"I'm calculating. Don't worry, just be patient."
"Master Zhuang, please wait a moment. We have only calculated half of it." The two old accountants didn't even raise their heads, squinted their eyes, and concentrated on using the abacus.
This is a serious matter, how can we not be anxious?
Zhuang Song, standing next to one of the old accountants, was impatient, but he managed to remain calm and replied, "Well, all right, I'm not in a hurry! Please take your time with the calculations, gentlemen. We have to submit the accounts to Magistrate Pan, so there's no room for error. Please be careful."
"It's natural."
"I dare not be careless in counting the official grain accounts." The two old accountants were serious about their work, sometimes using beads, sometimes using pens to count, concentrating and working in an orderly manner.
Although Jiang Yushu could use an abacus, the account books were numerous and piled up more than a foot high. Her experience was far inferior to that of the old accountant. She could only wait anxiously, walking around the table again and again.
Zhuang Song only remained calm for a moment before he could no longer contain himself and began to mutter again, "Oh, this is driving me crazy! This is really driving me crazy! Is there really 15 million jin?"
The old accountant sat as steady as a clock, concentrating on his work, and occasionally saying a word or two.
But the two accountants were fed up with this repetition, and were extremely annoyed. They pressed their abacus with their right palms, looked up helplessly, and said politely: "Master Zhuang, since you have instructed that 'the official grain accounts must not be wrong', I really can't hurry."
"Instead of waiting, why don't you two go have a cup of tea? Once the deal is clear, I'll take a look at it. How about that?"
Obviously, this is an order to expel guests.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yushu stopped circling the table; upon hearing this, Zhuang Song moved the stool next to the old accountant.
The two looked at each other awkwardly and nodded at the same time. Jiang Yushu replied apologetically, "Okay. Then you guys are busy. I won't disturb you."
"No hurry, no hurry. What's the hurry? No matter how urgent it is, it won't happen in a short while." Zhuang Song walked out awkwardly, "Okay, I'll go out for tea."
Cuimei, Zou Gui, the yamen runners and others followed, moving very lightly so as not to disturb the old accountant.
Just as the group stepped down the stairs, they heard a sudden "creaking" sound behind them. Looking back, they saw that the accounting office had closed the doors and windows!
Cuimei whispered, "Look, the accountant is annoyed by our noise."
Jiang Yushu sighed, "It's our fault."
"Hey, no hurry, no hurry! Let's go, have some tea." Zhuang Song waved his hand and led the crowd away.
So, the group sat there and drank three cups of tea, but the doors and windows of the accounting office were still closed.
Zhuang Song was restless, wanting to find out. "What's going on? Haven't you figured it out yet? That's too slow. I'll go check it out!"
Jiang Yushu tried to dissuade him, "It's best not to disturb him. He probably hasn't finished counting yet. If you interrupt, the numbers might get messed up, and the old man will be angry."
"This...ah!" Zhuang Song sat down and drank half a cup of warm tea.
In the late autumn afternoon, the autumn sun is warm.
After a long while, Jiang Yushu covered her mouth and yawned, feeling sleepy and tired, she said, "I can't stand it anymore. I have to go home and rest for a while. I'll come back later to ask for news."
Zhuang Song, entrusted by Guo Honglei to take care of her, immediately replied, "Go back and rest. I'll tell you as soon as I have any news, and we can discuss our next steps."
"Okay! I hope it's good news." As she spoke, Cuimei supported Jiang Yushu and said goodbye to Zou Gui and left.
As her body became increasingly heavy and her insteps were swollen, making it difficult for her to walk, Jiang Yushu walked down the gentle slope, got on the carriage, and rushed home to rest.
A moment later
"Whoa!"
"We're home!" Zou Gui jumped off the carriage and skillfully placed the square stool.
Cuimei lifted the thick curtain, and a cold wind blew in her face. Jiang Yushu shivered with cold, wrapped herself tightly in her coat, and could no longer bend down. She carefully stepped onto the square stool to get out of the car.
At this time, the village head led dozens of villagers to help the Guo family, busy moving wood and building a sheep pen.
