Chapter 563: Lack of Knowledge [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"This is quite a coincidence."
"really."
She never expected such a coincidence.
Bai Su then instructed, "Since that's the case, Zhi Zong, you will be in charge of this matter. Go and select twenty low-ranking officials and eighty soldiers familiar with land reclamation to be at your command. If there aren't enough people, come back and request more. Don't delay the progress."
"only."
Lu Ji clasped his hands in response.
She went to arrange various matters, while Liao Jia and the others only needed to sit quietly and wait, inevitably exchanging a few words.
"Is this young man named Zhizong?"
Liao Jia had a deep impression of this young man.
Bai Su was secretly observing this unfamiliar face when Liao Jia asked about Lu Ji. She replied, "Yes, Lu Ji, courtesy name Zhizong. Zhizong wasn't originally called that. Because she was still young at the time, she was called by her elder brother's name based on their birth order. However, due to misfortune, her father and brothers all died in battle, and because she was stubborn, she gave herself a new name."
"Oh, I see."
Liao Jia was not moved, not because he lacked empathy, but because he had seen similar tragedies many times and was no longer surprised.
In comparison, Lu Ji was still lucky.
She was at least a brave and skilled martial artist, and there was still hope for her to turn her life around. If she were an ordinary commoner, no one knows where her bones would be buried.
Perhaps because Shen Tang was so adept at using martial arts experts as all-purpose tools, frequently assigning them tasks, the military camp had developed a set of procedures, and Lu Ji quickly mustered a hundred men. Liao Jia glanced at them casually, his lips twitching slightly.
They were all women!
The long hours exposed to the wind and sun, along with the arduous and monotonous training, have made their skin rough and dark. Coupled with the lack of time for grooming and styling, their eyebrows have grown wildly, somewhat obscuring their feminine softness and adding a touch of heroism and ruggedness...
The average woman is short and slender.
And what's before our eyes—
Although not as tall as him, he was still much taller than the average male commoner, with a sturdy and robust build, and some sharp features.
"This...isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Liao Jia asked Qi Shan in a low voice.
He had always been fond of women and had a particular fondness for their appearance. His meddling in Zhao Wei's affairs had earned him some points, at least in terms of gender. Now, he was being asked to command a group of women to do backyard clearing work that even adult male commoners might struggle to endure.
I feel a little guilty.
Qi Shan was about to roll her eyes at him when she heard Bai Su's tone suddenly become sharp: "What do you think is wrong with these hundred people, sir?"
Liao Jia sensed the displeasure in Bai Su's words.
However, they cannot directly state the reason.
He felt as if over a hundred pairs of unfriendly eyes were watching him, both openly and secretly, sending chills down his spine. If he said the wrong thing now, he'd be in big trouble later! In a flash, Liao Jia's mind raced.
He managed to force out a smile befitting a human trafficker.
"Commander Bai's troops are strong and well-equipped, and they are all burly and powerful. Why would he need so many skilled men for a simple matter of reclaiming salt fields?"
Bai Su: "..."
The man's smile made her subconsciously uncomfortable, reminding her of the flower thief who had once robbed her when she was a thief, and she felt a strange urge to touch him. However, Liao Jia's words were pleasing to the ear and made her feel comfortable. Bai Su decided not to argue with him: "You flatter me."
Liao Jia gave an awkward, apologetic smile.
The efficiency of the officials in the government office, those experts in internal competition, was truly remarkable. By the end of the morning meeting, they had already designated the salt fields, located to the east of the capital. Due to the presence of the Ten Black Horse Bandits, coupled with the barren land, the few villages that existed there had been dilapidated and abandoned for many years.
Liao Jia and his companions rode in a carriage, while Lu Ji rode his warhorse alongside the carriage. The soldiers, each carrying their tools, walked in formation.
The team was orderly and moved in unison.
He would occasionally lift the curtain to take a peek.
Qi Shan sat upright and mocked, "You're ignorant."
Liao Jia: "I'm ignorant? Why don't you find another one like this in some other part of mainland China and let me see it for myself?"
Zhao Wei had no idea what the two of them were arguing about. It was rare for martial arts masters to be pioneers and do manual labor, but was it really that unusual?
The carriage swayed and bumped, and she was bored.
He leaned against the windowsill and called to his friends, "Zhi Zong."
Lu Ji looked over: "What is it?"
