That night, many people gathered together, all with furrowed brows.
Someone said, "Could it be that we guessed wrong, and the Emperor is determined to send our children and grandchildren to their deaths?"
"I don't think so. We haven't been here long, and the Emperor wouldn't dare to cause too much turmoil in the new capital!" someone sighed. "Something must be wrong."
“I also think we’ve missed the mark. What’s the problem?” a middle-aged man said. “Logically speaking, the Emperor was initially angry because we withheld the soldiers’ pensions, but now that we’re willing to donate money, it’s enough to double the amount for the soldiers. The Emperor shouldn’t hold a grudge anymore!”
"Oh no, that's not right!" a fat man suddenly realized and shouted, "The pension is for the Northern Expeditionary Army. Who's in charge of the Northern Expeditionary Army? Marquis Xinting!"
"That's right, we've come to the wrong temple!"
"The Marquis of Xinting is not fond of wealth or women, nor does he covet power. His only thought is to reclaim the northern lands. I heard that he loves his soldiers like his own children. He must have been angry with us before, and now he is interfering."
"Definitely. His Majesty's relationship with Marquis Xinting is not just that of ruler and subject, but also that of cousins. This concerns the Northern Expeditionary Army; if the Marquis doesn't agree, His Majesty certainly won't budge!"
"Shall we try another approach?"
"Going directly to Marquis Xinting will definitely not work; we need to find a middleman to mediate."
"How is Imperial Censor Wen?"
"Still Liu Zhiheng?"
Finally, the middle-aged man spoke up, "I think it would be best to find the Marquis of Zhongshan. The Marquis, Imperial Censor Wen, and Liu Zhiheng all got to know each other through the Marquis of Zhongshan."
"The Marquis treats the Li family very differently. If the Earl of Zhongshan is willing to intervene, the Marquis will surely show leniency."
"Shall we go to the Hundred Flowers Garden for tea after the morning court session tomorrow?"
"Okay, together, together!"
Li Lao Er had no idea that he was about to become rich. That night he slept at the Relief Office. The next day he got up to go to court. He had been looking forward to the end of court and was in a hurry to leave, but he was stopped by more than a dozen court officials.
"Oh, Lord Li, I heard that two more peonies have arrived at the Hundred Flowers Garden. Would we be lucky enough to have the chance to see them?"
Li Lao Er knew exactly what was going on, but he pretended to be surprised, then exchanged a few polite words and invited everyone to the Hundred Flowers Garden.
Actually, he's been waiting for these idiots for a long time!
He's usually a smart man, but when it comes to the lives of his children and grandchildren, his mind turns to stone.
Recruiting! Recruiting!
The key point is definitely the word "soldier"!
And who is in charge of the troops? It's the Marquis!
As a result, instead of seeking help from the Marquis or trying to negotiate with him, they wandered around aimlessly like headless flies, which was completely useless.
Soon, the group arrived at the Hundred Flowers Garden.
The Cao family of four was taken aback by the sudden surge of guests and quickly began to serve them attentively.
Li Lao Er quietly reminded Lao Cao to double the price of the potted flowers displayed outside.
As expected, everyone praised it highly, and in the end, without even blinking, each person bought a pot.
Li Lao Er was extremely satisfied, and then stopped talking about his flower-growing expertise. He led everyone to sit down, drink tea, and chat.
Everyone shared the same goal, and after a few words, they got to the topic of conscription, then everyone sighed.
"My lord, you may not know this, but we've bought such beautiful flowers, and we're afraid we won't even have the heart to appreciate them once we get back."
"Yes, when you have something on your mind, you can't enjoy flowers, you can't even eat or drink properly, and you can't sleep well."
Li Lao Er laughed and said, "Indeed, my fourth brother followed the Marquis and went on several expeditions. Every time, I was on tenterhooks, and I could only breathe a sigh of relief when I saw him return."
