Chinese New Year

Chapter 1498 The Twelve Golden Men
Lub the Flying Knight has reappeared, this time in Bianliang.

However, the common people weren't interested. What was the Kingdom of Linyi? Where was it? They'd never even heard of it, and even if someone wanted to say something, they wouldn't know where to begin.

Alright, why not just take good care of your own vegetable patch and orchard, and then sell the fruits and vegetables in the summer to make money?

The woman in the house has patched and patched her dress again and again; it's time for her to get a new one.

The oxen have been used for plowing for many years and are no longer useful; it's time to buy a new one.

The irrigation ditch wasn't dredged last winter, and this spring it's covered in fallen leaves. It's time to take some time to clean it up.

They shook their heads, looked away, and continued working.

Murong Ren's subordinates, who were being escorted to Chenliu and Chenjun to dredge the Suiyang Canal, straightened their backs and watched all of this numbly.

They didn't understand what Lubfeije was talking about, but they subconsciously felt that it wasn't a good thing.

Perhaps, another tribe is just like them. Shao Zei is too old, he's gone mad, he'll fight anyone, bully anyone, and he doesn't respect anyone.

People who shout for violence at the slightest dissent are so cruel and tyrannical. Why don't they just die?
"Snap!" The whip cracked, accompanied by two cries of pain. Everyone jolted and immediately turned back to their work, churning away.

On the willow tree beside them hung dozens of human heads, swarming with flies—a sight both disgusting and terrifying.

No need to say anything, let's get back to work.

The knight swept past them, splashing mud everywhere.

The outline of the northern city was now in sight, and the knight instinctively puffed out his chest and looked around.

The Sogdian merchants, with their high noses and deep-set eyes, were quite knowledgeable. Upon seeing the Lubu Feijie knight, they felt a pang of unease.

Since the Liang Kingdom's envoy made his westward journey, discussions have been growing louder in Kangju, Kushan, and other places.

Undoubtedly, even though the Sogdians were still nominally under the rule of Kangju and Kushan, they had in fact gained de facto independence. However, the newly formed city-states could not resist the oppression of the Persians and the Kuihu. One demanded submission, and the other collected annual tributes, while the Great Liang Dynasty only gave them a piece of paper, requiring them to occasionally offer some local specialties as a token of respect.

What a wonderful person!
The only worry is that they don't have enough resources to commit – no matter how strong your country is, it's all for nothing if you can't utilize its resources.

Seeing that the knight Lubu Feijie seemed to have conquered another southern country, the Sogdian merchants were somewhat disappointed.

With that kind of energy, they might as well direct it westward. If they didn't fight the Kuaihu, they could at least fight the Persians. If the Sogdians had to choose an enemy to die, they would choose the Persians, because the Kuaihu needed them to do business.

Unfortunately, the Liang Dynasty's attempt to conquer Linyi was a great disappointment.

After sighing, the men whispered among themselves, asking if anyone had seen the convoy of wagons and ships carrying spoils heading north. If possible, they wanted to go and see if there were any worthwhile spoils to acquire.

This is called professionalism.

Lu Bu, the swift knight, quickly disappeared from everyone's sight. He crossed the city gates, traversed the streets, and passed through the neighborhoods, shouting incessantly wherever he went, determined to deliver the message to every corner of Bianliang.

At this point, finally someone started to care about the battle reports from the southern expedition.

They were usually students of the Imperial Academy, as well as idle sons of powerful families. Upon hearing this, they discussed it animatedly, feeling proud as if they had personally led the attack.

This is the essence of human life.

The swift knight Lubu finally stopped in front of Liang Palace. After some negotiation, he entered through the Elephant Gate and presented the official report of victory to the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the prime ministers of the Council of State.

******
The Crown Prince received the news in the afternoon, when he was testing his nine-year-old eldest son, Junheng, by having him recite the classics.

Crown Princess Lu rose to accept the report of victory delivered by the palace servant, then glanced at someone almost imperceptibly.

The woman sat to the side and slightly behind the prince, looking shy, with a prominently protruding belly, clearly indicating that she was pregnant.

This woman's surname was Xi, and she came from the Xi family of Xiangyang. She was the younger sister of Xi Zaochi, a former student of the Imperial Academy and magistrate of Linqiong.

When the Crown Prince was residing at Xi Family Pond, somehow, this woman accidentally bumped into him.

He wasn't stupid; a little thought told him what was going on, but this young lady from the Xi family was beautiful and gentle when she cried, her face streaked with tears. The Crown Prince had been away on official business for a long time and hadn't been with a woman in a while, so his gaze lingered on her.

His appearance naturally caught the attention of those with ulterior motives, and everything fell into place.

After bringing her back to the Eastern Palace's Linzhi Hall, Lady Lu warmly arranged accommodations for the girl, but only for the sake of the child. Privately, she had a long talk with the Crown Prince, and whether Shao Jin was scratched was something outsiders could not know.

Along with the news of victory, seven or eight other memorials were also sent. After seeing them, the Crown Prince let his son off the hook, saying, "You are good at reciting the scriptures, but you only know how to recite them without understanding their meaning. You will have to study them carefully in the future."

"Grandpa, I understand," Junheng replied obediently.

Shao Jin patted his little head with satisfaction, then sat down behind his usual desk, looked around, and was quite pleased with the arrangement.

He had already read the report of victory, since it was sent to him first. After he polished and revised it, he added the list of meritorious personnel and then sent it to Bianliang.

After glancing at it casually and finding that his father had approved the promotions and rewards for dozens of officers, he felt relieved, put the document aside, and picked up the second one.

