Chapter 7: A Knife Comes Down at Caishikou

After thinking for a long time, this fellow suddenly burst into laughter, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed: "I have thought of it!"

I have had the idea for a long time, but I lack the charisma to rally others

... ...

Weaving fishing nets

Cheng Chumo was very excited, grinning widely as he began to praise Li Yun, saying: "Master is indeed a capable person, he immediately thought of the best solution. The refugees have no money, so we can resort to robbery. We can organize these people to become kings of the mountains, and then engage in the no-cost business of collecting tolls on the roads, hehe, with tens of thousands of refugees gathered together, this is no small force..."

Cheng Chumo murmured a phrase repeatedly, clearly lost in thought

Indeed!

Once you become proficient at it, sell it, and it will sell very well

Li Yun's eyes were somewhat glazed over, and after a long while, he blankly asked: "Why are you personally getting involved?"

Yet, Cheng Chumo remained oblivious in his fantasies, cheerfully reminiscing and saying: "In the past, my father and his peers also came from a background of banditry, roaming the mountains and forests, robbing as outlaws. Later, a group of heroes gathered at Wagangzhai, establishing a formidable reputation in the regions of Henan and Shandong. As a disciple and heir of the Duke of Lu's estate, I cannot let my father's reputation diminish. He was known as the Old Demon of the World, while I shall be the Little Demon of the World..." As a disciple and heir of the Duke of Lu's estate, I cannot let my father's reputation diminish. He was known as the Old Demon of the World, while I shall be the Little Demon of the World...

The more he spoke, the more excited he became. As he began to gesticulate wildly, his expression exuberant, he said: "Disciple has long wanted to taste the flavor of the mountain king, and I never expected to finally have the opportunity to realize it. Ah ha ha, Master, let us organize these tens of thousands of refugees, and then find a hilltop to establish a stronghold. You will be the military strategist, and I will be the chief. We can send our underlings to the foot of the mountain to block the road and keep watch. As soon as someone passes by, I will personally take action!"

Cheng Chumo clearly does not believe it

Cheng Chumo let out a suppressed sound of 'ga', his excited furry face contorted with great effort

Cheng Chumo pondered for a long time, and suddenly shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum, saying: "Master, although you have skills, this profession is not feasible. It is true that there are rivers in Chang'an, and it is also true that there are fish in the rivers, but the people of Chang'an do not like to eat fish, especially carp, as the court has specifically issued an order prohibiting its consumption"

Li Yun sighed and deliberately said again: "If it really comes to that, it is certain that the two of us, master and disciple, will have no chance of becoming emperors. Instead, it is very likely that we will be dragged to the vegetable market and executed by beheading, the two of us embarking on the journey to the underworld together, which could be considered a remarkable tale in the human world"

Cheng Chumo was taken aback, looking completely bewildered as he said, "What kind of production is this? Are we to have those refugees marry and have children, and then sell the children? This won't work, Master; it takes at least ten months to have a baby, and that would take too long."

Li Yun took a deep breath, yet still felt a bit dizzy in his forehead

Li Yun snorted and said, "You are about to claim the mountain as your own, so why can't His Majesty behead you?"

Li Yun saw that he was struggling to hold back, and helplessly could only speak up to offer guidance, gently persuading: "In this world, everything is accomplished through people. As long as we gather people around us, nothing will be too difficult to achieve. And what are the displaced people? The displaced are those who can come together... Think carefully about it; if we can gather these displaced people, is making money really that hard?"

At this moment, Cheng Chumo also realized that his previous idea was completely unreliable. He chuckled awkwardly again, scratching his head and said, "Since we cannot seize the mountain to become kings, nor can we rob along the roads, I truly do not know what other trades in this world can make money. How about you, Master, give me some advice."

What profession is the most lucrative

Li Yun appropriately provided him with the space to think, intending to transform him into a person who can think critically

Li Yun was instantly dumbfounded

Engaging in production

Li Yun sighed helplessly, and suddenly spoke softly from the side, deliberately saying: "Then we will recruit soldiers and horses, stir up a wave of rebellion, sweep across the world, trample the Yellow River, with the army's might directed towards Chang'an, you will lead the troops with iron hooves charging straight in, fighting against your father and those elders, while I will be responsible for devising strategies from behind, creating chaos in the world, mobilizing tens of thousands of troops to besiege Chang'an, and we will overthrow this Tang dynasty, the master and disciple will jointly become emperors, right?"

