Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 881 You actually asked me why?
"What's there to ask? I am Wei Chen, but you should know that this is, after all, my son's place."

Xia Lin did not attend any banquet at the moment. Instead, he sat in the envoy's office of the Great Wei and chatted with the Wei envoy. Because the Li Tang was a great power and had a complex relationship with the Great Wei, the envoy here was of a very high rank, a fourth-rank official. This meant that he could speak with Xia Lin.

"So what are Marshal Xia's current plans? Return to Fuliang or go to the Western Regions?"

Xia Lin blew on the foam in his teacup: "No rush. Zhuo Heng is in charge of things in the Western Regions, and the earliest we can take over the Western Regions is around next spring, which is still a year away. Zhang Xiang is in charge of things in Fuliang, so we'll talk about it after we finish things here. Vice Minister Cai, are you interested in going to the Western Regions to serve? You could get promoted out of nowhere, and a fourth-rank official is not far from becoming a minister. The current ministers are all getting on in years, and you have the ability and age to compete for it."

Vice Minister Cai laughed heartily, then waved his hand: "Let it be, General Xia, don't be silly. I will arrange for the things you requested to be delivered to you through the Commerce Department. However... please allow me to ask a small question."

"Please say."

"Commander Xia, you have your own trade routes, your own workshops, and your own caravans. The train is even almost reaching Xiangyang. Why would you go through such a long detour to order greenhouse materials from the Trade Bureau?"

Xia Lin shook his head and sighed, "What would it mean if I brought it here? It's true that this is to lay the foundation for my son's business, but it has to be done officially. Otherwise, what am I? Why are they afraid of me? It's because I not only break their rules but also uphold the rules I set for myself. I have to let people know what it means to distinguish right from wrong, don't I?"

"Understood, okay. The goods will be shipped from the Luoyang warehouse within seven days, a total of 120,000 mu of greenhouse glass, right? If we add 50%, installation will be included. How will the payment be settled?"

"Let's coordinate with their Ministry of Revenue." Xia Lin snapped his fingers. "These powerful and wealthy people need to bleed a little. Alright, I'm going back for dinner. You've worked hard."

"Commander Xia, won't you stay for a simple meal? The cook is from Jiangnan."

"Oh? Where in Jiangnan?" Xia Lin's eyes lit up immediately.

"Hangzhou."

"No, no, there's food at home." Xia Lin hurriedly got up and said, "The children are waiting for me."

Hearing this made Minister Cai, who was serving as an envoy there, extremely envious. He had been in the Tang Dynasty for six years and rarely saw his family. How could he compare to someone like Marshal Xia, who had a home everywhere?

Xia Lin strolled back to the East Palace from the office. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Xiao Wu and the dark-skinned Wei Tong sitting facing each other. Xiao Wu's eyes were filled with a sense of emptiness after the fire had burned out, while Wei Tong was rambling on and on.

"Oh, so you're getting special treatment now?" Xia Lin strolled over and casually picked up a piece of almond shortbread from the plate in front of Wei Tong and popped it into his mouth. "What are you talking about? I could hear you chattering away from far away, you little dark-skinned girl."

Upon seeing him, Wei Tong swallowed the food in her mouth, stood up abruptly, clasped her hands in a perfectly standard military salute, and said in a slightly trembling voice due to excitement, "Marshal Xia! I...I want to join your army!"

Xia Lin paused in his chewing, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Xiao Wu, who was finally relieved and was secretly rubbing his temples. Xiao Wu nodded slightly to him helplessly, indicating that he had not misheard.

"Join the army?"

Xia Lin pulled up a chair and sat down, looking Wei Tong up and down. This girl was tall and slender, with well-proportioned and strong limbs, and her eyes were so bright they were almost blinding. She was indeed a good prospect.

"Does your father know? The Wei family would be willing to throw their precious daughter into my bunch of rough men? Besides, you're a top contender for the Crown Princess. What kind of talk would it make if you went to my place? Furthermore, my place isn't part of the Li Tang's official system. How would your father explain this to His Majesty if you went there?" "My father... I haven't told him yet." Wei Tong stuck out her neck, her face showing the stubbornness and fearlessness unique to young people: "But this is my ambition! As for the Crown Princess, let them fight over her, I have no interest. I just want to follow Marshal Xia, see the real Heavenly Army, and learn skills! In the future, I want to be like Marshal Xia and His Majesty, and achieve great things!"

