On the way to escape famine, my parents divorced

Chapter 432 "It was your courage to resist and run away from the arranged marriage that saved you."

(Thanks to Ai Xiaosu for casting a monthly vote.)
When Wang Cuihua and Zhao Xier saw Li Shiyue again, it was already August.

Li Shiyue's four months of hard work were truly worthwhile. Not only did she lead the Xuanjia Army to find out what was going on with the bandit leader's gang, but she also uncovered crucial evidence in Jian'an—the account book—of the wealthy Wang in Qing Shiling Town colluding with Japanese pirates to embezzle government taxes and silver.
In fact, after Li Shiyue found out where the government silver came from, she quickly sent a letter to General Liu of the garrison.

After all, there are troops stationed in Jian'an!
Fortunately, General Liu Tan had already returned from his border patrol by then, and he immediately ordered Li Shiyue to thoroughly investigate the case of the official silver.

Not only that, but Li Shiyue was also given the authority to act expediently.

With Liu Tan's words, Li Shiyue went directly to the Jian'an garrison and mobilized a battalion of soldiers to openly surround the county government office.

In less than three days, not only did they find the remaining government silver, but they also learned about the situation of the Japanese pirates through the county government.

That's right, Li Shiyue and his Xuanjia Army are land-based infantry, while the Japanese pirates are all hiding on islands at sea.

In the end, she had no choice but to hand over the matter of the Japanese pirates to the navy at Jian'an Port.

But Li Shiyue's trip wasn't in vain; at least she managed to escort cartloads of official silver back to Sanshan County and meet Liu Tan.

However, after saying what she needed to say, Li Shiyue showed an unusual look of embarrassment.

Liu Tan was in a good mood. He knew Li Shiyue; she was a man even more dashing than any other.

She's deliberately acting like this in front of him right now, so she must be having some trouble.

"Alright, you're deliberately putting on this act for me. If you're not uncomfortable, this general is actually quite disturbed."

"Hurry up and tell me, what is it?"

Seeing that things were going well, Li Shiyue quickly composed himself and bowed to Liu Tan with a serious expression, saying, "General, in Fuzhou and Jian'an, I led my men to wipe out some mountain bandits. Some were killed on the spot, and we even went to the local government office to collect the head money."

However, some of them looked like they had been forced into banditry. Although they became bandits, they had never done anything bad.

I couldn't bear to kill them all, so I brought some people back with me.

At this point, Li Shiyue took out a list that he had written earlier and stepped forward to place it in front of Liu Tan.

"General, these thirteen people are the ones I kept after a thorough investigation."

Two of them were forced by local wealthy families; one family was forced to sell their sons, and the other was forced to sell their land. They went up the mountain in order to survive.
Another woman ran away from her arranged marriage to avoid becoming a concubine to a man old enough to be her grandfather. After that, she was kidnapped and taken to a bandit's den.

The other ten men escaped and became bandits after being imprisoned by the county government for reporting the Japanese pirates' landing, burning, killing, and looting.

"General, these thirteen men are struggling to survive in Jian'an. They begged me, so I've come to you for help."

Liu Tan looked at the few pages of paper that Li Shiyue had placed in front of him, which explained the origins and crimes of these thirteen people.

"How are you doing?"

"If the general allows them to register in the army to atone for their sins, then we'll see how they can be arranged into our Xuanjia Army."

If the general deems it unacceptable, then let them be sent to the mines. If they survive, that's their luck; if they don't, that's their fate.

"You oh you"

In the end, these thirteen men were approved by Liu Tan and were first assigned to the logistics department of the Xuanjia Army.

After Li Shiyue left the house, Ma San went up and picked up the few pages of paper from the table. As he looked at them, he looked at Liu Tan with a puzzled expression.

“General, let’s leave the first few aside, but what about this runaway bride Dong Wuniang,” Ma San pointed to Dong Wuniang’s name, “and this husband-killer Zhu Dani, are we really going to take her into the garrison?”

After taking a sip of tea, Liu Tan looked up at Ma San and said, "Didn't you see that it says Dong Wuniang is proficient in divination and is a good accountant?"
Mr. Chen always complains that there aren't enough accountants to serve him, doesn't he?

We can just take Dong Wuniang and use her. As for Zhu Dani?

It was wrong of her to accidentally kill her husband, but look, it says above that the son-in-law attacked his widowed mother who raised him first, and Zhu Dani accidentally killed the son-in-law in order to protect her mother-in-law.

Even the escape to the mountain was orchestrated by Zhu Dani's mother-in-law. Given this situation, should this kind and righteous woman really be allowed to enter the mine?
Since you have some strength, you can always manage to cook a meal or chop firewood in the kitchen.

"General, you have a kind heart. Li Shiyue is certain that you won't kill innocent people indiscriminately."

Li Shiyue, who had been told this by Ma San, had already arrived at a courtyard guarded by the Xuanjia Army.

She walked into the courtyard, and about a dozen people from inside the house and in the courtyard all rushed over.

"General Lee!"

"General Lee!"

One person called her name, and soon everyone was calling her name.

Li Shiyue raised her hand to stop the shouts, and said with a smile, "I have already told the General about your matters."

The General is not the kind of person who indiscriminately kills innocent people; he has already agreed to let you join the Xuanjia Army!

"Really?"

"Really? General, we can all live with dignity now?"

Li Shiyue nodded to everyone, "The General has already agreed, so he will definitely keep his word."

Someone should come to call you around mid-afternoon or tomorrow. Just listen to them and go with them.

No matter where you're assigned, remember to do your job well!

After giving a few more instructions, Li Shiyue beckoned to the three women among them and called them aside to talk.

“There are women in the village who can do the work. The village has its own vegetable garden, and there are also many tasks to do in the kitchen, such as chopping and washing.”

If you and your mother-in-law are assigned to another place, just focus on doing your work well.

After exchanging those words with Zhu Dani and the short, hunched-over woman beside her, Li Shiyue looked at Dong Wuniang.

"Although you are young, you are skilled in divination and have no criminal record. It is only because your family is involved with the Japanese pirates that we had no choice but to bring you along."

On the one hand, it can help you get rid of that marriage;

On the other hand, if you move to another place and live for a few years, it will be cheaper for you to remarry.

You don't have the strength of Zhu Dani, so you can't do the kitchen work, but the village also needs an accountant.

If you are assigned there, and others look down on you because you are a woman, don't take it too hard.
"This general intends for you to use the garrison to save your life. Be patient and endure these two years. Then I will take you to meet the general's wife and see if she will recognize your talent and grant you leave the garrison."

Dong Wuniang knelt down directly before Li Shiyue, "General, your kindness is beyond repayment!"

Looking at Dong Wuniang, who was only thirteen years old, Li Shiyue felt a pang of sympathy.

She reached out and pulled Dong Wuniang up, saying, "It's not that I'm doing you a favor, it's that your courage to resist and run away from the arranged marriage saved you."

"Get through these two years, and when you come of age, a bright and promising future awaits you."

Thank you to Ai Xiaosu for casting a monthly vote.

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!