Chapter 538: Chapter 538. Su Qing Is Busy
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When Wan Yulin heard Liang Baichuan say that someone could make a great killing weapon, his expression immediately turned gloomy. He raised his hand to stop Liang Baichuan from saying that person’s name in the hall and ordered him to meet the Emperor in the royal study.
The civil and military officials in the hall heaved a sigh of relief when they saw Wan Yulin no longer holding them back to offer advice. After the court session, the ministers gathered in twos and threes to discuss the battle in Luo City.
No one believed the invincible Wan Family Army would be completely wiped out. There must be something special that prevented the military report from being sent back in time. However, no one dared to mention this. Minister Zhang and Scholar Li were sent to the Shen Punishment Department because of this. Who would dare to touch the Emperor’s reverse scale?
Wan Yulin was in a hurry to find a skilled craftsman who could make a great killing weapon. At the same time, he received the news that Long Ling had been eradicated. Wan Yulin almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
His elite troops had never been defeated before, but they had been completely wiped out. Wan Yulin was even more obsessed with the great killing weapon. Whoever had the great killing weapon could unify the world and be invincible. Wan Yulin suppressed the urge to destroy the world and swallowed his anger. Before he created a great killing weapon, he could not send the army he had painstakingly built for many years to their deaths.
Wan Yulin endured this anger and also created time for Luo City to recover. Xiao Zeyu ordered people to spread the news of him wiping out the Wan Family Army. Not long after the news spread, Luo City attracted a large-scale wave of defection.
Those who came to join the army were all hot-blooded men from all over the world. They all had one thing in common. They were all dissatisfied with the current dynasty and hoped to create a new world. However, they could not rally people. They just wanted to follow a wise ruler, and Xiao Zeyu was this wise ruler.
In less than half a month, Luo City’s army had grown from 1,000 to 5,000. Zhang Jinglin spent every day training recruits on the military training ground. Xiao Zeyu was very satisfied with Zhang Jinglin’s ability. He made time to go to the blacksmith shop to make cannonb.a.l.l.s. The cannonball was a secret, and no one must see the production process. Therefore, Xiao Zeyu only asked Zhong Yong to help. The two of them produced about five or six cannonb.a.l.l.s a day. Although the production was not high, this thing was compelling. One cannonball was enough to change the battle situation, so five or six cannonb.a.l.l.s were still possible.
Xiao Zeyu had strictly ordered Su Qing to take care of her pregnancy these days. She was bored and started to fiddle with the greenhouse. The main reason was that she wanted to eat vegetables after she became pregnant. However, even if she was rich, she could not buy vegetables in winter.
Since she couldn’t buy it, she would plant it herself. After all, her dream was to farm.
After confirming her thoughts, Su Qing started to make a fuss. She chose a suburb and selected ten strong soldiers from the elite soldiers brought from Mo City to help him clear the land. He would first open up the land and then build the shed.
The winter temperature in Luo City was around 10 degrees Celsius. It was not particularly cold, so it was suitable to build a greenhouse.
Those soldiers didn’t know what Young Madam was doing. Anyway, they were used to listening to Su Qjng’s orders. They did whatever she told them to do. They threw away their knives and spears and replaced them with shovels and harrows. They put down their bows and arrows and became masons.
Su Qing ordered people to move a small table. She ate pastries, drank healthy tea, and supervised the work. She watched as her plans were completed bit by bit. She felt more accomplished than taking down a city.
The people in the city also took this opportunity to rebuild the houses that had been demolished. The trees around Luo City had almost all been cut down.
The entire city was developing infrastructure, giving people a sense of prosperity. The people were full of energy. Although they had torn down their houses to support the Xiao Family’s Army, protecting Luo City meant protecting their happiness.
Xiao Zeyu was grateful to the citizens of the city for their help. They were exempted from all the excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The thing that gave the citizens the most incredible sense of security was that Xiao Zeyu exempted them from the able-bodied men’s fine.
In the past, those who didn’t want to join the army had to pay a fee, or they would be forced to join it. Now that Xiao Zeyu exempted them from this, everyone felt at ease. Instead, they enthusiastically signed up to join the Xiao Family Army and make contributions.
Not only did Xiao Zeyu exempt them from taxes, but he also asked the Xiao Family Army to help the commoners build houses. Their houses were torn down for the Xiao Family Army, so the Xiao Family Army had the responsibility to help them rebuild them.
The people of Luo City loved his action. In the past, the army of the imperial court would never help the people. It was already good enough that they did not burn, kill, and loot.
The future was beautiful. The money earned without taxes would be theirs. Besides paying for public grain, the farmers could keep the rest for themselves. Everyone was even more determined to support the Xiao Family Army!
Su Qing rushed home before Xiao Zeyu returned daily and prepared a table of sumptuous dishes for him. She kept her mouth shut and never told Xiao Zeyu she had opened the greenhouse.
Seven days pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye. The weather in March was sunny. Su Qing’s shed was also built. However, there was a problem. There was no plastic sheet or gla.s.s. There was only a wall and a shed made of wood.
Su Qing asked the system for the plastic sheet. Her request was not too much. After all, the plastic sheet was not like a plane or a cannon. However, the system still asked her for five skill points.
So be it. As long as she could build her shed, it was worth it, no matter how much she spent.
The system sent out the plastic sheets. Su Qing took them and instructed the ten soldiers to place the plastic sheets in the shed.
The ten soldiers were dumbfounded. What was this? Why did Young Madam always conjure up strange things?
However, they only thought about it in their hearts and did not dare to ask Su Qing.
These ten soldiers were brave in battle. They were also conscientious in their work. As long as Su Qing told them what to do, they would complete it perfectly.
After the plastic greenhouse was built, Su Qing became very busy. Every day, she would use a small hoe to grow vegetables in the greenhouse. She had asked the system for the vegetable seeds. It gave her five rolls of plastic sheets after deducting five skill points. Su Qing wanted these seeds.
She had built a total of five greenhouses, all of which were planted with vegetables. In this era where eating vegetables was more complicated than eating meat, her five greenhouses were like five mountains of gold.
The ten soldiers liked their current life. They didn’t have to fight and kill. They accompanied the young madam in the shed to grow vegetables every day. It was as if they had returned to the peaceful years without war. They cultivated at sunrise and rested at sunset. Their lives were peaceful and happy.
To give Xiao Zeyu a surprise, Su Qing didn’t allow anyone to tell him about the greenhouse. The greenhouse was in the suburbs anyway, and Xiao Zeyu didn’t usually go there.
The Xiao Family Army’s respect for Su Qing was no less than Xiao Zeyu’s. If the Young Master’s wife didn’t allow it, no one would dare to tell the Young Master.
Like that, more than half a month pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye. When Xiao Zeyu woke up early, he was about to watch the army do their morning exercises as usual when Su Qing stopped him.
“Shuisheng, accompany me to a place today.”
“Alright, where to?”