Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 476 If you follow King Wu, everyone will have thousands of households to do it!
In the yard, Zhu Wenkui worked hard to load another gun and handed it to the car in front. Then he helped pass a bag of gunpowder over and asked the people in front to load the cannon. Captain Jessica in the car took it carefully and told him that was enough. Zhu Wenkui sat down on the ground, hugged the musket, and took a breath.

Little Jeanne crawled over from behind the pile of debris nearby and looked at him.

"Brother, can you still hold on?" she asked, "I'll help you pretend."

"Why did you come here again?" Zhu Wenkui subconsciously chased her away: "Go to the house and hide with mother."

"This yard is so big, what else can we hide, don't comfort yourself." Little Jeanne disagreed: "My mother is packing things, I can't help, why not come here to help - that cannon can be given to me Do you want to play?"

As she spoke, she began to crawl to the side.

The gate to the yard was not very strong to begin with, and now it has been knocked down. Diagonally behind the door, there was originally a flower bed, but over time, it has become a pile of groceries where Zhu Wenkui stacked various parts and equipment. Behind the mess of timber and empty barrels, the defenders dug a shallow pit and hid a cannon there. Many of the corpses at the door were the result of its battles.

After discovering that they couldn't get in through the gate, the mercenaries outside began to surround them.

To the front and left of the yard is a relatively empty street. There is only one path to the right and back, facing the main building. When a mercenary tried to climb in from behind, the retainers upstairs fired and fired arrows. There are two people hiding under the corner, holding flails for threshing millet. If anyone shows his head, he will give him a slap.

Maybe it was because they were in a hurry, or maybe the engineering equipment was too big to hide and carry. In short, they didn't bring any equipment to attack the enemy. They even relied on ladders to get over the wall, so they couldn't get too many people over at once. The few reckless people who took the lead in climbing over the wall were quickly killed, and other mercenaries did not dare to come up from here.

After that, they grabbed a nearby yard that was being renovated, took some tools from there, and started planing the wall. Although the public security in Dadu has always been poor, and the walls were built more seriously, this thing was still just a facility to prevent petty thieves, and no one expected to face such an attack. Although he tried his best to block it, a hole was quickly dug in the wall. Captain Jessica could only lead people to push the car through again, temporarily blocking the mercenaries who tried to rush in.

However, the firepower here also seems to be stretched thin. Therefore, when they had a little free time, everyone started to fill up their batteries, and even little Jeanne wanted to help.

However, Zhu Wenkui still pulled her back.

"This is not a child's toy." He reprimanded: "Firearms themselves are very dangerous, no better than those with sharp edges. If you hurt yourself, we have to take care of you."

"Then you underestimate me too much." Little Jeanne seemed very unconvinced: "Now we have more guns and fewer people. It would be better if we have one more person. How can we be so fussy about it?"

"Master, the little princess has already operated artillery when she went to the military training field outside the city with us." Captain Jessica also stuck his head out and advised: "Let her also help load it."

Seeing that he said the same thing, Zhu Wenkui had no choice but to nod. Little Jeanne stretched out her hand and took away the gun he was holding.

"Hey, what are you doing with mine?" Zhu Wenkui asked quickly.

"Your hands are shaking." Little Jeanne replied: "Have a rest."

Zhu Wenkui didn't know how to answer, pinched his arm and sighed angrily.

"Speaking of which, brother, why did you hoard so much gunpowder?" Little Jeanne put the gun on the ground and quickly cleaned the weapon, which was almost as tall as herself, and asked.

"Brother Kang has been busy these days, isn't he?" Zhu Wenkui breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he wanted to relieve the pressure, and rambled: "I also stocked some of the consumables used for testing in the cellar for temporary convenience. Use it. Who would have thought that it could be used in this way..."

"I don't even know - the mother-in-law probably doesn't know either." Little Jeanne complained: "If she knew that you buried so many unsafe things in the yard, she would have scolded you long ago."

"It depends on the person whether it's safe or not. I've been using it all by myself from beginning to end, so what's wrong with it? I think it's safer than leaving it in a warehouse." Zhu Wenkui grabbed another gun and cleaned it. , while saying disapprovingly: "Besides, I led people to dig that cellar myself. Who can be more familiar with it than me?"

"Huh? What are you doing digging in the yard?" little Jeanne asked strangely.

"You don't know?" Zhu Wenkui's eyes widened and he shook his head repeatedly: "My little ancestor, you are destined to be rich and noble..."

"How am I rich? I have always lived in the countryside." Little Jeanne defended: "I have been in contact with ordinary villagers since I was a child, and my living environment is the same as that of ordinary people."

"At least everyone is taking care of you." Zhu Wenkui pointed out: "Do you know where all the delicious food came from when you first came here? I went to the back kitchen of the Empress Temple every day to eat and hang out with the chef. You look familiar, I got it from someone else. Mom also said that you have grown taller and asked me to find something good for you every day - good guy, from then on, I have a target for food!"

"..."

