Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Jinjiang First Release
Chapter 46
Su Li bought food for more than ten days at a time, but she knew very well that wealth should not be exposed, so most of the food she bought were seasonal vegetables commonly seen on the market in July, such as wild peaches, plums, lotus roots, eggplants, etc. She did not buy any other expensive fruits.
In addition, Su Li also went to the clothing store to buy a few coarse cloth dresses, and bought a medicinal pillow filled with cassia seeds and wild chamomile for her grandmother to help the old woman fall asleep at night.
Finally, Su Li brought two strips of pork fat, a piece of pork tongue, a chicken and a duck.
Su Li thought that the pork fat could be sliced into small pieces and fried into oil residue.
The pork lips and the pig stomach given by the butcher can be used to braise meat and eat with wine.
She would buy two more lotus leaves to wrap the duck, and then she could roast it in the oven. Finally, she could add some jujube rings, wolfberries, and other medicinal herbs to the long-tailed chicken and stew it into a sweet soup for her grandmother.
Su Li bought so much meat, and the firewood for cooking was all from Madam Song's house, so she naturally prepared to give her family two bowls of each dish.
Mrs. Song knew that this was the tenant's meat, so she tried to refuse for a long time and refused to accept it.
But she couldn't bear her daughter's greed. After seeing the little girl drink two bowls of chicken soup sent by Su Li, Mrs. Song blushed and could only whisper: "Then I will help you cook. I can't eat your chicken for free."
Su Li laughed. "Mrs. Song, please don't be so polite to us. You need to have some money to buy meat. Besides, it's just two bowls for the kids, so it won't cost much. Besides, your family paid for today's rice, noodles, winter melon, and vegetables. If you don't ask me for the money, how can I be so distant with you?"
Madam Song was not stupid. Seeing that Su Li and Qiu Gui had fair and tender hands, she guessed that they were young ladies from wealthy families. Although she didn't know why the three of them, a generation of grandparents and grandchildren, came here together, but thinking of the recent chaos and war, she was afraid that something might have happened at home.
Meeting is fate, so Madam Song didn't ask too many questions.
Madam Song wiped her flour-stained hands on the rag and smiled at Su Li, "Okay! Then tonight I'll go dig out the jar of wedding wine and try it. My husband buried that wine in the yard last year, saying he wanted to dig it out and eat it on the day the girl got married."
Qiu Gui: "Oh, it's such an expensive wine, wouldn't it be a bad idea for us to drink it?"
Madam Song glared at her and said, "What's the big deal? You're even sharing meat with my daughter! These are hard times, and who can afford meat unless it's a festival? Wait, let's have a good drink tonight!"
Su Li giggled and said repeatedly, "Okay, I won't go home until I'm drunk! I'll also go to the Xu family and bring a bowl of chicken soup. After all, Xu Dalang helped us drive the carriage today."
"become!"
Su Li hadn't cooked in years, so her cooking wasn't particularly good, just barely edible. She left the kitchen chores to Song Niangzi and Qiu Gui.
Su Li brought her grandmother a bowl of chicken soup and even said to her in a coquettish way, "I know you love chicken liver, so I waited for the soup to boil before cooking it. The heat is just right, and the chicken liver is so soft. Please try it. If you don't have enough, please call Qiu Gui for more. I'll go take a bowl of soup to the Xu family first."
Old Madam Su nodded lovingly. She took a sip of the soup and felt that today's chicken soup was delicious and warmed her heart.
Su Li ran to the yellow mud house next door, carrying chicken soup. Seeing Xu Dalang chopping wood with his bare chest in the courtyard, she smiled and said, "My dear, are you busy?"
Xu Dalang turned around and saw Su Li outside the fence. He was so startled that he dropped his axe. His ears turned red. He hurriedly retreated into the house to put on his coat, then went over to take the bowl of soup that Su Li handed over. "Madam Su, why are you bringing me chicken soup?"
Su Li said kindly: "Thank you for driving us to the market to buy things today. A bowl of chicken soup is just a small token of my appreciation."
Xu Dalang hurriedly said, "What's the big deal? You've already paid..."
"Don't be polite, take it!" Su Li waved at him and returned to the Song family.