The moment the lid was lifted, his face turned solemn: "Father has ordered the Commandant of the Chongqing-Jinzhou Expeditionary Force to transport 500,000 bushels of grain by sea to Liekou."

Shao Jin carefully read the main text, then looked at the annotation at the bottom: All four prime ministers agreed, except Liang Fen who said a little more, believing that these brave men who sailed the seas should be richly rewarded, and that if a shipwreck occurred, they should be given generous compensation.

Now we need to add his opinion.

Shao Jin steadied himself and picked up his pen, writing: "The Prince of Qi has established his capital in Lelang, a remote coastal location. The special permission granted to transport grain and provisions by sea to support the nation is truly a wise strategy for fostering harmony among relatives and securing the borders. The ministers, loyal to the country, have approved his request, which is entirely in accordance with justice." After some thought, he felt it wasn't enough, so he added a few lines: "However, Lelang is geographically isolated, and sea transport is fraught with danger. The winds and waves are unpredictable, and the reefs are shallow and difficult to navigate. For the sake of my elder brother, I humbly request that the relevant authorities be ordered to—"

Select sturdy ships that are seaworthy; recruit experienced helmsmen and sailors who are familiar with the sea routes.
Shipments can be made in batches to avoid putting all the eggs in one basket and risking capsizing.

The escorting officials have crucial responsibilities and must be subject to established reward and punishment regulations. Any acts of embezzlement, delays, or significant losses must be severely punished.

After finishing writing, I read it carefully again before I breathed a sigh of relief and carefully set it aside to let the ink dry.

Crown Princess Lu came over, took a closer look, and praised, "My husband is very thoughtful."

"If I'm still reckless and impulsive after being away for so long, not only will my father be disappointed, but I myself will also feel remorseful," Shao Jin said with a smile. "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

“That’s all,” said Madam Lu.

"That's good," Shao Jin said. "Actually, my elder brother has had a tough time too. Lelang and Daifang counties are even more remote than Liaodong. I don't know what he'll do in the future. If Goguryeo and Baekjin attack from the north and south, can he withstand it?"

Lady Lu comforted him, saying, "My lord, do not worry. The King of Qi is exceptionally capable and is not a lonely ruler; there will surely be no trouble."

Shao Jin nodded and didn't discuss the matter further.

Xi listened silently to the Crown Princess, acting as if she were invisible, but her eyes kept glancing at her with envy.

This harmonious scene between husband and wife is every woman's dream.

******
Lu Bufei's swift action caused a minor commotion in Bianliang City, but it quickly dissipated without a trace. It was as if the incident had never happened and no one had ever cared.

This is probably the treatment small countries get.

This continued until early July. The first batch of returning soldiers first arrived at Kuaiji by sea, then walked to Stone City, and then took a canal boat back north to Bianliang. To be honest, the canal boats were not actually for them to ride on; they were mainly used to transport spoils of war, which required manpower to escort them. So, a group of them were assigned to board the boats.

On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, dozens of cargo ships sailed through the water gate into the desert and anchored.

Shao Xun stood in the Luhua Pavilion, accompanied by Empress Yu Wenjun, Crown Prince Shao Jin, and Crown Princess Lu.

On the lead ship, the sailors were busy and shouting.

It is unknown how much time passed, but a humanoid object, about half the height of an average person, was dragged and pulled ashore.

Then came another flurry of activity, this time involving the guards and soldiers. They used all their strength to erect the human-shaped object using ropes and sticks.

Yu Wenjun glanced at Shao Xun curiously. Shao Xun shook his head and remained silent, looking mysterious.

Yu Wenjun looked at the Crown Prince again. Shao Jin was about to shake his head like his father, but he stopped himself and said with embarrassment, "Mother, please be patient and watch."

Yu Wenjun gave a soft snort, tightened her grip on Shao Xun's arm, and looked at him carefully.

"Whoosh—" The soldiers removed the burlap covering the humanoid object, revealing the true appearance of the spoils of war.

Yu Wenjun was stunned.

Golden Man!

The sunlight shone on the golden statue, its dazzling light so intense that it was impossible to look directly at it.

After turning my gaze away, I couldn't help but look back.

A golden man! A man made of gold!
Seeing his wife's surprised expression, Shao Xun burst into laughter.

There are a total of twelve golden statues, all taken from Linyi.

It's unclear what Sun He's thought process was, but he actually gathered gold from the mines, cities, villages, markets, and all sorts of places he could find in the Kingdom of Linyi, cast twelve golden statues on the spot, and shipped them back to his country.

Of course, there was also silver and copper. The former was used to build silver bricks, while the latter was simply piled up in scattered pieces and transported to Bianliang.

No wonder they needed the Imperial Guards and soldiers to escort them all the way. Who wouldn't be envious of the Twelve Golden Men?

"Actually, it's a gilded wooden frame." Shao Xun explained after his smile faded.

The implication is that there is no gold inside, making it essentially hollow.

The Jin man was probably only a little over three feet tall, much shorter than an ordinary person.

However, if Shao Xun hadn't said anything, outsiders would have really thought these were twelve real golden statues. Sun He was quite the con artist.

“That’s quite a lot,” Yu Wenjun said.

Shao Xun nodded, then looked at the Crown Prince and said, "Liang Nu, what do you think?"

Shao Jin came to his senses and immediately replied, "Father, although I knew there were twelve golden men, when I saw them with my own eyes, I was truly—truly shocked."

Shao Xun patted him on the shoulder and said, "Every inch of land is useful. It may not be rich now, but it will be an endless treasure in the future. Remember that, remember that."

Shao Jin bowed solemnly and said, "I will remember it in my heart."

(End of this chapter)