Chapter 140 Seeking Advice (First Update)
Upon hearing this, Manna glanced at Wu Youren: "You really have the leisure to stand up for the Knight of Liang?"
But Ailin reacted differently. She asked blankly, "Since ancient times, haven't Knight always gained their rewards through fighting and killing?"
Wu Youren rubbed his temples and said in a muffled voice, "Is it always been true since ancient times?"
Then he glanced at the female Knight from Red Pine, "If you don't believe me, ask Sister Manna, doesn't she want her own land and business!"
"Who wouldn't want that!" Manna answered instinctively. Who would want to fight and kill when they could live a stable life?
However, this is no ordinary difficulty; "talking is easy, but where does the land come from?"
"Don't ask me about that," Wu Youren waved his hand. "Just offer suggestions; I'm not responsible for solving problems."
"You're being completely unreasonable," Manna retorted, "Anyone can spout nonsense."
"Solving problems isn't my job," the young man replied matter-of-factly. "If I were the Prime Minister of Liang, that would be a different story."
"Let me just say this: there must be a reason why taxes aren't being collected, right?"
He genuinely had no idea about the workings of the Liang's court.
But Ailin had told him about the structure of the Treasury Agency and mentioned that tax revenue was insufficient.
She did not explain the specific reasons, and Wu Youren also adhered to the principle of "not taking the initiative".
However, there's no doubt that there must be a reason for wearing leather pants over cotton pants!
Upon hearing this, Manna fell silent, and Ailin remained silent as well.
Wu Youren didn't say much. A hostage from an enemy country could only spout a few nonsensical words; if he said anything more, people would die!
The Liang's imperial court can't even collect enough taxes—who gave him the right to interfere?
The two women remained silent for a long time, looking at each other but still not saying a word.
Finally, Ailin sighed softly, "This stepping stone is a bit too heavy."
Her family is indeed somewhat capable, but only slightly better off than Cynthia's family.
Such a shocking suggestion was not something she could decide on her own.
"It's more than just a little heavy?" Manna shook her head, sighed softly, and said nothing more.
"You insisted I say it," the boy said, his eyes clear. "I suggest you act within your means and discuss it with your family."
"Hmm," Ailin nodded, "I need to think about it carefully. I'm off."
In the past, she couldn't wait to stick to the boy's side all the time, but now, before noon, she actually left on her own.
This shows how much this suggestion impacted her.
After she left, Manna muttered to herself, "You rascal, you have ulterior motives!"
"I was passive the whole time," Wu Youren said, spreading his hands – "I really did adhere to the four no's principle!"
Manna nodded; she had witnessed the entire interaction between the two, and the boy's account was indeed true.
Thinking about the scene the other person described, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
The female Knight sighed softly, "You have no idea what you've uncovered with your own hands."
"I was just talking nonsense," Wu Youren stated, refusing to be kidnapped. "I know absolutely nothing about how the imperial court works!"
"I know," Manna was absolutely certain of it, "But the thing is, even so, you still noticed."
"I didn't see anything!" Wu Youren spread his hands, emphasizing repeatedly that this kind of cutting was something he had to do.
"I can't tell if you're telling the truth or not," Manna said, not bothering to argue with him.
"But you should tell her not to tell anyone!"
Wouldn't that just make things worse? Wu Youren smiled and didn't bother to answer.
Some Liang are really not smart enough.
However, he still believed that Ailin knew what was important—her understanding and design skills regarding mechanisms were indeed far beyond that of ordinary people.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the intelligence of science students and the intelligence of humanities students are not the same kind of intelligence!
The former is called IQ, while the latter leans more towards EQ!
That evening, the rain was quite heavy, almost a downpour, which is very rare in autumn.
Most of the martial artists in the military camp had gone to bed early.
It was rare that Ailin wasn't there, so Wu Youren enjoyed the peace and quiet, sitting under the eaves listening to the rain.
Not far away, martial artists were also sitting under the eaves, drinking and making a lot of noise.
However, the rain was a bit too dense, making it difficult to see clearly, and the sound of the rain also masked some of the noise.
As he was lost in thought, someone suddenly came quickly with an umbrella and plopped down on the stool next to him.
The umbrella was folded up; it turned out to be Commander Jeff.
Manna was about to go back to her room to rest when she saw this and was immediately taken aback. "I thought he was a Knight."
If Knight is willing to unleash their Battle Qi, they won't get wet. Why would Great Knight need an umbrella to walk in the rain?
Jeff glanced at her and said softly, "Go and rest. You can't afford to get involved."
"Okay," Manna nodded and obediently went back to her room—if she wanted to refuse, she would at least have the strength of Great Knight.
Since Xia'erzi is here anyway, what business is it of hers?
Seeing her enter the room, Jeff's lips moved slightly, and he held his breath, his voice barely audible, "You really gave me a surprise."