Xu Dalang looked at the slender figure, his eyes were blank for a moment, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.
Turning around, Xu's mother looked at her son with a smile and asked, "Who was that young lady just now?"
Xu Dalang handed the chicken soup to my mother and said frankly, "He's a distant relative who's staying at Madam Song's house temporarily...his surname is Su."
"Oh." Mother Xu smiled as she recalled the girl's appearance: a slender waist, plump buttocks, and shiny black hair. "She looks like a well-bred girl. She has a good complexion and speaks clearly and crisply. Ask her if she has a boyfriend. If she likes her, we can also go to the Song family and ask around!"
"Mom, what are you thinking! I don't have that kind of thought towards Madam Su at all..."
Xu Dalang packed up the firewood and hid in the kitchen.
Xu's mother laughed out loud: "How old are you and still shy? Don't I know you? I don't have that idea. You can't take your eyes off the girl?"
Xu Dalang ignored his mother and just kept his head down to light the fire, boiling hot water for himself to use to wash himself tonight.
To be honest, when Xu Dalang first met Su Li today, he was indeed frightened by the scars on her face. However, Su Li was kind and, seeing that he was sweating from the heat of driving, she kindly offered him water and mung bean cakes to cool him down. He was also touched by the young lady's gentleness and friendliness...
It was just a few pimples on the face, which would heal if he took care of them. He had an idea in his mind and wanted to ask Xu's mother to go to the Song family to inquire about Su Li's family background.
Xu Dalang still likes Madam Su very much.
-
When Su Li returned to the courtyard, a variety of meat dishes were already placed on the table. In addition to the purchased chicken, duck, and pork, there were also some pickled vegetables from Madam Song's home.
Su Li thought that if she ate this meal with wine, her throat would definitely be sore in the evening, so she should just drink some sugar porridge tomorrow morning to get rid of the heat in her body.
"Shall I make you some porridge tomorrow morning? And then I'll knead some dough and steam some vegetable buns."
When Old Madam Su heard that Su Li, a maid who loved meat, was going to become a vegetarian, she must have been getting angry.
She couldn't help but smile and said, "Then let's soak some more mung beans and cook some mung bean porridge!"
Su Li thought for a moment and said, "Mung beans are cold in nature. You're weak and need sweet soup to nourish yourself, so you'd better eat less. So, the four of us can drink mung bean porridge. I'll stir-fry some meat sauce with soybean paste and steam two meat buns for you."
"Oh, then I, an old woman, will be in for a treat." Old Madam Su joked to her.
Qiu Gui couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "Isn't it? You are the most blessed person in the world!"
Everyone laughed, and after laughing, they sat together to eat.
The ladies took the initiative to put big dishes like chicken legs into Mrs. Su's bowl and let the old lady taste them first.
The eldest daughter of the Song family was only seven or eight years old. Her legs and arms were too short to pick up the dishes, so Su Li picked up a few dishes from each dish with her chopsticks and set aside a bowl on the table for the child to eat and drink.
The yellow mud courtyard is dimly lit, the air is filled with the aroma of meat and the sound of laughter, giving it a unique sense of comfort and leisure, like a paradise on earth.
Su Li felt warm in her heart and had a bright smile on her face. This was a scene she had never dared to dream of before.
-
In July, Jianye County.
After the bloody war a month ago, the capital city no longer had its former grandeur. The city walls were incomplete, the watchtowers were shattered, and the ground was littered with broken tiles and ruins, piles of corpses and horses, and the stench was so strong that it made people sick.
It was the scorching summer, and in order to prevent post-war epidemics, Cui Jue left a transfer order, ordering Chen Heng to lead the five armies to help the people in the capital transport the broken limbs and remains of the dead in the battle out of the city and burn them on the spot to prevent rats and ants from eating the corpses and spreading the disease.
Afterwards, Cui Jue allocated money from the national treasury, purchased medicinal materials from herbal medicine shops, and distributed them to the people in the capital, ordering them to light mugwort incense, boil soup for washing, and burn wild grass and fine grass to fumigate the house to prevent the epidemic.
