Within the opulent mansion and courtyard, the foreign old woman had lulled the infant to sleep. Upon hearing of Liang Xiao's arrival, she was overwhelmed with emotion.
It wasn't until Liang Xiao appeared before her, accompanied by Luo Qingxue and Jian Qinyuan, and bowed to her, "Grandma, have you been inadequately hosted here, or are you suffering from acclimatization?"
The old woman could no longer suppress her heartfelt gratitude, kneeling before Liang Xiao and kowtowing. Liang Xiao helped her up.
Liang Xiao requested, "This junior has heard from his subordinates that you are indeed from overseas nations. Could you elaborate?"
This foreign merchant ship had brought hope to the Great Qian Dynasty, allowing him to retire earlier in the future. However, only this old woman and the infant remained of the crew. Liang Xiao felt a deep sense of gratitude towards them.
The old woman repeatedly agreed, tears streaming down her face as she spoke to Liang Xiao in slightly broken Great Qian language, explaining the situation.
The previous dynasty of the Great Qian was the Great Heng Dynasty, and before the Great Heng Dynasty, there was the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Over these few centuries, the language and attire of the Great Qian Dynasty had not changed much compared to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The old woman's name was He Liuzhu.
Hundreds of years ago, the Great Zhou Dynasty disintegrated, war ravaged the land, and the people suffered immensely!
To escape the war, hundreds of ancestors of the He family were forced to travel across the ocean with their entire clan. They drifted for a long time and eventually landed on an "overseas isolated island."
The ancestors of the He family took root there and discovered that a large number of indigenous people lived there, whom they called "Senluo people."
Later, the ancestors of the He family taught these indigenous people the language of the Great Zhou Dynasty and formed an alliance with one of the Senluo tribes, thus managing to survive.
The ancestors discovered that crops such as "sweet potatoes," "potatoes," and "corn" on this land yielded exceptionally well and had high cultivation value. They began to research, promote, and continuously improve their cultivation.
It wasn't until He Liuzhu's generation that a drastic change occurred. The Senluo tribe allied with the He family grew increasingly powerful and coveted the He family's wealth, turning against them.
The He family was once again embroiled in tribal conflict. A small portion of the He family, to escape the Senluo people's purge, was forced to take some kind-hearted Senluo people and retreat from that continent, not knowing where to return home.
These accompanying Senluo people had long yearned for the "Great Zhou Dynasty," which had brought them cultural changes, and they pleaded for the fleet to sail to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
He Liuzhu's husband, He Yao, the leader of this ship, also decided to return to his roots and, at the same time, bring these crops to the homeland of his ancestors.
The fleet traded with various overseas nations along the way to approach the Great Zhou Dynasty. However, they were attacked by Japanese pirates at sea. Fortunately, they were rescued by Nan Jiyun's fleet, saving the grandparents, grandchild, and the ship.
As Liang Xiao listened, his heart grew increasingly alarmed. He sighed, "General Nan has achieved a feat that will be recorded in history! Every member of the He family and Senluo people on this ship will be honorably buried, and the people of the Great Qian Dynasty will surely thank them!"
He Liuzhu choked back tears, "Thank you, Marquis An Guo, for sending people to rescue us and save the last bloodline of my family. Ling'er is fated to a hard life, having lost her parents early and now her grandfather... The treasures on the ship will be turned over to the treasury of the Great Qian Dynasty. I only ask that the Great Qian Dynasty take good care of Ling'er..."
By the end of her words, He Liuzhu was incoherent with grief.
This infant girl was named He Ling. It was her crying that drew the attention of the soldiers, allowing the grandmother and grandchild to survive.
"In the future, when these crops are popularized, I will petition His Majesty to posthumously grant the title of nobility to Old Mr. He, and I will ensure that you two live without worry for the rest of your lives," Liang Xiao sighed.
Even after hundreds of years, these ancestors of the He family still carried the culture from their homeland in a foreign land. Their attire was still in the style of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
He Liuzhu must have been a refined young lady in her youth, having inherited the culture passed down by her ancestors. Although her language was somewhat broken, her speech was still remarkable.
He Liuzhu was flattered and once again wanted to kneel, but Luo Qingxue supported her.
"I dare not! To have saved my Ling'er's life, this old woman is immensely grateful! As for the potatoes and the like, I never imagined that Marquis An Guo would be so knowledgeable and recognize these things..."
Liang Xiao remained silent.
