Scumbag Chapter 150 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (16)

The people sent by Qi Ming arrived not long after and took charge of the two ships. There will be sailors who would steer them to the neares

The people sent by Qi Ming arrived not long after and took charge of the two ships. There will be sailors who would steer them to the nearest harbor to Ning’an for military use.

Mingting had people nail wooden boxes, cut off the heads of these Eastern Sea’s pirates, packed the heads inside, sealed them, and sent them posthaste to the capital.

In addition to writing letters this time, he also wrote a memorial, explaining the situation in Suicheng and describing the miserable conditions of the coastal people.

In the report, he directly demanded provisions, troops, craftsmen, funds, and weapons.

At the end, Mingting sprinkled a few drops of water on both the memorial and the letter.

[Boss, what’s that for?]

Fengtian was puzzled.

"I am overcomed with grief and unable to control myself."

Mingting felt no guilt about the forgery.

Those who rose to power had tough hearts. If he didn’t make it sound dire, how else could he move Emperor Chang? How else could he make the emperor prioritize coastal defense and send troops?

[Impressive…] Fengtian said, and then thought to itself, ‘Boss is truly a cunning fox.’

However, it was all for the sake of the coastal people.

Mingting also prepared several baskets of the pickled vegetables and dried salted fish that Suicheng’s people usually ate, sending them along with the report to the capital.

This was the food that sustained these people.

He believed that after seeing and tasting it, Emperor Chang will sympathize to the people here even more and allocate greater resources.

Since, in the original timeline, multiple waves of Eastern Sea pirates had come ashore that winter for final raids, Mingting didn’t linger in Suicheng and moved on to the next battle.

Within a month, they had killed over 500 pirates and seized ten ships.

Although some people were injured, Mingting had plenty of good medicine, so none of his brothers died.

When Qi Ming received Mingting’s battle reports, he laughed even in his dreams, repeatedly praising the Emperor’s wisdom in sending the Count of Dingyuan… this man was a true ever-victorious general.

After confirming that there would be no Eastern Sea pirates landing for a while, Mingting led his men back to Ning’an.

After the Eastern Sea pirates attacked Suicheng this time, the coast would remain quiet for a few months, and this is a good time to train soldiers.

Without resting at home, Mingting immediately took over military affairs. Five days later, he was already at the shore, drilling the troops.

The Eastern Sea pirates have been on the sea for many years, experienced countless storms, and have long been familiar with naval battles.

If they only defended on land, not only would their forces be spread too thin, costing immense resources, but they would also be too passive.

In the end, they needed their own navy!

Beyond that, both warships and cannons had to be developed.

‘Truth lies within the range of cannons.’ Mingting firmly believed this.

Emperor Chang received Mingting's memorial, letter, and 128 wooden boxes at a cold morning court session.

"The Count of Dingyuan has accomplished a great feat! A resounding victory against the Eastern Sea pirates in the first battle!"

Emperor Chang was so excited that he asked someone to pry open a box. Inside, a head was preserved with concentrated salt and was still intact.

Having led troops himself, Emperor Chang wasn’t frightened. Instead, he praised it as a good sign.

But when he read Mingting's memorial and tasted the pickled vegetable lump and dried salted fish, tears rolled down the Founding Emperor’s face.

"The people of Yaozhou are suffering so much… This is my fault."

Though there was some performative aspect to it, Emperor Chang genuinely felt sorrow and anger.

The common people were his subjects, and now they were starving, freezing, and tormented by pirates. As their ruler, how could he sleep peacefully?

Soon, Emperor Chang ordered the Ministry of Revenue to select officials for deployment, with military provisions and troops to follow.

Before the envoys could be dispatched, Mingting’s battle reports arrived one after another.

"Excellent! Mingting truly is my beloved general!" Emperor Chang was very excited. He adored such loyal and capable men.

Moreover, Mingting didn’t hog the credit. He clearly documented who killed how many pirates, who contributed what, and what merits they earned… instead of claiming all the glory for himself.

Such an honest character made Emperor Chang like him very much.

He shared the pickled vegetables and dried fish with high-ranking officials, the Crown Prince, and other princes, even eating some himself for several meals.

Salty, disgusting, dry and tough to chew. Emperor Chang felt even cornbread was better than this.

