How to Easily Capture a Long Aotian [Quick Transmigration] 74

Chapter 74: The Peerless Minister of a Troubled World (Part 5)

Yu Lin was raising grain and was talking to the city’s registrar.

A few years ago, the various states had rebelled, and the dynasty had already reached its end. When Yu Lin had arrived in Huaizhou, he had come face to face with the disaster victims who were lying all over the fields outside the city of Huaizhou, and only then did he know that the situation was much worse than what had been reported to Luojing.

Although he had brought a batch of grain, and he had also raised a batch from various states, and with the grain that the merchants had transported from afar, he had temporarily let Huaizhou catch its breath, but it was still a drop in the bucket.

If he didn’t open the granaries, and only relied on the little grain that Yu Lin had raised, it would not last for a few days.

But the granaries in Huaizhou were empty, and even the rats did not go there. Where had the grain stored in the prefectures and counties gone in these years? The people of the city were silent.

There were a few people who still had a conscience, and their official positions were not high. They followed Yu Lin and were busy, and although they did their best, they did not say a word about the situation in the city.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to, but in this world, they were not allowed to say much.

Yu Lin had been in Huaizhou for several days, but he had not acted rashly.

The dynasty’s fate was about to end, and the script he had taken was the pillar of a troubled world. The history books had described him in rich detail, and he had saved Dayong for several years with his own strength. However, he was after all a minister, and some people, the one at the very top, were protecting him, so it was not easy to act.

For example, the prefect of Huaizhou was the noble consort’s own uncle. He had been in Huaizhou for many years, and his power was deeply rooted. It was precisely because of this that the emperor had sent Yu Lin here to take the blame for him.

Yu Lin was thinking about a way to solve it, and he was in a daze. In the dark clouds of Huaizhou, he looked up and actually saw Wei Zhiji.

The twenty-seven-year-old Wei Zhiji was already very different from before. His features were even sharper.

The flamboyant hairband that had swayed with his ponytail when he was seventeen had been replaced by a steady crown. The wind and sand on the border had blown away the extravagance of Luojing on him and had tempered his elegance and restraint.

They had not seen each other for several years, and he had also disguised himself. His face had been changed, and at first glance, he was not conspicuous. He also had no intention of recognizing Yu Lin. He just stood in the crowd and looked over with his lips pressed together.

Old friends had reunited, and they were looking at each other, and neither of them knew that the other had already recognized them. The taste of it was indescribable.

The registrar was talking. Yu Lin had been in the wind and had coughed a few times. In the registrar’s terrified gaze, he let out a laugh. “It’s nothing. I have something to deal with. You can go and get busy.”

The reason why the emperor hated Yu Lin was because in the hearts of some people at that time, the reason why Dayong was still Dayong was not because of the emperor, but because of Yu Lin.

As a minister, he had taken on the responsibility of a monarch. Some people hated him, and some people admired him. The registrar was the latter.

He looked at the desolate city walls of Huaizhou, looked up and took a deep breath, and his mouth opened and closed. He asked cautiously, “Then I’ll go to the clinic and get you some medicine. There are still medicinal herbs. It’s nothing, right?”

At this time, supplies were scarce, and everyone had saved and saved. He was worried that this person would not be willing to spend.

He was persuading him, and just as Yu Lin was about to nod, a person suddenly came up from the merchant team behind them.

This person was tall, and his clothes were ordinary. His face was dark, and his appearance was not good-looking. He was as if he would disappear in a crowd. But what he said was very fawning. “I… have brought medicine, a lot of it.”

Wei Zhiji had been outside for many years, and he was a master of disguise.

The registrar shot him a glance and raised his eyebrows slightly. He thought to himself that he was quite a good person, and he knew where to put his efforts. But then he thought of who was by his side, and he was relieved. It was as it should be.

But to openly bribe him, he was worried that the person by his side would be unhappy, and he was just about to scold him.

By his side, Yu Lin suddenly let out a laugh, looked over, and nodded lightly. “Thank you.”

Wei Zhiji had brought a lot of grain, and there were also many medicinal herbs, which could relieve the urgent need for a while. Hearing this, the registrar’s expression softened a lot, and he hurried to follow the person to count.

Yu Lin was suddenly alone. By the tall city gate, besides the orderly soldiers who were coming and going, there was only the disguised Wei Zhiji.

There were many people in the city, and for half a day, the two of them had not talked much, as if they did not know each other. But wherever Yu Lin went, Wei Zhiji would follow him, and he did not drive him away, and they cooperated with a tacit understanding.

No one would have thought that the hard-boned King of Wei had sneaked into Huaizhou with great effort, just to bow his head and do odd jobs for someone.

Even when the registrar had come over in his spare time, and had seen him take his original position, and he was doing it in a proper manner, he had to praise him as a really useful lackey.

