To the east of Shengle City, wild people, rebels, and forces still loyal to Emperor Situ Lei were locked in a brutal struggle, creating a complicated tug-of-war.
To the west of Shengle City, half a year of construction and expanding influence had drawn a constant stream of trade caravans, and the impact of this comrce was beginning to take shape.
Shengle City was not a large city and was situated in a remote geographical location, surrounded by sparsely populated areas. Without the transmigrator's "golden finger" producing so many novel commodities, operating and scaling up to such an extent here would have been nearly impossible.
It was like playing a modern-day managent ga with cheat codes enabled.
Recently, since the arrival of the advance officers sent to press for grain and conscript labor, an air of "excitent" had perated Shengle City, both inside and out.
Military drills and maneuvers beca more frequent than usual. Inspections and restocking of warhorses and weaponry comnced. Many workshops reduced other production to prioritize building up the army's strategic reserves.
This change was costing a hefty sum of silver every day.
Caravans waiting for goods began to gather, protesting the shortages. However, the General's Manor adopted a firm "blockade" against these powerful financiers.
Siniang had already snapped several charcoal pencils in frustration. With war looming, Shengle City—still developing and not yet very large—had begun to shift its focus to military preparedness. This directly caused other sources of inco to plumt.
Ultimately, the issue was that Shengle City's "military-first" policy was far too ahead of its ti.
Once this money-devouring beast of an army mobilized, it truly consud everything. Outsiders, even if they knew Shengle had over ten thousand soldiers, likely dismissed them as a re rat army. In reality, these troops' pay and equipnt were on par with the Jingnan Army.
In the past, the Yan Emperor had relied on confiscating the wealth and grain from great clans—essentially "trampling their thresholds"—to mobilize hundreds of thousands of cavalry for that major war. It wouldn't be surprising at all if Zheng Fan's treasury went bankrupt due to military activities.
Yet, Siniang and the others couldn't rebuke him. The one responsible for all this was their own lord, who had repeatedly requisitioned troops, stretching their already strained resources to the breaking point.
The culprit himself was currently sitting in a small, modest house.
A little boy nad Liu Dahu timidly and shyly took a piece of sponge cake from Zheng Fan's hand. He then scampered to a corner to nibble on it, displaying an unexpectedly "demure" deanor.
The old woman enthusiastically served tea. Having lived a long life and seen much, she could naturally tell that the gentleman before her was no ordinary person.
"Ma'am, there's no need for tea," Zheng Fan said. "We're just running errands for the General's Manor and ca to ask if your family needs anything."
"A man!"
The old woman answered decisively.
Zheng Fan was taken aback.
"My daughter-in-law has it hard," the old woman continued, "managing this household, looking after an old woman like , and raising this little one. Our ho is sorely lacking a pillar of support."
"Do you have anyone in mind?" Zheng Fan asked cheerfully.
"Yes, there is one I think is quite decent. He's courteous, capable, and works as a guard at the city gate. But he's all talk and no action.
He's not bad-looking either, and my daughter-in-law has taken a fancy to him. But he just keeps dragging his feet.
Sir, perhaps you could speak to him.
I, this old woman, have wanted to help my daughter-in-law find a man to support her for a long ti now.
My daughter-in-law, even though she's had a child, is still quite a catch. Many n were interested in her.
But that man, while he cos over to help out every day, never says whether he's willing or not. It makes everyone think they're practically a couple already. If he doesn't agree in the end, isn't he just stringing my daughter-in-law along and wasting her ti!
Tell , sir, isn't that just how it is?"
"It is," Zheng Fan said, nodding.
"You're absolutely right, ma'am. People just want to live a stable life. For the past few years, with all the fighting, life was so hard. But this past year, since Lord Zheng beca our Protector, things have finally cald down. My daughter-in-law can even work in that workshop and earn a good amount of silver and rice each month. School for the children doesn't cost anything, and this old woman's dicine isn't expensive either. The doctors at the clinic are very kind too…"
Protector is the title the people of Jin land use for that old official position.
Zheng Fan felt a little embarrassed listening. He knew this visit was on impulse. It wasn't like those scripted encounters from his old world; the old woman's words, though fluent, were clearly not rehearsed.
"Sir, tell ," the old woman said, "don't all us common folk just hope for a peaceful life like this?"
"Yes."
Zheng Fan nodded, experiencing the satisfaction of being a "parental official."
"My son, bless his soul, fell ill and died young. But my daughter-in-law, she's truly wonderful—good-hearted and pleasant to look at. Now that we finally have these good days, shouldn't she be able to settle down and live a solid, comfortable life?"
"Hmm."
"I think… that man is worried because every ti he cos to our house, he hears call our Dahu by his full na. Sigh, this old woman has co to terms with it. If the Liu family isn't fated to continue its line, then so be it. I see my daughter-in-law as my own flesh and blood. Sir, could you please tell him for ? Say that our Dahu doesn't have to be surnad Liu; he can take his surna. This old woman wants nothing in return, I only ask that he treats my daughter-in-law well. Would that be acceptable?"
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