Seeing that he had finally introduced himself, Xue Huan didn't let him finish speaking.
She reached out and covered his mouth with one hand, pressed the back of his head with the other, and gently pushed him towards the compost pit.
The burly man leaned forward, his face nearly touching the muddy water at the edge of the pit again, and he immediately shut his mouth in fright.
Xue Huan released his grip and clapped his hands.
"His Highness said that anyone who dares not to work will have to soak in the pit for another three days."
The burly man's face turned pale.
Xue Huan stood up and turned to look at the remaining thirty-four people.
"Did you all understand?"
The thirty-five people nodded in unison, not daring to utter a sound.
Yun Shuyue watched from the side, unable to suppress a chuckle, but then realized she shouldn't laugh so obviously, so she quickly turned her face away and pretended to be studying the grass roots on the ground.
Xue Huan raised his hand and pointed to the stream at the foot of the mountain behind him.
"You guys go wash up over there first."
Upon hearing this, the thirty-five people felt as if they had been given a second chance at life, and they scrambled towards the stream using both hands and feet.
Half an hour later, the group finally managed to wash themselves clean and change into coarse cloth shorts.
Xue Huan glanced at the Ten-Li Slope behind him.
The irrigation canals are taking shape, the foundation pits for the water storage ponds have been excavated, and the terraced field renovation is progressing steadily.
He stood still and took a deep breath.
This wasteland will become the lifeline of Yi Prefecture's water supply in the future.
And the 108 people he led were personally building the foundation of this lifeline.
Yun Shuyue strolled over to his side and looked up at him.
"Commander Xue, did you bring the bill that His Highness asked you to bring?"
Xue Huan took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Yes, Your Highness. I haven't forgotten what you asked me to do."
Yun Shuyue took it, opened it, and glanced at it.
The paper was filled with a dense list of losses:
Twenty-three bamboo tubes were broken; at market price, each tube cost eight coins, totaling one hundred and eighty-four coins.
A corner of the reservoir's foundation pit was damaged by trampling, and the repair cost was five taels of silver.
The compost pit was broken in three places, and the pit was refilled with soil, costing three taels of silver in labor and materials.
The canal was blocked; dredging and reinforcement were carried out, costing four ounces in labor and materials.
Construction at Ten-Li Slope was halted overnight, resulting in a loss of ten taels of silver in compensation.
The last line reads: Total: Twenty-three taels and six mace.
Yun Shuyue folded the paper back and tucked it into her bosom.
He turned around, jumped onto the horse next to him, and cracked his whip towards the city.
"Commander Xue, I'll head back now. His Highness is still waiting for news."
Xue Huan watched her walk away, then turned back to continue inspecting the construction site.
Yi Prefecture City, Gan Family Residence.
Gan Lingmu sat in the main hall, holding a teacup, his eyelids drooping, looking quite relaxed.
According to the plan, that group of people should return to report before dawn.
It's already past noon, and there's still no sign of them.
He felt a little uneasy, but he didn't show it on his face, and slowly sipped his tea.
The butler came in from outside, walked quickly to him, and whispered in his ear.
"Master, Steward Fu has arrived with people from Prince Yi's Residence."
Gan Lingmu raised an eyebrow and put down his teacup.
"Please come quickly."
The butler withdrew, and a moment later, Uncle Fu, leaning on his cane, slowly walked into the main hall.
Yun Shuyue followed behind him, holding the bill in her hand.
Uncle Fu stood in front of the hall and bowed to Master Gan.
" Master Gan, I have come on the orders of His Highness Prince Yi to discuss an important matter with you."
Gan Lingmu smiled and leaned back.
" Steward Fu, you're too kind. May I ask what brings you here?"
Uncle Fu didn't say much, but stepped aside half a step, Yun Shuyue stepped forward, spread out the bill, and slammed it on the table.
" Master Gan, His Highness has instructed me to settle the accounts for you."
Gan Lingmu looked down, glanced at the bill, and his smile froze.
"This is..."
"Last night, thirty-five servants from your household ran to Ten-Li Slope, smashed His Highness's water storage tank, kicked over the compost pit, blocked the irrigation ditch, and even broke twenty-three bamboo pipes."
Yun Shuyue tapped her finger on the bill and read it down line by line.
"Twenty-three bamboo pipes, 184 cash; repair of the water storage tank, 5 taels; reconstruction of the compost pit, 3 taels; dredging of the irrigation canal, 4 taels; compensation for lost work time, 10 taels..."
She looked up at Master Gan.
"The total is twenty-three taels and six mace. His Highness said that Master Gan is a prominent figure in Yi Prefecture, and he certainly won't renege on this small amount."
Gan Lingmu's face turned from red to white, then from white to green.
He gritted his teeth, picked up the bill, and stared at the densely packed words on it, his fingers crumpling the edges of the paper.
No need to worry, he has the Surveillance Commissioner Yun behind him.
There's someone else up there!
"This! When did my Gan Family send people to cause trouble at Ten-Li Slope? Do you have any proof?"
Yun Shuyue remained calm, took half a step back, and turned her body to the side.
"Proof? Master Gan, those thirty-five men from your household are currently digging a ditch at Ten-Li Slope."
Gan Lingmu was taken aback.
"What?"
"His Highness said that since your people have come to Ten-Li Slope, it's a good thing they'll stay and work. From today onwards, these thirty-five people will be incorporated into the Yi Prefecture City Urban Management Water Affairs Brigade, responsible for deep canal dredging."
Yun Shuyue clapped her hands.
"His Highness also said that if Master Gan cares about his family, he can go to Ten-Li Slope himself and see how hard they're working."
Gan Lingmu's face turned completely dark.
He sent people to sabotage the operation, but they never returned and were instead turned into laborers. Now he even has to pay them out of his own pocket.
It was a complete loss, like losing both one's wife and one's army.
Uncle Fu stood beside him, leaning on his cane, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
" Master Gan, His Highness has another message for me to convey."
Gan Lingmu looked up, his eyes dark and gloomy.
What did you say?
"His Highness said that Yi Prefecture belongs to the imperial Yi Prefecture, not to any particular Yi Prefecture."
If anyone takes advantage of their position to oppress the people or damage infrastructure, His Highness will surely punish them severely.
Uncle Fu paused, then added with a smile.
"However, His Highness also said that if Master Gan is willing to provide financial support, His Highness will naturally remember this favor."
Gan Lingmu's fingers trembled.
He knew there was no way to turn things around.
Unexpectedly, Prince Yi, though seemingly sickly, was ruthless and scheming at every turn; this time, I have truly fallen into his trap.
He took a deep breath and slammed the bill on the table.
"Twenty-three taels and six mace, right? I'll pay."
Gan Lingmu turned his head and gave instructions to the steward.
"Go to the treasury and get the silver."