Chapter 588: Qing Dynasty Transmigration: Spiritual Spring System (39)

Xie Yang's original intention with these words was to make Shisi Ye focus more on training troops and less on staring at the chair under Lao Kang's backside.

Who would have thought Shisi Ye would misunderstand, as he thought of the prowess of the Nuzi Bingtuan.

For martial strength, there is the Elite Camp! For injuries, there is the medical camp! Even the logistics camp, which handles the chores, folds quilts like blocks of tofu and sews military uniforms more tightly than the embroiderers in the palace—how can one compete with this? Whatever they compete in, they lose!

Once the results of the competition spread, where would the Eight Banners soldiers hide their faces? Where would he, the former Fuyuan General who led the Eight Banners into battle, hide his face?

Would people start to question if his own military achievements were fake? That they were actually just riding on the coattails of his niece?

Although this was indeed the truth, could he admit it?

"About that, niece, your Fourteenth Uncle has thought it over and still feels uneasy. What experience does your Thirteenth Uncle have? Why don't I, your Fourteenth Uncle, accompany you to the Southwest instead!"

Not only could he avoid the competition, but he could also rack up some military merit alongside his niece; why hadn't he thought of this two-birds-one-stone idea earlier?

Xie Yang held back a laugh: "But this trip to the Southwest, there is no telling how long we might stay; it could be another six years..."

Shisi Ye's face crumpled upon hearing this, but he still threw caution to the wind and said: "It's fine! The Northwest has wind and sand everywhere and a shortage of food and drink, and I still persevered through it. I hear the climate in the Southwest is much better than the Northwest, so who's afraid of anything!"

"..."

Jiu Ye and Shi Ye looked at him as if he were a fool.

But everyone has their own aspirations.

Just as Jiu Ye likes doing business and Shi Ye likes listening to operas, perhaps Lao Shisi just has a special fondness for running around leading troops?

"Master, would you like some refreshments now?"

The restaurant manager knocked lightly on the door and asked in a low voice.

Jiu Ye: "Of course! Our niece is waiting to taste them!"

The manager personally carried a tray and served the freshly baked egg tarts.

Seeing the egg tarts, Xie Yang remembered that Bafujin seemed to have transmigrated from the Modern Plane.

The puff pastry of an egg tart requires quite a bit of technique to make well, so it is evident she has some research into desserts; could she have been a pastry chef in her past life?

"How is it? The snacks made from the recipe provided by your Eighth Aunt, the taste is not bad, right?" Jiu Ye asked with a smile.

"Very good!" Xie Yang tasted one, "Ninth Uncle, can I pack a few more portions?"

"Of course you can." Jiu Ye immediately ordered the manager to pack them up. This batch fresh from the oven hadn't been sold yet; besides packing a few portions for his niece, he would also take a box for his younger brothers to bring back to their mansions for their wives and children to taste.

Only Shisi Ye's heart was not in this.

"Niece, you wait, your Fourteenth Uncle is going into the palace right now to beg your Imperial Grandfather! I will beg him to permit me to accompany you to the Southwest!"

"..."

Shisi Ye impatiently went into the palace to beg Lao Kang, asking him to issue an imperial decree allowing him to accompany his niece to the Southwest.

Kangxi was puzzled: Thirteen finishes and then Fourteen comes; are you brothers making a bet or what?

But since they requested to go themselves, Kangxi thought about it and granted it.

Thus, when Ba Ye returned from praying for a child at Hongluo Temple, he found that the brothers who usually sought him out to drink tea and chat were suddenly so busy they were nowhere to be found, so in his confusion, he sent people to inquire.

"Lao Jiu and Lao Shi are scouting for mountains to start livestock farming?"

"Thirteenth Brother and Fourteenth Brother are making preparations for a trip after the New Year?"

When did all of this happen?

Hadn't he only been away for one day?

Didn't Lao Shisi say he wouldn't proactively ask to go on campaigns anymore? How could he go back on his word less than half a month later?