"I don't understand," Wu Youren shook his head, his gaze fixed on the rain falling from the sky.
"That little girl isn't one of us," Jeff said, sure enough, he was good at talking.
He first pointed out the key point, and then added, "She's a bit foolish to go around asking around for information."
Wu Youren thought for a moment, then sighed softly, "Did Hong Da tell you?"
His thinking is rather unconventional; most people wouldn't understand what he's saying.
However, Commander Jeff actually chimed in, "Of course, I have so many things to do every day, why would I bother checking up on you?"
"I have no interest in dealing with those guys from the Intelligence Agency and the Court of State Ceremonial. They have so little power, yet they cause so much trouble!"
As expected of one of the Eight Tigers of the New Army, he is quick-witted and boastful.
Although he may seem arrogant and domineering, he knows how to maintain a good sense of propriety when it comes to serious matters.
Wu Youren could only manage a wry smile, "You're being a bit too polite to me."
"You deserve it!" Jeff said without hesitation. "Others may not understand your worth, but I do!"
Wu Youren remained silent for a while before speaking, "You flatter me, there's no way I could join the New Army!"
"This isn't about getting you into the New Army," Jeff stated bluntly, "I'm here to get some feedback on my ideas."
Wu Youren hesitated for a long time before answering, "I still think she should be one of yours!"
Swallows and crows—I'd heard of them in my past life, but I never imagined I'd encounter them in this one!
"That's not important!" Jeff said noncommittally. For him, being vague at crucial moments was just basic practice.
When he has the opportunity to dig pits and plant mines, he will never hesitate. This is not because he is addicted to swindling people, nor is it an occupational hazard.
But he wanted to live!
He wasn't dwelling on those things; what he cared about more was, "Tax exemption, how to exempt it—explain your thinking."
Wu Youren remained silent for four or five seconds before answering, "Could you send me back to the Jin?"
"Who do you think I am?" Jeff laughed, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
However, he gave a wry smile, "Even if the Grand Secretary asked, it would be impossible to do—you overestimate me!"
Then his expression changed instantly, replaced by a kind smile. "If you dare to make such a request, you must have a solution, right?"
I hope you will answer carefully and not try to be clever. I cherish my friends!
"Me—my friend?" Wu Youren pointed to himself and asked incredulously.
"Of course," Jeff answered without hesitation, "I only make friends with intelligent people—it has little to do with cultivation level."
"Those who aren't smart enough don't deserve to be my friends, and you are smart enough!"
"It is indeed quite unique," Wu Youren nodded, but inwardly he was somewhat unconvinced.
It's nothing more than histrionic personality disorder; it's like nobody's ever heard of it.
If a Divine Might Knight were to stand before you, would you have the guts to say "I'm not worthy"?
However, that's not the main point. The other party was convinced that he had a solution and started using both soft and hard tactics, which was what really gave him a headache.
Wu Youren fell silent, and Jeff didn't urge him, just sat there quietly.
The silence amidst the pattering rain added a touch of desolation to the autumn night.
After a long silence, the New Army slowly uttered four words, "Unwilling to talk?"
After three or four seconds, Wu Youren replied softly, "Even if the commander didn't know my background, he could guess it."
"I can't even understand the basic policies of the Liang."
Outsiders may find it difficult to empathize with the true feelings of protons in their daily lives, but their general experiences are easily guessed.
However, Jeff scoffed dismissively, "Kid, don't try to fool me. Jin Garden does have literature classes!"
Clearly, this person did put in some effort to understand it.
"Literature class—" Wu Youren gave a helpless bitter smile. Who the hell would dare to take that kind of class seriously?
More importantly, "What they said all felt like self-praise, and I couldn't tell if it was true or false."
"What the hell—" Commander Jeff was clearly caught off guard. Could this really be done?
But thinking about it again, if things weren't like that, it would be abnormal.
His thinking speed is extraordinary. "You mean, your solution is based on certain assumptions?"
"I only have a rough estimate," Wu Youren sighed.
"Upon hearing the words 'tax-free,' you should have already guessed that your solution is more comprehensive than my assessment."
"Hmm, interesting," Commander Jeff chuckled again. "Such a smart and reserved child is truly rare."
He nodded. "I do have some ideas, but there's never too much of a solution. Now I'll listen to you."
"Commander, as I said, I only have a rough assessment."
"It's alright, go ahead," he said, sounding very amiable to the New Army.
However, he then casually added, "I don't have much patience."
Wu Youren hesitated for a moment before slowly uttering six words, "What can I get in return?"
"Hey," Jeff laughed again, but his laughter was a little sinister.
"You really dare to dream! Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to bargain with me?"
He dared to issue death threats to the Knight of the Marquis Tanyong's Residence while Instructor Xia'erzi was away; his ruthlessness was not just boasting.
