Most of the mulberry seedlings planted in early spring have survived. The plants are more than one meter tall, with green branches and tender leaves. They are not yet lush, but full of vitality.
The magistrate led his subordinates and selected three hillsides to inspect the growth of mulberry trees.
She had been climbing the slopes all afternoon, her official robes drenched with sweat. By the path, she happened to see a small blossoming tree. She bent down, sniffed it, and said happily, "Look, it's blooming! It's growing well, having adapted to the soil and water, and it's blooming at the perfect time. It's really hard for it."
Everyone came closer to admire the clusters of mulberry flowers, and they all said, "Hmm, it's really nice!"
"When the flowers fall, they bear fruit, and soon you'll have mulberries to eat."
"Unfortunately, not many of them are in bloom."
"It's only been planted a short time ago. I guess the other mulberry trees haven't adapted to the soil and water in Tuning yet."
…
Jiang Yushu's legs were sore from exhaustion, but she was in high spirits after seeing the mulberry trees growing well. She continued to climb, full of energy and said, "The mulberry trees haven't grown yet, but in two months, we can try picking leaves to feed the silkworms."
"Very good!"
The clerk cheerfully replied, "The government has already purchased a batch of silkworm eggs and stored them in an ice cellar. They will be distributed in due time, and the invited masters will teach the people of Tuning. I hope everything goes well."
“Can mulberry and silkworm farmers master the tricks within a year?”
"That's fine, just ask the master to teach you!"
…
The soil was soft after the rain, and Jiang Yushu's shoes and the hem of her official robe were already covered in mud. She was sweating profusely but in high spirits, and said as she walked, "Yes, I'll teach you until I'm taught! Since we have invited an expert, it doesn't matter if we invite him for a while longer and bring the people of this county into the industry, so that we don't have to grope around on our own, which is time-consuming and laborious, and we still only have a superficial understanding." Her face flushed with heat, and her handkerchief was already soaked, and she raised her sleeve to wipe the sweat off her face.
"What the county magistrate said is absolutely right!" No matter what the matter is, the petty official who is good at flattery can always give some compliments.
Soon, the group reached the top of the mountain.
Jiang Yushu stepped onto a rock, sweat pouring down her face. She gazed at the vast sky, feeling refreshed and happy. "I'll climb to the summit and see all the other mountains below!" Unfortunately, the mountains in this county are all hills, not high enough. Heqin is different. The mountains outside Heqin take half a day to climb to the mountainside, but you can already feel the strong wind."
Everyone stopped to drink water, wipe their sweat, and admire the scenery. "Haha, the top of the mountain is nice and cool!"
"I've heard that there are many high mountains in Xicang. If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely go there to have a look."
"Sir, would you like some water?"
"If you could climb to the top of Heqin Mountain, you would have a very broad view and take in the surrounding scenery."
…
Jiang Yushu took the water bag, drank a sip, and said with emotion: "My friend told me that when you climb to the top of the mountain outside Heqin, you can overlook the county town. Alas, I was physically exhausted and failed to reach the summit. What a pity."
"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You might as well try again and eliminate your regrets."
The group took a short break, chatting away. After two cups of tea, a clerk turned his head, raised his hand, and warned, "Everyone, look! There's a big dark cloud coming over there!"
"oh?"
Everyone turned their heads at the same time and saw a large dark cloud suddenly appear in the northern sky, which was being blown by the wind and was obviously drifting towards Tu Ning.
"Oh, it looks like it's going to rain heavily."
"Your Excellency, we set out early this morning and have been busy until now. We inspected the embankment and visited the mulberry trees on several mountains. It's almost time to go down the mountain."
Li Qigong watched with concern, "If it rains heavily, the mountain road will become even more slippery, making it difficult to walk, and we're afraid of catching a cold and getting sick. It's best to get down the mountain and back to the city as soon as possible."
Jiang Yushu looked around, nodded, and said contentedly, "We're almost done. This trip was worthwhile. Let's go down the mountain!"
"Yes, please go slowly." The clerk in charge of Sangshan led the way attentively. "This way, go down the mountain along this road, please, sir."
