An Laosi had been doing nothing since Changshu. He had a nominal position. He ate and drank every day, his heart full of mixed feelings. He felt he had great abilities, but Lin Yuan didn’t put him to use again. Hadn’t he done something worthy in Changshu?

At first, he was aggrieved and he could barely eat at all, but later he became uneasy.

Lady An said to him: “You are too arrogant.”

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An Laosi didn’t understand, he asked his wife, “Shouldn’t I get any credit for Changshu? Can’t I even have real power?”

“You are from Huizhou.” Lady An said to him, “At that time, when you were asked to go to Changshu, I am afraid it was because the South Bodhisattva could not find a more suitable person. Otherwise, why bother to use you, a person whose loyalty is unclear?”

Lady An: “We are different from others, we are from Huizhou. And this is our biggest obstacle. But the South Bodhisattva ignoring you for so long means that he plans to continue using you.”

An Laosi: ​​”Use me?”

Lady An smiled and said: “Husband, it depends on the person whether he succeeds or not. If you are unable, what matters if you are given a heavenly ladder?”

An Laosi laughed: “Wife, don’t look down on your husband!”

Sure enough, Song Shizhao arrived the next day.

Song Shizhao went straight to the point: “You are asked to approach Xiao Ming emperor. As for the method, you have to think of it yourself.”

An Laosi was stumped: “You can’t expect me to castrate and become a eunuch?”

Besides, even if he became a eunuch, could a eunuch his age serve next to the emperor?

Song Shizhao smiled and said, “It depends on An gongzi’s ability.”

Song Shizhao left, but An Laosi remained sitting in the chair and couldn’t move. He wanted to achieve something big, but he never thought about not being a man!

Lady An came out to pour tea, only to see An Laosi shrunk in his chair and quaking like a quail, his expression blank.

Lady An asked a question, and An Laosi replied with trembling lips.

Lady An was silent for a while: “Did Manager Song mention a time limit?”

An Laosi shook his head: “No.”

Lady An laughed: “It can be seen that you are blinded by a leaf, getting yourself stuck in a corner on your own. How is this telling you to go to Xiao Ming emperor’s side, you are only asked to inquire about the news around the Xiao Ming emperor. Being a eunuch would not be a good method to go about it.”

An Laosi’s eyes lit up and he grabbed his wife’s hem. Seeing that his wife was unmoved, he quickly bowed: “Wife, please teach me.”

Lady An: “You go to the South Bodhisattva first and ask for money, and have the merchants go to Anfeng to inquire first. This time I am afraid that I will have to go with you. First you can use the money to open the way. If you can bribe an official, that would be best. If not then go be a minor official.”

“We are going to be the eyes and ears of the South Bodhisattva.” Lady An said, “If you have a mistress on the outside, take her along as well this time.”

“With a big family and big business, Anfeng’s people will not be suspicious.”

An Laosi coughed slightly: “This…..”

Lady An: “Did you think you could hide it from me, the person who sleeps on the pillow next to you?”

An Laosi was a man with a philandering personality, and he had quite a lot of mistresses and lovers on the outside. Since his wife had spoken, he could only beg for their help one after another.

Most of his lovers were widows. When these women heard that he was going to Huizhou, and even wanted to take them with him, they all didn’t agree. They clenched their teeth and wouldn’t let up. The lingering lovers of the past no longer recognized him out of the bed.

Seeing him continuing to pester, the more shrewish of them cursed at him: “It’s just that you are not bad in bed, so this auntie put up with you. Just take it as buying a gigolo. But you actually brazenly want this auntie to be your concubine? Go have your spring and autumn dreams elsewhere!”

These widows held property in their hands, and because women could also set up households the money was all in their own hands. Naturally, they wouldn’t want to be An Laosi’s concubines. After being kicked out several times, An Laosi finally gave up.

It was not uncommon for widows to keep men under Lin Yuan’s rule.

Most of them had children, and because their husband’s family was still alive, they didn’t want to go back to their natal family——if they took their money back to their natal family, would the money still be their own or their natal family? Their natal families didn’t only consist of them, most also had older brothers and younger brothers at home!

Their husband’s family also didn’t want them to go back either. With them still there, the property and money would still belong to them. But if they left, the property and money would be gone.

So this gave birth to a new industry——pimping for widows.

The widow was young and in her thirties. She was lonely and naturally needed a man but also did not want to remarry. What should she do?

Find a man!

These men were all good-looking, from poor families, and couldn’t find a rich family willing to recruit son-in-laws, so they went to live in the widow’s house. The widow would give him money every month, and he would serve as a walking dildo.

Sometimes it wasn’t all just being walking dildos. Widows would often meet with some trouble, and these men sometimes played the role of housekeepers or watchdogs.

So being a widow now didn’t seem so miserable.

If they gave birth to children from these walking dildos, the children would follow the mother’s surname, not the father’s surname, and their husband’s family would not recognize them. As for the future inheritance? They wouldn’t be able to touch their mother’s husband’s property, only move their mother’s dowry.

However, most of these widows did not want to have any more children. After all, some of them changed lovers frequently. So even if they got pregnant, they might not even know which one the child belonged to.

So they began to practice contraception.

Lin Yuan didn’t know how the ancients used contraception, so he asked Song Shizhao.

Song Shizhao said: “This union of men and women, if one wants to have children, one must send the sperm into the body. If one doesn’t want children, then just don’t send it into the body.”

Lin Yuan: “…..”

Those men could really bear it!

Sure enough, people had to bow their heads under the eaves. (TN: expression for being obedient/well-behaved while living under someone else’s roof)

“This matter must be managed too.” Lin Yuan said to Song Shizhao.

Originally, they did this kind of thing secretly, so Lin Yuan didn’t say anything, but now that it was out in the open, he could only take care of it.

These men go to the widows to serve as gigolos, but they don’t pay taxes when they get the money. How could there be such a good deal?

The labor force must go to work, only then could it be called the labor force. If it could not create social value, Lin Yuan would look at them as eyesores.

“Start with taxation.” Lin Yuan said to Song Shizhao, “Tell them to make up for the taxes.”

Song Shizhao was taken aback for a moment, and then said with a low chuckle: “It is indeed time for them to meet with some bad luck.”

So the pimps got the news that they had to pay taxes, not only did they have to pay, but the men who were sent out by them also had to pay. Where would the tax money come from? Naturally, it must come from the money they got.  It’s not like they could ask the widows to pay the taxes together with the money for the gigolos? Not many widows had such financial resources.

The men had to make up the previous taxes, which emptied out their original savings.

But they were still reluctant to give up the comfortable job as the widow’s walking dildo, so they could only go out to find a second job.

——

“Zhang Si!” The young man ran over and grabbed Zhang Si’s arm, “Did you inquire about what I asked you to last time?”

Zhang Si sighed. He was decently good-looking. Although he was from a farmer family, he was born with the best looks of the four brothers in his family. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a square face, and a tall physique. The pimps took him to see four widows, and each one was very happy with him. In the end he chose the youngest and prettiest widow.

As a result, when the fellow villagers found out, they all asked him to help.

There were even people who wanted to serve the same widow with him.

Zhang Si sighed: “It’s not like you don’t know, you have to pay taxes for doing this now, and the tax is not low, it is almost equivalent to commercial tax!”

The young man smiled and said: “No matter how high it is, there should still be a surplus left? And even if there is no surplus, at least there is no need to eat at home.”

Zhang Si: “There weren’t many widows originally and the wealthy widows also found men a long time ago. Now, if you look for a widow, there will be some, but you have to serve her along with several other men.”

There were some wealthy widows who could even keep five to six men.

The young man’s expression was a bit complicated: “Is there no widow with no one at her side?”

Zhang Si: “Even if there were, she might not even consider you, so how could there be a chance for you to be picky?”

Seeing that Zhang Si was becoming impatient, the young man quickly said: “Don’t be angry, big brother, it’s this little brother who has high standards and little ability.”

Zhang Si became slightly appeased: “There is a widow in the east of the city, of the Li family, who is in her forties. She is not very good-looking but there is no one around her. However, her requirements are not low. If you are confident, then go try it yourself.”

The young man widened his eyes: “How can something like this be tried?”

Zhang Si: “She has a maidservant at home. If you go, the maidservant will give you a check over. You don’t have to do anything yourself.”

The young man went, and it was a black-faced maidservant who came to check him over. She took off his clothes without any further ado and said to another maid behind the door: “No spots and no marks, two fingers long, little hair and light odor, go report it.”

