Chapter 127 Is It Worth It?

For the past two years, Sword Saint had increasingly understood a principle: he only knew how to use a sword.

In other aspects, his shortcomings were simply too numerous.

Therefore,

He couldn't understand what Zheng Fan and Sun Youdao were saying to each other from afar.

Of course, the literal meaning was easy enough to grasp.

For celebrities, the most widely spread things are often their quirks, and the more down-to-earth the quirk, the easier it is to spread, because it is the "down-to-earth" nature that helps spread their name.

The saying "Earl Pingye likes other men's wives" was no longer a secret.

Snatching back the princess of Great Chu was, in the eyes of the true upper echelons, a grand feat that promoted national prestige and struck at the credibility of other countries.

But in some lower-level small restaurants and teahouses, it became just another ingredient in the conversations of common laborers.

Hey,

Are you still arguing with me, saying that Earl Pingye's fondness for other men's wives is slander and nonsense?

Then take a look, take a look,

Why did Earl Pingye have to wait until the princess's wedding day to snatch her away?

Of course, as Zheng Bo's neighbor, Sword Saint knew Zheng Bo's character.

Zheng Bo had many faults and liked to enjoy himself, but he was never addicted, possessing a kind of self-awareness that made him stop after a taste.

Therefore, Sword Saint instinctively felt that there was another layer of meaning in this simple dialogue, but he didn't know what it was.

The Wild Man King understood it,

He had long seen that Earl Pingye was a person who never left empty-handed; in simpler terms, if he killed someone, even if it was just a woodcutter, he would have to search the corpse, even though it was unlikely to find anything good, but this was an indispensable procedure, a ritual.

Earlier, when Zheng Bo said that he would gather the female relatives of the Sun family after their clan was exterminated, he meant that since your family was about to be exterminated for treason, I have come, and if you can serve me like the female slaves in the Jiaofang Division (state brothel), then we can talk.

And when Sun Youdao said that he was finding hairpins for his old concubine to give to Earl Pingye, he didn't really mean to send his fifty-year-old concubine out; after all, even if he dared to send her, Zheng Bo wouldn't want her.

Sun Youdao's implied meaning was to compare his old concubine to himself. He was already seventy years old and had retired, like a beauty in her twilight years. If Zheng Bo didn't mind and still felt that his old bones were of some use, he was willing to serve like a concubine.

The Wild Man King narrowed his eyes,

Two old foxes,

Able to smell each other's foxy stench from afar.

Zheng Bo smiled "hehe,"

And was about to step forward,

But stopped.

Sword Saint sighed and took the lead, entering the hall.

Zheng Bo then followed closely behind.

A person,

Being cautious is never wrong.

After all, he wasn't barefoot anymore; having worked so hard to get to this position, he had to cherish it.

Zheng Bo didn't want some Yan poet to lament years later: If only the Flying General of Xuehai (Snow Sea) were still here...

Because the sun was almost down, and the hall wasn't lit, it was a bit dark.

Sun Youdao didn't sit in the seat of honor, but sat below.

He did look old, but his body was still hale and hearty. The way he sat there gave off an aura of composure, befitting a former prime minister.

Zheng Bo didn't sit at the head either, but sat down opposite Sun Youdao.

The Wild Man King stood behind Zheng Bo,

While Sword Saint sat down beside him.

"In fact, this old man has wanted to meet Earl Pingye for a long time, but I've never had the opportunity. Who would have thought that today I would finally meet you, but it would be under these circumstances;

I have failed to teach my son well, and Earl Pingye must be laughing at me."

"Grand Tutor Sun is too polite. In fact, this Earl has also admired Grand Tutor Sun for a long time. Having finally come to Yingdu, I was thinking of finding an opportunity to visit you.

But you are enjoying your retirement and don't see guests, so I had no choice but to deliberately have my soldiers clash with your son's household, hoping to create a misunderstanding so I could find an excuse to come to your door to apologize. And wouldn't you know it, I succeeded;

But,

Fate is a trickster,

And I accidentally stumbled upon this matter, and it turned out to be a big one."

Sword Saint reached out and picked up a candied fruit placed in front of him, eating it while listening.

In this kind of direct dialogue between two old foxes, every sentence and every expression had hidden meanings and secret agendas, like the ever-changing swordplay, each change leaving one with much to contemplate.

Sun Youdao raised his wine cup to toast Zheng Bo:

"This old man will first drink this cup to the fullest as an apology."

