Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn - Chapter 144
Looking at Lord Lu's face, which was covered in dust, I felt a sense of admiration: "It seems that Lord Lu will have to work hard for quite some time to come."
Lord Lu chuckled, his wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes, a hint of smugness on his face: "The number of people in my Golden Sparrow Kingdom is increasing day by day, but the amount of farmland is not increasing. If these terraced fields can also grow good rice, it will solve a major problem and be a blessing for the people of Golden Sparrow. At that time, I will also be able to leave a mark in the history books or in the mouths of the people."
After the results are inspected next autumn, the terraced fields will definitely be promoted in other mountainous areas, and Lord Lu will have a lot of hard work to do then.
By the time we returned to the valley, it was already dusk. Wisps of smoke were rising from the rooftops of many houses, and young children were chasing and playing by the roadside.
"Ruosheng, have you gotten used to things these days?" I stopped and asked Ruosheng, only to see her shaking her head and smiling as she looked at a little boy sleeping under a tree. Hearing my question, she quickly replied, "It's more than just getting used to it, I really like it. No wonder the Holy Maiden doesn't want to go back to the palace."
"If you like it, that's good." Ruosheng has been in the palace for more than ten years, unlike me.
Stepping into my own room, I felt an indescribable warmth. Besides Ganlin and Ruosheng, Zinuo also left two maids and eight guards for me. When I usually went for a walk in the valley, I only needed to call Ganlin and Ruosheng. The rest of them stayed at home.
Biqiong and Biyao each brought a basin of clean water for Ganlin and me to wash our hands. During the meal, some dishes were served one after another.
"The Holy Maiden has been gone for a few hours. I was worried you'd be hungry when you got back, so I prepared the food in advance," Biqiong explained when she saw me staring at the table.
Those whom Zi Nuo left behind were truly all clever and considerate people.
A door connects the bedroom and the bathtub. After my bath, feeling refreshed, I returned to the room. Ruosheng took a dry towel and helped me dry my hair. With my eyes slightly closed, I enjoyed the gentle massage of Ruosheng's fingers on my scalp, feeling completely relaxed. These days must be peaceful and comfortable enough, right? Yet, a lingering emptiness and unease remained deep within me.
The mountain night was cool as water. A crescent moon hung on the treetops. It was already past midnight, and people were still tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. They only drifted off to sleep when they vaguely heard the crowing of roosters outside.
"Why did you get up so late today?" Gan Lin asked me in the courtyard after breakfast, or more accurately, brunch.
He put down the book he had just picked up and sighed deeply: "It's just that my life has lost its purpose, and I'm bored all the time."
"It was your own choice to stay here."
He slumped weakly onto the table: "Yes, at least it's freer here than in the palace."
Gan Lin remained silent for a moment before saying, "How about we bring Chu Chen and Xiao Wan over?"
"That's fine." With Chu Chen around making a fuss, I'll feel a little more at ease.
When bored, he started wandering around the valley again.
Several children, carrying something in their hands, stealthily made their way up the mountain.
He exchanged a glance with Gan Lin, grinned mischievously, and cautiously followed behind them, only to see them slowly approach the Xuan Ying soldiers who were resting under a tree.
"Brother Asong, these are millet dumplings made by my mother, and they have lots of beans inside." The leading boy offered several dumplings wrapped in some kind of leaf. "You said you wanted to eat dumplings last time, so my mother made some today and asked me to bring some to you." A faint blush appeared on the dark face of the young soldier in front of him.
"Thank you, Erhu." The soldier called "A Song Ge" stood up, took the dumpling from Erhu's hand, and distributed it to several other soldiers around him. As he moved, the iron chain made a rustling sound as it rubbed against the grass. Erhu stared at the iron chain, his eyes slightly red.
Seeing this, he quietly pulled Gan Lin aside and hid behind a tree a little further away.
The inhabitants of Autumn Sun Valley are Xuan Ying people, and so are the captured soldiers. They share a common homeland and common customs; they are truly one family. The Golden Sparrow King's grand ideals may not be so easily realized. Judging from the scene just now, the soldiers and the valley's inhabitants must have become quite familiar with each other over the past few days. How will things develop if this continues?
Seeing the worry on my face, Gan Lin also looked somewhat heavy-hearted. He must have thought of what I could think of as well.
