Chapter 47: Fully Armed

Early in the morning, Hou Xiaoxiao set out on her journey, while Jiang Lili got up as well, only to return to her room to continue sleeping.

By the time the hour of Chen arrived, Jiang Lili had finished her breakfast at the Li Mansion. Carrying the supplies Hou Xiaoxiao had given her and holding a food container, she made her way to the entrance of the Li Mansion.

The Li family had already prepared a carriage for her to travel to the Laifu Inn.

Beside the carriage stood four tall and burly young men, each with a stern and imposing demeanor.

When Jiang Lili appeared, the square-faced man at the forefront clasped his hands in greeting and said, “Miss Jiang, we are escorts invited by Young Master Li. We all come from Guan Family Village, and from now on, we will be responsible for your safety during the journey.”

“I am the leader of the group, Cen Rang,” he added.

Escort Cen then briefly introduced the other three escorts, whose surnames were Ge, Guo, and Wu.

“We will claim publicly that we were assigned by Magistrate Li to ensure the exiled group reaches Haizhou safely,” Escort Cen explained.

He continued, “I was raised by hunters in the Qinglin Mountains as a child and only joined Village Chief Guan at the age of seventeen. I am quite familiar with the terrain of the Qinglin Mountains.”

Hearing Escort Cen’s explanation, Jiang Lili felt somewhat reassured and replied, “I’ll be counting on you four big brothers during the journey!”

After greeting each of them, Jiang Lili boarded the carriage, and the four escorts accompanied her to the Laifu Inn.

At the inn, Jiang Lili was led by a servant to the rooms occupied by the Marquis’s household. Sister-in-law Chen and Madam Yang, upon seeing Jiang Lili return, immediately pulled her aside to inspect her thoroughly. Only after confirming that she was unharmed did they relax.

Yin Zhen, upon hearing that Jiang Lili had returned, came over with Dabao in tow. She brought Jiang Lili some green bean cakes that she had made herself and said, “Miss Jiang, I made these green bean cakes. Please try them.”

Yin Zhen was skilled in both cooking and needlework. Back when she was in the capital, it was her craftsmanship that secured her a place in the household.

She thought to herself that she currently had nothing to offer in return to Jiang Lili. After arriving at the inn last night, she had sought work in the small kitchen as an assistant and earned some mung beans and lotus seeds, which she used to make some pastries.

Jiang Lili initially wanted to say that she had just had breakfast not long ago, but her gaze fell on the green bean cakes in Yin Zhen’s hands. They were entirely different from the ordinary green bean cakes she had imagined.

The cakes Yin Zhen made were translucent and radiant, with a refreshing hue. They looked far more tempting than the trendy desserts produced by modern pastry shops famous for their long queues.

Unable to resist, Jiang Lili picked up a piece and tried it. The texture was soft and delicate, neither dry nor sticky—truly a masterpiece among green bean cakes.

Jiang Lili praised it repeatedly, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Yin Zhen. “Delicious, absolutely delicious!”

Hearing Jiang Lili’s praise, Yin Zhen was overjoyed. She had no idea that this humble piece of green bean cake would one day cause a sensation in another world.

As they ate the pastries, the group discussed their plans.

Madam Yang asked Jiang Lili, “Has Magistrate Li’s illness been cured?”

Jiang Lili recounted Magistrate Li’s arrangements to everyone from the Marquis’s household. After listening, Sister-in-law Chen sighed with emotion, “Our household has truly produced a golden benefactor.”

Privately, she thought to herself with some relief that she had adjusted her attitude toward Jiang Lili in time. Otherwise, who knows how many times this sister-in-law would have embarrassed her by now?

Soon after hearing of Jiang Lili’s return, Xin Che hurried to the Marquis couple’s room.

When he saw Jiang Lili, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. “They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

Jiang Lili had gone to treat Magistrate Li yesterday and decided not to bring Xin Che along, thinking it would be inconvenient to take her personal guard when meeting with a close friend.

Jiang Lili shook her head and said, “They wouldn’t dare!”

Xin Cheng, usually a man of few words, added bluntly, “If anyone dared to trouble our sister-in-law, the Marquis household would fight them to the end!”

Hearing this, Jiang Lili couldn’t help but laugh. “Magistrate Li is the one begging me for help now.”

The exile group was scheduled to enter the mountains early the next morning. Today was set aside for the officers to purchase supplies and medicines needed for the journey.

By evening, Logistics Officer Zhang Xiaopang chatted with Jiang Lili to cross-check and inventory the supplies he had procured earlier in the day.

The supplies for this mountain expedition must have cost Zhang Xiaopang a considerable amount. Jiang Lili asked him to send over the procurement expense ledger, which she recorded in her file-sharing app. She planned to settle the account with Zhang Xiaopang once they reached Haizhou.

[Zhang Xiaopang: Sister Lili, there’s no need to pay me back. You saved my life, and my family’s business relies on you. We’re grateful to you—it’s the least we can do.]

Jiang Lili replied earnestly: [Xiaopang, cooperation can’t rely solely on sentiment. It needs to be reciprocal to ensure a long-term and healthy partnership. Besides, we’re old friends, aren’t we?]

Jiang Lili wanted to maintain their friendship, but she couldn’t keep letting Xiaopang shoulder all the costs alone.

After reading Jiang Lili’s message and recalling some business advice his father had once shared, Zhang Xiaopang had a sudden epiphany: [Alright, Sister Lili, I’ll do as you say.]

Jiang Lili then asked Xiaopang to send over a few items, including mosquito coils, electric mosquito swatters, and flashlights. She demonstrated their usage to the Marquis household, Yin Zhen, and the four escorts.

After all, waiting until they were deep in the mountains and facing an emergency to teach everyone how to use these tools would be too late.

While listening to Jiang Lili explain that these items were specifically for dealing with mosquitoes and insects, Xin Che quietly pulled her aside and asked, “Have you heard any news about the Miao tribe?”

This time, it was Jiang Lili’s turn to be astonished.

She knew Xin Che had a few cards up his sleeve.

Blinking, Jiang Lili teased, “Just how many people do you have under your command? Care to share a little insider information with me?”

Xin Che had no intention of hiding anything from Jiang Lili. “Jiayu used to be the captain of my light cavalry unit. As for the others, they are scattered across the nine provinces, and I haven’t been able to contact them. Their situations are not ideal.”

He added, “The news about the Miao tribes planning to take action was delivered to me this afternoon by someone sent by Jiayu.”

When Jiang Lili heard that Guan Yue’s husband, the so-called bandit chieftain’s consort, was actually one of Xin Che’s men, she was first shocked, then enlightened. No wonder.

In a low voice, Jiang Lili said, “If you manage to get in touch with the rest of your subordinates, let me know. My maternal grandfather’s connections might be able to help you.”

Xin Che looked at Jiang Lili seriously and replied, “I will.”

Though he didn’t know how Jiang Lili intended to help, he had absolute faith in every word she said.

Xin Che’s gaze then shifted to the four escorts sent by Magistrate Li. A thoughtful expression crossed his face before he turned to Xin Cheng and said, “Second Brother, help these four brothers drill the formations and positions we used at the border when fighting the enemy.”

Hearing this, Xin Cheng slapped his forehead. Of course! With these powerful anti-insect tools and the tactics they had used at the border, their efficiency would be greatly enhanced.

After training the group on the formations, everyone retired to their rooms to rest, ready for the challenges of the following day.

The next morning, everyone at the Laifu Inn rose early. It was the day they would head to the relay station to join the exile group.

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