When Lin Jiayue entered the palace, she was wearing plain white clothes without any hairpins. Song Wan was also dressed in plain white, as indifferent as if they were meeting for the first time. Since makeup was not allowed during the national mourning period, her face was dazzlingly white.
The two looked at each other, first they both raised their lips and smiled, and then they both shed tears. There was sadness in the tears, and there was also some indescribable happiness that seemed to exist after a disaster.
Lin Jiayue wiped her tears and said warmly: "You don't look good."
Song Wan curled his lips slightly, but shed a string of tears.
"It's a bit scary, but it's okay."
"Huai Su is... gone."
Telling Song Wan what Huaisu did that day, Lin Jiayue cried again as she spoke.
"There is a very good girl in the East Palace. She died yesterday to save me."
Both of them looked up at each other, with expressions on their faces that looked like they were crying but not smiling.
Song Wan now knows the weight of the words "changed seas, mulberry fields, gray and yellow".
In the past, all the quarrels between the two of them in the Chengyang Marquis Mansion have now become blurred after hundreds of years of wind and frost. It is difficult to touch the slightest outline of them without deliberate exploration.
"Did you come to see me today for something?"
Wiping away the tears on his face, Song Wan said: "The national treasury is empty, there is nothing in it, and now there is no military pay or food and grass in the court. I would like to ask you what you can do?"
Lin Jiayue lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then said softly: "Yes."
"I knew you had it."
Song Wan smiled softly, as if stars were falling in his eyes.
"But I can't do this alone. You have to introduce me to a few court officials and have their help."
"I'll write a note for you. You can go find my brother or father."
"Sure, wait for my good news in the palace."
Lin Jiayue agreed neatly. She was impatient and wanted to do what she agreed to immediately. But as soon as she walked out of the Yi Pavilion, she turned to Song Wan and said, "You look very weak. Overthinking will hurt your body. And you can see that Open more.”
"Thanks for caring."
"You go back, you don't have to send me off."
The girl turned around, her steps seemed a bit messy due to her anxiety, but Song Wan looked quite relieved.
I don't know whether it was because of her long body that she was able to use it, but Lin Jiayue finally regained some of her most enviable lively appearance in the past.
In the Chengyang Marquis' Mansion, Jiang's mother was standing in front of the hanging flower door in mourning clothes. After Huai Su left, she actually entrusted her whole heart to Lin Jiayue.
The Qishun family accompanied Lin Jiayue back from the outer courtyard, and saw Jiang's mother standing earnestly under the screen wall, looking up.
In the past few days, she seemed to have been drained of all her energy and vitality. Her black hair was more than half gray, and her eyelids were drooped, with no trace of the proud spirit that had supported her in the past.
The death of Jiang Man and the unknown life and death of Jiang Xingjian in Suhe made Jiang's mother suffer so much that she was in pain. Now she has turned into an ordinary old lady.
"Why did Song Wan invite you to the palace? But what's the news about Suhe? Is Yi'er still safe? Is there any news about how many days the DPRK army will arrive?"
Lin Jiayue shook her head: "The national treasury is empty and the court is unable to support military pay and food. Song Wan asked me if I could do anything."
"Then do you have any idea?"
Jiang Mu stood in front of Lin Jiayue and paced back and forth. Her waist, which used to be straight, was now slightly bent. She walked back and forth in the garden, and after a while she pointed to Qishun's house and said, "How much money is left in the house? Bring out all the money you can use."
"Collecting the accounts of several shops outside, there should be a lot of savings in the house after the sudden death of Duke Yin..."
Just as she was talking, Jiang's mother suddenly burst into tears: "Is there any way you can bring Man'er's body back? The clean person she loved the most in the past can't wait in a desolate place..."
"She is used to being pampered. She will not eat anything that is not fine in the house, and will not wear anything that is not rare and expensive. She cannot feel at ease in a poor place like Suhe."
The war is getting intense, and Nanqing's army will rush to Shuhe River again. How can Jiang Man's body be found after the battle? But Lin Jiayue said with a smile with tears in her eyes: "I will send people to Suhe to bring the imperial concubine's body back intact."
It doesn't matter whether the bones brought back are those of Jiang Man. The only way is to put the mother's loving heart in front of her.
"As for military pay and food, I have a solution. I am going to the Song Mansion to visit Mr. Song. Mother should not be too worried."
Jiang's mother looked at her with a big belly and a haggard face, except for her sparkling eyes, which made her nose and eyes sour: "I asked the mansion to prepare meals for you. Eat some before you get busy."
Lin Jiayue nodded and went to Song Mansion after dinner.
Song Lan'an has been staying in Zhongshu Province these days, but Song Fu met Lin Jiayue.
"You said you have a way to solve problems such as food, grass and military pay?"
Lin Jiayue nodded: "Let's crowdfund."
“What is crowdfunding?”
Lin Jiayue said: "Find a wealthy family in Beijing and ask them to donate money and materials."
Song Fu's eyes lit up, and he suddenly remembered the people who spontaneously donated money and food at the palace gate that day. A drop of water cannot make a sea, but if a small amount of water accumulates, it can solve the urgent need.
"General Suhe of the Song Dynasty thanked his wife."
With his hands bowed, Song Fu solemnly bowed to Lin Jiayue.
"I will write down the specific matters after I return home, and you can refer to the specific operation methods."
After a few brief explanations, Lin Jiayue left the Song Mansion.
When she walked out of Song Mansion, she suddenly felt relaxed.
Looking at the scenes of people hurriedly going about their lives in the streets, she slowly raised the corners of her lips and revealed a relaxed smile.
It turns out that the value of a person's life does not come from other people's words, nor does it require everyone to know what he has done.
She thought she could finally let go of her past obsessions and live well in this world. In order to protect yourself and do your best for the people of the world.
Gently stroking her belly, Lin Jiayue smiled tenderly and slowly stepped onto the carriage with Qianbi's support.
Only three or five hours after she left, the imperial court built a wooden platform at the palace gate according to Lin Jiayue's instructions. Officials in Beijing informed the people of the plight of the court word by word. Song Lan'an, Ming Huaxin, Zheng Yunshan and others The old ministers of the DPRK paid their respects widely in the mansion.
The aristocratic family has accumulated wealth for several generations, and in a short time they have amassed a huge sum.
In the East Palace, Song Wan also asked Ji Rong to give away all his previous dowry and the prince's private property.
Ji Rong looked at Song Wan and said tremblingly: "Send them all away?"
Song Wan nodded: "If the country is destroyed, these external possessions will be handed over to Nanqing. I believe that even the prince will make the same decision as me."
"Song Chenghui's words are reasonable."
The prince's private property is indeed quite large, especially the property he received from Duan Yiting in the past is even more astonishing.
But Song Chenghui was right. What would be the use of these items if the country was destroyed?
"The young man will send people to collect the property in the warehouse to provide food, fodder and military pay."
The people in the East Palace are taking action, and other aristocratic families or large clans are also doing their best to raise military supplies.
There were those who went to Beijing for hundreds of years to buy countless medicinal materials and sent them to the court, and there were also cloth merchants from Jiangnan who sent letters overnight to send the cloth from the treasury to Suhe River. The three major business gangs including Yangzhou salt merchants, Hui merchants and Shanxi merchants went all out to buy grain, grass, horses and other items.
Lan Yunhe even purchased 60,000 shi of grain on his own and sent it to the military camp.
But everyone still has no confidence in their hearts, just because they don't know how long this battle will last, and how long it will take to end.