The maid at the door left.

The young man quickly put on his clothes, his face turned completely red.

He stayed that night. Li shi was not very good-looking, her physique was like a fat melon, her face masculine, and she also spoke very little. He served her nervously, lest she became unhappy. Afterwards, there was also nothing to talk about.

Fortunately, when she woke up in the morning, she said to him: “Three qian a month, I will pay the tax. If there is a child, it’s not your business.” (TN: qian=one tenth of a tael)

She was married at fourteen, and within two years of her marriage, her husband died. She had been alone for a long time without even a child.

Originally, she didn’t want to find a man. She was a young lady from a gentry family before she married, but wanting a child became an obsession. So she finally nodded under the persuasion of her old maidservant. To give birth to a child through surrogacy. The child would only be hers.

So the young man stayed.

He didn’t have to worry about food or drink every day, and could also earn three qian a month. He even saved enough money to buy a house in the city.

Li shi was very easy to serve. After his stay became longer, he and Li shi even developed some feelings for each other.

But this feeling was also strange. Their age difference was too large, and the young man was a lively person, so Li shi actually regarded him as a son.

But when a child really came, the young man was reluctant to leave.

“I will marry you!” the young man said to Li shi, “otherwise the child will have no father.”

Li shi shook her head at him: “I have to leave my family property to my children, not to you.”

The young man said: “I heard people say that we can do notarization now, we can go to the notary office, and put down in writing that all your money will be given to the children and I won’t be able to touch it. Is this okay?”

Li shi still didn’t agree.

The young man scratched his ears and cheeks.

He was not very well liked at home, and his parents preferred his younger brother. He hadn’t worn new clothes since he was a child, and he had to go work in the fields since he could walk. He didn’t know what it was like to be doted on by others until he came to Li shi’s side.

When he caught a cold, it was Li shi who took care of him. The first new pair of clothes in his life was made by Li shi herself.

Li shi spoke little, but she treated him like her own son. He loved her sincerely and wanted to marry her.

The young man said: “Then I will marry into your family, can I?”

This time Li shi did not refuse.

The two quickly became married.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Their case pointed out a new path for the men serving as gigolos.

There was no future in being a gigolo! Marrying into the family was the pinnacle they should reach for!

The trend of men not thinking about making progress and not producing had finally been curbed.

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In February of the fifteenth year of Yuan Shun, Liu Futong and aides supported Han Lin’er, the son of Han Shantong, in proclaiming himself the Xiao Ming emperor. The capital was to be established in Bozhou, the dynasty name was Song, and the reign name Longfeng.

By December of the fifteenth year of Yuan Shun, the Red Turban Army in Taikang was defeated by General Dashibadoulu of the Yuan army, thus Xiao Ming emperor moved the capital to Anfeng.

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“Too hurried.” Lin Yuan took a sip of tea, “They were able to resist earlier, but now how come they couldn’t bear it anymore.”

Both Song Shizhao and Luo Ben were seated below Lin Yuan. Luo Ben’s seat was after Song Shizhao. Lin Yuan now had civil officials sitting on the left while military officials sat on the right. It was clearly delineated so that everyone could find their own position.

Song Shizhao smiled and said: “To set people’s hearts at ease.”

Lin Yuan: “That’s a reason, but it does more harm than good.”

The territory of the Red Turban Army seemed to be very large, but in fact they were not at all united. Under the banner of the Red Turban Army, they were all in it for their own benefit.

For example, Xu Shouhui and Guo Zixing, although they were both Red Turbans, they were not on the same side as Liu Futong, so naturally they would not have any relationship.

In history, Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor in 1368, the first year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty. According to the current reign era, it would be the twenty-eighth year of Yuan Shun. And that happened when the Yuan Dynasty had no power left to quell the rebels. It was also five years after Zhu Yuanzhang’s biggest opponent, Chen Youliang died.

And those who had proclaimed themselves the emperor earlier all died.

Lin Yuan asked Chen Baisong and Zhu Yuanzhang: “Can you capture Jiqing Lu this year?”

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said: “It’s not difficult.”

Chen Baisong answered: “The military power of Jiqing Lu is not strong enough, and the grain and grass supply is also lacking. We can fight quickly.”

Lin Yuan nodded: “Is it possible to win with 300,000 soldiers?”

Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Baisong knelt down together to request to fight.

Generals could only be generals when there was a battlefield.

Lin Yuan said to Song Shizhao and the others after giving them his permission: “Xiao Ming emperor proclaimed himself emperor. It would not be proper to turn a blind eye so send some congratulatory gifts over.”

Luo Ben’s expression changed: “This…..”

Lin Yuan comforted: “It’s just for show.”

Luo Ben was relieved. He finally followed after a ruler who trusted him and used him. If this person said he was going to kneel down to the Xiao Ming emperor at this time, he might actually protest with his own death today.

Song Shizhao had been working for Lin Yuan for so many years, so he had long become somewhat learned in the other’s ways. He knew what Lin Yuan wanted to do, so he smiled and said: “Naturally, we will prepare a heavy gift.”

Xiao Ming emperor was young, and the real ruler was Liu Futong. And Liu Futong was certainly loyal to Xiao Ming emperor.

But what about Xiao Ming emperor himself?

Perhaps Xiao Ming emperor also trusted this loyal veteran official very much, but that was before he became the emperor.

After becoming the emperor, people would naturally change. If he didn’t change, then Lin Yuan would make it so he changed.

Let him feel the grandness and prestige of being an emperor.

What was the emperor? The world belonging to this one person, and all things on the land were his possessions. The beauties of the world, the delicacies and the splendor were all for him to enjoy.

Would anyone not be tempted by such grandness and prestige?

Strong relationships between monarchs and ministers had been rare throughout the ages. So long as one person was in a high position and one was underneath, and the person above was incapable, it was useless for the people below no matter how hard they worked. If they were labelled with “overstepping authority” then it would all be over.

“I heard that someone close to the Xiao Ming emperor named Du Zundao is dead?” Lin Yuan asked suddenly.

Song Shizhao hurriedly nodded: “He was favored by Xiao Ming emperor and hated by Liu Futong. So Liu Futong had soldiers kill Du Zundao. He also named himself the prime minister and Tai Bao (TN: a very high official in ancient China). Now that he is in power, Xiao Ming emperor is no more than a puppet.”

Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows: “I imagine Xiao Ming emperor’s days are not easy.”

With a powerful minister on the side, in a situation where the ministers were strong and the emperor was weak, there would be no conflict if Han Lin’er was a cowardly man.

But what if Han Lin’er wanted real power?

Perhaps Du Zundao’s matter had already planted a thorn in Han Lin’er’s heart?

Therefore, Lin Yuan asked people to prepare the best tea leaves——only produced a few dozen kilograms a year. The tea trees were rare and could not be cultivated artificially. Professional tea pickers had to climb up the trees with bare hands and it was common for tea pickers to slip and fall to their deaths. And after harvesting the leaves, local girls over eight and under fourteen must use their bodies to dry the tea leaves. Finally, it must be processed by old tea craftsmen.

After Han Lin’er drank it and still wanted more, would Liu Futong still be able to give him more?

There were also the most exquisite utensils, tea cups and teapots that were all made of jade, texture smooth and the luster snow white and lovely.

Even the fabrics were all fine silks and satin that dozens of top embroiderers took several months to embroider.

In addition to this, Lin Yuan also had people spread rumors.

Luo Ben wrote many limerick poems that the common people could understand with no trouble. It could also be called a popular piece of doggerel.

The poems talked about how the emperor enjoyed life and how the ministers enjoyed life.

——

“What are these?”

In Anfeng City, Han Lin’er looked at the boxes carried by the servants to the yard, and turned around and asked, “Tai Bao?”

Liu Futong was wearing brocade robes and said with a smile: “These were sent by Gaoyou.”

Han Lin’er was thin and pale. He had been on the run with Liu Futong since he was a child. Even if he was now an emperor, he still lived in panic all day long. He knew that everything he had was given to him by Liu Futong. His father had died for so long, and even if his father’s prestige was still there, it was impossible for the civil and military officials to bend their knees to him. So when Liu Futong killed his favorite official Du Zundao, he dared not say anything.

He was nothing without Liu Futong.

Han Lin’er asked strangely: “Gaoyou? Is it the Southern emperor?”

Although the common people all called Lin Yuan the South Bodhisattva, they didn’t call him that way. In their eyes, Lin Yuan was going to proclaim himself emperor sooner or later. He didn’t have a title, so they gave him the title Southern emperor. After all, he was called the South Bodhisattva, so it was an easy match.

