Lin Xuan left the flower hall with a gloomy face, not expecting to get entangled in this matter. He knew that Xiaos daughter was a hot potato, but Madame Gu insisted on him taking her in, and he couldnt refuse.

  Lin Xuan thought about the half bowl of rice he hadnt eaten and turned back to the rear cabin. Everyone else had already finished eating and dispersed, leaving only Zhou Pu sitting there waiting for him. Lin Xuan smiled wryly at him: "Ive got a tough job on my hands, Madam Gus household is heavily guarded, Xiao Jias daughter has no place in the Gu household, I have to take her back to be a kitchen maid..."

  "Can you help with washing clothes?" Zhou Pu laughed without a care, when no one was around he would squat on the stool.

  "Add some money," Lin Tie picked up his remaining rice bowl and started eating the leftover cold food while discussing things with Zhou Pu, "Looking at this itinerary, Gus family will stay in the post house outside Jiangning City for a few days and choose a good day to enter the city. We cant just stay with them at the post house, you and Enze ride horses to Jiangning first, if you can find Si Niangzi and Su Niang, just give them a message. After the boat arrives at the post house, I can bid farewell to Gus family, by then it will already be dark, Zhao Hu and I wont be able to enter the city, well stay overnight at the post house, and meet up with you all again the next day when entering the city..."

  "Alright, Ill leave with Enze first..." Zhou Pu nodded in response.

  Lin Xie finished the leftovers on the table and went out of the cabin with Zhou Pu, while a servant came in to clean up.

  The servants were usually only active at the back of the ship, waiting for orders. Yang Pu and Ma Chao were nowhere to be seen, probably because they had gone in to listen to Gu Wu Chens instructions. Liu Xi Lin got off the boat and came with his subordinates, a group of cavalrymen from the Dongyang Fu army. Lin Xie looked at these cavalrymen with narrowed eyes, their discipline seemed lax, but unlike ordinary government troops, they didnt seem dull and depressed. The journey had been quite arduous for the past three days, yet none of the soldiers complained or showed low morale. Lin Xie said to Zhou Pu: "Its really rare..."

  "This Dongyang Prefecture Governor Shen Zhen has some reputation, Mr. Qin mentioned him before," Zhou Pu said, his eyes were old and cunning, knowing that the cavalry led by Liu Xilin was a well-disciplined and powerful elite, "Mr. Qin said that there are people in the court who are calling for the imperial court to revive the local prefectural army, and in the south, Dongyang Prefecture Governor Shen Zhen and Weiyang Prefecture Governor Dong Yuan are representatives of the bandit-suppressing department, it is also said that Li Zhuo took Dong Yuans suggestion and petitioned the imperial court to implement... As for Shen Zhen and Dong Yuan, they cant shout too loudly now, but they should have some achievements in governing their territories."

  Lin Yu looked at the cavalry figures among the ancient willows on the shore, thinking that what was said about being deeply ill and hard to rise, the Great Viet Dynasty was about to rot, with internal worries and external troubles unending, and disasters from heaven and man unceasing, it was not something that one or two loyal and devoted officials could prop up.

  Lets talk about the local garrison, which belongs to the provincial military commanders office. They are in charge of supervising grain supplies, taxes, and labor services for official use, as well as various other tasks assigned by officials. In reality, they are no different from miscellaneous soldiers. Their combat strength is weak. Even if they have some discipline, they can barely maintain order within the city walls. As for bandits roaming in the countryside, they can only be suppressed and eliminated by local militia, which also leads to the rise of local strongmen.

  Lin Xie noticed that during these days, Shen Zong and Dong Yuans plan to revive the provincial military was to recruit local militia to fill the vacancies in the provincial army, allowing stronger local militias to replace the original weak and old provincial troops. However, the local powerful families had already become too powerful to control, so would they easily hand over their private militias to the government?

  At this time, the border war was endless, and the people of the Central Plains rose up in revolt. Large gangs of bandits also roamed the countryside. If the local government forcibly recruited militia, it would inevitably intensify conflicts and add chaos, which is exactly what the imperial court did not dare to risk at this time.

  Lin Xian slightly shook his head. Even if Shen Rong had the ambition to revive the imperial army, this Lin Xi Lin he found was still a general, but the timing wasnt right for him, and he feared that his accomplishments would be limited.

