Chapter 583: Qing Dynasty Transmigration: Spiritual Spring System (34)

Xie Yang patted their shoulders, said nothing, but distributed the gifts she had brought to her family, had a portion sent to Chang Peilan, and then returned to her own Small Side Courtyard.

Having not lived here for six years, the Small Side Courtyard showed no signs of decay; instead, it had been freshly painted and renovated.

The courtyard was filled with clusters of flowers, as bright and charming as when she had left.

The east room of the Main Room had been converted into a Warm Pavilion, but since it was already summer, ice buckets were placed in the four corners of the room, making it feel as cool as if the air conditioning were on.

Li Shi personally supervised, watching the servants arrange the pomelo water for a bath and prepare well-fitting new clothes for her to change into, then came over to call her daughter to bathe.

"Hurry and soak in the pomelo water to ward off evil spirits and ensure peace. Mother has also made you several sets of robes to wear inside; the embroidery room has already rushed to finish a few sets for you to wear when going out. Try them on later to see if they fit; if not, I'll have the seamstress alter them..."

Li Shi had too much she wanted to say to her daughter, but she knew her daughter must be exhausted from traveling for days, so she let her bathe first, and after she finished and changed into her sleeping robes, she could have a good sleep. There would be a family banquet in the evening, and they would surely have to enter the palace tomorrow or the day after, so there would be plenty of time for mother and daughter to have their private talks later.

She had waited a long, arduous six years, so what did one or two days matter?

The next day, Xie Yang followed her cheap father into the palace to meet Lao Kang.

She hadn't even thanked the old man yet for the mountain of rewards and titles.

She finished by giving a report on her military campaigns over the past six years.

Kangxi nodded as he listened, but he did not interrupt his granddaughter's long-winded report midway; on the contrary, he listened with great interest, wishing he were the protagonist who had wiped out the remnants of Galdan and annihilated the Russian Army detachment.

However, although he had not been there in person to take the field, it was his granddaughter and Shisi Ye who had fought this victorious battle for him, and Kangxi was still very gratified.

With a kind gaze, he looked over his granddaughter, whom he hadn't seen in six years and who had now grown into a young woman, and said with a smile, "I heard from your Fourteenth Uncle that every place you went, you first led your female soldiers to reclaim land, grow vegetables, and raise cattle and sheep? It seems the food was quite good?"

Xie Yang really wanted to roll her eyes.

He didn't even think about why she had to go through all that trouble; it was all to save money.

Military pay was limited, and the pay for female soldiers was especially limited; if they didn't rely on growing their own vegetables and raising livestock, was she supposed to let her soldiers gnaw on hard buckwheat cakes and black steamed buns every day?

Oh, it seemed the low-ranking soldiers of the Northwest garrison really did eat coarse grain cakes at every meal.

Xie Yang couldn't help but say, "Imperial Grandfather, I wonder if you are aware of the situation regarding the supply of grain and military provisions for the Northwest garrison?"

Kangxi narrowed his eyes: "Has Haiyin discovered something? Do not be afraid, tell Imperial Grandfather the truth."

Xie Yang then told Lao Kang the true side of what she had seen at the Northwest military base, and finally said:

"Imperial Grandfather, forgive your granddaughter for speaking bluntly, but the peace and prosperity of our Great Qing today rely precisely on these soldiers stationed at the borders year-round. They face the wind and sand, endure the scorching sun, guard the borders with harsh climates, and do the most dangerous work; they deserve to be treated with the utmost respect. We don't ask for white flour and fine grains at every meal, or big fish and meat every day, but at least their basic nutrition should be guaranteed, right?"

Since she had started, Xie Yang simply said it all:

"However, the current reality is—the Northwest Army, especially the low-ranking Northwest soldiers, eat coarse grain cakes and black steamed buns that most of the commoners in Peking don't even eat, and sometimes they don't even get enough to eat. Military supplies are chronically insufficient, and the Northwest is arid and lacks water, so they can't even learn from the poor and fill their stomachs with water. In this way, they can't even muster the energy for daily training, so how can they conserve enough strength to go into battle and kill the enemy?"

