Chapter 390
Chapter 390 Holding Too Tightly
The spring rain lingered, continuing until evening without stopping. This chilly weather left even the horses feeling tired, to say nothing of the people. The road was muddy and difficult to travel, particularly as it ran along a section of official road that had been neglected for years and was in terrible disrepair. The carts carrying silver repeatedly became stuck in the mud, and it took the effort of soldiers to push them forward. The pace of advancement in such conditions could be imagined.
"Damn it all," spat Hu Bugui, throwing aside his rain cape and revealing a face full of thick beard. "At this rate, we won't reach the capital even if we walk for another ten days. If we miss the opportunity to resist the northern nomads, we'll be eternal criminals. What are these Shandong officials doing, eating their meals without even repairing the roads? It's so broken down that even a wild donkey wouldn't walk this path, let alone us, the imperial army!"
The soldiers under his command were temporary garrison troops from Shandong. A commander of a hundred men said with a bow, "General Hu, you haven't returned to your hometown for many years and are unaware of the situation here. Shandong's tax revenue amounts to hundreds of thousands of taels each year, but it's all taken away by the imperial court, leaving nothing behind. With the White Lotus Rebellion a few years ago and the people taxed from both ends, they are in dire straits. Even if they wanted to repair this road, the higher-ups couldn't scrape together the money. It's really a tough situation. To speak irreverently, we can only blame the great lords in the imperial court, for they never considered Shandong's local construction issues."
Discussing the court's rights and wrongs left Hu Bugui without a solution, and he could only snort, "Unlucky, truly unlucky. Following General Lin is better; as long as he's around, we brothers won't suffer. If someday he takes charge of the court, with his intelligence, raising funds for local development would be easy."
"What are you grumbling about, Brother Hu?" A clear voice came from behind. Hu Bugui turned around and couldn't help but laugh. He saw Lord Lin holding a small oil-paper umbrella that barely covered his head, pretending to be refined, looking utterly ridiculous among the army.
"We're talking about this road," Hu Bugui grumbled, helplessly saying, "It's rainy, and there's mud everywhere. The carts are stuck, and today we've only managed to cover a dozen or so miles. At this rate, we'll die before we reach the capital. Oh, General Lin, where did you find this little umbrella? Compared to your mighty stature, it's quite out of place!"
"I had no choice; my wife was worried about me, so she insisted on giving me this small umbrella. This damn little thing doesn't even shield the rain, and it's a burden to carry. If it weren't for my wife's good intentions, I would have thrown it away long ago," General Lin said, folding the umbrella that Ning'er had lovingly given him, laughing cheerfully.
"So it was Miss Luo who gave it to you. No wonder you treasure it so. To have such a beautiful companion by your side, General, you are indeed a fortunate man," Hu Bugui said, showing a knowing smile that men understand, and the two of them burst into hearty laughter.