Chapter 17: Preparing to Depart

Chapter 17: Preparing to Depart

Before Nie Bing could finish speaking!

Xiao Ce said, “Who said This Prince is going to dismiss you all! This Prince selected you to reward you! These scars all over your bodies, they were left from battles, right?”

Everyone nodded one after another, then lowered their heads and said, “We are useless…”

Seeing this, Xiao Ce said, “No! You should not be ashamed of them, you should be proud! These are your merits!”

“A General who fights a hundred battles without defeat can be called a Military God!”

“A soldier who survives a hundred battles can be called a Soldier God!”

“You will join the veteran camp This Prince is about to establish. Your monthly Military Pay will be based on the scars on your bodies! Each scar adds five taels of Silver!”

The whole place was astonished!

The selected veterans kowtowed in gratitude!

“Of course, for those not selected, This Prince has other ways later to help you get promoted and rich.”

“This Prince is a common man! Merit must be rewarded, faults must be punished!”

“Reward what? As long as This Prince has it, anything can be given to you! Of course, This Prince’s woman cannot be given to you!”

As soon as Xiao Ce said this, the whole place burst into laughter, and then everyone was stirred up.

Xiao Ce raised his arm: “Follow This Prince, okay?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

….

“Han Da, Yan Jia!”

The two men stepped forward, cupped their hands and said, “Your humble subordinates are here!”

“This Prince intended to set out today, but Imperial Father rewarded so much money and grain. This Prince needs to find five thousand strong laborers to escort this money and grain! So, you take three thousand Northern Desert Army troops and garrison outside the city! We depart early tomorrow morning.” Xiao Ce said.

Han Da took a step forward: “Reporting to the Prince, we can transport those provisions ourselves!”

Yan Jia said: “Right, Prince, you don’t need to waste that money! We can do it!”

Xiao Ce said: “This Prince has other uses for you!”

When Xiao Ce asked the Emperor for those provisions, he really hadn’t expected it.

When Nan Changfeng brought the provisions over, he knew the Dog Emperor was setting another trap for him.

However, Xiao Ce immediately thought of a solution, which was to recruit some young and strong laborers.

Of course, he wouldn’t make a loss-making deal!

Along the way, he could give them some indoctrination.

Once the five thousand young and strong laborers reached Northern Desert, with a little training they would become five thousand Northern Desert Army troops.

Xiao Ce had put it so clearly, Han Da and Yan Jia both cupped their hands in agreement.

“Remember, do not disturb the people!” Xiao Ce said.

The two bowed in agreement. Xiao Ce then took out five hundred taels of Silver and said: “Go buy some chicken, duck, fish, and meat, let the soldiers eat better! Look how thin they are!”

Han Da took the silver, somewhat incredulously asking: “Use all five hundred taels of silver to buy meat?”

Xiao Ce said: “There are three thousand of you in total. Even one jin of meat per person would require about ten pigs! You are risking your lives for me, no need to save money! Keeping healthy is the most important thing!”

Hearing Xiao Ce’S words, these men couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

It had been so long since they had any meat. Xiao Ce said each person could eat one jin of meat, something they wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

Everyone again shouted in praise, saying the Prince was wise!

Xiao Ce waved his hand, telling them to go first.

Turning around, Xiao Ce then turned to go back to his mansion.

He found Yin Pan’er and Nie Bing standing at the gate.

Xiao Ce said with a smile: “You two, why not go inside and rest?”

“Didn’t you sell this mansion? Since it has changed owners, we won’t go in. However, you publicly sold royal property, aren’t you afraid the Emperor will blame you?” Yin Pan’er said.

Xiao Ce said with a smile: “I have already deducted the money obtained from selling this Crown Prince’s Mansion from the debt Imperial Father owes me! I did it to support Northern Desert. Even if Imperial Father knows, he can’t say anything.”

Yin Pan’er looked at Nie Bing beside her. Nie Bing took out a small box.

“This is a token of goodwill from our Prime Minister’s Mansion… You are recruiting strong laborers, and the journey with three thousand men will consume a lot of money and provisions. We hope this can help you.”

Xiao Ce glanced; it was filled with a stack of silver notes.

He wasn’t polite and reached to take it.

Nie Bing looked at Xiao Ce unfavorably and said: “You actually want it? Didn’t you just say to those soldiers, over and over, that you aren’t short of money?”

Xiao Ce grabbed it and said: “This is money my wife gave me, why can’t I take it! I told the soldiers I’m not short of money because I need to reassure them. Otherwise, if they follow a penniless Prince, who would have any spirit?”

“You know too, the Northern Desert Region environment is harsh, and there’s the danger of a large Turkic invasion! How to make them keep hope and courage in such a desperate situation? They must feel that their Prince can give them the life they want, give them something to strive for! Doing all this is not easy.”

Nie Bing said: “So you pretend to be prosperous when you’re not? With your promises, even with the money Yin Pan’er gave you, how will you manage after you reach Northern Desert? Once you run out of money, there will still be unrest!”

This Nie Bing was like a block of ice, her words blunt. Fortunately, Xiao Ce could also hear that she was worried for him.

