My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Cilang immediately realized what was happening.

He forgot that all the grain belonged to someone else. If he just took someone else's grain at will, wouldn't he become a "thief"?

For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, realizing that he hadn't considered things carefully enough.

At the same time, Li Hu and the others nearby instantly became alert, their eyes sharp as eagles, and their hands unconsciously reached for the hilts of their knives.

Regardless of whether these people were ordinary citizens or not, they would not hesitate to take action if they dared to offend or harm Zhu Cilang.

They would not hesitate to kill these people.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang glared and scolded:
"What are you doing? They are just ordinary people, don't you dare lay a hand on them!"

His voice was deep and authoritative, as if it possessed an invisible power.

Upon hearing this, Li Hu and the others slowly released their grip, but his eyes remained fixed on those people, ready to deal with any unexpected situations.

At the same time, a group of people on the opposite side ran up to them.

However, once they reached a certain distance, they dared not go any further.

Because no matter how you look at it, Zhu Cilang and his group don't seem like they're stealing grain.

Although they were dressed in casual clothes, those clothes were not for ordinary people; they were made of superior materials and were finely crafted, making it obvious at a glance that they were wealthy young masters from some family.

Moreover, everyone carried a knife and rode a horse. The horses were tall and strong, with glossy coats, a display that ordinary people could not afford.

There isn't a rich young master as extravagant as this in the surrounding area!
In an instant, the farmers who came to catch the "thief" froze, looking at each other in bewilderment, and obediently put down the hoes they had been holding.

Their faces showed fear and confusion, and they couldn't help but wonder to themselves:

Who are these people?
Just then, Zhu Cilang spoke first:
"You've misunderstood. We're not thieves. We were just passing by and happened to see some unusual grains in the field. We wanted to pull them out to take a look, but you discovered us before we could do anything, which is why what happened just now occurred."

His voice was gentle and sincere, and his eyes conveyed kindness and apology.

Then Zhu Cilang looked at Li Hu and said:
"Bring me the silver."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu quickly untied the money pouch from his waist and handed it to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang took the money bag, weighed it in his hand, and estimated that there were about ten taels of silver inside.

Then he smiled and said:

"Gentlemen, there are about ten taels of silver in here. Consider this silver as compensation. Give half to the landlord and divide the other half equally among you."

After saying that, Zhu Cilang walked straight over and tried to put the money bag into the hand of the old man at the front.

The old man was wearing a tattered coarse cloth garment, his face was covered with wrinkles, and his hands were as rough as tree bark.

However, just as Zhu Cilang approached, the old man flinched and didn't dare to reach out to take it.

It's a joke. He offered ten taels of silver in one go, which is equivalent to the entire village's income for a year. How could he dare to accept it?
If this rich young master gets angry after their offense and comes looking for trouble, that would be terrible.

They can't afford to offend people like that!

Thinking of this, the old man quickly said:
“Young master, it’s all our fault for being so rude! You look like a rich young master, how could you steal our grain? We have offended you, please take this silver back, we dare not accept it.”

"We just hope that the young master is magnanimous and won't hold it against us."

The old man's voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with awe and fear.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang instantly understood the old man's meaning.

So that's why you're afraid of getting revenge later!

He was somewhat speechless, but still explained:

"Don't worry, sir. We are really just passing through and will be leaving tomorrow. We are also sincere about the compensation, so please don't refuse."

His eyes revealed sincerity and determination, leaving no room for doubt about his integrity.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang stuffed the money bag directly into the old man's arms again.

The old man probably believed Zhu Cilang's words by now, and then he stopped being polite.

But the next second, as if he had thought of something, he said:

"Please wait a moment, young master! Aren't you curious about the crops in the field? How about I dig some up and give them to you?"

Zhu Cilang was about to refuse, but the next second, the old man had already directed the farmers around him to start digging.

Knowing that Zhu Cilang had rewarded them with silver, the farmers worked extremely hard and soon dug up a large pile of silver.

There was nothing they could do; Zhu Cilang had given them far too much, and the old man felt guilty if he hadn't dug up enough.

Soon enough, a large pile of sweet potatoes and potatoes, weighing about one or two hundred jin, was placed in front of Zhu Cilang.

