12 From now on, I will treat my wife like a revered deity.
"No one is allowed to bully her."
After this matter was settled, Xiao Pingchuan left Xu Youcai behind to collect the money, while he himself took off the plain handkerchief and escorted Shen Suqin out of Cangshuang Tower.
He had something he wanted to say to Shen Suqin, but as soon as he came out, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
Looking back, it was Zhou Kang, the one who had competed with Xu Youcai in archery.
Zhou Kang clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "General, how can I join the Black Flag Army?"
Shen Suqin consciously walked away, leaving the two of them alone.
Xiao Pingchuan glanced at her first, then said to the person who came, "State your reasons."
"General, I am a refugee from the North, and I fled here with my family. Now I am the only one left in my family, and I do not wish to waste any more time in the central army."
"Joining the Black Flag Army will result in death in battle."
"A worthy death."
Xiao Pingchuan looked him up and down. "You must walk to the northern border yourself. You are not allowed to ride a horse or take a carriage. If you can reach the Shule River alive, I will take you in."
Zhou Kang was overjoyed: "Thank you, General."
After seeing Zhou Kang off, Xiao Pingchuan walked up to Shen Suqin and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. If you're not in a hurry to go home, I'd like to talk to you."
"Perfect timing, I also have something to discuss with the general."
After a short while, the two sat down at a small tavern on the street, with a few side dishes and a jar of wine on the table.
Xiao Pingchuan himself doesn't drink, so Shen Suqin can only pour herself a drink.
"You really enjoy drinking?" he asked.
Shen Suqin nodded. "I like it." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "But the wine at this tavern isn't very good."
"Since it doesn't taste good, then drink less of it."
Why doesn't the general drink?
Xiao Pingchuan replied, "Drinking leads to trouble."
Shen Suqin was somewhat surprised. She thought that people like them who went to the battlefield should drink alcohol as easily as drinking water.
“It’s no fun for me to drink alone,” she said, standing up to get an empty bowl. “No, you have to drink with me. We don’t have to fight a war now.”
Before she could even finish speaking, she had already poured the wine and handed it to Xiao Pingchuan.
Xiao Pingchuan shook his head, took the package and put it aside, then said seriously, "Regarding grain, I'd like to hear what you have to say?"
Shen Suqin glanced at the wine bowl he had placed aside. For some reason, ever since she met Xiao Pingchuan and saw his cold face, she always felt a restless urge to tease him.
“It will be delivered,” she replied. “It will reach the Shule River in less than ten days. General, rest assured, I will do what I say I will do.”
"Three hundred thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) in ten days?"
Three hundred thousand shi of millet is no small amount. Even traveling day and night from the south to the north, it would be impossible to arrive in ten days.
Shen Suqin: "Of course."
Xingyuan Restaurant has hundreds of branches throughout Daliang, but what is valuable is not just the restaurants themselves, but the vast transportation and information networks built around them, as well as the warehouses and supplies under the names of each branch restaurant.
This was Shen Suqin's original intention in building Xingyuan Restaurant: in the end times, whoever has these things can do whatever they want.
Ultimately, she was just being prepared; she never expected that the Black Flag Army would be the first to be used.
Xiao Pingchuan's expression turned slightly serious: "Just who... are you?"
Shen Suqin pushed the wine bowl in her hand away, the murky liquid inside shimmering in the candlelight. "Merchant."
"Therefore, the 300,000 shi of millet is not only a dowry, but I also want to make a deal with the general."
Xiao Pingchuan had a feeling that this was how it should be, after all, it was 300,000 shi of millet. "You say it."
"I want to change something."
"Change what?"
You'll find out then.
Because Shen Suqiu was caught between the two of them, she had to be careful.
Xiao Pingchuan nodded: "Okay."
Shen Suqin chuckled: "General, aren't you afraid I'll make you do something that goes against the principles of family, country, and morality?"
"You won't."
Hearing his serious tone, Shen Suqin gradually suppressed his smile and solemnly said, "General, rest assured, I really won't."
Xiao Pingchuan: "I know."
Shen Suqin stopped forcing him to drink and instead beckoned the owner over, saying, "Bring a pot of tea."
"General, now that the food problem is temporarily solved, and you've made a good profit tonight, have you considered buying winter clothes for the brothers?"
When it comes to doing business, you have to seize the opportunity and act decisively.
Xiao Pingchuan had never really thought about this; he had only been focused on filling his stomach before.
"What does Miss Shen mean?"
"If the general needs winter clothing, I can also provide that service. The price is negotiable, 20% lower than the market price, and the quality and quantity are guaranteed."
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, like a squirrel spotting food.
Xiao Pingchuan glanced at it and said, "I do need it, but give me some time to think about it."
See how much money you have and how many sets you can order.
"Alright." The innkeeper brought tea, and Shen Suqin poured tea into his cup, saying to himself, "As for the grain, General, lend me someone, and I will arrange it as soon as possible."
"I'll listen to you."
"I never knew the general was so easy to talk to."
"That depends on the person."
The moon was high in the sky when the two of them came out of the tavern.
Shen Suqin was not drunk and was still quite sober.
Xiao Pingchuan personally escorted the man to the entrance of the Shen residence. Before parting, he instructed him, "I heard that you will be debating with Elder Zhan in three days. If there is anything you can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I will."
