Chapter 74

Lin Bei called Bian Fuzi into the room.

"Did you see the governor? How did it go?" Lin Bei asked.

Bian Fuzi smiled and said, "Sir, there's no need to worry. I don't think the county magistrate has time to think about you."

"Oh, why do you say that?"

"I mentioned the Taiping Dao to the county magistrate. When he heard that the Taiping Dao was planning a rebellion, he was shocked. He is now preparing to issue a notice and send people to arrest the preachers." At this point, Bian Fuzi sighed, "Yesterday, I saw three Taiping Dao preachers distributing talisman water in Hepu County. There were many believers."

"Then they weren't caught?" Lin Bei asked in surprise.

Bian Fuzi shook his head, "The county magistrate did listen to me and sent people to arrest them, but unfortunately, the news leaked out, and the three of them disappeared. The county magistrate was furious and said there must be an insider in the county, which is why he is so worried."

Lin Bei thought for a moment and realized that compared to himself, a demon snake, the Taiping Dao was clearly more destructive. For a superior official, the worst thing was not being able to fully control his jurisdiction. Although Bian Ji said the governor was somewhat incompetent, it was precisely because of his incompetence that he valued his power even more. Now, unable to catch three people, the governor had already sensed that some matters in the commandery were beyond his control.

However, this was indeed good news for Lin Bei. The governor was now too busy to worry about him, and once the Taiping Dao rebelled, the governor would be even more preoccupied. This would take at least a few years, and who could predict what would happen in a few years? Even Lin Bei didn't know if this matter would cause the Taiping Dao to rebel prematurely.

"That means we don't need to worry about the governor, and I can rest easy," Lin Bei said.

"But this is not a good situation. If the Taiping Dao has an insider in the county and they rebel now, what will happen to Nanyue?" Bian Fuzi looked at Lin Bei.

Lin Bei shrugged, "Don't ask me, because I don't know. The reason there are so many Taiping Dao believers is due to the corruption of officials. If farmers are compared to water and the court to a boat, water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it."

Bian Fuzi repeated this twice and sighed, "Sir, every word you say is profound and enlightening, truly a wake-up call..."

Nonsense, these are the words of Brother Shimin, which have been passed down for thousands of years.

"Although that's true, I don't want to see Nanyue fall into war. Unfortunately, I can't do much to help."

Lin Bei commented, "You don't need to blame yourself, because this is the trend of the entire Han Dynasty, and it's not something one person can stop. If there is anyone who could, it would be Emperor Ling, but that's clearly unrealistic. For now, if you can ensure the safety of your area, that's already good. Once the school is built, you should recruit many students. This way, even if there is a war, Xishan Township can be spared, right?"

Schools were always sacred places, especially at that time. If Bian Fuzi recruited enough students, anyone who rebelled would have to avoid the school to avoid being condemned by the world. In this era, if scholars criticized you harshly, it could be fatal.

Bian Fuzi could only nod and then said, "Sir, I have a few classmates in Central China who are more learned than I am, but they are straightforward and indifferent, so they are still idle. I have already sent them a message, hoping they will come to Nanyue. My idea is that if they come, they can teach at the Nanyue school. This way, they can avoid the war, and the school can also solve the problem of not having enough teachers. What do you think, Sir?"

Lin Bei, of course, nodded. Since they were Bian Fuzi's classmates, they were definitely scholars. Such free teachers were hard to come by. By doing this, Bian Ji had shown his sense of belonging to the Nanyue school, which was a great thing.

"There is one more thing I think I should tell you, Sir," Bian Ji added. "The slightly plump man outside is named Zhen Ding. You must know about the Zhen family's business, which is wealthy throughout Central China. They have many businesses and spread news quickly. Sir, you might want to show some favor. If the Zhen family's business can be of use to you, there will be many benefits. At the very least, you can rely on them for information about Central China."

Slightly plump? That must be the fat guy, Lin Bei thought. He remembered that this was a member of the Zhen family. Lin Bei wanted to ask him a question: "How old is Zhen Mi now?"

The beauties of the Three Kingdoms period were another highlight besides the generals and strategists. The beauty of this era was outstanding in the entire history of China. The Four Great Beauties included Diaochan, and other beauties like the two Qiaos, Sun Shangxiang, Cai Wenji, and Zhu Rong of Nanyue, as well as others like Zou Shi, wife of Zhang Ji, and Bu Lianshi, concubine of Sun Quan, were all famous beauties. The stories of beauties and heroes have been discussed by later generations.

Lin Bei was naturally curious about these beauties. Even though he had become a snake, it was still good to look. Zhen Mi was praised by Cao Zhi for her beauty, and he wrote the famous "Ode to the Luo River Goddess." With a member of the Zhen family present, Lin Bei naturally wanted to ask.

"I remember someone named Zhen Ba. He said he wanted the feathers of a phoenix and a white tiger, which must be at Zhen Ding's request. If you want to show favor, I can't provide these things," Lin Bei said.

Bian Fuzi smiled knowingly, "You don't need those things. How could a phoenix, a divine creature, be seen by ordinary people? You can decline. From what I understand, Zhen Ding just wants some exotic items from Fushan to show his family and is willing to pay. You can consider it and ask for some benefits."

Lin Bei thought that Bian Ji was telling him to take advantage of Zhen Ding. Scholars spoke indirectly, but since Zhen Ding was offering, Lin Bei would reluctantly take a cut.

Thus, Lin Bei and Bian Ji left the room. The locusts had been moved from the cart and piled up. Lin Bei casually glanced at Zhen Ding, who was plump and white. He could probably squeeze out several pounds of oil from him.

Although he planned to take advantage of Zhen Ding, Lin Bei was not in a hurry. He knew that waiting for Zhen Ding to beg would allow him to take more. First, he needed to prepare what the people of Xishan Township needed: a thousand small beasts, which was not a small task.

PS: Thank you to Long Wu Taotie for the two 588 donations. Also, thank you to Fan Zhong Ma, Xin Shui Wu Chen, Feathered Snake, and Naznig for their generosity. Feathered Snake has donated again, and I am very grateful.

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