Liu Futong: “It’s him. I imagine he must also know that Your Majesty is where the righteousness of the world lies. He has come to surrender early.”

Han Lin’er: “Is he a loyal minister?”

Liu Futong shook his head: “It doesn’t matter whether this person is loyal or treacherous, and we don’t have to become antagonistic with him at this time. The imperial court is still watching on the sides after all. Now that he has surrendered to us, we naturally have to make a response for the people of the world to see.”

Han Lin’er said: “Then should Zhen ask someone to pass the decree and make him the Prince of Nan’an?”

Liu Futong glanced at Han Lin’er. The child had become smarter. While he was gratified, he also felt an unspeakable sense of urgency.

After Liu Futong left, Han Lin’er eagerly called the eunuch next to him: “Let’s see what it is?”

The little eunuch was one of Han Lin’er’s favorites. The reason was simple. His age was young, and unlike the older ones who only listened to Liu Futong’s words, the little eunuch was very timid. When Han Lin’er spoke, he immediately hurried to open the boxes.

Han Lin’er was not afraid that the gifts might be something treacherous. Anything that could reach his hands must be something that had been tested several times.

“Is this a tea cup?” Han Lin’er held a tea cup made of fine jade and couldn’t look away.

It was easy to make a tea cup with jade, but this tea cup was not made of ordinary jade. The whole body was white and there was no variegated color. There was even a bit of transparency to it that allowed one to vaguely see through to the other side of the tea cup. When serving tea, one would be able to see the color of the tea by looking through the walls of the tea cup, giving it a faintly elegant and ethereal appearance.

Han Lin’er: “What about the other things, take it all out!”

The tea leaves exuded a delicate fragrance. The fragrance was very overbearing. It did not smell strong, but when one took it out, the surrounding area seemed to be permeated with that fragrance. Han Lin’er took a deep breath and felt that he was standing in a tea tree forest.

The eunuch brought out countless rare treasures, including night pearls that were as big as a fist.

While it was called night pearls, it was actually a stone that was fluorescent. Lin Yuan thought it was a rare treasure at first, but when he took it in his hand, he found that the light was not as good as the light of a glow stick. But using it to fool people was not bad.

The eunuch swallowed: “Your Majesty, this is a night pearl!”

Han Lin’er: “Give it to me quickly!”

Han Lin’er was born in a modest family, and just only modest. When he was a child, his family had to hide from the court to promote the White Lotus religion. He had never really enjoyed anything in his life. Even if he became the emperor, he didn’t have to deal with any government affairs. Everything was taken care of by Tai Bao.

He had a harem and beauties, but the beauties were all the same. They had beautiful appearances, gentle lips, and no substance in their heads.

Han Lin’er looked at these rare and precious treasures and asked the eunuch: “Is it all like this for emperors?”

The eunuch didn’t understand, and looked up at Han Lin’er stupidly.

Han Lin’er touched the teacup in his hand, indistinguishable feelings roiling in his heart.

He was already the emperor!

The master of this world!

Even the Southern emperor bowed his head to him.

But why had he never seen these rare things before?

The Southern emperor was this rich?

Han Lin’er found that the servants around him sometimes sang some easy to remember song-poems. He listened to it with interest and asked the servants to sing it to him.

This song was about the emperor.

It was said that the emperor was born different from others, and he was the master of everyone. Whatever the emperor wanted, everything in the world must be given to him.

Whoever he wanted to live would live, and whoever he wanted to die would die.

Even the immortal deities in the sky adored him, and would even give up their godhood for him. Even if they were to become a maid after descending to the mortal world, they would still choose to follow the emperor.

The emperor didn’t have to do anything, but people still loved him and respected him. If the emperor wanted to drink, he would have the most fragrant wine in the world, brewed with the waters of the Celestial River (TN: Milky Way). If the emperor wanted a beautiful woman, there would be immortal fairies descending down to the earth. The emperor wanted to eat, then he would be given delicacies where even a single grain of rice possessed the most delicious fragrance. If the emperor wanted to listen to a song, it must be a divine song that could cause all people to be immersed into it.

After Han Lin’er listened to all of this, he couldn’t help asking himself: “The emperor can enjoy himself in such a way?”

No one in his family had ever been an emperor. It was the first time for himself and he had no example to learn from. He didn’t know anything about it!

But Han Lin’er discovered one thing.

——The people in the palace were not afraid of him. If the palace people offended him, at most it was just a beating.

But the palace people were afraid of Liu Futong. Whoever offended Tai Bao would not be able to see the sun the next day.

This knowledge made Han Lin’er feel conflicted.

He was not as dignified as Tai Bao! He was not as powerful as Tai Bao!

Except for that Southern emperor, no one else gave him any more rare treasures. But someone must definitely have given them to Tai Bao!

Han Lin’er didn’t want to go to morning assembly.

What was the use of attending morning assembly?

No one listened to him! He was an insignificant person, sitting on the dragon throne, listening to his courtiers discussing matters, but he himself couldn’t even cut in!

What was the use of being emperor? What was the use of attending morning assembly?

Wasn’t it ridiculous?

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If the people outside knew that this was what it was like for him as the emperor, they would likely all laugh until their sides hurt?

Han Lin’er suddenly had a thought.

Why won’t Tai Bao die?

If Tai Bao died, would he be a true emperor?

TN: I’m back ┬┴┬┴|ᴗಥ)╯sorry for the unexpected hiatus, promise there will be a heads up next time (*_ _)人

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The people say life’s three bitter professions were boat rowing, metal forging, and tofu selling. Now that Toqto’a had reached this state, he understood that none of these three were bitter. He was born in Mongolia’s Merkit clan and belonged to a noble family. His father Mazhaertai was an important minister of the Yuan Dynasty, his uncle Bayan was once the prime minister and even became the Minister of the State for eight years.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He had a prominent background and was given an official post at the age of fifteen.

As a young man he had been very proud and successful, but he did not expect that his ending would be like this.

Even if he didn’t use his brain, he knew that when he was “saved” and taken from his Jiangnan exile, seemingly his life was saved but his family was also finished.

After being rescued, Toqto’a was kept in a courtyard house, and he didn’t even know where he was.

Everyday he would just see the same few people, and these people would not talk to him or even communicate with each other.

Even if he wanted to know where he was and who had plotted against him, he couldn’t find any breakthrough.

“Father!”

Toqto’a looked up and saw his eldest son standing at the door. For a while, he was speechless, his mouth gaping but unable to utter a word.

He thought…..he had thought his entire family would not be able to escape death!

Toqto’a watched his son rushing towards him, his heart full of conflicted emotions.

“Father!” Hala Zhang knelt at Toqto’a’s feet, tears running down his face, “This son is not filial! This son came late!”

Toqto’a bent down and hugged his eldest son.

He had raised his eldest son with hopes he would be the pillar of the family. So that when he was not at home, his eldest son could support the family. He taught him with the strictest attitude and held him up to the strictest standards, but practically overnight their family met with calamity. His eldest son had barely come of age so how could he preserve their home against the lofty imperial power?

Hala Zhang whimpered: “The slaves and domestic servants were all taken away by the court. Younger brother is dead, and Mother’s well-being is unknown. Father, it is this son’s fault that I couldn’t protect them!”

“This is not your fault!” His arms tightened, tears in his eyes, “It’s Dad’s fault, it’s Dad…”

Hala Zhang suddenly raised his head: “What wrong has Dad committed? Dad has worked hard for the well-being of the people of the world, and uses his own power to fight for the better. What wrong has Dad committed?”

After all, Hala Zhang was young: “Dad, you serve the Emperor with your sincerity, but has the Emperor treated you with sincerity?”

Toqto’a shook his head: “Hala Zhang, that’s the Emperor. If the Emperor wants his minister to die, then the minister has to die.”

“That’s what the Han people say!” Hala Zhang’s eyes glared. “The Han people also said that the world can only be ruled by the capable!”

Toqto’a: “How did you get here?”

Hala Zhang relayed his entire experience: “Dad, the South Bodhisattva may not be a good person, but he has vision and boldness! Besides him, which Han Chinese can tolerate us? Dad, I have thought about it. He wants to win the hearts of the Mongols, he will not do anything to us. On the contrary, he will definitely treat us as distinguished guests!”

Toqto’a said: “I will not shed the blood of my compatriots for the Han people!”

