Chapter 17 "Then what will you do on your wedding day...?"
"Sixth Brother, come, sit down." Bai Xuerou always respected the feelings of young people, whether it was her maternal siblings or Ling Xun. She always kept her word and never thought that they were young and could be easily fooled. Since she had agreed, she carefully corrected her attitude and tone, and turned around to ask him to sit down with her.
Suppressing his disappointment, Ling Xun glanced at the brocade cushion on the stone bench, sat down without changing his expression, completely forgetting who had told his subordinates that these were things for women.
Afterwards, the two naturally started talking about military matters. Bai Xue Rou didn't know how to fight, so she only asked him about the interesting things that happened.
Ling Xun rarely paid attention to such trivial matters, but seeing that Bai Xuerou was interested, he thought about it carefully and picked out some to tell her.
As they spoke, the two sat down, and a maid served them tea and snacks, which they ate and chatted over.
"Eat less, we'll have a meal later." Seeing that she had eaten more than half of the snacks, Bai Xuerou said and told someone to put them away.
When Bai Xuerou isn't hungry, she rarely eats snacks or treats. Ling Xun, on the other hand, is less restrained in this regard. If he encounters a sweet treat he likes, he'll eat it until it's all gone. Only at these times can you see a rare childlike side of him.
The maid immediately took the snacks away.
Ling Xun glanced at her, his expression remaining calm, but Bai Xuerou, familiar with him, still caught a glimpse of his reluctance and couldn't help but chuckle.
Ling Xun was somewhat embarrassed, but he remained composed, simply treating it as him entertaining his parents in colorful clothes.
"It's almost time." Bai Xuerou glanced at the time and discussed with Ling Xun about going back. They had been walking all this way, and if they went back and rested for a while, it would be time for dinner.
Ling Xun naturally had no objections.
The dinner was very lavish, and the chefs were all brought from the manor by Bai Xue Rou. They had been serving in her small kitchen and knew Bai Xue Rou and Ling Xun's tastes very well. The dishes were all delicious and beautifully presented.
Bai Xue Rou had been so troubled by worries that she didn't even want to eat. But now that she's relaxed and Ling Xun is around, she's enjoying a satisfying dinner.
Ling Xun had previously said that Bai Xuerou could stay at the manor as long as she wanted, and Bai Xuerou was willing to do so. However, since Ling Xun had returned, he had to go back to the Prince's Mansion to pay his respects to the Princess. It was already somewhat inappropriate for her to intercept him beforehand. After things were arranged, the two of them returned to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion the next day.
Although Madam Wu did not know what was going on with Bai Xuerou, she knew the Prince of Zhenbei and knew that he would not let Ling Xun come back for no reason. So she did not say anything unnecessary. Only the concubines could not help but ask about Ling Xun's own son.
Aside from showing some rare emotional fluctuations in front of Bai Xuerou, Ling Xun maintained a calm expression in front of everyone.
Neither indifferent nor overly enthusiastic, but calm and composed, replying to each and every message.
The Zhenbei Army was divided into three routes: one route went east to Xue Wenxian, another route went south to Prince Ning, and the last route, led by Prince Zhenbei, was stationed in the center, facing Chen Bing in Chang'an.
Wei Yi was appointed a general by the Prince of Zhenbei, leading the southern army. Ling Xun had followed him since the start of the war and was naturally also on the southern route. However, he was the only one on the southern route, as his five elder brothers were on the central or eastern routes. In the past six months, Ling Xun had rarely even met with them, and his knowledge of the situation was probably less than that of his concubines.
After he explained in just a few words, the concubines had no choice but to give up regretfully.
Ling Xun only made a brief appearance at the Prince's Mansion before heading out to attend to other matters. Bai Xue Rou had entrusted him with the entire operation of the estate, where all the cotton and the cotton-padded clothes made were kept.
Over the next two days, under his supervision, he ordered people to load the cotton-padded clothes onto the cart.
