After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 219 An Encounter with Deng Ting

Autumn harvest feast.

After the new prefect took office, the prominent families of Youzhou Prefecture were all waiting to see when he would host a banquet for them. Unexpectedly, the new prefect seemed to disregard these local clans and instead went on to host banquets for wealthy merchants. It was unclear whether he was deliberately making an example of them, but he punished a large number of merchants.

Are they afraid?

Unlike merchants without a strong foundation, most local officials in Youzhou Prefecture came from prominent local families. These families also had powerful backers in the capital, so why would they be afraid of a prefect who came from a commoner background?

Even if the other side has Emperor Jian'an backing them, they are not afraid.

The powerful families held sway while the imperial family declined, a fact known to everyone. Yet, Emperor Jian'an and other members of the imperial family were still revered as the rulers of the land. However, no one dared to defy the world and leave behind a bad name in history.

The newly appointed prefect, with his three major initiatives, targeted them, undermining their interests, so of course they had to retaliate.

Even if the other party knew that they were the ones who poisoned the water cart, so what? All it would take was for a few old servants to make a move, and the new prefect would not dare to do anything to them.

Several months later, Prefect Zheng seemed to have calmed down and realized he needed to improve relations with them, so he hosted a banquet for them.

After much deliberation, the heads of the families decided to attend the banquet in person. If all went well, they would be spending three years with this prefect, and cultivating a good relationship would be beneficial for their future.

At this autumn harvest banquet, Zheng Hao received officials in the front courtyard, while Gu Lin received female relatives in the back courtyard.

After making a scene all day and seeing everyone off, Gu Lin breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the courtyard with Zheng Hao.

Exhausted, he leaned against the soft couch. Zheng Hao did not go in. He instructed Dayan, who was guarding the door, "Have the kitchen send some light meals."

Da Yan should step down.

The young prefect turned and approached Gu Lin, sat down next to him, and handed him the tea he had poured. Gu Lin took a sip and calmed himself down before saying, "At the banquet today, I saw Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Su arguing fiercely against each other, which suggests there is a considerable rift between them."

Seeing that the young man had stopped drinking tea, Zheng Hao took the teacup and took a sip: "It's the same in the front yard. The Wang family head and the Su family head were talking with hidden daggers in their smiles."

"The two families have formed numerous marriage alliances through their children, and even though they often disagree, they are bound by a common bond and will not easily turn against each other."

Gu Lin nodded in agreement.

Zheng Hao put down his teacup, his eyes darkening, and then changed the subject, saying, "But when faced with absolute self-interest, nothing is impossible."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's brows furrowed thoughtfully. He knew that the other party wanted to target the prominent families of Youzhou Prefecture, but he was unaware of Zheng Hao's specific plans.

After a moment's hesitation, seeing the young man rubbing the glass, Gu Lin suddenly spoke up: "Are you trying to win over one of them while suppressing the other?"

As soon as the question was asked, Gu Lin's thoughts became clearer.

The Wang and Su families already had deep-seated and irreconcilable conflicts. They wanted to eliminate each other, but in order to restrain one another, they formed countless marriage alliances with the other, becoming intertwined with each other. If one family suffered a loss, the other would also be severely weakened.

Therefore, neither side dared to act rashly.

But there are always exceptions.

If Zheng Hao wins over one of the parties by making promises that allow them to suppress the other party, and ultimately hands over the other party's interests to the first party, then no one would refuse the meat that is already in their mouth.

This plan can be described as an open scheme. The Wang and Su families must know that the young prefect wants to suppress the powerful families of Youzhou Prefecture, but so what?

Their greedy desires made it impossible for them to refuse. As long as it wasn't their own people who were being suppressed, that was enough. They could also use this opportunity to strengthen themselves.

Gu Lin looked down at the young man beside him, a faint smile appearing on his usually cool face: "Uncle Gu is wise."

Zheng Hao's gaze deepened; this was only the first step.

The local powerful families have been entrenched in Youzhou Prefecture for many years. It would be unrealistic for him to use this opportunity to bring them down. However, he could let them fight amongst themselves and weaken them before Zheng Hao could deal with them in one fell swoop.

In just a few words, Gu Lin sensed the danger involved. Seeing the young man beside him confident and determined, he did not try to dissuade him, but instead reminded him: "The local powerful families are like wolves and tigers, cunning and ruthless. Be very careful when dealing with them, lest you be bitten in return."

Zheng Hao raised his hand and covered the young man's hand with his warm, rough palm, soothing his slightly cool skin. He reassured him, "Uncle Gu, don't worry."

After the second planting in Youzhou Prefecture was completed, the farmers under Gu Lin's command became more and more skilled at cultivating high-quality potato varieties. Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyao had no reason to stay any longer, so he resigned from his post with Gu Lin and set off with the caravan.

Lin Xiaoyao was determined, and Gu Lin did not stop her. After giving her a few words of advice, he let her leave Youzhou Prefecture.