Hala Zhang: “That’s not the case, Dad! That South Bodhisattva told me that he knew of Dad’s ability and will not force Dad to be an enemy of his old acquaintances. He only hopes that Dad would pity the common people and take care of farming and irrigation works. He will even send bailiffs and officials to help Dad!”

Toqto’a paused: “Agriculture and irrigation works?”

Hala Zhang: “Exactly!”

Toqto’a glanced at Hala Zhang, and sighed: “This person is unpredictable. His methods seem bright and righteous, but in fact they are extremely insidious. Towards such a person, if we serve him we might not end well in the future. If we do not serve him, then us father and son will never step out of this door.”

“Hala Zhang, to accompany a tiger, have you thought about it?”

Hala Zhang’s eyes were firm: “Dad, I have thought about it!”

Toqto’a looked at his son. From childhood to now, he had already grown up. He had more thoughts, and also now possessed desires to achieve and accomplish great things. He, the father, could only support him from behind.

Whether or not they had made the right choice, it was all a matter of fate.

Toqto’a said: “I will go to meet that South Bodhisattva.”

——

“Prime Minister.” Lin Yuan sat at the top. He had been sitting in a position of power for a long time. He didn’t notice it, but everyone around him noticed that he had changed and his aura had become different. He didn’t need to pay attention to his appearance or his demeanor. He was the only authority. He represented the rules.

Toqto’a sat beside Lin Yuan as the servants served tea with light hands and feet.

“I never thought that despite South Bodhisattva’s young age you could have such methods.” His eyes were like two torches, just looking at his aura, he didn’t lose the slightest bit.

Lin Yuan smiled: “Yuan has not treated the guests well and neglected the prime minister.”

Toqto’a sneered: “South Bodhisattva has good schemes and good methods. If I don’t serve you, then it has become my fault, not knowing what is good or bad.”

Lin Yuan: “The prime minister has been living high above the people for a long time, and must not know that the general trend of the world is no longer on the court.”

Toqto’a: “We are foreigners, not Han Chinese, otherwise…..”

Lin Yuan sneered: “The prime minister must be joking. Back then, when Genghis Khan conquered the world, how stable was the world! How come now that the great foundation laid down by your ancestors has been ruined, it has become the fault of being a foreigner?”

“The prime minister is not a blind man. Naturally, you can see how the court has governed the country over the years.”

“Governing the country is not about raising pigs and dogs, just giving a bite of food is enough.”

“Furthermore, even if you raise pigs and dogs, it’s not as if you don’t even need to give a bite of food?”

Lin Yuan mocked: “If the court is full of officials like you, then it is not unjust that the Yuan Dynasty will meet its end.”

Toqto’a was dazed for a moment, he thought that Lin Yuan would pay the courtesy of one hoping to recruit talents and wise men, so how come suddenly he became so acrimonious. He stared at Lin Yuan as if a flower was blooming on Lin Yuan’s face.

“You wanted to fix the Yellow River but caused the banknotes to become waste paper.” Lin Yuan said again, “Because of your actions, the Yuan Dynasty’s vitality is greatly injured.”

Toqto’a was full of anger: “What do you mean?! The lives of the people are not lives anymore?!”

Lin Yuan looked at him: “You actually understand this truth?”

Toqto’a fisted his hands.

Lin Yuan smiled and said: “Prime Minister, if you are just a general or just a prime minister, or just an irrigation works official, you wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“When holding great power, if you can’t dominate the government like your uncle Bayan, then you are just a target.”

“Hama is in the top position, and it was all because of your helping hand. You thought it was Hama who harmed you, but have you ever thought that if there was no hint from the Emperor, would Hama still dare to harm you?”

Lin Yuan: “Why do you deceive yourself? Hama is a sycophantic official. He relied on flattering and carrying out the Emperor’s will to get to his position of power. The Emperor being afraid of you and your power is the real reason why you ended up like this.”

“I imagine if you really died, the Emperor would punish Hama and give you justice.”

Toqto’a was so angry he was trembling: “You…..you shameless villain! His Majesty is just being deceived by a traitor!”

Lin Yuan: “Oh? What’s the difference between you and Bayan? Bayan was ousted from power directly by you. With your status in the court and your prestige and power, it would be a strange thing if the Emperor doesn’t fear you!”

“Does the Emperor really need you?”

“In addition to you who can lead the soldiers to war, there is also Cha Khan. And if there was no Cha Khan there would still be many others.”

“If you are no longer in charge of irrigation works, there will be other ministers to take your place.”

“Not to mention political affairs.”

“Toqto’a, you regard yourself highly, but have you ever thought that you are not irreplaceable?” Lin Yuan asked him.

Toqto’a’s mind was completely blank.

Yes, he had thought that the Emperor could not do without him, but that was not the case.

If the Emperor wanted to use him, then he would be useful. If the Emperor didn’t use him there were many other people who would offer their service to the Emperor.

Without their family, the Emperor had other people available to use.

At this moment, Lin Yuan suddenly walked down the steps. He stood in front of Toqto’a, their eyes level and he raised his hands in a salute.

Toqto’a did not move.

Lin Yuan stood up straight and said: “If the prime minister helps me win over the Mongolian tribes, I will confer you the position of prime minister. The prime minister is replaceable for the Emperor, but the prime minister is irreplaceable for me.”

Toqto’a sneered: “The South Bodhisattva has truly divine calculation, but you can’t predict whether I will surrender to you or not?”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “You are a loyal official and a powerful official. You are loyal to the court and this will not change in life or death. Yuan knows this.”

Toqto’a: “Then why does South Bodhisattva bother to make such useless effort?”

“If you are to follow me, will that mean you are no longer loyal?” Lin Yuan smiled, “If I can protect you, then I can also protect the Mongolian people. The imperial court will meet its end. If Liu Futong or Guo Zixing rule this kingdom, will they protect the Mongols?”

Lin Yuan: “The prime minister is compassionate, even towards the Han people, so why won’t you think about it for your own people?”

“The prime minister can also wait, and when the court is overthrown, you can come to me again. But by then, I will not be as easy to talk to as I am now.”

Lin Yuan cupped his hands: “The prime minister can think it over, Yuan will be leaving first.”

As soon as the words fell, Lin Yuan strode out of the guest hall and out of the courtyard.

As soon as he exited the courtyard, he saw Chen Baisong standing aside, and Lin Yuan smiled at him: “What? Do you really think Toqto’a would dare to move against me?”

Chen Baisong stood up and walked to Lin Yuan: “He is a courtier of the Dog Emperor.”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “That’s not important. The important thing is that he is a Mongolian, and he was once a prime minister. He is a loyal and virtuous minister in the eyes of everyone.”

Chen Baisong: “…..Don’t really understand.”

Lin Yuan: “It’s okay if you don’t understand, knowing how to lead soldiers is enough. Also, your beard should be shaved.”

Chen Baisong touched his beard. He didn’t have a literati’s beard. He had let it grow wildly so now he only looked like a savage.

“What I said to the young master earlier…..” Chen Baisong mentioned again.

Last time when he mentioned to Lin Yuan about his male favorites, Lin Yuan did not answer him, only leaving with some excuse.

This time he must get a clear answer.

Lin Yuan didn’t expect that he would still remember this, and couldn’t help but smile: “I haven’t touched them.”

Chen Baisong looked at him, obviously not believing him.

Lin Yuan: “They are all sent to be minor officials. Would I send my male favorites to do the work of minor officials? Am I that stingy?”

Chen Baisong was taken aback.

Lin Yuan smiled and looked at him: “What? Are you jealous?”

Chen Baisong: “…..”

Lin Yuan comforted him: “Don’t worry, no matter how many people are around me, you will be the first in my heart, okay?”

Chen Baisong muttered: “…..Young master is trying to coax me, I can understand this.”

Lin Yuan: “It’s not just words to coax you.”

Chen Baisong sighed: “I’m just afraid they will serve Qin in the morning and then Chu in the evening.” (TN: idiom for quick to switch sides)

Lin Yuan smirked: “This phrase is good.”

Chen Baisong glared at him: “Young master, be serious.”

Lin Yuan quickly said: “Okay, okay, I will find someone who can meet the approval of you guys in the future, okay?”

Chen Baisong sighed and said, “There’s no need for that, as long as the person treats young master with all their heart and soul.”

Lin Yuan really didn’t expect that at this time, Chen Baisong would be worrying about his life’s major event. (TN: life’s major event=marriage)

Chen Baisong was a straight-forward person, and couldn’t hide things in his heart. He was such a person, so when Lin Yuan faced him, he also couldn’t help but speak honestly.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Lin Yuan suddenly became emotional and took Chen Baisong’s hand: “Brother Chen, you have to treat me like this all the time.”