So, the group hurried down the mountain. The road was steep and slippery, and people fell one after another on the way. Their clothes were covered with mud, and they were in a mess as they continued their journey.
The dark clouds in the north, driven by strong winds, rolled southward and approached at an unexpected speed.
When Jiang Yushu and her group reached the foot of the mountain, it was already mid-afternoon and dusk was approaching.
At this moment, Tuning Guard Camp
"drive!"
Tong Jing finished his errand and led his men back. He galloped to the camp gate and said, "Whoa."
He dismounted, threw the reins and whip to his guards, and quickly stepped into the camp gate. Looking up at the gloomy sky, he said thankfully, "Fortunately, we got back to the camp before it started raining, otherwise we would have been soaked again! Tsk, I'm starving."
The guard immediately said, "I'll go to the kitchen and serve dinner right away."
"Go, hurry up." Tong Jing touched his belly and walked straight to the general's tent. "I'll go see the general first and report."
A quarter of an hour later, he finished his mission, left the general's tent, and walked quickly towards the barracks.
Unexpectedly, when passing by the parade ground, he was stopped by the enemy.
Guo Honglei returned to the camp earlier, took off his armor, and invited loudly: "Master Tong! I have been waiting for you for a long time. We haven't practiced for a long time, how about a competition today?"
Having known and competed with each other for years, Tong Jing could tell at a glance that his opponent was unhappy, and he immediately guessed the reason for his unhappiness. He felt guilty and annoyed. He muttered to himself, "This guy is not a good person." He stopped, raised his finger to the sky, and said cheerfully, "I've been busy all day today, and it looks like it's going to rain heavily. How about we compete another day?"
Guo Honglei was holding back his anger, his mood as gloomy as the sky. He smiled and replied, "What's wrong with rain? We're not in the wild."
Tong Jing touched his stomach and said, "I just got back to the camp and haven't had dinner yet."
Guo Honglei said loudly: "I haven't eaten yet either. No rush, it's not too late to eat after the competition."
"It looks like it's really going to rain heavily." Tong Jing laughed dryly, thinking to himself: Didn't I just scare your wife? As for using the excuse of a martial arts competition to vent her anger? How petty.
Guo Honglei looked surprised. "Are you afraid of the rain? Or... are you afraid to fight?"
"Ha, what's so scary about the rain?" Tong Jing knew it was a provocation, but with so many people watching, he didn't want to appear timid, and couldn't refuse, so he stiffened his neck and said, "It's just a duel. Who am I afraid of? Let's have a duel!"
"Come!"
Having been colleagues for many years, Guo Honglei has always been too lazy to conflict with the other party. However, today he took the initiative to prepare his stance, his eyes blazing with energy, and he said in a deep voice, "Please teach me." After that, he punched his opponent in the face with great force. Tong Jing took the punch, and the two of them exchanged punches and kicks, and in a blink of an eye, they became a ball of fighting.
Although dark clouds loomed, everyone in the camp knew that Generals Guo and Tong had been fighting for power for a long time. Every time the two fought, it would attract a large crowd of soldiers to watch.
The days of guarding the border were boring, and more and more people came to watch the show, like watching a play. There were three layers of people inside and outside, watching the show with great interest and discussing it. The confidants of both sides clapped and shouted from time to time, cheering for their leaders.
Guo Honglei was a man of strong character, reserved and unassuming. He could endure many things, but he could not tolerate his wife being teased or pranked. During the duel, his anger turned into momentum. With one swift move, he suddenly grabbed Tong Jing's arm, yanked it, and then lifted it up!
"Bang~" Tong Jing fell to the ground.
The onlookers clapped and cheered: "Good!"
At this moment, at the foot of Mulberry Mountain
The sky was filled with dark clouds, which seemed to cover the top of the hill.
A strong wind began to blow, swirling and rustling the branches and leaves in the trees.
"Neigh~" The horses neighed, snorted, and moved restlessly.
Jiang Yushu's temples were wet with sweat. She wiped them hastily, looked up at the sky, frowned and said, "It's gloomy. It's going to rain."
Li Qigong asked, "Look, what should we do? If we go back to the city, we'll most likely get caught in the rain."
