Xie Ming

Chapter 83: Trivial Matters in Town (Part )

Xiao Jingchuan intended to reveal the matter of the prince to the head of the Xu family. After all, when he was going to travel in Jiulong Town in the future, he would need the help of the head of his family in many ways. Therefore, it was imperative to state his purpose and identity.

When Xu Jialin heard the news, he was terrified and could not sit still. Xiao Jingchuan comforted him with kind words and made him sit down, then he continued to tell the story.

"Firstly, I will lead the troops to escort the prince all the way south. The road is long and difficult, and it will not be reached overnight. So I plan to stay in your town for some time. The army needs to be trained and recruited. In this regard, I hope the clan leader can help us a lot!" Xiao Langyan.

"Of course, this is natural!" Jialin replied.

"Secondly, what I mentioned this morning about setting up a school and a clinic in the town was not an empty promise."

"My hope is that even if our troops leave the mountains in the future, this place will serve as our base. I will leave some soldiers in Sanpojie, so that we can go into the mountains to suppress bandits and protect the people. We can also gradually expand our strength so that when we send troops to the northern border in the future, we can respond to the outside world and attack from multiple directions!"

"We have already had an agreement on this matter. I hope the clan leader will do his best to help us purchase two larger houses in the town as soon as possible so that we can establish our name early! I have also already prepared the money needed." Xiao Jingchuan continued.

"Yes, yes, okay! General, don't worry! How dare I accept your gold and silver again? This matter will be coordinated by my clan. Tomorrow morning, I will go to discuss it and will definitely get it done!" Xu Jialin responded again.

"Oh, no, no, don't disturb the people! The money must be paid, and the clan leader doesn't have to resign!"

"Also, thirdly, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is of noble status, so all the information about him must not be leaked for the time being!"

"If the news leaks out, it will inevitably cause disasters, and the whole town will be in turmoil, which is not what you and I want!"

"The clan leader must remember this!" Xiao Jingchuan instructed.

"Ah! Yes, General, rest assured! I won't dare to spread it casually!"

Xu Jialin agreed, and Hongwen brewed tea and respectfully brought it to the table.

Xiao Lang glanced at Hongwen intentionally, and his father understood and hurriedly continued the conversation.

"Oh, don't worry, I will also give her and her daughter special instructions later!"

Hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan nodded and didn't pursue the matter any further.

After a while, Xiao Lang sipped his tea and stopped talking. Xu Jialin sat beside him and noticed that Xiao Lang seemed to be about to leave after finishing his work, so he turned around and smiled at Hongwen and Jingyi tactfully.

"Haha, that's right, Hongwen, Jingyi, you two go to the second floor and find some more bedding. The general's soldiers will be sleeping in the alley outside tonight. It's freezing cold, so find more bedding to keep the soldiers warm!"

Hearing this, the mother and her two daughters were all stunned, so Xu Jialin explained it again, and only then did they convince the mother and her two daughters to start working, busying themselves upstairs and downstairs.

Afterwards, when the bedding was almost ready, Xiao Jingchuan called two or three soldiers from outside to help bring out several large bundles of bedding and some thick cotton clothes, and distributed them to the soldiers who lacked tents and were thinly dressed.

Xu Jialin had tried again and again to persuade Xiao Lang to stay in his house, but Xiao Jingchuan declined politely. He insisted on not staying in a private house but sleeping in the alley with the soldiers. The head of the Xu family had no choice but to agree to his wish.

After saying goodbye and returning home, Xu Jialin bolted the door of the house. Turning around, he saw his second daughter Jingyi standing in the yard. Not knowing what she meant, he walked over to ask.

"Hey! Jingyi, what's wrong with you?!"

When Xu Jingyi saw her father approaching, she shuddered and didn't want to answer. She turned around, snorted, and went straight to the second floor.

Xu Jialin was left alone, looking confused. Seeing this, Xu Wangshi came out from the front of the hall and helped Jialin into the hall.

"You must be exhausted after such a long day! Let's soak our feet in a hot water and go to bed early!"

"No, what happened to Gang Jingyi?" Xu Jialin asked with a sullen look.

"Oh, okay, stop asking about women's affairs!" Xu Wangshi teased.

"Hmph, I won't ask, I won't ask, okay? My life is at stake! Oh, I've been through so much trouble today!"

As he spoke, Xu Jialin supported his waist and sat down again.

"Eh? Oh, right, let's call Jingyi down. Don't tell anyone about the conversation General Xiao just had here, especially anything related to the Crown Prince!"

"Did you hear that? This is a serious matter. If you are not careful, you may lose your head!" Jialin warned earnestly.

"Okay, okay, we women don't have much to say, but the general named Xiao has already made it clear. How dare we make a fuss? You can rest assured!" Xu Wangshi responded.

"Look, you're not sure what you said. And..., there's Jingyi's temper. No, you go and call her down. I have to emphasize the pros and cons to you again and again!" Xu Jialin was very worried.

"Okay, okay! Just wait." His wife also understood the importance of this matter, so she cooperated very well.

On the evening of the 28th, a cold moon was hanging low in the mountains. In Jiulong Town, although the townspeople were all excited to welcome the soldiers into the town, every household locked their doors and windows when they went to bed at night.

From time to time, the sound of dogs barking can be heard in the town, and I wonder how many families will be restless and unable to sleep!

A speechless night!
March 29th, early morning.

Xiao Jingchuan and his soldiers did not get up too late, but it was obvious that many members of the Xu family in the town woke up earlier.

Among them are two cousins ​​Xu Jialin and Jialu.

Xu Jialin tossed and turned all night, and in the early morning of the next day, before daybreak, he got up, dressed, tiptoed out of the house, and went to Jialu's house. The two of them discussed and began to arrange matters separately, mainly the issue of meals for the soldiers who would enter the town early in the morning.

After Xu Jialin left, Xu Wangshi and Hongwen also got up after hearing the noise, with Jingyi being the last.

Seeing her father hurriedly running out of the door, and the courtyard door could not be bolted from the inside, Hongwen was careful, so she quickly wrapped her coat and went downstairs, thinking of bolting the door.

But when he reached the gate of his own courtyard, he became curious about what his father had said yesterday, that the general and his troops were staying in the narrow alley in front of the house. So, he plucked up his courage, moved lightly, and stuck his head out from the crack of the door, thinking of taking a peek and seeing something new.

In the early hours of the morning, no one was walking around in the alleys of the town. It was just daybreak and all the people in Xiao Jingchuan's group had not woken up yet. Xu Hongwen stuck her head out to take a look, and seeing that there was no movement, she became bolder, tightened her coat around her body, and stepped out.

A narrow alley was filled with sleeping soldiers. Some of them were better off with a tent to cover themselves, while others simply wrapped themselves in the quilts delivered last night and fell asleep right there on the ground. The military discipline was so strict that even on one side of the alley, they consciously left a foot-wide passage for others.

Seeing this scene, Xu Hongwen was sincerely in admiration, and was so unaware that she stood there in a daze for a moment.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew from the alley, waking up the dazed Hongwen. She then hurried back into the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)