After Lin Xiaoyao left, a soldier came to the Zheng residence. Upon seeing Gu Lin, the soldier saluted and said, "Husband Gu, the northern barbarians have invaded the border, burning, killing, and looting more than a dozen villages. Lord Zheng was kept in the camp by the Marquis to discuss countermeasures and will not be returning today."

Youzhou Prefecture is located on the border of the Great Qian Dynasty, and many of its territories border the Northern Barbarians. Every autumn and winter, the Northern Barbarians would come south to harass the villages of Youzhou Prefecture, plunder their food, and even kidnap men, women, and children.

This matter is not easy to inquire about as it involves military secrets. Gu Lin said to the soldier, "Thank you for your hard work. Stay here and rest tonight. You can leave the city tomorrow."

The soldier clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Mr. Gu."

Gu Lin instructed Da Yan to have his servants take the soldiers away to rest.

On the other side, in the Zhenbei Army camp.

Tian Kang's face darkened, and he stood up, breaking the silence in the tent: "I can't stand it anymore. Those bastards from the Northern Barbarians are shameless. I'll lead my men and wipe them all out tomorrow."

"Who do you think you are! The Northern Barbarian cavalry are unpredictable, they come and go like the wind and never stop. By the time you go to capture them, they will have already robbed people and grain and escaped."

Tian Kang's eyes widened, and he gasped for breath: "Damn it, what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch the people be slaughtered by the northern barbarians?!"

"Bullshit! When did I ever say such a thing?!"

Tian Kang retorted bluntly: "You're saying you won't let me hit you, but that's exactly what you mean!"

The general who had spoken to him was furious and cursed back: "Bullshit! War is not child's play. The northern barbarians are fierce and cunning. You can't defeat them with just your courage. You have to outsmart them!"

Tian Kang was getting impatient: "No matter how clever we try, the Northern Barbarians haven't reduced the number of times they invade Daqian. In my opinion, we have to beat them to their knees and make them so afraid that they'll wet themselves at the mere mention of the name of the Zhenbei Army. That's the only way to make a difference."

The general arguing with Tian Kang: "Rich fool's courage! Rich fool's courage!"

"Silence!" The Marquis of Zhenbei raised his hand, his hawk-like eyes sweeping over the group of generals below, and shouted: "As generals of various armies, what kind of decorum is this, making a racket while discussing important matters?"

Faced with the stern-faced Marquis of Zhenbei, even the fearless Tian Kang fell silent, but his still glaring eyes revealed his continued determination to fight the Northern Barbarians.

Turning his head, Tian Kang saw the young military supervisor sitting below the Marquis of Zhenbei, who had remained silent. On a whim, he blurted out, "Lord Zheng, do you think what I just said is correct?"

His question immediately drew everyone's attention to the young military supervisor.

They had been arguing about how to resolve the repeated invasions of border villages by the Northern Barbarians and hadn't noticed Zheng Hao, but that didn't mean they had completely ignored him. With his youthful military supervisor's demeanor and appearance, no one could ignore him.

Facing the gazes of the generals of the Zhenbei Army, the young military supervisor, a civil official, calmly said, "General Tian is right. The Northern Barbarians harbor the hearts of tigers and wolves. If we do not subdue them in one move, the border of the Great Qian Dynasty will surely be in constant turmoil and never have peace."

Hearing the young military supervisor's words, the general who had just been arguing with Tian Kang revealed a mocking expression. Sure enough, none of the military supervisors sent by the court knew how to fight. With just a few words, they seemed to think that even a pig could subdue the northern barbarians.

Tian Kang revealed a smug look, feeling that Lord Zheng was simply his confidant, whose thoughts coincided with his own, unlike some people who hesitated back and forth and were scared out of their wits by the Northern Barbarians before the battle even started.

The young military supervisor changed the subject: "The Zhenbei Army is brave and invincible. It is not at a disadvantage against the Northern Barbarian Army, but the Northern Barbarians are strong and well-equipped and are better at fighting on horseback. It is difficult to determine the winner between the Zhenbei Army and them."

Li Xiu's expression changed slightly. He had originally thought that the other party was just a reckless brave man like Tian Kang, but he had misjudged him.

Marquis Zhenbei sensed that the young military supervisor had not finished speaking, so he asked, "Lord Zheng, what good plan do you have to repel the northern barbarian cavalry and relieve the villagers of their troubles?"

The Zhenbei Army and the Northern Barbarian Army will inevitably have a major battle sooner or later, but not now. At present, the Zhenbei Marquis needs to solve the problem of the Northern Barbarian Army repeatedly burning, killing, and looting the border of Daqian.

Allowing the enemy to continue plundering the people and resources of Youzhou Prefecture would be a huge loss for them.

When the Marquis of Zhenbei asked the young military supervisor for advice, some of the generals below showed surprise, including Li Xiu, who had been arguing with Tian Kang earlier.

He kept a close eye on the young military supervisor.

Zheng Hao turned to the Marquis of Zhenbei and asked, "Has Your Excellency heard of the Militia Law?"

"Militia Law?" A question crossed the Marquis of Zhenbei's face.