On the third day after returning to Yandu, Ling Xun returned to his residence, and it was already quite dark.
After a slight hesitation, he still sent someone to deliver the letter to Bai Xuerou.
It was already quite late, but Bai Xuerou still met with him.
Upon learning that Ling Xun would be leaving the next day, she couldn't help but worry and kept talking to him with concern.
Bai Xuerou's concern was genuine, and even though Ling Xun was being nagged, he felt comfortable. After repeatedly assuring him, he turned to talk about cotton.
He has already dealt with everything inside and outside Yandu, as well as the estates, so no one should dare to make a move for a while. But trouble is yet to come; the cotton issue cannot be concealed, and other forces will definitely try to obtain the cultivation methods.
And it's not just other things; cotton is such a valuable commodity, which of the better families in the north wouldn't want it?
Bai Xuerou had already thought about this matter and spoke directly to Ling Xun, asking him to convey it to the Prince of Zhenbei.
She had no intention of keeping the cotton seeds to herself; she had already planned to distribute them so everyone could plant them together. However, how to distribute them depended on the Prince of Zhenbei's decision.
Ling Xun raised his eyes and then smiled.
"Since you are so kind, sister-in-law, I thank you on behalf of the soldiers."
With war raging across the land, those wishing to march in winter would need warm clothing. While fur coats and paper jackets offer only average warmth, equipping a large army with such clothing would be extremely costly, beyond the means of even the imperial court.
In comparison, the advantages of cotton-padded clothing are obvious: it is not expensive, but it is warmer and more readily available.
With this, the Zhenbei Army was like a tiger with wings. In this short period of time, Ling Xun already had many plans in mind, just waiting to return to the army to give the enemy a surprise.
When the soldiers are warmly dressed, their families will naturally appreciate it, and Bai Xuerou's reputation will surely rise.
At their level, money is no longer the most important thing; however, reputation is something that money can't buy.
In this way, both sides benefit, making it a win-win situation.
"No need to thank me. I just hope that with cotton, fewer people will die in winter," Bai Xuerou said with a sigh, unconcerned.
Upon hearing this, Ling Xun also recalled the emaciated and terrified civilians he had seen during the war, and his expression became somewhat indifferent.
There are some things that can never be seen in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion or in Yandu. Only after going out can you know what kind of life ordinary people lead, where even surviving becomes an extremely difficult thing.
Nowadays, people mostly wear fur coats and paper jackets to keep warm in winter, but not everyone can afford them. Most families only have one, and they only wear them when they need to go out.
But that was in the past.
Now, with frequent wars and chaos, the world is in utter disarray, and people's lives are even more difficult. When it's hard to even get enough to eat, who cares about what to wear? It's not uncommon for people to freeze or starve to death.
Compared to cotton, Bai Xuerou preferred high-yield crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes, but unfortunately, three years had passed and she still hadn't found any. However, a while ago, a caravan returned saying they had vaguely heard about something similar and were waiting to investigate.
Bai Xuerou smiled and looked at Ling Xun, saying, "Cotton and such are minor matters and won't have much impact. What's truly important is for you to restore peace and tranquility to the world as soon as possible. Only then will the people have the mind to farm and be able to eat their fill and stay warm."
The Prince of Zhenbei wanted to keep cotton in his hands, not because it was particularly rare, but simply because he didn't want other forces to benefit from the fact that his soldiers could march in winter.
Her voice was filled with deep sincerity and expectation. The memory was still fresh, and Ling Xun unconsciously became serious, saying, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will do my best."
Bai Xuerou looked at him, her expression softening.
“Okay,” she said.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Afterwards, the two talked about various trivial matters. The Prince of Zhenbei would never stop this matter. Bai Xuerou did not make any requests, but Ling Xun disagreed. In his opinion, things should always be given, but they should not be given too generously.
If you ask for nothing, others won't appreciate it; they'll only suspect you have ulterior motives, or laugh at you behind your back for being foolish.
