Distant Mountain Battle Song

Chapter 181 The Poor Are Generous

"Does such an army exist in the world?"

"Have."

"have you seen?"

"Seen it!"

"What does it look like?"

"The common people are delighted to see it, while the enemy is terrified."

Zheng Tianshou nodded and said, "If your goals are so lofty, it is understandable that you would refuse the eldest son. Now, let's talk about the land reclamation technique."

Although Zheng Tianshou had just said that the thirty carts of grain given to Yun Ce were squeezed out of his own pockets and that he himself had no grain left, this did not prevent him from discussing with Yun Ce the matter of exchanging five hundred carts of grain for the Yun family's guidance to the Cao family in cultivating 100,000 mu of land in the spring.

Upon learning that Yun Ce was planning to continue selling the agricultural settlement techniques to the Lang family, Zheng Tianshou immediately bought out Yun Ce's right to spread the agricultural settlement techniques at Yujin Pass with 800 cartloads of grain.

As evening fell, Yun Ce, with eight hundred carts of grain, eagerly left Yujin Pass.

Upon returning to his residence, Zheng Tianshou passed through the hall and went straight to the back hall, where Cao Kun was lying in a bathtub with one leg raised, receiving a maid brushing his toenails.

After Zheng Tianshou entered, he sat on a futon and said to Cao Kun, "Why haven't you seen Yun Ce?"

Cao Kun said with a wry smile, "Uncle, having a poor friend is a really hard feeling to describe."

Zheng Tianshou laughed and said, "Yun Ce still has some backbone. He would rather exchange than beg."

Cao Kun said, "I'd rather he come to my door begging than offering some kind of exchange."

Zheng Tianshou said, "Yes, beggars are easy to deal with."

Cao Kun continued, "Uncle, I have a feeling that this whole thing at Danwang Mountain has fallen short of expectations, but I don't know where this feeling comes from."

Zheng Tianshou shook his head and said, "Young Master has done a good job. You have achieved at least 80% of the goal. As for the Fire Clan's treasure vault, it is not as important as you think. What is important is the Fire Clan. With people, you can get as much weaponry as you want in the future. The only thing you need is time."

Cao Kun switched to his other foot and let the maid continue brushing. He then rested his hand behind his head and said to Zheng Tianshou, "Uncle, are we really going to gamble everything on the Great Wall defense line?"

"If you consider Qiuhe Prefecture behind Yujin Pass to be your home, then you should place a heavy bet. If you only see Qiuhe Prefecture as a stepping stone on your path forward, then you should focus your investment on the area south of the Yumin River. It is close to the south and has a humid and hot climate. The Guifang people, who are used to the cold and dry climate, are not used to the climate there. In addition, with the Yumin River as a barrier, it will not be difficult for you to block the Guifang people there."

Cao Kun irritably withdrew his foot, gestured for the maid to leave, and then leaned over the edge of the bathtub and said, "Uncle, the problem is that I don't like the area south of the Yumin River either."

Zheng Tianshou nodded and said, "In that case, I understand. Focus on strengthening the Great Wall defenses. Give me two more months, and the entire Yujin Pass will fall into your hands, young master."

Cao Kun nodded, then said to Zheng Tianshou, "The Lang clan migrated a large number of people from the coast of the East China Sea, but drove the local natives north of the Great Wall. Uncle, are these the people we need?"

Zheng Tianshou said, "The strong should naturally stay to repair the dilapidated Great Wall, but we can't take care of the women and children who are just wasting food and have no other use."

Cao Kun said, "Yun Ce has always liked to take in women and children. Uncle, you can send people to drive those women and children westward."

Zheng Tianshou laughed and said, "It started very early, so those eight hundred carts of grain won't last long."

Cao Kun stretched in the bathtub and said, "Yun Ce is the kind of person who has seen wealth and honor. Once he becomes truly rich, he will be a trouble for us. It's better for us to stay poor. That way, when we meet again, we can be more sincere with each other."

Zheng Tianshou got up to leave, but turned to Cao Kun at the door and said, "Zhang Lang's actions are probably beyond the capabilities of those纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families)."

Did you send someone to investigate?

Cao Kun frowned and said, "We have no clue. Zhang Lang disappeared into thin air, and the carriage lost its trail when we traced it to the main road. Also, why does Uncle think that Sun Jin and his men didn't do this?"

Zheng Tianshou patted the door frame and said, "Doing something like this requires a lot of courage, and that's exactly what Sun Jin and his men lack."

Cao Kun was startled and stood up naked from the bathtub, saying, "Uncle, do you mean that while I was working at Danwang Mountain, there was a force watching from the sidelines, and that they even killed Zhang Lang and took the gold while I left an empty camp?"

Zheng Tianshou, disapproving of Cao Kun's naked body, turned and continued, "You must learn to think critically and thoroughly. You must know how to eliminate and enumerate. When considering a matter, you must keep enumerating and eliminating. When you eliminate the last one, no matter how absurd it seems, that is the truth. When you investigated Zhang Lang's disappearance, there were new conditions that allowed you to continue enumerating. Therefore, you must continue investigating, even if it's not good for us. You cannot be fooled without understanding. This is especially important for a lord."

