Chapter 45
Marshal's Mansion
After returning from the Yichun military camp, Marshal Zhu was still feeling uneasy, "Tong Zhen, do you think Xing Changfeng was lying to me? He actually doesn't know where my other two secret vaults are? And the words he used are all generalities..." He said that he would ensure the safety of the other secret vaults, but he didn't mention any two in particular.
Feng Tong, his confidant, sincerely thought, "There's another possibility. Is it that the other party just doesn't want to push you too far?" However, he also understood the Marshal's urgency to transfer the supplies from the two secret vaults elsewhere. After all, they were his lifeblood.
"I feel that it is better to stay still than to move at this moment." Feng Tongzhen explained softly, "If it is true as the Marshal guessed, that he is deceiving us, then if we move, won't he notice? If he really knows the specific locations of the other two secret vaults, he also said that he will guarantee that nothing will happen to the other secret vaults. If you move, he can't guarantee that those secret vaults will not be stolen again." They had to be on guard against this.
Marshal Zhu knew this very well. He thought about it and said, "It would be great if I knew how they got the address of the secret vault. Do you think someone..." betrayed him?
Feng Tong really knew what he had not said. He shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be the case. All the slaves and prisoners who built those secret vaults are dead." There are less than ten people who know about the secret vaults, and many of them only know one side of the story. These people are his confidants and will never betray him.
In fact, Marshal Zhu also knew this, but because he could not find any other reason, he could not help but suspect them.
Marshal Zhu finally sighed and said, "Old buddy, it's not a pleasant feeling to be held hostage."
The confidant nodded silently. "That's right. They've always been the ones holding others hostage. This time, they're being strangled, and it's really uncomfortable." But Xing Changfeng wasn't someone they could kill in one fell swoop.
"To be honest, I kind of regret provoking him," Marshal Zhu said jokingly. A confidant is a disaster, a confidant is a disaster. What's even more depressing is that he has nothing to hold him hostage.
In the eyes of the villagers, Yao Chunnuan is a very approachable person. Although he works in the general's court, he is really humble.
Every day when she went to and from work, she would nod in a friendly manner to people she didn't know, and would respond to people who greeted her. They all said privately that she was a very nice person.
That day, when she was off duty, people who met her on the road boldly asked her whether the food they had distributed would be taken back. They all knew that the food was stolen by bandits from Marshal Zhu and his men, and that their general had swept the bandits from the two mountain strongholds, so the food fell into the general's hands.
Although Marshal Zhu left with a gloomy face and never mentioned the food issue again, they were still worried. If they could get an answer, it would put their minds at ease.
"The food that falls into your hands is yours. Don't just hand it over foolishly when someone asks you to." Yao Chunnuan pointed at them jokingly.
The villagers who heard this were thoughtful.
Yao Chunnuan's first words spread quickly, and the villagers knew that the food they had been given would not be taken back. They all felt relieved, and their faces lit up with joy as they looked at their homes overflowing with food. With so much food, they could have a good New Year's Eve.
In addition, they also heard a good news that starting from next year, their military settlements only need to provide 30% of the total income from the farmland in Yichun Camp every year, and the rest will all go to the military settlements.
The military settlements could intercept more food, which was a good thing for the settlers. It meant that the larger the group, whether it was the military settlements or the prisoners doing labor, the more possibilities they had to obtain food.
The settlers were happy, and so were the civil and military officials in the general's mansion.
Because there was no dispute after the negotiations between the two sides, the general's reward came down, and everyone got a share based on their merits.
The soldiers who followed them out to work that night were all given a large share of gold and silver. Their merits were recorded, and once they received their designations, they would accumulate them. The designation issue was only known to the upper echelons of the military settlements, as it was only the beginning. However, the generals within the army were already secretly preparing to recruit soldiers.
In addition, many rewards were bestowed upon members of the shogunate, mainly in the form of gold, silver, and winter supplies. Now the entire military settlement knew that the shogunate's staff had made great efforts, especially Yao Chunnuan, who received the most rewards, which made people think a lot.
