novelraw Chapter 572: Three Kingdoms Cannon Fodder 14
Chapter 572: Three Kingdoms Cannon Fodder 14
"Right now, the Commandery Governor's Mansion is in dire need of people. A-Yue, are you willing to stay and help me?"
In the small courtyard, a gentle breeze blew, occasionally carrying the faint scent of flowers.
After a long separation and a heartfelt reunion, An Ning suddenly spoke up with a smile.
Her words fell, and facing the earnest expression in the other's eyes, Zhen Yue couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. In the next instant, however, she did not ask for the reason, or whether she herself was qualified for the task...
Logically speaking, she should have refused.
In that moment, undoubtedly, many thoughts crossed Zhen Yue's mind.
She especially remembered long ago, seeing her love for reading every day, her second elder brother had once teased with a laugh:
"Women should practice needlework. Since childhood, little sister has been addicted to books and loves to read. Could it be you intend to become a female scholar in the future?"
What was her answer at the time?
"Virtuous and righteous women of ancient times all studied the classics and historical texts thoroughly, using them as a mirror to discipline themselves. If one does not know books, how can one become virtuous and righteous?"Virtue, that was the answer she had given.
Even before this, her family had already begun discussing her marriage prospects.
But at this moment, looking into these eyes, thinking back to long ago, the first time she saw this person wielding a sword, the awe and shock she felt...
For some inexplicable reason, Zhen Yue suddenly didn't want to refuse...
Since she was willing, then she would stay!
Even though she was only twelve or thirteen years old, having been intelligent and studious since childhood, well-read in history, and trained by Madam Zhang for many years in managing household affairs, she was already quite proficient. Now taking up this post, although her actions were still somewhat immature, she was already far better than many others.
Moreover, the tasks An Ning entrusted to her were not complicated, mostly involving sorting and organizing official documents. Zhen Yue was clever to begin with and picked them up very quickly.
She even occasionally followed by An Ning's side, learning quite a bit.
It was estimated that in a few years, it wouldn't be difficult for her to handle responsibilities independently, like Si Shu and the others.
As for the Zhen Family, looking at her youngest daughter, whose spirit and demeanor had transformed in such a short time, a flash of complexity passed through Madam Zhang's eyes, followed by a soft sigh a moment later:
"Yue'er, these are times of chaos and separation. A-Yue, you having that prior connection is a good thing, giving you one more choice for the future."
"A... Mother?"
Seeing that her mother showed no intention of objecting, and recalling all that had happened before, Zhen Yue couldn't help but look up in confusion. Then she heard Madam Zhang's gentle laugh from within the room:
"Times change, circumstances shift. What choices should be made in what environment? Do you think your mother is some old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud?"
Looking at the increasingly beautiful young lady before her, Madam Zhang couldn't help but sigh.
The world was difficult now. Although the Zhen Family had wealth, in reality, since the previous family head died young, the decline had become quite apparent.
Moreover, in chaotic times, Madam Zhang knew best that having only wealth without military power was undoubtedly the most terrifying thing.
It couldn't be denied that given A-Yue's talent and beauty, the family had previously considered the idea of arranging a marriage alliance with a powerful faction, preferably a feudal lord. That was why they had deliberately promoted her reputation for beauty...
But now, since there was a better choice, she wasn't going to force her own daughter into difficulty.
Of course, at this point, there were still some words that needed to be said:
"Yue'er, it's only been a few short years since that Commandery Governor left. We both know what the situation was like before, yet she has reached her current position. This shows she is by no means an ordinary person. No matter what your past friendship was like, A-Yue, remember, do not lose caution because of your previous uninhibited speech."
"And also, A-Yue, it's not that your mother looks down on others."
"But Yue'er, you must know, most people in this world are unwilling to have others mention their early days of hardship and weakness. Long before this, your mother has already ordered everyone in the household, no matter who, to absolutely never mention the past."
Whether out of shame and annoyance, or feeling that their family was trying to claim repayment for past favors, neither was something the current Zhen Family could afford...
Thinking of this person's methods during this period, Madam Zhang's tone grew even more serious.