Yet when he thought of how Mingting, such a fierce and courageous man, had been moved to tears while writing the memorial, the Emperor sighed inwardly.

‘A real man sheds no tears lightly… the Count of Dingyuan is a man of deep feeling!’

This also proved just how bitterly the coastal people were suffering.

Emperor Chang resolved then and there to eradicate the lingering problems left by the previous dynasty.

Just as he finished drafting the decree, he received word that the Empress and the Crown Princess were unwell, vomiting incessantly. Emperor Chang was alarmed and rushed to Kunde Palace.

It turned out that the Crown Princess had come to pay respects to Empress Zhou, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had tried the salted fish. Unexpectedly, both of them vomited, so the imperial physician was summoned.

"What happened?" Emperor Chang frowned.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Both Her Majesty the Empress and the Crown Princess are pregnant, and their pulses are strong!"

‘What?’

‘Pregnant?’

Empress Zhou was a little dazed.

She was already a grandmother… how could she be pregnant now? And at the same time as her daughter-in-law? This was… truly embarrassing…

"Rewards! All shall be rewarded!" Emperor Chang was overjoyed.

He really didn't expect that the Empress would be pregnant at the age of nearly 40, but doesn't this also show that the Empress is in good health!

And good things come in pairs, as the Crown Princess is also pregnant, this is really a great fortune!

Especially when the imperial physician confirmed that both women were in excellent health and the fetus was also very strong, Emperor Chang was even happier.

"The Count of Dingyuan wins battles, and now my son and grandson are on the way… hahaha!" Emperor Chang was so happy that he rewarded the Empress and the Crown Princess with a lot of things.

The Eastern Palace’s joyous news was a major event.

The Crown Prince hurried over, holding the Crown Princess’s hand in happiness.

When Emperor Chang took the Crown Prince aside to discuss Yaozhou’s affairs, the Crown Princess anxiously looked at Empress Zhou.

"Mother Empress… it was the Count of Dingyuan’s health-restoring pills..."

Since giving birth to a daughter, the Crown Princess had suffered physical damage, leaving her infertile for years. She had been desperate… until Empress Zhou gave her the pills.

After the Crown Princess took the health-restoring pills, not only did her sleep improve, but her energy soared, her skin glowed, her menstrual cycle normalized, and her entire demeanor brightened.

Empress Zhou had also been taking them recently, and her complexion has improved a lot, and there is no white hair on her head.

Now that they are both pregnant, it is proof that the health-restoring pills are indeed good things to nourish the body.

"Take good care of your body. This time, you will surely bear a son."

"Yes."

The mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law looked at each other, knowing that they owed Mingting a great favor this time.

Of course, Mingting didn't know about this incident. When he had concocted the health-restoring pills, his intention was simply to improve their well-being, especially the Crown Princess.

After all, a Crown Prince without an heir was a serious problem.

Although favoring sons over daughters was not ideal, in the ancient imperial court, having a son, especially a legitimate heir, was critically important for the Crown Prince.

However, even Mingting himself had no idea that the medicinal herbs grown in the space would be so extraordinarily potent.

At that very moment, he was busy drilling soldiers on the ships.

Meanwhile, Shi Jing had also been exiled to Yaozhou.

This time, without Mingting’s intervention, he received no special treatment.

Upon arriving in Ning’an, Shi Jing was immediately sent to a coal mine to dig.

The first time he sat in a coal-filled basket, descending underground into cramped tunnels, wielding a small pickaxe to chip away at blackened ore, Shi Jing almost cried.

Since childhood, when had he ever suffered such hardship?

It turns out, the days in prison hadn’t been the worst, as it was just a loss of freedom.

Now, not only was he deprived of freedom, but if he didn’t meet the daily quota of mined coal, he would be beaten, cursed at, or even starved!

"Why is Heaven punishing me like this?!" Shi Jing wiped his tears, smearing his face black with coal dust.

‘My hands were meant to hold brushes, for taking the imperial examination, and for drafting memorials as a high-ranking official. How could they be reduced to such crude labor?’

Jin Yuping was just as unbalanced as he was.

She had not even seen Mingting!

Her former horse slave was not in Ning'an City at all. She heard people said that he went out to fight the Eastern Sea pirates and was not at home.

Jin Yuping was furious when she heard this!

She then cursed in her heart, ‘He is indeed a reckless man who only knows how to fight and kill!’