The grass in the factory should be plucked

As the year draws to a close, the soldiers have nothing to do and are bound to cause trouble.

Xie Changan dealt with several cases of drunkenness, fighting, and harassment of villagers, and returned with a furious face.

Jiang Li asked: "What happened?"

When Xie Changan saw her, his anger disappeared, he held her on his lap, and said softly: "It's not a big deal, it's just that the soldiers got drunk and fought. I have already dealt with it."

Each of them will be severely beaten with fifty military sticks to teach them a lesson. They must not bring disgrace to the reputation of the Southern Expedition Army.

Jiang Li frowned slightly, suppressing it blindly was not a solution, the main reason was that she was too idle.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, "Then find something for them to do."

At this time, the people from Longmen had arrived. After discussing with them, Jiang Li announced that he would build a commercial district in Dali Prefecture, modeled after the Qipan Street in Beijing.

Xie Changan also announced that the soldiers of the Southern Expedition Army could have priority in purchasing shops in the commercial district.

Those who are short of money can use work-for-relief, exchanging their working hours for shops.

When the soldiers of the Southern Expedition Army heard this, they were surprised! Is there such a good thing?

The Great Chu Dynasty implemented the military household system of the garrisons, in which military households served as soldiers for generations and sons inherited their fathers' careers.

How many military households have good family conditions? Any family with a little money will try to leave the military household and become a farmer.

Among the soldiers of the Southern Expedition Army, except for the sons of military generals such as Zhang Zhe and Zhang Cang, most of them were short of money. Let alone buying a shop, they probably couldn't even afford bricks.

When he heard that he could use work as relief and exchange his working hours for a shop, he was overjoyed.

They have no money, but they have plenty of strength!

If we can buy a shop in the commercial district planned and built by Longmen Trading Company, our descendants will never have to worry about food and drink!

Everyone knows that Marquis Jing'an's Longmen Trading Company is a cash cow. Now that this cash cow is going to help them make money, only a fool would not join it!

The soldiers who signed up to be helpers lined up for more than ten miles.

Even Zhang Zhe and Zhang Cang lined up to sign up.

Zhou Zhongguang looked puzzled: "Are you two short of money?"

Zhang Cang laughed and said, "Who would spend money to buy a shop when they can use their labor to buy it? Every bit of money saved is a bit of money saved."

Zhou Zhongguang thought about it and realized that whoever spends money is the one being taken advantage of!

He also put aside his pride and queued up.

Xie Changan: ...

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Very good. A united mind is the key to success. This move will help promote comradeship among the soldiers."

How could their relationship not be good when they have the shared experience of moving bricks together and working as masons on the construction site?

Of course, daily patrols cannot be neglected.

Xie Changan still had the front, middle and rear armies rotate every seven days, with one army patrolling, one on duty, and the other helping.

The construction of New Dali began in full swing.

As for basic facilities such as government offices, defense, drainage, etc., wait for Cui Jue and Feng Wuhu to arrive and leave them to worry about them.

Marquis Jing'an is still a pregnant woman, so she naturally needs to rest well.

After handing over the military affairs to Duan Nanqi, Jiang Li took Xie Changan for an outing.

The little eagle also came in. It couldn't fly over the hundred-mile forest with a strange magnetic field, so it was brought in by Xie Changan's personal guards on horseback.

The same is true for peregrine falcons. To prevent them from getting lost, they are picked up and dropped off by special personnel when entering and leaving Dali.

At this time, Xiaoying was squatting happily on the bow of the boat, boating with Jiang Li and Xie Changan, enjoying the scenery on the vast Erhai Lake.

The boat was floating on the blue waves and the people were swimming in the painting. They felt relaxed and happy and extremely comfortable.

Looking at the Erhai Lake where the sky and the sea merge into one, Jiang Li wanted to jump into the water and play to his heart's content.

Xie Changan coaxed her in a gentle voice: "After you give birth to the baby and recover, the weather will be warmer, and you can have fun as you like."

"Okay." Jiang Li had no choice but to give up.

She smiled and said, "Brother Changan, do you still want to hear me sing a little song?"

Xie Changan glanced at her and said, "I don't mind. Aren't you afraid that the two children will have nightmares after hearing this?"

Other mothers sing little songs to lull their children to sleep, but when she sings little songs, even the sleeping children will be scared awake!

Jiang Li became angry and humiliated, and hit him with her fist.

Xie Changan took advantage of the situation and pulled her into his arms, and the two of them laughed and played together.

At noon, the pleasure boat docked at Yujishi Island.

There is a palace of the Queen of Nanyi on the island, and Jiang Li plans to stay here for two days.

Lunch was served in a pavilion by the water in the palace. Dali was as warm as spring in winter. The sun was shining brightly and the breeze was blowing gently. The rippling blue waves could be seen nearby and the towering mountains could be seen in the distance. Jiang Li didn't want to go back to the capital anymore.

The imperial chef of the palace was eager to show off his skills in front of the new master, so he used all his skills to prepare a table of local specialties, which made Jiang Li smile from ear to ear.

