Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Encounter Again
Qi Liang and Guo Han successfully infiltrated the used clothes selling gang, and then went to Xiping again.
When selling old clothes from house to house, I could always get some information by chatting with the people.
Qi Liang also saw the biggest difference between Xiping and Da'an.
There is no shortage of horses here. Not only do officials travel in horse-drawn carriages, but even wealthy merchants have no shortage of horses in their homes.
And these horses are all tall and strong.
The horse breeding base in Da'an has always been managed by the Hu people. No matter how good the Hu people are at raising livestock, without grassland, the number and quality of horses will always be average.
However, Qi Liang was not too worried about the military aspect. Although the number and quality of horses were not as good as those of Xiping, they had weapons and gunpowder, so they would not be at a disadvantage in a battle.
The only thing is that horses for daily use are very scarce, which makes people unhappy and feel that these horses are a complete waste in Xiping.
Emperor Xiping had strict orders prohibiting civilians and officials from selling horses. The control of each horse was very strict. If anyone was caught selling horses privately, they would be executed immediately.
Guo Han and Qi Liang skillfully helped these Xiping people pick out old clothes.
A woman picked up a cotton-padded jacket and said enviously, "You people in Da'an really don't lack clothes to wear. Yet, you throw away such nice clothes, even though they're a little old."
Qi Liang just smiled at this. "It's all thanks to your Majesty's good policies."
As more and more textile workshops were opened, the price of cotton cloth had been steadily falling. I heard that if only two technicians from the Ministry of Industry could develop a steam machine, the output of cloth would increase significantly.
By then, in addition to Wa food, there will be enough supply to several other countries.
Another woman also picked up a patched children's clothing and said, "The people in Da'an are so skilled. They even sew the patches so perfectly."
Guo Han was collecting money when she caught a glimpse of a young couple next door holding a thin little girl. She looked only three or four years old and had a very sad face. They were talking while looking in her direction.
"How much money can we get from selling her to a pawnshop?"
"I don't know how much we can exchange, but it should be enough to buy our son a new set of clothes. The child is grown up now, and the old clothes are in tatters. How can he wear them?"
Only then did Guo Han notice that their clothes were extremely worn out and the little girl had only a piece of rag hanging loosely on her body.
Seeing them looking over, the woman nearby explained, "Xiping has always been short of cloth. A piece of clothing can be passed down through three generations..."
Qi Liang and Guo Han looked at each other and exchanged glances.
As Da'an grew stronger, the need for manpower during the fifth watch only grew. Now that potatoes and sweet potatoes were available, fewer people were selling their children than before.
Qi Liang and Guo Han exchanged a patched piece of children's clothing for the little girl.
The little girl was so thin that her bones were visible, and there was only numbness in her eyes.
The woman who had chosen the clothes looked at the couple next door who were happily holding a piece of clothing, and asked with a little concern, "I wonder what you two are going to do with this little girl when you take her back to Da'an? Are you going to use her as a slave... or something?"
Qi Liang said politely, "Our master needs many servants who have been trained since childhood, so that they will be loyal. If we come across such a poor child, we will take him back."
The woman felt relieved after hearing this, and her eyes turned softer towards the little girl. "It's a blessing for her to be taken away by you. I think her life in Da'an will be much better."
As Guo Han packed up the remaining clothes, he said, "Da'an's life has only gradually improved since the new emperor ascended the throne. If it were still the old emperor, our life wouldn't be much better."
The woman smiled regretfully: "It's just that we Xiping people are unlucky."
Qi Liang and Guo Han temporarily entrusted the little girl to the care of this woman and would come back to pick her up after they sold all the clothes.
This was where Guo Han and Qi Liang had specifically inquired. They came to Xiping to sell used clothes, not only to gather intelligence, but also to spread positive opinions about Da'an.
To ordinary people, they said that Da'an had reduced taxes, opened workshops and factories, and the food crisis had been greatly alleviated.
For middle-class families with a decent financial situation, they said that the schools in Da'an were well-run and the civil service examinations were very fair.
Qi Liang and Guo Han didn't expect this news to have an immediate effect. They wanted it to ferment over time and plant seeds in the hearts of the people of Xiping.
In this way, when we recover Xiping in a few years, we will be able to gain the upper hand in public opinion.
After Qi Liang and Guo Han sold the clothes, they took the thin little girl and joined the main force.
Seeing this, the others said in disgust, "Where did you get this little girl? She's so skinny..."
"What do you two mean by this?"
Qi Liang replied, "I saw her as a poor girl when I was passing by, so I exchanged her for a piece of clothing. I can take her home as a servant. We will make up for the loss."
"Okay, okay, let's go back first."
Selling old clothes is not a job that I do every day. It takes a lot of time just to collect old clothes from all over Da'an.
Some people have been considering whether they can find a middleman in Xiping to directly take over the old clothes, so that they don’t have to sell them in person every time. However, people in the used clothes group generally have a bad impression of Xiping merchants, who are not honest in doing business. Therefore, there is no rush to select someone.
Guo Han and Qi Liang transmitted the information they obtained this time back to Anjing through the communicator.
