Many soldiers in the Linchuan army came from poor families, and some of them inevitably encountered difficulties at home.
Most of the families of these twenty-odd soldiers came to Linchuan because they could no longer survive in their hometowns due to natural disasters and man-made calamities, and had no other relatives or friends to rely on.
Song Qiuqi, for example, had gambling parents who always gambled away all the money that Song Jiuyuan had entrusted to others to bring back. In the end, they lost everything and even considered selling their eleven-year-old daughter to a broker to pay off their debts.
The little girl was illiterate but bold and strong-willed. Knowing that Old Qi next door was taking his grandson to Linchuan to join his son, who was in the same army as her brother in Linchuan, she secretly ran away from home and followed Old Qi all the way here.
"I was the first to arrive, along with Old Qi and his grandson Babao," Song Qiuqi said to Luo Cuiwei, having nothing else to do on the road. "His Highness and Brother Xiong explored many places around the village and said that this place was the safest and convenient for my brother and the others to come from the defense zone to take care of us, so they built houses for us here."
Later, more people came to stay with their relatives, and they were all settled here, which gradually led to the formation of this small village.
“There are many elderly people and children in the village, and not many people can work in the fields, so the harvest is never enough to feed us,” Song Qiuqi bit the dry, cracked skin on her lips, and turned to look at Luo Cuiwei with mixed feelings. “Your Highness is kind-hearted and has found a way to allocate some money and grain to take care of us…”
Chapter 56
Luo Cuiwei suddenly realized that the biggest loophole in the messy accounts between the Linchuan army and the Prince Zhao's mansion was right here.
The Ministry of War allocated funds and provisions to the Linchuan Army based on the number of soldiers, but these twenty-odd households, totaling nearly a hundred people, were not included in the calculation.
In the past, when the Ministry of War delayed the distribution of rations and pay, Yun Lie would use the monthly allowance given by the Imperial Household Department to cover the rations for the Linchuan army and also to subsidize the nearly one hundred people.
When the Ministry of War reissued the rations, the soldiers were able to return the portion they had eaten to Yun Lie, but they were mostly unable to repay the portion that had been eaten by the hundred people.
In this way, they robbed Peter to pay Paul, and in the end, the money to subsidize these hundred people still came from Yun Lie's own pocket.
He certainly wouldn't have the heart to demand money from these elderly and weak people, and over time, the Prince Zhao's mansion in the capital would be reduced to poverty.
Seeing Luo Cui smile without speaking, Song Qiuqi quickly added, "Brother said that we are His Highness's biggest burden; after His Highness gets married, we will have to find our own way to stop being a burden to His Highness."
“You said there are many elderly people and children in the village. Are you going to force them to go to the fields?” Luo Cui smiled and pinched her cheek. “Since His Highness is willing to take care of you, he doesn’t consider you a burden. Don’t listen to your brother’s nonsense.”
“But everyone says,” Song Qiuqi clicked her tongue with a guilty look on her face and whispered, “that no matter which girl in the capital becomes a princess, they wouldn’t let His Highness continue to drag us, a bunch of people with no family or relatives, along with us…”
If it were any other girl who became the Princess Consort of Zhao, the logic would be the same. But Yun Lie was lucky enough to meet Luo Cuiwei.
Luo Cuiwei smiled and glanced at her, interrupting her self-blame before she could finish speaking. "I don't have any other skills, all I know is how to make money. There are less than a hundred of you. If you can really bankrupt me, then I'll admit my lack of skill and fail my father's teachings."
If she can't even earn enough to feed a hundred or so people, I'm afraid the coffin lids of the Luo family ancestors will be bursting open.
"You are young and clever. If you are willing to listen to my arrangements and work hard, I guarantee that you will have plenty of food and drink, wine and meat every day from now on."
Song Qiuqi's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously. "I'm obedient and hardworking! But, I'm illiterate, can I still do things for you?"
"Of course, once the person I'm waiting for arrives in a few days, there will be plenty of things for you to do, don't worry. Oh, by the way, are there any cardamom pods on this mountain?"
"Yes, they're everywhere on the mountain. What would we need those things for?"
"I've got nothing to do these past few days anyway, so I'll go pick some cardamom later and try making some jerky."
Is this how it's eaten in Beijing?
“I’ve seen my chef marinate meat with cardamom and other spices in previous years. Let me try to make it taste the same, and then I’ll share some with you.”
And so, the two girls, one big and one small, chatted affectionately. After Song Qiuqi carefully helped Luo Cuiwei across a small ditch, she pointed to a small rooftop not far ahead, rising above the treetops.
"That's Old Master Qi's courtyard, isn't it close?" She suddenly seemed to remember something, hugged her box of pastries tighter, and her smile froze.
"My brother and Brother Xiong are repairing Old Master Qi's roof! I can't let them see this box of pastries of mine, they're both 'bandits'!"
Song Qiuqi pointed out the path leading to the main gate of Old Master Qi's courtyard to Luo Cuiwei, then, like a thief, bowed and carefully clutched her food box. "Your Highness, I'm sorry, please forgive my disloyalty for a moment... I have to go around through the woods via the path and sneak back through the back door to hide the box!"
After watching Song Qiuqi nimbly disappear into the woods, Luo Cuiwei shook her head, picked up the box of pastries for Old Master Qi, and slowly walked along the path Song Qiuqi had pointed out.
****
Along the tree-lined path, birds chirp, cicadas hum, and insects sang. The early autumn breeze gently carried the faint sounds of human voices, making this little world both tranquil and vibrant.
As the small courtyard hidden at the end of the grove drew closer, Luo Cuiwei could vaguely hear Xiong Xiaoyi and Song Jiuyuan chatting while repairing the roof.
Xiong Xiaoyi had a loud voice, which made even the refined Song Jiuyuan try to match his tone. If you didn't listen carefully to what they were saying, you would probably think that the two of them were arguing.
“...You stupid Song, I think you’re asking for a beating! If you dare to suggest such a terrible idea to His Highness, he’ll definitely give you fifty lashes and send you back to your hometown to sell duck eggs.”
The phrase "going back to his hometown to sell duck eggs" means he was beaten to death.
Although she didn't know what they were talking about, Luo Cuiwei couldn't help but find it amusing.
Is her Prince Zhao really that cruel under his rule?
He was incredibly gentle with her, never really being fierce or angry.
"I mentioned it a long time ago, we weren't beaten! Otherwise, why do you think... His Highness married Luo Cuiwei?"
Song Jiuyuan's voice is not as powerful as Xiong Xiaoyi's, but it is still clear and distinct.
Luo Cuiwei stopped in her tracks, unable to move any further.
"What the hell? When...did you bring that up?"
Xiong Xiaoyi's voice sounded surprised.
Then Song Jiuyuan lowered his voice and explained slowly, "I mentioned this terrible idea to His Highness before he returned to the capital last year! If we want to build a city in a short period of time, we simply cannot afford the expenses on our own."
"However, no one expected His Majesty to issue the decree to establish fiefdoms so early; it was merely a precautionary measure. At that time, I reminded His Highness that after returning to the capital, he should focus on cultivating relationships with several major merchants in the capital. If he could leverage their resources to build the city, it would definitely be twice as effective with half the effort."