Chapter 1 The Duck Restaurant

Both the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Jingnan had eaten duck at Quande Restaurant, and both had come directly there upon entering the city. Quande Restaurant's reputation could be said to have reached its peak.

But recently, Quande Restaurant's business had been quite deserted.

Because Quande Restaurant's duck was very expensive, ordinary people couldn't afford it, and wealthy families these days were in no mood to eat it, or rather… they would never be able to eat it again.

"How many batches is this?"

Zheng Fan asked as he sat by the window on the second floor of Quande Restaurant.

"Reporting, Lord Zheng, this is the fourth batch."

"Eunuch Zhang, I told you when we first met, don't call me Lord Zheng."

"Then what should I call you, Little Fan or Little Zheng?"

The Sixth Prince happened to push the door open and entered the private room, taking off the bamboo hat on his head and tossing it to Eunuch Zhang beside him.

He was wearing a coarse cloth robe, looking like an impoverished scholar, with dirt and grass mixed on his clothes and mud on his knees.

"What were you doing?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Going to cry at graves. The ancestral shrine I built for my mother and my grandfather was flattened the other day. I disguised myself and went to cry for a while. Sigh, I'm dying of thirst."

The Sixth Prince reached out and picked up the teapot in front of him, drinking directly from the spout.

"Glug, glug…"

After drinking in one go, the Sixth Prince wiped his mouth and handed the teapot to Eunuch Zhang beside him, saying,

"Refill the teapot."

Zheng Fan immediately reminded Eunuch Zhang,

"Change the teapot."

"Are you looking down on me?"

"Nonsense."

"I'm very sad."

"Then stay sad."

Eunuch Zhang took the teapot and left.

"Don't be too sad," Zheng Fan said, comforting him.

"It's alright. I've been secretly building that temple for years, just preparing for the day when Father would have it torn down."

The Sixth Prince reached out and picked up a piece of shortbread from the basket, taking a bite.

"Is that so?"

"That's how it is. Think about it, to punish someone, you naturally have to take away something they cherish to achieve the effect of punishment. If you're greedy for money, then your assets will be confiscated. If you're greedy for power, then you'll be demoted.

"If you have nothing, then you'll be beaten to toughen your muscles. So, even if you don't have anything you like, you have to create a few to block the blows, to be 'taken away' when needed, and after it's done, you have to put on a sad face to give them a sense of accomplishment in punishing you."

"That works too?"

"There's nothing that can't be done. Look down there."

Zheng Fan turned his head to look down. This was the fifth batch of prisoners being escorted down the street by the Imperial Guards.

"The servants of the Jiang family, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. The main family has already been executed, and these servants have to be sent into exile."

"The Jiang family?"

"Yes, it was through the Jiang family's connections that you were transferred from Hutou Fort to Cuiliu Fort. His youngest son owed a lot of money in my gambling den. Although I'm a carefree prince, a prince's money is hard to get out of."

"A power-money exchange, so blatant?"

"Being blatant makes it seem more upright."

"That's the logic."

"Furthermore, the Jiang family has a mountain in Huwei's territory that's said to be a coal mine but is actually a copper mine. I've been coveting it for a long time. His family property has already been confiscated, and in a few days, I'll have someone buy it from the inner treasury."

"You planned this long ago?"

"That's right. Who told the Jiang family to be so unkind? I wanted to offer money to buy it, but they wouldn't sell."

Zheng Fan nodded.

Just then, Eunuch Zhang refilled the teapot and came up.

While Zheng Fan poured tea, he thought to himself:

If this was a game called *Filial Piety*,

For the first ten years, the Yan Emperor abused Little Sixth until he was half-dead.

But Little Sixth was also a clever person and quickly figured out the routine, and started intentionally farming this game in reverse.

"Aren't you afraid His Majesty will find out?"

Find out that you're playing him, using him as a knife, ha.

"My father is busy with a myriad of affairs; how can he have so much free time to see what this son of his is doing every day? It's just that when he thinks of me, he casually asks, just like I'm asking Eunuch Zhang now:

"Wei Zhonghe!"

Eunuch Zhang immediately bowed and said,

"This servant is here."

"How has Cheng Jue been recently?"