Having said that,

He drained it in one gulp.

The Sun family had been holding a birthday banquet, so there were dishes and wine placed on the tables in front of everyone. The dishes were cold, but the wine was still there.

Zheng Bo watched Sun Youdao finish drinking, but he remained seated, not moving.

Sun Youdao put down his wine cup and made a "please" gesture to Zheng Bo.

Zheng Bo shook his head and said:

"When I was a child, I had a weak stomach and often had stomachaches. Later, I learned to be good and stopped eating outside."

"Hahahaha, the Earl is truly an interesting person, frank and direct."

After Sun Youdao finished laughing,

His gaze fell on Sword Saint, who was sitting beside Zheng Fan.

He,

Recognized Sword Saint.

"A famous sword at your side, holding twenty thousand brave soldiers in your hands, such heroism makes this old man yearn for it."

"We can talk more about the weather, the sunset, the stars, and the exciting romance in Yingdu's red tents. It's okay, this Earl has plenty of time."

I have time,

But you don't.

This wasn't really urging him,

But rather asserting control over the conversation.

Sun Youdao nodded and said, "Some things are always difficult to broach, but it's not that I'm deliberately trying to be perfunctory or lay the groundwork."

"A friend of mine once told me that in this world, as long as both sides are sincere, there's no deal that can't be made."

"Are you referring to the Sixth Prince?"

"Exactly."

"Indeed. Well then, this old man will be frank. My family is unfortunate, and I have produced such a rebellious son. Originally, I wasn't seeking wealth or glory, only that my family could continue to exist peacefully.

I dare to ask the Earl,

Can this Sun family still have a chance to survive this calamity?"

This was Sun Youdao's requirement: doing business meant exchanging what each side had.

What do you need, what do you have, what do I need, what do I have? As long as one condition could be met, even if the other couldn't be perfectly aligned, another way could always be found to make up for it.

Zheng Fan nodded,

And said:

"Yes."

Hearing this, Sun Youdao didn't try to hide it and let out a long sigh of relief.

"What does the Earl want Sun to do?"

Sun Youdao didn't make the same foolish mistake as his son and ask what the treatment would be after getting past this hurdle.

Whether the men would be castrated and sent to the palace or the women would be sent to the Jiaofang Division (state brothel).

Because Sun Youdao understood that there was no need to ask. Although the Sun family wasn't thriving due to his influence, it was still a top family in Yingdu. Although he had retired, he still had a lot of influence in Yingdu.

Otherwise, how could his eldest son, a cripple, have been able to connect so many forces to plot a rebellion?

But the Sun family wasn't a wealthy one, so they couldn't offer money; even if they did, Earl Pingye might not even look at it.

The thing that Earl Pingye wanted, the thing that he could give, necessarily had to be based on his family still maintaining its position in Yingdu, otherwise, would Earl Pingye really go to the Jiaofang Division to collect debts?

First protect the Sun family, then comes Earl Pingye's demands. Sun Youdao saw it very clearly.

In this situation, this deal was beneficial to him, because he would receive the goods first.

Zheng Bo shook his head slightly,

And said:

"To be honest, this Earl doesn't know what I want to buy. To be frank with Grand Tutor, this Earl's visit to the Sun residence is like going to a fair during the Lantern Festival—just walking around and looking, without thinking about buying anything specific when I left the house.

But if I really see something I like, I might be tempted to take it."

Sun Youdao nodded and said:

"Then let this old man sort things out and see if there's anything here that Earl Pingye would find rare."

Zheng Fan responded with a smile.

I promise you that I can protect the Sun family, but only if you give enough value.

Sword Saint suddenly felt that,

Even though it was a very serious and lofty matter,

After being handled by this old man and this young man, it seemed no different from his wife going to the market to buy fabric on an ordinary day.

There was a common joke among the people, saying that an old farmer thought the emperor could eat twenty fried cakes in the morning and be very happy.

The emperor naturally wouldn't eat twenty fried cakes, but the sons of the emperor fighting for the throne were, in essence, no different from the children of an ordinary family fighting for the ancestral home.

Sword Saint closed his eyes, stopped eating the candied fruit, and found these things truly boring.

The Wild Man King, who was standing on the side, seemed to be standing there calmly and motionless, but in his heart, he had already begun to ponder.

What price would Sun Youdao offer?

The Wild Man King liked to speculate on people's hearts the most and was also good at scheming, so at this time, he naturally put himself in Sun Youdao's position and helped him think about the problem.

