Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 696 There are so many people
"This is a defense map of the forty-eight towns in Jiangdong, and here is a defense map of the one hundred and forty-seven counties in the north. And this is a summary of my experiences over fifty years of military campaigning. You may not need it, but I think it will still be of some use."

Old Guo's box didn't contain any gold or silver treasures, but those things were far more important than gold and silver treasures. Inside were records of terrain from all over the country, marching routes, and even attack and defense layouts. These things were enough to enable someone who knew nothing to become a super general with a 70% win rate.

Today he gave all these things to Xia Lin instead of his own son. How should I put it? This is not something to be happy about, because he probably knows that his life is coming to an end.

This kind of separation is inevitable and will happen eventually. However, the real world is not a female-oriented world, and there is not so much crying and sobbing. The tacit understanding between men is actually very simple: if you give it to me, I will accept it, and there is no need to ask so many whys.

"Son," Old Guo patted Xia Lin's hand and said, "I've fought my whole life, and I've also been carefree my whole life. I've never had any worries except that my mantle might not be passed down. Perhaps it's a blessing from heaven that I met you in my old age. From the gate of the Hongdu Prefecture government office back then until now, I have my own judgment on whether you are qualified or not. Take these things, whether you use them yourself or pass them on to your disciples, you must pass them down to your old man."

"Can I fix it?"

Xia Lin's words almost left Lao Guo speechless. He was stunned for a long time before bursting into laughter: "You little rascal! Fine, if you see anything that's not right, you can fix it. But let's make it clear, you can't change my name."

"rest assured."

Xia Lin flipped through it for a while and felt that these things would not be outdated even if placed in the army guidelines a thousand years later. In addition to the details of fighting, it contained more analysis of the game between the generals of both sides and how to guide and lure the other side into a trap.

This is extremely important. It's no exaggeration to say that if this document can be preserved intact, military academies around the world will inevitably have to study it in the future; it's a classic book.

"Father, isn't there a royal garden outside the city where they're going to build a new Hongwen Academy?"

"Hmm? What are your plans?"

"It will open this month. I plan to take all the books I currently have into it, make some copies and rubbings, and then divide them into several sections, including a poetry and prose section, a physics and chemistry section, a military section, and a geography section. The military and geography sections will require a certain level of access to borrow books. What do you think?"

"You're going to turn this into a book?"

“That’s right!” Xia Lin patted the box in his hand: “With all of your stuff and Marshal Li Jing’s manuscripts, the two of you can hold up the sky for the military region. After that, I will turn your stuff into teaching materials and send them to the military academies in Jiangnan Province for students to study.”

Old Guo's eyes lit up when he heard this. He sat up straight and said in a thick Shanxi accent, "Sure?"

"Of course."

At this moment, Lao Guo snatched the box back: "Alright, you go back and prepare first. I'll fix the book myself. Go away, don't bother me."

"Hey! Take care of yourself! You're so sick, and you're still writing letters?"

"Don't bother me." Old Guo waved his hand. "Go away, leave me alone!"

Seeing that he was still the same, Xia Lin felt relieved. Once a person has something on their mind, they are not so easy to collapse. Let him be. He is almost seventy years old.

"I'll throw you a big 70th birthday party in September, don't forget."

"We'll talk about it when I'm old enough to live!" The voice from inside the house was full of vigor: "I'm going into seclusion now, so tell your father-in-law not to come looking for me."

"Okay, okay, oh well..."

Xia Lin walked into the courtyard, and the steward immediately came to greet him: "Young Master is truly resourceful. I haven't seen the Master so happy in a long time."

"What can I do? I'll just give him something to do." Xia Lin sighed. "Keep an eye on him and let me know immediately if anything happens."

"I understand. It's getting late, young master. Why don't you stay at home?"

"No need, I have something to do. Just take good care of the old man."

"Understood, then young master, please be careful on your journey."

After leaving Lao Guo's mansion, Xia Lin led Dou'er on a aimless stroll through the streets. Although it was nearing midnight, the number of people on the streets had increased rather than decreased. Many people dressed in foreign clothes walked around, creating a sense of temporal dislocation. The incomprehensible languages ​​and the smell of roasting meat created a chaotic yet interesting atmosphere.

In fact, if we look back without the mindset of great power chauvinism, all these people are just struggling to make a living. The saying "wherever the sun and moon shine, it is all Han land" means that we should turn these people into our own people.

When people are not using weapons, most people are quite endearing. Even Xia Lin, a stranger, would be approached by men from other races on the street who would wave him over and invite him to have a drink together.

"Dou'er, Confucius said, 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame.' Do you know why?"

