Li Lao Er added, "I reckon these people will come to me tomorrow asking about the results. Tonight, the Marquis should make a list of the supplies the army needs, and give me the rest."
“Alright,” the Marquis glanced at Li Laosi, whose mouth was covered in black ink from eating with his daughter, and said, “I plan to have Laosi lead the training of the young men from each family who have joined the Northern Expeditionary Army. From now on, we will all follow Laosi’s arrangements.”
Li Laosi didn't think much of it and casually agreed, "Okay, we're going to stay at the dock camp for another six months. Even if they're born rotten, I'll still smear them on the wall!"
After saying that, he picked up the little fox and threw it aside.
The little fox was quite the glutton; it actually used its front paws to dig at the sweet potato, almost setting its white fur on fire...
Mr. Li and Mr. Wen were filled with emotion.
Li Laosi was surprised, but they immediately understood.
The Marquis is trying to build momentum for the Li family, or rather, to provide them with another layer of protection...
I ask you, among all the civil and military officials and powerful figures in the court, do you have children and grandchildren who make a living under Li Laosi?
Whether it's training, guarding the camp, or going to war, they all need Li Laosi's care!
Even if they didn't go to great lengths to bribe and curry favor with the Li family, they would absolutely not dare to offend them easily!
It's safe to say that the Li family will become a highly sought-after family in Xindu from now on.
Li Lao Er rose to greet the Marquis, but the Marquis waved him off, pulled him back to his seat, and said in a low voice, "It's just a small matter, we're family, no need to be so polite."
Mr. Wen joked, "Next time something comes up so easily, Lord Marquis, please arrange one for me too."
"No!" The Marquis shook his head with a smile. "Your job has already offended most of the people in the court. It's good enough that they haven't caught you and put you in a sack."
Everyone burst into laughter, which made Mr. Wen look distressed. "I suddenly worry about my son. It seems I should submit fewer memorials in the future!"
Just as they were joking around, Zheng Feng and Zheng He brought over a tray.
Zheng Feng smiled and said, "The old lady said that all the masters should have dinner here, while they can eat comfortably next door."
"Are we being looked down upon?" Li Lao Er laughed. "Hurry up and set up the table. We can heat up two pots of wine, and no one will nag us if we drink a little more tonight."
Everyone helped out, and soon the food was laid out under the eaves, with two lanterns lit overhead, and then the meal was served.
Jiayin sat to the left of the Marquis, to the right of her father, and in her arms was a little fox. She was eating very happily.
She didn't need to pick up any food at all; her bowl was always piled high. The slight sense of crisis she felt from being out of favor had long since vanished!
The night breeze was a bit chilly, and the lanterns swayed and cast flickering shadows.
Everyone drank, ate, chatted, and laughed, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
As night deepened, the Wen family courtyard was tidied up, and Mr. Wen helped his wife home affectionately.
Li Laosi carried his daughter on his back and pulled his swaying second brother back to the next house.
Jiayin wanted to spend more time talking with her adoptive father, and she had some ideas about storing grain.
Unfortunately, we have to avoid suspicion.
She was a grown woman now, and it was no longer appropriate for her godfather to stay and sleep at his place, so she could only yawn and go home.
As Li Lao Er predicted, the Hundred Flowers Garden was packed with people again the next day.
Everyone had been agonizing over this all night, and when they heard that the Marquis had relented and would allow them to send only one son to the Northern Expeditionary Army, they were overjoyed.
But if there's only one legitimate son in the family who meets the criteria, they'd still want to bang their head against a wall.
"This won't do, Lord Li. We only have one legitimate son, so we can't send our illegitimate son even if we wanted to. Please think of another way. Perhaps you could talk to the Marquis and ask him to remove our family's quota?" A middle-aged civil official was practically bowing to Li Lao Er.