He quietly descended the mountain and returned home, his mind still preoccupied with how to firmly hold the hearts of the Xuan Ying immigrants in the valley, and how to prevent them from harboring resentment towards the Jinque Kingdom because of the captured soldiers. What worried him most was the fear that this was a trap meticulously planned by Xuan Ying, one that would leave the Jinque Kingdom with nothing but losses.
I must be so bored that I start having wild, unfounded thoughts whenever I see something.
Just in case, she finally took on the so-called duties of a saintess, visiting each household in the valley every day with Ganlin and Ruosheng to learn about their family situations and the local customs of southern Xuanying. From time to time, she would bring snacks and other treats to comfort the hardworking Xuanying soldiers, calm their emotions, and make efforts to improve their living conditions in the military camp. She also made sure that as long as they handed over their farm tools and returned to the camp, they would remove their shackles so that they wouldn't have to drag themselves around all day.
My actions weren't entirely for the sake of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom. More importantly, Zinuo said this place was a gift he gave me, our shared dream, and I couldn't let it be destroyed one day. As a result, the valley's inhabitants became even more supportive of me. The children who were initially somewhat afraid of my unusual hair color and eyes became warmer towards me after I visited their homes a few times.
Before we knew it, the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. People from Qizhou City sent many food items, and families lined up happily to receive them. Gan Lin and I stood aside and watched quietly.
"Aunt Saintess, is Qizhou City fun?" Xiaoping, who had just finished collecting her things with her parents, ran up to me and asked with her little face up. These children have been living outside Qizhou City for some time now, haven't they ever been inside the city?
Well, what's fun in a child's eyes? My own childhood is long gone, and I can't really understand a child's mind. "Let me ask the adults over there before I tell you." I've been to Qizhou City a few times myself, but what adults see is never the same as what children see. However, excitement and novelty are always things children like.
After distributing the items, the clerk registered them one by one. He then approached Magistrate Tong, who was in charge of Qiuyang Valley's expenses, and asked, "Magistrate Tong, when will there be any excitement to see in Qizhou City?"
After consulting with the clerk beside him, Magistrate Tong replied, "Your Majesty, there will be a lantern festival in the city on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which will be quite lively. On weekdays, the trade market held on the first day of each month is also very bustling."
"Thank you, Magistrate." Then she relayed Magistrate Tong's words to Xiaoping, who was waiting to the side. Xiaoyu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blinking her big eyes and saying, "A lantern festival? I've seen it before. There are so many beautiful lanterns."
Xiaoyu was small in stature, but her voice was clear and melodious. As soon as she spoke, several children gathered around, chattering away.
"What kind of lantern?"
"I want to see the lanterns."
"I want one too."
...
Now, almost all the children in the valley gathered together, clamoring to see the lanterns, and their parents had a hard time getting them home.
Qiuyang Valley is more than forty miles away from Qizhou City. How easy would it be for these children to get to the city? In their hearts, however, they were already making plans.
As usual, I went up the mountain to check on the progress of the terraced fields. During the rest, I chatted with the soldiers for a while. It was not hard to hear from their words that they missed their families. However, they still had to stay in Jinque Kingdom for three years. This was the agreement and the price they paid for harassing the borders of other countries.
That's true, but if we can do something to soothe their feelings, would it make them more obedient and stay in Jinque for the full three years?
Mid-Autumn Festival has finally arrived. This is the first Mid-Autumn Festival I've truly celebrated since leaving Prince Qing's mansion. Counting on my fingers, it's already the fourth year. Time really flies.
After Ruosheng finished helping me with my makeup, she brought me a bowl of noodles. Seeing my confusion, she smiled and said, "Longevity noodles."
"Oh." Only then did she take the chopsticks and slowly begin to eat. As she ate, she added some seasonings to the noodle soup. In the Prince Qing's mansion, she was in charge of the kitchen's meals every day and had never eaten a single bowl of longevity noodles. The last bowl she remembered was made for her by her aunt in Hongxiu Residence. She could no longer recall what it tasted like.
While Ruosheng was tidying up the room, she quietly wiped her face, ate all the noodles in a few bites, picked up the bowl, and drank every last drop of the soup.
Ruosheng walked over, looked at the clean bowl, and smiled.