Chapter 382: Regarding the food shortage, Demonno couldn’t openly express his concern…
Demonno was not in a position to tell Fu Qingyu about these things directly. After all, without any evidence, he would be accused of disturbing the morale of the army.
But Lu Fan is here to help pass on the message, whether you believe it or not is up to you.
"Tens of thousands of troops?" Xu Yunfan pointed at the coffee table. "Did the Second Princess say anything else?"
Lu Fan hesitated for a moment, "Yes, she still wants me to take Zhali back."
Xu Yunfan understood that Demonno was a little anxious. She was wavering in her belief that Dayan could win, so she mentioned again that Lu Fan should take Zhali back.
Demonno knew that if Lu Fan went back, not only Xiao Hengzhi, but even the people in Ye Hou Mansion would send soldiers to send him back safely. But if Zhali went back alone, whether they would care or not would depend on whether Zhali was worth the trouble in their eyes.
"Uncle Lu, are you going back?" Xu Yunfan asked bluntly, and then he said, "If you do, I can arrange for someone to escort you back to Dongwu. Of course, if you don't go back, and Zhali is left alone, I will naturally pay attention to this matter because of his friendship with Run'er. I will definitely not let him be kidnapped along the way."
"But Uncle Lu Fan, you have to think carefully. Once you leave, you will be away for a few years at least, and at most you will never have a chance to come back." Lord Ye knew that his brother owed Lu Fan. Now Ye Fangzheng was divorced, and the whole capital knew that the Ye family's eldest son was obsessed with the Emperor Dongwu. If Lu Fan left again, for Ye Sifan, Lord Ye would no longer allow Ye Fangzheng to "do whatever he wanted".
Lu Fan's heart trembled, and he hesitated for a moment, "Let me think about it."
Xu Yunfan: "You should think about it carefully. Outsiders can't give you an answer to the matter between you and Uncle Ye. People often say that reconciling a broken mirror will only lead to repeating the same mistakes, and reconciliation is also fake. In matters of the heart, once there is a crack, it can't go back to the way it was before, because there is a grudge in the heart, which is difficult to repair. But how many seventeen years can a person have in his life? Sometimes, the inability to let go is not because of hatred, but may be due to other reasons. In short, Uncle Lu, think about it yourself. No matter what choice you make, no one will blame you. After all, no one has the qualifications."
Hearing this, Lu Fan was stunned for a while.
He had seen Ye Fangzheng's pursuit of him, his confession of mistakes, and his attempts to please him during this period. He had also seen Lord Ye come personally to apologize on behalf of his son. The sight of both the old and the young acting together suddenly made him feel oppressed.
It was as if, having come this far, he would be somewhat ungrateful if he didn't reconcile with Ye Fangzheng.
After all, that's what people outside say. They all say that he is a bastard who was kicked out of the family, but he can make Lord Ye humble himself and make Prince Ye think about him for more than ten years. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Although no one would say these things to him openly, many people privately think he is pretentious.
I've been irritated so much that I have to let it out in another way.
Lu Fan sighed, "Can you give me an answer?"
Xu Yunfan smiled and looked at Lu Fan. "Answer? It's been so long. Uncle Lu should have had the answer a long time ago. It's just that you're not sure yet. You're afraid of repeating the same mistake and ending up in the same embarrassing situation as you did that year."
"I'm wavering." Lu Fan was distressed. He didn't know who to tell about his troubles and hesitation.
It's really ridiculous. In the place where he was born, he has no other relatives except Zhali, his non-blood-related son, not even a close friend. He doesn't know who to tell his worries to, and no one can give him guidance.
"Yunfan, I have so much to say but I don't know who to tell. Prince Xiao is just a nobleman I've met a few times. I can't tell him about my entanglement and hesitation. Zhali is a fool who went abroad. He has no idea what I'm struggling with."
"During this time, Ye Shizi did say a lot of words similar to apologies, and also gave me a lot. He bought the house, and he was involved in my food, clothing, and other expenses. He seemed to be doing his best to make up to me, and he was cautiously approaching me to please me. To be honest, seeing him like this, I felt both relieved and heartbroken. I don't know if he has changed, and I don't know if he is serious. It has been more than ten years, and I don't know if his so-called love for me is a long-term obsession or something else. I was too scared, so I was suspicious and worried, and I was afraid to take this step."
