My younger brother Lü Fengxian

Chapter 254 The only thing left for the poor is money

"Where there are people, there is land; where there is land, there is food."

"Now you are in charge of a county. Although Pingcheng is desolate, if you manage it well, you can still support tens of thousands of people."

"The old man is a wise man. He should know how many of these tens of thousands of people are non-existent."

"Since these people do not exist, the taxes they pay can be withheld."

"The annual tax of tens of thousands of people is not a small amount."

As Lu Yi spoke, he observed Zhen's father's expression and found that this old fox had his eyes drooping as if he had not woken up yet. He couldn't help but curse him in his heart, "Old fox."

Zhen's father did not respond, so Lu Yi had no choice but to continue speaking.

"But the beginning is always the hardest."

"The only thing standing between you and this wealth is the food rations for more than 10,000 people for one year."

"If the old gentleman is willing to support the people of Pingcheng with a year's worth of food, then I am willing to share the grain harvested after the autumn harvest next year with the Zhen family, half for each of us!"

Lu Yi spoke passionately, but Zhen's father remained indifferent.

Seeing this, Lu Yi gritted his teeth and increased the bet again.

"Two years!"

"As long as the old gentleman is willing to donate generously, I am willing to share the profits with the Zhen family for two years!"

For the Zhen family, the benefits obtained after deducting the part for reception are pure profit.

For Lu Yi, half of the income can only be used as grain seeds and food for the second year's spring farming, and he cannot use a single cent.

Every year's profit shared with the Zhen family means that Pingcheng will continue to stagnate for another year.

Only after completely repaying the favors and interests of the Zhen family, can Lu Yi truly begin to reap his own benefits.

But when Zhen's father heard this, he just picked up the wine on the table and took a sip, still ignoring him.

"The profit in two years must far exceed the Zhen family's efforts. Could it be that Mr. Zhen is still not satisfied?"

Seeing this, Lu Yi couldn't help but frown.

When dealing with Zhen Yi in the past, due to the nature of Master Zhen being a prodigal son, he was not interested in Zhen’s assets.

In addition, because of her idol complex, Lu Yi often took great advantage.

Now he turned around and faced Zhen's father, the old fox.

This old fox has been immersed in business warfare for decades, and is well-connected in both the black and white worlds. He is superior to Lu Yi in both strength and skill.

Lu Yi couldn't help but feel aggrieved.

"If the Zhen family still thinks it's not enough, then three years will do. As long as Mr. Zhen can help the people of Pingcheng this time, I will definitely remember it in my heart!"

Lu Yi said this and added one more sentence at the end.

"Sharing profits for three years is my greatest sincerity. If Zhen's still thinks it's not enough, I can only look for another place!"

"Hehe...Nephew Lu, please don't get angry!"

"I am old, and my reaction is not as quick as that of a young and handsome nephew. Please do not blame me!"

Father Zhen thought he had touched upon Lu Yi's weak spot and found out his bottom line, so he spoke with a smile as if he had just realized it.

"I see. I have misunderstood you, sir. But the people under your rule are crying out for food and we cannot afford to waste even a day. I wonder if you will accept my suggestion, sir?"

"Ha ha……"

When Zhen's father saw that Lu Yi's anxious expression was not a disguise, he couldn't help but smile even more. He pressed his hand down, signaling Lu Yi to be patient.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yi immediately kept silent and waited for Zhen's father's reply.

Zhen's father organized his words and did not directly answer Lu Yi, but instead sighed inexplicably.

"Since I took over the responsibility of the Zhen family when I was young, I have never dared to relax for a single day in the past few decades. Finally, God has blessed me and my decades of hard work have not been in vain. The foundation of the Zhen family is even greater than before. To be frank, the only thing left of the Zhen family is money."

"My hair and beard are all white now, and my health is getting worse day by day. It seems I won't live for many more years."

"Power, status, money, women..."

"When a person is about to die, many of the things he fought for in his youth suddenly become unimportant."

"Right now, the reason why I am holding on to this breath is because I am worried about the future of my son and the Zhen family."

"Compared with the Zhen family's fortune, the so-called benefits mentioned by Sixiao are nothing to me."

"..."

Lu Yi looked at Zhen's father who was talking eloquently, and his heart suddenly moved.

If Zhen's father was not senile, his words to Lu Yi from the bottom of his heart would surely bring out his real thoughts.