Chapter 141 Goodwill (Second Update)
Faced with the threat from the New Army, Wu Youren remained silent for a long time.
"Damn it, this is a pain in the ass," Jeff muttered under his breath. "Damn it, here's a rough estimate. What do you want?"
"Please make a promise to let me go from now on," Wu Youren replied softly. "Your body is too weak to withstand any more torment!"
"Well—" Jeff nodded noncommittally, "Go ahead and tell me, my patience is really running out."
"Does this mean you agree?"
"Even if I agree, can you stop me from going back on my word?" Jeff said impatiently. "Say it now, this is your last chance!"
His words were forceful and domineering, a blatant display of scoundrel-like behavior, but Wu Youren was not disappointed.
This person is straightforward in their words and actions; when they can overpower someone, they won't resort to underhanded tactics.
Just based on this point alone, he's far better than those guys in the "Life and Death Knot; at least they don't make people feel disgusted.
He rambled on for so long, seemingly testing the waters, and it seems to have had some effect.
The boy stated quite frankly, "Actually, Ailin and I have already made things very clear."
"Three hundred thousand Knight is a huge resource."
"Nonsense, there's no 300,000 at all!" Commander Jeff thought to himself.
However, that's not the main point. The Liang has quite a few Knight, and they are indeed a powerful force.
His voice grew serious. "Do you know why the imperial court is unable to collect taxes?"
However, the boy shook his head decisively, "I don't know, and I don't want to know!"
Smart guy! Jeff wasn't angry, and not bringing it up didn't hinder their conversation.
"The opposition is strong, and the Knight all have patrons, making it difficult to form a united force."
"Not difficult at all!" Wu Youren calmly replied, "The existence of a conflict of interest is enough!"
Jeff remained silent; he had also considered this point. The Liang Knight were extremely frenzied when they raided.
But whether they dare to turn against their benefactor is hard to say.
There's a saying among the people of Jin that describes Liang as "fearing power but not cherishing virtue," and in a sense, that's certainly true.
The New Army needs someone to clearly tell him: as long as there are benefits to be gained, that's enough!
Even if the person speaking is an insignificant nobody.
Wrong! This hostage from Jin has great potential, and what's even more remarkable is that he's also quite intelligent!
However, he had another problem. "Implementing this policy will put the imperial court under unprecedented pressure."
Want to sneak a bite, but afraid of getting beaten? Wu Youren sighed softly, "Just let the message out, show your stance, that's enough, it can start from the bottom up."
Does it sound like a simple strategy? Actually, it's not. Almost no country has this kind of understanding or tradition.
Only one ancient civilization in a previous life openly taught such imperial strategies!
Jeff fell silent again, then clicked his tongue after a long while. "Tsk, I still don't quite understand."
"A bottom-up approach would likely have very poor organizational structure, wouldn't it?"
Wu Youren glanced at him sideways, his eyes clear, then turned back to look at the raindrops.
The fact that the other party could use the word "organization" clearly shows that they have considerable knowledge; no wonder they are the New Army.
But you're still not done? Please, do you know what you're trying to get for free? It's the real dragon-slaying technique!
Let alone the fact that he can't come up with a precise and feasible solution, even if he could, and wanted to, he wouldn't have the guts to do so!
Jeff waited a while, and seeing that the other party remained silent, he snorted coldly, "See, you can't even explain yourself now, can you?"
Such a low-level attempt at provocation— Wu Youren replied in a deep voice, "Sir, I'm only sixteen years old."
The New Army was completely speechless. Yes, what was he doing when he was sixteen?
After a long silence, he finally snorted and spoke coldly, "Well done!"
His voice even carried a hint of murderous intent, "Are you trying to use this to disrupt the Great Liang?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Youren turned to look at him, his eyes clear yet carrying a hint of helplessness.
I just gave it a spur-of-the-moment suggestion to a female Knight looking for a job.
He was not only forced into this situation, but how could he have imagined that the news would reach the ears of the New Army —and even attract attention?
However, the boy didn't explain. He knew that explaining things would only make things worse, so he let the other person fill in the blanks themselves.
Jeff turned his head and stared at him coldly.
Even the surrounding air felt much colder.
Wu Youren lowered his eyelids and turned his head back to watch the rain.
After a full minute, the New Army realized that the other side was still "angry but dared not speak out," and only then did he smile slightly.
"Never mind, I was just kidding. Look how scared you were—if you have any ideas in the future, you can just come to me."
He's just a sixteen-year-old boy after all, and his whole growing-up process has been filled with anxiety. He might not be able to withstand being scared, so I can't afford to ruin him.
Wu Youren remained silent, even his breathing had become lighter, like a statue.
The New Army waited a few more minutes, then, finding it boring, got up and strode away.
After he had been gone for a long time, Wu Youren finally sighed softly and let out a long breath.
