The prince planned to fight the barbarians now because of his son's matter. Another reason was the military merit. His status was already high enough, so this military merit was not for himself, but for the people below.
Upon ascending the throne, the new emperor sought to reclaim military power. While he didn't explicitly intend to reclaim the Yonghe Marquis state military authority, his intention to send someone down was clear. This meant that once the new emperor's men arrived, it would be difficult for the remaining soldiers to earn military merit. Because the new emperor's men needed promotions, they needed military merit to win over others. Therefore, this move also gave the existing soldiers in the area an opportunity to earn military merit.
The war in the military camp is about to break out.
Yang Haiyan asked Uncle Hong and Huang Huzi to go to the county town to buy two more horses, one of which was converted into a carriage and the other was given to the private guard.
Embroidery Room
Yang Haiyan finished embroidering a handkerchief depicting a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water. After she finished, she placed it on the platform and was surprised to find that this ancient embroidered handkerchief was surprisingly valuable. A handkerchief depicting mandarin ducks playing in the water was worth 800 platform coins. Considering that pure silver on the platform costs 5 platform coins per gram, 800 platform coins would buy 160 grams, or just over 3 taels of silver. And the thread and fabric cost less than a tael of silver, making this a very profitable purchase.
Besides, she doesn't need to buy pure silver now. If she buys silver with a purity of 70, 800 platform coins can buy more than 160 grams.
Besides, it wouldn't take her too long to embroider a handkerchief like that. Even if she took her time, even at her slowest pace, a month would be enough. So now, Yang Haiyan planned to slowly embroider the handkerchief.
In the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
According to Qiguo custom, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the day for eating tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). Although the Qin family is bustling with activity, Qin Fang hasn't arrived yet and Yang Haiyan can't help but feel a little lonely and missing him.
From the fourth to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Qin Fang hadn't returned, nor had he brought back any news. Not only Qin Fang, but also Han Zhen, Lü Baifu and the others hadn't returned. Yang Haiyan knew he wasn't in the barracks. If he was, he would have sent a message home through Kun Shi. So, since he wasn't in the barracks, there was no way to get the message across.
As soon as the fifteenth day of the lunar month passed, the Yongzhou military camp sounded the drums of war against the barbarians. The war between Yongzhou and the barbarians had begun.
If there was any movement in the military camp, the people of Yongzhou would know immediately. Because of the war, the county gates were closed. The county gate was Yongzhou's second checkpoint and it was closed during every war. Outsiders could not enter and those inside could not leave.
The family housing was outside the county town and when the city gates were closed, people from outside couldn't enter. However, everyone in the family housing had stockpiled cabbage and radishes, so they rarely went into the county town anyway.
Yang Haiyan hadn't felt like embroidering for days, the war in the military camp leaving her feeling uneasy. According to the plot, Qin Fang would be safe and sound and he would be able to complete his military service here safely. Yet, she was still uneasy.
Nanny Lian came into the embroidery room with a bowl of soup: "Madam, the kitchen just made some Tremella soup. It tastes just right. Come and try it."
Yang Haiyan: "Thank you." She took a sip. The Tremella was cooked soft and glutinous and the sweetness was just right, but she was not in the mood to eat. After drinking half a bowl, Yang Haiyan stood up and asked, "Mammy, do you have enough Tremella at home?"
Aunt Lian: "There's still some, but not much." The kitchen only cooked enough for the wife, so it wasn't much.
Yang Haiyan: "Go and scoop out the rest and put it in the lunch box. I need to go to Lu Baifu's house."
Aunt Lian: "Yes."
Yang Haiyan went to Lu Baifu's house with the Tremella soup and asked, "Is Mrs. Lu here?"
Mrs. Lu was at home with her two children. While the children were studying, Mrs. Lu followed them, learning to read and making clothes. She had never thought of learning to read with her children before, but Yang Haiyan lived next door to them at the time and she was also influenced by her, realizing that it was good for women to know a few more words. After a while, she heard Yang Haiyan's voice and said in a strident voice, "Yes, yes, Haiyan is here." Then she quickly put down her things and left.
Yang Haiyan came alone. It would be inappropriate to bring Aunt Lian with her to Lu's house. It would make Lu feel distant. "I'm here to see my sister-in-law."
Mrs. Lu: "Come and sit inside. It's sunny today, so it's not cold."
Yang Haiyan: "That's right. I made some Tremella soup at home and brought it to the children to try."
Mrs. Lu laughed and said, "Why are you being so polite? Giving it to those two little brats is useless. They don't eat such good food there."
Yang Haiyan also smiled when she heard this.
Mrs. Lu poured out some Tremella soup for the child and washed the lunch box. Then the two of them sat in the yard basking in the sun. "Haiyan, why are you here today?"
Yang Haiyan expressed her worries: "Sister-in-law, when there was a war in the military camp in the past, didn't they often not come?"
When Mrs. Lu heard this, she understood what she meant. "Are you worried about Lord Qin? Don't worry, this is your first time encountering war. Actually, there haven't been any wars in the past two years. Before, there were battles every month or so throughout the year, so we're used to it."
Yang Haiyan was puzzled: "Why does it have to be done once a month?"
Mrs. Lu said, "We're testing each other. My husband said that if the barbarians want to test our situation, we should also test theirs. However, the battle two years ago was extremely fierce, and both the military camp and the barbarians suffered heavy losses, so the war started two years ago. Speaking of which, Lord Qin and Han Baifu were promoted to centurions after that battle. The original centurion was killed in that battle."
Sacrificing a soldier was a perfectly normal thing, and even if it was sad, they accepted it quickly. But Yang Haiyan felt a pang of sadness. In modern times, soldiers rarely sacrificed their lives, unless something extraordinary happened. But it was different in ancient times, where human life was particularly worthless.
After chatting with Lu's wife for a while, Yang Haiyan felt better. When people are anxious, they especially want to talk to others. The book doesn't describe these situations in detail because they all happened with Yang Dahua. Now, after listening to Lu's wife, Yang Haiyan has a deeper understanding of these situations.
In the blink of an eye, it was early January. The two-month winter disaster was over and the town began to return. Shops also opened one after another and people began to sell all kinds of meat and vegetables.
Yang Haiyan's dim sum shop also opened. As soon as the dim sum shop opened, Aunt Fan and Aunt Hong went there.
"Madam." One day, one of the private guards came to see Yang Haiyan. The private guard's name was Meng Ping. "Madam, I want to take a leave and go home. I have been serving in the army for five years and have never been home."
Yang Haiyan said: "Of course, how many days do you want to take off?"
Meng Ping calculated: "About half a month."
Yang Haiyan said: "Be careful on the road."
Meng Ping: "Thank you, Madam."