"Then see you in three days."
"good."
Xiao Pingchuan watched her enter the Shen residence before turning and walking towards the General's Mansion.
After walking a few steps, Xu Youcai emerged from the shadows and whispered, "The gold totals 60,000 taels and the silver 3,600 taels. They have been sent back to the manor and are being watched by the brothers."
Xiao Pingchuan turned his head, his gaze vaguely lingering in the direction of the Shen residence, before replying after a moment: "Let's talk as we walk."
"You...are you happy?"
Xu Youcai knew him well and could tell from his stern face that he was in a good mood.
Xiao Pingchuan nodded, "That's right, please continue."
"Oh, Wei Xun was carried away later. He... was so frightened that he fainted on the spot. Now we've really made an enemy of the Wei family."
"It's good to form a bond, but I'm afraid it won't."
Xu Youcai nodded hesitantly. He held back for a while, but finally couldn't help asking, "At Cangshuang Tower, Miss Shen said that 300,000 shi of millet would be her dowry. Is that true?"
Xiao Pingchuan looked at him: "What do you think?"
Xu Youcai clicked his tongue: "It's a bit difficult. That's 300,000, not 300,000. A whole county might not even produce that much grain in a year. Where is she, a little girl from the countryside, going to get so much grain?"
"It's true," Xiao Pingchuan said gently.
"ah?"
"After you return to the manor, summon Chai Shun to the study. I have something to tell you."
"Yes, General."
The general's mansion is located in the west of the city. It is an ordinary two-courtyard house. If it weren't for the plaque hanging there, no one would have guessed that such a dilapidated house was actually a general's mansion.
The mansion was guarded both in front and behind, and no strangers were allowed to approach within a radius of ten zhang.
Once inside the courtyard, the security was even tighter, with a guard standing watch every ten steps, making the house as secure as an iron barrel.
Xiao Pingchuan stepped into the backyard by the dim candlelight in the courtyard, and soon the candlelight in the study was lit.
Shortly after, Chai Shun and Xu Youcai hurriedly pushed open the door and went in.
At this moment, there was a map on the table in front of Xiao Pingchuan. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a map of the imperial city's defenses.
Chai Shun came in, handed him a new deployment map, and said, "The areas circled have been filled with our people."
Xiao Pingchuan smoothed out the blueprints. "How much longer will it take for the Left and Right Guards?"
The Left and Right Guards were responsible for guarding the palace and patrolling the imperial city.
"It's hard to say. As you know, the Left and Right Guards are directly under His Majesty's command."
“Hmm,” Xiao Pingchuan lit the blueprint over the candle flame, “Get ready, I’m going to take action against the Marquis of Anping’s mansion.”
Anping Prefecture has been weakened in recent years, and its attempt to consolidate its position by seizing control of the Black Flag Army is truly wishful thinking.
“At most half a month, the entire capital will be under our control,” Chai Shun added. “Even if the general wants to take action, he should wait a little while.”
"Alright."
After the blueprints were burned, Xiao Pingchuan swept the ashes off the table and continued, "Today, Miss Shen Er promised to send 300,000 shi of millet to the Northern Border."
Chai Shun: "?"
Chai Shun: "General, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Xu Youcai chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "The general is telling the truth. Miss Shen really is going to send us 300,000 shi of millet."
"Why?" Chai Shun, who was usually the most composed, exclaimed in surprise. "Could it be that there really is such a good thing as a free lunch?"
Xu Youcai: "Miss Shen said it was part of her dowry."
Xiao Pingchuan added, "She said that it was a disgrace to the Great Liang to have the Black Flag Army fight on an empty stomach."
Chai Shun and Xu Youcai both stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
"She... Miss Shen really said that?" Chai Shun asked.
Xiao Pingchuan: "Hmm."
Xu Youcai's eyes suddenly reddened. He was surprised that someone could see the grievances he had suffered all these years of running around begging for food. "From now on, I will treat my wife with utmost respect and no one will be allowed to bully her."
Chai Shun also said in a low voice, "I will never speak ill of Madam again."
Xiao Pingchuan was amused and patted them on the shoulders before continuing with business, "Old Cai, go to Xingyuan Restaurant early tomorrow morning and listen to Miss Shen's instructions. She will probably arrange for you to go north to transport grain. Just keep an eye on the grain and don't ask or look at anything else."
"Why, General?"
"She has her own career and probably doesn't want others to know."
"Oh, I understand. I definitely won't ask any more questions."
Chai Shun: "By the way, General, Jin Yun Fang has been doing well lately, with a surplus in the accounts. Miss Shen sent someone to deliver some silver."
"How much was given away?"
Five hundred taels.
"Tsk," Xu Youcai scoffed, "Now that we're rich, I don't even care about these pittances anymore."
Chai Shun slapped him on the back of the head and warned, "Stop talking nonsense. It's something they earned bit by bit. Don't do something shameful like forgetting your mother after you've had your milk."
Xiao Pingchuan clearly shared the same sentiment. "Alright, go down."
"Your subordinate takes his leave."
As night fell, Xiao Pingchuan lay in bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep.
He held two things in his hands, a sachet and a plain handkerchief, and examined them carefully in the dim moonlight.
[Author's Note]
Thank you for the cat's nutritional solution!
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