"What did you two talk about?" Manna had already left the room and stared at the boy for a while.
"It's nothing," Wu Youren smiled, "Words can be dangerous, and that's really true."
Manna could roughly guess what had happened. "These people have really sensitive noses—and you can still laugh?"
"What else can I do but smile?" Wu Youren's smile remained, but there was something different in his eyes.
That was the light of anticipation; indeed, he was eagerly awaiting what would happen next.
The reason he made the suggestion during the day was firstly because he thought it would be a scam, and secondly because of the third of the "four no's"—no responsibility!
He didn't expect his advice to be effective, but what if it was?
Anyone who expects him to offer suggestions that would benefit the Liang is simply delusional!
This suggestion may seem like a sudden whim, and even a bit absurd, but in reality, it hides a huge bombshell.
Whether it's Ailin, Manna, or the New Army, they only saw the potential for social unrest; that was just the first level of understanding!
This scheme is so deceptive that he's not afraid of being exposed.
Even in the previous life, in that dynasty where things were "easily soluble in water," the court's introduction of similar policies was full of goodwill.
To encourage everyone to read, offering tax breaks for those who achieve academic success—isn't that a good thing?
The monarch rose from humble beginnings, yet he was able to expel the barbarians and establish a powerful empire. He also had many capable ministers and generals who helped him found the dynasty. Who could have predicted the final outcome?
By the time they realized things were going wrong, it was too late to stop them.
Wu Youren didn't expect the "water is too cold" phenomenon to definitely occur in Liang, but how would he know it wouldn't work if he didn't try?
What he was certain of was that once someone gained an advantage, it was impossible for them to go back to the way things were before.
There was another crucial reason that prompted him to make this decision: experience points!
If he's right, and the experience points really are related to the national fortune balancer, then if it succeeds, this wave of success will be incredibly lucrative!
His only worry was: would he explode and die from reaping too much?
However, there's no need to worry unnecessarily; it's still uncertain whether this will succeed.
Even if the Liang's court adopts the suggestion and waits for the situation to develop, it will still be a long process.
If he maintains his current growth rate, by then he might be able to withstand the onslaught of massive amounts of experience points.
If he waits until his "scalp itches" appears, at his current age, he probably won't even see it.
In short, whether it works out or not, thinking about it makes one quite hopeful.
Why does it suddenly feel like killing monsters to increase one's cultivation level is a bit slow?
Wu Youren knew in his heart that his cultivation progress was already very fast.
During this trip to the Weird Domain, he continued to gain a large amount of experience points.
Because he doesn't belong to the Knight system and doesn't have a data panel, he can't accurately estimate his own level.
However, based on a comprehensive analysis of all aspects, he estimated that at the very least, at the very least, at the very least—he was close to the Mid-stage Qi Refining, right?
He was confident he could win a one-on-one fight against the Knight, provided there were no onlookers.
It rained again the next day, and Ailin did not come to see him.
Wu Youren didn't dwell on her. Although encountering Yanzi was a rather heartbreaking experience, it gave him new expectations.
It's perfectly normal to occasionally get taken advantage of or cheated when you're living in a foreign country, isn't it?
It's better for the other party to expose themselves sooner rather than later.
Encountering a swallow is quite a rare experience; at least in his previous life, he didn't have the chance to meet one.
In addition, he learned some design concepts for mechanisms, broadening his horizons. This was definitely worthwhile.
At noon, Ailin arrived, and Wu Youren was alone in the house, having locked the door from the inside.
Ailin was shy; she gently pushed the door, but finding it wouldn't budge, she turned to leave.
"Sit down and chat for a bit?" Manna spoke up from the doorway of the next room.
Without the slightest hesitation, the female Knight gracefully sat down to the side. "What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know, maybe she's cultivating?" Manna replied casually, not wanting to cause trouble by mentioning sensitive topics.
She was somewhat looking forward to gossip, "You just... pushed the door open with your bare hand?"
"I need to go back," Ailin said seriously. "I don't know when I'll be back. I also said I'd leave some supplies for him."
Manna glanced at the other person's package and said with a smile, "I thought they brought some food, I was just wondering if we should rob them."
Down."
"My family takes my suggestion very seriously," Ailin replied solemnly. "They want me to go back and discuss it immediately."
"You—" Manna hesitated, sighed, and lowered her voice, "You're making an enemy of all the nobles!"
"I'm just offering suggestions," Ailin replied with a light laugh. "Whether they're adopted or not is none of my business. Speakers are innocent!"
"You must be so—" Manna's words trailed off, and she shook her head at the end, "Youth is wonderful."
"I'm not naive, it's just that some things have to be done by someone," Ailin replied seriously.
"Keep acting! Keep acting!" In the next room, the young man from Jin was ashen-faced.
The female Knight outside continued, " The Treasury Agency can no longer afford another war!"