Right now, it was no longer Great Cheng, and Sun Youdao had already retired, retreating behind the scenes.

Even if this rebellion was erased, and it was believed that the Sun family would not be implicated in this rebellion, the Sun family couldn't actually offer too much that would be attractive to his own Earl.

One reason was that his own Earl's position was already not low;

The second reason was that the Sun family wasn't the Sun family at its peak.

If it was just "internal and external cooperation," and the Sun family would provide assistance when you wanted to rebel in the future.

The Wild Man King felt that unless his own Earl's brain was addled, he would never agree to this.

Furthermore, Sun Youdao wouldn't be stupid enough to use such illusory things as a price, otherwise, he would be looking down on people.

And the consequence of looking down on people would be Earl Pingye's angry departure, and the Sun family waiting for their entire family to be questioned.

Zheng Fan was actually waiting,

He didn't know exactly what he wanted, but he was always in the habit of trying his luck.

It's a free lottery ticket, and he was free, so why not scratch it.

Sun Youdao didn't think for too long,

He looked at Zheng Bo,

And opened his mouth.

As soon as he said these words,

Zheng Bo's gaze suddenly became focused, and the Wild Man King also opened his mouth slightly.

For a moment, the two of them had the same feeling in their hearts: No wonder he was a man who could stand behind Situ Lei.

Even Sword Saint, who was sitting on the side, felt that Sun Youdao's price seemed to have really hit something—to be precise, it had hit the Great Yan Earl Pingye sitting next to him.

Sun Youdao's words were:

"The imperial court transports military provisions to Xuehai Pass twice a year, once in the middle of the year and once at the end of the year. Soon, the new round of military provision transport is about to begin. This old man guarantees to the Earl that from this time on, the military provisions transported to Xuehai Pass will be twice the original amount!"

Twice!

The transport of military provisions had always been a difficult problem.

There were two main points:

One point was the losses in the handover process.

The other point was the consumption during transportation.

The losses in the handover process meant that after the grain was collected from the farmers, it would first go to the county, then to the prefecture, and then it might have to be transported to a place for centralized storage and measurement, and then it would either go to the capital or be sent to its destination.

After arriving at the destination, there would be another collection point, and then it would be distributed. And this was the simplified version.

At each stage, someone would take their cut. You would peel off a layer, he would peel off a layer, and after peeling off layers and layers, then the local commander would take a layer, and the officers would take a layer. When it finally reached the soldiers on the front line, it would be very good if the fruit core was still intact.

Even in the time-space that Zheng Bo was familiar with, it was impossible to avoid such things as geese plucking feathers.

The other point was transportation. First of all, a large amount of grain had to be transported by someone. The more grain there was, the more people and livestock were needed for transportation. Both people and livestock had to eat during the transportation.

Therefore, in order to avoid losses and maximize efficiency, the military provision transport for the entire Cheng Kingdom's garrison was basically started from Yingdu, and Yingdu was used as the most core and central area of Cheng Kingdom for dispatching.

Of course, the amount allocated to each army was still determined by the imperial court.

"Twice?"

Hearing this number, Zheng Bo's heart stirred.

Although Zheng Bo was able to support 20,000 elite iron cavalry in Xuehai Pass, it was not only because of the imperial court's military provisions, but also because of his own plundering and the commercial operations that would follow.

But if the military provisions could be doubled, the extra part should be enough to support another 10,000 iron cavalry.

Of course, it wouldn't be created out of thin air like this. After all, silver and grain couldn't turn into people by themselves, but it was like a person who ate a few more bites of food and gained some strength. After finishing the work for the landlord, he could still tidy up his own yard when he got home.

This was Sun Youdao's level,

To be able to think of this method of "buying life" in such a short period of time, the former prime minister of Great Cheng was indeed worthy of his reputation.

But Zheng Bo wasn't in a hurry to express his opinion,

He was negotiating a deal,

If you were eager, you would expose yourself.

What's more, the lives of his entire family were in his hands; did he need to be anxious?

Sun Youdao continued:

"My son is the Yingdu Transport Envoy..."

Official positions and errands were not the same thing, because official positions were divided into real and empty.

Some official positions sounded more like an honor.

For example, Sun Youdao's position as Grand Tutor of Cheng Kingdom was actually an honor, allowing him to enjoy the retirement benefits of that level.