I can let it go, I can play dumb, but I absolutely cannot be genuinely stupid.

Cao Kun stood in the bathtub, bowing deeply to receive instruction.

The distance from Yujin Pass to Jingkou Pass is only 160 li. Even though it was a blood moon night, if they had taken the main road, Yun Ce would have led Cao's caravan back to Jingkou Pass before dawn.

Zhang Min was overjoyed to see Yun Ce return with a large amount of grain, and even Qin Shu, who rarely expressed his opinions except on military matters, seemed somewhat excited.

Yun Ce thought that everyone was afraid of hunger during this period, so he decided to leave 300 carts of grain at Jingkou Pass and only take 500 carts of grain back with him.

He still had more than 10,000 taels of gold on hand, which he used to buy grain. It should be enough for everyone to eat until spring. Once spring arrives, food will grow in the wilderness, and the bark of the cypress trees can be peeled and soaked for juice. Although the grass in the spring hay has a strong grassy taste and is not tasty, it is still grain after all.

Zhang Min and Qin Shu said in unison that there was no need to leave food for Jingkou Pass, adding that their food supply had always been prioritized and they still had some.

Yun Ce felt that something was wrong. Since Zhang Min and Qin Shu were unwilling to talk about it, Yun Ce decided to go back and see for himself. After all, it had only taken him eight days from leaving to returning. Even if there was something wrong with Yun Clan Manor, how bad could the situation be?
Yun Ce had been living a life of hardship these past few days, his stubble had grown out, and he hadn't changed his clothes. He looked rather disheveled, but his eyes remained bright and clear, as if nothing in the world could faze him.

When Eji saw Yun Ce returning on a chestnut horse, her heart ached.

To ensure that the people in the camp could have more food, this man would fight ferocious beasts every day at dawn. After fighting the beasts, he would also hunt down ferocious wild animals such as wild boars, bears, and dog skins. Despite his best efforts, the food he brought back was still not enough to feed them.

A warrior like him only eats a flatbread and a bowl of porridge every day. Even if there is any other food, it is all prepared for her. He himself never eats a single extra bite.

Now, he has brought back a lot of grain, but judging from his haggard appearance, Eji could tell that the price he paid for this grain must have been high.

The thought of Yun Ce painstakingly procuring food to feed them, while she, instead of relieving him of some of the burden, was unbearable.

"When my husband hits me later, don't stop him. I deserve to be beaten." Eji puffed out her chest and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace as she went to greet him.

Yun Ce laughed heartily and jumped off his horse. He grabbed E Ji's hand and pulled a large lotus leaf bag from his saddlebag, handing it to her and saying, "This is roasted bird that can only be found in Yu Jin Pass. It tastes very good."

Eji opened the lotus leaf package, inside was a roasted bird, golden brown. Although it had cooled down, the aroma was still overwhelming, and the fragrance of the roasted bird could be smelled from a great distance.

Yun Ce tore off a bird's leg and stuffed it into E Ji's mouth. E Ji did not wolf it down as usual, but held the bird's leg in her mouth and watched Yun Ce cry silently. She cried harder and harder, and tears streamed down her face like a stream, which she could not stop.

Yun Ce swept his fierce gaze over An Ji, He Qingfang, and the others, and said in a deep voice, "What happened? Don't make me ask a second time."

Anji and the others hesitated and dared not speak. He Qingfang, being a warrior by birth, stepped forward and said, "Since the day after the general went out to find food, many refugees have come to our manor."

I asked them, and they are mostly from the vicinity of Yujin Pass, and are the original inhabitants there. Recently, a general named Lang Hu came from Donghai Prefecture. He brought a lot of Donghai people with him. Not only did those people occupy their homes, but they also drove them out of the Great Wall.

Having lost their home, they were forced to wander north of the Great Wall, hoping to find a place where they could settle down and make a living.

Yun Ce nodded and said, "Yes, there is a lot of land north of the Great Wall. As long as you are willing to manage it, it won't be difficult to settle down and make a living in the future. But what does this have to do with us?"

He Qingfang swallowed again and said, "The Cao family has taken all the able-bodied men from the refugees to build the Great Wall, leaving only a bunch of useless women and children..."

At this point, even the bold and elegant He Qingfang dared not continue.

Yun Ce scratched his itchy scalp, pondered for a moment, and then smiled at E Ji and said, "Bring in all the women and children. Although I have already cleared out the wild beasts in the wasteland, you know that you can't kill all the dog skins."

Women and children left in the wild will not survive long.

Let's bring them in. As for the food, I'll figure something out; there's always a way.

"What's wrong, Eji? Why are you crying? Don't you want to?"

Eji's tearful face was beaming with pride, and she pointed to a low-lying hillside to the left of the Yun Clan Manor, saying, "They've already entered."

　While revising the few remaining drafts, I received a warning: certain things were forbidden to be written, or the book would be ruined.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)