  "What is Mr. Lin looking at here?" Gu Shiming walked over from behind, affectionately patted Lins shoulder and said, "Mr. Lin, I want to discuss something with you, you must agree."

  The village news was blocked, and Gu Shiming didnt know what had happened in Shanglin a few days ago. He still thought of Lin Xie as the same Lin Xie he had heard before. Relying on his close relationship with Gu Wudun, he usually didnt take Lin Xie seriously. Seeing Lin Xies sudden enthusiasm, he couldnt think of anything that would make him come to himself for help, and asked: "Whats going on?" He saw the Xiao familys daughter peeking out of the cabin window, looking over here with a worried expression on her jade-like face, thinking that it might be related to her.

  "Well talk on the side," Gu Sui-ming put his arm around Lin Xies shoulder and pulled him to the side of the boat. "I heard that my aunt is sending Xiao Jias daughter to you, Id like to make a deal with you. After I arrive in Jiangning, there will be no one to take care of me either. Can you let Xiao Jias daughter go to me? I brought 40 taels of silver from Shiliang County, and Ill give you half."

  Lin Tie looked at Gu Si Mings triangular eyes and said, "Young Master, do you think Im someone who doesnt know whats good for me?"

  "I knew youd understand...". Gu Si Ming was delighted and smiled, "You just want to go to Jiangning and make a good impression, right? Dont worry, Ill definitely put in a few good words for you in front of my uncle."

  After Lin Xie finished speaking, he smiled and said: "Do you think I would be so ungrateful as to exchange the kindness of my wife for these twenty taels of silver?"

  Gu Suiming was taken aback, looking at the playful smile on Lin Xies face, and suddenly changed his expression: "You call this knowing whats good for you! Wait and see, are my uncle and aunt more fond of me, their nephew, or you, a young master of the Lin family who has been fighting with our Gu family for decades?" He turned and left, his sleeves fluttering behind him.

  Lin Xian slightly shook her head, thinking that beautiful women are just trouble.

  Watching Gu Suiming enter the cabin, Xiaos daughter came over, bowed and said in a soft voice: "Thank you, Master Lin, for taking in my family..."

  "Youre unhappy being a kitchen maid, why did you still come on board?" Lin Xie asked in puzzlement.

  "What can be done about it?" said the daughter of the Xiao family with a sigh. "I was sent back to my parents home, fortunately I still have some use, helping out at the tea hotel, so my parents and siblings will still warmly welcome me - the county magistrate sent someone over with twenty taels of silver, saying that every year he will send twenty taels of silver, as long as I serve as a cook for the Gu family. Does Lin Gongzi think I can stay in Shiliang County?"

  Lin Xian let out a soft sigh, it turned out that the three taels of silver were just a figure of speech by Liang Zuoren to increase his bargaining chips in Gu Wuhens eyes. In this day and age, twenty taels of silver could buy a decent-looking young girl, not to mention forcing a young widow to become someones concubine? Thinking that after Gu Wuhen took Xiao Jias daughter as his concubine, Liang Zuoren would no longer need to send silver to Xiao Jias family every year.

  "Xiao Jias daughter, since Liang Zuo Ren is willing to pay this unjust money, let him pay this unjust money," Lin Fu said. "How about this? After we go to Jiangning, Ill prepare a small house for you again. You and our four people living together wont be convenient, so in the future, youll have to trouble yourself with cooking meals and doing chores..."

  "If I had known earlier that Master Lin was a gentleman, our humble household would have thanked him for his kindness in taking us in. Doing laundry and cooking are all part of my duties," said the daughter of the Xiao family, her beautiful face radiant with gratitude, becoming even more lovely. She hesitated for a moment before continuing in a soft voice, "My maiden name is Liu, and my humble name is Yueer... Master Lin can just call me by my humble name..."

  "I didnt expect you and Deputy Liu to be from the same family..." Lin Xuan smiled, a thousand years later, men and women living together wouldnt necessarily have anything to do with each other. He planned to specially prepare a courtyard for Liu Yueer, not for anyone elses sake, but just to show off to Gu Wu Chen. Lin Xuan could see that Gu Wu Chens thoughts about Liu Yueer hadnt stopped, and he also knew that with Mrs. Gu around, Gu Wu Chen wouldnt dare take a concubine in this life. But no matter what, he put on an innocent and upright attitude, which would make Gu Wu Chen like him more, and also give him some hope. In Jiangning, relying on Gu Wu Chens influence, many things would become much easier.