Zheng Bo's position as General of Cheng Kingdom was also an honor; now that the Cheng Kingdom was gone, who would you command?

The Transport Envoy was a real position. Although the official rank was not high, the affairs he handled were numerous.

Because the eastern part of Cheng Kingdom had always faced threats from the Wild Men and Chu people, the main force of Marquis Jingnan's Jingnan Army had also been stationed in Jindong.

Therefore, the military supplies transported from Yan Kingdom, Quhe City, and Litian City to Yingdu were actually received by the Transport Envoy, and the distribution after receiving them was also through his hands.

It should be known that military supplies had always been the lifeline of an army.

Sun Youdao had served as the prime minister of Cheng Kingdom. Starting from Zhennan Pass, it was Situ Lei who was fighting in the front, and he was responsible for raising and transporting military supplies in the rear. The cooperation between the two was similar to that of Duke Pei and Xiao He.

After Situ Lei died,

Whether it was the First Prince or Marquis Jingnan who commanded the Eastern Expedition Army,

They all used the original bureaucracy of Cheng Kingdom to operate the military supplies of the army.

Sun Youdao had previously been in charge of the overall situation in the rear, solving Marquis Jingnan's worries. Even the Marquis had praised him.

Therefore, Sun Youdao was in this area—or, to be precise, this area should be Sun Youdao's direct line, and everyone up and down should be people he had promoted and appointed; otherwise, he wouldn't have pushed Sun Liang to that position before his retirement.

"Earl, there are many troops stationed in Cheng Kingdom, and the amount of military provisions received and sent is also very large, but this old man is confident that he can do this.

First, increase revenue. When reporting the required amount to the Great Yan court, he can embellish it more, and when receiving military supplies from Litian City and Quhe City, he can be even more unscrupulous on some items and losses.

Second, reduce expenditure. If the Earl wants to eat his fill and eat his fill, then the military provisions of the garrisons in other places must be restricted, so that they can't eat their fill, but not to the point where they are starving and panicking, so they can only be sullen and won't cause major trouble. This old man is confident that he can control the intensity of this.

And third,

Purify the source.

According to the old practice, Yingdu, such a large city, with so many people and so many officials, needs to eat and use. The people are fine; as long as they don't starve to death, nothing will happen.

But if the officials don't eat well and don't use well, they are prone to cause trouble.

Therefore, the world is the same everywhere. The military supplies that are transported into Yingdu from all over the world and then sent out from Yingdu will definitely be distributed to some extent.

This piece of meat can also be cut."

Yingdu was a small imperial court,

Moreover,

Great Yan was not issuing the full amount of military provisions to the garrisons in various places, so the salaries of the officials in Yingdu and the more officials below were naturally not the full amount.

But how could living people be suffocated by urine? No matter what color the official robes were, as long as they entered the yamen (government office), they might not know how to do anything else, but making money was a basic survival skill, indispensable.

Hearing this third point,

Zheng Bo smiled,

The garrisons in various places had always been easily controlled by the military provision officers, which was not surprising. Moreover, as long as there was no war, everyone could always find a way to make up for it, but...

"Does the Sun family still have the ability to cut this knife in Yingdu?"

Sun Youdao nodded, without the slightest sense of frustration, but rather high-spirited,

And said:

"Those involved in this rebellion are countless. After the liquidation, there will be a vast expanse of dereliction of duty. A batch will be beheaded, a batch will be demoted, and many official hats will fall.

During this transition, arrange more of your own people to go up to control the overall situation.

When cutting this knife again,

It will be much easier."

The Wild Man King, who was standing on the side, licked his lips subconsciously at this time.

Hoo,

This old man in front of him,

Is worthy of being his opponent back then!

What shocked the Wild Man King was not the old man's methods. In fact, everyone would do this kind of thing to suppress dissidents and support cronies, but some people did it in an ugly way, while others did it in a way that made you feel that he was just and impartial;

But this old man in front of him,

Just a moment ago, his family was shrouded in the crime of treason and could collapse at any time.

But now,

He actually directly regarded this rebellion in Yingdu as an opportunity and planned to use it!

This seemingly simple shift in perspective

Contained a true magnanimity!

"Earl, in fact, since last year, the military supplies that the Ministry of Revenue sent here and sent to Xuehai Pass have all had labels on them."

The meaning of labeling was that someone above was watching this batch of military supplies. If you wanted to eat, go eat something else; this portion was not allowed to be touched.

If you dared to touch it,

Okay,

Let's chat.

