in the camp exchanged knowing smiles and glances, creating a festive atmosphere reminiscent of Chinese New Year. Even the new recruits were given meat and wine for the first time ever.
The grain inspector was flushed from drinking.
Still maintaining an ambiguous tone: "Does your younger brother like anyone?"
Lin Feng stood up, pinched one of the men's chins, and examined him closely.
The grain inspector knew what it meant at a glance.
He waved to the person beside him.
"You have no sense of propriety, why don't you go and keep them company?"
Before we knew it, the moon was high in the sky.
Inside the tent, wine cups were clinked and laughter filled the air.
Outside the tents, many soldiers were feeling sleepy.
In the darkness, thin, black vines crawled along the shadows, creeping into the granary. The yawning, sleepy guards didn't notice. They just felt unusually listless today, but didn't suspect anything, assuming it was from eating and drinking too much. Wearing new, heavy cotton coats and warmed by the campfire, drowsiness was normal. Soon, thunderous snoring filled the air.
|ω`)
(End of this chapter)
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