Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 350 - 30: Treasure Delivery Officer (Part 3) (First Update)
In this Northwest region, there’s no bandit who dares to rob the Treasure Delivery Officer’s convoy.
Everyone knows the goods they transport are valuable, but even the most ruthless bandits can only drool watching these goods pass by, without daring to entertain the thought.
In the past, some did have designs on these goods, but Qin Dusi used iron-fisted methods to teach all the bandits in the Northwest a lesson.
Better to end it all in one go and crash to death, than to fall into King Qin’s hands after robbing the Treasure Delivery Officer, living neither well nor dying easy.
Upon hearing shouts, several Treasure Delivery Officers weren’t afraid. Besides, their wagons were empty now, so they all stopped.
Such situations had occurred before, usually just requests to carry a message to comrades in the military, and as long as it wasn’t a trouble, they wouldn’t usually refuse making such favors.
As people approached, they realized, surprisingly, it was Nurse Liu whom they met earlier this morning at the Hong Mansion.
If it weren’t for him today, they wouldn’t have received those ten taels of silver. Knowing he was a veteran who retired due to an eye injury, they naturally greeted him with smiles.
The leader of these Treasure Delivery Officers laughed heartily and said, "Brother Liu, does Grandma at your mansion have any message for Commander Hong?"
Nurse Liu dismounted, clasped his hands, and laughed, "It would be great if you could let our master know that our Grandma asks about his well-being, but that’s not why I’m here."
As he spoke, he unloaded a bamboo basket from the side of his horse and got straight to the point, "Our Grandma knows you reached our house but left without even having a drink, and she felt quite sorry.
After finding out when you’d leave, she quickly had some food prepared and asked me to bring it here. This represents our Grandma’s heartfelt intentions, please accept it."
These words warmed the hearts of the Treasure Delivery Officers immensely. The leader, seeing his subordinates’ chapped lips and emaciated faces, gave Nurse Liu a hard pat. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"Brother, I won’t beat around the bush; we’re all rough folks and not good with words, just ask Brother Liu to thank your Grandma for us."
Nurse Liu laughed, "Our Grandma said that among the countless military families, they all await this life-saving money. Without your efforts to deliver wealth over thousands of miles, many families would resort to selling children."
"She, being merely a woman, can’t do much, but at least she can make sure you have a full meal in Hami before you leave."
These rough fellows felt a slight blush hearing this, as it was the first time someone praised them so.
The words sounded like they came from a learned individual, instantly making them feel their occupation was much loftier, didn’t it?
Nurse Liu had learned many good things from Housekeeper Zhao and was even taught a few lines by Susu before he left. Now his actions were quite decent.
Handing the bamboo basket to two of the Treasure Delivery Officers, he also took down a bundle from his horse, "Knowing other things are inconvenient to carry, this is dried meat our Grandma prepared for our master, and there’s a package for you too.
Our Grandma said, when you come again, she’ll treat you to our family’s secret roast pigeon, but it couldn’t be made today."
Having passed the items, Nurse Liu didn’t delay further, mounted his horse, clasped hands to the group, "Brothers, take care. As the saying goes, the green mountains won’t change, the rivers keep flowing!"
The Treasure Delivery Officers also clasped their hands, "Please tell Grandma Hong that we’ll definitely deliver the goods."
A young Treasure Delivery Officer, watching Nurse Liu ride swiftly away, exclaimed, "Truly a man like the wind!"
Once said, he got a smack on the head from the leader, "I think you’re just a guy who’s had too much Northwest wind! Hurry up, or there won’t be any left!"
The young man turned to see a colleague devouring meat pies from the basket, shouted, "Put down that meat pie, let me have it!" and rushed over.
The middle-aged leader shook his head in amusement, placed the two bundles Nurse Liu later handed over back into his wagon.
One was for Commander Hong, the remaining one was heavy. It seemed he could use it as a bribe for the logistics officer to get a few good horses.
As he pondered, he heard the young man’s shout, "Boss, come quick, so much meat!"
The leader couldn’t fantasize about driving a Ferghana horse anymore, he ran over, "You bunch of beasts, leave some for me!"
"Don’t fight, don’t fight, there’s plenty!"
"Commander Hong’s wife is really generous! Whoever dares speak ill of her to me again, I’ll be mad at them!"
"Pathetic, being bought off by a piece of chicken claw. At least ask for a duck’s foot too!"
"...I swear, there really is one!"
Meanwhile, it took these Treasure Delivery Officers half a month, dining from the land and sleeping under the sky, to catch up with Qin Dusi’s army.
By then, the Northwest Army had marched over a thousand miles into the heart of the Tartars, only about half a month away from Shangjing.
And at this time, they encountered fierce resistance from Bashahan’s troops.
Prince Yong, though injured, wasn’t seriously hurt. While it was said he was recuperating in the tent, in truth, he had already taken a detour with his troops to Shangjing.
As soon as Prince Yong left, Qin Dusi ordered the camp to be pitched, focusing not on advancing, but on how many enemies they could kill.
Previously captured were absorbed by Prince Yong, but now Qin Dusi ordered no prisoners to be taken, all efforts should be on killing.
Fewer Tartars now meant fewer Chu Army deaths later.
Qin Dusi had long received news brought by his third son’s hidden guards and had cursed countless times, "Darn it all."
Having obeyed the current Emperor’s foolish orders to assist the enemy, and you dare to hinder me from behind, even using my daughter as an excuse to marry someone fake.
Just wait till I return; if I don’t deal with you harshly, I’ll join your family name!
Qin Dusi, the current Emperor, and Duke Xian were childhood buddies. Though he didn’t think much of Duke Xian’s blindness, he admitted Duke Xian had been a man protecting the country back then, or he wouldn’t have agreed to marry his sister to him.
But the current Emperor was nothing but a scoundrel. If the Qin family hadn’t always stayed out of imperial matters, just the matter of the late Emperor’s death would be enough for the current Emperor to have his fill of problems.
And let’s not talk about Qin Dusi taking out anger on Tartar soldiers, even Hong Sheng was vigorously striving for military merits now.
The weather was cold, which discouraged even the Tartars from moving; the true battle was expected next spring.
Qin Dusi told Commander Liu that by next year, after they’d roughly defeated the forces supporting Bashahan, they’d withdraw, and before then, Hong Sheng needed to return early to prepare just in case.
So, he only had about half a year to earn military merits, and with some effort now, at least rank advancement to the first or second rank might be achievable by war’s end.
After such a major battle, the Tartars wouldn’t recover for three to five years.
During these peaceful years, though life might be leisurely, fast promotions would no longer be possible.
And by the time Hong Sheng and the Vanguard Camp returned from slaying enemies, the dried meat sent by Susu via the Treasure Delivery Officers was long consumed by Commander Liu, who ate one strip today and another tomorrow.
Commander Liu had thick skin and simply acted as if he never received any beef jerky for forwarding.
Until just a few days before the New Year, when the Treasure Delivery Officers set off again, encountering Hong Sheng and warmly greeting him, did Hong Sheng find out the love-filled beef jerky from his wife had been consumed by Commander Liu.
Liu, Uncle-in-law! Does your conscience not hurt?
Commander Liu: "What beef jerky? I don’t know!"
Hong Sheng: ...
For heaven’s sake, where’s your face!
