Chapter 45: Oh, My Ten Thousand Acres of Clan Land!

The Prefect of Wuwei was very thoughtful and had long since ordered the rooms to be cleaned.

Only one room had been cleaned.

One could not blame the Prefect; after all, rumors suggested that Princess Zhaoshan and the Cavalry General were a devoted couple who respected one another deeply, so it would be unusual if they did not sleep in the same room.

Gu Ci: "The old routine?"

Tang Zhao let out a grunt of affirmation through her nose.

But Gu Ci soon discovered that there was only a single quilt in the bedroom.

Taking the initiative, Tang Zhao stood at a moral high ground, looking down at Gu Ci with a face that clearly read: *The Art of War*.

Gu Ci:...

Admitting defeat and preparing for a sleepless night, Gu Ci carefully put away the military treatise and stood by the table to unfurl a parchment scroll.

Black ink and red cinnabar were interspersed, with various shapes like circles, triangles, and squares mixed haphazardly, looking almost like the scribbles of a child.

Gu Ci stared at a corner filled with numerous circles. The more he looked, the more familiar it became, yet he could not quite place it; it was like a young sprout buried under heavy sand and wind, struggling with all its might to poke its head through.

Tang Zhao was rolling around happily on the bed, yet she felt something was missing. She glanced at Gu Ci sitting by the table and had a sudden realization.

Oh, this man hadn't lectured her on her lack of etiquette.

Tang Zhao put on her shoes, stepped onto the floor, and walked to Gu Ci's side. Her gaze fell upon where his fingertip rested, and she exclaimed in wonder, "Wow! What a massive oasis!"

In a flash, Gu Ci remembered the lake they had briefly stayed by on the road while leading his troops to launch a surprise attack on the Turkic King's camp.

That was the territory of the Simon tribe.

Gu Ci moved his fingertip to a series of triangles. "And this?"

"Mountain peaks!"

"And this?" His finger moved to a square.

"Residences!" Tang Zhao said as if it were obvious. "The large ones are cities, and the small ones are villages."

In an instant, Gu Ci had an epiphany. Different symbols represented different things—this was a map of the Great Desert!

With this, the Northwest Army could strike directly at the Turkic Royal City without fearing the desert any longer.

Tang Zhao advised from the side, "Take it easy, don't get too excited. This map was drawn at least ten years ago; there's no guarantee it's still accurate."

*Don't get so excited that you pass out.*

Gu Ci froze for a moment before calming down: True, the desert winds are fierce, and the shifting directions of the dunes are unpredictable. It was common for an oasis to become a wasteland of yellow sand overnight.

However, he could first lead men to scout the path secretly and modify the map based on this foundation for future use.

Tang Zhao said thoughtfully, "It's rare for me to visit Wuwei, so I want to wander the city and look for some childhood memories." *So, go do whatever you want to do.*

Gu Ci's heart skipped a beat. His lips twitched, unsure of what to say, so he simply tucked the military treatise and the parchment close to his person and headed out.

Tang Zhao lay on the quilt, using the diagrams appearing in her mind to hypnotize herself.

***

At the Wuwei Prefectural Office, Lu Ying was auditing the clan lands and annual accounts of the Protector General's Mansion. Every income and expenditure was recorded meticulously, without a single drop of discrepancy.

"Well done," Lu Ying praised.

The responsible officials breathed a sigh of relief, stating that it was merely their duty.

"My Lord, are we to hand the clan lands over to Princess Zhaoshan?" Secretary Zhao asked.

Lu Ying nodded. "We took over the estates by imperial decree, waiting for the day they could be returned to the descendants of the Song clan. Now that Princess Zhaoshan has arrived in the Northwest, this office shall naturally return them to their rightful owner."

Secretary Zhao was reluctant. "The mountains and deserts of Wuwei are vast, and arable land is scarce. The Protector General's clan lands account for a full fifth of it, and all of it is fertile land."

Lu Ying also sighed. The Song clan had been a great family guarding the Northwest since the previous dynasty. Countless men of the Song clan had died on the battlefield; these ten thousand acres of clan land were earned with the lives of the Song men. One could not help but feel envious.

