A young girl, her black hair tied up, adorned only with a single jade hairpin.
The dim candlelight shone through the jade hairpin, falling on her cheeks, making her look stunningly beautiful.
Mu Xu's heart pounded like a drum, making his blood boil.
Such a momentous event, involving the lives and deaths of countless people, would likely cause any other woman to panic and weep.
But the girl before me was so determined, so full of fighting spirit.
She said she wanted to fight alongside him, so... let's fight!
The warm breeze of early summer never misses such a beautiful moment; it quietly sneaks in through the window and dutifully bears witness to it.
Love at first sight in this world is always lust at first sight.
For a relationship to last and remain strong, it must involve sharing joys and sorrows and weathering all storms together!
As night deepened, the lights in the house went out, leaving Jiayin alone once again.
But she still didn't sleep until the little fox's white figure slipped in.
Jiayin held the little fox, feeding it grapes while chatting away...
No secrets stay hidden forever, especially when it comes to something as serious as the destruction of military rations.
The northern expedition not only carried the emperor's desire to unify the country and avenge the humiliation, but also the people's wish to reclaim their homeland.
Over the years, how many elderly people, on their deathbeds, have been thinking of their hometown and old friends in Jiangbei?
Their only last words were that they wanted to be buried in their ancestral graves and to be worshipped in their hometown.
Marquis Xinting led his northern expeditionary army northward year after year, gradually driving the barbarians northward, like a millstone, consuming their manpower.
After countless lives and bloodshed, the decisive battle has finally arrived this year.
The entire nation is hoping and paying close attention.
As a result, there were still people who, under such circumstances, right under the noses of the people of Xindu, tried to trip up the Northern Expeditionary Army, wanting them to fight the barbarians on an empty stomach.
How vicious, how despicable!
"This is treason!" In a teahouse, a middle-aged scholar slammed his teacup on the table, his face red with anger.
My friends at the table were also furious and chimed in.
"Exactly! If I knew who was behind this despicable act, I would write a thirty-page letter of condemnation, making their ancestors in the afterlife ashamed to be reincarnated!"
"Such villains deserve to be torn to pieces. It's a pity that we scholars are powerless to even kill a chicken, otherwise we would have personally escorted the military supplies northward."
"When will those good-for-nothings in the Ministry of War find someone to take action?"
But some people said, "Could it be that the barbarians sent scouts to make us suspicious of each other and disrupt the new capital?"
But someone immediately retorted, "Impossible. In the past few years, the Marquis has already set up three lines of defense north of the river. It's impossible for the barbarians to come in quietly."
"Even though this is shameful, we still have to say it: there must be a traitor within our Tianwu."
In the streets and alleys of the city, people were also discussing it animatedly.
"Life is never going to get any better. It's not that there are no good things, it's that there are no good people. The Marquis and his men are fighting the enemy at the front, and these scoundrels are dragging them down from behind. It's infuriating!"
"Exactly! I really want to pick up a butcher's knife and skin this brat alive and gouge out his heart!"
Some well-informed people said, "I heard that the general of the Northern Expeditionary Army and Lord Li are borrowing grain from one noble family after another. They plan to transport it to Jiangbei first, and then return it after the grain from various prefectures is transferred over."
"Really? That's a good idea! I still have a load of rice at home; I'll take it to the Northern Expeditionary Army first!"
"Me too, me too. My family has two loads. We stocked up on rice when it was cheap, and now it's really coming in handy."
"My family doesn't have much rice, but we have potatoes. I'll go ask if we can give them to the Northern Expeditionary Army to feed their horses!"
As they talked and discussed, they hurriedly headed towards the entrance of the military department.
Unfortunately, the threshold for government offices is too high, and no one is willing to serve these ordinary people.
The people had no other choice but to turn to the relief agency.
Just then, Li Lao Er returned to pick up his things and, seeing this, quickly thanked everyone.
"Thank you so much for your concern for the Northern Expeditionary Army. If Jiangbei is safely recovered, you will definitely deserve a lot of credit."
"With such strong support from everyone, the soldiers can fight the enemy with peace of mind."
The people were delighted to hear this and waved their hands modestly.
"You flatter us, Your Excellency. We should have done this."
"That's right. We can't go and fight the enemy, but we can help out with small favors."
Li Lao Er smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, before finally advising, "I know everyone is sincere, but we have enough military rations for now, and they will be sent to Jiangbei the day after tomorrow."
"Everyone, please keep the rice and grain at home for now. If we ever run out of rations again, I will personally go to the street corner to ask for your help, okay?"
"Have you really gathered enough food?"
"This is wonderful! This time, those wealthy and powerful families have finally been generous!"
"We'll listen to you, Lord. The Northern Expeditionary Army is led by the Marquis, and General Li is also there. If we really need food, you certainly won't be polite to us!"
"That's settled then, Lord, we'll be going now."
After chatting for a while, everyone took their leave.
Li Lao Er stood at the door, saw everyone off, and remained silent for a long time.
Zheng He stepped forward and whispered, "Lord, no wonder people say that the most righteous are often butchers, while the most ungrateful are often scholars."
“These villagers only had one or two loads of grain at home, yet they were willing to give it to the Northern Expeditionary Army without any heartache or hesitation.”
"Look at those wealthy and powerful families. When we ask them for grain, it's like asking for nothing. They actually want to get a name on the Emperor's side and use our family's connections to save their own children in the end. They are so greedy and infuriating."
Li Lao Er felt uneasy as he recalled what he had experienced over the past day.
But the situation is not good now, so stability is of paramount importance.
These are trivial matters; it's not time to fuss over them.
"Let's solve the food problem first. The Marquis and his men are fighting on the front lines, and they are having a much harder time than we are."
"Also, send a message to Baiyunjian, asking them to make more ice cream bars and add some honey juice."
"Children who have no work here at the Relief Department go out to sell things on the street, just to make a profit. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, so it's a way to help everyone cool down."
"Yes, Your Excellency." Zheng He immediately replied...
In the afternoon, the palace was filled with the chirping of cicadas.
On the lush, tall tree, cicadas, hiding in some corner, chirped incessantly, which was quite annoying.
But in the side hall of Zhilan Palace, Jiayin's worries vanished, and she asked Mu Xu happily, "Really? The food has been collected and sent out already?"
Mu Xu wiped his brow and replied, "Of course, I personally watched the loading of the ship. This time, General Li Yong personally escorted it to Jiangbei, without the slightest delay."
"That's great!" Jiayin breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was four or five days late, with her adoptive father's prudence and years of experience in battle, he would definitely not delay the campaign or shake the morale of the army.
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