Staring blankly at her mother before her, after a brief moment of stunned silence, Zhen Yue then nodded heavily and promised:
"Mother, rest assured, Yue'er understands!"
***
"What's wrong, you seem distracted!"
The next day, during a break from handling official business, seeing the other occasionally lost in thought, An Ning soon set down her teacup and asked with a smile.
"It's nothing!" Zhen Yue shook her head almost imperceptibly, then after a moment smiled with relief. "It's just that I feel many things, and some people, are very different from what I imagined before."
Before this, she had always thought her mother was a matriarch who yearned for a reputation of virtue and righteousness, who always acted strictly according to the rules, both at home and outside, never making a single mistake. Even over these years, her education of her sisters had been the same.
Virtue, being a good helpmate to the family, neither arrogant nor jealous, and being filial and respectful to in-laws and elders.
Yet just before, when the news came out, her mother was instead the calmest person in the family. Not only did she suppress the voices of opposition at home, she even specially invited a clan uncle who had previously served as an official to personally teach her how to handle affairs, and even the ways of the officialdom in the future.
In the past, she probably couldn't have imagined this even if beaten to death.
Thinking of this, Zhen Yue couldn't help but smile, her crescent-moon eyes slightly curved, exceptionally lovely.
An Ning, vaguely guessing something, raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
Spring passed and autumn came. In the blink of an eye, several months went by. With everyone busy, the Commandery Governor's Mansion soon got on track. Not only that, the iron mine An Ning had long coveted finally reached the time for mining.
This was really... too good!
Thinking of the silver spent on weapons before, just the thought of it made one's heart ache.
In any era, weapons dealers are never lacking, but they are truly expensive. Over these years, aside from the occasional 'black eating black' and going out to plunder weapons, undoubtedly, most of the money she earned had been poured into this. Calling it a bottomless pit was not an exaggeration.
Now it was good. After formally establishing her territory and strengthening her equipment, An Ning's actions became much bolder.
Not only were there continuous streams of spices and luxurious garments harvesting wealth. She established agricultural institutes, continuously researching, optimizing seed breeding, improving tools, building water conservancy projects, and the ever-increasing number of workshops and schools in the major cities and counties.
In just a few short years, the two commanderies underwent earth-shaking changes. And the military forces under An Ning's command also grew from less than thirty thousand before to over sixty thousand now, directly doubling.
Oh, I forgot to mention, aside from volunteers from the two commanderies, the one who actually contributed most of all was their old rival, the esteemed Young Master Yuan.
"Young Master, this is the list of prisoners from before."
In the front hall, after a small-scale conflict ended, Si Shu, as usual, presented the newly compiled roster.
Developing to this extent right under their own noses, seeing the endless future troubles, the Yuan Shao faction were not fools. For various reasons over the past two years, conflicts between the two sides had broken out quite a few times.
Unfortunately, it was too late now. They had missed the best opportunity, giving her the chance to develop her forces. In terms of offensive power, An Ning might not be top-notch at the moment, but in terms of defensive capability...
In short, over these two years, no matter from which direction that esteemed lord launched a surprise attack, success was truly never achieved, and the losses were truly not small.
It was said this lord had nearly been angered to the point of cursing.
"Is this Shen woman a turtle or something?"
"And isn't this whole area supposed to be our territory? How come there are so many traitors running to report to this woman!"
Yet, with the old rival Gongsun Zan not yet eliminated, and the childhood friend Cao Aman to the south already beginning to take shape, at that time, a moment of hesitation prevented him from welcoming the young emperor. And then, well, the other side's move of 'holding the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords' successfully put him in a passive position.
To avoid having his home base sneak-attacked, An Ning's side was destined not to truly go all out.
After a few probing attempts and having several cities taken in retaliation, the esteemed Governor Yuan finally quieted down completely, redirecting his main firepower back towards the Gongsun Zan faction in the north who frequently tried to cause trouble.
However, everyone knew this was only temporary. Once he dealt with his old rival, the next target would likely be them.
As recent defeats in the north became frequent, that night, the Commandery Governor's Mansion was brightly lit until late into the night.
Yet without exception, that night, everyone's faces bore an indescribable excitement and fervor.