Shipin Dalizheng

After the Little New Year's Eve, the whole of Shangjing was filled with the festive atmosphere, and the gift-giving process began. Steward Tao and Nanny Xi discussed the matter, taking out the list of gifts they had received and comparing them to add or subtract gifts.

An unprecedented number of people came to the Jian'an Earl's Mansion to give gifts, and Butler Tao came to Rong Tang with a land deed.

"Master, there is a squire who has given me the title deeds to over a thousand acres of land. I dare not make the decision on my own."

Rong Tang picked it up and took a look. It was not far from Fuxinzhuang. Considering the additional 3,000 new soldiers, 1,000 acres of land was not enough.

"Go take a look at the land and give him a suitable price, and we'll buy it. Also, if you can, buy more land adjacent to this place. But there's no rush, we'll do it after the New Year."

After Butler Tao left, Gao Zhiyuan came over and asked about Gongsun Wuji's news.

"Where is our young master? Why didn't he come to the Northern Dynasty?"

Rong Tang didn't know how to answer him. "Manager Gao, I can't control what your young master wants to do. She has absolute freedom. But there's no need to rush. She can come anytime she wants. She might have already come. She's like a dragon that can't be seen from head to tail."

"That too."

"How's the investigation going on with Concubine Xie's case that I asked you to investigate?"

Gao Zhiyuan held out his hand for the silver. Rong Tang was speechless, "Do you have to divide it so clearly?"

"Let's put it this way. I work for you, and the money I receive is mine. I gather information for you, and the money I receive is from the organization."

Gao Zhiyuan put the silver in his arms and said, "Noble Concubine Xie didn't grow up in the Xie family in Shangjing. It is said that she grew up in the Xie family's hometown, near the Yangtze River. She came to Shangjing about ten years ago and was chosen to enter the palace as a noble concubine."

As soon as Gao Zhiyuan left, Rong Tang fell into deep thought. Although he didn't want to admit it, the feeling of being connected by blood could not be faked. Concubine Xie, now called Xie Wanwan, was actually Xie Wan, the biological mother of him and Feng Qingqing.

She faked her death and escaped in Jiangnan, and seamlessly became the imperial concubine of Emperor Xuanning of the Northern Dynasty. People wanted to equate her with a good wife and mother, but Rong Tang herself didn't believe it.

"How ironic."

Rong Tang smiled self-deprecatingly, stood up and led his men out of the house.

We first went to Rongjia Village and bought a large cart of dried fruits and New Year's goods. We distributed two pounds of meat, two pounds of red dates, two pounds of glutinous rice, and two pounds of cakes to each family, which was considered as a New Year's greeting.

The villagers are also very particular about it. The east neighbor sends a chicken, the west neighbor sends a duck, your family gives a fish, and his family gives a basket of eggs. It's a give-and-take thing, unlike in previous years when people just took things for free.

Because the village has paid wages several times in the past few months, those who did not have shares have bought shares, and those who had shares have repaid the loans to the village school.

Because the school in Rongjia Village had achieved some success, the other seven villages also expressed their desire to build schools. Rong Tang had always strongly supported this matter, so even though the debt for the water dragon cart had not been repaid, he lent each village 20 taels of silver to build a school.

Children in the village don’t have to be so particular about their studies. Having a spacious house that is sheltered from wind and rain is already very good.

The workshop in the northwest of the village has stopped working and is on holiday. The weather is cold and the river is frozen, making it difficult to install the water truck. Some goods have been stored and the workers have received their wages and returned home to celebrate the New Year.

The only exception is the village winery, whose business becomes increasingly prosperous as the year draws to a close, and they can only post couplets on New Year's Eve.

At noon, while having lunch in the new courtyard, the village heads and elders of Rongjia Village expressed their gratitude to Rong Tang. Rong Tang just smiled and said nothing, and drank two glasses of wine to keep them company.

After dinner, everyone left, leaving Rong Dajiang and his son to report on village affairs.

Rong An handed over a large stack of lists of New Army militia. Eight villages had signed up for the quota according to the ratio of three males to one. They would be part of the New Army's reserve force in the years to come. When there was no war, they would farm and work. Once a war broke out, they would immediately join the New Army to prepare for war.