Chief Steward Wu reminded him subtly, "General, isn't this too ostentatious?" Isn't this putting Chief Secretary Yao on the fire?
Xing Changfeng said nonchalantly, "Publicly? Is it okay to just say nothing and do nothing? In terms of merit, the members of the shogunate, especially Yao Zhubo, have made great contributions. It's hard to say that they schemed against Marshal Zhu, but if they can't say it, can't we still commend them generously? This is the honor they deserve, why hide it?"
Manager Wu thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case. As staff members, becoming famous was also one of their pursuits. No matter how much gold and silver was given in private, it would not be as pleasing as the general's public affirmation.
The members of the shogunate were delighted by the Shogun's timely and thoughtful reward. The Shogun acknowledged the Shogunate's role in the event, a significant achievement that would mark a significant milestone in their careers. They weren't afraid of publicity, or even fear of what Marshal Zhu would do if he found out.
But they also knew that this time, they were probably benefiting from Yao Chunnuan's influence. No one who could serve as an advisor was stupid. Their general was able to tear such a large piece of flesh from Marshal Zhu, and Marshal Zhu could get whatever he wanted. It must be that the general had some powerful leverage over him. This leverage was obviously provided by Yao Chunnuan.
Compared to the cheerfulness and ease of the entire military settlement, some people were clearly troubled. At this moment, Wang Lang was sitting in the small study separated from his room, writing and drawing.
The looted food had a clear way out: they obtained 100% autonomy of the military settlement and applied for a number. With the number, they could go to war with justification, and no longer had to be confined to the military settlement and only fight bandits. At the same time, it also meant that they could recruit soldiers.
He connected these together and found that the situation opened up immediately after a few conditions were negotiated.
Wang Lang frowned at the outcome of the negotiations. That wasn't the case. Although he was still in Fengqing at this time in his previous life and hadn't reached Yichun, he had later reviewed historical records of military settlements after arriving in Yichun and joining Ji Ze's army. There had been a similar incident in his previous life, where Xing Changfeng had his troops disguised as bandits and raided the warehouses of several trusted generals of Marshal Zhu, then returned to raid two or three mountain strongholds, completing the plot.
But he remembered that Marshal Zhu's secret library was not among the materials he had read, so he must have not found it.
Marshal Zhu led his troops to demand an explanation. Just like today, after a brief standoff, negotiations began. However, the negotiations were not smooth, with both sides acting very aggressively and tensions rising. Ultimately, the result was Marshal Zhu's decision to drop the investigation into the stolen grain from the warehouses. He didn't gain autonomy for the military settlements, and he certainly didn't get the new designation the Xing family army had requested.
The same thing produced two different results, the difference between the two is huge.
It's not hard to deduce that this time, Xing Changfeng must have something on Marshal Zhu that's causing him to repeatedly back down. Unlike his previous life, Xing Changfeng was dominant, and Marshal Zhu, who had no leverage, refused to back down either, resulting in a tit-for-tat situation. Ultimately, Xing Changfeng didn't gain much advantage.
The biggest difference between the two lives was that in this one, Yao Chunnuan had joined Xing Changfeng's general's court. So, could Yao Chunnuan be the root of this drastic change? And how did she get hold of evidence against Marshal Zhu? But she had barely uttered a word in the meeting room that day.
Wang Lang sighed. He thought he had a high opinion of Yao Chunnuan, but he had underestimated her. What should he do now? It was really a headache.
Marshal Zhu was also discussing Yao Chunnuan with his confidants. Xing Changfeng had given her such a high-profile reward that he almost said that Yao Chunnuan played a crucial role in harming him.
"You think Xing Changfeng pushed her out to create confusion?"
"I think this is true. Xing Changfeng is quite proud. If Yao Shi didn't have that ability, he wouldn't bother to treat a woman with such courtesy."
Marshal Zhu nodded. "I've read about Xing Changfeng. He's a rare and formidable general whose talents lie solely in battle. He's not particularly skilled in conspiracy and intrigue. Furthermore, his chief of staff, Yu Chen, isn't here. Even with such a strong lineup, we still suffered such a heavy loss."