This was only because Zhu Cilang dissuaded them. If he hadn't stopped them, these people probably would have dug up half an acre of land, since the potatoes from that acre wouldn't even sell for a tael of silver.

They are still some time away from being fully ripe, so these sweet potatoes and potatoes are not very big, but they are already edible.

Immediately afterwards, the old man picked up a sweet potato, took out a small knife from his waist, quickly peeled off the skin, and then handed it to Zhu Cilang, saying:
"Young master, this is called sweet potato. It can be eaten raw or cooked. It is said that the yield per mu is more than 3,000 jin. It is a grain recently promoted by the imperial court."

"We didn't believe it at first, but we didn't expect it to be so productive! And it tastes good too, young master, please try it."

As he spoke, the old man pointed to the potatoes again:
"However, this food cannot be eaten raw; it must be cooked before consumption. Of course, it can also be stir-fried."

The old man's face beamed with pride, as if he were showing Zhu Cilang his treasure.

Upon hearing the old man's explanation, Zhu Cilang found it incredibly amusing.

Because probably no one here knows sweet potatoes and potatoes better than him, he never expected to have to listen to an old man tell him these things.

But he didn't find it annoying. He listened to the old man's story while taking the sweet potato the old man handed him and preparing to eat it.

Seeing this, Li Hu quickly stepped forward to stop them.

His face was full of worry as he whispered:

"Young master, what if these sweet potatoes aren't clean? What if we get sick from eating them?"

This statement has two meanings: first, it implies a fear that the substance is truly unclean; second, it implies a fear of poisoning.

Zhu Cilang, upon hearing Li Hu's words, smiled and said without any concern:

"Don't worry! My father-in-law dug these sweet potatoes himself and peeled them himself. What could be wrong with them? Besides, these sweet potatoes are so fresh, they must taste good too."

After saying that, Zhu Cilang took a bite.

Hmm, it tastes pretty much what I imagined, with the original sweetness of sweet potato.

The sweet taste spread in his mouth, making him feel extremely satisfied.

Immediately afterwards, the other farmers also sped up their peeling of the sweet potatoes, and soon, peeled sweet potatoes were handed to Li Hu and the others.

Seeing this, Li Hu and the others all looked at Zhu Cilang. Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, indicating that they could accept it. After receiving Zhu Cilang's consent, Li Hu and the others carefully took the sweet potato and took a small bite.

However, they were used to eating cooked food and were not used to the taste of raw sweet potatoes. They only took a small bite and then held the sweet potato in their hands without eating any more.

Meanwhile, Zhu Cilang had already started chatting with the old man.

Zhu Cilang leaned down slightly, a friendly smile on his face, and asked in a gentle tone, "Old man, were you having a lot of trouble getting enough to eat before?"

Upon hearing this, the old man's smiling face instantly turned serious.

Hey!
He first let out a slow sigh, a sigh that seemed to carry endless vicissitudes and helplessness.

After a long while, he slowly spoke:
“Young master, you are right! In the past, the Guanzhong region suffered from severe droughts every year. The sun was like a giant fireball hanging in the sky every day, baking the earth until it cracked open.”

"Crops are impossible to grow, and we haven't had enough to eat for a long time."

"But our village is lucky because it's close to the mountains, so we can at least find something to eat. But people in more remote areas are in a much worse situation. They don't even have tree bark to eat, and many of them have starved to death."

"The scene was truly horrific!"

At this point, tears welled up in the old man's eyes, and his voice choked with emotion.

But quickly, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and continued:
"But this year is much better. There's been more rain, so we can farm again. And two months ago, the imperial court sent out a batch of disaster relief grain, which made everyone in our village extremely happy."

"Everyone lined up to receive the grain, and the scene was quite lively. Although the imperial court did not provide much grain, it was enough to get through the crisis."

"With the potatoes and sweet potatoes we planted, I reckon we won't go hungry this year."

As the old man spoke, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. His smile was full of kindness and contentment, as if he could see a bountiful harvest in the future.

Meanwhile, several children were chasing and playing in the fields not far away.

They wore worn but clean little clothes, and their little faces were rosy like ripe apples.