After a busy day, the prefect of Huaizhou had held a banquet at night and had specially invited Yu Lin.

In fact, during the period of time that Yu Lin had been here, he had invited him from time to time, but Yu Lin had never accepted. Today was the first time his invitation had been accepted by Yu Lin.

The prefect’s surname was Chen, and his first name was Zhuo. As the noble consort’s uncle, he was also arrogant and domineering. The current emperor attached great importance to his relatives and eunuchs. He was not in power, but he was a local tyrant, so he was not very afraid of Yu Lin in his heart.

But perhaps because he had been rejected for a long time, and it was the first time he had been accepted, it had inexplicably made him feel flattered.

Therefore, the banquet was set up to be quite luxurious. It was held in the prefectural yamen, and the powerful families of the city had all come to support him. There was not a single grain in the granaries of Huaizhou, and the refugees were all over the fields outside the city. Yu Lin had been raising grain outside all day, and when he had stepped into the prefectural yamen, he had seen—

The wine cups were clinking, and the string and bamboo music was chaotic. The fine wine and delicacies, and the gaudy extravagance were not inferior to Luojing.

All the powerful families were dressed in splendid clothes and elegant hairstyles, displaying the poise of nobles and famous scholars. They chatted among themselves and drank freely.

Yu Lin wore a simple, light robe, and behind him stood a tall, unremarkable man. The moment he entered, he was entirely out of place—like a commoner beneath the golden ranking board who had mistakenly stepped into a hall of green and red robes—and in the next instant, he seemed ready to turn and leave in embarrassment.

Yu Lin lightly gathered his robe, and with his eyes lowered, he looked at the other world of Huaizhou. After a while, his eyelashes lifted slightly, and he suddenly let out a light laugh.

His voice was very soft, but the people on the seats were like startled birds. They looked at the green hemp clothes on him that he had not changed after he had finished his work, and they were stunned for a moment, and their drunkenness instantly dissipated.

The prefect was also a little stunned. He had thought that if Yu Lin had accepted his invitation, it was a sign of goodwill.

He was not stupid. He knew that Yu Lin was not on the same path as them, and he occupied a considerable force of upright officials in the court, and he would definitely not be with them.

He had thought it through. He would not make things difficult for the other party. If Yu Lin had personally asked for grain, as long as he could use his reputation to appease the demon-people inside and outside the city… this was not impossible. He had even personally taken the lead, and the full house of powerful families today was a sign of goodwill.

At that time, the powerful families would offer grain, and Yu Lin would have grain and political achievements, and he would be a stable prefect. Everyone would be happy.

Chen Zhuo did not know the meaning of Yu Lin’s laugh, and he was muttering in his heart. He came down from his seat, was stunned for a moment, and he met the gaze of the young man who was standing alone like a crane at the door.

He pretended not to have heard anything and raised his glass to invite him. “The best ten-year spring. In these few days, the city is short of grain, and there are only a few jars of ten-year spring left. It’s specially for Mr. Yu’s reception.”

Yu Lin looked at him, and the cold and thin aura around him dissipated. After a moment, he nodded lightly. “En.”

Yu Lin walked to the head of the table and sat down. The tall man with a flawed appearance behind him followed him closely, and even when he was drinking, he was staring at him, like a loyal and unsophisticated general.

The two of them had toasted each other. Chen Zhuo was a little drunk, and looking at his cold, thin, upright, and handsome features, he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded, and he felt that this person was so young, and he had reached a high position, and he had gotten to this day with his own means. He was indeed not an ordinary person.

Because of the noble consort’s support, Chen Zhuo’s usually cold and hard tone had softened a lot. “I heard that you are raising grain. There are many refugees outside the city. We are also quite worried and have the intention to help. This person is a subordinate that you have promoted. I heard that he is very capable?”

Yu Lin had just arrived, so he did not get close to them, but only let a few registrars follow him. Every time the registrars came back, he would be questioned by him.

Today, he had had a drink, and he could not remember many things clearly, but he still remembered this useful lackey in the registrar’s mouth.

He intended to have some relationship with Yu Lin, and he had turned his head and had said a lot of things. This person had been cold and had not reacted much. But this one sentence had touched him. The high and mighty official of Luojing had heard this and had lifted his eyelids and had let out a light laugh.

He had nodded, and then he had looked up at the tall man who was standing by with a menacing look, and was staring at his wine glass, and he had said softly, “He is quite capable. Will you go and toast the adults for me?”

Wei Zhiji was annoyed that this person had had too much to drink, and that the wine was bad for his health. He had not been mentioned, but he had subconsciously replied, “Yes.”

He had pressed his lips together, and he had casually locked his gaze on the faces of the people below, and he had thought about how to slaughter them.

Then he had looked at Yu Lin, who was looking at him with a smile, but his gaze was cold. He was dazed for a moment, and he had realized what this person wanted him to do.

