"Yuzhu, people are treacherous, Daddy has to think more."

Jiang Fulu carefully advised Jiang Yuzhu not to show off her wealth. After all, money can move people's hearts, and conflicts of interest will always breed greed.

These two hundred thousand taels of silver will be used as emergency relief at critical moments.

"The fewer people who know you have this money, the better. Even the maidservants around you don't need to be informed."

As Jiang Fulu spoke, he took out a teapot from the table, shook it like a magic trick, and the silver bills disappeared out of thin air in his hand.

Jiang Yuzhu blinked, thinking that her father Jiang Fulu had hidden the banknotes in his sleeves, and searched for them in vain.

Jiang Fulu showed a shrewd smile, very proud: "So, can't find it?"

Since a teapot is used as a gimmick, the banknotes must be hidden in the teapot.

The teapot looks ordinary, but it actually has a lot of secrets.

There are two layers at the bottom, and the bottom of the teapot is completely separated from the top.

The top is used for making tea, and the bottom can be used as a narrow storage space, which is more than enough to store silver bills.

Jiang Yuzhu solemnly accepted the salute and said, "Father, I thank you on behalf of the soldiers of the North."

Spending two hundred thousand taels was not just like cutting off one's flesh, it was like cutting off one's heart and liver. Jiang Yuzhu was heartbroken. After feeling sorry for the money, she thought about more.

The northern city is impregnable. If it is captured by the barbarians, will she still be able to sit back and enjoy herself in the capital?

Princess Yutan is not only her good sister but also her second sister-in-law. The Mo family and the Xie family of the Protector of the Nation General are also indirectly related by marriage. It is not a waste to use this money on the soldiers.

Every man has a share of responsibility for the rise and fall of his country. After all, the money comes from the government. If Daddy donates all the funds raised, he can also wash away the stigma of corruption.

Jiang Fulu is really not as noble as his daughter Jiang Yuzhu said. He was so heartbroken when he took out his old money that he was twitching with pain and was ready to make a comeback at any time.

The money you lost can always be earned back by digging another hole.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Jiang Fulu warned, "This journey won't be peaceful. Since someone wants to obstruct the delivery of military supplies, they will definitely cause all kinds of trouble. Yuzhu, you are a woman, you don't need to get involved. If you think the situation is not right, run away immediately."

When Jiang Fulu learned that Xie Zhao had gone to the north in his place and had taken Jiang Yuzhu with him, he stamped his feet and beat his chest. He really didn't want to accept this favor!

"Dad, our Jiang family hasn't had any happy events in recent years. My eldest sister-in-law is pregnant, so our family should take good care of her."

Jiang Yuzhu tried to divert her parents' attention and pushed her elder sister-in-law, Xiao Chen, out to resist, with remarkable results.

After returning to Xie's house, Jiang Yuzhu went straight to the study to meet Xie Zhao.

In front of the door, Jiang Yuzhu slowed down, stopped in front of the door and peeked through the gap.

Under the bright candlelight, Xie Zhao was wearing an official uniform, holding a booklet in his hand. Sometimes he frowned, sometimes he relaxed, his expression revealing a subtle sharpness, as if everything was under control.

Jiang Yuzhu found various angles to peek at Xie Zhao, and secretly commented: Lord Xie is more seductive in official uniform than when he is naked!

She had a gentle yet aloof demeanor, a stark contrast to the man who had coaxed her into sex with sweet words.

Jiang Yuzhu stayed for half a minute. Xie Zhao stared at the booklet, his mind already flying outside the door.

He didn't have to wait too long before there was a knock on the door.

Jiang Yuzhu sat on the other side of the desk as usual. The couple sat opposite each other and drank tea, secretly observing each other, waiting for the other to speak first and find a topic to talk about.

Xie Zhao remained calm and composed, while Jiang Yuzhu remained patient and held her composure.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Jiang Yuzhu finally gave in. She took the initiative, stood up and said, "Husband, how about you try the tea I brewed?"

The lowest quality tea foam from several tea houses was brewed in the Xuanji teapot given by Jiang Fulu.

The value of tea lies not in the leaves but in the teapot, which is more valuable than a teapot inlaid with gold.

Jiang Yuzhu poured tea for Xie Zhao, who was surprised for a moment. He gently skimmed off the foam on the tea leaves and praised the bitter taste: "It doesn't matter whether the tea is sweet or bitter. What is precious is the madam's kindness, which is worth a thousand gold!"

What is more precious than the love is the word "husband", and Xie Zhao felt comforted when she heard it.

Jiang Yuzhu echoed, "Yuanhe, this is true, it is indeed worth a thousand gold."

The couple looked at each other affectionately, each with their own thoughts.

As for the wedding night, the two of them tacitly ignored it.

After waiting for a long time, Xie Zhao finally put down his teacup and talked about business: "Madam, we will set off in a few days."

The fundraising deadline in the capital has not yet arrived, and the government is mobilizing the people and merchants to contribute, but with little success.

For many years, the capital city was in a state of decadence and luxury, and the rich lived in comfort and ease, without any fear of war.

Through fundraising, small amounts of donations accumulated over time, and the people who contributed the most were ordinary people.

Jiang Yuzhu felt unwilling to contribute to the Jiang family instead of taking advantage of corrupt officials.

"There's no news from the north yet. The soldiers must be having a hard time. It's autumn now, and the mountains still have some produce. But if it snows in a month or so, and there's no harvest, we'll have to tighten our belts."

Jiang Yuzhu suggested that the caravan transporting food and other supplies should set off first. On the battlefield, a day's delay could mean the difference between success and failure.

"Madam, someone is secretly trying to obstruct the fundraising, so I pretended not to know and went along with their wishes."

The journey is long, so Xie Zhao must make sure everything is arranged before leaving.

Someone was delaying, and Xie Zhao took advantage of the situation.

"As for the food and supplies we've collected, don't worry, ma'am. The caravan has already set off."

Xie Zhao used his men to disperse all the food, fodder and cotton, and then gathered them together in the hub city in the north, greatly reducing the losses during transportation.

If a group of people encounter bandits along the way, the remaining hundred or so caravans will be safe and sound, and our side will only suffer a small loss, which we can fully bear.

Whether it's bandits or people who want to rob food secretly, how can we use our full strength when facing a scattered team?

Xie Zhao had calculated this and had already made the decision.

Jiang Yuzhu was not easy to fool. No matter how much Xie Zhao boasted about his plan, Jiang Yuzhu firmly grasped the core and did not waver: "The enemy is in the dark, you and I are in the light. To put it nicely, it is to spread the risk, but to put it simply and directly, we are just targets."

Being a target for show, borrowing arrows from others by boat might lead to you getting pierced by thousands of arrows!

Jiang Yuzhu remembered that the hard work was originally assigned to her father Jiang Fulu, and calmed down a bit before asking, "What were the soldiers and escort team originally supposed to be transporting?"

One thing in public, another in private?

"Transporting the rocks to Lingcheng."

There is a custom in Lingcheng of building houses with stones, and most of them buy the stones from the mountains around the capital.

After Xie Zhao distributed the food and grass, he did not intend to let the people sent by the court sit idle. He could make a small profit by using them to transport rocks.

"To avoid large-scale losses, it would be safest to allocate food and fodder to several cities near the northern region. Why do we have to start shipping from the capital?"

Jiang Yuzhu saw that the booklet said that the loss would be at least 10% to 20%, so she decided it would be better to bring silver with her, as she would not have to worry about not being able to buy things with money.