"Replying to Your Highness, the Sixth Prince secretly went to the fields outside the city today and knelt there, crying for a long time."

"Clap!"

The Sixth Prince clapped his hands and shrugged at Zheng Fan,

Saying:

"That's about it."

Zheng Fan picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. It was Old Eagle Tea. Just from its name, you could tell that the taste wasn't the best among teas, and it had nothing to do with being precious.

But at this time in the capital, drinking Old Eagle Tea perfectly matched the atmosphere.

"My father won't ask again. He has many things to do, strategies for war against Qian, whether to kill, demote, or exile the aristocratic families. A whole bunch of things are weighing on Father.

"As long as Father doesn't ask again, Wei Zhonghe won't say anything more, even if the Secret Intelligence Division in Wei Zhonghe's hands knows that I took the Jiang family's copper mountain through the inner treasury, he still won't say anything, or rather, won't actively say anything.

"It's not that Wei Zhonghe would be disloyal to my father, but because that's his duty as a servant."

"Excellent,"

Zheng Fan commented.

This was a high-level player.

Of course, there was another point in all of this.

Zheng Fan noticed that the Sixth Prince was definitely doing it on purpose.

After he arrived here, Eunuch Zhang called him "Lord Zheng," and the Sixth Prince used "I" instead of the previous "We" in front of him.

Some things from the palace half a month ago must have leaked out.

"But there's one thing I'm curious about. What are you doing with so much money?"

"Cough, cough…" The Sixth Prince coughed when he heard this, pointing at Zheng Fan, his face a little flushed.

Eunuch Zhang immediately stepped forward to help the Sixth Prince gently pat his back.

After the Sixth Prince caught his breath, he pointed at Zheng Fan and said,

"You heartless bastard!"

"Hiss…"

This style wasn't right.

"Do you know how much money I've poured into you since I started supporting you?"

"A lot."

Cuiliu Fort was built by people found with the Sixth Prince's money, and the armor in the fort's warehouse and the horses raised outside were also sent through the Sixth Prince's channels.

Many things were the kind of forbidden goods that were hard to get even if you had money.

"I'm very curious. When you were at Cuiliu Fort, did you even read the letters I sent you and the letters you replied with?"

"I read them."

It was a tradition at Cuiliu Fort for the blind to read and reply to letters.

"No, you definitely didn't read them. Do you know how much money I've poured into those invisible places, apart from the things you could see?

"On the border defense system of Qian, how many inside contacts did I use money to get for you?"

"Uh…"

Damn it, the blind man didn't tell me about that.

"I know your intentions."

The Sixth Prince glared at Zheng Fan and sat down again, saying:

"You know, although I seem to have a lot of businesses and properties, I really haven't accumulated much money on hand."

"Using money to make money?"

Zheng Fan hadn't done business in his previous life, and the manga studio didn't count as a real business. He could only guess that the money the Sixth Prince made from doing business was continuously invested in the expansion and upgrading of his businesses.

"Take the Jiang family's coal mine as an example. It's true that I took a coal mine from the inner treasury, but before that, I sent a batch of coal to the Silverwave County garrison at a completely loss-making price of half the market price."

"Oh, not easy,"

It's true that you make a lot of money, but you pay a lot of protection fees. Who told you to have a father like that?

"The most infuriating thing is that I clearly know what the court is going to do next, but I restrained myself from taking action on land and grain!"

Zheng Fan reached out and took an orange from the fruit plate, peeling it.

In his heart, he was actually very clear about the Sixth Prince's frustration.

To do business, you have to watch the wind, follow the policies. If you can foresee or receive news in advance, then basically…

The Sixth Prince had seen through the affair between his father and the Marquis of Zhenbei long ago.

And was clear that,

This was a play, a play for the aristocratic families of Great Yan.

But he couldn't rely on his political acumen to pave the way for his business. At this moment, the iron cavalry of the Zhenbei Army was wantonly wreaking havoc on the aristocratic families of Great Yan, the butcher's knife raised, and blood flowing like a river.

Those aristocratic families who were less than a hundred years old were embarrassed to even greet each other, and they were basically big leeks of several hundred years. These leeks were so fat that their roots were almost entwined.

