Meanwhile, Hongzhou bought a batch of grain in the market, raising a total of 100,000 dan.
"It seems I'll have to make a trip to the Northwest." The Thirteenth Prince looked at the list presented by the Ministry of Revenue, and his anxiety finally eased a little.
Seeing that things were finally settled, Hongzhou, who was drinking tea, immediately came over, glanced at the memorial in the Thirteenth Prince's hand, and frowned, saying, "After preparing for so many days, we only have 100,000 dan in total, which is far from the 300,000 dan that Seventeenth Uncle wanted!"
"Don't underestimate these 100,000 dan (a unit of weight), they can be life-saving grain in critical moments." Thirteen patted Hongzhou on the shoulder. Hongzhou was young and had never been on the battlefield, so he didn't know that food supplies often played a decisive role in the outcome of a battle.
He slowly closed the folded document in his hand, took a sip of tea, and looked up to say, "I'll send these 100,000 dan over first. That should be enough for an emergency. Don't be idle in the capital these next few days. Continue to transfer grain from other granaries. Also, arrange the grain purchase as soon as possible."
Upon hearing that the Thirteenth Master was leaving, Hongzhou said anxiously, "Thirteenth Uncle, you don't need to go personally to escort the military supplies, do you? This trip to the Northwest and back is a tough job."
"It's alright. Compared to your seventeenth uncle, this is all I can do." Thirteen laughed heartily, put away the folded document, and stood up.
Going to the Northwest is quite a long trip, so we need to prepare immediately; military matters cannot be delayed.
Upon reaching the door, Hongzhou still followed with some reluctance, saying, "Thirteenth Uncle, I will definitely handle the matter you entrusted to me properly. Please be careful on this trip to the Northwest and come back safely."
"Of course." Thirteen nodded slightly, turned around, got into the carriage, and instructed the driver to return to the manor.
Hongzhou is reliable but not as experienced as Hongli. If it weren't for matters in the capital that kept him away, Thirteenth Prince would have liked to take Hongzhou on a trip to the Northwest.
Upon returning to the Prince's Mansion, one immediately sees maids and servants bustling about in the courtyard, busy tidying up.
As they crossed the courtyard, Lady Zhaojia stood under the veranda, clutching a handkerchief.
"Thirteenth Master!" Seeing the Thirteenth Master return, Lady Zhaojia walked over with a smile, but there was no shortage of disappointment in her eyes. As she called out "Thirteenth Master," tears welled up in her eyes.
Between husband and wife, many things don't need to be said explicitly.
Seeing her like this, Thirteen stood beside him with her hands behind her back and joked, "I was afraid of making you cry, so I sent someone back beforehand to tell you. When I came in and saw everyone bustling around, I thought you..."
"I will not cry then," said Lady Zhaojia, wiping away her tears and smiling through them. "Your Excellency is leaving for the sake of the nation and its people. I will not stop you, nor would I dare to."
“But this trip to the Northwest won’t be a one- or two-day trip,” Zhao Jia’s tone shifted, her gaze towards the Thirteenth Prince filled with reluctance. “I know I can’t stay by Your Highness’s side, so I would like Your Highness to take two of your concubines with you.”
Thirteen's bracelet was beside Zhao Jia's side as they walked into the room. He laughed and said, "I'm going to deliver grain. What am I doing bringing two women with me?"
"How dare you say that!" Madam Zhao stepped over the threshold, glaring at Thirteen with a mixture of anger and resentment. "Women are meticulous and know how to take care of people. This time, I had the two of them bring enough medicine, food, and supplies, so they can take care of Master from beginning to end. I wouldn't feel comfortable with those rough men."
Once inside, Thirteen pressed Zhao Jia into a chair. Hearing how meticulously she had arranged things, and how she was clearly thinking of him, he leaned close to her and whispered teasingly, "If you bring both of them along, aren't you afraid that you'll develop feelings for them over the journey and I'll end up favoring them?"
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