Cheng Chumo shivered and awkwardly smiled, saying: "I am Your Majesty's son-in-law, so I definitely won't be executed."

Li Yun extended his hand and pointed towards the direction outside the city, saying leisurely: "It is said that eight rivers encircle Chang'an, which means that the area around Chang'an is surrounded by rivers. If we have the refugees set nets to catch fish, wouldn't that be a business with no cost at all"

Yes, seize it!

Li Yun chuckled and said, "The fish smells fishy because it is not cooked properly. Moreover, I do not intend to sell the fish to you wealthy noble families. My aim is to provide for the ordinary people around Chang'an. There is a method you may not be aware of: curing salted fish and then frying it in a pan. The aroma that wafts for three miles is something that someone like you, who is accustomed to luxury and fine dining, cannot comprehend"

Robbery

Cheng Chumo was taken aback and asked in astonishment, "What is the purpose of weaving fishing nets?"

It has been proven that Cheng Chumo is not suitable for using his brain

"Pan-fried salted fish?" Cheng Chumo was taken aback for a moment and asked curiously, "Is it sold after being cooked?"

Li Yunxin nodded in satisfaction and gently asked again, "Then let me test you. What do you think is the most profitable profession in this world?"

Cheng Chumo, with a proud expression on his face, said confidently: "The most profitable profession in the world is robbery..."

Li Yunzhen nodded thoughtfully, suddenly smiled mysteriously, gazing towards the direction of the imperial palace in Chang'an, and murmured again: "Perhaps it won't be long before His Majesty comes to find us to buy salted fish..."

"Indeed!" Cheng Chumo's eyes lit up as he grinned and said, "With people around, how can we worry about not making money?"

At this point, he paused and looked at Cheng Chumo, saying: "Currently, there are tens of thousands of refugees in Chang'an City. At the beginning, we certainly won't need so many people, but we can first organize one or two thousand individuals to engage in production, act as peddlers, and go door to door, starting with small trades to earn some money."

He paused here for a moment, scratched his forehead, and said: "Moreover, the fish and meat are very fishy, making them quite greasy to eat"

Li Yun was somewhat surprised and quickly said, "You thought of it? So soon? Hurry up and tell me, what is the most profitable industry in the world?"

However, he was also unwilling to default on Cheng's mistakes, simply explaining: "What I mean by production refers to the production of industrial labor. I have already thought it through; we will first organize one or two thousand refugees, then find a few large merchants to borrow money, purchase ropes and silk threads, and teach the refugees how to weave fishing nets..."

Cheng Chumo chuckled and grinned, saying: "I planted the big axe upright on the ground, first looking up to the sky and laughing wildly, then suddenly shouting in a fierce voice, with eyes wide open like a fierce ghost, I yelled: 'Hey, this mountain was opened by me, this tree was planted by me, if you want to pass this road, leave behind some toll money.' Hehe, I guarantee that passersby will be so scared they will wet themselves and obediently hand over their money. From then on, my disciple and I will feast on meat and divide gold by the scale, just thinking about this life makes me feel great, very delightful..."

Li Yun shot him a glance, while also realizing that it was his own verbal slip; the term "production" would likely not be well understood by the ancients, as in ancient times, the term generally conjured images of women giving birth.

This, this...

This fellow has a straightforward personality; he did not catch the sarcasm in Li Yun's earlier words. The reason he held back was that he was thinking about something else. With a furrowed brow, he said, "It’s definitely not possible to fight against my father and his peers. Master, you don’t know, my father’s generation is too formidable. The generals are capable of fighting and killing, the strategists are adept at planning, and there are those who can both fight and strategize, like Uncle Li Jing and Uncle Li Yan... No, no, we cannot defeat them. Even if we gather tens of thousands of refugees, facing them would just be sending vegetables..."

Li Yun shot him a glance with annoyance, then organized her thoughts and began to explain, saying slowly: "The seven essential items for opening a door are firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Since ancient times, people have regarded food as paramount. In this world, what industry is the most profitable? It is the businesses related to clothing, food, housing, and transportation that are the most lucrative..."