Xu Rao nodded and said, "Of course I know that. I have already made arrangements. All the villages along the way will be moved to the mountains. As for the houses that were destroyed by the Jurchens, our prefecture will be responsible for building new ones."
Upon hearing this, Xu Di smiled and said, "That's exactly right. Let me tell you, I've already captured quite a few Jurchen horses. I plan to sell them, even if it's at a low price to the court. It'll still be a source of income. When the Jurchens landed from the sea, they caused a lot of trouble for us."
Upon hearing this, Xu Rao smiled and said, "Now that you mention it, we'll have a large income in the future."
Xu Di said with a touch of arrogance, "Of course, Dad. You have to remember, anything that comes to our house can't just leave right away, can it? It has to leave something behind before it can go out, right?"
Xu Rao found it somewhat amusing and said, "Alright, I'll do whatever you say. When those Jin soldiers come in, we'll leave their warhorses behind too."
Xu Di reminded him, "It's not just the horses, but also their weapons. If we don't like using them, we melt them down and forge new ones. If we don't forge weapons, wouldn't it be better if we forged some agricultural machinery? That's how we make a living."
Xu Rao sighed and said, "Isn't that how life goes? Like plucking feathers from a passing goose, with that kind of drive, how can you not make a living?"
After joking around for a while, Xu Rao said, "You should take your men and head back first thing tomorrow morning. Everything here is developing according to our expectations. If you don't trust me, don't you trust General Zhou? General Zhou has been in Liaodong for decades and knows the Jin people best. Our strategies are all discussed and agreed upon, which has greatly reduced the losses of the people. Once we eliminate the Jin army, we will be able to lead the people to a better life."
Xu Di thought it made sense, so he stopped objecting. That evening, Xu Rao had the steward prepare a lot of Liaodong specialties for Xu Di, all kinds of dried mountain products, such as white fungus, black fungus, and various other fungi, as well as two ginseng roots that looked quite old.
Xu Di took out the two ginseng roots and said, "I'll leave these for you. I'm too young to need them."
Xu Rao put down the ginseng and said, "Of course I know you won't need it. I was just thinking that you might need it when you need to give gifts. Xu Di, you are a bit arrogant. You can't be so aloof with your superiors. Sometimes, it's appropriate to give your superiors something to show your appreciation. What your superiors value is not the monetary value of the gift, but the sentiment behind it."
Xu Rao was a scholar who had been exposed to Confucianism for many years. Although he had been working as a teacher, he had also studied the ways of officialdom quite a bit. After all, his students were people who came from these places. Because of this, Xu Rao, who appeared very refined and low-key, was actually doing very well here.
Xu Di is not lacking in intelligence and strategy. He was used to being in a relatively straightforward environment, so his weaknesses were not apparent in daily life. However, when he used both overt and covert tactics, his shortcomings became apparent.
Because Xu Rao couldn't be with Xu Di often, although he knew about Xu Di's shortcoming, he couldn't give him face-to-face guidance. This time, however, Xu Di came over, which was a rare opportunity.
Xu Di listened attentively to his father's teachings. He never underestimated his father's wisdom in life. Xu Rao had read so many history books and spent his days with officials. This circle of friends determined Xu Rao's life experience and wisdom, which was extremely valuable and amazing not only to Xu Di but to anyone.
Seeing that Xu Di was listening attentively, Xu Rao simply pulled Xu Di into his study and systematically explained some of his life and work experiences to him. Xu Di nodded repeatedly as he listened and said, "Father, if you were to compile all of this into a book and publish it, it would probably cause a sensation."
Xu Rao sighed and said, "Nowadays, people with any life experience will carefully summarize it and pass it on to their children. It is because of this kind of hoarding that this great nation has not made any real progress. In fact, it's not just these experiences, but all walks of life. There's a saying, 'Teach your apprentice and starve yourself.' In this era of father-to-son succession, this is all that can happen."
Thinking about this society, Xu Di felt a pang of sympathy, sighed, and said, "If we want progress and social development, we still have to rely on openness. We dare not mention reform, that's like tackling a powerful enemy. But if we do openness well, it can really take society a big step forward."
After hearing Xu Di's words, Xu Rao sighed and said, "That's just how this era is. Don't think too much about it right now. Just do what you're supposed to do."
This was a reminder to Xu Di not to do anything that others might consider outrageous. Xu Di naturally understood, and considering the moral lessons he had received that day, this was the only way to proceed.
They talked until the fourth watch of the night. Xu Di vaguely felt that he had just fallen asleep when he was woken up. Apart from the two small teams that were going to scout the way to the capital, the rest of the people who had come with him were already ready to set off. After having breakfast, they rode fast horses to the dock in the south.
At noon, we found a shady spot under the trees to rest our horses, eat some dry rations, and drink some water before riding all the way to the seaside.
The ship was still docked at the pier, with more than a hundred warhorses already on board. Although they had been given water and fodder, many of the horses still looked somewhat listless. Xu Di dared not delay and quickly set sail. These horses were worth a lot of money. If something happened to them, wouldn't he be heartbroken?
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