"No need for that. We can hardly meet the demand in Guanzhong alone, let alone sell to the grasslands and the Western Regions, where the price will be even higher," Qin Mu said with a slight smile.
“No, the Sun family also has sales channels overseas, so they don’t have to compete with Lingnan. This way, Lingnan’s canned goods can be sold exclusively, and the price will be higher,” Sun Hu said.
"Overseas sales? Who will they sell to? There's no shortage of fruit in Southeast Asia." Qin Mu paused for a moment before asking. He didn't believe the Sun family had the capability to sail all the way to the Western Continent.
“A little further east, there are several islands inhabited by a wolf clan that calls themselves the Dog-Wolf Clan,” Sun Hu explained.
"The dog-wolf clan?" Qin Mu thought with some confusion, looking in that direction, his eyes narrowing as he pondered.
"Yeah, those guys are much more obedient than the wolves of the grasslands, almost like guard dogs. Although they're short, they're very well-behaved and hardworking. All the mining on the island is done by supplying them from there," Sun Hu said with a smile.
"May I take a look at those wolf-dog tribe members?" Qin Mu asked.
Although Sun Hu felt that Qin Mu was acting strangely all of a sudden, and that he had just shown a hint of murderous intent, he didn't think much of it and nodded in agreement, "Of course, no problem. Take a rest today, and I'll take you to see him tomorrow."
"No need, I'm a little worried about home. I'll just take a look and then head back. I'll visit the Sun family again next time," Qin Mu said, shaking his head slightly.
"Look at my memory, the princess should be about to give birth. You must send me an invitation then," Sun Hu said, patting his forehead lightly.
"I will never forget." Thinking of his wife and children at home, Qin Mu smiled gently and nodded in agreement.
"Please wait a moment, I'll have someone send the horses over, it's still a distance away."
"good!"
Qin Mu waited at the dock for a while, and then the Sun family sent over twenty warhorses. He mounted the horses and followed Sun Hu for half an hour, arriving at a mountainous area. There were guards there, but with Sun Hu present, no one stopped him.
Inside the mine, a group of short, dark-skinned men, shirtless and wearing only tattered rags, were laboriously carrying baskets of ore. A short while later, the guards, accompanied by several members of the wolf-dog tribe, arrived before Qin Mu and his companions.
Qin Mu took a closer look and saw that the so-called canine wolf clan did indeed resemble wolves in appearance, with sharp canine teeth at the corners of their mouths. Their gazes toward Qin Mu and the others were lewd yet revealed their fear.
He waved for the guards to take the wolf-dog clan away, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Brother Sun, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."
"Haha, Brother Qin, do you look down on me? We're friends and we've fought together, so feel free to speak your mind," Sun Hu said with a hearty laugh.
"These so-called dog-wolf clans are just what they call themselves. Their real name should be the White-Eyed Wolf Clan. This race is like ungrateful wolves, completely different from loyal dogs. When you are powerful, they are very obedient, but if you are not careful, they can turn against their master," Qin Mu said with a slight smile.
"The White-Eyed Wolf Clan?"
"good."
"Yes, yes, these guys have more white eyes than black eyes, they really look like ingrates. Humph! They actually dared to lie to us." Sun Hu thought for a moment, then snorted coldly.
"Brother Sun, don't worry about it. We can still use it, but we must be on guard. We must not let them know about our technical skills, such as farming and forging. As for the fruit, it's fine to sell more." Qin Mu smiled inwardly and reassured them without showing his true feelings.
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Qin. Otherwise, if we had truly cultivated a powerful enemy, the Sun family would have been guilty beyond redemption," Sun Hu said with a solemn bow.
"Brother Sun, you're being too polite. Once the court has pacified the four directions, I will ask His Majesty for orders so that you and I, brothers, can go and conquer those White-Eyed Wolf Clan and make them all go mining," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Haha, very good. The Sun family is willing to be the vanguard when the time comes."
"It's a deal."
“It’s a deal. By the way, Brother Qin, do you think I could exchange for more White-Eyed Wolf Clan members to deal with the Monkey Clan?” Sun Hu asked, his eyes lighting up.