In the great disaster in Kunzhou that year, he had lived in anonymity, and he had done this not once or twice.

In eight years, he had established himself as a king, and his methods were cold and hard. He had killed countless of the fat and powerful families who had vomited grain.

The moment he had gone down with a wine glass, Wei Zhiji had thought, eight years is indeed too long. So long that he has grown into a person that this person does not recognize.

But it is also too short. So short that with just one sentence from this person, he can still understand his meaning.

***

Yu Lin had been persuaded to drink, and no one below dared not to drink.

They did not know the reason, but Wei Zhiji had gone down. Although he was a guard, he was Yu Lin’s guard, so they were all very diligent.

Only one person had a cold and hostile expression. He was the head of the Zhao family in the city, Zhao Rong. The Zhao family had a thin line of imperial blood, and they had a great influence in Huaizhou. They were also related to Chen Zhuo by marriage, and they had a lot of face in Huaizhou.

Zhao Rong had a son, Zhao Cong. Two years ago, he had participated in the imperial examination, and because he had been involved in a cheating case, he had been detained and tried by Yu Lin, and he was not allowed to take an official position for the rest of his life. The Zhao family’s path to success was cut off.

Since then, he had hated Yu Lin to the bone. The others had tacitly agreed to give some money and grain, and to cooperate with Yu Lin, and to send him away. But only he had tried every means to stop this from happening. It was difficult to raise grain in Huaizhou, and he had put in a lot of effort.

The refugees were dying day by day, but what he wanted was for the Minister of Revenue, Yu, to lose all the people’s hearts, and to be doomed with his son.

Zhao Rong did not know that on the way here, in Yu Lin’s carriage, he had burned a few names in front of Wei Zhiji.

He had a cold and hostile expression, and he had drunk freely, and he had turned his face away and had not accepted Wei Zhiji’s wine. Wei Zhiji had looked at him, and his expression had gradually become indifferent, and he had raised his glass and had urged him, “Please?”

He had turned his head away and had just let out a cold laugh. “If you want to toast me, what are you?” He had looked at Wei Zhiji, and his eyelids had slightly swept over the Yu Lin at the head of the table, and he did not know who he was scolding.

For a moment, as he was sweeping his gaze over Yu Lin and was scolding him fiercely, he had let out a long sigh of relief, as if the accumulation of many years had been dissipated in one day.

This refreshing feeling, coupled with the wine, had made him feel ecstatic, and he had almost wanted to moan.

But the next second, he had suddenly felt a slight chill on his neck, and then, a gush of blood had spurted out.

He had passed the most wonderful moment of his life, but there would be no next time.

Wei Zhiji had cut him down with one sword, cleanly and unrestrainedly, as if many years ago, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, he had followed that person south and had charged through the enemy lines.

The powerful families of Huaizhou at the banquet were drunk and ecstatic. They were holding their wine glasses, and in the hazy lights, they had not yet had time to react to what had happened.

There was a thud, and in the midst of the blood, there was a sound of knee bones hitting the ground.

By Yu Lin’s side, Chen Zhuo was holding a wine glass, and his expression was gloomy. “What does Mr. Yu mean by this?”

Yu Lin turned his head to look at him, and then at the people below. His long sleeves were hanging down by the side of the table, and his expression was cold and thin. “I’m toasting you. Is there anyone else who doesn’t want to drink?”

Seeing that he was ignoring him, Chen Zhuo was furious and was about to call for someone when a series of shouts and killings suddenly came from the courtyard.

A moment later, a young general in a white robe came in under the cover of the night, with a strong smell of blood. He passed by the people at the banquet and knelt down on one knee in front of Yu Lin. “Qu Xing has not disgraced his mission. The defense of Huaizhou is already under control.”

Qu Xing had originally been a minor general in Huaizhou. Because he had been framed by a colleague and had been at his wit’s end, he had traveled a thousand miles to Luojing. After Yu Lin had investigated the whole story, and had seen that he was talented, he had promoted him. Now he was the commander-in-chief of Huaizhou.

Chen Zhuo pointed at him, his eyes wide with anger, and he collapsed on the ground.

The others below did not dare to say much.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Yu Lin nodded lightly. He put down his wine glass and got up. The wine had made his eyelids slightly red. He glanced at Qu Xing and instructed him softly, “Don’t be too presumptuous. I’m just asking the adults to release some grain to save the people.”

Qu Xing did not dare to look up and lowered his head. “Yes.”

Yu Lin nodded, and from the high platform, his cheeks were flushed, and his features were elegant. He walked to Wei Zhiji’s side, and with a turn of his head, Wei Zhiji’s brow furrowed slightly, and he was gritting his teeth and looking at Qu Xing.

He was very jealous. Yu Lin reminded him helplessly, “Let’s go.”

Wei Zhiji’s expression paused for a moment, and he followed him as if nothing had happened. “Okay.”