Chapter 49: Strategy
When Lord Yan and Madam Yan came in, Gu Xiyue's eyes stayed on them for a long time. Seeing that the dark circles under their eyes had improved a lot, he felt comforted.
It seems that the two of them had a good rest last night.
Gu Xiyue stood up and welcomed the guests in with Xiao Heng.
Lord Yan smiled cheerfully and glanced at Xiao Heng as he came in. Perhaps it was because Madam Yan had told him last night that Xiao Heng was Madam Gu's husband, so he took a few more glances at him and nodded after that.
He looked very appreciative.
Finally, his eyes fell on Gu Xiyue's face.
"Xiyue, things are getting a bit dicey out there lately. You'd better dress up before you go out. You're so pretty, be careful not to run into any bad guys with bad intentions."
He spoke with concern, and Gu Xiyue nodded.
"I had a good rest last night, so don't worry. Stay a few more days at the mansion this time. I'll have your stepmother make you two sets of clothes, and also two sets for your husband."
It’s no wonder Lord Yan said that. The clothes of Gu Xiyue and Xiao Heng are not very gorgeous, and can be said to be quite simple.
Without waiting for Gu Xiyue and the others to nod, Master Yan continued, "I have to go out for a while. If that matter isn't resolved, it won't be a solution. Xiyue, just stay here and don't overthink it. This matter will be resolved sooner or later."
Seeing that he didn't take what he said yesterday to heart, Gu Xiyue smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, godfather. I came here today to talk to you about something. I wonder if you are willing to listen to me."
Lord Yan thought it was another business matter. The people's salt and food problems had basically been solved. Now, apart from resisting the Hu people, he didn't know what else could be more important than this.
Although I didn't have much hope in my heart, I nodded patiently.
"Why not tell me about it?"
Lord Yan was not very interested, but Madam Yan was different. She looked at Gu Xiyue with great interest and even asked the extra maids and servants to leave, leaving only the ones she was closest to.
Gu Xiyue stood up, stood in the main hall, faced the prefect, and said seriously: "Your Excellency, I have a way to solve the problem of resisting foreign enemies."
After Gu Xiyue finished speaking, the hall was quiet for a moment. She raised her head and looked at the prefect, only to see that he had a look of surprise on his face, as if he was hearing something impossible.
Finally, he reacted and paused before saying, "You mean, you have a way to resist the foreign enemies?"
He looked incredulous.
Gu Xiyue could understand, and continued regardless: "I, a commoner, not only have ways to resist foreign enemies, but also ways to make Ganzhou prosperous and let the people live a good life. Didn't the court abandon Ganzhou? Then we will develop Ganzhou into a place that the court can't afford."
"Hahahahahaha." Lord Yan suddenly laughed, and it was a very hearty laugh.
Mrs. Yan next to her also laughed.
This sounds really satisfying.
Master Yan smiled and clapped his hands on his legs. He said with a smile, "Xiyue, these things are easy for you to say, but it's not so easy to do them."
After saying this, he sighed and continued, "The imperial court has always valued civil service over military service. Aside from the necessary military, the common people are influenced by the court and look down on those who practice martial arts. They all value studying and farming. This has led to young and middle-aged men now having no enthusiasm to join the army and fight."
"This problem is easy to solve. I have a way to get people to join the army and fight."
Master Yan tilted his head, looking at his recently adopted daughter with curiosity, "What do you have in mind?"
Gu Xiyue put her hands behind her back, looked sideways at Xiao Heng, then turned back and smiled at the prefect and Madam Yan.
"Your Excellency, think of it this way: what do ordinary people care about most?"
"Of course, there is food to eat and the family is healthy and safe."
Gu Xiyue nodded. "The prefect is right. What ordinary people want from their small families is to have enough food and drink, enough food to eat, and enough money to keep their families healthy. If a family member is hurt, even a man will seek revenge. Ganzhou is made up of countless families. When Ganzhou is safe, they live and work in peace. When they know that this big family of Ganzhou has been invaded and humiliated by outsiders, can they just sit there and wait for death?"
"Once Ganzhou is in trouble, no one will be spared. If we explain this truth to the people, they will surely understand."
"The reason they're not motivated now is because the prefect hasn't explained the important matter of the court abandoning Ganzhou. Apart from anything else, I didn't see anyone mention this news all the way from Xifeng Town. No one knows about this, so how can they actively participate in the battle?"
The prefect nodded in agreement, "I've only received this news four days ago. To avoid causing panic, I haven't planned to tell anyone yet."
"That's the problem, Mr. Prefect. I dare say that as long as we clearly explain the seriousness of the Hu invasion and the true impact of the court abandoning us, it will definitely cause a sensation. When the time comes, we can guide them and will definitely arouse everyone's thoughts on Baozhou Wei family."
"Also, I can write this announcement for you."