Zhao Wei rested her chin on her hand and said, "I have a question for you."
"ask."
"Is your Commandant Bai married?"
The two, Qi Shan and Lu Ji, who were bickering, stopped at the same time. Lu Ji was puzzled: "They are not yet married, and the Commandant has no interest in this matter."
Zhao Wei then asked, "Why is he indifferent to this matter? He is so young yet he can command more than three thousand men, how come no matchmaker has come to his door?"
"An ice man? I don't know if that exists. However, with our lord's great cause not yet accomplished, how can we have time to talk about personal feelings?" Lu Ji couldn't even imagine Bai Duwei being all lovey-dovey with someone; just thinking about it made him feel like he was going to go blind.
Zhao Wei nodded: "That's true. Father often says that a good man should have ambitions beyond his hometown and that a true man should establish himself before starting a family."
Lu Ji: "???"
Liao Jia suppressed a laugh: "Young master, are you asking about this to arrange a marriage for Commander Bai? Do you have any sisters of marriageable age at home?"
Zhao Wei looked slightly embarrassed.
He replied somewhat awkwardly, "So what if it is?"
Seeing the teasing look in Liao Jia's eyes, she retorted angrily, "Mother already said that if you meet someone you like, there's nothing wrong with being straightforward! If you don't make a move yourself, you can only watch others succeed. That's how my mother got my father..."
However, her mother's strategy of playing hard to get was so effective that her father still believed he was the one who pursued her. Zhao Wei always felt that her talent for military strategy came from her mother, not her father.
Qi Shan: "..."
I stumbled upon some gossip about Zhao Feng and his wife.
He couldn't help but chuckle: "That might be a bit late. Commandant Bai is a favorite among many young ladies in Longwu County; he's very popular."
This is something that Qi Shan finds extremely difficult to understand.
Zhao Wei: "The outcome is still uncertain, and the result is unknown."
Liao Jia couldn't hold back any longer.
Zhao Wei looked completely bewildered.
It's one thing to not support her, but there's no need to mock her, is there?
Seeing Zhao Wei's embarrassment turn to annoyance, Liao Jia quickly stopped laughing: "Don't laugh anymore, don't laugh anymore, but—although Commander Bai is good, he may not be a good match for the young master's sisters."
She has what she has, just like everyone else.
Zhao Wei puffed up her cheeks angrily: "Hmph!"
This little incident somewhat alleviated the fatigue and discomfort brought on by the bumpy journey, and the group finally arrived at their destination halfway through the afternoon.
Liao Jia was familiar with the specifications of various locations in the salt fields.
After discussing the matter in hushed tones with Lu Ji, they measured the approximate area, clearly demarcated each salt field, and had people clear away the rubble and level the land... The whole process wasn't complicated, but the workload was enormous. Even with manpower, he didn't think it could be completed in a short time.
Who knew—
These soldiers opened his eyes.
Martial energy circulates, forcefully clearing the way.
They cooperated very well.
Liao Jia didn't have to do anything except talk; he just stood aside and watched as various martial energies clashed and flew around, creating a chaotic scene of flying sand and stones that obscured his vision. The lower-ranking nobles didn't possess much martial energy, so a single strike wouldn't be enough to create a deep trench, but with coordinated attacks, their efficiency wasn't slow.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the area of the salt fields, which was of uniform size and neatly arranged, was demarcated, and then further subdivided.
Qi Shan nudged him with her elbow.
"Are you just going to stand by and watch?"
Liao Jia snapped out of her daze: "How can I help?"
"Low-level martial artists have small reserves of martial energy, which is consumed quickly and recovered slowly. As a scholar with a literary heart, don't you understand this?"
To work quickly, the battery life must be stable.
Otherwise, why would we send Liao Jia over?
(。＿。｀)
I went to the First Affiliated Hospital today, and my D2 level increased instead of decreasing, so the doctor prescribed medication and gave me an injection.
One injection a day for seven days straight, with a follow-up check-up next week. I reckon my arm will be bruised.
If I suffer so much and God still doesn't give me a little cotton-padded jacket (a traditional Chinese wedding dress), then I'm going to speak with passion.
P.S.: I hesitated for a long time about the name Lu Ji because it sounded too masculine. But since Miss Lu is to inherit her father and brothers' legacy and uphold the family's honor, I think it's appropriate.
(End of this chapter)
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