Especially the spicy and sour fish, which she loved very much.

The fish freshly caught from Erhai Lake is paired with local sour papaya, pickled chili peppers, tofu, potatoes and other ingredients. It is tender, smooth, sour and spicy.

Jiang Li accidentally ate too much again.

Xie Changan teased her: "No wonder you like to eat fish, you are really a greedy cat."

Jiang Li refused and reached out to twist him again.

"Stop making trouble, let's go take a walk by the Erhai Lake."

The island is planted with various kinds of flowers, and the paths along the Erhai Lake are also full of flowers.

The two of them walked hand in hand among the flowers. The water reflected the brilliant colors and the fairy couple. Qingfeng Mingyue and others who followed behind could not help but feel that everything before them was like a fairyland.

After living on Yufan Island for a few days, Jiang Li was so happy that she didn't want to leave. If Cui Jue and Feng Wuhu hadn't arrived, she wouldn't have wanted to go back.

Cui Jue and his companions, with a large group of people, finally arrived at Dali Prefecture before New Year's Eve.

Although the Marshal's Mansion is not small, it cannot accommodate so many people. It just so happens that the commercial area built by the Southern Expedition Army has begun to take shape and can be borrowed temporarily so that this group of people can at least live in the house and no longer have to camp.

Cui Jue and Feng Wuhu could not help but be amazed when they saw the vast number of shops in front of them.

How long has it been since the Southern Expedition Army conquered Nanyi? They have already built so many shops!

Jiang Li smiled bitterly. She had originally planned only a commercial district of about ten miles. However, the soldiers of the Southern Expedition Army were so motivated and enthusiastic that the commercial district expanded again and again, almost tripling in size. Even the roads in the city were repaired!

After hearing the whole story, Cui Jue couldn't help but applaud. Not only did it solve the problem of the Southern Expedition Army causing trouble out of idleness, but it also built so many houses!

The government offices have all been found!

Jiang Li rolled his eyes. He really deserves to be the future Minister of Revenue. He is very good at calculating!

"If the government wants it, it will be converted to market price and paid in full. No credit will be accepted."

We can't let the Southern Expedition Army work in vain, right?

"Of course." Cui Jue said with a smile.

Feng Wuhu was shocked: "What about the 400,000 Southern Expedition Army? If everyone wants a shop, does the Marquis really want to build 400,000 shops?"

Jiang Li chuckled and said, "Of course not. There are only so many shops. We will arrange them from top to bottom according to the total number of working hours. If the working hours are not enough, a few people can make up for it."

A shop is not your own house, so several people can buy one together.

"If you don't want to share a room with others, you can wait a while. There are other shops in Wuzhao." Jiang Li smiled cunningly, "Shops will appear sooner or later."

He used the shop to keep people hooked, and by the time he got the shop, the new Dali Prefecture had been built.

It turns out to be a dishonest businessman! Cui Jue couldn't help but stand in awe. He learned something new!

This time, Cui Jue brought a letter from the state of Great Chu.

As for the other five Zhaos in southern Xinjiang, the best approach is to recruit them. If they can voluntarily submit to the Great Chu without resorting to war, their kings will be granted the title of princes and will continue to be local emperors.

If you refuse to surrender, then I'm sorry, let's fight you.

Jiang Li left Xie Changan behind and asked the three of them to discuss the follow-up matters. She then took her guards with her to see the girl from the Cui family who had come from afar.

The servants of the Marshal's Mansion followed her instructions and placed Miss Cui in the new house that had been prepared long ago.

Jiang Li walked into the hall and saw Shen Muchun talking to Miss Cui with a cheerful face.

Miss Cui lowered her head, her face flushed, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.

Jiang Li walked forward with a smile: "Hello, sister-in-law! You have worked hard along the way."

Miss Cui's given name is "Ai". She is eighteen years old this year, one year older than Jiang Li. Therefore, Cui could not wait for the triumphant return of the Southern Expedition Army. She could only prepare a dowry and send her from afar to marry Shen Muchun.

Cui Ai looked up and suddenly his eyes lit up. What a beautiful lady like a fairy!

"Cui Ai has met the Marquis."

She quickly stood up and bowed.

"Sister-in-law, you don't have to be so polite." Jiang Li supported her and said with a smile, "Just follow Brother Shen and call me Sixteenth Sister."

"The Marquis is the sixteenth child in the family?"

Cui Ai was a little surprised. She had never heard that the Jiang family had such a large population.

Shen Muchun laughed out loud: "That was her ranking when she was a secret guard of the Eastern Depot."

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Yes, when I was a secret guard, my code name was Yin Shiliu."

Cui Ai couldn't help but stand in awe.

Naturally, she had also heard about the experience of this marquis. Although he was banished to the cold palace, he was able to rise from the desperate situation, from a secret guard of the East Factory, step by step to the Marquis of Jing'an, the Dragon and Tiger General, and now he is a second-rank official who holds real power in the court!