After the intelligence from Xiping was sent back, it was three months later that the two of them came to Tongchuan Road again.
Guo Han dozed off in the oxcart. "Wait a few years, after we recapture Xiping, can we use a horse-drawn carriage when we travel?"
Qi Liang continued, "If you want to do it, think big. Just one horse for each person. How majestic."
"That's right, we intelligence officers have never ridden a horse many times, what's the matter? There are only five horses in the base! Whoever has an emergency can use them. I only got one turn. The rest of the horses were allocated to soldiers for training." Guo Han was indignant.
"The soldiers are also short of horses. After all, it's because we lost the northwest grassland. Once we recover that land, we will no longer be short of horses. By then, the public ox carts can be replaced by public horse carts." When Qi Liang talked about the future, he always felt that the day when everyone had a horse was just around the corner.
Guo Han returned to the base in Anjing. Guo Zi said expressionlessly, "That kid Li Tang has been looking for you. I said you were on a business trip."
Guo Han slapped his head and almost forgot about this person.
"Thank you, brother. What, have you finally changed your mind about him?"
Guo Zi snorted, "I've only been observing him for a few years and think that aside from his looks, his character is decent. Rather than letting you fall for those men who are as ugly as slaughtered pigs, I'd rather you fall for a good-looking guy who's at least pleasing to the eye."
Guo Han blinked. "Yes, yes. You just like good-looking things, so you're thinking about Miss Chen! Brother, I'm leaving now. Bye. Say hello to Miss Chen for me."
Guo Han had just gone out and walked for a long time before finally reaching the public cattle station.
That's the inconvenience of being on base.
It's a remote location! Even the only public cattle station is a long walk away.
Guo Han waited for the bus expertly. There weren't many people at the station at that hour, and besides her, there was another girl on the bus.
The girl was looking down at a thin booklet and didn't notice anyone getting on the bus.
But Guo Han accidentally caught a glimpse of her face and felt that it was somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly remembered who she was.
In order to find out about the marriage proposal from Prince Dachen to His Majesty, she once disguised herself as Lady Lujiang and sneaked into the residence of the governor of Jinzhou.
And this girl was the daughter of the then Jinzhou governor.
But she was still young at that time, but now she has grown up so much.
Seeing that it says "Agriculture Pen" on her booklet, I guess she is now a student in the Department of Agriculture at Anjing University?
Although Guo Han was not much older than her, he inexplicably felt as if he had watched her grow up.
She immediately thought of a plan in her mind. If the other party didn't remember her, she would just pretend nothing happened. If he did remember her, she would have her own excuse.
Zheng Huaiyu found some soil in a remote place today and dug some to take back for planting and observation.
She cherished the opportunity to go to college in Anjing so much that she even read her notes on the ox cart and didn't notice anyone getting on the cart.
It was not until she put down her notes to take a break that she felt that the girl opposite her looked more and more familiar.
"Madam Lujiang! May I ask if it's Madam Lujiang?!" Zheng Huaiyu exclaimed.
Guo Han showed a faint smile that showed he had seen through the world: "I didn't expect Miss Zheng to still remember me."
Zheng Huaiyu nodded repeatedly: "Of course I remember! You said a lot to me at that time, and I still remember it now. You told me to read more, and it will definitely come in handy in the future."
Guo Han said calmly, "Now that your majesty no longer believes in ghosts and gods, Miss Zheng should no longer be called Lady Lujiang. I am just an ordinary person, as I always have been and will be in the future."
Zheng Huaiyu's eyes were filled with admiration: "I won't mention it... I won't mention it. But Madam Lujiang's Kong Ming Liuyao Star is so powerful, how could she be an ordinary person?"
Guo Han replied, "You're studying at Anjing University now, so you should know that Kong Ming's Six Stars Algorithm is nothing more than a question of probability and odd/even. Everything in the world is determined by human effort. How can anyone predict the future?"
These are Guo Han's true words.
Zheng Huaiyu blinked, feeling that Guo Han's words were indeed reasonable, and for a moment he was unable to refute them. "But the prediction you made for my father was very accurate."
Guo Han laughed and said, "I just inferred it based on your father's expression and what he said to me. It's not fortune-telling at all, but my ability to see into people's hearts."
Zheng Huaiyu asked again. "Then you told me to study more, saying it would be useful in the future?"
Guo Han patted her shoulder earnestly. "That was just my judgment based on the situation at the time. It has nothing to do with the hexagram. Miss Zheng, studying hard is the right path. There have never been any enlightened masters in this world, nor are there any gods or ghosts." After saying this, he looked out. "I've reached my stop, so I'll get off first."
Zheng Huaiyu watched Guo Han get off the car and went straight to the fried chicken shop. He was very skilled in ordering and even called a waiter after ordering. I don't know what kind of delivery he was.
Zheng Huaiyu now completely understood what Guo Han meant.
She thought to herself: Lady Lujiang is absolutely right! She is indeed someone she has admired for so many years! In this world, one can only rely on oneself for everything. She went back and planted the newly dug soil.
She wants to kill all the students in the agriculture department!
First in the agricultural science field, here she comes!
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