"That should be possible, but we need to think carefully about how to implement it, since a large amount of cargo needs to be transported and ships are also a problem," Qin Mu said after thinking for a moment. He understood that Sun Hu was mainly after the gold, silver and gems from the monkey tribe, and could also gain some credit along the way.
“Yes, yes, the war is not over yet, it’s too early to say these things,” Sun Hu agreed.
"I'll be going now. I'll let you know if there's any news, but building more ships is definitely a good idea. I'll leave the matter of the chimpanzee tribe to you."
"Alright, Brother Qin, since you're so eager to return home, I won't keep you any longer. I'll see you off right now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two days later, upon returning to Panyu, Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the Tang Dynasty flags fluttering atop the city walls.
"General, I shall take my leave now." At the city gate, Feng Zhiyu mounted his warhorse and said with a fist salute.
"Send the message over as soon as possible. We'll rest for a bit and then immediately provide support to the front lines," Qin Mu nodded. They had been gone for over three months, and the situation at the front was unclear, so they were eager to know accurate information.
They did receive some news from the Sun family, but since they were separated by the sea, the information was delayed and could only be used as a reference. They dismissed the troops, letting them go back to rest, and then headed home with Han Chen and the others.
"Governor-General."
"The governor is back!"
"The governor is back!"
As soon as they arrived at the door, the guards cheered. Every family needs a pillar of support, and Qin Mu was that pillar. The guards felt instantly relieved when he returned.
Qin Mu nodded and strode towards home. He encountered a maid on the way, asked her a question, and then quickened his pace.
In the corridor, a familiar figure walked slowly, touching her belly. Beside her, a petite woman supported her. Two maids followed behind, and further back, Baili Rou was holding a child in one hand. The child stood wobbling in her palm, giggling.
The sound of Qin Mu and his group's footsteps startled them. Looking at Qin Mu, Princess Changning, who was heavily pregnant, had a misty look in her eyes.
"Madam." Qin Mu hurried over and helped Princess Changning up. He hated women crying and didn't know how to comfort them; at most, he could only say, "Don't cry! Don't cry!"
"Husband." Fortunately, Princess Changning was no ordinary person and did not cry. After a moment of excitement, she suppressed her joy and simply held Qin Mu tightly in her hand, calling out with deep affection.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Go back and rest. I'll take care of you." Letting Princess Changning hold his hand, Qin Mu smiled gratefully at the others.
"Hmph! They discarded me after I had served my purpose, and they didn't even say thank you before kicking me out."
"Fool, this is called using someone alive and then destroying them! It's like discarding a donkey after it has done its work; aren't you just insulting yourself?"
"Ahhh!"
Hearing the conversation coming from ahead, Qin Mu smiled and called out, "Yanran! The fleet has brought back some fruits from Southeast Asia."
Xiangli Yanran cheered and ran outside.
"I have more here, see what you'd like to eat?" Qin Mu helped Princess Changning sit down and took out a bunch of fresh fruit, saying solicitously.
“Yanran is not young anymore,” Princess Changning said, looking at Qin Mu.
"Yes! I know."
"She should be married by now, but she has rejected all the marriage proposals her family has made, and even had a fight with them."
"This girl, you..."
"My lord should know what she's thinking. A young girl following you on your campaigns isn't going to get a good reputation!"
"Having a wife is enough for me." Whether it was because of the life-or-death question or because of the pregnant woman, Qin Mu could only answer like this. Of course, he really hadn't considered this issue. He had always treated Xiangli Yanran as a younger sister, after all, she looked like a half-grown child.
“My lord!…” Princess Changning was deeply moved, her lips pursed and her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Qin Mu.
"Madam, please don't get agitated. I've heard that if a pregnant woman cries too much, her child will be a pushover," Qin Mu quickly said.
"Really?" Princess Changning hurriedly wiped away her tears and asked.
"It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."
"Yes, yes! I'll smile every day from now on!"
As the sun sets, a trail of dog food is left behind!
70
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