In the time-space that Zheng Bo was familiar with, it meant designated funds for specific purposes.

Sun Youdao naturally knew who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue in Great Yan now, and what the relationship between that person and the Earl in front of him was.

But there was no need to say it now, because he didn't have the qualifications yet.

"Earl, in this way, there will be someone to take care of things in the imperial court, and there will also be people in the local area who will be at your service. In this way, Xuehai Pass will inevitably have sufficient provisions."

Zheng Bo nodded slightly,

Was this called,

Double milk?

"Earl, this old man won't say those things like willing to be a lackey; it's meaningless, but this old man has only one wish: not seeking wealth and glory for his children and grandchildren, only seeking that they can pass on the family peacefully.

What this old man can do for the Earl should be more than just this. Besides this, please wait and see the rest; they are all this old man's sincerity.

Sun Ying will be confined and locked in the family's secret room. He will not be allowed to leave for the rest of his life.

As for my children and grandchildren,

This old man won't help them say anything or make any promises. They are generally disappointing and it will be difficult for them to do anything for the Earl.

This old man can only guarantee himself,

As long as I live for one more day,

I will always be grateful for the Earl's life-saving grace.

Just like what the Earl said at the beginning, you wanted to deliberately find an excuse to come to this old man to apologize so that you could meet and talk.

This old man will return the words to you,

Let's just say that the Sun family deliberately found an excuse this time to get on your boat, Earl.

Not seeking a berth in the cabin,

Just leaving half a space on the deck where we can spread a straw mat will be enough."

Zheng Bo stood up,

And stretched his muscles.

When he was fighting, his body was not delicate,

But on weekdays, he basically lied down whenever he could and leaned whenever he could. He had just been kneeling and sitting with Sun Youdao for a while, and he was really a little uncomfortable.

Zheng Bo didn't say anything,

But walked directly out of the hall.

Sword Saint also stood up. He didn't actually know if they had reached an agreement or if the negotiations had broken down?

Could it be that he had to go back and think about it?

But could the matter of rebellion be considered?

Maybe the Sun family would all be thrown into death row tonight.

But Sun Youdao sat still and didn't ask Zheng Bo's meaning. He just poured himself another glass of wine and muttered to himself:

"Today's birthday has been interesting."

Sword Saint looked at the Wild Man King, but the Wild Man King just smiled at Sword Saint and made a gesture of invitation.

What a joke,

The Wild Man King didn't dare to open his mouth to explain to Sword Saint at this time, especially in front of Sun Youdao!

This was an old fox. He definitely couldn't see anything by him just standing here, but if he said more, he might be able to see his identity!

If he couldn't figure it out, Sword Saint wouldn't bother trying to figure it out. He got up and followed Zheng Fan out of the hall with the Wild Man King.

In the courtyard outside the hall,

Sun Liang was still kneeling there, in the same position.

Sun Ying, on the other hand, was lying on the ground with his hands supporting him. When he heard the movement, he turned his head and looked at Zheng Bo, who was walking out.

Zheng Bo's expression was calm, and Sun Ying couldn't tell whether his father had reached an agreement or if the negotiations had broken down.

Sun Liang also raised his head at this time, glanced at Zheng Bo in a hurry, and immediately lowered his head again. His face was full of tears and snot.

Don't laugh,

Who wouldn't collapse if their family had just celebrated their father's birthday happily and then suddenly faced the situation of being executed for treason?

Zheng Bo walked to Sun Ying,

And stopped.

Sun Ying raised his head and looked at Zheng Bo.

Zheng Bo spat out two words:

"Lower your head."

Sun Ying opened his mouth and lowered his head.

"Kneel."

Sun Ying said: "Ying is disabled and can't kneel. Please, Earl..."

"Then prostrate yourself."

Sun Ying turned his head, glanced at his younger brother kneeling beside him, closed his eyes, and slowly pressed his hands and feet, as well as his chin, to the ground.

"Greetings, Earl Pingye."

The corners of Zheng Bo's mouth curled into a smile,

And he said:

"Sun Ying of the Sun family secretly met with this Earl to report the rebel party and cooperated with this Earl to wipe out the rebel party in one fell swoop, allowing this Earl to cleanse the evil atmosphere in Yingdu in one fell swoop. This Earl will write to His Majesty to request rewards for you!"

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Thank you "ok起飞" for becoming the 129th Alliance Master of *The Descent of Magic*!