“They won’t cause trouble if they’re full. Look at these barbarians, when the mountains are snowbound, they might be roasting sheep on their stoves. Seriously, who would want to eat people if they could have enough to eat?” Dou’er pouted. “But I still look down on these people.”

"You know nothing. The world is vast, the ocean is deep; only with tolerance can one achieve greatness."

"Whose territory is that You Rong in? If she is really that big, then this servant will pay for you to go and test her out today."

"That slap you gave me today was too lenient." Xia Lin flicked his sleeve. "Tomorrow I'll chop you up and use you as bait." But they actually got into the place not long after. As they passed a building, the girls inside rushed out and dragged them inside. If it weren't for the crowds, in any more secluded place, the guards could have come out and beheaded dozens of them.

As for why they were carried in, it was said that the drinks and exciting entertainment tonight would be free, as a big spender had already paid for it. The girls didn't need to serve anyone today; they just needed to pull people in.

Xia Lin thus became a lucky customer, but there were many other lucky customers like him. The place was already full, steaming with the aroma of wine and meat.

"Sir, who is so generous? This place makes tens of thousands of taels of silver a day, and they just booked it out like that. That's quite a big deal."

“Someone is creating momentum,” Xia Lin said quietly, turning his head to the side. “If the momentum is built up, ten thousand taels won’t be too much.”

"Creating momentum? Rebellion, huh?"

"What nonsense is this about rebelling and creating momentum!" Xia Lin lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Everyone in this world wants something: fame and fortune, immortality, eternal life, fine wine and beautiful women, romance and beauty. This move is probably about seeking fame."

The atmosphere here was incredibly lively, since someone was paying the bill, so everyone was enjoying themselves to the fullest. The women on stage were graceful and charming, creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.

Just as everyone had finished their food and drinks and started chatting, two people slowly walked up to the stage in the center of the room. One was Shang Anshan, whom we had seen that morning, and the other was someone we didn't recognize, but he looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.

The two seemed to be at odds. After they came up on the stage, Shang Anshan first bowed to the surrounding people and said politely, "Gentlemen, I have sincerely invited you all to gather here today. Firstly, the harvest festival is approaching, and I am delighted. Secondly, Brother Lu is going to challenge me today, and I think it would be better to choose a place with many people. Although this place is a brothel, how about we do something refined today?"

Applause and cheers erupted all around, clearly a cheer for the generous sponsor.

"Oh, it's him. He's rich. Who's that woman next to him?"

"That person seems to be a rather famous Confucian scholar named Lu Fang. The two of them have always been at odds, and it seems that they had a dispute over a woman."

"Who did the woman end up with?"

“I didn’t follow anyone else; I followed another person named Tang Fengrao.”

"Tang Fengrao? Isn't that the youngest son of the Minister of Works?"

"Young people, they just fight over trivial matters. If you ask me, tie them all up with string and the world will be at peace."

"Damn...you bastard." Xia Lin was both amused and exasperated. "But you know a lot, how do you know so many people?"

“I have a photographic memory since I was a child. I was already the chief of the secret service when I was in the Bureau of Investigation. That’s why His Majesty asked me to protect you, sir.”

"You also have a photographic memory?"

"Exactly."

"Let's have a little game?" Xia Lin narrowed his eyes. "How about we play a game?"

"Come on, come on!"

The game the two players play is actually very simple. They take a set of mahjong tiles, spread them out, give themselves five seconds to memorize the tiles, then start shuffling. After shuffling, they start flipping tiles, but only one tile can be flipped at a time. When a pair of tiles is flipped, it must be removed. Whoever removes all the tiles from the set first wins.

They no longer cared about what was being said on stage. They brought out the mahjong tiles and the hourglass, and the master and servant got right to work.

They all come from intelligence agencies, all claim to have photographic memories, and all are agile, making their villainous games highly entertaining.

Dou'er went first, and his hands flew up and down, the mahjong tiles clattering in his hands.

The sound attracted the attention of onlookers, and more and more people came to watch. Every time they saw Dou'er accurately pick up a pair of mahjong tiles, they would exclaim in surprise.

"Young boy, you are truly remarkable!"

"Exactly, with that kind of technique, if you played cards with him, you'd probably lose everything."

Xia Lin leaned against him the whole time, just shaking his head and saying, "Dou'er, old ginger is spicier, you can't do it, you can't do it."

Dou'er didn't say anything, but beads of sweat dripped down her forehead, and her hands didn't slow down at all.

He finished the game in half an hour, and the people around him cheered loudly, praising him for his skill.

Xia Lin simply raised her chin and said, "It's my turn."

(End of this chapter)