They ran and laughed, their clear laughter echoing across the fields like the most beautiful notes in the world.

One of the children was running too fast and tripped and fell, but he just grinned, dusted himself off, got up, and continued playing with his friends.

That sight moved Zhu Cilang deeply.

Ordinary people are easily satisfied; as long as they have enough to eat, they are already happy.

This simple happiness may seem insignificant to those high-ranking officials and nobles, but for these people who have endured many hardships, it is the life they have always dreamed of.

Following that, Zhu Cilang chatted with the old man about other things, such as whether local officials were fulfilling their responsibilities, whether there was any corruption, or whether the people had suffered unjust grievances.

The old man thought about it carefully, and then said:

"I haven't heard of any such things. The county magistrate here is said to be a good person, and I've never heard of him embezzling or taking bribes."

"If the people have any grievances, they can go to the county government to file a complaint, and he will handle them seriously."

“Inevitably, we ordinary people will have no way to survive.”

Zhu Cilang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the old man's words.

He knew that the stability and development of a region depended on honest and upright officials.

If officials are corrupt and oppress the people, then the people of that place will inevitably suffer and be filled with resentment.

It is indeed a fortunate thing that the county officials here are able to be approachable and incorruptible.

Otherwise, Zhu Cilang would not hesitate to carry out a massacre to severely punish those corrupt officials and restore justice to the people.

After chatting for a while, the sun gradually set in the west, and the evening glow on the horizon, like burning flames, dyed the entire sky a deep red.

Li Hu stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said:

"Young master, it's time to go, it's getting late."

Zhu Cilang nodded, then turned to bid farewell to the old man:
"Old man, thank you for your hospitality and for letting me know. Take care of yourself, and things will only get better from now on."

The old man quickly stood up, clasped his hands in gratitude, and said:
"Young master, please take care on your journey. We welcome you to visit our village again in the future."

Zhu Cilang didn't speak, but simply smiled and nodded.

After mounting his horse, he waved to the old man and then rode away.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed across the fields, and the figures gradually disappeared into the distance.

The next day, the army continued its march toward Tongguan.

Along the way, fields of sweet potatoes and potatoes were everywhere, their emerald green vines swaying gently in the breeze, as if showing people their vitality and life.

Of course, wheat was the most abundant crop.

After all, the Guanzhong Plain is mainly used for wheat cultivation, with sweet potatoes and potatoes accounting for only about one-fifth of the planting area, but that is enough.

Because these sweet potatoes and potatoes alone are enough to feed millions of people.

As Zhu Cilang rode his horse, gazing at the hopeful fields before him, he was filled with emotion.

As long as these crops are harvested successfully, the people of Shaanxi will at least have enough to eat this year.

If that's still not enough, the imperial court will allocate relief grain.

Overall, everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.

He firmly believed that with his efforts, the people of the Ming Dynasty would surely be able to live a happy life.

Thinking of this, a determined smile appeared on Zhu Cilang's face. He raised the whip in his hand and flicked it lightly. The army continued to gallop forward, leaving behind a cloud of dust and endless hope.

A few days later, the mighty army, after a long journey, was finally about to arrive in Xi'an.

This ancient city is like a silent and majestic giant, quietly guarding this land.

Zhu Cilang had visited Xi'an Prefecture once before, but due to the urgency of the military situation, he only had a brief meeting with the Prince of Qin and did not even step into the city gate before embarking on his expedition again.

Now that the army has returned to the capital, Zhu Cilang will surely want to rest for a few days in this ancient city and experience the local customs and culture of Xi'an.

Meanwhile, the King of Qin had already learned that the army was about to arrive.

He knew that the army had returned victorious and was in high spirits, so he had to treat them well.

Therefore, as early as half a month ago, the King of Qin began to make preparations in full swing.

He ordered his men to buy up pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep everywhere, in such large quantities that they almost emptied the entire meat market in Xi'an Prefecture.

The King of Qin planned to use these ingredients to let his soldiers taste authentic Shaanxi cuisine as a sign of respect and welcome.

These delicacies include the renowned liangpi (cold skin noodles), roujiamo (meat-filled buns), and the steaming, fragrant yangrou paomo (lamb stew with bread). (End of Chapter)