Rong Dajiang said two things while he was looking at the name.

One reason is that Rong Dahanzi froze to death last month. The news of his deeds gradually spread in the village. Everyone ignored him, and he himself did not work. No one sympathized with him and helped him. The only way he had left was death.

The second is that Rong Erhe and his wife Qian fled to Qianjiatun to avoid military service in Rongjia Village. As a result, they were drunk by Qian's brothers and stuffed into the team that came to their village to recruit soldiers, which was considered to fill the quota for the Qian family.

Rong Tang didn't want to care about Rong Dahanzi's affairs at all. If he died, he died, just like a stink bug.

However, he had a different feeling towards Rong Erhe. It was not that he was particularly caring towards Rong Erhe, but that the people under his wing were plotted against by other villages. As the saying goes, beating a dog depends on the owner's mood.

"The Third Master didn't say anything yesterday. Is he just going to let it go like this?"

"There was a commotion. Third Mistress almost destroyed the Qian family, but there was nothing we could do. The person was taken away and we haven't heard from him since. I asked someone to find out. It was the second batch of troops heading south. They were said to be responsible for transporting food and supplies. They didn't participate in the war, so their safety was guaranteed. Maybe because of this, Third Mistress was embarrassed to say it. Now the Qian family is in trouble, both inside and outside. She is beaten by her mother-in-law and resented by her own family."

As he was speaking, there was a commotion outside the yard, but it soon died down.

Chuncao came over, swinging a feather duster, her face brimming with anger. "Third Grandma and Aunt Qian are truly outrageous. They came to our house and told the young master to go south and bring their son Erhe back safely. They really don't know how to be proud. They think they are such a big shot. Even the three-foot-tall kids in Rongjia Village are more courageous than Rong Erhe. What a coward! I fought back."

Rong Dajiang stood up and said, "This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are really losing their temper. She asked Uncle to find someone for her personally. She thinks she is the emperor! I will go find her, but we should have a good talk."

Rong An also felt that the Third Grandma was getting confused. With the status of the Earl today, who else would dare to order him around except His Majesty the Great Yue? It was even easier than ordering his own grandson around.

Rong Tang didn't want to argue with an old lady like the Third Grandma. She had been partial to her all her life, and her second son was her life. Now that her life was no longer guaranteed, it was understandable that she became demented and confused.

He had to attend a palace banquet in the evening, so he didn't want to stay any longer. He told Chuncao to take good care of the New Year in the village and then went back to the city.

Chuncao pouted in grievance, "Master..."

Rong Tang knew that she was reluctant to leave him, but there was nothing he could do. Chuncao was not a child anymore and would be getting married next year. If she stayed with him, no good boy would dare to marry her.

He hardened his heart and said, "Be obedient. If possible, I will come here to stay up on the night of the 30th."

He returned to the city in the wind and snow, and the twenty representatives he selected to attend the palace banquet were in place.

Among them, Wen Ruyu ranked first, Xiao Poyun ranked second, the four guards, Lord Ma, Xu Xiangdong, Lao Tan, Youzi, and ten centurions of the new army.

Attending the celebration banquet is a matter of honor. Twenty people all wore the latest cotton coats and the newly received leather armor on the outside. They stood in two rows and looked very imposing.

Rong Tang clapped his hands and made a pre-banquet speech, "I've already said, as long as you work hard, I won't treat you unfairly. You will get all the merits and rewards you deserve. Come, shout slogans and march towards the palace."

"The new army is mighty, long live His Majesty."

Twenty-one people mounted their horses, shouting the slogans of the new army, and marched towards the palace. The adults from various prefectures who were also attending the palace banquet spitted out their anger, saying, "How shameless! They shout "Long live the emperor" everywhere, and even go to the toilet and flatter the emperor from a distance."

At the palace gate, Tang Tiantian saw Rong Tang and others coming over, and regardless of everyone's ambiguous looks, she moved closer to Rong Tang.

Rong Tang was a little surprised, "Tiantian, why are you here to attend the celebration party?"

It’s not that he looked down on Tang Tiantian, but as the daughter of a fifth-rank official, she was really not qualified to attend this palace banquet.

Tang Tiantian blushed, "I don't know, Concubine Xie specifically asked me to come."