Xia Lin scoffed, "Make a name for yourself? War isn't child's play; it means death. Aren't you afraid of bloodshed?"

"I'm not afraid!" Wei Tong answered decisively, even leaning forward slightly. "I often go to the military camp with my father and brothers at home. I'm just as good as the men at archery, horseback riding, and sword fighting! Commander Xia, don't you have female soldiers in your army? I'm not afraid of hardship!"

Xiao Wu then interjected softly, "Master, Sister Wei is resolute and not like ordinary young ladies."

Xia Lin didn't reply, but just stared at Wei Tong for a long time, until even the usually fearless little dark-skinned girl felt a little uneasy. Then he suddenly asked, "Why?"

Wei Tong was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Why do you want to join the army?" Xia Lin leaned forward slightly. "Don't give me any grand talk about making a name for yourself. Get to the point. Why do you want to join my army now, at such a complicated time?"

Wei Tong was taken aback by this sudden, direct question. She opened her mouth, her cheeks flushing with urgency, but her gaze gradually hardened under Xia Lin's intense stare. She remained silent for a moment, then spoke again, her voice lower, but with an unprecedented seriousness:
"Because... I don't want to be confined to the inner quarters for the rest of my life, comparing myself to others in terms of who has the prettiest clothes, the most luxurious jewelry, or who can win my husband's favor. I can't answer many of the questions in the Linde Hall. I know that compared to Sister Pei and Sister Cui, I'm less educated and have a shallower understanding of principles. But I know how to lead troops and deploy them, how to gain the trust of my subordinates, and I know that opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting!"

She took a deep breath and met Xia Lin's gaze intently: "Your Highness is very good, extremely good. But if I enter the Eastern Palace, I'll at most be a concubine, spending my days revolving around Your Highness, worrying about trivial matters, and adhering to all those tedious formalities. But if I can follow Commander Xia, even if I'm just a lowly soldier, I can see a wider world and do more. I don't want my future to be just waiting for Your Highness's favor in the deep palace. I want to rely on myself and earn my own future!"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. A complex look of admiration flashed in Xiao Wu's eyes. Xia Lin stroked his chin, the playfulness on his face gradually fading, replaced by scrutiny and contemplation.

"To earn your own future..." Xia Lin repeated in a low voice, "That's ambitious. But it's not as simple as you think. I don't support idlers, much less spoiled young ladies. If you really want to come, you have to follow my rules, be able to endure hardship, suffer, and take the scolding. If you can't handle it, you'll be kicked out at any time."

Wei Tong's eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling light, and her voice trembled with excitement: "Commander Xia, you...you agreed?!"

"I can give you a chance to try." Xia Lin looked up and gestured for Xiao Wu to serve him rice, then continued, "I'll arrange a place for you to train with the female soldiers for three months. If you can endure that, we'll talk about other things."

He walked to the door, then glanced back at Wei Tong, who was still in a state of great surprise, and lazily added, "By the way, whether I agree or not, you have to explain this to your father first, and then have your father come and talk to me. Otherwise, I can't bear the responsibility of a little kid like you coming to me to say these things."

"Yes, Commander!" Wei Tong straightened his back, his voice was loud and clear, and his face was beaming with an irrepressible smile.

Just then, Xiao Wu returned, looking somewhat troubled, and reminded him, "Master, is it about the Crown Princess..."

“So I have to have her father talk to me.” Xia Lin took the rice and started eating. “Besides, I don’t like to force people. If you really don’t like it, it’s fine if you don’t want to be the Crown Princess. But Little Blackie, let me be clear from the start: if your father absolutely refuses to agree, I can’t just let you join the army so easily. Do you understand what I mean? After all, you children should also consider your parents’ difficulties.”

"I will obey the Commander's orders!" Wei Tong stood upright, looking exactly like a soldier: "I would gladly die for him!"

At this moment, Xia Lin smiled helplessly, turned to Xiao Wu and said, "Don't leave after we eat, I have something to tell you."

(End of this chapter)