The more Kangxi heard, the uglier his expression became. After Xie Yang finished speaking, he threw an inkstone toward the door: "Tell Ma Qi to get over here to me at once!"

In fact, the supply of military provisions was not the most serious issue; the layer-upon-layer of extortion and embezzlement of military pay was even more chilling.

Ever since the Yellow River flood caused a deficit in the national treasury, military pay had already been reduced, yet even so, from top to bottom, there were still many people reaching into the military pay.

In the end, there really wasn't much money left to be distributed to the soldiers.

With no money in their hands and military supplies constantly lacking this or that, it was a wonder those low-ranking soldiers hadn't deserted.

Xie Yang was responsible for raising the problem; it wasn't her place to worry about the solution.

But looking at Lao Kang's decisiveness, he was truly angry this time. Hopefully, there would be a comprehensive and thorough investigation, pulling up the radishes and the dirt along with them to severely deal with a batch of people and return a clear sky to the Military Department!

After coming out of the Imperial Study, Xie Yang went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, and then went to Yonghe Palace to visit Defei.

Coincidentally, Shisi Ye was also there, telling Defei interesting stories from the army like a live treasure.

"My big niece is here! Quick, quick, help your Fourteenth Uncle verify this; I'm not lying, that Russian Army leader was really shot dead by me, right?"

"Yes," Xie Yang nodded with a smile.

"Mother, look, your son is quite capable!"

Defei was amused: "Alright, how old are you now, still acting so rowdy? Even Haiyin is more composed than you."

"That's for sure! Haiyin is already nineteen, she's not a child anymore! If she hadn't gone on the expedition, she probably would have already been betrothed to a husband by now, right?"

Mentioning her granddaughter's age, Defei couldn't help but worry: "That's true, men should marry and women should wed. Haiyin, if you have any thoughts, just tell your grandmother; even if I have to risk this old life of mine, I will definitely help you fight for it to the end."

"..."

Si Ye had also said this to her before leaving this morning, fearing that Lao Kang would have a lapse in judgment and arrange a marriage for her.

If she hadn't brought up the issue of the Northwest Army's supplies and pay, Lao Kang might have really brought up the topic of her "not being young anymore and considering a partner," and then taken the opportunity to arrange a marriage for her.

But why did she spend six years leading the Women's Legion from Tibet to Qinghai, and then from Qinghai to Northern Xinjiang, and from Northern Xinjiang to Outer Mongolia? Wasn't it so that when this day came, she would have the right to choose her own life's path?

"Grandmother, Fourteenth Uncle, I am not considering marriage for the time being."

As soon as Xie Yang said this, both Defei and Shisi Ye were quite startled.

Shisi Ye was quick-spoken: "Ah? Why? You're already at this age; if you don't marry now, wouldn't that be..."

Xie Yang: "Fourteenth Uncle, everyone has their own aspirations. In any case, my aspiration is not to get married."

The men of the Great Qing were either taking concubines or were chauvinistic; even a princess's husband could take concubines. It really wasn't as satisfying as leading the Women's Legion to fight on the battlefield.

When Shisi Ye heard she didn't want to marry, he was more anxious than her own father, Si Ye: "How can getting married not be an aspiration? Getting married is just getting married... Ouch, big niece, your way of thinking is truly rebellious. Does Fourth Brother know?"

He didn't know originally, but since Shisi Ye shouted it out, it reached Si Ye's ears.

In fact, not just Si Ye, but all her uncles and elders, including Lao Kang, knew.

Everyone was truly shocked.

"Haiyin doesn't want to marry?"

"How can a woman not marry!"

"Could it be that my big niece feels no one is worthy of her?"

"Then wouldn't it be fine to just find someone who is worthy!"

"..."