As soon as Jiang Yushu appeared, people she knew immediately gathered around her, curiously asking, "How's it going? How much grain did you harvest this autumn?"
"The accountant is still working on it, but the figures haven't been worked out yet. We'll know later." Jiang Yushu smiled and said gratefully, "Thank you all for your hard work. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to build the sheep pen before the snow started."
Liu Sanping wiped his sweat and answered honestly, "It's not hard, it's my duty. Everyone here has asked for goat milk to feed their children and build the sheep pen, so we should help out."
"It's nothing. We have more and more sheep. I don't dare to use the meat, but I have plenty of goat milk. Instead of leaving it there, I might as well give it to the children."
Jiang Yushu invited loudly, "Don't rush to leave later. If you don't mind, please stay for a simple meal!"
The helpers were happy and agreed one after another.
Nowadays, everyone in Liu Village is proud to be close to the Guo family. Whenever Jiang Yushu speaks, everyone responds.
After a few pleasantries, Jiang Yushu went back to her room to take a nap.
When she took off her shoes, she found that her instep was even more swollen. She felt distressed and sighed:
"What should I do? My feet are getting even more swollen. Ugh."
"It's okay, the swelling isn't too severe. Come, lie down, and take a nap if you're tired." Nanny Pan helped her lie down slowly, pulled up the quilt, and comforted her, "Fang Sheng said this is unavoidable, and it's also due to excessive work and running around, and she's tired. Now that the autumn harvest is over, Madam, take advantage of the free time of winter and rest for a while. You will definitely feel much better."
"Um."
Jiang Yushu closed her eyes, feeling extremely tired, but her heart was still hanging high. She whispered, "When the village chief comes, remember to wake me up immediately."
"Don't worry." Nanny Pan sighed helplessly, "I'll tell you as soon as Zhuang Zhubu arrives!"
Jiang Yushu nodded, paused, then frowned and asked, "Zhou Yan and Fang Sheng followed the military doctor back to the camp early this morning to transport medicine, and they haven't returned yet. Could something have happened to them?"
"It shouldn't be." Nanny Pan was worried, but she offered reassurance, "We've toiled for over a year, turning half an acre of ginger into a healing remedy. We kept a little for ourselves and donated the rest to the border troops. Even if we haven't achieved any credit, we've certainly worked hard... Don't worry, Old Zhou and the others will probably be back soon."
Jiang Yushu nodded and wanted to say a few more words, but she ran out of energy and fell asleep quickly.
After an unknown amount of time, she was awakened by a voice calling from her ear. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw that it was dark.
"Girl, wake up, there is good news!" Cuimei bent over and smiled happily.
Xiao Tao squatted in front of the couch and said excitedly, "The village chief clerk is here. He said that the two old accountants calculated the total three times and finally came up with a total of 15.24 million kilograms!"
"Hmm?" Jiang Yushu suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat up anxiously. "One thousand, one thousand—how much?"
"Fifteen million, two hundred and forty thousand!" Cuimei remembered it clearly.
Jiang Yushu's heart started beating wildly. She threw off the quilt and got out of bed, asking in surprise, "Is it really 15 million kilograms?"
"Not only that, there's more, the remainder of the 240,000 jin." Xiao Tao was delighted.
“Oh my god…”
Jiang Yushu was overjoyed, "I'll go out and take a look!" She wanted to put on her shoes, but couldn't bend down. Cuimei helped her put them on quickly, and the three of them hurried out.
In the main room, everyone was overjoyed and laughed.
Zhuang Song's eyebrows lit up with joy. He completely discarded his polite airs, rolled up his sleeves, and asked loudly, "Can I borrow the four treasures of the study?"
"Of course." Guo Hongzhe nodded, and without any instructions, Hu Gang ran to get paper and pen.
Jiang Yushu couldn't believe it and couldn't wait to ask: "Are there really so many? I can't believe it."
Zhuang Song turned around and waved, "Come sit down and discuss this!" His heart was filled with joy, his previous restlessness gone. He happily announced, "When I heard that, I was afraid it was wrong. To avoid disappointment, I asked the accountant to recalculate it twice, and it's clear that it is indeed 15.24 million catties!"