Lu Yi vaguely felt that this idea might be beneficial to him, and very beneficial!

Sure enough, Zhen's father's subsequent words confirmed Lu Yi's guess.

"I have been in charge of the Zhen family for decades, and have made many connections and established many favors."

"But these relationships and favors did not help at all when the Xianbei invaded."

"Power, money, status, and women are nothing compared to the simplest and most brutal force."

"Many centuries-old families in Hebei were suddenly destroyed."

“Although this time, the Zhen family successfully resisted the Xianbei’s looting.”

"But what about next time?"

"What about next time?"

"Moreover, the enemies hiding in the dark may be more than just the Xianbei Hu people."

After the lengthy introduction, the smile that had been on Zhen's father's face had long since disappeared.

He stared at Lu Yi's face with a serious expression and spoke almost word by word.

"The food Sixiao requested this time can be borne by Zhen Shi alone."

"At the same time, there is no need for Sixiao's so-called profit-sharing and benefit-sharing."

"Oh?"

"Then the junior should...?"

When Lu Yi heard this, he was shocked and asked quickly.

"It's so nice to talk to smart people. It makes you feel good."

When Zhen's father saw how sensible Lu Yi was, an appreciative smile appeared on his old face.

"I don't want any benefits, but I don't ask for anything in return on behalf of the Zhen family."

"My dear nephew, you performed brilliantly in the Battle of Pingcheng this time."

"Not only did he defeat the Xianbei siege several times in Jiuyuan, but he also killed the Xianbei general Hu Tuo outside Luwu."

"Later, in the decisive battle of Pingcheng, he broke into the Xianbei army of 300,000, frightening them and making an unprecedented contribution."

"I was lucky to have achieved a few achievements, and I don't deserve such praise from you, old gentleman."

Lu Yi subconsciously wanted to say something humble, but was interrupted rudely by Zhen's father.

"If it is just bravery, it would be fine, but it is easily broken, it is just the courage of a common man."

"However, what really interests me is your management ability, Sixiao."

"Ok?"

Hearing this, Lu Yi immediately became alert. "In just one or two years, Sixiao has raised an 800-man armored cavalry. From this battle, it can be seen that not only are these soldiers fearless, but their martial arts, weapons, and armor are all extremely refined. This is definitely not something that can be transformed from a caravan guard in a hurry."

"To be able to display such a powerful fighting force, Sixiao must have been preparing to work in this direction since the beginning of its construction."

"From this point of view, Sixiao's plan is not small!"

"what!"

The plan that Lu Yi had been secretly planning was suddenly revealed by a third party, which made Lu Yi suddenly shocked.

"The commander of the Yanmen frontier was nominally a general of the imperial court, but in reality he should have taken Sixiao's surname, Lu, right?"

When Zhen's father saw that Lu Yi was unable to hide his shock, he couldn't help feeling a little proud, but he continued speaking.

"Moreover, as far as I know, Sixiao also has a force on the grassland that cannot be underestimated."

"Coupled with the help of the Zhang family of Mayi, perhaps this is the reason why the Lu family has been able to develop to such an astonishing level in just one or two years?"

"This old fox has such a vicious eye!"

Seeing that his secrets were almost all revealed by this old fox, Lu Yi was horrified, but he forced a smile and continued to fight against Zhen's father's attack.

"Hehe... either of the above charges, such as colluding with the imperial guards or communicating with foreign tribes, is a capital crime. If Master Zhen doesn't like me, I should just resign. Why did you fabricate such a serious crime to frame me?"

"Hahaha……"

As if seeing that Lu Yi was still trying to deny it at this time, Zhen's father suddenly burst into laughter.

"If I want to harm Sixiao, there are many ways to do it, whether it's secretly deploying assassins or poisoning the wine."

"Why go to all this trouble?"

"Don't worry too much about filial piety. What I want is just to find a shield for Zhen at the critical moment."

"Shield?"

Lu Yi suddenly understood something after hearing this, and the wariness and doubts in his heart disappeared.

"good."

When Zhen's father saw that Lu Yi had grasped the key point, he immediately took over the conversation.

"I hope that if there is another Xianbei invasion, no matter if they are foreigners or refugees."

"Even rebels and bandits."

"As long as the Zhen family needs it, Sixiao must take on the responsibility of a shield and lead the people to help the Zhen family resist the invasion."

"This old fox is really capable. He is not as prophetic as I am, but he also saw that the world was not peaceful and would become more and more turbulent like a mountain torrent. It did not rebound until the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms were destroyed one after another."