Zheng Hao: "Now that the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army are practicing wartime warfare, should they cease fighting and cultivate the land?"

Marquis Zhenbei nodded.

The Zhenbei Army, with its hundreds of thousands of soldiers, would have starved to death long ago if it had only relied on the grain and pay allocated by the imperial court. They had always followed the military tactics of previous dynasties, with the entire army serving as soldiers during wartime and farmers during peacetime.

Zheng Hao: "Why doesn't the Marquis send soldiers to the countryside regularly to teach men and women in each village martial arts? This way, when the northern barbarians invade, each village can resist and buy time to wait for rescue."

After hearing the young military supervisor's suggestion, the Marquis of Zhenbei's calm expression changed, and his brows furrowed as if he were deep in thought.

Zheng Hao picked up his teacup and drank, undisturbed.

Suddenly, a voice broke the Marquis of Zhenbei's thoughts: "This humble general thinks Lord Zheng's method is excellent."

The Marquis of Zhenbei looked down and saw that it was Li Xiu, who usually disagreed with many generals, who spoke.

Li Xiu looked up and said, "My lord, the people of Youzhou Prefecture are strong-willed and fearless in the face of the Northern Barbarians. When they face the Northern Barbarians, what they lack is not courage, but skill and weapons."

"We have limited weapons, so we can't distribute the weapons in the army to them, but we can send soldiers to the countryside to teach them how to fight."

Hearing them say that, Tian Kang stopped trying to find a way out of the dead end.

He shouted, "Weapons are not a problem either. We can teach the people how to make bows, crossbows and other weapons from wood. It's better than being unarmed."

Next, the other generals offered their suggestions.

After listening, the Marquis of Zhenbei said, "Let's do it that way."

He turned to the young military supervisor and said, "Since Lord Zheng proposed this method, how about Lord Zheng and General Li take charge of it together?"

Despite it being his own suggestion, the young military supervisor remained silent. After the Marquis of Zhenbei adopted his suggestion, he remained calm and composed, showing no excitement or joy, and accepted the task in a measured tone.

After having breakfast early in the morning, Gu Lin took a car and left.

Perhaps it was because he was used to sleeping in the same bed with young people, but when he went to sleep last night, he felt a little uncomfortable facing the empty half of the bed.

He first took a car to inspect the white porcelain factory and the glass factory. Seeing that Yu Ercheng and others were doing their work in an orderly manner, he went to find Sister Zhao and Brother Yu. Before he even entered the door, he saw several tall and strong men blocking the entrance of the restaurant.

As Gu Lin walked over, he heard the burly man at the head of the group say to the waiter, "This is the venison we hunted this morning. It's very fresh. Call your manager out so he can take a look and tell us how much he'll pay."

Gu Lin looked up and saw that the man was carrying a deer carcass that had not yet been skinned. The waiter was also carefully examining the deer meat. After looking at it for a while, he asked the men to wait a moment and then went in to ask the manager to come out.

The man in the lead lowered his arm, and the deer moved to his side. The man next to him asked, "Brother, can this deer really fetch a good price?"

The man in the lead remained expressionless, glanced at the sign above his head, and said, "Several hunters around the village have said that Fu Man Lou offers fair prices when buying game, so they shouldn't be doing fraudulent business and ruining their own reputation."

Seeing his elder brother's confident expression, the man beside him remained silent. He had followed his elder brother all over the country and had witnessed his brother's imposing manner in killing bandits and repelling wild beasts, so he trusted him completely.

After calming his brothers down, the leader was unsure what price Fu Man Lou would offer for their prey.

This restaurant had only recently opened, and he had never dealt with it before. The restaurant he used to work with had been trying to lower the price of his game recently. His wife was seriously ill, and he urgently needed money, so he couldn't possibly sell his game at a low price.

The man beside him sighed at the opportune moment: "Youzhou Prefecture has always been fond of driving down prices. If this deer is properly processed and transported to other prefectures, the antlers, hides, and blood alone can fetch a lot of money."

Having seen the world, the man saw wealthy people spending vast sums of money without batting an eye to buy deer antlers and tiger penises. He felt a deep regret for the deer carcass that was hastily sold.

The man in the lead did not speak.

"Team Leader Deng?"

A young, hesitant voice came from behind him. Deng Ting turned around and saw a young man standing not far away.

At first, he was puzzled as to who the other person was and why he knew him. But when he saw the young man's face clearly, he was surprised: "Husband Gu?"

"Team Leader Deng, it's been a long time."

Gu Lin smiled and took a few steps forward. With customers coming and going at the entrance, it wasn't convenient to speak. He raised his hand towards the restaurant and said, "Shall we go in and catch up?"

Deng Ting, carrying the deer carcass, was about to refuse.

Gu Lin said, "I am the owner of this restaurant. I just heard that Team Leader Deng wants to sell venison. Why don't we go in and discuss it in detail?"

Deng Ting, unable to refuse, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gu Lin and said, "I'm sorry to bother you, Boss Gu."