Lin Yi had a good impression of An Da.
This kid went out of his way for me, and even came all the way here to give me a gift to celebrate my birthday. That kind of thoughtfulness is already very commendable.
That's not all. There were also sounds coming from the carriage behind this kid, both men and women, so he probably brought his family with him.
Lin Yi couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself, "This must be what they call a die-hard fan, bringing the whole family to celebrate my birthday. Interesting!"
Fanatical believers are a favorite of those in power, because they are the perfect executors of orders.
If you strengthen his faith, he will be no less powerful than those summoned by the system, because his mind has already been influenced by you, and he will fight for you.
Such loyal subjects are a rare find. Now that we've encountered one, we should nurture him well; one of them is definitely worth ten.
Moreover, this kid is quite capable; although he's a bit simple-minded, he's definitely a formidable opponent.
He could subdue his father-in-law's family, which makes him a formidable figure. Coupled with his loyalty, he is definitely worth cultivating.
"Understood!"
Wang Yue glanced at An Da. This kid is lucky; he actually caught the Emperor's eye. He's bound to have a bright future.
"Stop!"
At this moment, the City Guard Battalion from the street also arrived. Upon seeing the scholar with a pig-like face, the leader immediately frowned.
"Who dares to commit violence here, openly assaulting others?"
Their duty is to maintain order in the imperial city, and now a fight has broken out. This is no small matter; if word gets out, they'll be seen as mere figureheads.
He spotted the tall and imposing An Da immediately and walked straight toward him.
"I..."
Upon seeing the City Guard Battalion, An Da frowned and was about to step forward to confess when Bai Zizai pulled him behind him.
"I called!"
Bai Zizai glared at the group and sneered, "This kid hasn't studied enough, yet he dares to question the Emperor's decision. What's wrong with me beating him up?"
" Old Master Bai?"
When the City Guard Battalion commander saw Bai Zizai, he couldn't help but frown.
This man was a meritorious official who appeared in the Great Liang Dynasty, and also an uncle of the Emperor, so he was not someone to be trifled with. However, the laws of the Great Liang applied, and he could not turn a blind eye to it.
He whispered, "Grandpa, what exactly happened?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing..." Bai Zizai didn't embellish the story; he simply told him the facts.
"Questioning the Emperor?"
The City Guard Battalion's expression changed, and his face darkened as he looked at the scholar. He said in a deep voice, "This kid doesn't seem very bright. I'll take him to the Imperial Academy for some reformation, so he won't Great Liang!"
There are quite a few foreign guests now, and if he's allowed to spout nonsense, it could have a huge impact, so we have to keep an eye on him.
After taking the scholar away, he looked at An Da.
He felt a good liking for this honest, simple-minded big guy, patted An Da on the shoulder, and laughed, "You're not bad, kid. If you run into any trouble here, come find me at the City Guard Battalion!"
ah?
An Da's expression was somewhat strange. He looked at the departing City Guard Battalion, then at Bai Zizai. Even if he were a fool, he would know now that the old man in front of him was no ordinary person.
He tentatively asked, "Old man, do you still stand by what you said before?"
What did you say?
"Let me join the army and serve the Emperor?" He was getting anxious; would this old man go back on his word?
Ha ha!
Bai Zizai was both amused and exasperated, nodding and saying, "Don't worry, this old man keeps his word. I'll naturally fulfill my promise. This is just a small matter; I have connections in the court!"
Wow, someone in the imperial court?
Upon hearing Bai Zizai's words, An Da was overjoyed and stared at Bai Zizai in disbelief.
If there are connections in the imperial court, then there is truly hope.
She had only come to express her gratitude to the Emperor, never expecting to find herself in such a situation, and even able to serve him.
These days, Great Liang rarely recruits soldiers internally. Although we don't know exactly where the army will come from, this opportunity is an absolute golden chance.
I've met a helpful person while I'm out and about!
"That kid!"
Bai Zizai grinned, revealing his missing front tooth, and gave Lin Yi beside him a meaningful look before prompting, "You said you came to deliver a gift to the Emperor, where is your gift?"
"I have connections in the court; I can help you send the gift directly to the Emperor."
Forehead!
Hearing his words, Lin Yi couldn't help but chuckle. He could tell that Bai Zizai really liked this kid, so he deliberately brought up the gift in front of him.
This is to support this kid and make him curry favor with me.
"Yes, yes, yes, look at my memory!"
An Da's eyes lit up, and he looked at Bai Zizai with excitement. He had been worried that the gift wouldn't reach the Emperor, but now a way in had come to him—this was an unexpected delight.
He pulled a woman out from the side, who was none other than his wife, and excitedly said, "Wife, quickly bring out what I prepared for the Emperor!"
"Okay, okay!"
Seeing her husband so excited, his wife looked helpless, walked to the carriage, and carefully took something out and handed it to him.
The object was wrapped in red cloth, giving it a very sacred appearance, which made Lin Yi pause in surprise. What was this?
" An Da, kid, what's this? It looks very valuable. Don't give away your wife's dowry!" Bai Zizai was also startled. Could this be some kind of family heirloom?
An Da shook his head and chuckled, "We herdsmen don't have anything good to offer. I've heard that lions and tigers have been presented to the Emperor, so all I can give are some local specialties."
He slowly unwrapped the red cloth, revealing something inside that immediately caused everyone to gasp in shock, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Holy crap, is this ginseng?!"
"Is this a thousand-year-old ginseng, or a ten-thousand-year-old one?"
"This fool is so lucky, he actually got his hands on a divine item!"
Everyone stared in disbelief at the treasure; many even had blank stares and drooling, for it was a ginseng root.
This ginseng is almost as thick as a child's arm, and it has completely transformed into a human shape. This must be a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng.
Nowadays, almost everyone owns a copy of the " Great Liang Edition of Compendium of Materia Medica," so they naturally know the significance of ginseng. This ginseng is already considered a divine medicine.
Just smelling it makes me feel refreshed; if I ate a whole one, I'd probably take off.
Many people revealed greedy eyes; if they weren't wary of Bai Zizai, this old man who was acquainted with the City Guard Battalion, they would have wanted to rob him by force.
This stuff is like a miracle cure; it could save your life in a critical moment.