As for the post-war repairs of the houses, they were the responsibility of the six civil officials. Cui Jue had been in charge of the central government for a long time and had already had an idea in mind. He wrote a few names on the bamboo slips, stamped them with his private seal, and ordered his trusted officials to carry out his orders.
In the future, Cui Jue will review the results and will definitely assign tasks based on the officials' requests and reward them according to their performance.
When the Wudong Cui family came to power, the dynasty was reformed and the regime changed. Officials who wanted to realize their ambitions should do their best to serve the new emperor in the hope of gaining Cui Jue's favor and being promoted in the future.
Cui Jue was not afraid of his officials having ambitions, but was only afraid that they would just sit in their positions and do nothing, eating salaries for free. Therefore, even though he knew that his officials had selfish motives, he would not interfere too much.
The political affairs of the Wu State were temporarily dealt with, and Jianye County, which had been destroyed by artillery fire, gradually recovered from its state of disrepair.
Cui Jue delegated state affairs to the Langshan Chen family, while he himself led his army to tour local prefectures and counties, demonstrating the mighty power of the Cui family army. Under the pretext of "understanding the people's sentiments and supervising local officials", he used powerful force to intimidate the prominent families in the prefectures and counties.
By the way, I would like to warn those county warlords who are ready to make a move that although the Cui family has experienced a fierce battle, the Cui family's military strength is still strong. If you think that the Cui family army is weak and want to rashly send troops while Cui Jue is recuperating, you will probably lose both the wife and the army.
This move was effective. Those heroes who had wanted to use Li Fuyun's name to restore the throne did not dare to act rashly after seeing Cui Jue's arrogance and rebelliousness. They were afraid that they would make mistakes and become victims of Cui Jue's scheme and be profited by others.
Half a month later, when Governor Lin of Jingzhou heard that the Lord of the Cui family was coming, he was so frightened that his legs became weak, cold sweats broke out, and he immediately fell to his knees.
He almost instantly recalled the bloody capital a month ago... The ruler of the Cui family killed people without blinking an eye, with brutal and ruthless methods. Not to mention a mere governor like him, even the princes from various places would be killed if they offended Cui Jue.
Governor Lin couldn't even drink the wine in the golden cup. His hands were shaking. He hurriedly asked the staff who were supporting him, "Are there any elders from noble families in Jingzhou who are dissatisfied with your majesty?"
The staff thought for a moment and shook their heads. "I haven't heard of that... The Boshan Jiang family, the most powerful clan in Jingzhou, sent tens of thousands of military supply carts to Jianye County a month ago as a token of their loyalty. Who would dare to go against you, Your Majesty? Are you trying to save your life?"
Governor Lin's forehead was sweating when he heard this. "So, what brings this noble prince here?"
The staff member was also unsure of the thoughts of these important figures. He whispered, "Perhaps they are just here to understand the people's sentiments?"
Governor Lin, hands behind his back, paced back and forth on the velvet carpet covered in precious flowers. "Do you believe such nonsense? I don't believe it anyway... Never mind. I heard that the prince has been busy with state affairs, and the backyard is almost empty. It must have been vacant for a long time. So, quickly go and find some beauties, good-looking girls from good families, and bring them to the inner chamber as soon as possible so that we can honor the prince tonight!"
“Yes, yes!”
Late at night, thousands of bright lights were lit in Governor Lin's house.
Beautiful women with heavenly fragrance and beauty came out one after another, some wearing light gauze clothes, some wearing luxurious pearl hairpins, and they waited quietly under the eaves one by one, just to catch a glimpse of the style of the Lord of the Cui family who was said to have great power and influence.
A quarter of an hour later, the ground began to shake continuously, like the ground cracking and the mountain collapsing, which was deafening.
The sound of thousands of horses' hooves came from afar, the night wind howled, and sand filled the sky. Flags engraved with the word "Cui" fluttered in the wind like waves.
Armoured cavalry led the way, followed by a team of neatly-mannered black-armoured soldiers, escorting a canopied carriage as it approached.
The curtains were blown up by the fierce wind, and the sparse moonlight filtered through them, illuminating a figure with cold shoulders and back.
