Abu had already abandoned the skewers and was eating a sweet osmanthus pastry in each hand.
With his mouth stuffed full, when he heard that cumin powder was to be brought over, he quickly puffed out his cheeks and mumbled, "Brother Shi, I'll do it, let me do it."
Zhao Tingduo tapped him on the head: "Aren't you tired?"
Abu and his companion have traveled thousands of miles from south to north and haven't had a proper rest yet.
Abu was eating with a satisfied expression. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he said, "Don't be afraid of getting tired, I'll go get it. Brother Shi can rest in Broken Gold Town for a few more days."
He had thought it through; if he went back to the tribe with the young master today, he didn't know when he would be able to come back again.
The young master is waiting in Broken Gold Town. If I go there twice, it will be more tiring, and I might stay a few more days.
Song Liyun said, "There's no rush. Since you've all come all this way, why don't you all stay for a few days?"
Zhao Tingduo had the same thought in mind, but she didn't know how to bring it up.
Previously, the reason given was concern for the Song family's safety, and that their presence here could serve as a protective measure. Now that the bandit leader has been sent to the capital to be executed, it would be somewhat unreasonable for them to continue living here.
However, since Song Liyun has invited him, he can stay for two more days.
Abu chuckled, "Thank you, Sister Song!"
But his smile vanished the next second, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What? You said you wanted to come with us to get cumin powder in a few days?"
Zhao Tingduo was also startled and shook her head repeatedly: "No, those tribes are in the grasslands, we don't even know where to look for them!"
Song Liyun smiled and said, "Then I'll go find Commander Luo. He can deliver mutton every day. We can't keep saying we can't find him."
The source of the mutton at Tianxianglou is unknown to outsiders, but Song Liyun, Lin Tao, Zhou Xiang, and others handle this matter every day, so everyone knows it but deliberately doesn't mention it.
This clearly indicates they're going to find the tribe.
Hearing that Song Liyun insisted on going to the grassland with him, Zhao Tingduo frowned slightly.
He was considering whether or not to let Song Liyun know something.
The mutton sold at Tianxianglou these days was indeed from the Wuda tribe, and the money earned from selling furs had all been used by Luo Baihu to buy grain and cloth and send them back to the grasslands.
According to reports, the tribe will have a prosperous winter this year.
Winter is the peak season for meat and fur sales. As long as Song Liyun manages things properly, the Wuda tribe will get better year by year.
This kind of good is different from the good we had before when we relied on the Zhenbei Army.
Back then, the tribe would only receive a certain amount of grain from the city's main camp after the fattened cattle, sheep, and horses were handed over.
There was no other way; the Zhenbei Army was also poor.
Even now, the vast majority of garrisons still live off their monthly pay.
Zhao Tingduo recalled her conversation with the Crown Prince.
The boy, who was younger than him and whose fine clothes could not hide his exhaustion, said that he should take care of the Dilu Grassland for him and stop harassing the Wu Dynasty.
The people of both ethnic groups have suffered many disasters and can no longer bear the burden of prolonged warfare.
They had a long talk that night, and the two of them talked a lot and realized that some things are not as easy as they seem on the surface.
Jiang Feng once said that as long as the Crown Prince was in power, the Zhenbei Army would help the Wuda tribe become a major force on the grasslands.
Actually, this is very difficult.
Although the crown prince is overseeing the country, his foundation is weak and he needs time to win over the hearts of the people.
The eldest prince was also watching from the side.
Moreover, sending a large contingent of the Zhenbei Army into the grasslands to help would mean facing the scimitars of all the Di barbarians, which would be another bloody and costly battle that the court officials would absolutely not agree to.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince was the rightful heir apparent, and the Emperor was forced to "recuperate," leaving the Crown Prince with only the challenges of court politics and the stability of the grasslands.
After Pingliang Fort was reclaimed, Xuanwei Army was transferred back to the capital, and the military power of Yunzhou was completely taken back by the Marquis of Zhenbei.
The Crown Prince said that he would have the Zhenbei Army provide Zhao Tingduo with all the support it could, but it could not send troops again.
Zhao Tingduo also knew that she could not start wars again so easily.
The Uda tribe had been driven out of the grasslands for twenty years and had only just returned. Their numbers were small, and in the first year, they did not attract the attention of the Di royal court, which gave them the opportunity to annex several other tribes.
But things in this world are ever-changing.
No one expected that the fall of Pingliang Fort would cause turmoil within the Wu Dynasty and a change of government.
The Di royal court's cavalry also paid a considerable price in the process of withdrawing from the Wu Dynasty under the attack of the Zhenbei Army.
They gained food, but lost their more important elite cavalry.
The Wuda tribe, which had close ties with the Zhenbei Army, would naturally be on the royal court's radar.
Any slight disturbance could trigger an attack.
The Zhenbei Army could not send troops. Faced with a behemoth like the Di Lu royal court, the small Wuda tribe could only be wiped out or forever withdrawn from the grasslands, becoming an ordinary village within the territory of the Wu Dynasty.
These are all things that Zhao Tingduo is unwilling to accept.
However, there are gains as well as losses.
Unlike the previous covert suppression by the emperor, now with the support of the Crown Prince of the Wu Dynasty, the Zhenbei Army and the government can provide convenience to the Wuda tribe.
As long as the Uda tribe becomes wealthy, prosperous, and powerful, other small tribes on the grassland will take the initiative to join them.
How can it prosper!
Zhao Tingduo had been here since Luo Baihu led a hundred soldiers to build Suijin Pass. At that time, Suijin Town was dilapidated and desolate, as if it were haunted.
Now, houses are being built and buildings are being constructed everywhere, and lanterns and decorations are being put up, creating a brand new look.
Luo Baihu didn't hide a single word about these experiences.
Every time he mentions it, he says that all these changes started with the Song family lending him fifty taels of silver…
Thinking of all this, Zhao Tingduo's gaze toward Song Liyun became even more ardent.
He had just witnessed the bustling activity in the town, and if things continued this way, it wouldn't be impossible for Suijin Town to become the second Hecheng.
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