Before the Marquis could speak, everyone became worried and asked in unison, "Have the barbarians crossed the river?"
Ye Shan shook his head and quickly replied, "Not yet, but this time it's different from before. There are a lot of people gathered, and there are occasional clashes at the dock."
The crowd looked grim, knowing that the Jinsha River was the last line of defense for the entire Jiangnan region.
If the barbarians break through the natural barrier, Jiangnan will definitely be lost, and since Suijintan is less than a hundred miles from the dock, it will surely be the first to suffer.
The old lady sighed, "What kind of world is this? Our family has already gone south twice. We thought we'd finally settled down here, but it seems we still need to be more prepared..."
The Marquis waved his hand, comforting the old lady, "Auntie, don't worry. The barbarians have been entrenched on the grasslands since ancient times. Their southward march was already a self-inflicted wound, and now they have to cross the river. They are at a disadvantage, so they are not to be feared for the time being."
After saying that, he stood up and said, "Auntie, I'm going to take care of something."
"Oh dear, I forgot about the important matter. Why did I keep you here chatting? Go and get busy!" The old lady slapped her forehead in regret and shooed the Marquis away to deal with the important matter.
For most of the winter, the Marquis stayed at the estate and often came to chat with her. She got so used to it that she always forgot he was still the Marquis of Tianwu.
What kind of talk was that? Worrying about the barbarians moving south? Does that mean he's a useless military commander?
The Marquis didn't seem to care and turned to leave.
The old lady quickly instructed the children, "After we go out, you're not allowed to say anything, understand?"
"I know, Grandma, don't worry," Jiaren quickly assured her.
Li Ge'er nodded in agreement, and Mao Ge'er nodded in bewilderment, but their attention was more focused on the good things their older brother had bought, and they paid no attention to what everyone had just said.
As for Jiayin, she's smarter than anyone else and doesn't need any instructions.
That evening, during dinner, the old lady asked her fourth son to invite Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) and his wife, as well as the village elder and his wife, to join in the festivities. After the table was cleared, everyone gathered together to chat.
The old lady picked up her granddaughter and helped her peel and roast peanuts. While doing so, she told her about the war and then suggested, "Shouldn't we start harvesting grain again over in the valley?"
The village chief quickly nodded, "Even if there's no such thing, I still wanted to say that this year, we should plant all the riverbank land with cold melons and cantaloupes in Suijintan. The fruit trees on the mountain are getting taller and taller, so we can no longer intercrop millet. There's no hope for the autumn harvest... We should continue to harvest grain in the valley and each family should store more so that we have peace of mind."
Liu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and his wife had no objections, so the matter was settled.
The news of the grain purchase was released the next day.
Of course, guests who come in the next few days cannot immediately exchange their silver for grain, but those who made reservations in advance were clearly informed of this.
There is never a shortage of smart people in this world.
In the valley, the male guests were soaking in the pool, with cloths draped over their heads. One of them was drinking tea and talking about this, saying, "I heard that things are not very peaceful by the river. Look, they've even started harvesting grain at Broken Gold Beach."
A friend standing nearby said, "Why do you say that? What does collecting grain as an entrance fee have to do with the fighting on the riverbank?"
The man who had spoken earlier sighed and explained in a low voice, "Don't you even know who owns Suijintan? It's the Marquis of Xinting! The Marquis was the one who guarded the dock defense line before. He wouldn't have retreated if he hadn't been injured. Now that Suijintan has started collecting grain, it means the battle on the river is getting tense, and they're starting to get scared."
"Ah, I see... What should we do then? When will the Marquis return to the dock?" The friend suddenly realized and asked instinctively, afraid that his defenses would be breached.
The man who spoke said, "Why are you in such a hurry? Even the court isn't in a hurry! There are too many twists and turns involved. Do you think those who took military power from the marquises would be willing to hand it over again? Besides, the court isn't ruled by one person alone..."
"You mean..."
"Don't expose what you've seen through! This matter is still going to be complicated. We ordinary people should just live our lives honestly and enjoy each day as it comes. Who knows what the future holds?"
"Yes, putting everything else aside, this snow in front of us will probably melt away soon, and we won't see it again until next winter."
"Haha, there's no need to worry. The orchards on the mountain will be in bloom in a few days. Soaking in a hot spring amidst falling blossoms would be a wonderful experience."
"How about we invite Brother Wang and Brother Liu, bring two jars of good wine, and have a poetry gathering?"
"Then we'll just have to book this entire valley!"
Not to mention the two of them talking with great enthusiasm, even in the capital, in the imperial court, the sudden and fierce attack by the barbarians caused a great deal of arguing.
Previously, the old ministers who had proposed cutting military pay and rations fell silent, bowing their heads and pretending not to understand.
The younger courtiers seized the opportunity to engage in heated debates, almost tearing the old ministers' faces off without holding back.
Wen Shaoyuan stood in the corner, secretly yawning. At this moment, the censors had no room to speak and could only watch.
Yesterday, after moving out of the rented courtyard, he went straight to a guesthouse, which was noisy, so he didn't sleep well.
After the court session, he would find a new place to stay no matter what.
At worst, I can just borrow a courtyard from Fatty Liu. The Liu family is big and powerful, and they must have some spare courtyards. I just don't know if my family will be furious if they find out. They'll probably think that the Wen family's century-old reputation has been tarnished by this unfilial son!
Wen Shaoyuan finally made it to the end of the court session, but still no result was reached. They would continue the discussion tomorrow.
He followed the court officials out of the palace gate and saw Wen Hai waiting beside a carriage.
"Why did you come here? Didn't I tell you to watch the things?" Wen Shaoyuan asked anxiously.
He had a lot of books in his luggage, which he kept at the inn. If they were lost, it would be a huge loss.
Before Wen Hai could respond, the carriage door opened and Jia Ren, dressed in a plain long robe, jumped down. "Teacher, my father and I have come to ask you to come with us to do something."
"Didn't you rush home? Why are you back again? Besides, isn't today..." Mr. Wen was surprised and wanted to mention Wu Cuihua's seventh-day memorial service, but he swallowed his words back.
Jiaren understood and said, "Don't worry, teacher. I came after burning paper money for my mother. Sir, you should get in the carriage and change out of your official robes. Your luggage is in the carriage!"
Mr. Wen nodded, got into the carriage, and Wen Hai jumped onto the carriage shaft, cracking his whip as they rode off.
Wen Hai glanced at the various carriages and couldn't help but feel sorry for his master.
If no one from the Li family comes, and he is at the inn, his master will have to walk back after court.
Everyone else's house is chauffeured around and surrounded by servants, but his master is so poor.
He would support his master if he never returned to the Wen family. It was the old mansion that went too far, and the old master and old lady were too heartless!
Leaving aside Wen Hai's inner turmoil and his indignation at his master, Mr. Wen changed his clothes in the carriage and looked at the several boxes of books, feeling relieved. "This is all my savings. Since you have taken 'them' hostage, I will be at your beck and call for the rest of the day."
Li Lao Er and Jia Ren both smiled, feeling slightly relieved.
Mr. Wen can still laugh and joke, so he probably isn't too upset about his current predicament.
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, so sir, you'll listen to us today!"
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