"Of course, he is practically omnipotent!" Luo Qingxue said with pride.
Only then did He Liuzhu calm her emotions, smiling and nodding, "The credit for popularizing these crops should belong solely to Marquis An Guo. My husband has passed away, and posthumous fame is meaningless..."
Liang Xiao said with a serious expression, "You should also think of your Ling'er. To have a wife and pass down your lineage is always a good thing, allowing this child to be respected in the future."
He Liuzhu thought for a moment and nodded, "In that case, let it be said that my husband and the others brought the potatoes, but the popularization will be credited to Marquis An Guo. Otherwise, I fear my husband's spirit in heaven would not rest easy..."
Liang Xiao readily agreed and added, "I have already sent people to invite General Nan and the others. They should be here soon."
A moment later, Zhang Yang and Nan Jiyun arrived.
Liang Xiao, seeing Nan Jiyun's rather excited expression yet his ability to maintain composure, could not help but marvel inwardly.
Upon learning that He Ling was an orphan, Nan Jiyun pondered for a moment, cupped his fists, and said, "I deeply admire the spirit of the He family's return to their roots! Marquis An Guo, Old Madam He, I have an impertinent request..."
Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Your merits in this battle are enough to be recorded in history. Speak freely, and I will petition His Majesty to grant you rewards!"
"I care not for rewards..." Nan Jiyun shook his head, looking at He Ling in He Liuzhu's arms, and sighed.
"As the saying goes: a son wishes to be filial, but his parents are no longer there. I am a late-born child to my elderly parents, who passed away early. I married and had a child in my thirties. My wife is virtuous, and my son is still an infant. If Old Madam He does not mind my humble status, I am willing to acknowledge you as my godmother and adopt Ling'er as my goddaughter. What do you say?"
He Liuzhu was both surprised and overjoyed, agreeing repeatedly.
These were their savior and protector!
Liang Xiao also nodded in praise, "With General Nan's care, Ling'er will be safe. Perhaps in the future, she will become a renowned female general!"
Of course, it was also possible that Nan Jiyun's son would marry He Ling in the future. That would be Nan Jiyun's family affair, and he, as an outsider, did not want to arrange any pre-arranged marriages.
In any case, the grandmother and grandchild finally had someone they could trust to look after them.
"Renowned female general..." Nan Jiyun murmured, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "I was of humble origins in my youth, drifting for half my life, and I offended Du Guqun. If I didn't worry about being called unfilial, I wouldn't even have the courage to marry and start a family, fearing I would burden my wife and children! Now, with Marquis An Guo upholding justice, I dare to make this presumptuous request!"
Liang Xiao said solemnly, "There is no need to belittle yourself! From this day forward, the Great Qian Dynasty will have another general recorded in history, Nan Jiyun! The Son of Heaven rewards merit. With your achievements, you will at least be granted the rank of General!"
"My contributions are really that great?" Nan Jiyun looked bewildered. Liang Xiao immediately informed him about the potatoes, leaving Nan Jiyun dumbfounded.
A grain crop that could feed the world, and treasures worth a million taels?
Looking at the smiling Liang Xiao, Nan Jiyun's heart warmed, and his eyes finally welled up. He knelt before Liang Xiao and solemnly pledged.
"From now on, I will interpret the soul of the Great Qian army with my life!"
At this moment, Nan Jiyun felt a sense of emotion: Since yesterday, Liang Xiao had arranged for him, Yang Huan, and Zhang Yang to jointly manage the Eastern Navy camp, clearly intending to help him build his prestige.
Zhang Yang reminded him, "Liang Xiao, I took a look at those salt fields. They are truly excellent... After this matter is settled, you should inspect them as soon as possible."
Liang Xiao nodded. Seeing Nan Jiyun hesitate to speak, he smiled and said, "General Nan, speak freely. This is not like your character."
Nan Jiyun scratched the back of his head and said with a dry laugh, "Marquis An Guo, I'm actually not skilled in naval warfare, but rather in mounted combat. I've always wanted to go to Yanzhou and become a white-robed soldier..."
Hearing this, Liang Xiao silently disdained him in his heart: Not skilled in naval warfare? So he shot and killed dozens of people on the ship, then charged around with a long spear, stabbing and killing hundreds more?
Listen to this! Would a normal person say such a thing!
Even the honest and simple Zhang Yang pouted, expressing his speechless contempt with a glance.