The letter was sent, but whether they would receive the news, the mother and daughter of the Feng family were both very worried.
Just as they were troubled, so was General Xiao Ji, who was guarding the city of Liangzhou in the northwest.
The Northern Di army had been besieging Liangzhou for more than half a month, but they had not attacked.
In the past, he would have suspected that the enemy wanted to subdue them without a fight, and besiege them until the city fell.
But the current situation was different. The Northern Di were naturally warlike. With such a large group of grassland warriors gathered here, if they did not attack, internal conflicts might arise. Moreover, they did not have sufficient food and supplies. When spring arrived, the men might be able to fight, but the horses would need to breed. Therefore, a swift and decisive action should be their strategy.
Why were they now inactive, making it impossible for him to understand?
"He Qiu, have the scouts sent out brought back any news?"
"No, General. What are these Northern Di people thinking? Are they deliberately trying to wear down our morale, waiting until we are all tired and weak before marching south?"
The two stood on the city wall, staring at the Northern Di royal banner in the distance, talking as they watched.
"It's hard to say. I always feel that the Northern Di's actions this time are vastly different from the past. Perhaps someone is guiding them from behind the scenes. Tell the soldiers on guard duty to rotate in six shifts, resting in turns. We cannot relax as long as they do not come."
"Yes!"
With a sword hanging over their heads, no one could sleep well.
Yet, some people treated the deadly sword as a weapon to clear the path ahead, and used it with great skill.
This was the Liang family at this moment.
When the imperial decree for their transfer arrived, the entire Liang family was grateful for the imperial favor, and at the same time, they felt a desire to follow the Duke of Wei's mansion or the Ninth Prince to the death.
The father and son of the Liang family went to the Duke of Wei's mansion that afternoon to express their gratitude. The Duke did not refuse, but he spoke with Liang Quanbin alone for a long time. Liang Pan grew somewhat tired of waiting before his father emerged, his steps unsteady.
"Father."
Liang Pan quickly stepped forward, supporting his father's staggering body, and asked worriedly, "What's wrong, Father? How did you become like this after just a short conversation with Grandfather?"
"It's nothing. My legs are just numb from standing for too long. Let's go back soon."
"Yes." Liang Pan supported Liang Quanbin as they walked out, feeling a bit displeased that the Duke of Wei had made his father stand for so long.
He had already reported to the Ministry of Rites and, as expected, was just a minor official.
Let alone Minister Zheng, even his direct superior had never met him. He spent his days dealing with other minor officials and attendants. Many of them did not know Liang Pan's true identity, so they did not flatter him.
Furthermore, with the spring imperial examinations approaching in March, everyone was extremely busy, and no one came to cause him trouble.
He had helped with a few matters, and they had been handled satisfactorily. In this way, he had managed to establish a foothold in the Ministry of Rites.
It was a pity that he was indifferent to this. As his father had said, with such a path as a civil official, it was uncertain when he would have the opportunity to climb higher. He was constantly dealing with case files or etiquette, which was incredibly tedious.
In the carriage, Liang Pan wanted to tell his father about his recent experiences in the Ministry of Rites, but he saw that his father's eyes were tightly closed, and the veins on his forehead were faintly visible, clearly deep in thought. He couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Father? What did Grandfather Wei say to you? Why are you so uneasy?"
Opening his eyes to look at his son, Liang Pan, Liang Quanbin was still processing what the Duke of Wei had just said.
"Since you are going to Jinling City to take office, there are some things you should know." With that, he handed over a booklet. Liang Quanbin smilingly accepted it and, as he read, became increasingly astonished.
The booklet was densely filled with the amounts of grain that the thirteen prefectures of Liangzhe had to pay as tribute to the Wei family.
He had not yet read it carefully, but after casually flipping through a few pages, the sum already amounted to hundreds of thousands of piculs. He could imagine that the total amount in the thick booklet would likely be tens of millions of piculs.
Cold sweat trickled down his face as he asked the Duke of Wei, "What does the Duke mean?"
"In your position, you should fulfill your duties. Since we are in-laws, we naturally must support each other. With you overseeing Jinling City, I am sure that the grain tribute in the future will be no less than that of the previous Supervisor Cao. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Liang!"
The Duke of Wei spoke as if he were discussing an ordinary matter. Helplessly, Liang Quanbin could no longer retreat and could only agree with a heavy heart.
"Your Grace, rest assured. As long as I am here, I will not let a single dou of the official grain due be short."
"Good. With Lord Liang's word, I am relieved. I hope Lord Liang will put more thought into this assignment, as there are many envious eyes. It would be best if nothing goes wrong."
"Yes."
Seeing Liang Quanbin's demeanor, the Duke of Wei saved himself a lot of trouble. He then did him a favor.
"Her Imperial Consort mentioned that she is very fond of Miss Liang from your mansion. When the Ninth Prince returns victorious, I will definitely petition His Majesty to have him take Miss Liang as a secondary consort, to manage the affairs of the inner court!"
This promise was almost equivalent to handing over the position of the main consort. However, he felt that Liang Quanbin's official rank was not enough to assist the Ninth Prince, so he only promised the position of secondary consort.
Both his son and daughter were held in the Wei family's hands. They would live if they wanted them to live, and die if they wanted them to die. While it seemed like supreme honor, it was actually holding him by the throat.
Thinking of this, Liang Quanbin couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"He didn't say anything. He just briefed me on some matters regarding Jinling City. Pan'er, you must be thorough in your work at the Ministry of Rites. Even if you climb slowly, it doesn't matter. Never be too conspicuous. Our Liang family cannot afford to be the target of criticism. Do you understand?"
"Father, don't worry. Your son has his own judgment and will not act rashly."
Seeing his quick and confident reply, Liang Quanbin felt slightly relieved.
In the current situation, they had already boarded the Wei family's ship and could not get off. They could only sail further and further.
As the Duke of Wei had said, in this world, nothing could be obtained without a struggle. If one wanted glory and wealth, and to wield great power, one naturally had to bear some risks.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but harden his heart.
The position of Supervisor of the Grand Canal was not easily obtained. Currently, it was only second rank, with potential for first rank, even super first rank in the future.
If the Ninth Prince ultimately ascended the throne, given his relationship with the Wei family and the tasks he was to undertake in Jinling City, he would undoubtedly be granted a high and powerful position.
The thought of his future, his boundless prospects, and the rise of the Liang family in the imperial court, no longer being at the mercy of others, made him cast aside all his worries. Little did he know that this journey would be one of no return.