Xiao Ce said with a smile: “This Prince said, This Prince is not short of money! Problems that can be solved with money are not problems.”

Yin Pan’er asked: “The strong laborers you want, do you also plan to later incorporate them into your Northern Desert Army?”

Xiao Ce saw Yin Pan’er speak and said: “Wife, you are so smart!”

Yin Pan’er’s face turned red. She said to Xiao Ce: “Prince, be careful with your words! I said, I am not your Madam yet.”

“The idea is good? But, do you have money? According to your promise, five taels of silver per person per month! Five thousand people is fifteen thousand taels. Adding your three thousand men, that’s nearly over forty thousand taels of silver per month, not counting provisions. What will you use to recruit them then?”

Xiao Ce listened to Nie Bing’s belated cold water and counted the silver notes Yin Pan’er gave, saying: “Miss Nie, no need for you to worry about this.”

“Wife, you are really generous. A full two hundred thousand taels of silver! One day, I will repay you tenfold, a hundredfold.”

As he spoke, Xiao Ce tucked the wooden box away properly.

Yin Pan’er’s pretty face still blushed. She said: “Prince, I said! You still cannot call me wife.”

Xiao Ce said with a smile: “Alright then, Miss Yin. We depart tomorrow. Will you rest here for the night, or come over again early tomorrow morning?”

Yin Pan’er said: “Won’t you vacate this house today?”

Xiao Ce shook his head and said: “Staying one more night is fine!”

Yin Pan’er said: “Since we’ve left home, we won’t go back. We’ll stay here for now.”

Seeing Xiao Ce’s mischievous smile, Yin Pan’er added: “However, I will not stay in the same room as you.”

Xiao Ce smiled, looking serious: “Miss Yin, what are you thinking! I am a gentleman. Even if you agreed, I couldn’t agree…”

Yin Pan’er looked at Xiao Ce’s expression. If she hadn’t experienced it herself, she might have almost believed him.

…

In the Imperial Palace.

Xiao Yang got the news that Xiao Ce had sold the Crown Prince’s Mansion and hurried to complain.

Xiao Dingbang said to Xiao Yang: “Yang’er, I heard. But, that boy must have been taught by the Prince of Zhenguo. After selling the Crown Prince’s Mansion, he even gave me a receipt for two hundred thousand taels of silver. They are still watertight.”

Xiao Yang said: “Imperial Father, should we go and…”

Xiao Dingbang waved his hand: “Even with two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver, what can he do? Yang’er, that waste doesn’t deserve our attention! You should think of ways to help me solve the White Lotus Sect issue.”

Xiao Yang listened nervously: “Are those rioters causing trouble again?”

Xiao Dingbang nodded and said: “And they are inciting Disaster Victims to cause trouble everywhere! Quickly think of a way to suppress them. As for Xiao Ce, we don’t need to deal with him; someone else probably can’t wait already?”

Xiao Yang said doubtfully: “Imperial Father, could it be, someone else wants him dead?”

Xiao Dingbang sneered: “You don’t need to worry about that waste’s affairs! I won’t let a bastard reach that place safely and peacefully!”

Xiao Yang looked at Xiao Dingbang, wanting to speak.

Xiao Dingbang said sternly: “I said, you don’t need to bother with this matter!”

Xiao Yang then shrank his neck and bowed in agreement.

…

After Yin Pan’er moved into the Crown Prince’s Mansion, she was a little wary at first.

Afraid Xiao Ce might misbehave.

But, after Xiao Ce returned, he locked himself in his study and never came out.

Only Lin Zhong went in a few times during that period.

Early the next morning, Xiao Ce had big dark circles under his eyes.

He continued to organize his whole set of business plans and had Da Lei put them away safely.

Then, he went out to do the Eight Section Brocade exercise to train his body.

Lin Zhong walked over: “Prince, we recruited over six thousand strong laborers in total, all selected according to your requirements. It’s just each person needs two taels of silver per month! They are all ready.”

Xiao Ce waved his hand and said: “Money is not a problem!”

Indeed, Lin Zhong had been trying to hypnotize himself into believing Xiao Ce.

But Xiao Ce was too wasteful. It was the first time he heard of setting pay based on scars.

“Prince, is money really not a problem?”

Xiao Ce handed the wooden box with the two hundred thousand silver notes Yin Pan’er gave to Lin Zhong.

Lin Zhong was puzzled: “This is?”

Xiao Ce opened the wooden box and said: “Two hundred thousand taels of silver!”

Lin Zhong knew very well that Xiao Ce’s money was all managed by him.

“Prince, you couldn’t perform magic tricks, could you? Where did this come from?”

Xiao Ce didn’t hide it: “My wife gave it!”

Lin Zhong was stunned: “This… Miss Yin gave it? Prince, you accepted it? That’s not proper!”

Xiao Ce shoved the wooden box into Lin Zhong’s arms and said: “Nothing proper or improper! What’s important now is to develop our own strength, that’s the real truth! Alright, enough talk. We’ve already delayed for a day!”

Seeing this, Lin Zhong nodded and said: “The strong laborers outside are all ready.”

Xiao Ce continued to ask: “Good! Then prepare to depart.”