Xu Yunfan was silent for a moment, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.
He knew that Demonno loved Zali very much, and even the Emperor Demon of the East Kingdom doted on Zali.
If the three countries of Dongjin really joined forces, would Dongwu have other ideas? Human nature cannot stand the test.
If Zhali stayed in Dayan...
Therefore, Demonno was also worried that they would have other thoughts about Zali.
Xu Yunfan just found it funny. Demonno was willing to let Zhali come over out of trust in them, but as a mother, it was understandable that she would be worried.
Xu Yunfan supported his chin with one hand on the table, feeling lazy yet secretly comfortable. The corners of his mouth were raised, as if he was thinking of someone or something that made him feel relaxed.
"Uncle Lu, whether a person has changed or not, whether he loves you or not, actually doesn't require him to die for you or to see how many tears he sheds for you. There are many ways to express love. It doesn't require the other person to make any sacrifices for you or you for the other person. Love can be vigorous or long-lasting. Two people who love each other can love each other to death or they can be ordinary. Just like me and Run Ge'er, I know he loves me very much. Why? Because of the details, because I see and feel it deeply, the look in his eyes when he looks at me, the accelerated heartbeat when he kisses me, and so on. Everything tells me that he likes me. His love is light, but it is everywhere, so much so that I can't live without him."
Finally, Xu Yunfan said earnestly, "If this person doesn't like you, no matter how much you do, they won't be moved at all. Some people don't even bother to see what you have done or what you have been through, because it's all your wishful thinking and has nothing to do with them. Only those who are moved by you and like you will try hard to remember the bitterness and sweetness you have tasted. Maybe there are some things that even you can't remember, but the other person remembers them. If you don't have a heart, you can't do this. Take me as an example again. You should know that I have a photographic memory, but I am also too lazy to remember those things that I don't care about and think are insignificant. So, sometimes, whether you can remember an event or a person has nothing to do with memory."
Lu Fan listened quietly and suddenly burst into tears.
He didn't cry silently, but cried very aggrievedly and unrestrainedly, as if he wanted to vent all his dissatisfaction.
Qin Run, who had been standing outside and listening for a while, seemed to see himself in Lu Fan.
Knowing that there is a huge gap in status between them, and feeling so inferior and embarrassed in front of the other person, one cannot help but want to get closer, a little closer, uncontrollably, even if it means flying into a flame.
But he was luckier than Lu Fan. Xu Yunfan responded to all his efforts and even gave him more unexpected surprises.
Outside Xiao Qin's house, under the scorching sun, Ye Fangzheng stood there like a wooden man. He neither sought shelter in the shade nor returned to the carriage to wait. He stood there stubbornly, almost in a self-abuse manner.
Qin Run couldn't persuade him, so he stopped trying.
Lu Fan cried for a long time. Xu Yunfan was afraid that he was dehydrated, so he quickly poured him a glass of water and patted his back without saying anything, let alone asking Lu Fan what he thought.
He only knew that the next day, Lu Fan handed a letter to the caravan, but neither he nor Zhali left.
Xu Yunfan glanced at the father and son beside him with very different expressions. Zhali was still heartless. Xu Yunfan once suspected that he had lost his mind. He was actually worried that this man would poach Qin Run. How much did he underestimate his own charm at that time!
Heartless Zha Li scratched his head and looked around, "Third Father, they are all gone, aren't we going home? I want to go play with Si Fan."
Listen, this is a very silly thing to say.
Lu Fan turned his head to look at Zhali, and immediately understood why the Demon family wanted to conceal Zhali's identity.
If this silly child were a boy, he would probably be sold and still be counting money for others.
Lu Fan was tired. "Do you really want to go play with Sifan? Don't you want to go back to Dongwu or miss your mother at all? I thought you wanted to go back too."
Zhali pursed his lips and said bitterly, "Ah, Third Father, why do you think I want to go back to Dongwu? If I go back, my mother will punish me by making me shovel horse manure and pick up cow dung. I don't like doing these jobs. Some cows are disobedient and they kick me. It's dirty and painful. But I miss my mother very much, but it's too troublesome to go back. I can only distract myself and not give myself time to think about my mother."
Lu Fan: “…”
If Zhali hadn't eaten well, drank well, laughed a lot, and gained several pounds every day, he would probably have believed the boy's nonsense by now.
