latelenovela Chapter 544 Is he planning to raise a private army?
Chapter 544 Is he planning to raise a private army?
Old Zhu and the others exchanged glances and nodded to each other.
Old Zhu said, "My dear niece, just name your price, and we'll each take a share, and that will get the job done for you."
After spending some time with her, he found his niece's character trustworthy.
Since she said it was inconvenient, we naturally wouldn't make things difficult for her.
Furthermore, there are not only a few old bones on their ship now, but also the Chen family, and the prefect is her cousin!
Even if the sky falls, the officials will be the first to hold it up.
Lin Chang'er smiled and said, "18 shi, my uncle and I will split it equally, so we will each get 3 shi."
After saying this, Old Zhu became a little unsettled and immediately looked at Old Liang and Old Li. After considering it all, the shortfall for his niece this time was no ordinary one!
Such a large amount of grain is enough to feed the entire county for a long time.
Could it be...
Old Zhu keenly sensed something. "My dear niece, give your uncle a straight answer. Is there some unusual activity from the pirates?"
They were aware that Lord Wu had been sending people to form coastal defense forces.
But the coastal defense force has always been self-sufficient.
Why are they suddenly asking for so much grain? Are they planning to raise a private army?
Although they certainly believe that their niece did these things for the benefit of the coastal people, to be honest, it was a thankless task.
The imperial court didn't even give them a glance in the south.
The local people relied on themselves to fight off the pirates, but if this was exposed, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family.
Isn't that a bit too much?
Old Liang and the others also felt that Old Zhu's words made sense, and hurriedly echoed, "Niece, please give your uncles a heads-up so that we can be prepared."
"Yes, yes! If the pirates really are making a big move, we should also contribute our own efforts!"
“My dear niece, we are now family, even if we are not family now. Why don’t you just tell me what you want to do?”
“Although we are old bones, there is a saying that goes, ‘Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure.’ Who knows, we might be able to help you make a decision.”
For a moment, the flower hall was filled with the chatter of several old friends.
Seeing this, Lin Chang'er decided not to hide it from them any longer. She sighed and said, "To be honest, this grain is indeed for military supplies, but it's not because the pirates are making any moves."
"That is?"
Old Zhu and the other four looked at Lin Chang'er, waiting for her to answer their questions.
Lin Chang'er stopped being mysterious and said solemnly, "You uncles should know about the Zhenbei Army, right?"
The five nodded in unison, then suddenly realized something, "So this grain is being raised for the Zhenbei Army?"
Old Liang slapped his thigh. "Yes, I heard before that the north suffered heavy snow this year and the harvest was poor. Is it because the barbarians have come to attack again?"
Lin Chang'er nodded.
Old Li said, "That's not right. Shouldn't the provisions needed for this great battle be distributed by the imperial court?"
"Exactly. It's like when we hire workers to do our jobs, we have to pay them. How come it's my niece who's procuring the provisions?"
"It's not..."
Old Li and the others then expressed their opinions vehemently.
Lin Chang'er didn't stop them, but listened silently. It was Old Zhu who interrupted them first, "Alright, alright, stop for a moment and listen to what Chang'er has to say."
Upon hearing this, Lao Li and the others immediately fell silent and turned their gazes back to Lin Chang'er.
"It's like this," Lin Chang'er explained, picking out the contents of the letter and showing them the IOU as well. "The Prince of Zhenbei and his wife told me privately that the Prince and his wife have been using their private assets to subsidize the army for years, but this time, they simply can't afford it. The provisions are delayed, and the soldiers are waiting for food, so they asked the Prince of Zhenbei to help them find a solution..."