With one slash, fields, grains, antiques, gold and silver, and other things would be squeezed out. The Yan Emperor would naturally take the lion's share, but just the impact of this measure alone, if a large business could prepare in advance, it could also follow the court and make a fortune.

But the Sixth Prince couldn't do that.

A mountain of gold and silver was right in front of him, like a girl at the door of a red tent beckoning to you and shouting, "Sir, come in and play."

But you still have to act like an old scholar, chanting, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," and run away with your back bent.

"Making money is just to pass the time. If you don't sit in that position, whether you earn more or less, it's all cheaper for your brother, and perhaps your younger brother."

The Sixth Prince rolled his eyes at Zheng Fan and said,

"Are you even trying to sow discord with my underage brother?"

"Instinct, instinct."

"I'm not reluctant to part with that money. I'm just anxious. In the past, I always thought about a steady stream, having a little surplus to grease the wheels and avoid disasters for myself in the future.

"But when it really comes time to use money, I realize that this money mill is really heavy."

"I'll get you a few more good things tomorrow, and you can take them to sell for money."

"That's natural. If it weren't for your soap and perfume business supporting me, I really wouldn't be able to throw money around so easily. But things are better down there. It's inconvenient to make money in Yan, but it's much easier to make money in Qian."

Zheng Fan suddenly thought of the old British Empire, which was also all about guns and money, fighting and making money at the same time.

The cooperation between himself and Little Sixth really had that feeling.

Yes, in this world, the most profitable business is always… robbing them!

"Hey, I heard that the Marquis of Zhenbei also appreciates you quite a bit."

"Then have you heard what conditions the Marquis of Zhenbei offered me?"

The Sixth Prince shook his head.

This matter naturally couldn't be spread, because there were only four people present at the time, including Zheng Fan.

Qing Shuang was by the Marquis of Zhenbei's side, like an adopted son, but his real identity was one of the seven great generals of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion.

Plus the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Jingnan.

If even the words spoken at that time were passed out,

Then there would be only one possibility,

That Zheng Fan was hyping himself up and spreading the rumors himself.

But obviously, Zheng Fan wouldn't be so bored.

"The Marquis of Zhenbei said that I'm from Beifeng County and should join the Zhenbei Army. He was willing to promote me to adjutant and allocate a thousand Zhenbei iron cavalry to me."

"What about the Marquis of Jingnan?"

"Garrison Commander of Cuiliu Fort in Silverwave County."

The Sixth Prince nodded and said,

"You made the right choice. It's better to be a garrison commander."

"Yeah, I think so too."

If this news were to spread, others would definitely think that Zheng Fan was stupid.

But only a small silver coin would understand the thoughts of another small silver coin.

"The Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion, six garrisons, 300,000 Zhenbei troops, seven great generals, sigh, a strict system. After you go in, to be honest, you'll still have to act like a grandson, and you'll still have to go through the ranks. Even if you make a lot of contributions, you'll still have to move up the ranks step by step, but the higher you go, the harder it is to move."

Zheng Fan nodded.

Six of the seven great generals had the surname "Li," unless Zheng Fan shamelessly changed his name to "Li Fan" as well.

But that would be too ugly and embarrassing.

At the same time, there was also that mysterious young marquis.

Joining the Zhenbei Army was like entering a strict new system. The amount of support you get from this group also means how deeply you're bound to this group.

"Garrison Commander of Cuiliu Fort, sigh, my uncle really thinks highly of you, hehe."

Garrison Commander of Cuiliu Fort, the official position hadn't changed, and it hadn't been said how many Jingnan troops would be allocated to you.

It seemed stingy, but what it revealed was a great degree of freedom.

The war was about to begin.

To develop, to grow stronger, to get people, to get soldiers, to get power, to get status, go fight for it yourself, go grab it yourself!

Just like the small warlord fortresses in Beifeng County, you can eat as fat as you can, depending on your own ability.

The Marquis of Jingnan didn't forcibly require Zheng Fan to enter his system but gave Zheng Fan an opportunity. If you really have ambition, if you're really willing, then create a new warlord yourself.

As the national war was about to begin, the stars would be shining brightly. Some would fall, and others would rise again. Besides the Zhenbei Army and the Jingnan Army, perhaps new armies would rise.

