A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 70.2

“Your Highness the Eldest Princess, this flower is called Muluo. The pot in your subordinate’s hand is a rare variety of the Muluo flower, named ‘Fawn.’ The Fawn is delicate and not adapted to Wuzhou’s climate. Your subordinate is ashamed that I only managed to keep this one alive, and I present it to Your Highness.”

Xie Wenjun looked at the graceful Fawn but did not show a particularly delighted expression.

Daiqing looked at Xie Wenjun’s expression, stepped forward, and said, “Sir, Wuzhou is dry and lacks water. To cultivate flowers, the soil must be kept moist. With such a large area of flower beds in the Qunfang Garden, how much water is needed to nurture them? The water used to cultivate these delicate flowers, how many acres of farmland could it irrigate?”

Shi Tan’s smiling face instantly froze.

Du Peixun shook his head. “Seeking favor and flattering, you’ve kicked the horse’s hoof, haven’t you?”

Daiqing said, “Lord Du, are you referring to my Mistress when you say ‘horse’s hoof’?”

Du Peixun’s face also froze.

The other Wuzhou officials behind them, seeing the Prefect and Chief Clerk consecutively put in awkward positions, lowered their heads and kept a straight face. They dared not laugh.

Daiqing said, “Your Highness understands the good intentions of the Lords. However, Your Highness would be happier if the Lords focus more on serving the people.”

The officials in the courtyard nodded in agreement.

The main gate of Qunfang Garden was guarded by two majestic stone lions. The officials bowed to the Eldest Princess and left through the main gate. Du Peixun lectured his subordinates, “A very few individuals! If you want to flatter, you must first know what the Eldest Princess is thinking and what she wants. Doing something practical is what truly matters. Whoever puts their mind on such sycophantic matters again, this official will severely punish!”

The officials again assented.

Du Peixun said, “Shi Tan, especially you.”

Shi Tan said, “Lord, I understand. Rest assured, the Qunfang Garden was truly an oversight by your subordinate. I will absolutely not make such a stupid mistake again. I will surely act according to the Eldest Princess’s wishes so that you can be transferred back to Chongan soon.”

This passionate speech utterly crushed Du Peixun. He pointed at Shi Tan, his lips trembling, “You, you, you…”

Shi Tan knew he had spoken wrongly again and quickly reflected. He clapped his hand, thinking that the Wuzhou Prefect was a fourth-rank high official. Chongan was a prefecture, and the highest position, Prefect, was only fifth-rank. Suggesting Lord Du be transferred back to Chongan—wasn’t that cursing him with a demotion?

He immediately corrected himself, “Transferred back to Yongdu!”

Du Peixun flicked his robes and walked away, saying as he walked, “It’s not easy for you to be this stupid. This official only asks that you show your face less in front of the Eldest Princess. One instance of this foolishness today is enough.”

The relay station guest room originally intended to host Xie Wenjun was not left vacant after all. Chen Liangyu first went to the relay station to feed her horse fodder before heading to the Qunfang Garden.

She also brought a cartload of items for Xie Wenjun.

Xie Wenjun covered her nose, unable to open her eyes from the stench.

Daiqing stood in front of Xie Wenjun, shielding her and pushing her back. “Your Highness, please stay further away. Great General, what is this smelly cartload of things?”

Chen Liangyu said, “Some hides stripped from the bodies of the bandits we killed a few days ago.”

Xie Wenjun said, “A whole cartload of hides?”

Chen Liangyu said, “Yes!”

Daiqing protected Xie Wenjun, fearing her Mistress might be accidentally suffocated by the stench of the hides. “It smells so bad, Great General, why does it stink so much?”

Chen Liangyu said, “Those grassland people are unclean and rarely bathe. These hides haven’t been washed for who knows how many years, so they naturally stink. Not just the hides, the water is black when their clothes are soaked in it.” She looked around, feeling someone was missing. “Yong Rong didn’t come?”

Xie Wenjun moved further away. The smell was quite strong.

Daiqing spoke for her. “Your Highness asked Yong Rong to stay in Yongdu to handle the account books. Yong Rong is already very capable. She can independently draw an entire Fish Scale Register and estimate the approximate acreage and expected grain tax for every state and prefecture.”

Chen Liangyu, listening to Daiqing speak animatedly, asked, “What about you?”

Daiqing made a bitter face. “I get dizzy just looking at those accounts. It’s better to come and serve Your Highness.”

The owner of this hide was named Xuteng, a person from the Huanxiao tribe. The leader of the Huanxiao tribe was named Huanshou, and this person was his youngest son, who had just completed his coming-of-age ceremony. The coming-of-age ceremony was called Guan Li in Great Lin, signifying a man’s adulthood.

This tribe had been annihilated by the Qidi a few years ago, who seized Huanxiao’s territory and population.

Chen Liangyu was astonished. “You can read the grassland script?”

Daiqing said, “I read some when I followed Your Highness during her studies before. I don’t recognize much. Doctor Zhu, the Great General is here.”

Zhu Ying was gathering a basket of calming flowers from the flower bed and heading their way. “I heard you talking.” She still had a black veil covering her face. Whether it was her imagination or not, Chen Liangyu felt she had become noticeably thin.

Chen Liangyu asked, “How is the plague in Li’an?”

Zhu Ying shook her head. “The officials sealed off Li’an and Linxia, leaving only the imperial physicians. The uninfected people were isolated in other locations for over a month and then sent away. I was also sent out. When I returned to Yongdu, the Eldest Princess was preparing to head North, so I followed her.”

As she spoke, she consistently avoided looking anyone in the eye.

“These flowers can calm the mind and aid sleep. The Northern Border is windy and dusty, and the Eldest Princess has been traveling hard. When you bathe later, scatter the petals in the water. Soaking for a while can relieve fatigue.”

