Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

Zheng Da was right.

Mid-May, the sacred city of Luoyang.

Shuyuan Inn, Room No. 1.

"This subordinate expresses his gratitude. / Qin Yi pays homage to the General and greets the Miss."

Qin Xiuyuan, who was staring at his daughter doing the math at the desk, raised his hand and said, "Sit down." He casually pointed out the errors in the calculations. Mingxi widened her eyes and recalculated. Her father's eyes were sharp and he stuck out his tongue.

After stroking his daughter's soft hair, Qin Xiuyuan sat down with the two men face to face and said, "You two did a great job this time."

This mission was not an easy one. They raced against time by the river, wading through muddy water and broken ice. When Xie Xin was steering his horse through the canal, the horse's leg slipped and both the horse and himself fell into the field. There was a purple scab mark on his right cheek.

Mingxi finished calculating a small page and leaned over, unable to contain his distress. "Master, besides this on your face, do you have any other injuries on your body?"

Xie Xin was very open, his hands resting on his knees. "It's just a minor scrape. I bumped my face against the ridge of the field. It looks a bit scary." His words were gentle, and his soft gaze fell on his female student. "Mingxi has made great progress since returning from this trip."

There is a touch of determination in her bright eyes, her waist straightens invisibly, and when she looks at people, there is less curiosity and exploration, but more confidence and generosity. The sweet girl's voice gradually settles into a cute and neat strength, and she has grown taller.

She was wearing a light pink and pale green two-tone cardigan and a waist-length skirt. She was fair and pretty, full of spring vitality. It was obvious that she had adapted well to this trip and was well taken care of by the people around her.

Mingxi had been traveling for more than half a year and had gained a lot of knowledge. He had never seen ice sheets and how to treat disasters. When he met the teacher, he looked like a student who was eager to learn and asked questions one after another.

The teacher and student held a small classroom in Luoyang. The questioner was skeptical and the answerer was well-reasoned. Qin Xiuyuan listened attentively to his daughter's questions one by one. His attitude of getting to the bottom of things was exactly the same as the woman's - if he wanted to know, he had to find out every aspect, combine the information from all sides, and make his own conclusion.

I don't want you to think, I want me to think.

Small but with big ideas. My daughter is still young, and she doesn’t have the confidence and pride to stand out from the crowd.

"Master, as you said, the most important things for disaster relief are money, men, and time. Mingxi believes that you and General Qin Yi are the most important. You are the ones who follow your words and lead by example. You should formulate a plan that saves time and effort and achieves twice the result with half the effort."

After saying this, she turned her head and smiled sweetly, "Dad, you were worried when the news of the ice drift arrived. Now that the danger in Huainan has been eliminated and spring plowing is in order, I think the Master and General Qin Yi have made the greatest contributions."

Qin Xiuyuan smiled without saying anything and looked at Xie Xin.

Xie Xin relaxed. "General, the three trading houses have offered us 800,000 taels of silver in one go. Seeing this, the people, young and old, are all geared up to follow suit. What's lacking in time and place, we must make up for with people. This dangerous situation concerns the livelihoods of the people, and everyone is racing against time. It's truly touching. Madam and General Zheng were farsighted and decisive, arranging the money and manpower immediately. Qin Yi and I are simply doing our part and shouldering this responsibility to the best of our ability."

"Thank you, Qin Yi, for fulfilling your mission!"

After sitting down again, Qin Xiuyuan patiently persuaded him:

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Mingxi, the width of the river, the depth of the sand and rocks, the current, the quality of the boat, the direction it's heading, the wisdom of the helmsman, the weight on board, the weather, and so on. Success is the result of the combined efforts of many factors, while failure can be due to the combined efforts or the failure of any one of them."

"Your mother once gave an example. How much water a wooden barrel can hold isn't determined by the longest plank, but by the shortest. Only when the other planks work together, and their strengths are maximized and their weaknesses minimized, can a thousand-mile dam collapse because of an ant hole. And a strategic plan within the tent can lead to a victory thousands of miles away. The mystery behind this is truly profound."

Mingxi was shocked and murmured, "From Jingzhou to Hangzhou, I saw the experienced helmsman, who steered the ship with agility, working day and night. I had always believed that river navigation depended on the helmsman. Now, after hearing what Dad has said, I realize how short-sighted I was. The helmsman's skills are certainly respectable, but everything else complements them."

Ji Shou, who was waiting outside the door, came in and said, "Sir, the food is ready in the private room on the third floor."

Qin Xiuyuan nodded. "We've been exhausted from the journey and the food was simple. Now that we're done, let's have a good meal and then have a long chat."

After saying that, he stood up first, followed closely by Mingxi. Ji Shou walked closer to her and said, "Miss Mingxi, please eat more this time. Oh, you have grown taller on this trip, and you have lost a lot of weight after traveling all the way! I will be so sad when we return to Chang'an."

"Uncle Ji Shou, Mingxi sees that everyone is much thinner than before they went out, and you've lost weight too. It's not as comfortable as being at home. Go home and recuperate for a few days, and the weight will come back."

Having said that, Ji Shou frowned, "You've been sick twice. If the young lady asks you about your food, clothing, housing and transportation on the road, how could Ji Shou dare to tell a lie?"

After saying that, he glanced at the tall son-in-law in front of him on the right.

Qin Xiuyuan didn't hesitate. He walked ahead and said behind him, "This is a confidential matter that cannot be concealed. I will tell her about this matter."

Well, you're on your own, son-in-law.

"Okay!" Ji Shou was now truly free of worries. He had been to Luoyang frequently in the past few years, and he was familiar with these officials and generals defending the city. There was nothing tedious about government affairs, so he could just stay for a day or two to rest and then go home.

Chang'an, the manager Ji is back again!

The two groups discussed and decided to set out early the next morning. After dinner, they washed up and prepared to rest. Only Mingxi hesitated to speak.

Wherever they went, her father would take her to walk through the streets, explore the various industries, and tell her about his experiences. She was still young when they lived in Luoyang City, and now she was revisiting the old place, thinking of staying for two or three days as usual.

Qin Xiuyuan wiped his face and told his daughter, who had been buried in a book for a long time, "Mingxi, go to bed early and get up early tomorrow."

"..." Mingxi hesitated, "Daddy, I originally wanted to visit the capital again this time."

Qin Xiuyuan: ...If I don’t go back, your mother will give my son and daughter away.

"Luoyang and Chang'an are not far apart, and there will be plenty of opportunities to visit again in the future. We have been away for more than half a year, and I am afraid that if we don't return home, the mistresses and concubines will forget us."

Mingxi propped up half of his head and said, "No, Daddy has been gone for more than half a year, so two or three days won't make a difference!"

Qin Xiuyuan casually hung up the face towel and said, "Every time Daddy goes out, doesn't Mingxi look forward to him coming home soon? The family also looks forward to us returning soon."

Mingxi put himself in his shoes and realized that this was indeed the case.

"Okay. Then Daddy will take Mingxi out next time."

"My dear daughter, of course. When you grow up, the world will be yours, and Mom and Dad will just let you go and explore."

The world is vast and boundless, and it is never limited to the four corners of a house.

Mingxi was extremely satisfied. "Daddy and Mom are so good to Mingxi! When Mingxi grows up and takes care of Xiaosan and Xiaosi, Daddy will take Mom on a long trip to visit various places. Mom will definitely be very happy."