Jiang Yushu thought about it, and taking into consideration several of her older and frail subordinates, she said worriedly, "Not only will the people get wet, but the horses can't handle it either. They won't run in a storm."
"Sir," the clerk guarding Mulberry Mountain approached and suggested, "The weather is terrible. There's a village nearby. If you don't mind, why don't you go there to take shelter from the rain?"
All the petty officials were unwilling to travel in the rain and urged him: "Yes, let's get out of the rain."
"It's a long way back to the city. What if it starts raining right after we set out? How long will we be soaked?"
"Your Majesty's health is very important. You should avoid the rain to avoid catching a cold and getting sick."
…
Suddenly, a white light appeared in the rolling dark clouds, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled.
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment and said helplessly, "It seems that we have no choice but to take shelter from the rain. But we must send someone back to the government office to tell them, so that the county magistrate and others don't wait anxiously."
"I will immediately arrange two people to go back to the city to report the news!" Li Qigong still did not give up, thinking: This is a remote village, without the maids and old women to get in the way, maybe I can say a few more words to her?
"Okay, I'll leave this to you."
"yes!"
Jiang Yushu then mounted her horse, turned it around, and led her men towards the village, saying, "If there were fruit trees planted on the mountain and there was a lot of rain during the flowering period, there would be fewer fruits, and the fruit farmers would be so worried that they wouldn't be able to eat."
The guard laughed innocently, "Hehe, luckily we're not just looking for mulberries, otherwise we'd be worried too."
"yes."
There were flashes of lightning and thunder, and it had begun to rain on the grassland. The sky was dark and gloomy, with sand and rocks flying everywhere.
On the training ground, the martial arts competition is in full swing.
Those who watch the fun often don't mind the big deal.
The soldiers watching were yelling and shouting, their faces flushed and their necks thick, wishing they could go on the field themselves, and they all shouted in unison: "Go, use your fists!"
"Hurry up and knock him down!"
"Alas, I shouldn't have used that move. If it were me, I would have overturned my opponent long ago."
"Come on, you're the best braggart!"
…
Guo Honglei was completely focused, becoming more and more courageous as the fight went on, winning four out of five matches. He lunged forward and kicked Tong Jing in the chest, but Tong Jing dodged, and the two men locked arms and began wrestling.
"You did it on purpose this morning." Guo Honglei's face was as gloomy as water. He stared at his opponent and asked in a low voice, "You deliberately cracked the whip. Are you trying to murder an official of the imperial court?"
Tong Jing gritted his teeth, trying his best, with veins bulging on his forehead, and denied it, "Stop talking nonsense, I don't understand what you are saying."
Guo Honglei's military uniform was soaked with sweat, and beads of sweat appeared on his temples, dripping onto the ground. He said coldly: "Dare to do it but not to take responsibility? What kind of hero are you?" As he spoke, he slowly exerted force, forcing his opponent to retreat step by step.
"You—" Tong Jing gritted his teeth, trying his best, but he was no match for the young and strong opponent. He was so angry that he said, "Who wants to murder an official of the imperial court? I just want to test her riding skills!"
"Humph, you finally admitted it!"
Guo Honglei was enraged. He pushed the man back with all his might, "My wife, what qualifications do you have to test her riding skills? You only dare to challenge weak women. If you have the guts, try testing my riding skills!"
"Let's compete. I can handle all kinds of martial arts. How can I be afraid of you?" Tong Jing knew that he was going to lose, but he refused to admit defeat and held on.
Guo Honglei is young and strong, with high morale, strong waist and legs, and a stable lower body. With a fierce side shoulder collision, he tripped his opponent in an instant.
"good!"
"Captain Guo, you have great skills!" The crowd cheered loudly, and it was very lively.
"Ouch, hiss." Tong Jing lay on his back, panting like a cow, rubbing his shoulders with a grimace. Because he was in the wrong, he was not as arrogant as usual and muttered, "Well, we've been fighting for several rounds. You hit me too hard. It's time to calm down. Enough is enough, understand?"
Guo Honglei broke out in a sweat and vented his anger. He looked down at the other person and replied, "If you knew when to stop, you wouldn't be making things difficult for me—"
"Okay, okay! I was wrong, I know it." Tong Jing was exhausted and unable to fight anymore.