Chen Baisong became stiff and only managed to nod after a long time: “En.”

AN: Chen Baisong: “What does he mean? Does he want me to ask if he has someone he likes everyday?”

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Xu Zhong walked through the corridor. He lowered his head and dared not look at anything. He could hear the birds singing and smell the fragrance of flowers, but he was not in the mood to appreciate any of this. He walked very fast, as if someone was chasing at his heels.

“What are you doing? Is a ghost chasing you?” The man standing in the front frowned as he looked at him.

Xu Zhong was so scared that he almost jumped a foot into the air. He raised his head and after seeing the man, he then quickly lowered his head. His voice was as tiny as the buzzing of a mosquito: “Brother Lu.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Lu Zhao sternly said to him: “Raise your head and walk upright, didn’t your family teach you to act the proper way?”

Xu Zhong’s face was flushed with shame, and finally raised his head.

His looks were not bad, with big eyes and a sharp chin, like a little white rabbit. He had clearly come of age, but he was always mistaken for a teenager. He did not have a big temper and neither was he all that courageous. Not many people liked him at home. His brothers felt that he had no masculinity, and his parents felt that he was different from the rest of the family.

He was not good at studying and neither was he very capable at other things. And even in regards to physical appearance——it was not one of the best either.

So he was sent to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan had also observed and found that Xu Zhong only knew how to repeat the books of sages on verbatim. Among the scholars there were two types.

The first type was the students taught by a stuffy and pedantic teacher. They don’t do bad things but they couldn’t do any good things either. They hold the books as a golden rule. Whatever it says in the book, then he would follow without question. Completely not knowing to be flexible or apply the knowledge in different and pragmatic ways.

The second type was smart people. They read books, but for them books were only tools. They would not believe everything they read, but neither would they refute everything either. This kind of person was either a capable official or a sycophantic official.

But the first kind of people were common, while the second kind of people were rare.

Xu Zhong was the first type. As for his appearance, it was neither handsome nor ethereal like Chu Lin.

He did not have the vigor of a mature man, nor did he possess the innocence and liveliness of a young man. He had big eyes, but because it was matched with his sharp chin, he did not appear grand or noble-spirited enough.

He didn’t know how to socialize with people, and he didn’t know how to do practical and useful things. If he was born in the modern times, he was the kind of character who would definitely squat at home.

And on top of that he had a very strong self-esteem.

When he first arrived at Lin Yuan’s residence he had tried to committ suicide but was rescued by his roommate. He wept bitterly a few times and even became ill for a few months. Only now did he come out of his room again.

Lu Zhao said: “Just what is this attitude? If your esteemed father and mother saw this, I am afraid that you will be removed from the family tree immediately!”

Xu Zhong was taken aback, and his nose began to sting, tears gathering in his eyes as he said in an aggrieved manner: “I didn’t want to come, it’s not like I chose this…..”

Lu Zhao sighed: “Then you should just hang yourself.”

Xu Zhong didn’t say anything. He looked at Lu Zhao, snot coming out from his nostrils. Combined with that dazed face, it really made him look both pitiful and ridiculous.

Lu Zhao: “Back then, Han Xin was able to endure the shame of crawling through between someone’s legs, but now you can’t even bear this? The South Bodhisattva has never really asked us to sleep with him, so how is this to the point one would want to commit suicide over?”(TN: Han Xin was a military general who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. According to history he was bullied by a hooligan and given an ultimatum to face execution or crawl through between his legs.)

“If you are concerned about your reputation, then you should have killed yourself when you were first notified about coming over. Now putting on such an aggrieved face, who do you want to show it to?”

“Just look at that Chu Lin. He is very different from before.” Lu Zhao’s expression was a little envious. “He is now an official of courtesy, accompanying at South Bodhisattva’s side, and can even attend political affairs! He is just like us, a plaything at the beginning.”

Xu Zhong said in a low voice: “How can beauty last?”

Lu Zhao looked at him and snorted coldly: “Some people don’t even have any beauty to use as a tool. If we’re talking about the face, you may not even be able to match Chu Lin? Putting aside Chu Lin, are you even better looking than Jiang Xu?”

Xu Zhong turned his head and said, “Then South Bodhisattva should let me go home!”

Lu Zhao felt that he was just wasting his energy talking to a wall, and he restrained his impatience as he said: “Not letting you go back is protecting you!”

Xu Zhong: “What reasoning is this?”

Lu Zhao thought, perhaps the Xu family hadn’t bothered to cultivate this son from the beginning. If they wanted to bring calamity to someone else’s family, they only needed to marry Xu Zhong over as son-in-law. In half a year, this guy would be able to throw that family into an upheaval.

“There are so many people who have come, but have you seen anyone who has gone back?” Lu Zhao, “If you go be the first one, don’t even mention you yourself, would your family even still have a place in Taizhou? Others don’t care if you want to or not. When you go back, they will only feel that it was because you had disgusted the South Bodhisattva and so must be a bad character. After offending the South Bodhisattva, would people still give you and give your family face?”

“Even if you want to go back, you must go back honorably.”

Lu Zhao straightened his collar and said with a smile at Xu Zhong: “At least we must reach Chu Lin’s height before we can go back.”

Xu Zhong was taken aback: “Brother Lu…..you…..”

Lu Zhao said with pride: “How do you know I am not the second Chu Lin?”

——

Chu Lin became a nouveau riche. After he returned to Gaoyou with Hala Zhang he soon became a distinguished guest at Lin Yuan’s side. At first, he was afraid that Lin Yuan would tell Hala Zhang the truth. After all, he was a liar. But he had never been a liar before. In his life up until now, the only time he ever lied was to Hala Zhang.

He could never behave less than a gentleman before.

He sat fidgeting, feeling like there were thorns on the chair under his buttocks.

However, Chu Lin’s uneasiness could not be seen from his appearance. When the servants handed him tea, Chu Lin politely smiled at the little maid. The maid’s face instantly turned red and when she raised her head again, her eyes when looking at Chu Lin were like hooks. They were even misted over, and her overall look became a little more beautiful than before.

It was a pity that Chu Lin was extremely obtuse about this kind of thing. He had been looked at like this since he was a child, so he had always thought that it was a normal thing.

At this time, Lin Yuan was in the same room with Hala Zhang.

Hala Zhang was a Mongolian, but in terms of appearance he was not as rugged as most Mongolians.

He could be regarded as a model of refined roughness, facial features that seemed sculpted by a knife, with deep eyes and high nose. Because of his young age, his physical appearance was not very aggressive. It was likely that there were huren among his ancestors (TN: ethnic groups in the north and west of China in ancient times). Otherwise most Mongolians would not possess such features. It would be more convincing to say that he was a Xinjiang person.

As soon as Hala Zhang entered the city, he was welcomed into the government office. In an instant he had understood what was going on.

He had fallen for a plot, and this knowledge made him angry.

But he turned his head and looked at Chu Lin beside him. Seeing Chu Lin’s completely innocent face, the anger slowly subsided.

When he sat in the study room, he no longer had any anger at all.

Only confusion.

His family was no longer part of the nobles now. What were the benefits for the South Bodhisattva to recruit him?

There must always be a purpose for action?

Just when Hala Zhang was puzzled, he heard the young man with a pale jade-like face say: “Your father has been saved by me.”

Hala Zhang’s hands and feet became stiff.

“You…..you…..” Hala Zhang couldn’t believe it, he thought he would never see his father again in this life!

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “But he is really not obedient, so he can only be on house arrest for now. Can you persuade your father for me?”

Hala Zhang stood up instantly and stared at Lin Yuan murderously: “Why are you imprisoning my father?! What are your intentions?!”

He had a bunch of questions: “You had brother Chu deceive me! So why didn’t you have him keep deceiving me? Telling me this at this time, you are not afraid that I will take your life right now?!”

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “Then gongzi, please go ahead. If you can get close to my person, then why not give you this life?”

Lin Yuan looked at this vigorous young man in front of him who was also not lacking in vigilance. He said, “I also sent the people who saved you. If I asked them to bring you here at that time, would you serve me?”

Hala Zhang snorted coldly: “Do you think I will serve you now?”

Lin Yuan smiled: “Gongzi, in the past few months, is it possible that you have developed no feelings or thoughts?”

If he had sent someone to bring Hala Zhang at that time, Hala Zhang would not be grateful to him. And even if he was grateful, he would not do anything for him.

