knife

Chapter 35 It’s better to seek help from others than from yourself
After finishing her tea, Zhang Qingyun said quietly, "So, in this play, the role I'm going to play already has its parts arranged?"

“You can add your own drama!” Li Dachui said with a half-smile. “If you can make Luo Ying your trusted confidant, I have no objection. If you can’t, then you can’t blame others for poaching you. By the way, Zhou Yi, don’t be fooled by his smiling, nice-guy appearance. He’s a master at poaching people.”

"Can I?" Zhang Qingyun's eyes lit up.

“Why not?” Li Dachui said, “As long as you have the ability. Of course, we don’t allow infighting, unless you are not competent.”

“I need to have power!” Zhang Qingyun put down his teacup and stared at Li Dachui: “Since I came out of seclusion, the most profound impression I have been is that only when you have your own power can you do what you want to do. It’s better to rely on yourself than to ask others for help.”

"Having this idea means you've already begun to transform into a typical outsider." Li Dachui picked up the teapot and filled the other person's teacup. "But there's one thing I still need to remind you of. Your strength must be built on a platform. The height of this platform determines your height."

Zhang Qingyun nodded in agreement.

She understood this.

Only a high enough platform can give her a broader stage, and only a broader stage can allow her to perform the most magnificent dance.

His father used to be the Vice Minister of Revenue in the Qin Dynasty, in charge of the Qin's finances. With a simple stroke of his pen and a few words, he could decide the life, death, honor, and disgrace of countless people.

But once he stepped down, even illiterate bandits from beyond the Great Wall wanted to take his head for the bounty.

Now think about Zhou Zhi, the current lord of Tai'an City.

Why was Linghu Ye so tolerant of him?

Is it simply because he is a master born with innate talent?

Of course not.

Li Dachui once said that in the face of a massive army, a master of innate cultivation has no choice but to flee.

What truly made Zhou Zhi look down on the outside world and made Linghu Ye take notice was the mutual enhancement between the platform of Tai'an City and Zhou Zhi's martial arts cultivation.

Is Tai'an City truly only about wealth?

of course not.

In addition to its own military strength, Tai'an City also has the mysterious and powerful Li Dachui bandit group.

Having figured out their connection, Linghu Ye could only maintain a smiling face in front of Zhou Zhi.

Zhou Zhi and Li Dachui spent twenty years building a platform for themselves where they could compete with Linghu Ye.

Before this, they were very low-key and patient.

To stand out when you lack the strength is nothing but ignorance and fearlessness.

Or rather, he's a complete fool.

My own father used to be such a fool.

He thought he could shake those interest groups, but he didn't realize that shaking those interest groups was actually about undermining the platform he was on.

He overestimated his abilities and importance.

Therefore, he could only fall from power.

Never mistake the support a platform gives you for your own abilities.

By leveraging the power of this platform, we can also give back to it, striving to push it to a higher level, helping and achieving mutual success.

“So three days ago, I submitted a report to Dean Qian on expanding the intelligence system within the Great Wall,” Zhang Qingyun said. “Over the past month, I’ve carefully read some important intelligence summaries and catalogs from the Statistical Analysis Department and discovered that the Zhi Qiu Academy’s network within the Great Wall is practically nonexistent. The few scattered locations are all at a relatively low level, offering little help in gathering valuable intelligence. Being prepared, especially in intelligence gathering, requires years of consistent effort. It may not be useful now, but if you don’t have it when you need it, you’re doomed.” Hearing Zhang Qingyun’s words, Li Dachui laughed loudly. “Miss Qingyun is truly a clever person. Having been in the Zhi Qiu Academy for only a month, you’ve already found our weaknesses and can prescribe the right remedy. Do you know? It’s precisely because of this report that you’ve been granted the privilege of living in this academy.”

Zhang Qingyun stared at Li Dachui: "If I didn't have this report, would I still be living in that tiny bedroom in Zhi Qiu Courtyard?"

"What do you think?" Li Dachui said with a smile, "Unless Zhang Gong really becomes my father-in-law, then you can also live here!"

Zhang Qingyun's pretty face immediately hardened.

"It was just a joke, don't take it seriously!" Li Dachui looked at the other person's slightly angry face. Zhang Qingyun probably didn't know that when she was angry, her eyebrows would slightly raise, her nostrils would slightly twitch, and the corners of her mouth would slightly turn down, giving her a unique and alluring charm. Li Dachui especially liked her like this, so he would often tease her.