When the Demonno family, who were far away in Dongwu, received the reply letter from Zhali and Lu Fan, they felt heartbroken.
"Third brother must have had a lot of fun in Dayan. How could he bear to come back?" Big Brother Zhali snorted coldly. He heard from other martial servants who went to Dayan that the capital of Dayan was very fun. Not only were there many delicious foods, but even the dance music in the music hall was unforgettable, especially that fairy in blue, who was simply "beautiful".
Father Zari glanced at Demonno, "Do you and His Majesty want to stop?"
The military strength of the Dongjin Kingdom was too strong, and if they forced the attack, Tobu would suffer heavy losses.
"It has come to this. How can we stop? Once we stop, after Dongjin captures Dayan, we will be next. What's more, we have already taken action, and the Dongjin Emperor will not let us go. Now, we can only cooperate with Dayan and fight hard. That way, if Dayan wins, we in Dongwu can still leave a good reputation."
Dayan doesn’t know the exact military strength of Dongwu, but doesn’t his own people know it either?
The second brother, Zhali, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up, "Mother, I heard that my third brother has a good relationship with Master Xu and the Qin family. Can we...use this relationship to resolve the issue of food and fodder?"
Like Dongjin, Dongwu was a pastoral country, with only a small part of its area suitable for growing crops such as rice and corn, but wheat was the most widely grown crop.
Grain production was already low in ancient times, and war was a waste of manpower and material resources. The food supply in Dongwu was indeed a bit tight.
Demonno waved to other people and asked whether the Qin family army had enough food and grass.
Demonno has been too busy recently and cannot ask about many things. Before in Dayan, she heard that Xu Yunfan launched new seeds, and factories in various counties used sweet potato residue and other "waste materials" to make fertilizers.
These fertilizers are comparable to cow dung and pig manure. They can not only improve soil fertility, but are also said to increase crop yields.
At first, she was skeptical. What kind of seeds and fertilizers could be so weird?
But after hearing what the general said, that the Qin army had no shortage of food and fodder, that they could eat bacon once every two weeks, and that a batch of food and fodder was even on the way, he could not help but be shocked, "Is Dayan really not short of food?"
It was winter when she went to Dayan. The fields along the way were barren and there was no crop to be seen.
Demonzaji said with envy, "Second Princess, Dayan should have no shortage of food. According to a letter from Master Lu San, the Grand Minister of Agriculture of Dayan has been working on this for the past two years. Dayan is vast and rich in resources. Some places can grow two crops a year. And with the Grand Minister of Agriculture's teachings, the scientific planting methods that Master Xu mentioned, some land can even grow two crops."
"How come Master Xu has so much?" Father Zhali couldn't help but become curious about Xu Yunfan, who had his own legends about everything. "Can this fertilizer be used on anything?"
Speaking of the affairs of Dayan, De Monzagi should be the one who knows the most. "Not really. I heard that the amount of fertilizer depends on the crops and the fertility of the soil. In short, farming is a science. The cooperation between Master Xu and the Minister of Agriculture can be said to be good news for the people of Dayan. The people have food, oil in their bellies, money in their hands, clothes on their backs, and houses to live in. The people live and work in peace and contentment. Why worry about the country's strength?"
Some areas in Dayan are very poor. There may not be a cow in every ten miles of the village. The only farming tools are hoes. In this way, the people work themselves to death. After turning over more than ten acres of land, do they still have any use for their hands?
There was no way. What did Xu Yunfan, who had no fame yet, do at that time?
He had a plow made, and trained the hundreds of cows he bought through the Qi family's connections, and then distributed them.
As for the people being poor and having no money to buy seeds and fertilizers, that’s great. They can buy the goods on credit first and pay more later.
If you encounter those stubborn people, it doesn’t matter. Everyone uses the new seeds, so you have to use them even if you don’t want to. The main thing is to force them.
The people should not fight against the officials. It is true that some people complained at the beginning, claiming that the businessmen and officials were in collusion, and that the Minister of Agriculture was lawless and was forcing the people to spend money to buy seeds.
They had already saved corn seeds and rice seeds at home, but they still had to spend this money in vain. The officials do not serve the people and even help the evil. They really can't live like this.
