Eight Yun Tian Guards looked at Zuo Jing with a sense of awe.
But when they recalled her furious reaction upon learning of Liang Xiao's marriage, this awe quickly turned into complex expressions.
At that moment, she was like a little girl whose beloved possession had been snatched away.
Now, she was determined to prove that she was at least more capable than Liang Xiao in intelligence, assassination, and capture, having apprehended a core disciple of the Returning Spring Sect that Liang Xiao could not!
At night, Liang Xiao brought Christe back to rejoin the others. Only then did Luo Qingxue accompany Yue Lian to cook.
"You haven't eaten yet?" Liang Xiao asked in surprise.
Zhen Mi replied, "We were waiting for Brother Xiao to return, so we could all eat together. Sister Yue Lian was worried that if the meal was cooked too early, it would get cold by the time Brother Xiao returned and wouldn't taste good!"
"In the future, you don't need to wait for me when it's mealtime. Today, I'll teach you how to cook a few dishes. It's a good chance for you to try something new," Liang Xiao said apologetically and, despite everyone's dissuasion, personally went into the kitchen.
On the dinner table, there was a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, a plate of fried sweet potato chips, and a pot of corn and pork rib soup.
Steamed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn were also served in separate bowls.
Wisps of steam warmed the late autumn air!
"These are the three new grains..." The crowd, drawn by the aroma, licked their lips.
"See if they suit your taste. In the future, these can be promoted nationwide. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can even be considered staple foods, providing abundant sustenance!"
At Liang Xiao's urging, the girls began to taste.
After tasting, they were all full of praise!
The three new crops, six dishes, each had its own admirers.
Liang Xiao, seeing their genuine joy, also felt a quiet anticipation.
In the future, as long as the common people were educated on how to avoid poisoning, such as not eating raw potatoes or potatoes that had sprouted, these new crops could reach ordinary households by next winter at the latest!
At that time, many landlords would inevitably rush to imitate the cultivation, and with the Northern Army providing sufficient security, the land prices in Yanzhou would surely skyrocket.
What could be grown in Jiangnan could also be grown in Yanzhou!
It was just that the south, with its advantages in climate and water resources, could grow two crops a year, which was why land prices in southern Da Gan were generally higher than in the north.
"Zhuo Lingjun must be very happy right now, shouldn't he?" Liang Xiao muttered to himself.
"You think about my grandfather even when you're eating? Why don't you just marry him!" Zhuo Xun's eyebrows shot up, causing a burst of laughter.
Liang Xiao narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhuo Xun.
This little demon, knowing he couldn't bear to deal with her, had been learning from the female Bodhisattva recently?
Meanwhile, in the Zhuo Manor in Jiangnan, the Zhuo family was filled with joy.
Zhuo Zifang was rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold for his meritorious service in helping Liang Xiao stabilize Jiangnan.
Gold would never lack a market. At current exchange rates, one tael of gold could be exchanged for at least ten taels of silver, and would always be in high demand, with supply never meeting it.
The former Grand Tutor's mansion was also bestowed upon the Zhuo family by Xiao Qing, bringing them immense prestige.
The cooks at the Zhuo Manor also prepared six dishes for Zhuo Zifang's family using the three new crops, following the recipes left by Liang Xiao.
The family ate with great relish.
Zhuo Zifang looked at the moon in the sky and murmured with a face full of satisfaction, "These new crops have ripened and can be promoted! Liang Xiao must be very happy now, shouldn't he?"
Zhuo Xiong thought of Zhuo Wulüe, Zhuo Wentao, and Zhuo Ying, and teased, "Grandpa talks about my brother-in-law every day, but not half a word about our uncles?"
Now that Zhuo Xun was married to Liang Xiao, Liang Xiao was his brother-in-law.
"Nonsense, I mentioned them the day before yesterday!" Zhuo Zifang vehemently denied.
Zhuo Xiong pouted, "That was only mentioned in passing when talking about brother-in-law."
"Silence!" Zhuo Zifang's old face flushed, and he pretended to be displeased.
Old Madam Zhuo laughed, "Look at your grandfather, ever since he met this child, he's become more and more like a child himself..."
In the capital, Zhuo Wulüe went to Liang Xiao's An Guo Marquis residence to pay his respects to Li Jinyu and state his purpose.
