Langye County was not far from Hejian County. Even though they met bandits along the way, they were killed by Jiang Pengji and her men before they could even get close to the carriages. Apart from these small disturbances, the rest of the journey was peaceful.
It was even safer when they reached Hejian County.
During the years that Jiang Pengji studied in Langye County, the bandits near Hejian County did not have a good time.
Those people were either caught and killed, or they were secretly recruited by Jiang Pengji's troops. Because of that, Hejian County had been peaceful for many years.
"Langjun, let's go home …"
Taxue stuck her head out of the curtain and saw the city on the ground. Her heart was filled with joy.
Jiang Pengji held the reins and replied softly, "Yes, let's go home."
Hejian County was the first place she stayed after waking up in this world.
Even though she did not have a sense of belonging, she felt that things were still the same, but people had changed when they met again after so many years.
"Let's go!"
After lamenting, the fleet of carriages was repaired. Jiang Pengji waved her whip and continued on the road.
Because someone had informed them in advance, the Liu's had already sent someone to wait outside the city.
Jiang Pengji had excellent eyesight, so she naturally saw who was waiting at the front. Her lips curled into a sincere smile.
She asked White to run a few steps and said to Xu Ke, "Xiaoyu!"
Xu Ke bowed to Jiang Pengji with a smile on his face. "Welcome, Langjun."
Xu Ke, who was already in his twenties, was a little longer than before. His shoulders were a lot broader, and his face was more determined. The immaturity of a teenager had faded away, and he now had the calmness of a young man. Perhaps it was because he was in high spirits when he was in a good mood.
Xu Ke followed Jiang Pengji to study in Langye early in the morning. Even though he was her study companion, he was no different from a normal student in Langye. Sometimes, he could even receive personal lessons from Master Yuanjing. Two months ago, Jiang Pengji sent Xu Ke back to Hejian to prepare for the marriage of the daughter of a mistress in the Liu's. Judging by his appearance, it should have been done.
"Let's not talk about this. We've been on the road for so long and haven't eaten anything good. I'm starving."
Jiang Pengji threw White's reins to the servant.
Xu Ke said, "Madam Hu has prepared a banquet at home. She's waiting for you."
Madam Hu?
"What about Mother?" Jiang Pengji asked.
Xu Ke replied, "First Madam has been busy with the wedding these days. She caught a cold this morning, so she asked Madam Hu to come out and welcome you."
"I see." Jiang Pengji pointed at the fleet of carriages behind her and said, "Send someone to transport all these back to the manor, and then count them according to the list. If there are any problems, you must inform me immediately … I'm so tired, I'm going back to the mansion to change my clothes. "
The pace of life in the ancient times was quite slow. Even though he hadn't been back for a few years, Hejian County was no different from what he remembered.
When she saw that there were many beggars in ragged clothes in the city, she couldn't help but frown.
Xu Ke took the initiative to explain, "Two years ago and last year, the harvests in the counties around Hejian County were not good. Especially during the autumn harvest last year, there was a small locust plague. There was almost no harvest in the fields … If the commandery governor hadn't opened the granary and borrowed some food from the families, there would have been more victims … Hejian County is fine, but the situation in the other counties is even worse …"
Even though Jiang Pengji had helped Hejian County solve the problem of bandits and avoided man-made disasters, natural disasters could still make the people suffer.
Jiang Pengji's expression darkened. She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the fleet of carriages behind her.
The dowry was almost all bought by Jiang Pengji. She knew clearly how much money she had spent.
It was only the dowry of the daughter of a concubine in the Liu manor, but there were countless people around who still didn't have enough to eat.
Such a sharp contrast made Jiang Pengji's heart tighten, and her expression became more and more unpleasant.
"What about the tenant farmers outside?"
Jiang Pengji asked about the farms owned by the Liu manor.
"The first madam took out her own money and made the decision to exempt the tenant farmers from their commission. She also helped to pay for the grain tax and gave some money to each household."
The other tenant farmers were homeless and had no food to eat, but the tenant farmers of the Liu manor were not affected much. At least they didn't become refugees.
They talked and soon arrived at the Liu manor.
The gatekeeper saw Jiang Pengji and didn't react for a long time. He then hurriedly shouted, "Second Langjun is back!"
Not long after, the old housekeeper trotted out. He couldn't help but burst into tears when he saw Jiang Pengji, who was already 15 years old.
"Housekeeper, it's good to be home. Why are you crying? Stop crying. I'll go see my mother first. "
The housekeeper wiped his tears and said, "The first madam just took her medicine and is already asleep. Why don't you go wash up first?"
"That's fine."
Jiang Pengji went back to her yard. The servant girls had already prepared hot soup and clean clothes.
The servants were still the same. The inside and outside of the yard were clean, as if the owner had never left.
"Xunmei? You are … "
Jiang Pengji saw a slender figure. It was very familiar. She was stunned for a moment before she remembered who it was.
"I heard from Xiao … Xiaoyu that you are back today, and I made the decision to clean up your room." Xunmei's face was blushing. Even without makeup, she still had a stunning beauty. She looked softer and more mature than before. "Please forgive me, Langjun."
Hearing that, Jiang Pengji turned to look at Xu Ke. She clicked her tongue and said, "So the good news is coming."
Xu Ke felt a little uncomfortable, so Xun Mei helped him out. "I wanted to tell you about this when Langjun was free …"
"There's no need to avoid this. He has been delaying you for so many years without giving you a response. Now that he finally relents, of course, we have to get it done quickly. " Jiang Pengji teased her. Xunmei blushed. She folded her sleeves and left the room for the two of them.
Seeing that Xunmei left, Jiang Pengji asked, "Have you decided?"
Xu Ke knew what she was referring to. He nodded and said, "Yes."
"Then don't let her down. Xunmei is a good girl." To be honest, Jiang Pengji didn't have high hopes for Xunmei and Xu Ke. The latter was a swan. Sooner or later, he would spread his wings and soar. Compared to him, Xunmei was just an ordinary girl.
It was hard to imagine if Xu Ke would treat Xunmei the same way when he became successful in the future.
In Jiang Pengji's opinion, with Xunmei's qualifications, she would be happier if she chose a stable and ordinary man.
However, that was just her guess.
What would happen in the future would depend on the two of them.
Xu Ke could hear the warning in Jiang Pengji's words. He couldn't help but say solemnly, "I won't let her down."
Jiang Pengji patted his shoulder. "Remember what you said."
Xu Ke said, "Of course I will."
"Have a seat. I want to know about the changes in Hejian County these years. What's the situation with the troops now? "
Jiang Pengji stayed in Langye County. She would receive news every once in a while, but because of the inconvenience of communication, the information was simplified and not detailed at all. Now that she finally came back, she naturally wanted to know more about it.
Speaking of business, Xu Ke sat up straight and started to organize his thoughts.
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