My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 35 Do it yourself!
At this moment, Zheng Jibo looked at the son-in-law he had chosen in front of him, nodding from time to time, clearly quite satisfied.

"Mr. Zheng."

Li Xuanba bowed in greeting, but Li Jiancheng was much more indifferent.

"Haha, sit down."

Zheng Jibo smiled and ordered tea to be brought over. He looked at Li Jiancheng beside him and said, "I am, after all, an elder. Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge. I will pretend I've forgotten what happened yesterday."

You may have forgotten, but I haven't!

Li Jiancheng thought to himself, but did not rush to refute.

Zheng Jibo then started chatting with the two of them about everyday things, telling them many interesting stories about himself and Li Yuan, and using his elder's authority to completely dominate them.

Li Jiancheng seized the opportunity to interrupt Zheng Jibo's incessant chatter.

"Lord Zheng, it is because of your friendship with my father that I have come to see you this time. I want to discuss an important matter with you."

"Oh?"

Zheng Jibo frowned. "Go on."

"I wonder if the Zheng family can stomach the dead outside the city?"

"what?!"

Zheng Jibo's eyes snapped open, staring at Li Jiancheng in front of him.

Li Jiancheng spoke frankly, "Lord Zheng, please don't think I'm here to take revenge on you or to plot against you. I have no such intentions. I'm here to ask for your help. There are so many dead people outside the city. I pity them and I'm worried that this will lead to even more serious consequences."

"Since Father arrived in Xingyang, things haven't been peaceful. Many people in the court have impeached him and wanted to transfer him elsewhere. If the matter of the deceased isn't resolved properly and bandits run rampant, I'm afraid Father won't be able to stay much longer."

Since the sage changed the prefecture-county system back to the county-prefecture system and reduced a large number of small counties, the status of the prefect has been greatly improved. In the past, the prefect was equivalent to the governor of a large prefecture.

Even within the same prefecture, there are different levels: large prefectures, medium prefectures, and small prefectures. The rank of the prefects in different prefectures is also different.

Xingyang was a truly large prefecture. Although it couldn't compare to a super prefecture like Henan, it was still one of the top prefectures in the Central Plains. Whether it was the official rank or the local resources, it was excellent in every aspect, making it a good place to make meritorious contributions.

Li Jiancheng continued, "The best way to deal with the dead is naturally to win them over. In the entire Xingyang, only the Zheng family can do this. Currently, the officials in the prefecture are from my family, while the people handling the affairs are from the Zheng family. If our two families work together, the Zheng family will reap great benefits."

"Didn't the dispute between Zheng Gong and my father also revolve around money, people, and land?"

"Since there are readily available tenants, why doesn't Lord Zheng take them in?"

"The risk is too great."

Zheng Jibo did not choose to evade or pretend to be confused. He also spoke his mind directly, "Don't assume that everyone in the county is one of us. Not to mention the county, even our Zheng family may not be united."

“This matter is too risky. If someone reports to the Emperor that the Zheng family is colluding with local officials and taking in deserters, then our two families will be raided and wiped out tomorrow.”

"This is impossible."

Li Jiancheng reluctantly shut his mouth and looked at his younger brother beside him.

Li Xuanba picked up the conversation, "There are risks in collecting runaway laborers, but what about buying and selling weapons, controlling salt and iron, secretly raising assassins, and manipulating canal transport? If someone were to report these things to the Emperor, would the Zheng family be raided?"

Zheng Jibo laughed heartily, "If someone really did such a thing, then naturally their house would be confiscated."

"Lord Zheng, you know what we're talking about. Why do we do risky things without fear of being betrayed? It's because everyone's interests are aligned. Doing these things can benefit everyone, so collecting the deceased can certainly be done in the same way."

"If Lord Zheng is afraid of risks, then why did he fight with my father in the first place? Were those things risk-free?"

Zheng Jibo looked at the little guy in front of him with some surprise.

He was becoming increasingly jealous of that old man, Li Yuan.

What merit do you possess?
"It's good that you've thought of things this far, very good."

"But there's one thing you need to know."

Zheng Jibo no longer treated the two people in front of him as children. He said with a serious face, "Many things seem wrong, but if many people do them, no one will question them. Some things may look the same, but if you do them alone, they are wrong."

"As you just said, things like raising assassins and controlling salt and iron, if everyone in the canal transport does these things, then no one will dare to impeach anyone, because if someone does impeach someone, they will offend not just one person, but not even an entire family. They will die a very tragic death."