"It's a good time for you to catch up. When I first helped with the housework, I wasn't very familiar with people like Da Qin. My mother had been in bed recuperating at that time, and my father kept sending some strange people. Let me take care of the food." He shook his head and said, "But I can't ask Da Qin people for money every day, right? I can only find ways to save. This cellar was dug at that time."

"The trade in the metropolis is so prosperous that everything here is extremely expensive, and the same goes for food. However, after I inquired about it, I found that the prices of grain and vegetables sold by merchants are not so outrageous. It's just that from the time you enter the city, at the city gate, Customs, warehouses, and markets all have to be exploited several times. In addition to various taxes and fees, some officials will also come to ask for benefits, and the local snakes in the city want to extort money at every link. In this way , the price has naturally risen to the sky.”

"Therefore, many people are willing to save trouble if they buy their goods directly outside the city or at the dock. Although our Prince Wu's Mansion has no power, it still has some face. As long as we don't directly compete with others for business, these local snakes will not They will come to make things difficult for us.”

"But to buy things like this, you have to buy them by the car and the boat. There were only a dozen people in the house at that time, and they couldn't eat them all quickly. So, I dug a cellar to store these things." Zhu Wenkui took out a red spherical vegetable from under the car and said, "The most suitable one is this kind of shallot."

"Brother Tian's beard, why is it all in this car?" A middle-aged man in the car immediately grimaced.

"This car was modified from a grocery cart. I used this car for a trip last month." Captain Jessica turned around and said, "Later, we added the upper cover and the front barrier. Board. When I was preparing today, I didn’t even have time to clear it..."

"Isn't this a very common thing?" asked little Jeanne.

"It's just too common." Zhu Wenkui was also very helpless: "This stuff is durable and cheap, so we eat it for a long time. It's really uncomfortable..."

"Even in my hometown, we don't eat only one kind of vegetable for several months." Captain Jashka couldn't help but said: "I was employed before to fight with the Poles, and they wouldn't eat such monotonous food. Maybe. When I was hanging out with the English, my food was even worse than this..."

"People ask us what we eat, but the prince doesn't let us say anything." Another white-bearded veteran turned to little Jeanne and said: "Your brother didn't know much about this thing at the time, but he knew it was the cheapest. People asked about the food here. , I was embarrassed, so I gave it a nickname and said it was called Red Pill Pill. I later found out that this name was the magical potion of an Eastern alchemist."

"I've been eating it for two months, and I think the turnip tastes better. I don't know if it's because of its magical effect." The middle-aged man complained.

"Just tell me if it is red and spherical." Captain Jashka said with a smile: "I even doubted before that the jade-colored food in the 'Jade Food' could be the vegetable soup we eat. ?”

Everyone laughed.

"How is it?" Amid laughter, little Jeanne patted Zhu Wenkui's shoulder again: "Are you not so nervous?"

"It's indeed better." Zhu Wenkui nodded honestly.

"Princess, aren't you nervous? You still have time to comfort us." Captain Jessica asked curiously: "To be honest, I am a little nervous. Although I have fought many battles, this is the first time for me to see such a disparity. We met."

"I... I'm okay." Little Jeanne herself seemed not to have thought about this problem: "Maybe I didn't directly participate in the war at that time."

"It's good for a little girl of this age not to be scared and faint." Captain Jessica shook his head: "I heard the nobles from the Bohemian Palace talking about it, saying that many women from the French royal family are as decisive as wolves. Fierce. It seems like this is really what happened."

"How can I be cruel? I hope for peace." Little Jeanne disagreed: "If they are happy, I don't want to fight." "You'd better not believe what they say whether they are happy or not." Zhu Wenkui shrugged. : "You'll find out later."

When little Jeanne heard this, she was dubious and went to play with the cannon next to her.

But soon, shouts came from outside the courtyard wall again.

"I am Sir Antoine de la Blanche, and I want to talk to your Prince Constantine." Someone outside shouted: "Our princess is coming now and hopes to negotiate with you! It has been the same before. Misunderstanding, your losses, the princess said, will be compensated!"

"Look, it's here again." Zhu Wenkui said, gesturing upward.

"I am Carl Duvalk, the former guard of King Wu, Zuo Qianhu!" The white-bearded veteran just now suddenly reported a list of positions in Chinese: "If you have anything, just tell me."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Let your leader come!" The other party was obviously unhappy: "Where is the old country farmer from and he is pretending to be a noble here, right?"

"Bah!" Veteran Karl also scolded: "You are a barbarian bastard. If I say anything to you, I will lose my own face. You are worthy of being picky!"

"You son of a bitch, you call me a barbarian!" The opponent's leader, who claimed to be a knight, became furious: "Who are you?"

"I am a high official from the Wu Kingdom of the Ming Dynasty, personally appointed by the court!" Old Karl said confidently: "My official title is higher than the self-proclaimed title of your country leader. Why, don't you accept it?"

"..."

The other party didn't reply for a while. I don't know if he was choked or angry.

"Uh..." Little Jeanne didn't react for a moment. She was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Zhu Wenkui: "Are we all Qianhu?"

"Yes, I named it." Zhu Wenkui said with a confident expression: "Our Prince Wu's Mansion is most indispensable now for its staff. If nothing else, this title is really not fake."

