Chapter 13: The Edict of the Robe and Belt

  Li Zhe had no good impression of Liu Dajie. In later generations, Li Zhe hated this kind of glib artist the most.

  It's a good thing that Ke Yi brought back the imperial edict. Even someone like Li Zhe, who doesn't understand much about antiques, knows that if an antique has any connection to the royal family, its value will increase exponentially. And if it can be linked to historical events, especially those that prove the authenticity of highly controversial events in history, then it's priceless.

  For example, the Token of Abdication, as stated in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is a matter of great certainty. Surrounding the Token of Abdication, several symbolic events took place, such as the unjust deaths of high-ranking officials like Dong Cheng and Wang Zifu, and the rebellions of warlords like Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, and Ma Teng, all of which are intricately linked to this incident, making it one of the most important objects in the history of the Three Kingdoms.

  Is there really a "Edict of the Belt" in history? Many people are skeptical about it. Because there is no real evidence to prove that this edict truly existed, and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written by later generations after all. Therefore, in the academic world, they refuse to acknowledge the authenticity of this so-called "Edict of the Belt". They only think that it's a story fabricated by local warlords to attack the legitimacy of Cao Cao's regime.

  But what if this edict really existed? What if it were taken to the 21st century? The thought sent Li Zhe's blood boiling - this was a super-antique that would change the academic world! And not just by a little bit, either. The history of the Three Kingdoms had an enormous influence on Chinese folk culture; even the excavation of a possibly-fake Cao Cao tomb shook all of China. If this belt edict itself could be smuggled into the 21st century... Just thinking about it was exhilarating!

  This value, this influence, just this one antique is enough to make a fortune.

  But excitement aside, I need to calm down and think carefully about the problem. Does this edict really exist? If it does, can I get my hands on it? Even if I do, is it suitable for someone of my status to make it public? Clearly not. My only option is to find an expert to hype it up and package it properly, which might allow me to reap the greatest benefits. These are all things to figure out later.

  Li Zhe smiled and asked Mou Zhu with a big gray wolf-like smile: "It's not that I don't believe in Liu Xianggong, but this matter of the imperial edict is still 'listening is false, seeing is true'. If Xianggong can let me take a look at this imperial edict to overthrow the emperor myself, I'll dare to rise up and respond to Xianggong. After all, this concerns the lives and properties of tens of thousands of people in my 30-li shop!"

  He didn't suspect that there was anyone else, and Li Zhe's words were also reliable. After all, he was just a commoner, and it was normal to be a little timid. The value of his use was also limited, and Li Zhe's statement was also a clear attitude, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

  "This is a reasonable statement, I will report to my master immediately. You are diligent in the king's affairs, and my master will not disappoint you. At present, Yuan Zhi's 100,000-strong army is fighting against Cao Zei in the north, and the internal forces of the traitor's territory are unstable. This is a good opportunity for us to take action. You must seize this opportunity! For the emperor to clear up the rebellion, this great achievement... will be rewarded with titles and wealth for your wife and children soon!"

  "This is natural! As long as the authenticity of the imperial edict is proven, we common people will naturally be willing to follow the Emperor's uncle to share the great undertaking." Li Zhe still held onto the imperial edict and refused to let go.

  Mo Zhai thought for a moment and felt that there was no problem, so he hastily agreed, "Don't worry, young master. Once you arrive in An City, my master will definitely show you the imperial edict of the Son of Heaven for your careful examination."

  Li Zhe finally put his mind at ease, it seemed that the existence of this imperial edict was no longer a problem. Next, it would depend on his own abilities. Thinking of this, Li Zhe smiled and said:

  "I have always admired Lord Guan, and if it weren't for the complexity of things here, I would have gone to join him long ago! Brother Zi Zhong, when you return, please be sure to speak well of me in front of Lord Guan!"

  "This is just a polite remark, and I don't know how many times I've heard it before. He nodded slightly, "Oh, no need to be so modest! Lord Guan has also spoken highly of you, if you're interested, then just wait for my message, okay? Next, I still have some other matters to discuss with you. I heard that you possess a divine artifact, the 'Sacred Fire', which is said to be crystal clear and can ignite in the wind. Is this true?"

  "This is naturally true, this was passed down by our ancestral master to our ancestors, and has been inherited through generations in my family, how can it not be true?"

  Li Zhe immediately took out a lighter and demonstrated it himself before handing it over to the two of them.

  The two of them fiddled with it for a while, and the astonishment in between is briefly skipped over. In short, they were amazed by this divine object and extremely satisfied.

  Next, the familiar smile that appeared on the face of the merchant was exactly the same as that of a top businessman in the 21st century, with a greedy smile in pursuit of super profits: "I wonder if you can give some self-igniting 'divine fire' to my family for sale, and the price will definitely not let you lose out."

  Actually, Li Zhe had this intention long ago. The sale of this "divine fire" relied on a little promotion in his own market, which was really too slow and inefficient. This kind of thing can only pursue high profits for a short time, but after the short time is over, it will eventually rely on low-profit dumping to expand the market.

  As for the poor transportation conditions of this era, isn't it just what this family needed? This generation of merchants who have been engaged in trade and commerce for generations has the most experience in expanding markets across different regions. These super merchants are actually the super logistics and super market of this era!

  "It's not about the money, I've come down from the mountains with my extraordinary skills to save the world, not to sell 'divine fire' for a few pieces of copper. I'm doing this because the world is in chaos and people are suffering. I'm following my ancestors' teachings to rescue as many lives as possible! I agreed to give your family some 'divine fire' to sell, but don't need gold or silk in return, just bring us food for the refugees and livestock, every life saved counts!"

  This display of noble integrity immediately won over everyone.

  No matter what the reason is, being able to exchange one's own belongings for the lives of destitute refugees who cannot survive on their own is a great virtue. Nowadays in Runan County, there are refugees everywhere on the verge of starving to death, and everyone lacks food; it would be good enough if they could maintain the survival of their own dependents, let alone worry about so many others.

  Those bandits from the Hao tribe's stronghold, when you think about it, are all just banded together to rob others and barely scrape by to survive. They're all just desperately fighting for a thread of life in this chaotic world. Take the people from Yu Jia Pao, for example - they're supposedly the strongest force around, but half the people inside the stronghold can't even get enough to eat. Where's the corruption you've heard so much about?

  It was during Liu Bei's reign that only a small number of soldiers could eat their fill, while the majority had nothing to eat. People were starving to death outside the camp every day. Anyone with even a little bit of human feeling would be heartbroken upon seeing this.

  But everyone is powerless, rescuing people must first rescue themselves. If they can't even save themselves, how can they have the idea of helping others?

  Li Zhe's move is simply a saint in a chaotic world!

  The two of them couldn't help but admire him, even Zhao Yun, who had always looked down on Li Zhe before, began to reflect on himself and wonder where he was wrong. A person with such high morals, almost like a saint, how could he not be admired?