All Hail Cousin Brother

Chapter 830: Bandit Violence

Translator: Atlas Studios    Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Tao was not angry that they could not answer. She only smiled and stepped forward. She held Hong’er’s hand and stuffed this small piece of silk into her hand.

In her hand, the silk was as thin as a cicada’s wings. It was warm and smooth, and as light as nothing. A thought flashed through Hong’er’s mind. Her voice trembled as she said dryly, “It’s made of tussar silk. It’s made of silk from Japanese silkworms and feeds on beech and oak leaves. It’s suitable for warmer temperatures and semi-wet areas. It can also adapt to the cold climate. It doesn’t need to be dyed to maintain a natural green color. It has a very good luster, and it’s extremely resistant and resilient. It’s a precious item of the silkworm genus, and its production is especially rare.”

The silkworm farmers had told them about every silkworm and had also taken samples to distinguish them one by one. Only tussar silk was too rare and precious for ordinary people. They had only regretfully introduced the situation and characteristics. As she had never seen it before, she could not distinguish it for a moment.

After touching it, the light and smooth feeling was better than any silk she had touched before.

“That’s right.” Xia Tao nodded affirmatively. Then, she said, “The four families of Liancheng gave the tussar silk to the princess. There are only two pieces in total. The princess has always been reluctant to use it. The princess asked me to cut a few pieces for you. I hope that one day, I can wear clothes made of the silk you personally raised.”

She gave the other two pieces of silk to the other two.

The three of them held the silk in their hands and were extremely excited. With a thud, they knelt on the ground again. “I understand the Princess’s kindness and good intentions. I’ll definitely raise the silkworms in the future and not let you down.”

When Steward Qian saw this scene, his heart surged.

He had carefully chosen these three people. They were very talented in raising silkworms.

The silkworm farmers who had taught them said that if nothing unexpected happened, they would also become leaders of this batch of refugees who raised silkworms in the future. It would also affect the silkworm business in the three provinces of Liaodong.

The princess never underestimated anyone and gave them the respect and dignity they deserved. Therefore, she cut the silk to give them the highest recognition and encourage them with the highest goal.

Every move, word, and action of a virtuous person could often affect a person’s life.

Hong’er and the other two left the courier station with tears in their eyes.

At this moment, Yu Youyao might or might not have expected this!

In the near future, the silkworm industry in the three provinces of Liaodong would surpass places like Jiangnan and Henan and become the largest silkworm industry in the country.

Tussar silk was no longer a rare tribute silk. Some high-ranking officials and nobles could still wear it. In addition to the tussar silk, Hong’er and the other two had also nurtured new silkworms and created new silk varieties…

When the pedestrians and merchants near the courier station saw this scene, they all understood what had happened and admired Princess Shaoyi’s magnanimity.

Some people who had maliciously speculated about Princess Shaoyi felt even more ashamed.

They were just ordinary people to begin with. It was already their greatest blessing to be proficient in a skill and live a peaceful life. How could they accept too much from nobility?

It had to be known that the moon begins to wane the moment it becomes full.

Too much was as bad as not having enough.

There were thousands of refugees outside the city. If the princess saw the three of them, would the others also want to come over and kowtow?

Should the princess see them or not?

If she saw some people and didn’t see others, what would the other refugees think?

It was not a matter of scarcity, but of inequality.

It seemed as if the tussar silk was given to the three of them, but the three of them alone could not raise the Japanese silkworms. Instead, they represented thousands of refugees who were going to raise the silkworm.

This tussar silk was also given to those people.

She had already seen how big the world was, but she still pitied the greenery.

Someone couldn’t help but sigh. “Princess Shaoyi is indeed worthy of being called Princess Shaoyi. She’s benevolent and kind, and follows her heart and virtue. Her breadth of mind is indeed not something ordinary people can compare to.”

Everyone present joined in to sigh.

… .

The supplies that had been brought from Quanzhou had already been transported to Xiangping City in batches. Although there were not many things to bring, it was still troublesome to pack.

Knowing that Princess Shaoyi was going to Xiangping City, Lord Li quickly came to the courier station. “When do you plan to set off?”

The migration and resettlement of the refugees went very smoothly. The You army guarding outside the city would also leave Quanzhou with Princess Shaoyi, and the relevant matters would be taken over by the government.

Therefore, Lord Li was also extremely busy.

However, seeing that there were fewer and fewer refugees outside the city, the four families, who had always been high up in the air in front of him in the past, also became much more obedient. The huge rock in Lord Li’s heart was finally settled.

Yu Youyao only said, “In the next few days.”

Lord Li looked troubled. “There’s a large group of bandits entrenched in the area of Anshan. They go down the mountain to become citizens and go up the mountain to become bandits. They specialize in plundering the pedestrians and merchants who come and go. Previously, the government had sent people over a few times to persuade them to surrender, but to no avail. Furthermore, because a large number of refugees were gathered outside the city, they also needed people to maintain public order. The government was also busy.”

At this point, he sighed sadly.

“Ever since King Yue Fei came to Liancheng, those bandits have been afraid of King Yue Fei’s might for a while. However, as soon as King Yue Fei left, they began to snatch, kill, and plunder again. In particular, there have been more merchants coming and going from Liancheng recently, so many people have been harmed. There are already hundreds of cases suppressed by the government.”

Yu Youyao said thoughtfully, “I heard that this group of bandits has gathered in the area of Anshan since last winter. In just three to four months, they’ve already committed hundreds of crimes. Not only did they plunder property, but they also harmed lives. It seems that they’re not ordinary bandits.”

Lord Li waited for a while, but did not hear anything else. He quietly glanced at Princess Shaoyi and saw that her expression was normal, as if she was only chatting with him.

He could only continue, “Isn’t that so? These past few days, the government has been arranging the migration and resettlement of the refugees. Everyone in the government office has been transferred out, and we’re seriously short of manpower.”

In the end, Yu Youyao said calmly, “Lord Li, you’ve worked hard.”

The migration and resettlement of the refugees were all handled by the government. With so many refugees, the government indeed needed to send more people.

Lord Li was a little disappointed, but he sighed sadly and said, “The refugees will only be completely settled in early March at the earliest. At that time, the government can’t relax. Two hundred thousand refugees will settle down in Liancheng, and we still need to send a large number of people to patrol the vicinity of the town to maintain the security of this place to prevent the refugees from causing chaos.”

At this point, he changed the topic and smiled at Yu Youyao obsequiously. “The Princess is kind and benevolent. She has found a way for the refugees to live. Although I’m not talented, I’m still an official. Naturally, I have to do my best to help the Princess and help the refugees take root in Liancheng. It’s not in vain that I’ve read sage books for ten years to serve the Imperial Court and benefit the people.”

Yu Youyao was amused.

The meaning behind Lord Li’s words was nothing more than that everyone in the government office had been sent to settle the refugees. They couldn’t spare any manpower or time and energy to suppress the bandits.