Lu Yi couldn't help but feel admiration for Zhen's father.

People say that an old man who refuses to die is a thief. This old man in front of me must be a big thief who deceives the world and steals his reputation.

However, although Lu Yi understood that Zhen's father was right to worry and prepare for a rainy day, it was impossible for him to not bargain at all.

"Mrs. Zhen has been kind to me many times. If Mrs. Zhen is in trouble, I should come to help her even if I don't get paid."

"But I am no longer a chivalrous knight. As an official of the imperial court, I must abide by the imperial laws. Not to mention that I don't have military power at the moment, even if I did, it would be a serious crime to lead troops away from Xindi without permission."

Upon hearing this, Zhen's father couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, the Zhen family has been able to stand firm in Hebei for hundreds of years. They do have some strength."

"As long as Sixiao is willing to lead the people to quell the rebellion, not only will he not have to worry about the harsh criticism from the court after the rebellion is quelled, but Zhen will not let Sixiao make a wasted trip. Instead, she will make an effort to plan and add some credit to Sixiao."

"After all, there are still a few officials in the court who need the financial support of the Zhen family."

"Hiss... This old fellow is so powerful that he can even handle such a heinous crime as confiscation of property and extermination of the clan?"

"Amazing! Really amazing!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi couldn't help but be secretly amazed at the power of the Zhen family. This was no longer the power of a local tycoon, no matter how rich he was.

It seems that although the Zhen family is just a wealthy businessman on the surface, they have many hidden tricks behind the scenes.

"Since the old gentleman has considered everything, I will accept it."

For Lu Yi, as long as he has enough reliable force in his hands, direct violent conflict is the most controllable aspect.

For him, the laws and rules of the court that he still needs to abide by are even more dangerous.

Although Liu Hong is incompetent, the imperial seal in his hand is very valuable both in its literal meaning and in its higher-level significance.

Now that Zhen's father has made a guarantee, Lu Yi naturally doesn't have to worry anymore.

"very good!"

"Have a few more drinks. The food that the people of Pingcheng need will be prepared later. You can return to Pingcheng with Sixiao."

After Zhen's father got the answer he wanted, his old face couldn't help but relax. He smiled tiredly, and a trace of sweat appeared on his temples.

After all, he is old. When he was young, he couldn't even breathe during such a small event. Now, if he hadn't relied on the last breath he had, he would have almost failed to hold on.

"In that case, on behalf of the starving people of Heisei, I would like to thank the Zhen family for saving our lives."

However, Lu Yi did not necessarily feel much better in this war without the smoke of gunpowder. He saw that although the process was a bit tortuous, the ending was still within an acceptable range, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Haha, what life-saving grace? If the Zhen family is really so kind, why do they still allow tens of thousands of refugees outside Zhongshan City to freeze to death or starve to death every day?"

"It's just a business deal."

Upon hearing this, Zhen's father waved his hands and laughed at himself.

"It's a business!"

“But it’s also friendship!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi immediately took over the conversation and took the initiative to repair the relationship between him and Zhen, which had some cracks.

"Haha, I really didn't misjudge you..."

Upon seeing this, Zhen's father couldn't help but admire Lu Yi even more.

"I wonder how Mr. Zhen plans to sign the agreement?"

Lu Yi judged others by himself. If he had given so much food, he would have written it down in black and white to seek some psychological comfort, but Zhen's father waved his hand when he heard it.

"Sixiao has always kept his word, and what you just said, 'It's a business but also a friendship', is very much to my liking, so there's no need to bother with that."

"It's not a small amount of money to support tens of thousands of people in the Heisei era for a whole year. Would you mind considering it, old man?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi was somewhat confused about Zhen's father's intentions, and spoke half in a warning and half in a tentative manner.

At the end, he added.

"If the younger generation forgets their principles for the sake of profit and takes the food but denies it, how will the old gentleman deal with it?"

"Haha... Although I believe in business as usual when doing business, I also need to consider personal chemistry."

"Unfortunately, Sixiao is exactly what I like."

"I have traveled extensively for decades and have never had my eyes pecked by a sparrow."

"Besides..."

Upon hearing this, Zhen's father suddenly laughed heroically.

"Haha... it's just the food rations for 10,000 people a year..."

"I'm not taken seriously by the Zhen family..."

……

(End of this chapter)