Upon seeing the young master enter, Ye Shan quickly stood up. Perhaps fearing that he might accidentally hurt the young master, he casually hid the knife behind his back.
Jiayin laughed and said, "Uncle Shan, are you sharpening a knife for your godfather? I have something to tell you."
Dongmei came out of the house and quickly agreed, "Miss, please give your orders. Let him go out and do his business quickly. If we keep dragging this out, the blade will be worn down."
Ye Shan chuckled, quickly wiped the sword clean, and carefully inserted it into its sheath.
Jiayin said, "Uncle Shan, the money we got from selling melons is just sitting there. I think we should exchange it for grain and save it."
“The people in Xindu are terrible. What if my godfather is away and the court stops providing supplies? Grandma always says that having food in hand keeps you calm. I’ll save up some so I can help my godfather in case of an emergency.”
"Go to Zhengjiazhuang and ask them to buy grain in small quantities and multiple times. Store it properly for now. I have other arrangements for when the winter is cold."
After saying that, she took out a thick purse from her handbag, which was full of silver notes.
A full five thousand taels!
Although Ye Shan felt that with the Emperor around, no one would dare to embezzle the Marquis's military rations, it was his duty to obey his master's orders.
He quickly took it, "Yes, Miss, don't worry, I'll go to Zhengjiazhuang right away."
After saying that, he was about to leave, but Jiayin, using her handbag as a cover, took out another oil paper package from her spatial storage. "Uncle Shan, here are two buns. Have some on your way."
Ye Shan smiled and, without any ceremony, took the food and began to untie the horse's reins while eating. But before he could leave, the Marquis returned with a cavalry of dozens of men.
Seeing that Ye Shan was about to leave, the Marquis asked a couple of questions, but didn't say much after hearing that Jia Yin had given instructions.
Ye Shan went out and left. The little fox was the first to spot the Marquis and started chirping. Jia Yin quickly ran up to him and hugged his arm. "Father, why did you come in so early today?"
"There's nothing important going on at court today, so I went to the docks to bring back the men for you." The Marquis held the plump girl's hand and led her up the steps.
Dongmei quickly moved a chair, and the father and daughter sat down.
Thirty veterans tied up their horses and came over, bowing in unison.
Jiayin found it strange. She guessed that these people were hired by her godfather for her to go out and find medicinal herbs and the like.
But none of these people seemed to be wounded; at least none of them were missing limbs.
She asked, "Godfather, you've brought all the best soldiers from the army to me. Won't you be short-handed?"
"No," the Marquis chuckled, patting her back to reassure her. He explained, "They've been fighting alongside me for years, and while they're all wounded, it doesn't stop them from moving around. They're here to help you find medicinal herbs. They're gradually adapting to being ordinary people and living peaceful lives."
Jiayin suddenly realized and understood.
These people are probably what I heard about in my previous life as post-traumatic stress disorder. They may not have any visible injuries, but the battles have left deep marks on their hearts.
She thought for a moment and then said, "Father, will they listen to my arrangements from now on? Will they be completely under my command as servants or hired hands?"
The Marquis smiled and shook his head. "That depends on whether you can persuade them. If they are willing, they can be your servants; if not, they can stay in the workshop in the second village."
Jiayin wasn't intimidated at all. She got up, took two steps forward, and carefully examined the veterans.
It can be said that those who have come from the battlefield all have a fierce look in their eyes, and are even always on guard.
But their eyes were still quite clear and honest, which pleased Jiayin.
She began by saying, "Everyone here is about the same age as my father, so I should call you uncles and elders. I am Li Jiayin, the youngest granddaughter of the Li family, and also the Princess Kang Le, personally bestowed by my imperial uncle. Suijintan is my fiefdom."
"First of all, I want to thank you for fighting for Tianwu and for sacrificing your lives to protect our peaceful and prosperous life! Today you have come to our Suijintan. No matter what you do in the future, I welcome you on behalf of everyone in Suijintan."
"Uncles, please rest assured, there are no enemies here, only relatives who help each other to survive. Of course, recently wild boars have been running down the mountain and damaging the crops. Grandpa Village Chief chased them so hard that the soles of his shoes almost flew off. If you uncles consider the wild boars as enemies, that would be the best. The whole village would be happy, and we could have a feast again."
The thirty-year-old veteran had been keeping a straight face. Although he could trust the Marquis, he had come to an unfamiliar place after all.
But the little chubby princess welcomed them and made jokes, so they couldn't help but laugh.
Even the Marquis, sitting in the back, smiled broadly.
He knew that his little girl was not like any other child.
None of these thirty veterans will escape her grasp...
The oldest man, with a dark complexion, led the way in bowing and saying, "Thank you, Princess, for not looking down on us useless people."
"I don't mind," Jiayin said with a grin, waving her chubby little hand. "My godfather loves me the most. The fact that he chose you and sent you to my side proves that you are the most capable soldiers in his heart!"
Sure enough, the 30-year-old veteran relaxed even more, standing tall and proud.
Jiayin continued, “I asked my godfather to gather all the uncles and elders here. Actually, it’s nothing serious. I’ve been learning medicine from an old herbalist. Some of the medicinal herbs are only in books, and I’ve never actually seen them. I’m still young, and my family doesn’t feel comfortable letting me go out.”
"So I wanted to find a team to help me go south to find some medicinal herb seeds, seedlings, or maybe some local fruit or something."
"This job requires us to travel outdoors, live in the open, and may be dangerous. So all of you uncles, please think carefully before you decide whether you want to work for me."
"If you are to serve me, you must sign a life-or-death contract, not a work contract, because the medicine I research in the future may become famous throughout the world, and the formula and raw materials must be kept secret. I need your loyalty."
"Of course, since you uncles are loyal to me and willing to work hard, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. From now on, you will each receive five taels of silver per month, and I will be responsible for providing all the rest of your food, clothing, weapons, and medicine. I can guarantee that these are all the best and will ensure your safety to the greatest extent possible."
"If that's the case, there's still a chance something might happen. So... I'll give my deceased uncles a proper burial, find orphans to adopt them, and offer incense to them. As for my disabled uncles, I'll take care of them until they die. As long as I live, as long as Broken Gold Beach exists, my uncles will have no worries about food and clothing and live in peace and prosperity!"
The veterans listened in silence for a long time, not because they didn't believe Jiayin had the ability to fulfill his promise, after all, he still had the Li family and the Marquis as his backers.
They were astonished that a child of only a few years old could utter such a logical, well-reasoned, and persuasive argument...
No wonder they've wasted half their lives, still just common soldiers, while this chubby girl is already a princess...
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