Thinking back on the content of the negotiations that day, Xing Changfeng was really encroaching step by step, and he had unknowingly given in step by step. And with each step of concession, the other party had a reason to convince him.
If he had just sat down and knew he would lose so much, he would never have been able to accept it and would have walked away without hesitation. No matter what the consequences were, the consequence was to fight and destroy Xing Changfeng!
The other party had a handle on him and clearly grasped his heart, so they had to guess that there was a master behind him. Even more ridiculous was that this master was most likely a woman.
"Send someone to contact the Yao family."
In fact, after discussing with his confidants, he felt that there were only two reasons for the secret vault to be leaked. One was that someone betrayed him, and the other was that the stolen secret vault was discovered by them in some unknown way. He only hoped to get some accurate information from Yao.
The next day, when Yao Chunnuan was on duty, Xiao Jieming walked behind her carrying a pot.
When the members of the shogunate saw Yao Chunnuan, they were very respectful and more friendly.
When she came in, she greeted everyone, "Come and see what good things I brought you."
As soon as the lid of the pot was opened, half of the chicken feet in the pot were exposed to everyone. The chicken feet were golden and shiny, and still steaming hot, which made people very appetizing at first sight.
"Are these the two hundred chicken feet the kitchen gave you yesterday?"
"Yes, everyone, try it. My Su Yi spent half the night braising these chicken feet." Yao Chunnuan took the first one.
We were all family, so everyone looked at each other and started eating without hesitation. Anyway, we just ate, so no one looked down on anyone else.
It happened that the servant from the kitchen came to deliver breakfast to them, and Yao Chunnuan gave him a few.
While they were eating, they couldn't help but comment on the food.
“It tastes good and is a good side dish for drinking.”
"You know what, your Su Yi's craftsmanship is really good."
"By the way, how did you cook your two chickens?"
"Last night, the male was boiled." This kind of standard free-range chicken raised in the mountains must be boiled.
It must be said that Marshal Zhu's young general is a master at raising chickens. The chicken, needless to say, is firm and springy thanks to its good exercise, making it delicious whether pan-fried, stir-fried, or boiled. Besides the chicken itself, the chicken feet, each weighing two or three taels, are incredibly delicious when braised.
It's a pity that the young general was obviously Marshal Zhu's confidant at first glance, otherwise it would be great to find a way to bring him to the military settlement. He wouldn't have to do anything and would just be responsible for raising chickens!
The young chicken farmer didn't know that the people in the military settlement had eaten his chickens and were also targeting his people.
While they were eating, the kitchen manager came and, seeing that they were eating and drinking, he joined in without any hesitation.
Yao Chunnuan divided the half pot of chicken feet into pieces and soon finished them all.
The kitchen manager scratched his head and said, "Braised chicken feet are delicious, but there are not that many chicken feet to braise."
Yao Chunnuan was itching to get the kitchen manager to join her in targeting the young chicken farmer, but after thinking it over, she decided against it. "Actually, after this marinade is ready, we can braise something else."
Zhu Yongnian, who was standing by, asked, "What else can I braise? My favorite thing in my life is pig ears. Can you braise some for me?"
"Master Yao is busy, please don't bother her." The kitchen manager pushed past him and said to Yao Chunnuan, "Master Yao, I came here to ask if you could share your braised chicken feet recipe with our kitchen staff. You might not know, but many of the men in the army love this."
Yao Chunnuan made a scissors gesture and said, "No problem. I'll give the recipe to the main kitchen later." A recipe wasn't much; she wasn't making money from it anyway. If the main kitchen made the marinade, she could enjoy it regularly. And the main kitchen definitely had more and better ingredients than she did.
The kitchen manager nodded secretly. He liked Yao Zhubo's magnanimity and said, "These chicken feet were braised by Miss Luo, right? The people in the kitchen are stupid. You should let Miss Luo come and teach them directly." In return for the favor, he was also willing to praise Luo Suyi.
"Okay, I'll have someone go back and call her over later."
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