"what?"

"In a palace, there are dozens of thousand-household establishments. There are only more than 40 people in our whole government, and not everyone can go to the battlefield." Zhu Wenkui explained: "Now the thousand-household establishment is more than the number of people. If there are too many, just seal them all.”

"During the ceremony a few days ago, it was not so exaggerated." Little Jeanne said helplessly.

"Oh, if we lose this battle, there will be no Prince Wu's Palace. What else is there to care about?" Zhu Wenkui seemed to have lost his mind: "Why don't everyone feel happy? This title is free anyway... …”

"Lao Yang." He raised his head and ordered again: "Go and shout and show it to my sister."

Captain Jessica nodded and shouted outside.

"Listen on the other side, I am... John de Jezca, the commander of the guards of Prince Wu's Mansion." He shouted loudly: "You have been chattering until now, and I am tired of being deceived by you. For the sake of your princess, tell me the truth, should we talk about it or not?"

"How come everyone is so proficient in studying for official positions? You learn Chinese so quickly." Little Jeanne said in a low voice.

"Of course, if you have a higher official position, you can learn faster." Zhu Wenkui disagreed and waved his hand to tell her to stop talking and watch the other party's reaction.

There was silence for a while, and then someone answered loudly, but still insisted: "We can only talk after your prince comes out."

"Can't I do it? I'm the captain here." Jessica shouted, taking out a stick, picking up his helmet, and slowly stretched it out from the side of the car barrier: "Where are you? Come out, I'm fine …”

Before he could finish his words, several crossbow arrows shot over, sending the helmet flying far away and bouncing on the ground a few times before stopping.

Captain Jessica didn't even bother to scold them, just shrugged at little Jeanne.

"They still know how to pretend now. They didn't pretend before." Another retainer said from behind the wall: "I'm close here. I heard the leader shouting to the mercenaries that anyone who saw an Eastern face would be temporarily Catch them and kill all the others. I don’t know who the little princess is..."

"Who cares if there are any loopholes? It's just an excuse." Zhu Wenkui shook his head and said, "I do have an Eastern face, but who really thinks they are going to let me go? Let me tell you, they came for me instead. Everyone else is just adding their heads, but my head is what they want directly."

"It's midnight, it's dark, everyone is in a mess. Who cares to see what you look like? I must kill you first. Then I cry a few times to the body, saying that my original intention is to reconcile, but the people below don't know the importance of it. , accidentally killed someone, so that he can explain it to the Qin State and the imperial court - you see, I can help them figure out what they will do next."

"Then, let's wait until mother really comes." Little Jeanne didn't know what to do. After thinking about it, she had to say.

Zhu Wenkui and several others looked at each other.

"Sister." He considered his words and said, "I know you are quite smart - in fact, everyone thinks so and think you are smarter than me. However, some things cannot be directly seen from books. . Especially the European books, the writing is too shallow. If you really believe it, you may die without knowing how."

"My mother won't kill you." Little Jeanne quickly explained: "This is of no benefit to her. On the contrary, the risk is too great, so there is no need. In real competition, her opponent is only the mother-in-law, and this There is no room for negotiation."

"That's your biological mother. It's in line with human nature for you to be close to her and willing to trust her. Brother, I won't blame you for this." Zhu Wenkui shook his head: "However, there is a saying that 'the mother is most precious to her son' . Mother’s treatment is also related to me. I am the only heir to the Wu Palace so far, and this name alone can bring practical benefits. And as long as I am still alive, mother’s status cannot be shaken. "

"Since ancient times, there have been concubines who recognized their legitimate mothers, but I have rarely heard of them. After the second wife replaced the former wife, they could still get along well with the legitimate son of the first wife. Jin established Li Ji, and eventually the prince was killed and Wen Gong fled; Wei established Xuan Jiang, The Chinese chanted "Two sons in the same boat. The princess is still very young, and her family has always had many children. There are plenty of opportunities, so why should you keep me as a troublesome person?"

"You have to be careful yourself. Tiger poison will not eat its seeds, but people will. When the benefits are big enough, these incredible things will happen." He warned: "I am shallow in intelligence and can't calculate too much. But I still have self-awareness, so I have been cautious and maintained it until now.”

"I don't know what the princess is planning, but since she has reached the point of taking action, what she asks for must not be too small." Zhu Wenkui shook his head: "Do you know who was the first heir killed by Empress Wu back then? "

Little Jeanne had indeed heard other people say this before, and she couldn't answer it for a while.

"Hey, it would be great if you were a boy." He finally sighed: "The princess must not be able to let you go, and I don't have to worry about all this trouble. Leave it all to you. I will follow Brother Kang and the others every day. Wouldn't it be better to play blacksmithing?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"Forget it, let's get through tonight first." Zhu Wenkui patted the car and said, "Everyone, cheer up!"

"They don't have many muskets, but they bring a lot of crossbows." He specifically told little Jeanne: "At this distance, the crossbows in the hands of the mercenaries are enough to penetrate the armor. Just follow me and hide behind to help. , you must be careful, understand?”

Little Jeanne nodded.

(End of this chapter)