Chapter 54: The Grand General is Plotting a Rebellion! You Are All Rebels

Ji Ci raised a hand and pointed at a burly man in the crowd. Xin Tian immediately stepped forward and seized him.

Zhao Qiaofeng lifted her chin haughtily. "Drag him back and interrogate him thoroughly."

It was a case of a fox exploiting the tiger's might.

Even as he was dragged away, the man shouted at the top of his lungs, "This is a scam! They are luring you here to instigate a rebellion! The Grand General is going to rebel! You are all traitors!"

"Impudent!" Ji Ci delivered a fierce kick to the man's chest, sending him flying a zhang away, her embroidered shoes leaving deep tracks in the loess.

The dull thud from the man's chest caused the people in the front row to involuntarily shrink their necks.

How could such a delicate little girl possess such immense strength?

Her voice was as clear as the clashing of metal weapons: "The Grand General is currently holding the line at Yanmen Pass to the death, and his fate is unknown! We were ordered to transport fine seeds from Jiangnan to relieve the common people. How did that become a rebellion in your mouth?"

The crowd was stirred with righteous indignation. Someone shouted, "The Grand General is wholeheartedly devoted to the people; he is a good official!"

"No one is allowed to speak ill of the Grand General! Let's beat him to death!"

"Beat this ungrateful wretch to death!"

The crowd swarmed forward, punching and kicking the man.

"Stop!" Ji Ci raised a hand to halt them. "Such a petty villain is not worth dirtying your hands. We will deal with him ourselves."

She turned and pointed toward the distant snow-capped mountains, her voice suddenly ringing clear: "Starting today, every household shall send one able-bodied man to dig canals and channel the melted snow. The daily wage will be a bag of rice, which can also be exchanged for meat and eggs."

"One catty of rice can be exchanged for a chicken or ten eggs. Anyone wishing to raise poultry may also go to the General's Estate to collect young animals free of charge."

"My lady, is it really free?" an old woman asked with a trembling voice.

Ji Ci helped the old woman up, the dust from the woman's coarse cloth garments clinging to her fingertips.

The old woman's chapped fingers tightly gripped Ji Ci's sleeve before hastily letting go.

"Naturally it is. But first, you must plant your crops and repair your homes before you can raise poultry."

"With your word, my lady, we will certainly give it our all!"

The crowd dropped to their knees again, kowtowing.

Ji Ci looked toward the eastern horizon where the dawn was breaking, and Dongfang Yibai immediately understood, striding over to her side.

"Does my wife have any instructions?" He leaned down slightly, his stern brows and eyes softening beyond recognition at that moment.

Zhao Qiaofeng rolled her eyes aside—if the old ministers in the imperial court were to see her cousin looking like this, their jaws would likely drop off in shock.

Ji Ci raised her small face, her apricot-shaped eyes sparkling with tiny glints of light: "Arrange for people to dig the canals."

She tilted her head up, waiting for Dongfang Yibai's praise.

Dongfang Yibai brushed a stray piece of grass from her hair with his fingertips, laughter he could not conceal ringing in his voice: "My wife is wise."

Ji Ci nodded, thoroughly pleased.

Dongfang Yibai unclipped the token from his waist and tossed it directly to Chusi.

Chusi caught it and dashed straight toward the military camp with the token.

***

Inside the Xin residence study.

Deputy General Gao Tou stared with eyes as round as copper bells, unable to believe that the gentle, smiling man before them was their iron-fisted general.

Deputy General Sun You was equally shocked.

The two had always been at odds within the military; who could have imagined that both were confidants of Dongfang Yibai?

"How is the situation in the camp?"

"Rest assured, General, all is well in the camp. With Deputy General Gao and me guarding it, you can focus on other matters without worry." Sun You cupped his fists, his armor clanking.

Dongfang Yibai nodded. "The court has cut off your grain supply, but the provisions I have gathered will arrive tomorrow. Send five hundred men to transport the grain."

"The General actually managed to secure provisions?"

Deputy General Gao stepped forward eagerly, drawing close to Dongfang Yibai.

"Yes, but I am short-handed here. Leave me three hundred men, and I will continue to send grain to the camp every month from now on."