Only making him soberly aware that in such a big world, only Gaoyou could tolerate this pair of father and son. Only then would he lower his noble head.

The places Chu Lin took him to were all impoverished villages. He had seen the world to be poor and miserable, and he had also seen the most rich and extravagant. He saw that Chu Lin was innocent, so he could be his real self in front of Chu Lin.

He had stood high above the people before, and his ears and eyes heard and saw only major national events. When the sudden change occurred, the changes were too great and he was left reeling.

Only in this way could his feet land steady on the ground, and his eyes could look at others.

Hala Zhang looked at Lin Yuan with eyes like that of wolves: “The South Bodhisattva truly has divine calculation, I’m afraid my father and myself have been targeted by you long ago?”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “Not your father and yourself.”

Hala Zhang looked at him mockingly.

Lin Yuan: “Gongzi thinks too much of yourself. In my eyes, I only have regard for your father.”

Hala Zhang regained his calm.

Hala Zhang: “My father will not fight wars for you.”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “I do not want him to. I only want your father to be in charge of farming and irrigation works.”

Hala Zhang’s eyes widened.

He thought that Lin Yuan went to all of this effort to have his father fight battles against the court, but…..farming and irrigation works?

Lin Yuan: “This way, it can not only let him show what he is good at, but also let him live up to his ancestors. Isn’t this good?”

Toqto’a was a capable official. He could lead war campaigns and also made great achievements in agriculture.

But in terms of politics…..

Before, when the Yellow River dam burst, the Yuan Dynasty’s finances simply couldn’t afford the money for repairs. This happened frequently and from the perspective of the people, it should be taken care of. But from the perspective of the court, it should not be taken care of, because the world was already up in chaos at that time. The money should be spent on munitions procurement.

It was Toqto’a who went out of the way and advocated for repairs. But there was no money.

So Toqto’a thought of a way that was easy to say but posed a lot of problems when implemented——he issued new banknotes which directly inflated the already inflated currency even more. From then on, the banknotes became waste paper.

Lin Yuan was not going to let Toqto’a participate in politics. He wanted Toqto’a to become a technician.

After the Yuan Dynasty had no strength left to wage any battles, he would then put Toqto’a on the battlefield. With his presence it would give the Mongolian common people some confidence.

Ethnic integration was a general trend. He didn’t want to be like the Qing Dynasty, who clearly already became the rulers, but still had to pay money and other resources to maintain peaceful relations with the Mongolians.

How many of the princesses who had been married off to the grasslands for peace were able to reach old age?

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Lin Yuan sighed, and said to himself in his heart: “Be steady and take things gradually. Things can not be done in a hurry.”

He didn’t know how much he could do in his lifetime, but he would do as much as possible.

The heavens had him transmigrate to here, and it couldn’t possibly be just so he could be a couch potato who only knew how to eat and waste away his time.

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The snow melted, the dead trees were revived with the arrival of spring, and the earth was once again rejuvenated. What was also rejuvenated were the bandits.

Chen Baisong was chewing on a piece of grass, wearing coarse clothes that showed off strong muscular arms and a straw hat on his head. He also had a beard. No matter how one looked at him, he looked just like a bandit. Only when he raised his head for a moment could one catch the brightness in those eyes.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“General.” The soldier sat down on the rock next to Chen Baisong, holding fried and salted soybeans in his hand. This kind of food was not easy to spoil and could be eaten even after being left out for a while. The only downside was that chewing too much would give one sore cheeks. The soldier grinned at Chen Baisong, “The last time I went back, a matchmaker found me a wife so next time I go back I will be getting married. You have to come and have a drink at the wedding.”

Chen Baisong replied with an “En”, but didn’t say any further. He was obviously thinking about something else.

The soldier’s eyes flickered and he stretched out his hand and grabbed Chen Baisong’s crotch. If Chen Baisong hadn’t dodged fast enough, his bird and eggs would now be in someone else’s clutches.

The soldier’s tone was ambiguous and very vulgar: “You not using your precious sword is ’cause you want to keep it for laying eggs?”

Chen Baisong raised his leg and gave a kick. The soldier tumbled face down onto the dirt. Chen Baisong really wanted to rub his bird now to get rid of the awkward feeling. But then he thought of his current identity; he was no longer the Niu Dan from the past, so he restrained his hand. He said to the soldier, “If you talk nonsense next time, I will throw you into Zhao Er’s tent.”

Zhao Er was a well-known lover of men. Originally, the people in the barracks didn’t know about it. But once, when a group of soldiers went to take a bath in the river, Zhao Er dipped underwater to look at other people’s ass. Not only did he look he even touched them too.

If he had touched it openly people might think it was just a joke.

But he was sneaking under the water, touching butts and even wanted to touch the birds in front too. The result, of course, was being caught and beaten up.

Some soldiers asked him: “What’s so good about a man’s body? If you take off your clothes and touch yourself, isn’t it the same?”

Zhao Er sighed: “You don’t understand me, the feeling I get when I look at you guys, it’s just like when you guys look at girls. If you see a group of girls with bare butts, can you restrain yourself?”

This really nauseated the soldiers.

They would overtly or secretly bully him, even peeing on Zhao Er’s bedding during the day, and at night Zhao Er could only fall asleep with the smell of urine.

If Zhao Er even looked at someone longer than a minute, that person would stay far away from him.

The soldiers in the barracks all said: “I now understand how girls feel.”

“It can be seen how disgusting the lecher is.”

No one was willing to share a tent with Zhao Er. They would rather squeeze in with others than sleep with Zhao Er.

The face of the soldier changed: “I am not interested in men’s thing. If anyone touches my thing, I will kill him!”

Chen Baisong looked at him with a half-smile, and kicked his ass: “No one would look at your ass, you don’t have much meat on it.”

The soldier was not pleased at this: “What’s wrong with my butt? Let me tell you, some girls’ butts don’t even look as good as mine.”

The soldiers on the side heard this and said with a loud laugh: “Then come here and make us brothers feel good!”

“We’ll definitely do you until you can’t even tell day from night!”

“Hahahaha, definitely make it so you won’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow!”

The soldier: “Pei! My butt is a golden butt, and it’s only for women to touch!”

The soldiers around him cracked vulgar jokes but Chen Baisong only squinted his eyes.

“Go back and pick up your blades, someone is here.” Chen Baisong gave an order, and the soldiers who were joking around just now instantly became solemn and rushed back to the camp to fetch their long swords.

They were at the foot of the mountain, besieging the bandits on the mountain. The bandits had fought with them several times, and suffered heavy casualties, so they did not dare to go down the mountain and could only sit and eat themselves out of all supplies.

Chen Baisong did not order his soldiers to charge up the mountain.

The terrain on this mountain was intricate, so if they were to go up the mountain, they would only be fish on the chopping board for the bandits.

After more than a month of siege, the bandits ran out of food. They either choose to fight to the death or surrender with a white banner. Chen Baisong’s men stood by the main path down the mountain and saw the white banner from a distance. It was a signal of surrender.

Not only did they surrender, they also hung the leader’s head on the banner.

The soldier laughed beside him: “They know General’s habit.”

After Chen Baisong captured the bandits he would disperse them among the army. Only the bandit leaders would be killed. 

This time, in order to save their own lives, the bandits killed the boss themselves and surrendered with his head.

Chen Baisong said solemnly: “Keep your guard up.”

It was not like they had never encountered bandits who tried to turn the tides by pretending to surrender.

Surrendering was only a way for them to let the soldiers relax their vigilance.

The soldier clenched his long knife: “Yes!”

However, this group of bandits did not have this kind of brains, and their surrender was sincere.

The moment they came down the mountain they all willingly offered themselves. At this age, being a bandit was just a desperate measure to fill one’s stomach. Only the bandit leader had any ambition. The little guys below couldn’t eat much meat or enjoy any benefits. For them, there was not much difference being a bandit under whose command.

——Chen Baisong and his soldiers were all disguised as bandits. They were currently not in the land under Lin Yuan’s rule this time, but had entered the court’s territory instead. On other people’s territory, they could never act arrogantly. After all, Lin Yuan had told him not to let the court find out. Otherwise it would likely lead to another fierce battle. Gaoyou was not afraid of the court, but Chen Baisong and the others would not necessarily win in a battle on the court’s territory at that time. Even if they won, it would definitely not be without heavy losses.

The newly recruited people were broken up and divided into different teams. They could no longer act with their former companions and must integrate into the new group.

