Chapter 213

After the on-site teaching ended, the group continued their journey. They arrived at a county town called "An'ning". Jiang Chong used the token of the Marquis of Pacifying the South to go to the county office and change the household registration identities for the four young women who were going to stay and live here.

Among these four young women, one was particularly skilled at making noodles. Li Xia used money to open a noodle shop for them. Jiang Chong also spoke with the county office, asking them to keep an eye out and not let anyone bully the four young women. With the noodle shop, the four might not become wealthy, but at least they wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing.

For the two young women who wanted to return home, Jiang Chong hired people to arrange for their safe return. Qiu Ling thoughtfully crafted a story for the two, instructing them on what to say to their parents and families when they returned home. The main point was to avoid revealing that they had been in the bandit's lair and suffered abuse.

The two young women understood the treachery of human nature. If those things were revealed, they would have to spend the rest of their lives living under the strange gazes of others. It was better to conceal the truth and pretend they had married and their husbands had died, to better cover up the past.

For the remaining ten young women, Li Xia asked Zhou Heng to train and condition them.

"What are you planning to do?" Zhou Heng didn't understand.

Li Xia told him about the Token of Women Warriors given to her by Old Madam Li. Li Xia had been wondering where to find people, and Da Mei's words had reminded her that she could give these women another way of life.

"Does Lu XuanNing know?" Zhou Heng didn't think Lu XuanNing would agree to Li Xia doing such dangerous things.

"Whatever I do, Lu XuanNing will support me," Li Xia's confident tone made Zhou Heng give her a speechless look.

The ten young women received intensive training from Zhou Heng during their journey. Their performance impressed Jiang Chong and his squad members.

Li Xia's group arrived half a month late, and Lu XuanNing's guard Jiang Ming had been waiting for them. Seeing Li Xia's group arrive, he came forward and bowed, "This subordinate greets the madam."

"Jiang Ming, how is father?" Li Xia was concerned about Marquis Lu's injuries.

"The General is still unconscious." Hearing this, Li Xia asked Zhou Heng and Xiao Changyou to go check on Marquis Lu first.

Then she inquired about Lu XuanNing's situation from Jiang Ming. She learned that Lu XuanNing had arrived and taken over the management of the military camp in place of Marquis Beining.

But this year, there was drought in the north followed by floods in the south, and harvests everywhere were reduced. The court was trying hard to gather military provisions, but it was difficult to transport large quantities in a short time. Li Xia proposed using medicinal herbs to buy a batch of provisions for emergency use.

"No," Marquis Lu disagreed, those were life-saving things.

"Xia Xia, I support you in doing this," Lu XuanNing supported Li Xia's proposal. In Lu XuanNing's view, these herbs were collected by Li Xia. How to dispose of them should be up to Li Xia's wishes. He and his father had no right to object.

"XuanNing, don't be hasty. The court will send people with provisions," Marquis Lu had experienced this many times and had ways to deal with it.

"Father, it's cold now, and the foreign tribes are attacking fiercely. How can soldiers fight if they're not well-fed?" Li Xia was not satisfied with Marquis Lu's approach.

Faced with his daughter-in-law's defiance, Marquis Lu was somewhat displeased. But seeing his son standing in front of Li Xia made Marquis Lu sigh helplessly, "Do as you wish." As he said this, Marquis Lu walked out of the tent. After leaving the tent, Marquis Lu smiled.

"I've put you in a difficult position," Li Xia looked at Lu XuanNing standing in front of her with his back turned. His shoulders weren't broad, but they were very reliable.

"I've said before that I won't let anyone bully you," not even his parents.

Lu XuanNing sent Jiang Chong to lead a team to accompany Li Xia to buy provisions, going to the nearest border city, Xiang City, to purchase supplies. Marquis Lu was worried that Li Xia might not recognize prices and be cheated, so he sent the military advisor Li Zhao, who was born in Xiang City, to accompany and strategize for Li Xia.

When Zhou Heng heard the news, he also brought the ten young women to accompany them. The ten young women had changed a lot under Zhou Heng's training. Their former timidity was completely gone, replaced by a sharp look in their eyes. Now, if any of them encountered mountain bandits again, they could definitely handle them.

The group arrived in Xiang City and directly rented a courtyard to stay in. Li Zhao went to inquire about the grain price situation. He returned to inform Li Xia that the current grain price was more than five times higher than in previous years. Moreover, many grain merchants said they had no grain left. It would be very difficult to purchase grain in large quantities.

"Difficult, but we must buy. Tens of thousands of troops are waiting for us to bring food back," Li Xia's attitude was resolute, they couldn't possibly return empty-handed. No matter how expensive the grain was, they had to buy it.

"The first family in Xiang City is the Zhao Family. The Zhao Family owns half of the good fields in Xiang City. Even if others don't have grain, the Zhao Family definitely does. If we want to buy grain, we need to cooperate with the Zhao Family," Li Zhao didn't beat around the bush, seeing Li Xia's resolute attitude.

"But at the current price, with the silver we have in hand, we can't even buy ten thousand catties of grain," Jiang Chong was angry but helpless about the high grain prices in Xiang City. He didn't believe those grain merchants had no grain. They were probably hoarding goods to make a fortune.