Therefore, it is necessary to make demands.
Bai Xuerou listened quietly to Ling Xun's words, and looking at the calm and gentle young man in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a little amazed.
Ling Xun grew up too fast. Before leaving, although he was intelligent, he still lacked understanding of these treacherous human relationships and was somewhat unfamiliar with them.
But now, in just over half a year, she has become so skilled and articulate, and there are some things she never expected.
So, being reborn doesn't increase intelligence. Even with memories of two lifetimes, she's still just an ordinary person, incomparable to a true genius.
Thinking about this was truly disheartening, but Bai Xue Rou, who always had a clear understanding of herself, quickly regained her composure without even making a ripple.
Finally, after Ling Xun finished speaking, Bai Xuerou looked at him and asked for his opinion. She smiled and said, "You've thought it through very well. Let's do as you say."
"There are some things I never expected, Liu Lang has really grown up." She never hesitated to praise him.
Ling Xun couldn't help but smile.
"I'm glad I could help my sister-in-law," he said modestly, but he couldn't help but reveal a little bit of pride.
Bai Xuerou couldn't help but laugh when she saw it.
I just said he was old enough, and now this happens again. But then again, he's only fourteen.
The two then added some more details, and by the time they finished speaking, the maid had already brought over the clothes that had been made for Ling Xun.
Bai Xue Rou had prepared this long ago, originally intending to send it to the army. However, when Ling Xun returned and grew even taller, she worried that the clothes would be too small, so she thought of bringing them to him to try on, and if they didn't work, she would remake them.
Ling Xun's clothes and shoes over the years were all prepared by Bai Xuerou, so he was already used to it. Upon hearing this, he took the clothes and went to the inner room to try them on, and they fit perfectly.
He showed the clothes to Bai Xuerou, who immediately smiled and said, "Not bad, they fit perfectly. As you wish, all in black."
“Black is dirt-resistant and more convenient,” Ling Xun explained.
Bai Xuerou does dislike black; she likes anything that looks good, but she dislikes monotony.
Instead of being quite coincidental, Ling Xun's clothes were almost entirely black.
"They look just right, but I'm afraid you won't be able to wear them for long. Oh well, I'll have someone make some more as a backup. But they can't all be black anymore. I'll have someone make you a few red ones so you can wear them for the New Year. It'll be festive and joyous."
Upon hearing the word "red," Ling Xun's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Aside from pink and bright colors, he also disliked red. His appearance was already striking, and black could tone it down somewhat, but red only accentuated his beauty, making him too eye-catching. He had tried it once before, and even the servant beside him was stunned by the look. The servant's gaze disgusted him so much that he punished him, but that didn't satisfy him. After that, he refused to wear it again.
However, after glancing at Bai Xuerou, Ling Xun still didn't say anything.
It's just a piece of clothing, why be so upset? Besides, in the army, whether he wears it or not, Bai Xuerou doesn't even know.
Ling Xun remained silent, seemingly accepting the situation, but Bai Xuerou saw through his thoughts and asked in surprise, "You've worn red before, and you didn't say anything then. Why haven't you worn it in the last two years?"
"I just don't like wearing them, I think they're too flashy." Ling Xun would never reveal his true feelings, he felt ashamed.
He knew he looked too feminine, but that didn't mean he actually liked being seen as a woman.
Bai Xuerou has always been a considerate person and never likes to force others. Seeing that he had a sour face and really didn't want to talk, she didn't ask any further.
"Alright, alright, I just thought you looked good in red. I've made the clothes for you, whether you wear them or not is up to you. We don't need any more fabric anyway, you don't have to wear them, but we can't be without them," she said with a smile.
Ling Xun responded with a muffled sound.
But Bai Xuerou suddenly remembered something, looked at him with a mischievous smile, and said, "Then what will you do on your wedding day?"
As the saying goes, "men in red and women in green," meaning that while other things are one thing, it is essential for men to wear red when getting married.
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