Chen Baisong watched the soldiers pack up the camp. They had to go back to Gaoyou tomorrow so they planned to pack up the camp and just sleep in the wild that night. They would then leave at dawn tomorrow morning without delay. This was Chen Baisong’s habit, and his soldiers were also used to it.

The soldier lay next to Chen Baisong on the grass. Sometimes, insects would crawl on him, and it was always difficult to fall asleep in the first half of the night.

“General.” The soldier said in a low voice, “Have you heard that there are many beauties around the South Bodhisattva.”

Chen Baisong was closing his eyes and trying to gather sleepiness, but now he opened his eyes when he heard this. He appeared completely awake as if he had not even been resting.

The soldier said again: “Men are the majority.”

Chen Baisong looked at him.

The soldier was startled by Chen Baisong’s eyes, and quickly said: “I don’t mean that the South Bodhisattva is the same as Zhao Er. The South Bodhisattva will definitely not touch our ass.”

Chen Baisong: “…..”

The soldier whispered: “General, you are now leading the army outside, what if someone uses pillow talk to convince South Bodhisattva to act unfavorably against you?”

Chen Baisong: “You think too much.”

The soldier thought he was being praised, and smiled brightly: “I am a soldier of General, so I naturally have to consider everything for General. Should we also send someone over too?”

The soldier said in a low voice: “If we snatch one from here, no one will notice it.”

The soldier even had a target in mind: “How about the gongzi of the Zhang family, I think he is not bad looking at all. I will send someone now, tie him up in the middle of the night, and he’ll be able to go on the road with us tomorrow morning.”

Chen Baisong thought for a while: “His nose is too small.”

The soldier: “Then Yang Gongzi?”

Chen Baisong: “Big face.”

The soldier: “…..How about Li Gongzi?”

Chen Baisong said seriously: “Body odor.”

The soldier: “…..Have you chosen someone?”

Chen Baisong looked at him in surprise: “What? Do you think I have the time to stare at men?”

The soldier was speechless for a while: “Then why are you so picky.”

Chen Baisong: “They are not suitable, they aren’t worthy enough.”

The soldier: “…..They are all just playthings, nothing to do with worthy and unworthy. South Bodhisattva won’t be marrying them.”

The soldier was lying on his stomach and suddenly whispered: “What do you think of me?”

Chen Baisong was taken aback for a moment, and the expression in his eyes became horrified.

The soldier whispered: “You are my boss. Isn’t it just getting my butt poked? As long as I can help you…..”

Chen Baisong was speechless.

The soldier: “The way I see it they are not as good as me.”

Chen Baisong: “Why don’t you go take a pee and look at your reflection.”

The soldier: “Why?”

Chen Baisong: “So you can get a good look at yourself.”

The soldier sighed: “You are just jealous.”

Chen Baisong couldn’t believe it: “I am jealous of them?”

The soldier did not react for a while, and asked strangely: “What are you jealous of them for? I am saying you are jealous of me.”

Chen Baisong’s shoulders relaxed: “What’s there to be jealous about you?”

The soldier said triumphantly: “Zhao Er always looked at me, but he has never looked at you. It can be seen that I am more attractive than you.”

Chen Baisong nodded: “En, you are more attractive to men than I am.”

The soldier’s smile froze on his face.

He made up his mind to stop talking to Chen Baisong.

After the soldier’s words, Chen Baisong couldn’t sleep anymore. He rolled over and closed his eyes in thought.

He never thought that his young master would like men. What was good about men, they were neither fragrant nor soft, and were unable to give birth to children.

Chen Baisong’s thoughts wandered here and there.

He thought again, were those men sincere to his young master?

Was it for young master’s money or for young master’s status?

What do they want from his young master?

Young master was too soft-hearted and would not be able to refuse anyone who begged, so there would come a day one of them would hurt his young master’s heart.

When he returned, he must tell his young master to drive them away.

It was no big deal, he could just catch a few new good-looking ones and give them to his young master. Would they even dare to be disobedient?

If those people won’t leave, then he would kill them.

For one dead he’ll make it up to his young master with two new ones, so it should be fine, right?

Chen Baisong felt much more relaxed when he thought about it this way. Although he and his young master had a master-servant relationship, they grew up together from childhood. Although he dared not say that he regarded his young master as his younger brother, in his eyes, there was no difference between his young master and his younger brother.

He must care for him, support him, and protect him.

This was the responsibility that Chen Baisong had assigned to himself.

——

Chen Baisong brought his men back. Lin Yuan got up from the bed early in the morning. He hadn’t seen Chen Baisong for nearly a year. He trusted Chen Baisong, which might have something to do with the original owner. He inherited the memory of the original owner, and perhaps also a little affection as well. He felt that Chen Baisong was someone he could trust, which was why he let Chen Baisong out of his sight.

A general leading so many soldiers outside, yet he had never doubted the other.

Lin Yuan went out of the city to greet them, and the two rode their horses back to the government office.

After a few words of greeting, Chen Baisong suddenly said: “How many favorite maidservants does young master have now?”

Lin Yuan almost didn’t understand.

Chen Baisong looked into Lin Yuan’s eyes, and said seriously: “It doesn’t matter if they continue to stay, but those men…..”

“It’s better to chase them away. No matter how many men you want, I will find you new ones.”

Lin Yuan: “…..”

Did Chen Baisong take the wrong medicine?

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

AN: Chen Baisong: “Those men are not good.”

“They definitely want to take advantage of my young master.”

“I’ll catch a few new ones for my young master.”

“Actually, the new ones aren’t good either.”

“Forget it, I’ll just offer myself.”

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Chu Lin was making tea, whisking the chasen slightly. The tea powder soon became mixed with water. Chu Lin’s wrists were white and as they rotated, the fragrance of tea began to permeate the room. No matter the sight or aroma, it was all so very pleasing, like a hanging painting.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Lin Yuan was enjoying the scene——but he still prefered steeped tea instead of whisked tea.

Although the tea was very finely ground, and under skilled hands one could barely taste any powdery texture, the taste was stronger than that of steeped tea and didn’t suit Lin Yuan’s taste buds.

“My Lord.” Chu Lin placed the teacup in front of Lin Yuan. His posture was very beautiful. Even if his position was subordinate and he didn’t dare to look up, he wouldn’t give people the impression that his status was inferior. On the contrary, it only emphasized a calm and graceful demeanor.

This was something that Lin Yuan could not learn. It was something that took years and decades to ingrain into one’s bones.

The beauty of the ancients lay in the beauty of etiquette, which caused people to feel relaxed and carefree.

The tea was warm and delicious. Although Lin Yuan didn’t like whisked tea, he still gave the other face and drank all of it.

“Qian Qian’s craftsmanship is always better than others’.” Lin Yuan smiled at Chu Lin.

Chu Lin’s courtesy name was “Qian Qian”, which meant a modest gentleman, and it was given to him as a reminder for him to be humble and cautious. Lin Yuan heard that he was quite arrogant when he was young so the teacher gave him this courtesy name.

Chu Lin’s voice was also very beautiful. Just listening to his voice, it would make people think that the person speaking was a person of high integrity and profound learning, a virtuous character indeed.

Just like modern voice actors had their own way of speaking which was different from ordinary people.

For such a person, even if he was an airhead without substance inside, his appearance alone was enough to bluff people.

The Chu family must have spent quite the money and effort on training him.

Sending him over, it was likely that the Chu family’s heart was also bleeding.

“Qian Qian, do you want to go home?” Lin Yuan asked him.

Now that Lin Yuan had managed to lure and recruit all the sons of the big families, there was no longer any need to display a model next to him.

Chu Lin was not a person capable of doing practical and useful business. He was more like a gorgeous vase or embellishing screen. His value did not lay in what value he could create.

When placed indoors he was very lovely.

When placed outside in the real world he was completely useless.

Lin Yuan said: “If you go back, I will give you a nominal post.”

It would be good for Chu Lin to marry a wife and have children. People of the world were sometimes very tolerant. They didn’t care too much if two gongzi had a relationship so long as they didn’t delay marrying a wife and having children. But if one of them was a gongzi while the other was a servant or slave then that was looked down on.

The romantic meeting between two gongzi was an anecdote passed on with approbation.

Whereas a gongzi with a servant was a scandal.

Therefore, his “relationship” with Lin Yuan would not be an obstacle to Chu Lin marrying and having children. On the contrary, it was precisely because Chu Lin was with Lin Yuan that Chu Lin’s worth actually became higher.

Chu Lin shook his head: “I am willing to serve tea for my Lord, and I will not change in this life.”