The military values martial virtues. A distinguished family background can inspire awe, but not respect. High martial arts skills can, and in frontier camps, fists are incredibly effective. Guo Honglei sternly commented, "If you do it again, I won't let you off with a beating. You're getting away with it."
Tong Jing sniffed and said sullenly, "Next time I see your tigress, I'll definitely give way to her and go around her, okay?"
Guo Honglei raised his head and replied unhappily, "What do you mean by 'tiger lady'? Stop slandering her!"
"Oh, you're henpecked, and you don't allow your brothers to laugh at you." Tong Jing curled his lips and simply lay down, looking at the sky and catching his breath. "I heard that the female magistrate is very powerful. Not long after taking office, she not only started three fires, but also chopped off countless heads. Tsk tsk tsk tsk."
Guo Honglei frowned and interrupted, "The magistrate ruled according to the law. Those killed were all people who deserved to die. What's wrong with that?"
"Okay, okay, she's not wrong, I'm wrong." Tong Jing touched his stomach, "I haven't had dinner yet, I'm starving, you won unfairly."
Guo Honglei said calmly, "I haven't had dinner yet. If you're not convinced, how about we fight again after dinner?"
"Ahem, that's enough for today. Some other day, I will definitely get it back some other day!" Tong Jing slapped the ground with his backhand, jumped up, and tried to get up.
Unexpectedly, just when he was about to get up, a bright white lightning suddenly flashed in the sky, and at the same time there was a deafening "crackling" thunder.
"Oh my God—" Tong Jing was caught off guard and was so scared that he raised his hands to cover his eyes. His waist loosened and he fell back to the ground.
Guo Honglei glanced up and warned, "See? Even Heaven can't stand this and sends down thunder to warn those who bully the weak."
Tong Jing stood up with a thud, angrily saying, "I've never done anything that would harm the world. God will strike me down, but if you want to be afraid, go ahead!"
As soon as he finished speaking, raindrops as big as beans began to fall, and the rain was heavy.
"It's strange, you are not afraid, so why should I be afraid? I am even less afraid." Guo Honglei turned and left, thinking worriedly: It is raining so heavily and it is getting dark. I wonder if she has returned to the yamen?
The violent storm forced the government officials to stay in a village.
The group included the elderly and the weak, and no matter how hard they tried, they still got caught in the rain.
The people who had gone ahead had already informed the village head. When the villagers heard that the magistrate was coming, they immediately became nervous and frightened. They quickly arranged for overnight accommodation and rushed to greet him.
"Sir, please, please come in." The village head, with gray hair and beard, bowed respectfully and said, "There are not many decent houses in the village. This one is the cleanest. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Will you please just make do with it?"
Jiang Yushu was soaking wet, her wide official robe dripping with water. She stepped into the main room, glanced around, and replied gently, "Don't be nervous, old man. We'll only stay here for one night. We'll return to the city tomorrow morning when the rain stops."
"Don't just stand there, boil some hot water!" Li Qigong rushed back and forth, "Also, find a set of clean clothes for the girl."
The old man nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, adults, please wait a moment, I will ask someone to bring hot water and find some clothes right away!"
Jiang Yushu waved her hand tiredly and said, "Go." She gave a look and the guard understood. He took out a silver ingot and stuffed it into the head of the village. The old man kowtowed hurriedly to thank him for the reward.
At the same time, more than a hundred miles north of Sangshan
This group of Beiqi soldiers have been traveling for more than ten days.
The horses were frightened by the lightning and thunder, and they neighed anxiously and walked slower and slower.
The leader was helpless and raised his hand to shout in the language of the monkey: "Stop!"
"The rain is too heavy. Let's find a place to rest for a while, eat some dry food and then continue on our journey."
"yes!"
Tuning is a vast and sparsely populated area with few villages among the rolling hills. However, they felt as familiar with it as if they were back home. They accurately found a cave and took a rest.
A quarter of an hour later, the leader sat shirtless and cross-legged in front of the campfire, tearing the dried meat into strips and devouring it ravenously. He said eagerly, "Although the wind and rain will affect our journey, it's actually beneficial to us."
"This kind of weather is perfect for a sneak attack!"
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