"But no one dares to get involved in the matter of evading conscription that we are talking about now. If you want to get involved, then you will be the only ones, the first ones. Of course, the first one to eat meat can eat a lot, but if no one is with you to eat, then the knife will fall on your head."

"Furthermore, don't think that if one person takes the lead, the rest will follow. Perhaps after someone takes the lead, it will become the norm, but that person who takes the lead will definitely die."

"As for the issue of the deceased, you need not worry about it at all."

"Martial law is in effect everywhere. There is no food or water. They won't last long. Even if the court eventually punishes them, hehehe, as I just said, it's the norm. This desertion is not just happening here. It happens everywhere. When there are too many criminals, the court will stop caring."

Looking at the dumbfounded Li Xuanba in front of him, Zheng Jibo gently shook his head.

"You're still young. It's already quite good that you can see through half of many things. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as you think."

"Alright, stop worrying about these trivial matters. Focus on your own things. You and your brothers can continue to come to school from now on, so don't neglect your studies. I will talk to your father about what happened earlier. He should be back in about ten days."

"Let's go back!"

Zheng Jibo waved his hand, instructing his servants to see the guests out.

Li Jiancheng rode his horse, followed by warriors, with Li Xuanba sitting in his lap. The group walked down the street in a quiet atmosphere.

Li Xuanba has remained silent since the beginning.

The road was deserted, except for the occasional passing vehicle carrying piles of stinking corpses covered with dry grass, which were then transported out of the city.

Li Jiancheng sensed the sorrow and anger emanating from his younger brother.

"Third brother, there are many things that we can't solve right now."

"You've already tried your best, don't be discouraged, everything will be alright in the future."

"There will be a prosperous era in the future, where everyone will have enough to eat and drink."

Li Jiancheng escorted his younger brother to his doorstep. He had other things to do, so he instructed Liu Chounu to take good care of his brother and then led the warriors away.

Li Xuanba stood still, the books he had read and the principles he had heard constantly clashing with the reality he had witnessed.

Will things get better in the future?

"what about now?"

Suddenly, Li Xuanba felt his breathing become completely comfortable, as if some shackles had been torn off, leaving him feeling relaxed all over. It was as if the hand covering his mouth and nose had been pulled away. He took a deep breath, his eyes becoming even more sharp.

He turned and walked away, and Liu Chounu quickly followed.

Li Xuanba did not return to his own residence, but walked towards his second brother's residence. His eyes were firm and he did not hesitate. His steps were steady and fast.

"Boom~~"

The door to the inner room was suddenly pushed open.

Several attendants followed Li Xuanba in astonishment, not even having time to report, while Li Shimin inside the room stared wide-eyed.

Usually, it was he who would break down his brother's door.

This was the first time his younger brother had tried to break down his door.

Li Xuanba sat down in front of his second brother, his expression solemn, and bowed to him in greeting.

"Second brother!"

Li Shimin remained prone, his buttocks still swollen, and he looked at his strange younger brother with complete bewilderment.

"what happened?"

"I would like to borrow your horse, your bow and arrows, and also your money and provisions."

"what??"

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to leave the city, fight the bandits, and comfort the refugees."

"you"

Li Lao Er's eyes widened. Why was his younger brother becoming more and more radical every day?

"But you're still a child! You can't even ride a horse, how can you do something so dangerous? I don't agree, I don't agree!"

"I'm going to tell my older brother!"

"If my second brother can do it, why can't I?"

"You are young!"

"If my second brother won't help me, I'll do it myself!"

Li Xuanba turned to leave.

"You brat!! If I could get up now, you'd see how I beat you up!!"

"return!!"

Li Shimin struggled to get up, rubbed his buttocks, wincing in pain. Looking at the stubborn young man in front of him, he suddenly understood his elder brother's feelings in that instant!

Karma!

Li Shimin hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "I can help you, but I absolutely will not allow you to go out alone with people! Besides, I will tell my elder brother about this, and if he doesn't allow it, you can forget about going out!"

"I see."

Li Xuanba had already made up his mind. He would leave the city to find someone like Zhang Sengyuan, and then he would settle these people himself. He would find a place in Wild Ox Mountain, get them the things they needed, and let them set up camp. The farming tools his brother had made could also be put to use, allowing them to stay away from those man-eating beasts and live in peace.

Even if we can only accommodate a few people or a few dozen people in the end, it's still better than doing nothing!

If knowledge and action cannot be aligned, what use are the principles in the books of sages?
Officials are unreliable, powerful clans are unreliable, and even the emperor in the court is unreliable.

Then, I'll do it myself!
(End of this chapter)