Jiang Yushu sat down, overjoyed, and said excitedly, "Thank God for the good harvest! That's great! I can finally complete my mission successfully."
"Hahaha, I can finally have a peaceful New Year!"
Hu Gang brought out a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Zhuang Song took the brush, dipped it in the ink, and thought happily, "I'll write an official document to announce the good news. Tomorrow morning I'll return to the county government office to report. After completing my mission, I'll be busy for a while, then I can go home and rest and wait for the New Year."
You can wait for the New Year with peace of mind, but we still cannot rest easy. As long as Yongzhou is not recovered and the war continues, our family cannot be reunited.
Jiang Yushu's smile faded, and she sighed inwardly, then perked up, looking through the accounts with energy, and analyzed, "When I first taught them how to cut the plots, for safety's sake, I instructed each village to leave at least two buds. Unexpectedly, a dozen or so remote villages, whether they misheard or deliberately, cut the plots with only one bud, and secretly planted hundreds of acres more. Now, when I calculate, those villages actually have higher yields."
"Hahaha, anyway, it wasn't all in vain, God is helping us!"
"As expected, 'God will reward those who work hard'. Thank you!"
Zhuang Song's face was full of smiles, and he urged, "Hurry up and report the situation of your sweet potatoes and ginger, and write them down in the official document and report to Lord Pan."
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment, holding her breath and asked, "Can I also report these two things?"
“Tsk!”
Zhuang Song frowned, frustrated. He was a man of few words among acquaintances, whispering, "As long as the facts are true, why not? From ancient times to the present, good news has been reported up the chain of command. Why? To seek credit and reward! The new harvest is a bumper harvest, and the government will undoubtedly report it to the court. This is a rare opportunity, and the Guo family should seize it and report everything they can... Do you understand?"
Since her exile, Jiang Yushu had devoted herself to farming, desperately trying to escape the charge of exile. Her eyes lit up when she heard this, and she nodded gratefully, "I understand. Thank you, Master Zhuang, for your guidance! I'm just not sure if this is in accordance with the rules, so I asked."
Joyful events bring a surge of inspiration, and Zhuang Song's writing flowed furiously, explaining, "What are you afraid of? Just report it! I'll report the facts in detail to the county magistrate, and ultimately submit a memorial to Your Majesty for the final decision."
"Okay, let me think about it and calculate it." Jiang Yushu was in high spirits and reported the truth.
After a busy hour, Zhuang Song reluctantly put down his pen, dried the ink, and wrote eloquently on four pages. He dusted off the documents and said proudly, "I'm done! I'll return to the county tomorrow morning to report."
Jiang Yushu hesitated, pondering for a moment before slowly asking, "You wrote about potatoes, sweet potatoes, ginger, and sheep, all of which are the duties of exiles cultivating the land, but isn't mentioning 'opening a private school' a bit inappropriate? After all, last time, Prefect Wan scolded the Guo family."
"That's fine. I just explained that this document is to be submitted to the county magistrate, and Lord Pan will then report it to the prefect." Zhuang Song looked at Guo Hongzhe and said sternly, "I have no influence on how the county magistrate reports. However, I personally think that running a private school for free and educating village children is very difficult and deserves praise!"
"So I must add this."
Guo Hongzhe was deeply moved and said modestly, "I just took the time to teach the village children a few words. I don't deserve the praise."
"You deserve it!" Zhuang Song praised.
At noon on the same day, at the gate of Heqinwei Camp
In late autumn, the wind on the bank of the Cangjiang River was strong and cold, blowing yellow leaves into the air.
With a "whoosh", the medicine carriage stopped in front of the camp gate.
The guards at the gate asked, as usual, "Who are you? What's in the car?"
Zhou Yan and Fang Sheng stood beside the carriage in a respectful manner. The leading military doctor took out his warrant and stepped forward to answer, "We are the doctors of the medical tent. We have been ordered to go out on business. The carriage is full of wound medicine. Please check it."
The young leader examined the warrant, ordered his men to search the carriage, frowned, and asked, "Are there two outsiders?"