"Senior, my father and mother both hope you will give my father a chance to join the Zhuo family and be of equal standing with my mother..."
Li Jinyu was taken aback, still seemingly sulking, "How could I possibly be the wife of that dead man again?"
Zhuo Wulüe lowered his head in shame.
Li Jinyu had known Zhuo Zifang first. Indeed, Zhuo Zifang had wronged her and wasted her life.
A long silence filled the room. Finally, Li Jinyu sighed faintly, "After I am gone, if the Zhuo family does not abandon me, I will shamelessly enter the ancestral tomb and seek a place for a memorial tablet..."
Zhuo Zifang was both surprised and delighted. He readily agreed and, on the spot, he and Li Jinyu each wrote a letter and sent it to Jiangnan.
Deep into the night, Liang Xiao took Christe to visit Sophia.
Sophia was always polite, her demeanor respectful, and even a bit restrained, with a look of disappointment.
"Sophia, you are my wife's elder sister, and by rights, we should be family. However, I hope you can understand that for a long time to come, I will not be able to fully trust you. Therefore, for now, I will treat you as a guest, maintaining a certain distance, but I will absolutely not mistreat you."
Liang Xiao finally got straight to the point, no longer concealing.
If she was indeed a spy sent by the Returning Spring Sect, then she would certainly know that he had captured those two blond-haired, blue-eyed individuals. She would also be aware of the murder case related to Christe's appearance. It made no difference whether he mentioned these things or not.
If she was truly innocent, constant suspicion would eventually be discovered. It was better to be upfront.
Sophia merely bit her lower lip. After a long pause, she finally nodded, "I have already learned of the An Guo Marquis's deeds. I truly should understand. You and His Majesty have saved me, how could I be greedy..."
Liang Xiao and Christe could only look at her with apologetic expressions.
However, Liang Xiao did not soften his stance. He still instructed Buti and Liang Mingyu to stay with Christe at all times, not to leave her side.
The next morning, Liang Xiao went to his fiefdom, Anxi County.
His stipend was increased by five thousand households, and it was also located in Anxi County, exempting it from taxes for unified management.
Since Anxi County did not have enough households, many people from neighboring counties eagerly flocked there.
Liang Si, who was responsible for managing Liang Xiao's stipend, followed Liang Xiao's instructions and refused any wealthy families from acquiring property, only accepting some impoverished people without farmland. This would make them easier to hire and also appease them, preventing them from revolting due to hardship.
Yue Qingtian and Nie Yuan had been waiting in the military camp for a long time. Even Nan Jiyun, the deputy commander of the Da Gan Iron Guards, was invited to observe.
After Liang Xiao alighted from the carriage, he discovered thousands of commoners kneeling on both sides of the passage. He was surprised, asked everyone to rise, and immediately inquired about the situation.
"These commoners heard that the Marquis was coming to inspect and spontaneously came to welcome him. We couldn't stop them," Liu Fan explained with a complex smile.
Liang Xiao immediately announced, "From now on, you only kneel to heaven, earth, sovereign, parents, and teacher. You do not need to kneel to me, nor shall you offer anything to me or my subordinates. Just live your lives well!"
The Da Gan imperial family adhered to the ancestral teaching of "the people are more important than the ruler," and paid more attention to the common people than the previous dynasty.
According to the law, commoners generally did not need to kneel when meeting officials, even during trials. However, they could kneel voluntarily. Commoners, fearing officials, often did not understand the law and would proactively kneel when meeting a county magistrate, for fear of offending them. Therefore, the law that commoners in Da Gan did not need to kneel before officials was largely nominal.
Liang Xiao's simple words once again won him the gratitude of the military and the people.
Nan Jiyun and Nie Yuan exchanged smiles, while Yue Qingtian scratched the back of his head and chuckled foolishly, his pride undisguised.
"An Guo Marquis has been immensely gracious to us. How could we be ungrateful!" the commoners exclaimed in alarm.
Liang Xiao fell into a brief silence, his heart filled with emotion.
In this era, the common people were accustomed to being exploited. When someone suddenly treated them exceptionally well, they became somewhat apprehensive, fearing that they might lose this "goodness." This was only natural...