Dongfang Yibai said in a deep voice.

"Three hundred is not enough. The General has five thousand personal guards; I will send them out to you shortly."

Sun You waved his hand grandly—as long as there was grain, he would even call Dongfang Yibai his father.

Dongfang Yibai shook his head. "Three hundred is enough. I need people to oversee the construction of the water canals. No doubt you have heard the recent rumors; too many refugees are flooding into this area, and if they are not properly settled, it will lead to chaos."

"Was this truly done by the General? Where did the General get so many crop seeds?"

Deputy General Gao's donkey-like eyes widened, his voice booming like a bell.

"The entire estate of the Dongfang family has been liquidated."

Dongfang Yibai clenched his hand slightly, his eyes flickering.

Ji Ci's little ears twitched. This man was talking nonsense; the Dongfang family hadn't spent a single penny.

All the money was in her spatial dimension.

"The General is righteous, and this subordinate will naturally shatter bones and spill brains in return!"

The two deputy generals fell to their knees with a thud, their armor striking the green bricks with a muffled sound.

How could they not know? The General was thoroughly putting down roots in the northern border.

"Get up. Let me lay out my plan; the men you bring from the camp may not be able to return."

The two men stood up and took their places beside Dongfang Yibai.

A charcoal pencil traced lines on white paper: "The canal construction is divided into three sections. The strong-bodied men will dig the canals, the women will weave baskets and transport earth, and the old and young will screen stones and prepare materials."

"People must be stationed at these locations to ensure the channels meet the required standards."

"Understood, this subordinate will return to the camp immediately."

Gao Tou was a man of impulsive nature and wanted to get to work the moment he heard the plan.

Sun You stared intently at the blueprint for a long time before finally rising to take his leave.

***

Ji Ci sidled up to Dongfang Yibai and pointed again: "If these sections are started simultaneously, the construction can be completed in less than half a month."

Dongfang Yibai's eyes brightened as he planted a kiss on Ji Ci's cheek.

"My wife is truly brilliant."

At the dawn of the next day, when the people gathered with their picks and shovels, they discovered that "craftsmen" were already measuring the land.

Soldiers had already arrived; dressed in ordinary attire, they stood by to give instructions.

The prefect had also followed along, bringing a number of bailiffs to do odd jobs for Dongfang Yibai.

With the backing of the official yamen, Xin He's actions could also be considered justified by proper authority.

The prefect stood nearby, spouting pompous official rhetoric.

He also excessively praised Xin He's magnanimity.

"Start construction!"

Ji Ci tugged at Dongfang Yibai's sleeve. "There's more."

She stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, her hair brushing against his frost-touched jaw.

The crowd watched as the man, who had been stern-faced just moments before, softened at a visible pace and finally let out a low chuckle: "As my wife says."

"Add one more condition, Xin residence style!" Dongfang Yibai suddenly scooped Ji Ci up by the waist and set her atop a grain cart, causing her to let out a soft cry of surprise.

"The first three teams to complete their daily quota every day will receive a double grain ration!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

Zhao Qiaofeng smiled along with them. Her trip had not been in vain.

It was her fortune to follow her cousin and sister-in-law in bringing prosperity to the northern border.

The sound of the people swinging their picks startled the jackdaws in the withered trees, sending them flying.

Ji Ci looked at the endless stream of stone materials being transported in.

She barged into negotiations with the system, demanding it speed up the crop cultivation rate. She had too many mouths to feed now.

The system harvested crop after crop and planted new ones, working itself to the bone like a dog.

Though perhaps a dog wouldn't be quite this exhausted, seeing as Ah Qing usually spent her time comfortably nestled in Zhao Qiaofeng's arms.

The little avatar conjured by the system collapsed onto a virtual pile of wheat: "Master, this concubine simply cannot do it!"

Ji Ci crossed her arms: "You complete my tasks, and I will work desperately to complete yours."

The system instantly perked up, and the wheat ears in the distant space turned golden at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ji Ci did not realize that the expression with which she squinted and calculated at this moment was identical to that of Dongfang Yibai as he barged through negotiations in the military tent.