In the past, when guarding the country, the two great marquises of the north and south were enough, but now, they weren't enough.

"My uncle has been back in Silverwave County for a while now. How much longer are you going to delay?"

"I'll leave tomorrow."

Zheng Fan was left behind to collect corpses for the Tian family.

There really weren't enough coffins in the capital, and the undertakers were already busy.

Just in the capital alone, it was unknown how many people had been killed. It was estimated that more people would die in the areas outside the capital where the real power of the aristocratic families was entrenched.

To be honest, Zheng Fan wasn't worried that such a large-scale purge would cause the country to collapse. First of all, since the Yan Emperor dared to launch it, he must have had preparations, such as reserve officials to replace those who had been purged. The rise of the commoners was an unstoppable trend. Moreover, among the aristocratic families, there were lists for extermination and lists for criminals, and at the same time, some who had always been close to the royal family and were willing to proactively lower their heads and cut their wings would still be promoted and reused.

Turmoil was inevitable.

But unless Great Yan was completely defeated in the war against Qian, the Great Yan court would still be as stable as Mount Tai.

There was a saying in later generations, "Don't think you're so important; the earth will still turn without anyone."

The aristocratic families did control all aspects of the Yan country, but the Yan country's army was firmly in the hands of those three giants. The aristocratic families couldn't make any waves.

It was just that the system would be destroyed, and there would be some problems in the operation of the court, at most for a short period of time, but it wouldn't be a problem for long.

Three-legged toads were hard to find, but there were people with two legs who wanted to be officials everywhere.

In the historical timeline that Zheng Fan was familiar with, there were many examples of people who could kill their way into the Central Plains and establish a dynasty with only a few hundred thousand people. How did they manage to pull it off?

What "shaking the foundations of the country," what "corrupting the foundations," what "governing a large country is like cooking a small fish," was just because the emperors and rulers at the time wanted to repair the chair while still having to sit on the chair themselves, so they seemed cautious.

But on the Yan country's side, the three giants stood together.

Zheng Fan thought of Qin Shi Huang. After Qin Shi Huang destroyed the six kingdoms, he didn't rest. He continued to cause trouble, standardizing writing, standardizing cart tracks, burning books, and burying scholars alive. He was quite willful.

But as long as the First Emperor was in power for a day, those ambitious guys and remnants of the six kingdoms wouldn't dare to act rashly. The First Emperor's prestige could make all rebellions despair.

Just like the Yan Emperor, the Marquis of Zhenbei, and the Marquis of Jingnan at this time, when they stood together, all the opposing forces within Great Yan were paper tigers.

But once the First Emperor died…

"What are you thinking about?" Little Sixth asked.

"When I think about how I'm going back tomorrow and won't see you for a long time, I feel a little sad."

"…" The Sixth Prince.

"But it's also pretty good. It's more interesting for soldiers to fight with other soldiers."

To continue being a knife to slaughter the aristocratic families, Zheng Fan was tired of it, and it didn't fit his aesthetic. This was the only bit of affectation he had left in this world.

"Actually, I envy you too. After you return to Cuiliu Fort, you'll be free."

"Don't envy me. What if I have a bad start and get swallowed up by the Qian army? Don't think that fighting is an easy thing."

"Is that what you call reverse jinxing, according to that word you said before?"

"You're so good. You can still remember what I said."

"This word *nai* (奶), I increasingly feel that it has divine charm. These days, I've been repeatedly pondering it and realized that it contains a lot of truth."

"Filthy."

The Sixth Prince pointed to the somewhat gloomy sky outside the window,

And coughed a few times,

Obviously, he had caught a cold from acting out his crying scene today.

Of course, only the Sixth Prince himself knew how much of it was acting and how much was genuine emotion.

He spoke so freely, but would he really be happy when facing the flattened ancestral shrine in the fields?

"Zheng Fan," the Sixth Prince raised his teacup and continued,

"They possess the present."

Zheng Fan picked up his teacup and clinked it with the Sixth Prince's, thinking that this Little Sixth was starting to produce golden phrases after being with him for so long, and added the next line:

"We possess the future."