Daiqing took the flower basket. “Thank you, Doctor Zhu.”

Qunfang Garden was decorated somewhat like the famous Youyang Tower, a restaurant in Yongdu.

Chen Liangyu hadn’t expected such a ‘golden house’ hidden among the many earthen walls of Wuzhou. Seeing the whole garden of competing, flourishing flowers, she furrowed her brow. Her thoughts were the same as Xie Wenjun’s.

The water used to nurture these flowers could grow how much grain!

It was getting late. Dinner was being served to the dining hall in Qunfang Garden. Chen Liangyu’s stomach rumbled. Without waiting for Xie Wenjun’s invitation, she sat down at the dinner table.

“Aside from their decorative use, the most important function of the grassland people’s hides is to ward off the cold. Although our cloth is good, it can’t withstand the severe cold of the grasslands, so they need a layer of animal hide over their clothes. If our citizens could accept clothing made from animal hides, it would open up another trade route. I know nothing about commerce. If Shen Yan is not busy lately, I will write to ask her to come to Suzhou.”

She emphasized the words “Suzhou” and secretly glanced at Xie Wenjun.

Xie Wenjun seemed to be contemplating something. After a moment, she said, “I have agreed with my Imperial Brother to reopen the Shuofang Trade Route for reciprocal trade with the grassland tribes. Therefore, the Shuofang Trade Route will be managed by the Ministry of Revenue.”

Chen Liangyu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Two to three-tenths of the Northern Border’s military expenditure comes from the tax revenue of the Shuofang Trade Route. We originally relied on garrison soldiers farming for themselves and had to stretch every penny, enduring hardships to hold out. Now we have to pay military salaries to the conscripted soldiers. You’re taking the Shuofang Trade Route and bringing all its tax revenue into the national treasury! We’ll have to beg the Ministry of Revenue for military pay and supplies! Asking the Ministry of Revenue for money is harder than asking for their lives! Zhai Ji fled back to Beiyong during the chaos in Yongdu, and his troops are wandering around like ruffians all day. Kuirong, Qidi, and Ximanu are constantly plundering and killing. If the two armies clash one day, my pockets will be cleaner than my face. Are the 200,000 troops in the Northern Border supposed to wait for death?”

Chen Liangyu leaned closer and closer to Xie Wenjun as she spoke, until her face was almost touching Xie Wenjun’s. She reached out and touched Xie Wenjun’s forehead. “Let me see, are you running a fever? Are you confused?”

Xie Wenjun lightly reprimanded, “How dare you.”

Chen Liangyu said, “Don’t give me that! This time, I have to be audacious.” She cupped Xie Wenjun’s face, scrutinizing it up, down, left, and right. “Let me see again, what kind of ingenious mind could come up with such an idea?”

Xie Wenjun was already feigning solemnity. Hearing her words, she turned her head and laughed, propping herself up on the dinner table. Her crying and laughing were both restrained, with almost no sound. Even when she was shaking all over from laughter, only a few snorts could be heard.

Chen Liangyu leaned back. “Say it directly. What you are truly plotting is definitely not just the Shuofang Trade Route.”

Xie Wenjun said, “I want to recover Nanzhou. This is also what my Imperial Brother intends.”

Chen Liangyu waited for her to continue.

Xie Wenjun said, “The last time the Nanzhou rebellion was quelled, you led the troops. You must know how to attack!”

Chen Liangyu asked, “Why the sudden decision to send troops to recover Nanzhou?”

Xie Wenjun chewed out two words faintly, “Lack of money.”

The servers marched in a line from the doorway towards the dining hall. Chen Liangyu caught sight of a flash of white robes in her peripheral vision. They tacitly stopped discussing government affairs.

Chen Liangyu’s gaze was fixed on the soup and dishes. She suddenly looked up and saw a man, after serving the meal, did not leave like the others, but was practically clinging to Xie Wenjun. He was attentively testing the dish he had placed on Xie Wenjun’s plate with a silver needle before putting it into his own mouth.

Chen Liangyu snapped, “Test the dish, but why are you standing so close?”

The man had fair skin and a rosy complexion, and he was handsome. But his attire was extremely inappropriate.

Chen Liangyu noticed his clothing was a Hehuan shirt (Lovebird Shirt).

True to its name, the collar was half-open, exposing his chest and collarbones, suggesting the meaning of ‘union.’

The man, hearing her reprimand, did not show fear but instead smiled. There was even a hint of… shyness in his smile?

He seemed to be laughing at her lack of romantic appreciation.

Chen Liangyu was stunned and speechless. She looked all around and saw that all the men who had just served the meal were dressed the same way. There were fully ten or twenty people in the dining hall.

The man stood beside Xie Wenjun, his eyes smiling. “This humble one is Lu Sutai, here to serve Your Highness for dinner.”

Xie Wenjun said coldly, “No need. Step down.”

Lu Sutai glanced at Chen Liangyu, smiled meaningfully, and calmly withdrew. He was also tactful enough to dismiss the rest of the people with him.

Chen Liangyu thought, What does that mean? Am I redundant? Was it a mistake for this General to come here and have a meal?

She didn’t know how she finished the meal. She only knew her stomach rumbled when she walked into the dining hall, and it was still rumbling when she walked out. She didn’t seem to hear it herself.

Walking out of Qunfang Garden, Jingming was already waiting by the stone lions with the horses. Seeing her preoccupied, he asked, “What’s wrong? What did the Eldest Princess say to you?”

Chen Liangyu’s face was grim, and she remained silent.

Fine. I asked him to be diligent in governing, and he’s being diligent about this kind of thing!

“Jingming, go and wring off Du Peixun’s head!”