"Yes. This is an order from above. They are to come and claim the reward."
Zhou Yan and Fang Sheng heard it and bowed in greeting.
After a while, the little leader waved his hand and said, "Okay, go in!"
"Hey." The leading doctor trotted back to the carriage and made arrangements: "Old Zhou, Doctor Fang, we must first hand over the golden wound medicine, and then we will take you to claim the reward. After you two thank us for the reward, you can leave."
"I'll follow your arrangements." Zhou Yan and Fang Sheng spoke cautiously and had no objections.
As the battle was imminent, the rich aroma of tea wafted through the general's tent day and night.
Commander Dou Yong was in charge, and the generals were discussing military intelligence, with two princes sitting beside them.
The eldest son, Zhao Zhan, was the emperor's thirty-six-year-old son, the eldest legitimate son. He was in the prime of his life, graceful and dignified. He was serious and asked questions from time to time. His words were well-founded and well-reasoned, and the generals did not dare to take them lightly, answering them one by one.
The ninth prince, Zhao Tao, the empress's late son, had not yet reached adulthood. He stared intently at the battle map and listened to the various methods of marching and deploying troops, becoming increasingly confused and unable to get a word in, only occasionally agreeing with his brother.
Dou Yong estimated the time, stood up, bowed, and suggested, "We've been discussing this for half a day and are exhausted. Your Highnesses, please have lunch first and rest for a while. We can continue discussing military affairs at 4:45 PM."
The eldest prince also stood up and replied gently, "Old General, it's time for you to eat. Take good care of yourself so that you can lead the entire army to recapture Yongzhou as soon as possible."
"I have not been able to recover the lost territory so far. I feel guilty and ashamed for not living up to the trust placed in me by the court." Dou Yong raised his hand to invite them, taking a step behind and following the two princes.
The eldest prince, named Prince Li, paced with his hands behind his back, offering comfort, "General, don't worry. My ninth brother and I have been ordered to escort military supplies here. After two weeks of observation, we know the terrain is unfavorable, making it difficult to attack Beijiao. But God bless us, and we will surely recapture Yongzhou as scheduled!"
Dou Yong bowed, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
As soon as Prince Li stepped out of the door, he said, "Old General, go and do your business."
"Yes." Dou Yong stayed and watched the two prince brothers go away.
Soon, Prince Li and his brother sat down to eat. There were no delicacies on the table, only a few home-cooked dishes from the frontier.
The princes had lived a life of luxury since childhood. The Ninth Prince went out for training for the first time and chewed his food in silence.
Prince Li was seventeen years his brother's senior, truly a case of "elder brother is like father." He was used to traveling for experience and wasn't picky about food. He asked sternly, "What's wrong? You've been eating for half a month, but you still can't get used to it?"
The Ninth Prince tilted his head back to swallow his meal, drank a sip of tea, and replied with a wry smile, "This rice is too hard, and it hurts my throat when I swallow it."
Prince Li said with a stern face, "The food in the frontier military camp is naturally not as good as that in the imperial palace. General Dou's meals are even simpler than this. I told you in advance, but you insisted on coming with me. Now I can only bear it."
"If my royal brother can endure it, I, I can endure it too."
After a while, the Ninth Prince mustered up his courage, put on a smile, and asked again tentatively: "Royal brother, I have never seen the scene of charging into battle. I have come thousands of miles to the frontier. This is a rare opportunity. Can't I be allowed to broaden my horizons? I heard that the enemy is being killed in Hongchuan Bay. I think-"
"How many times have I rejected your request? And you still ask?"
Prince Li's face suddenly darkened, and he said unhappily, "Ninth brother, you are too reckless! The battlefield is dangerous, with swords flashing and blood flying everywhere. If you get injured, how will I explain it to my parents?"
"Don't worry, I'll bring a few more people!" Like a newborn calf fearing a tiger, the Ninth Prince's blood boiled with enthusiasm, his spirits high. "Just think about it, Guo Honglei and I are equally skilled. He can kill countless enemies. Even if I'm slightly inferior, I won't get injured as soon as I go into battle, right?"
King Li laughed angrily, "Equal in skill?"
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