After Gu Xiyue finished speaking, the prefect pondered for a long time, and a light gradually appeared in his eyes. When he looked at Gu Xiyue again, his eyes changed instantly.
"However, the general who led the army, General Wang, has been transferred to Longzhou. We don't have a leading general here, and it's not easy to find such a candidate."
Gu Xiyue nodded and said, "I have also thought about this problem. I will tell the prefect later."
Master Yan's back straightened involuntarily. "Xiyue, you are not kidding me, right? These things are absolutely not to be joked about."
Gu Xiyue nodded seriously, looking at Lord Yan with a sincere face, "Foster father, Xiyue is absolutely not joking. This matter is not a joke. It concerns the safety of tens of thousands of people in Ganzhou. Xiyue knows it well."
Lord Yan stood up, clapped his hands together, and then, with a look of sudden enlightenment on his face, continued, "Even if this can arouse the fighting spirit of the people, it will take at least a year to gather them, train them, and then prepare them for battle against the Hu people. Moreover, if the strong laborers go to fight, the fields in Ganzhou will be unable to provide food if they rely solely on the women and the elderly to cultivate them. By then, the soldiers on the front lines will have trouble eating."
"Your Excellency, do you know what we in Ganzhou lack the most?"
The prefect didn't understand why she asked this question.
"Wasteland!"
Yes, the most abundant thing in Ganzhou is wasteland, large tracts of it.
Gu Xiyue nodded, "Yes! What we have the most in Ganzhou is wasteland. After we gather the young laborers this year and select a camp to start training, we can reclaim the surrounding wasteland and seriously injure the food supply. In this way, the soldiers can train for half a day and reclaim the wasteland for half a day every day. This can not only ensure the normal progress of training, but also solve the problem of food."
"The women and the elderly who remain at home only need to farm enough to feed themselves. Since the imperial court has abandoned us, it will naturally no longer collect grain and taxes. This way, the common people only need to pay a small portion of grain and taxes to the governor of Ganzhou, which greatly reduces the pressure on us common people and is also a good thing."
The prefect pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, that would solve the soldiers' food problem and also ease the burden on the common people."
"As for the time issue mentioned by the prefect."
Gu Xiyue smiled and said, "This is not difficult, godfather, have you forgotten what I do?"
After saying that, he winked mischievously and said, "I'm a businessman."
After saying this, the prefect was stunned, and Madam Yan next to him covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes full of joy.
The prefect pointed at Gu Xiyue and smiled, "You!"
He also laughed, and felt a lot more relaxed.
"We can find a way to trade with the Hu people, find their weaknesses, and use economic means to delay them for a year or two. This will help our soldiers buy time. Besides, their harassment of us doesn't necessarily mean war. Foster father, do you think what I said makes sense?"
Lord Yan nodded, frowned, and sighed, "Now that you mention it, I remember that during these past invasions, the Hu people mostly stole the people's food and livestock like chickens, ducks, and geese. Aside from some who resisted fiercely and were killed, they didn't hurt anyone."
"That's right!"
Gu Xiyue turned around and sat down in her seat. She picked up the tea bowl beside her and drank it all in one gulp. Then she said casually, "I'm sure something must have happened to the Hu people. Otherwise, they wouldn't be harassing us so arbitrarily. I plan to go deep into the Hu people in a few days to see if I can find something."
"That won't do! It's too dangerous!" was Mrs. Yan's first reaction.
This adopted daughter is as beautiful as a flower. If she were to enter the territory of the Hu people, she would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth. That would be extremely dangerous.
"Mom, don't worry, I will have someone accompany me. Besides, I'm going there to discuss business, not to do anything else. I know what's going on, and no one will hurt me."
"We can postpone our business negotiations with the Hu people. The most urgent task is to stabilize Ganzhou and defend the border, so that Ganzhou can recover first."
Xiao Heng had been sitting there listening, and everything was going on as he and Gu Xiyue had agreed. When it came to this, he finally interrupted.
The voice is steady, powerful and full of energy.
Upon hearing this, the prefect immediately looked at Xiao Heng.
"Xiyue, I agree with what your husband said. It's better to be cautious and take your time when doing business with the Hu people. Although you live among the Hu people, you are still a native of Ganzhou after all. It's better to be cautious at this time."
Gu Xiyue nodded after hearing this, "Okay, then develop the economy of Ganzhou first, and then go to negotiate business with the Hu people."
Mrs. Yan then sat down with peace of mind. She almost stood up just now.
Seeing that her adopted daughter's husband was a man who knew what was important, she felt relieved.
"By the way, you just mentioned that there is a candidate to lead the army. Who is this candidate..."
When the topic reached this point, Gu Xiyue knew that the most difficult part of the day was coming.
Whether the folks in the Southern Wilderness can have a formal identity, and whether she and Xiao Heng can move freely in Ganzhou in the future, all depends on this.
