Putting aside the heroic female general in charge of recruiting outside, just the female strategist responsible for the matter of taking concubines was far more attractive than her.
Therefore, after suppressing the slight stirring in her heart, Gongsun Baoyue frowned and asked, "Grandfather, since it's not about this, what else is bothering you?"
"Alas, you don't understand~!" Liu Qi shook his head, but he didn't remain silent. Instead, he sighed, "The Governor asked me to lead the gentry of the county to deliver some supplies to the hundred thousand troops stationed outside, and also mentioned some sort of慰问 (comfort)."
"But the army doesn't lack provisions!"
"And..."
"Before this campaign, I already donated ten thousand shi on behalf of the Liu family."
As he spoke, Liu Qi sighed again, seemingly worried about what to do.
If it were just up to him to donate, things would have been much easier. Even if he couldn't afford the provisions for a hundred thousand troops, he could scrape together as much as he could by gritting his teeth.
But Qin Feng specifically requested the gentry of the county to participate together this time. This was quite troublesome. Even though their Liu family was now the foremost noble family in Zhuo Commandery, they didn't have the clout to make others willingly bleed money.
"Grandfather~!" After listening to Liu Qi's narration, Gongsun Baoyue thoughtfully asked, "Did the Governor have any other requirements? Or specify which families must go?"
"There wasn't!"
"Did he say how much provisions each family needed to donate? Or what arrangements were made after the donation?"
"This..." Liu Qi was stunned for a moment. After pondering for a moment, he said uncertainly, "He didn't specify the exact amount of donation, but it seemed like he said I should bring those gentry to see him after the donation!"
"Hmm..." Having confirmed her guess, Gongsun Baoyue's face revealed a hint of a smile. "Grandfather, don't you think this is more like a test from the Governor?"
"You mean..." Liu Qi also came to his senses now and nodded thoughtfully, "The Governor is screening the usable gentry, or rather, those who stand on his side."
"Highly likely!"
"Then what is the purpose?"
"Perhaps..." Gongsun Baoyue's eyes narrowed, and her tone was filled with certainty, "It's related to those Wuhuan tribes that were eliminated!"
"Hmm?" Liu Qi nodded in agreement, subconsciously stroking his beard. "Although those Wuhuan people were not good people, there were quite a few good things there. Not to mention warhorses, cattle, and sheep, there were countless types of leather materials."
"Could it be... the Governor wants to find someone to deal with those things?"
At this point, Liu Qi's expression changed slightly, and his previously recovered mood worsened again. Damn it! Although their Liu family was known as the foremost noble family in You Province, they never dabbled in business with merchants! What should be done? Seeing such great benefits laid out, were they going to let them slip away?
"No!" Liu Qi stood up somewhat agitatedly, his tone filled with anxiety, "Our Liu family absolutely cannot miss this opportunity!"
"Baoyue!" "Quickly write a letter to your maternal uncle and have him rush back overnight!"
"Uh..." Thinking of her uncle, who was already far away in Liaodong, Gongsun Baoyue couldn't help but feel a little amused and helpless. "Grandfather, firstly, this is just our guess. Even if the Governor truly has this intention, you can accept it first and then discuss it!"
"That's true~!" Liu Qi paused, then shook his head with a wry smile. He also felt he was overreacting. Talented and battle-hardened generals might be hard to find, but those lowly merchants were everywhere! It would be easy to find a few and put them under the Liu family's name later!
Thinking of this, Liu Qi was no longer anxious and instead began to consider the matter of rewarding the army.
"Baoyue, tell me, how much provisions and supplies should our Liu family contribute this time?"
"As much as we have!"
"Hiss~!" Liu Qi looked at his granddaughter with some doubt. What was going on with this girl? She hadn't even married over yet, but she was already considering her future in-laws so quickly?
"Grandfather~!" Although Gongsun Baoyue didn't know what Liu Qi was thinking, she could see the caution in his eyes and couldn't help but say with a wry smile, "Are you planning to rebel? Or declare yourself king? Or perhaps hoard goods for speculation?"
"You, what nonsense are you talking about!" Liu Qi was startled by these words. After a slight tremor, he gritted his teeth and said, "I have placed the lives and fortunes of the entire Liu family on the Governor. Where does the talk of rebellion and declaring kingship come from?"
"Then isn't that it?" Meeting Liu Qi's slightly angry gaze, Gongsun Baoyue spread her hands helplessly. "Since you're not planning to rebel, nor to declare kingship, then why are you hoarding so much grain?"
"I..."
"Don't say it's for eating!" Before Liu Qi could finish speaking, Gongsun Baoyue interrupted with a light chuckle. "With our Liu family's hundred or so people, how much can we eat before we die of old age!"
"You ah~!" Liu Qi somewhat understood Gongsun Baoyue's meaning and couldn't help but say with a wry smile, "Isn't it that I thought there would be a war, and grain prices might rise significantly?"
"Then you plan to keep it to sell?"
"Even if we don't sell it, at least we won't have to buy expensive grain when we eat it ourselves!"
"So, you see!" Seeing that Liu Qi hadn't fully understood, Gongsun Baoyue sighed and asked back, "Grandfather, then who do you think the increased grain prices will ultimately fall upon?"
"Of course, the people..."
"And who do the people belong to?"
"..." This time, Liu Qi didn't need Gongsun Baoyue to say anything more; he was completely awakened. Who did the people belong to? Did he even need to ask? The people of the entire You Province naturally belonged to that Governor Qin! Close call! How did he not think of this just now? Did grain prices rising mean good things? For those of them who hoarded grain, rising grain prices were certainly good. But for Governor Qin? It was definitely not a good thing! Whether it was supporting the army or aiding disaster victims, he needed to buy grain with real money. Where did the money go? To their family! Oh? You guys hoarded all the grain, causing the Governor to need to buy expensive grain to support the army? Is that proper? The more Liu Qi thought about it, the more cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He vaguely felt that Qin Feng asking him to reward the army had some warning undertones. Since the grain was all in your family, and all the money was earned by you, then the army would be your responsibility to support from now on! You don't want to? Then should this Governor send those Wuhuan bandits again?
"Fortunately!" "Fortunately!" Liu Qi, who thought he had figured it out, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at Gongsun Baoyue with a face full of relief. "Baoyue, it's thanks to you for enlightening your grandfather. Otherwise, our Liu family would have been in big trouble!"
"???" Gongsun Baoyue, who had only analyzed things superficially, was now a little bewildered. What was going on? Did her grandfather, by hoarding grain at home, actually harbor thoughts of rebellion? How could this be? It shouldn't be! If that was the case, why did he still want her to enter the Governor's mansion? Was it to let her gather intelligence? But, if she entered the Governor's mansion, and then such a bombshell exploded from the Liu family... wouldn't she, as a young lady of the Liu family, become a scapegoat?!