Li Lao Er quickly stopped him, invited everyone to sit down, and after thinking for a moment, said: "Everyone, the imperial edict for conscription was issued by the Emperor. Although the Marquis can request the Emperor to make adjustments, it is impossible to completely rescind it, after all, the Emperor's word is law."
"Although I'm not familiar with the military, I'm thinking that with so many people in the military, it's almost like one big family. For example, if someone goes out to farm or do business, it's hard and dangerous, but surely someone at home needs to stay to cook and watch over the grain warehouse, right?"
"As for the specific allocation of manpower, Your Excellency can certainly adjust it. At least half should be out on the field and the other half should be staying home. But the primary condition is that the granaries and storehouses must be full! You can tell that if they're empty, there's no need to guard them, right?!"
“Yes, that makes sense.” Immediately, someone’s eyes reddened and they shouted, “My unfilial son loves to eat, so he’s the most suitable to stay in the camp as a cook. But I also know that even a skilled cook can’t make a meal without rice, so my family is willing to donate 1,000 shi of military rations!”
"And me, my family is willing to donate a thousand bolts of coarse cloth. My son will take good care of it and make sure it doesn't get eaten by insects," another person added.
This was like opening a floodgate and smashing down a door, completely igniting everyone's "patriotic enthusiasm."
Grain, cloth, medicine, cotton, and so on were donated in the blink of an eye.
Li Lao Er was overjoyed, but he pretended to be troubled and said to everyone, "I will first thank you all for your support on behalf of the Northern Expeditionary Army. I will write down the list in a while and then find an opportunity to show it to the Marquis so that he can go to the palace to plead with the Emperor as soon as possible."
"But everyone should deliver the items as soon as possible. After all, once the final allocation list is set, it won't be easy to change it. I'm an outsider, and I was able to persuade the Marquis once because I'm thick-skinned. I can't do it a second time."
"Don't worry, my lord, we are already extremely grateful."
"Yes, Lord, don't worry, my family's grain will be delivered tomorrow."
Everyone responded enthusiastically. After giving the names of their children and grandchildren and registering the supplies, they hurriedly went home.
After all, his parents were still suffering from internal heat and taking medicine, and his children and grandchildren were trembling with fear...
Although they still had to go to the military camp, as long as they stayed at the dock and didn't go on the expedition, they could save their lives.
As for whether military life is tough, we'll be living so close by now that we can take care of each other.
When Li Lao Er returned home that evening, he proudly showed the booklet to the Marquis.
The Marquis was also pleased, as this amount of money, grain, and supplies would be enough to sustain the Northern Expeditionary Army for at least a year.
When the corn and potatoes have another bumper harvest next year, we won't have to rack our brains to prepare food anymore!
That night, most families in Xinduli were able to get a good night's sleep.
However, the Jiangning Marquis's residence was still not peaceful. The second master and his wife were very dissatisfied when they heard that so much money and grain were to be donated to the Northern Expeditionary Army just so that their nephew could be given a job as a cook.
After all, the family hasn't separated yet, so the second wife also gets a share of the things that were taken out.
The Crown Prince's wife was even more dissatisfied. How could the son she had raised with such care be allowed to cook and start a fire?
That's the Empress's own brother, the eldest son of the Marquis's family!
The old marquis's illness worsened as he listened to his two sons arguing, and he even spilled half of his medicine when being given to him.
The Crown Prince's wife hardened her heart and, the next day, just as the civil and military officials were leaving court, she actually had the old Marquis, with his crooked mouth and slanted eyes, carried to block the palace gates.
This time, the Emperor and Empress have no way to escape it.
After all, filial piety is paramount, and no one can bear to see the old Marquis die like this outside the palace gates...
I went to the hospital for an IV drip today and just managed to write two chapters. Thanks for your understanding, everyone! I'll continue with the IV drip tomorrow and the day after, and I'm scheduled for an MRI on Monday. As soon as my back pain gets a little better, I'll resume three updates a day. Hugs to everyone! Mwah!
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