Gu Xiyue had his considerations for putting this matter last.
What the prefect is most worried about at the moment is resisting the Hu people and pacifying the affairs of Ganzhou. After all, he is a minister of the court and has devoted himself to the court for many years. Now he is suddenly abandoned, and he still can't believe it.
I can't believe that the imperial court just threw away a state like that. Nearly 100,000 lives were lost.
In the past few days, he was filled with various worries and was at a loss. He ran around everywhere with one purpose, which was to hope that the court would take back Cheng Ming. However, after a few days, it was of no use. The city gates of Longzhou were guarded tightly and he ignored his begging.
It was not until yesterday that he became completely disheartened and thought that if all else failed, he would just give up and live and die with the people of Ganzhou.
But Gu Xiyue's words brought him hope and made him see what he could do to keep Ganzhou alive and resist the Hu people.
This method rekindled hope in his heart, and he even felt that what Gu Xiyue had said before was achievable.
Since the imperial court has abandoned Ganzhou, let Ganzhou become strong and become a place that the imperial court cannot reach.
Therefore, he was particularly curious about the leader that Gu Xiyue mentioned.
As soon as he finished asking, he saw Gu Xiyue's face calm down. He walked up to him step by step and knelt down with a thud.
The prefect was shocked at the time, and thought that she was the one who was going to lead the army.
She was about to reach out and help her up, but she heard Gu Xiyue say, "Sir, before I tell you about this, I must confess something to you. I hope you can calmly listen to me."
The prefect was nervous, not knowing what Gu Xiyue was going to say. At this time, his heart had already softened, and he thought that as long as it was not a big problem, he would not care.
"Sir, actually, what I said before, that I went to Hu Country with my family when I was young, was actually a lie."
After saying this, Gu Xiyue looked up at the prefect, wanting to see his expression, but saw that he looked calm and a little surprised.
"That's it?"
The prefect spread his hands, looking unconcerned. "It's nothing. If you're not from the Hu people's side, wouldn't that be better? If you were really there, I'd be worried."
Gu Xiyue swallowed her saliva and continued, "Then if I tell you that I'm not the daughter of the Gu family in Dongfeng Town, but a prisoner exiled to the Southern Wilderness by the imperial court, would you believe it?"
Lord Yan and Madam Yan were both stunned. They looked at each other, not knowing for a moment whether they should believe it or not.
Mrs. Yan was still soft-hearted. She nodded and said, "Tell me about it."
"I was originally the Crown Princess. After the Crown Prince was deposed, we were exiled to the Southern Wilds for committing a crime. The conditions there were harsh. It was extremely difficult for the villagers to survive. Not only did they have to endure mosquito bites, but they could only eat one meal a day. They couldn't eat enough, but they couldn't starve to death. A pound of salt there cost fifty wen. Many people couldn't save enough to buy salt even if they lived frugally all year round."
"After I got there, I couldn't stand that kind of life and even tried to commit suicide, but I was rescued. The person who rescued me told me that suicide is not allowed in the Southern Wilderness. If you do, your relatives in the capital will be implicated. So for my mother, I just tried to stay alive. Later, I accidentally discovered mosquito repellent grass and told everyone this method to protect everyone from mosquito bites. Later, I discovered sea salt."
At this point, Gu Xiyue glanced at the prefect as if admitting it, nodded, and said, "Yes, that's the sea salt I sold you. It was all obtained by the sea. At this time, a rain fell in the Southern Wasteland, destroying all the wheat of the villagers in the Southern Wasteland. They were completely desperate, gave up struggling, and prepared to wait for death. In order to let them survive, I spent my savings to buy all the food in the Southern Wasteland, and mobilized the villagers to collect salt, so that everyone could rekindle their hope of survival."
Madam Yan had already started wiping her tears, while the prefect stood there in silence, still in shock.
If the woman kneeling before him was the Crown Princess, then Xiao Heng...
He was already in a panic, and while listening to Gu Xiyue's words, he was struggling in his heart.
"I once asked the villagers of the Southern Wasteland. They weren't guilty of murder, arson, or anything else awful. It was because they or their families disagreed with the Second Prince on political views that they were exiled to the Southern Wasteland. I couldn't bear it, but now that I had spoken out, I naturally had to work hard to find a way out so that my fellow villagers could live well."
"After I got out, I looked for opportunities in Xifeng Town. After searching to no avail, I accidentally saved the old lady and headed straight to Ganzhou to find the prefect."
"The prefect knows everything that happened later. Aside from concealing my identity, everything else is true."
"Are you really the Crown Princess?"
Lord Yan has stood up, his face showing an unusually dark and complex expression.
Gu Xiyue nodded.
"So he... is the former crown prince?"
Gu Xiyue also nodded. Xiao Heng behind him had already stood up and walked towards him. Gu Xiyue's heart was beating fast, not knowing what would happen next.
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