Someone seized the opportunity to say, "I've heard that General Li Si is born with superhuman strength and is extremely brave. Even so, the Lord still can't help but worry about him. Does that mean we're even less likely to survive? My youngest son is only eighteen years old and has never practiced martial arts. If he goes to the battlefield, I'm afraid I'll be burying my son in less than three days!"
"Yes, my grandson just got married, and his wife is pregnant. When she heard about the conscription, she cried her heart out and almost miscarried."
"My mother is the same way, taking her medicine every day, wishing she could go to the battlefield in her child's place..."
Everyone chimed in with their own grievances.
Li Lao Er listened attentively, occasionally sighing and feigning sympathy.
Seeing this, everyone finally got to the point.
“Lord, it’s not that we don’t want to serve the country, but we have difficulties at home and our children are too incompetent. Even if they go to war, they will only be a burden.”
"That's right, that's right. Could you please ask Lord Marquis to speak to him and see if he and the Northern Expeditionary Army have any needs? We will definitely give our full support."
Li Lao Er pondered for a moment, then said, "As you all know, the Marquis's temper... is very upright and he won't change easily. I'm not sure I can say for sure. I can only say that when I get back, I will definitely put in a good word for you all."
"Oh, that's good, thank you so much, Your Excellency."
"Yes, if Lord, you can resolve our great concern, we will certainly repay you in the future."
Everyone was delighted to hear this and thanked them repeatedly.
After sitting for a while longer, everyone left with a sense of anticipation.
Li Lao Er also immediately returned to Suijintan.
The lord carried a basket and took his daughter up the mountain to pick mushrooms.
As a result, they didn't pick many mushrooms, but instead hit a rabbit with a pebble.
The little fox was overjoyed and circled around the Marquis, chirping and hoping that he would catch another one.
But things are different now; we no longer lack rabbits for a treat.
Moreover, autumn has begun, the vegetation is lush, and there are many insects and snakes. The Marquis was afraid of frightening his daughter, so he refused to look for any more rabbits.
The little fox got angry, so it jumped into the basket, guarded the dead rabbit, and lay down together, refusing to walk.
The Marquis didn't mind, squatted down, carried his chubby daughter on his back, and went down the mountain.
Jiayin took out a fruit from her bag and happily shared it with the Marquis, which made the little fox glare at her with its black bean-like eyes full of accusation.
The two men and the fox had just come down the mountain when they encountered Li Lao Er.
Li Lao Er couldn't help but laugh and greet him, "My lord, the fat sheep that brings silver has finally arrived at our door."
"Fat lamb! Where? Where is it?" Jiayin joined in the fun, shouting with a grin, "I want to eat lamb skewers!"
Li Lao Er tapped his mischievous niece and said with a laugh, "We have serious business to attend to. You go home first, and I'll discuss it with the Marquis."
Jiayin stuck out her tongue, jumped down, and, carrying the little fox and the basket, went home.
The Marquis dusted off the hem of his robe, picked a few blades of grass, and asked, "Has someone finally given up and agreed to bleed out?"
"Yes, Lord Marquis." Li Lao Er smiled smugly, "Today I swindled them first and sold more than a dozen pots of flowers at a high price."
The Marquis nodded and replied, "Let's go to my study. I just made a list yesterday, so let's take this opportunity to prepare everything the army is lacking."
"It would be best to get more stored grain. These families all have a lot of land, and the autumn harvest is coming soon. They will definitely have to sell last year's grain!" Li Lao Er suggested.
As the two were talking, they were about to enter the courtyard when three carriages suddenly turned off the road in the distance...
My darlings, right after the New Year holiday, I was diagnosed with scoliosis and a herniated disc. I've been doing physical therapy and using medicated plasters, and I've been persevering until now, but the pain is getting worse. Lately, the pressure is making it hard to breathe, and I'm even waking up gasping for air in my sleep. My child has finally started school, and I just can't take it anymore. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow for an X-ray to see what's going on. So, I'll be writing 4,000 words tomorrow, and the update will be a little late. I'm letting you know in advance, so please don't worry. Don't worry, my writing quality has remained consistent for ten years! Health is so important, so I hope you all take good care of yourselves too.
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