PDLP Chapter 40 Si Nanhou
Chapter 40 Si Nanhou
"Could it be another invasion by alien races?!" Su Luo couldn't help but wonder.
Qingzhou has a complex terrain, located on the border of the Great Xia Dynasty. The territory of the Marquis of Sinan, Linshui County, is adjacent to the barbarian tribes and is frequently plagued by war.
This is also why the Marquis of Sinan became one of the few kings and marquises in the Great Xia Dynasty who possessed military power.
However, under normal circumstances, even if barbarian tribes invade, it is only a minor skirmish that can be dealt with by the border guards, and the Marquis of Sinan will not use his personal troops.
The personal guards of the Marquis of Sinan are the elite of the elite, and they will not be mobilized unless there is a major situation.
But at this moment, in Su Luo's line of sight, the troop of light cavalry at the entrance of Yunhai Town was none other than the personal guards of the Marquis of Sinan.
"Or perhaps something has happened?!"
Su Luo murmured, her expression somewhat unpleasant.
Turbulent times produce heroes, but he's only just begun to develop his career and doesn't want trouble to arise yet.
After a moment's thought, Su Luo entered Yunhai Town and instead of heading straight to the Sinan Trading Company, he went to a teahouse.
The teahouse was bustling with noise. The residents of Yunhai Town also sensed something was wrong and came out to inquire about the situation. Merchants who often stopped at the teahouse knew even more information.
"What on earth happened? Has war started again?!"
"Those barbarians started harassing our Great Xia border three years ago, causing constant skirmishes. Could it be that they're about to launch a full-scale invasion?"
"Hehe, our Sinan Army of Linshui County is all elite. If the barbarians dare to come, we will kill them! We don't need to worry so much!"
"Who's worried about barbarian invasion? It's just that if there's going to be a war, I'm afraid we'll have to raise taxes again!"
"Sigh, life is already hard enough. At the end of last year, they said they would repair the border defenses, and taxes were already increased by 30%. If war breaks out, they'll probably increase it by at least another 30%... How are we supposed to survive?!"
In the corner, Su Luo listened silently, attracting no attention from others.
He felt a heaviness in his heart; the lives of the people of Great Xia were far more difficult than he had imagined.
Amidst the bustling noise, a middle-aged man who looked like a merchant stood up in the center of the teahouse and said with a smile, "There's no need for everyone to worry so much. It's not some barbarian invasion, nor is there going to be a war!"
"There won't be a war! Those barbarians have always been suppressed by our Great Xia army, how could they possibly dare to launch a large-scale invasion?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded, their tense expressions easing, but they were still somewhat worried.
After all, even the Marquis of Sinan's personal guards were mobilized. If it weren't something major, why would they do this?!
The merchant said, "You are unaware of this, but tomorrow is the birthday of the eldest son of our Marquis of Sinan!"
"As everyone knows, the Su family of the Marquis of Sinan is a family with a history of hundreds of years. All young disciples are required to be sent out for training after they come of age!"
"The eldest son of the Marquis of Sinan is already twenty years old this year. He was sent to Feiyun City for training two years ago and has achieved outstanding results. He will surely be able to meet the Su family's requirements and become the next Marquis of Sinan!"
"The Marquis was very pleased with this, and was even more satisfied with the eldest son. He plans to personally celebrate the eldest son's birthday this year, which is why he dispatched his personal guards!"
Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood.
It turns out that the reason why the Marquis of Sinan mobilized his personal guards was not because of any major event, nor because of the barbarian invasion...
It was because it was to celebrate the birthday of the eldest son of the Marquis's family!
At this point, the merchant added, "I have a relative who works in the Marquis's residence, so this information is guaranteed to be true!"
Upon hearing this, the last bit of tension in everyone's hearts finally dissipated!
As long as there is no war and no taxes, everything will be fine. Then, everyone steered the conversation to the birthday of the eldest son of the Marquis's family.
"Using the Marquis of Sinan's elite personal guards to celebrate his birthday?! The Marquis is really giving his eldest son a lot of face!"
"Yes, the eldest young master can return to the Marquis's mansion next year. I heard that he has achieved great success in the fiefdom he governs this time, earning eight thousand taels in just two years..."
"With the eldest son being so shrewd, and the Marquis giving him preferential treatment, it's practically a guarantee that the eldest son will become the next Marquis of our Linshui County!"
In the corner, Zhang Daqiang, his face full of indignation, lowered his voice and said, "Young master, how can that so-called eldest son compare to even a hair on your head?!"
"You think you're shrewd and clever to earn only eight thousand taels in two years?! You, son-in-law, can earn eight thousand taels in less than eight days!"
Su Luo took a sip of tea, said nothing, but her eyes flashed with a cold light.
The eldest son of the Marquis's mansion was none other than the First Madam's biological son, and also her nominal elder brother, Su Xuan.
What a grand affair! For a birthday celebration, the Marquis of Sinan is going so far as to mobilize his personal guards!
In her memory, a month ago was Su Luo's birthday. The original owner's only wish was to see her biological father.
Despite taking a huge risk to deliver the message to the Marquis, he only received a curt reply from the Marquis's study: "I have something to do today, let's talk about it later." The original owner of the body was then sent back.
Later, when the First Madam learned of this, she accused the original owner of overstepping her bounds and locked her in the woodshed for three days, where she could only eat leftovers.
They are both the biological sons of the Marquis of Sinan, so why is there such favoritism just because one is the legitimate son and the other is an illegitimate son?!
Su Luo remained expressionless, but a flash of anger flickered in his eyes.
At that moment, a voice filled with longing echoed from inside the teahouse.
"Ah, how enviable! If only I could be born into a marquis's family!"
"Yes, the Marquis is a very good man. He is diligent and hardworking, and often does good deeds. If you could be his son, you would definitely have nothing to worry about for the rest of your life!"
"Yes, even if I didn't aspire to be the son of a marquis, I could still be the son of a gatekeeper in the marquis's mansion, and my life wouldn't be so difficult!"
"We're all human, so why is there such a huge difference? Some people are born into a life of luxury, while I was born to be treated like a beast of burden!"
In the eyes of the people of Linshui County, although the heavy taxes were as fierce as a tiger, this Marquis of Sinan was a rare and good person.
He was diligent and hardworking, skilled in warfare, and often did good deeds. It was a blessing for the people of Linshui County to become the Marquis of Linshui County.
But Su Luo knew very well just how cold-blooded and ruthless the other party was beneath that hypocritical facade!
For the sake of his reputation, the original owner's mother was willing to stay in the deep mountains until she died. But when the original owner grew up and entered the Marquis's mansion, the Marquis of Sinan was unwilling to even see him!
The better the Marquis of Sinan treated his eldest son, the angrier Su Luo became—angry for the original owner of the body, and angry for this body as well.
"But it's okay..."
Su Luo calmed down and sneered inwardly, "It won't be long before you regret this!"
With this in mind, Su Luo banished his distracting thoughts, took Zhang Daqiang with him, and headed straight for the Sinan Trading Company.
Tan Xing was already eagerly waiting at the entrance of the Sinan Trading Company.
Seeing Su Luo arrive, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Young Master Luo, you've finally arrived!"
Su Luo laughed and said, "Manager Tan, why are you so nervous? I promised five thousand catties of snowflake salt, would I lie to you?! I brought it all!"
Tan Xing shook his head and said, "It's not just about the Snowflake Salt; there's also a big shot from the Marquis of Sinan's residence who wants to see you..."
Upon hearing this, Su Luo was slightly startled. A big shot from the Marquis of Sinan's mansion?
Could it be the Marquis of Sinan?!