stingy landlady

Chapter 256 Guizhi Requests an Audience with the Prince (1)

Taking advantage of the situation, Gui Xiang quickly washed her face and dried it before going out with Manager Han to collect the vegetables. Although she tried her best to pretend that she was no different from usual, Gui Xiang could always feel Manager Han's gaze lingering on her.

Upon arriving in the county town, the two were alone under one roof. Gui Xiang, unable to resist Steward Han's persistent pleading, finally consummated their relationship and agreed to marry him as soon as possible.

Manager Han was naturally in a great mood after winning the heart of his beautiful bride!

Young Master Du was quite displeased. Suddenly, Young Master Zheng appeared, and he was acquainted with Gui Hong. This made Young Master Du Huaichuan feel that Gui Hong was drifting further and further away from him.

Young Master Du had gone to the prefectural city with Guizhi and Xu Hong. On the way, Du Huaichuan explained that he had a thousand men under his command, and that they would be disbanded because the fighting was temporarily suspended.

Du Huaichuan was reluctant to part with them; these were his close brothers who had risked their lives for him. His family could help support them, but on the condition that they would become the family's private soldiers—in other words, bodyguards.

Du Huaichuan refused; he wanted to support these people himself, but it turned out he wasn't up to the task. He lacked the ability and didn't know how to lead them to make money. Unless they became mountain bandits or engaged in robbery.

Du Huaichuan overheard that Guizhi had settled several hundred people, ensuring they were well-fed and watered without disturbing the peace. So Du Huaichuan went to the county town alone to quietly inquire about the situation.

I thought that the return of several hundred retired soldiers, gathered in one place, would definitely cause a huge uproar in the county! Who knew that after several months in the county, I hadn't heard a single word about it.

Just as Du Huaichuan was about to return empty-handed, he ran into Gui Hong, and wasted a few more days. As if the gears of fate had been arranged, he was fortunate enough to encounter Steward Han and Gui Zhi!

Du Huaichuan was overjoyed! He saw the happy smiles on the faces of the retired veterans in Huanghua Village and Changping Village, and their well-organized lives.

Du Huaichuan knew he had found the right person this time. Guizhi wasn't too surprised to hear that Du Huaichuan had a thousand men he wanted to settle. Xu Hongxian jumped up:

"A thousand people? Are you kidding me? Young Master Du! Do you know how much food a thousand people need to eat every day? The few acres we cultivate are all reclaimed wasteland, and reclaimed wasteland doesn't yield much grain in the first few years!"

Once the crops are ripe and fattened, taxes will be collected! There won't be much grain left over!

Xu Hong glanced at Guizhi again, but Guizhi remained silent. He continued, "..."

"Young Master Du! Besides, my young lady is kind-hearted. She's been helping us old soldiers build houses and find wives! We are hundreds of people, and she has caused us a lot of trouble and hardship for several years!"

Our young lady still hasn't recovered! And you're trying to cram in another thousand people! Where are we going to put them? Aren't they going to eat, drink, and stay in their dorms?!

Du Huaichuan chuckled dryly:

"The capable should do more! Manager Xu! Your young lady hasn't objected yet! What's the rush!"

Xu Hongdao:

"How could I not be worried! Those hundreds of people were only placed in Huanghua Village and Changping Village because of me. Our young lady just wanted me to be her bodyguard, and look what I did!"

We've brought in several hundred guards! The prince insisted on having these people settled here back then, since the young lady was still so young, and they've been taking care of her day and night!

They were all dressed in tattered clothes, and it was the dead of winter. The young lady was worried that they would get cold, so she also had to take care of their food, drink, and basic needs. The young lady went to borrow grain for them to eat.

You can imagine how difficult it was for the young lady! Because of her kind heart, they couldn't just make the surgery for her alone.

Xu Hong choked up as he recalled the difficult times.

Du Huaichuan dared not utter a sound. He felt he had indeed put Guizhi in a difficult position, considering she was only a teenager. Yet, he didn't want to give up this hard-won opportunity to find out about her.

For the sake of his thousand men, he had no choice but to harden his heart and keep quiet.

When they arrived before the Prince of Zhenbei, the prince couldn't help but laugh when he saw Du Huaichuan, Guizhi, and Xu Hong together.

"Huaichuan! You're really something! You managed to find Guizhi and Xu Hong in such a remote place! No wonder you're a scout, you're quite capable!"

Du Huaichuan smiled like a child being praised in front of the Prince of Zhenbei:

"Uncle! I found them! My men don't need to be dismissed; they can work for Guizhi and Steward Xu!"

The Prince of Zhenbei pointed at Du Huaichuan with his finger and said:

"You! You're just wishful thinking, aren't you? The person in charge didn't agree to it!"

Seeing that Guizhi didn't seem inclined to speak, Xu Hong quickly said:

"Your Highness! Our resources are limited, and it's quite difficult to support those several hundred people right now. Each of those several hundred people is married and has children, which means several hundred households!"

In a few years, that number will grow to one or two thousand, or even more! Your Highness! Young Master Du has a thousand men under his command!

Where are we going to put them? Besides, we've only just settled these few hundred people! Life has only just started to get a little better!

The Prince of Zhenbei joked:

"Xu Hong's temper hasn't changed much over the years!"

Xu Hong muttered in a low voice:

"People always say that it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature!"

"Hahaha! Hahaha! Old habits die hard! Xu Hong! You and Guizhi have something to discuss?"

Xu Hong looked at Guizhi, who stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Highness! My daughter has come to ask you for a few requests!"

The Prince of Zhenbei asked curiously:

"Oh? A few more things? Is that why you personally came? Tell me! But you know, I won't allow anything too outrageous!"

Guizhi secretly grumbled to herself:

"Is it outrageous to put hundreds of grown men under the management of a teenage girl? I don't think there's anything more outrageous than this. Circumstances dictate the situation! Forget it, I'm not going to argue with you!"

The Prince of Zhenbei looked at the cassia branch and remained silent.

"Guizhi, why aren't you saying anything? Are you secretly cursing me in your heart?"

Guizhi nodded and shook her head repeatedly, giving a fawning smile:

"Your Highness! How dare I be so bold as to scold you! I was just thinking about how to tell you what I want!"

"We'll definitely need to think this through carefully before we can get the prince to agree, won't we?"

The Prince of Zhenbei was very curious:

"Speak! What's the matter that warrants such a large commotion?"

"Your Highness! As you know, our few hundred people can't get rich or support their families by just farming. That's why our village raises fat pigs and fat cattle!"

We can slaughter this pig whenever we want once it's grown up. But this cow—if we want to slaughter it and sell the beef, we still need the prince's permission!

"Oh! Right, Your Highness! This ox isn't for plowing; it's been raised like a pig in a cage! It can't do any work; it's just for fattening up for meat!"

The Prince of Zhenbei stared wide-eyed:

"Every farmer raises oxen for plowing. You're raising fat cattle just to eat meat? What were you thinking?"

"Hehe! Beef is expensive, Your Highness! With so many of us, we need some income! We live off the land and the water. Raising more cattle near the mountains just means we'll have to work harder!"

Your Highness! With a stroke of your pen, the wealthy families in our prefectural city will have another meat dish on their tables. And won't that mean we can feed a few more people in our village?"