"Here, you only get what you deserve for your achievements," Li Dachui said. "No one can get something for nothing. Whether it's Qian Jia, Zhou Yi, or even the cats you know, they all have a house like this in Tai'an City. Of course, I'm talking about the size; the furnishings inside depend on each person's taste. For example, Zhou Yi's house is glittering and full of the stench of money, while the cat's house is full of the smell of war and bloodshed. As for Manager Qian's house, if you went there, you'd think you were in a farm!"

"So, does that mean I'll be able to earn enough money to buy a house I like in the future?"

"You don't like this set?" Li Dachui asked with a smile.

“This is yours, but I prefer what I earned myself!” Zhang Qingyun said earnestly.

“I’ll be watching!” Li Dachui said. “Tell me what you plan to do. I know that our intelligence network inside the pass is practically non-existent. The few points we have are not even worth mentioning. Tai’an City is famous outside the pass, but not many people inside know about it. This makes our avenues for advancement extremely narrow. To be honest, sometimes when we try to bribe someone, they refuse! Even if we know that person is a corrupt official.”

“Our Zhang family was once a noble family in Chang’an. Although we have declined, we are still very clear about the rules of the game there,” Zhang Qingyun said. “I need some manpower and some start-up funds. As long as you give me these two things, I can quickly establish a foothold in Chang’an and then expand outwards from there.”

Li Dachui pondered for a moment: "Who exactly are the targets for breaking the deadlock?"

“Naturally, it’s those idle playboys in Chang’an, walking their dogs, fighting birds, and playing with crickets!” Zhang Qingyun said, “What do you think?”

“Those who can be playboys in Chang’an must have extraordinary family backgrounds!” Li Dachui said, “These people may not be good at doing things, but they are probably quite good at gathering intelligence. Even if you just pour out all the things they hear at home, you can get a lot of valuable information. Your approach is good.”

"This is just the first step!" Zhang Qingyun said. "Our real goal, of course, is to use these people to infiltrate their families and their networks. And Brother Li, there's something you should be aware of: these so-called spoiled brats aren't without talent. They all received a fairly complete education from a young age; it's just that, for various reasons, they gradually became what they are today. If we can support those among them who possess considerable talent, their future is promising!"

“I really hadn’t thought of that!” Li Dachui said with great interest. “Speaking of which, some of these young masters may be true playboys, but some may have no choice but to become playboys, and some may even be pretending to be playboys.”

"Brother Li hit the nail on the head!" Zhang Qingyun laughed. "I've always believed that there's no such thing as a completely useless person in this world. Every person has their own value."

“Great minds think alike, come on, let’s drink this cup of tea!” Li Dachui smiled and raised his teacup.

Zhang Qingyun downed his tea in one gulp and stared at Li Dachui: "That person and the money?"

“With a goal and an execution plan, people and money are naturally not a problem!” Li Dachui said.

“Give me a year, and I’ll show you my results,” Zhang Qingyun said. “By this time next year, a steady stream of intelligence from within the pass will be flowing into the Zhi Qiu Academy.”

Li Dachui nodded and said, "If you really do it, then next year you will become another deputy head of Zhiqiu Academy, in charge of affairs within the pass. The gold medal on your waist will then be truly well-deserved."

"There's something I want to ask you!" Zhang Qingyun said thoughtfully, "The publicly available information says that Tai'an City only has a thousand patrolmen. Is that true?"

“It’s true, and it’s also false!” Li Dachui said, “Tai’an City has 50,000 official citizens and hundreds of thousands of prospective citizens. Of course, there are many more people who want to become citizens of Tai’an City. If Tai’an City needs us, we can quickly form a very powerful army.”

"An army cannot be formed simply by organizing people together and providing them with weapons and armor."

“If you stay here for a while longer, you will learn more about the details of Tai’an City,” Li Dachui said. “As a formal citizen of Tai’an City, from the age of sixteen to fifty, you are obligated to provide your own weapons and armor and be ready to be summoned by the City Lord’s Mansion at any time. As for those prospective citizens, they need to be recommended to receive such a summons. After all, making merit on the battlefield is the fastest way to become a citizen of Tai’an City. And each formal citizen can only bring a maximum of two followers when going to war.”

"So, Tai'an City actually has a system in place to ensure that the army has the corresponding combat effectiveness after these battles, right?"

“Of course!” Li Dachui laughed. “Each neighborhood, each district, and each street has a strict organization. In peacetime, it’s effective urban management; in wartime, it becomes a military system that can be commanded with ease.”

(End of this chapter)