Chapter 048: Seeking revenge for the smallest grievance
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“Uncle, do you have any ideas for raising funds?”
Long Tian stroked his chin. He had a shrewd plan in mind…
One that, if executed well, wouldn’t just bring in cash, but would significantly expand his network of influence.
“None,” Dong Zhuo barked, his face darkening. “We can only look outside the city to see if there are any mountain bandits worth raiding. There are merchant guilds in the city we could squeeze, but The Ten Eunuchs are asking for an outrageous sum this time. Ptui! Those dickless bastards actually demanded a thousand gold pieces from this old man!”
Dong Zhuo gritted his teeth in fury. Those bloated, garlic-breathed parasites dared to make such an extortionate demand!
But he had no choice.
This price was already negotiated through back-channel connections; without them, the “entry fee” into the capital’s high society would have been even higher.
Even Zhang Wen, the Grand Commander, had been forced to cough up two thousand gold pieces.
Refusing meant showing contempt for Imperial authority, which would result in punishment!
The Emperor summons you; if you don’t show up with a “gift,” you are insulting the Dragon Throne itself.
In this world, wealth was measured in three simple tiers: copper, silver, and gold. The base was the copper coin, used by commoners for their daily bread. One hundred of these coppers were strung together to equal a single silver piece. At the top sat gold; a single gold piece was worth one hundred silver, or a staggering ten thousand copper coins.
Looking at it this way, it was indeed a lot of money. The entry fee at the city gate seemed even more like a rip-off now.
Long Tian found himself somewhat absorbed in the thought.
A thousand gold pieces wasn’t an enormous sum, but for someone like Dong Zhuo, who earned roughly that much annually, paying such a large sum for a single official position was significant.
Coupled with the recent rebel uprisings, Dong Zhuo had nearly depleted his entire fortune to fund the military campaign. This explained his current state of agitation.
“On the road, I met some foreign merchants and learned the recipe for several medicinal ointments,” Long Tian said, his voice calm.
“Lately, I’ve also been studying the medical arts. If Uncle can introduce me to the local elite, I can offer my services. Making money won’t be hard; there are plenty of ‘fat sheep’ in this city with more money than they have years left to live. They’ll pay.”
Long Tian wasn’t bluffing. He truly possessed the skills to back it up.
His [Divine Physician] class came with a skill called [Diagnosis], which could be used to heal and save lives.
[Diagnosis: Utilize profound medical expertise to treat the injured or ill, significantly increasing the target’s favorability upon success.]
Between his system-granted knowledge and the various medicinal blueprints he had unlocked during his journey, he was more than a match for any local disease.
Combining the two would allow for effective treatment of illnesses.
Using medicine to pave his way, this was Long Tian’s strategy.
Hence, along the journey, he had been unlocking blueprints for various medicines and food.
Delicious food could bridge gaps at banquets, while medical skills could save lives.
With his status as a General and Dong Zhuo’s nephew, he wouldn’t be treated like a common street doctor to be used and discarded.
This was high-value knowledge to be traded for influence.
Once he had the right connections, dealing with that petty gate official would be as easy as stepping on an ant.
He didn’t want to just start a fight; that could be branded as rebellion.
But what if the strike came from a higher authority? He’d make that official vomit up every cent he’d stolen.
And if the man couldn’t? He’d ensure the man’s entire lineage was erased.
It sounded cruel, but Long Tian felt no pity.
If he hadn’t had money, he would’ve been blocked outside the city gates.
If he couldn’t even get through this minor city gate, how could he ever be entrusted with important responsibilities?
To Long Tian, that official wasn’t just a thief; he was a gatekeeper who had tried to sabotage his future. And in this world, sabotaging a man’s future was as good as killing his parents.
“Medical arts? Foreign merchants?” Dong Zhuo stared, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He found it hard to believe Long Tian had such a talent.
This nephew had always been running to his house, currying favor, appearing quite close.
But he knew exactly what Long Tian was made of.
“’Three days apart, and one must look at a man with new eyes,’” Long Tian quoted with a smirk.
“Uncle, remember the man I asked for last time? Jia Xu has taught me much, and I have been a diligent student. If you don’t believe in my skills, find someone for me to treat. That should put your mind at ease.”
Long Tian knew it would be difficult to change Dong Zhuo’s impression of him overnight.
He needed Dong Zhuo’s to act as his bridge to the elite; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.
“Oh? Is that so? Well, it just so happens that Minister Zhang’s wife is in Chang’an, and she’s looking for a doctor. You can go take a look. Since you’re so confident, this General will trust you.”
Though skeptical, Dong Zhuo had to admit Long Tian’s recent conduct truly lived up to the saying: “Three days apart, and one must look at him with new eyes.”
Previously, he’d never heard of Long Tian possessing the courage of a single man holding the fort against ten thousand.
Now it seemed he wasn’t just a brute warrior, but a qualified general, which was very good.
Dong Zhuo had many capable men under him: Hua Xiong, Guo Si, Li Jue, Niu Fu, and others. Some were veteran soldiers who’d served him for years; others were sons-in-law.
In terms of relationships and interests, relatives were definitely better.
Yet Dong Zhuo’s relatives proved unreliable.
His elder brother Dong Zhuo died young, leaving only a son, Dong Huang. His ability wasn’t great; he was only good at idling about with dogs and chickens.
Using him just for show was embarrassing, let alone entrusting him with heavy responsibilities.
Only his two sons-in-law seemed dependable, but sons-in-law remained sons-in-law, sometimes equally unreliable.
Long Tian’s rise had surprised Dong Zhuo greatly, compounded by his status as his nephew.
This was why he’d been entrusted with such responsibility.
The most critical factor was actually that Dong Zhuo had no son, so he needed to rely on his nephew.
“I won’t let Uncle down. When I entered the city, that gate official charged me a silver coin per person. Once I’ve cured the city’s elite, I’ll have them crush him for me. I’ll destroy his family, leave him bereft of wife and children!“
Long Tian’s expression turned ferocious. “The official fee is two coppers, and he dared to charge me fifty times that! He is courting death.”
Seeking revenge for the smallest grievance: this was the classic path of a villain.
Generally, people would find such a trait repulsive, but it actually made Dong Zhuo feel relieved.
First, he was family; second, the very reason petty men are petty is their lack of hypocrisy.
As a man of martial origins, Dong Zhuo hated the flowery, fake manners of the scholars. He admired Long Tian’s approach, swift and decisive in settling scores.
“Haha! Good! You don’t even need the ministers; I can settle that brat for you myself!”
“No, Uncle,” Long Tian demurred. “I want them to do it. Every last bit he took, he’ll pay back with interest. I want the city to know that the men of Xiliang are not pushovers.”
Long Tian had no intention of letting the man off easily.
If you have the balls to extort, you’d better have the strength to survive the retaliation.
“Fine, have it your way. I like your spirit. Come, let’s eat, and then we’ll pay Minister Zhang a visit. Little Tian, work hard, and glory and wealth will be yours! When you finally marry, your Uncle will prepare a grand gift for you!”
Dong Zhuo was calling him “Little Tian” now, dropping the formal “This General” act.
At the end of the day, in the world, it all came down to value and interest.