Secretary Zhao:...

Secretary Zhao finally broke the silence. "My Lord, after you took over the Song clan lands, you leased them to the commoners for farming. The leases don't expire until the end of next year."

*My Lord, please wake up. If you return the land to Princess Zhaoshan, have you considered the thousands of tenant farmers?*

Only then did Lu Ying remember. "It matters not. Princess Zhaoshan is gentle and kind; she certainly won't compete with the people for profit," he said optimistically. "Besides, the people are already paying rent."

Secretary Zhao nearly cried. A twenty percent rent was something tenants were happy with, but Princess Zhaoshan might not be!

One must know that the customary rate on the market nowadays was forty percent; some unscrupulous people even dared to demand fifty!

With a face as grim as if he were attending a funeral, the Secretary followed his superior to the Protector General's Mansion.

"General!" Lu Ying greeted warmly at the gates of the mansion.

Gu Ci, carrying a full food box, returned the greeting. "Lord Lu."

"Is that salted duck from Yunxiang Pavilion?" Lu Ying sniffed the air. It smelled delicious.

"Your nose is keen, My Lord," Gu Ci invited him into the mansion. "May I ask what business brings you here at this hour?"

Lu Ying looked at the sky. Seeing the sun setting, he realized it was dinner time. In his haste, he had inadvertently become an uninvited guest looking for a free meal.

Secretary Zhao's expression was wretched.

Having been an official for many years, Lu Ying's skin was as thick as a city wall. He said solemnly, "I have come to pay my respects to the Princess and to return the Song clan lands."

"It is time for dinner. If My Lord does not mind, please stay and dine with us; we can discuss it over the meal."

Lu Ying took the opportunity. Eating was good!

Gu Ci led him to the dining hall and personally took the food out of the box. "Please wait a moment, My Lord. I will go fetch Zhaoshan."

Lu Ying quickly replied, "Please, General, do as you wish."

Secretary Zhao whispered, "My Lord, it seems the rumors are true. This Cavalry General and Princess Zhaoshan truly share a deep affection!"

Look, look—even the food must be personally bought by the General, and after buying it, he personally goes to call the Princess to eat. Even ordinary married couples aren't this clingy.

Lu Ying stroked his beard, feeling quite proud of his foresight in specifically ordering only one bedroom to be cleaned.

***

Tang Zhao was woken up. Upon hearing there was food and land to be had, she rushed toward the dining hall like the wind.

Gu Ci's internal evaluation: *She has the potential to be a great messenger.*

"Lord Lu!" Tang Zhao said as soon as she entered. "I heard you have business with me?"

"Indeed," Lord Lu tore his gaze away from the salted duck. "I have come to discuss the matter of the Song clan lands with Your Highness."

Lu Ying explained in detail how the government had leased the land to the people, ending with an apology: "The Northwest has many mountains and little land; without land, the people cannot survive. However, if the rent is too high, the people work hard all year only to go hungry, which is a tragedy. Therefore, I selfishly set the rent at twenty percent. I ask the Princess to punish me."

As he spoke, he left his seat and knelt. Secretary Zhao followed him, feeling anxious.

"My Lord, please rise," Tang Zhao pulled him back into his wooden chair. "What wrong is there in a man dedicating himself to the people? If my grandfather knew of this from beyond the grave, he would surely approve."

"Rest assured, My Lord. Even if the clan lands return to my hands in the future, I will certainly not raise the rent. I do not lack the grain and silver from that twenty percent."

Lu Ying's eyes welled with tears, feeling as though he had found a kindred spirit. "The Princess's great kindness will be etched in the hearts of the people of Wuwei. If the Princess ever requires my assistance in the future, I shall do my utmost."

Tang Zhao patted the wooden box on her lap containing the fish-scale ledger and the deed to the Protector General's Mansion, her smile honest and simple.

*No problem, no problem.*

Tang Zhao: *Money is falling from the sky!*

Author (enviously): *Are recommendation votes and monthly tickets falling from the sky?*