"Duke of Yu, I have a favor to ask." Qin Mu looked at another general of the reinforcements, Duke Zhang Liang of Yu, the Grand Commander of the Jiangnan Naval Forces.
"Oh, Huai Dao, what is it you need? Just tell me, and I'll do whatever I can to help," Zhang Liang asked curiously. Qin Mu was Qin Qiong's son and Li Shentong's son-in-law, so he was naturally willing to befriend him, and his smile was sincere, his face gentle.
"The Duke of Yu is in charge of the Tang Dynasty's navy, and I would like to borrow some warships," Qin Mu explained. Before Zhang Liang could object, he continued, "The Duke of Yu, please rest assured, it's not for war, but simply to pick up a group of people in the South Seas. Some time ago, when we went south, we subdued some chimpanzee tribes. This tribe is docile and tall, and many of them are willing to come to the Tang Dynasty to live because their lives are threatened by the small ape tribe among the monkey tribes."
“I see. Huai Dao, don’t mind it. The main thing is that these are the imperial troops. Without His Majesty’s decree, they cannot be dispatched. If it’s just transporting a group of people, of course there’s no problem. After all, this is a good thing to increase the population of the Tang Dynasty,” Zhang Liang said with a smile.
This guy's words sounded very nice, and Qin Mu certainly wouldn't completely believe them. However, it would be great if he could agree. He didn't know if the Sun family's fleet would be enough to go to Southeast Asia, but if they sent another batch of ships to make the trip, carrying food and supplies such as porcelain and pottery, they would definitely be able to lure more people back.
"Thank you, Duke of Yu." Qin Mu smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. No matter what, one should not be rude when someone helps you.
"You're welcome, it was nothing at all."
"Uncle, Commander, since some mountain strongholds are willing to relocate, what do you think about settling them directly in Tangzhou? Tangzhou is currently uninhabited, and with 200,000 troops stationed there, their safety is guaranteed. As for Luofuzhou, it's close to the sea, so fishing and salt production can be developed simultaneously. If there aren't suitable salt fields, we can focus on fishing, which will supplement the food supply for the troops stationed in Tangzhou. In addition, the Black Ape tribe is skilled in swimming and can become fishermen," Qin Mu said, glancing at the map.
“Of course. You can make the decisions here, but the people you lend out must continue working and cannot be returned to you.” Feng Ang and Li Shenfu exchanged a glance, smiled slightly, and then turned to Qin Mu to say.
"That's easy to do. As long as the governor thinks they are capable, you can use them. Although they came with me, I can't delay their future, can I?" Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Okay, thank you very much then." Feng Ang said with a satisfied smile.
"No words, no speech! I wish to request a group of shipbuilders skilled in shipbuilding from the prominent families of Jiangnan. I wonder if that's possible?" Qin Mu asked.
Qin Mu could assign any job to other aristocratic families, but he would naturally keep Xiao Yu's grandson by his side and nurture him properly, while also using him as a link with the aristocratic families of Jiangnan.
"Reporting to the Vice Commander, we already asked for some people last time. If we ask for more, I'm afraid they will be reluctant to part with them. After all, it's not easy to train experienced boatmen," Xiao Buyan said with difficulty.
"Well, then we'll need a group of talented people to help govern Luofu Prefecture and Tang Prefecture. The Black Ape tribe has moved here, so someone needs to help manage them. They don't need to be too powerful; just some minor officials and bureaucrats. As for boatmen, we can have them if we want, but it's fine if we don't," Qin Mu said, raising an eyebrow.
Qin Mu spoke casually, but Xiao Buyan understood his meaning. This was clearly another temptation: Want to be an official? If so, trade your boatmanship for it. But then he thought, this wasn't his business. He only needed to deliver the message. This decision was now the responsibility of the Jiangnan aristocratic families.
"Yes!" Xiao Buyan replied with a cupped hand.
Qin Mu quite liked the Xiao twins. Although the two brothers were a year younger than him, they were very steady. Although they were still a bit naive in their dealings, it was clear that the Xiao family had successfully raised them.
Feng Ang left in a hurry. There was still a lot of work to be done after the war, and Li Shenfu was in the same boat. Of the 200,000 troops, there were still quite a few casualties. The merits still needed to be tallied, and the compensation needed to be reported.
Qin Mu didn't have much to do, but he needed to assign tasks so they could begin once the Black Ape tribe arrived. Fortunately, the war had left behind an empty city; although small, it could be cleared and housed tens of thousands of people. Cheng Huailiang and his team's next task was to clear the city and lead the logging. With Triangle Ox around, their workload wasn't too heavy.
He rushed back to Panyu at breakneck speed. If Princess Changning hadn't been so heavily pregnant, he would have really wanted to take her to Luofu Prefecture. However, the conditions in Panyu were better, and he had already gotten used to living there for several months.
It is said that pregnant women's emotions are very unstable, so Qin Mu took great care of her, staying by her side almost 24 hours a day, and also racking his brains to prepare delicious food for her.
Princess Changning's pregnancy involved many people. Besides Feng Ang sending numerous tonics, the Sun family and other prominent families of Jiangnan also sent gifts, as did those from the capital, Chang'an. Not to mention their own family, Li Shentong certainly couldn't ignore it either; Li Shimin's rewards had also arrived, and the Cheng family, the Yuchi family, Li Gang, and all their close associates received gifts. The house in Panyu was filled with gifts, filling several rooms, which Qin Mu only managed to organize and store in the Heavenly Mystery Tower after his return.
"I've gained weight again," Princess Changning said, turning her head away and pouting. She had indeed gained quite a bit of weight; her waistline was noticeably slimmer, and her baby fat was more pronounced, making her dimples appear even deeper.
"Sweetie, have another sip. This is Yazhou bird's nest, which is not only nourishing but also good for your skin." Qin Mu coaxed him in a tone that sounded like he was talking to a child, and then pushed the small bowl forward a little more.
"Really?" Princess Changning asked, still somewhat doubtful.
"Of course it's true. This is the finest of the blood bird's nest, made by the golden swiftlet. It's rare and very precious," Qin Mu said with certainty.
Princess Changning then drank the small bowl of bird's nest.
"I've heard that after giving birth, you'll have a lot of wrinkles on your belly. Do you think your belly will just stay like that forever?" Princess Changning asked with a worried expression.
"Don't overthink it. Look at all those women who have given birth, why didn't they delay?" Qin Mu quickly comforted her.
Princess Changning thought about it and agreed, which turned her worry into joy.
Women can be unreasonable sometimes. Even if they're wrong, they have to win the argument first. Pregnant women are even less likely to be reasonable; with nothing to do, they have more time to overthink. Depression stems from overthinking and a lack of proper emotional support. Five months have already passed, so Qin Mu naturally needs to put in extra effort to soothe her emotions and make up for his past mistakes. Fortunately, besides the maids, there were no outsiders in the house, so no one was watching their public displays of affection.
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