Xu Yunfan had been scolded before, but the more hateful the scolding was in the early stage, the more favorable it became in the later stage.
Damn, what's wrong with this corn?
How can it be so long and full?
Looking at the golden corn in the yard, these men smiled so hard that their teeth were showing.
The rice in the fields was even worse. The ears of rice were so heavy that they seemed to be hanging down and about to break the rice stalks.
So, Xu Yunfan seemed to have done only a small thing, so why was he able to be ranked second on the day his name was on the list of successful candidates?
He was able to work together with the Minister of Agriculture to ensure that the people had enough food to eat and improve their living standards. No wonder the people supported him.
It was precisely because of the support of the people that when Xu Yunfan decided to go to the eastern border in person to repel the enemy, conscripts from all over the country volunteered. Even though there was no order from their superiors, this group of people still came spontaneously.
Every citizen has a share of responsibility for the rise and fall of a country.
…
No one expected that Xu Yunfan's guess would come true, and the three Dongs would actually form an alliance.
When Qin Feiyu's letter was delivered to Fu Qingyu via an express route of eight hundred miles, Fu Qingyu was horrified and ordered the ministers to be summoned to court in the middle of the night.
There is no way, how many troops does Sandong have?
That’s not tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands, but hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers!
Xu Yunfan was notified to attend court in the middle of the night. He sat on the bed in a daze, with a few strands of hair sticking up rebelliously. Qin Run couldn't hold it back. "Yunfan, reach out, quickly. The emperor is in a hurry. We can't delay. Father has already left."
Fu Qingyu summoned Xiao Hengzhi in the middle of the night. As soon as he heard about the matter concerning the eastern border, all his sleepiness disappeared in an instant. He put on his coat and didn't even bother to wash his face. He even forgot to bring his brother and son-in-law. He didn't even take the carriage and just rode away on horseback with his guards.
When Xu Yunfan reached the gate, Xiao Hengzhi was nowhere to be seen. "Father-in-law left. Why didn't he wait for me?"
Qin Run on the side didn't say anything, thinking that Xu Yunfan's questions were all nonsense.
Xu Yunfan is so slow that he might not even be able to eat hot shit.
But if you try to join in the fun, this person will disappear in the blink of an eye like a rabbit.
"Father is anxious. After all, it is dad and his men who are defending the Eastern Territory. Father must be worried." Qin Run was also worried, but he had no choice. He was just a brother without an official position and no qualifications to go to court. No matter how anxious he was, what could he do?
Xu Yunfan shook his head. "There's no need to rush. Those elderly ministers are in very poor health. If they were to ride horses, they would probably fall apart. It would take at least half an hour for them to reach the palace. Even if my father-in-law runs faster, he will only be one step ahead in understanding why the emperor is calling out in the middle of the night."
What else could be happening in the Eastern Territory that could make Fu Qingyu so anxious?
Xu Yunfan had anticipated this, "Run'er, if Sandong cooperates, this battle with Sandong will be an unprecedented tough battle for Dad and the others."
"Husband!" Qin Run tightly grasped Xu Yunfan's wide sleeves. Official robes are like this, with wide sleeves.
Thousands of words, all the worries are contained in this one word: husband.
Those who understand don’t need you to say more.
Xu Yunfan turned around and looked at Qin Run, who had a heavy face and looked like he was about to cry. He sighed helplessly, reached out and pinched Qin Run's nose, gently shaking it left and right twice. He let go until the other person felt uncomfortable. "What are you thinking about? It's just a cooperation between Sandong."
Qin Run looked up at Xu Yunfan. Sometimes, he really couldn't understand Xu Yunfan. This man obviously brushed his teeth every morning and evening, but how could he speak so arrogantly?
I'm afraid even a man who hasn't brushed his teeth for half a year wouldn't be so arrogant as him.
"Yunfan, if the three eastern regions cooperate, that means hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers. This is not a joke." If the people knew about this, Dayan would probably be in chaos.
Why is it so chaotic?
When approaching the eastern border, will the people in the provincial capital move their families out of fear?
This move will bring problems one after another.
By then, although Kyoto would not be in chaos, the people in the surrounding areas would be in a state of panic. Who would dare to farm or run a business? By then, the economy that had been developed with great difficulty would probably be put back into reverse.
A war can set a country's development back by more than ten years. These are no jokes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