He knew who he was. He knew that he was only useful when he was at the side of the South Bodhisattva.

If he left the South Bodhisattva and returned home, he would just be the younger brother that his older brother hated.

His older brother hated him but he didn’t resent his older brother for it. He understood what his brother thought of him.

His older brother started to take care of the family affairs before he even came of age. He was born later so although they shared the same birth mother, their relationship was more like a father and son than brothers.

His older brother had clearly done more for the family, but the one most valued in the family was himself——just because of the good looks he was born with.

If he was in his older brother’s place, he would also feel the unfairness.

“Since Qian Qian will not leave, then I have a task that I must rely on you for.” Lin Yuan smiled.

Chu Lin became nervous, but he would not show it on his face and mannerisms. He bowed down gracefully: “Please give me your orders, my Lord.”

Lin Yuan put down the teacup: “I want you to make friends with someone.”

Chu Lin didn’t look up, but he was confused.

Lin Yuan continued: “You don’t have to think too much, you just need to become a close friend with him. Qian Qian, will you accept this task?”

Chu Lin: “Naturally, I shall accept this task.”

When he was sent off to a place that was half a month travel away from Gaoyou, Chu Lin could only sit anxiously in his carriage. He didn’t even know who he was going to make friends with. Besides, was making friends something that important? Chu Lin twisted his cuff, feeling a little scared. He was afraid that he would not do well, afraid that he would mess up the South Bodhisattva’s affairs.

The driver took him to the side of the road and said to him: “Gongzi, please wait a moment.”

Chu Lin didn’t urge the other and only waited in a proper and obedient manner. After drinking a few cups of cold tea, he suddenly felt the urge to relieve himself but that was not an option now.

The driver: “He is here!”

The driver’s voice was too loud, and Chu Lin was so frightened that he almost couldn’t hold his bladder.

Another carriage had come along. He didn’t know where the carriage came from or where it was going. Chu Lin only saw some movements in the carriage, and then a person was thrown down from it. Chu Lin’s eyes widened but the carriage had already driven off.

Chu Lin rushed to the driver and said, “Quickly, carry that person into the carriage.”

It was this person! The person he was to make friends with ordered by the South Bodhisattva!

The man who was carried onto the carriage by the driver was a young man wearing coarse clothing. But looking at his hands and feet, he was clearly not a person from a poor background. Ordinary people could not raise such a child. The common people had to do heavy manual work and had to work for a living from an early age. Often they would not have enough food to eat so most were of short and skinny staturess instead of the long arms and legs like this young man had. He must have at least been raised by a well off family.

This person was less than twenty. He had firm muscles, but not the kind that came from hard and rough work. His muscles were well-proportioned and his physique very fit and in shape. Chu Lin sighed. This person must have been treasured at home by his parents.

“He doesn’t look like a Han Chinese.” Chu Lin said to the driver.

The driver smiled at him: “Gongzi does not need to care what kind of person he is. Gongzi is only out for a leisurely travel.”

Chu Lin nodded. He had changed his identity and pretended to be a young gongzi whose parents had passed away and was hated by his brothers. Because things were not going well at home, he took his personal servants out to travel. He was the picture of an innocent and naive young man.

Fortunately, his new identity matched him in everything except the death of his parents so it was easy to remember and act the part.

——

It was midnight when Hala Zhang woke up. He woke up to the light of flames. The moment he opened his eyes he subconsciously wanted to grab the knife on his body. Only after he touched nothing did he realize that his knife had been taken from him when he was caught by someone.

He was taken to Suzhou and separated from his family. Although he was with his mother, mother and son were not kept together.

After being locked up in a house, Hala Zhang knew that he was under house arrest. The servants would not give him much food, no coal, and no people to serve him. He knew that his father had been dismissed and his family property had been seized. For him, it was more like a nightmare.

A nightmare that he couldn’t wake up from.

Before he lost consciousness, he only remembered that someone outside the house was shouting, making a lot of noise, and then someone rushed into the house.

Those people had their faces covered so he couldn’t see their faces clearly. He only heard the leader say: “We have received the prime minister’s kindness and have specially come to save gongzi.”

Then…..he seemed to have been knocked out, or maybe he fainted from hunger. In any case he lost consciousness.

When he woke up again, it was to now.

He saw a young man sitting by the fire. He was wearing a light-colored robe and a cotton-padded jacket. In the light of the fire, he appeared as beautiful as a painting, and Hala Zhang could even make out the fluff on his face and those curled eyelashes. Hala Zhang swallowed and asked in a daze, “Are you an immortal?”

He had never seen such a good-looking person before and only the immortals in the books could have such an extraordinary and ethereal aura and appearance.

“Are you awake?” Chu Lin looked over, allowing Hala Zhang to see the other’s face which caused him to become even more speechless.

Chu Lin smiled and said: “I saw you lying on the side of the road and from your physique I could tell you are from a good family. Now that you have woken, you can rest here a bit before leaving. Count it as our affinity, strangers coming together by chance.”

Hala Zhang’s mind was still in chaos, and he had no time to think deeply.

Hala Zhang did not tell Chu Lin his real name, only that he was called Meng En, a Mongolian, but his family were not officials and just ordinary people. Chu Lin also used a pseudonym, and Chu Lin never mentioned anything about Gaoyou. He himself was a gongzi of a large and wealthy family so there was no need to pretend. He just had to show his demeanor and mannerisms naturally and it was enough to charm Hala Zhang.

The two traveled all the way. Chu Lin did not mention again that Hala Zhang should leave, nor did Hala Zhang himself.

It took several months for Chu Lin to finally become a close friend of Hala Zhang.

One afternoon, Hala Zhang said to Chu Lin: “Brother Chu, if I am not Meng En, can we still be friends?”

Chu Lin smiled and said, “Little brother is joking with me, if you are not Meng En, then who can you be?”

Hala Zhang looked at Chu Lin seriously: “My father is Toqto’a, and I am Hala Zhang.”

Chu Lin was stunned for a moment, stunned in a perfectly natural way: “You are…..you…..”

Hala Zhang: “I know what brother Chu is worried about. If you have concerns then I will leave now, and I will never give you any trouble!”

Chu Lin frowned: “You…..I…..ai!”

After a cup of tea, Chu Lin seemed to find his voice again. He said, “Since you are the son of the prime minister, why are you…..”

There were tears in Hala Zhang’s eyes: “Brother Chu doesn’t know this but my father had been dismissed from his post a year ago. My mother and my little brother became separated from me. I was imprisoned in Suzhou but then saved by my father’s old acquaintances. They left me on the road but what they have done is already of extreme benevolence and utmost duty.”

Chu Lin sighed: “It’s not easy for little brother!”

Chu Lin also said: “Since you are the son of Toqto’a, you can’t just hang around wasting time with me. Do you have any plans?”

Hala Zhang nodded and said: “Brother Chu and I have been traveling this whole time, and we have heard and observed so much. The world is so big, but there is no place for me. Now there is only one place we haven’t been to.”

Chu Lin: “Are you saying…..but…..”

Hala Zhang nodded and said firmly: “I think Gaoyou is now full of prospects. If brother Chu has no plans, we will go to Gaoyou. Brother Chu can rest assured that wherever I am, I will never put you in danger!”

Chu Lin said: “That’s a place full of rebel thieves…..”

Hala Zhang sneered and said, “If they are not rebel thieves, could they tolerate my existence?”

His entire family was loyal to the empire but still ended up like this. He wanted to avenge his father!

He was not like his father. He was first a son, then a brother, and finally a subject of the Emperor, and the Emperor no longer wanted him as a subject.

Chu Lin didn’t expect that he had been eating and hanging out with Hala Zhang every day. They had just been wandering and traveling around but he managed to cause Hala Zhang to let down his guard.

He thought for a long time, but he still couldn’t figure out why!

Lin Yuan choosing him to carry out this task was also something he decided after some deep thoughts.

Chu Lin was a simple person. His world was very small. He had never left Gaoyou since he was born and was raised behind the high walls of his gentry family. Hala Zhang grew up around Toqto’a. Even if he was a stupid person, there would still be limits on his stupidity. Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to hide their true intentions from him.

So long as the person possessed slightly more complex thoughts it would be easy for him to notice anything irregular.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Only Chu Lin, who was simple and innocent and not contaminated by the world, as well as having the appearance and mannerisms of a gentleman and possessing superb socializing skills, could succeed in this task.

Lin Yuan finally noticed him and discovered his best talent.

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