  Liu Yuer stood at the bow of the boat, talking to Lin Xie. By this time, many people knew that this beautiful young widow was going to be a cook for Lin Xie, and they all envied her in their hearts, looking at Lin Xie with eyes full of envy and admiration.

  At this moment, a fleet of ships sailed over from the north, loaded with goods and drawing deep water. The leading ship had a flagpole at its bow, flying the triangular flag of the Wu Feng Bureau. The fleet also noticed that this was an official ship and lowered the flag on the flagpole by half as a sign of respect.

  The bow deck of the leading ship was relatively open, with two rows of robust warriors wearing waist knives standing upright, looking majestic.

  Zhou Pu said to the flag, "This is the largest security firm in the four counties of Jianghuai. Not only did the governors mansion in Jiangning Prefecture ask for Wu Fengs martial artists as guards, but even the official silver and tax silver sent from Jiangdong and Lianghu to Yanjing were also entrusted to Wu Feng for transportation..."

  Lin Xuan smiled, thinking that Zhou Pu and others had probably been frustrated by the Wu Fengbiao Bureau. Jiangdong was the main output place for Yanjings grain transportation, but occasionally due to the Huai River and Yellow River bursting their banks in autumn, causing river transportation to be blocked, or a severe drought making the river water shallow, the grain could not be transported northward in time. To avoid being held responsible for delays, Jiangdong often used silver instead of grain to transport to the capital, with each trip usually involving tens of millions of taels of silver being transported to the capital. Lin Xuan thought that Zhou Pu and others were really bold, if they had robbed tens of millions of taels of tax silver, cutting off Jiangdongs grain transportation route to Yanjing, the government would have sent a special force of tens of thousands of soldiers to surround and annihilate them.

  At this time, the fleet of guards from the escort agency approached, and a young man in brocade stood on the bow deck of the leading ship. He seemed to see the black lacquer sign with gold trim on the bow of this ship and shouted: "Is it Vice Commissioner Gu of Jiangdong on board?"

  On this side, the boat stopped, but it was impossible for that fleet to stop suddenly. Hearing someone outside shouting "Gu Wu Chen", Yang Pus son Yang Shi came out of the cabin to see what was going on. On the other side, the bow of the ship had already passed more than half of the hull, and the young man in brocade clothes leaned out of the ships side and shouted loudly: "Yang Shi, its me! I thought you guys arrived at Jiangning early! Never mind, my boat cant stop here, lets meet again when we get to Jiangning."

  Lin Yixin thought that this young man might be a friend of the Gu family, otherwise he wouldnt have called Miss Gu by her given name.

  This young man in brocade is probably also the son of some official family. Jiangning was originally a place where many officials gathered, and the rich and powerful were together. The governor of other places was a mid-level official of the fourth rank, while the governor of Jiangning was a high-ranking official of the third rank, with the same level as the Governor of Jiangdong, the Inspector of Jiangdong, and the Commander-in-Chief of Jiangdong. In fact, this made Jiangning Prefecture independent from the jurisdiction of the Governor of Jiangdong, and its civil administration, criminal justice, and supervision were all directly responsible to the central governments Six Ministries and Three Courts. This was probably also the only place where officials who had been demoted to serve as guardians in Jiangning could maintain some dignity in front of their political enemies in the capital. In addition, the military defense of Jiangning Prefecture did not belong to the jurisdiction of the Commander-in-Chief of Jiangdong, but was under the command of a separately appointed General of the Second Rank, the Jiangning Guard General. As for the garrison troops in the Jianghuai region, there were still some elite forces, probably the 30,000-strong garrison troops under the command of the Jiangning Guard General. In addition, the Jiangning Guard General usually also held the title of Minister of War of Jiangning, and had the right to control the Commander-in-Chief of Jiangdong. Usually, only the Minister of War of Jiangning who concurrently served as the Jiangning Guard General was considered the leader of the officials in Jiangdong. It was rumored throughout the court that the imperial court might let Li Zhuo, the Governor-General of Eastern Fujian, who had made great contributions to the suppression of the Jinan rebellion, take up residence in Jiangning and serve as the Jiangning Guard General with the title of Minister of War of Jiangning.

  The officialdom in Jiangdong is much more complicated than other places.