The man was wearing a wide-sleeved black robe with a crane pattern. His black hair was half tied up, and his eyelashes were long and slender. He lowered his eyes slightly, leaning his head on one arm, and with the other hand he was playing with a trembling little bird.
Cui Jue's palms were broad and his body temperature was icy. His jade-like fingers pressed the dying carrier bird, barely touching it. A faint, rich fragrance of osmanthus could be smelled through his robes.
Not knowing what he was thinking about, Cui Jue curled the corners of his lips, with murderous intent in his eyes.
"So, the sweet-scented osmanthus scent on you actually comes from here."
As early as half a month ago, Wei Zhiyan found out about the woman named Wang who helped the grandmother of the Su family escape. He learned from her that Su Li had bribed a young man to cooperate with him to kidnap the eldest son of the Wang family.
The lives of Wang Po and her children were in the hands of others, so she could only obey Su Li's orders and help Madam Su escape from the city secretly.
In order to send a signal of escape, Su Li also used a carrier bird that could identify the scent of flowers to send a message to the old house.
Three pieces of straw tied to a bird's legs are a sign of escape.
Wei Zhiyan asked about the place where Su Li fled to. Under the threat of the torture instruments, Wang Po said in panic that she had heard about Jingzhou from Old Madam Su, and she thought that the place where they fled was most likely Jingzhou.
Things are beginning to get a little clearer. As for the young man who assisted Su Li, Wei Zhiyan will continue to send people to search for him.
When Cui Jue was leading troops on patrol and recruiting soldiers, he would naturally pass through Jingzhou.
Cui Jue had an idea in mind, and when he thought about it carefully, it was a coincidence. When he slaughtered the head of the Zhang family before, there was a group of miscellaneous soldiers composed of refugees raised in Jingzhou.
Su Li was very good at choosing places. She should have never expected that after going around in circles, she would fall into a trap and choose Cui Jue's territory.
The Cui family carriage stopped.
Governor Lin saw this from afar, tried to smile, clapped his hands, and called the beauties to come forward to serve him.
But before those delicate women could get close, a group of solemn soldiers stepped forward with swords drawn and shouted sternly: "Back off!"
The beauties were angrily scolded, and each of them was frightened and had tears in their eyes, and was in panic.
The crying was too loud, so Cui Jue glanced at it calmly and called over the governor Lin: "I am really tired after traveling by boat and carriage. Please get in the carriage and listen to my orders."
Cui Jue is now in charge of the country. Although he has not ascended the throne, he is equivalent to the king. When the prince visits the city under the jurisdiction of his subjects, he can modestly refer to himself as the monarch.
Governor Lin heard that what he had done today had caused the prince to be caught off guard, and he didn't even have the mood to get off the car and have a drink.
Hearing this, Governor Lin's legs became even more numb. He climbed onto the carriage tremblingly and asked, "What do you want, my lord?"
Cui Jue held the dying carrier bird tightly in his palm and handed over a small portrait of a woman with his other hand.
Governor Lin was confused and unfolded the scroll in fear.
There was a picture of a young woman on the paper scroll, who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, with almond eyes and rosy cheeks, and two buns with pearls. She had an ethereal appearance and a beautiful face like a flower in the moonlight.
Could such a beautiful woman be a concubine of a noble family? But how could a hero like Cui Jue lead his army to a battle just for a lowly woman?
Governor Lin: "Who is this person?"
Cui Jue sneered, "He's just a fugitive."
"Governor Lin, I command you to immediately seal off the city walls and dispatch patrols to draw portraits and investigate every refugee, woman, and child who has entered Jingzhou or relocated to nearby prefectures in the past two months. Although the numbers are numerous and the tasks are complex, you must conduct a thorough search and inspection, and never let anyone go unpunished. If you can still mess up such a minor matter... the position of Governor will surely be filled by someone more capable."
The few words Cui Jue patiently typed made Governor Lin sweat profusely.
He understood the meaning of Cui Jue's words.
If he can't even find a woman, not only will he not be able to keep his official hat, but even his life will be in danger!
Governor Lin did not dare to neglect his words. He repeatedly promised, "Yes, yes! I will do my utmost to serve you, my Lord!"
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