Why did Thirteenth Brother follow along as well? Do they really think the problem with the Southwest chieftains is easy to solve? If it were easy to solve, it wouldn't have dragged on for so many years.

And Lao Jiu and Lao Shi, don't they boast that they have the best relationship and deepest friendship with him? Why didn't they call him when there was a profitable business?

After hearing the news, Ba Ye's expression turned gloomy.

Bafujin, however, looked down on the livestock business; even if there was money to be made, it wasn't something presentable, so she analyzed it for Ba Ye:

"Master, Imperial Father has always looked down on Ninth Brother's business talk, so we had better not get involved. If you really want to invest, it would be better to secretly send someone to open a dessert shop. I still know a few dessert recipes; there is definitely money to be made."

Ba Ye thought this made sense. He was different from Lao Jiu and Lao Shi; he was aiming for that position, so he truly couldn't touch business in the open! Lest he be like Lao Jiu, constantly being lectured by Imperial Father, which was not good for his image.

But who doesn't want to earn Silver?

Thinking of the snack recipe his wife gave to Lao Jiu, which brought a steady stream of customers to Lao Jiu's restaurant, Ba Ye didn't show it on his face, but he had long regretted it in his heart.

If he had known, he should have agreed when Lao Jiu proposed giving his wife a share of the profits.

But he thought about how in the past few years, Lao Jiu had sent him no shortage of silver notes; all in all, it was enough to buy several recipes. It was just a snack recipe, so he had given it away. Who knew it would be so profitable?

At this moment, hearing his wife's suggestion, he was naturally tempted.

Thus, after the couple discussed it, they quietly sent people to open a dessert shop, specifically selling the desserts Bafujin had learned to build her persona in the entertainment industry in her past life.

However, before the dessert shop even opened, they heard a piece of news that struck the couple like a bolt from the blue:

"What! Imperial Father not only didn't lecture Lao Jiu for neglecting his proper work to do livestock farming, but even praised him for having a heart that worries about the country and the people? Since when did the livestock industry have anything to do with worrying about the country and the people?"

Ba Ye's face turned livid, and he even crushed the teacup in his hand; the sharp porcelain shards cut his fingers, and bloodstains followed the tea to soak his sleeves.

Bafujin was so frightened she hurriedly stopped the bleeding for him. She dared not call the mansion physician or the imperial physician, fearing it would be known to the outside world and spread rumors unfavorable to the couple.

"Master, could it be a mistake?"

Ba Ye's lips trembled.

He also hoped it was a mistake.

But he had heard Imperial Father smiling and praising Lao Jiu at the morning court session with his own ears.

"I heard it's a type of livestock feed that Haiyin niece figured out during those years in the Northwest. They say that livestock fed with this feed grow fast, get sick less, poultry lay more eggs, and livestock produce more meat... No wonder Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother were running around so actively... Right! It's not just Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother; Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, Thirteenth Brother, and Fourteenth Brother have all bought shares!"

At this moment, Ba Ye was filled with regret.

If he had known, he should have gone to find Haiyin niece on the day he returned from Hongluo Temple and asked to be included.

It was too late now!

Imperial Father had already mentioned this matter at the morning court session. If he went to find his niece now, not only would it not leave a good impression on Imperial Father, but on the contrary, it would make him think he had no mind of his own, and was even fawning and currying favor.

A miscalculation!

A massive miscalculation!

Bafujin knitted her delicate brows: "What does Imperial Father mean by this? Has he not always looked down upon Ninth Brother doing business in the past?"

She truly could not understand it.

"Imperial Father is not praising Ninth Brother for doing business, but for animal husbandry." Ba Ye lowered his eyes to look at the Fujin bandaging him and sighed, "The national treasury is currently depleted, and Imperial Father has racked his brains to ensure the common people of the world have enough to eat. Otherwise, how do you think the natal family of Fourth Brother's Side Fujin, Li Shi, was promoted two ranks and transferred to a post in Peking University? It is precisely because he took the lead in cultivating rice in Jiangnan, and the yield per mu increased by over thirty percent."

"……"