Chapter 25: Ulterior Motives

Zhao Mang looked at Jiang Wan with a smile. "Since she has a talent for it, the greenhouse project can help facilitate her experiments. Wouldn't that allow you to acquire resources much sooner?"

Jiang Wan nodded thoughtfully. "What you say makes sense. As it happens, your third uncle recently returned from the Western Regions Protectorate and brought back quite a few seeds. I will go and buy them all so your sister can get some proper practice."

With that, she leaned her head on Zhao Mang’s shoulder, her face glowing with a happy smile.

Speaking of his third uncle, Zhao Mang recalled that kind-hearted man; he was the only uncle in the Zhao family who had ever treated him well. He hadn't expected him to have returned from doing business in the Western Regions. Having already severed ties with the Zhao family, the only thing he still worried about was his third uncle. He wondered if his uncle shared the same sentiments. If it hadn't been for him during his childhood, the original owner of this body might not have survived to this day.

"It would be good if you could use your influence to help my third uncle more."

Zhao Mang looked at Jiang Wan with deep gratitude. To be honest, meeting Jiang Wan after coming to this world was truly the greatest stroke of fortune heaven had bestowed upon him.

"Wan'er, I have an idea, though I'm not sure if I should say it..."

Jiang Wan turned her head away. "If you're not sure whether to say it, then don't. It’s probably not something I’d want to hear anyway."

Zhao Mang laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I’m not joking; this is a serious matter. I want to form an intelligence network that belongs only to us. Your family is a major commercial house with reach across the entire country. They don’t even need to go out of their way to investigate; they just need to collect information on significant events."

Jiang Wan’s expression tightened as she looked at him seriously. She asked the question on her mind: "You want to build a secret network? Mang-lang, why are you doing this?"

"Because it will be incredibly useful," Zhao Mang replied.

Jiang Wan pondered this, sensing that Zhao Mang’s ambitions were vast. "Mang-lang, once we are more stable, I will begin working on this."

After addressing his suggestion, she suddenly remembered something. "By the way, my people discovered that the Zhang family has recently been transporting grain to the foothills north of Qianmang Mountain. I’ve also heard reports of bandits frequently appearing in that area lately."

Zhao Mang tilted his head as he looked at her. "You mean the Zhang family has set up a bandit den at Qianmang Mountain?"

Jiang Wan nodded. "Exactly, and it’s been spotted more than once."

A strange smile crept across Zhao Mang's face. "Are you suggesting that we have bandits intercept their grain shipments?"

Jiang Wan smiled demurely. "I never said that. I'm just worried that if the Zhang family loses that grain, they won't meet a good end. Besides, relying solely on the local garrison to clear out those bandits isn't really a solution, is it?"

She stroked Zhao Mang’s chest. He laughed, understanding her meaning perfectly. She was implicitly suggesting he use his status as a frontier soldier to suppress the bandits, while simultaneously using the guise of a bandit to seize the grain. It was a win-win situation for him, and he couldn't help but be tempted.

"Is your information accurate?"

Jiang Wan suddenly looked offended, pulling away from his embrace and walking toward the camp. "You actually doubt me!"

Zhao Mang scratched his head helplessly. "No! No, how could I ever doubt you?"

Inside the camp, the men were gathered around large pots. There were so many of them that they had set up two additional fires. As they saw Zhao Mang and Jiang Wan enter, the men began to jeer. Xiao Han took the lead.

"I told you, Captain! You’re certainly a lucky man to have won over the eldest daughter of the Jiang family from the west side of the city. You’ve got to pay for three rounds of drinks today!"

Zhu Wuneng laughed, already slightly tipsy, and began to speak his mind. "Boss, if I didn't know your strength, I’d have thought you got in through the back door. Our frontier army is different from the local garrison; everyone here earned their place with cold steel and blood. How did you manage to land such a wife?"

The others chimed in, expressing their disbelief. Zhu Qiqi added, "Back when I was in the mountains, I never saw a woman this beautiful. It’s a bit of a waste!"

Zhao Mang’s face darkened, feeling embarrassed. Jiang Wan turned bright red and scurried over to the side of her maid.

Seeing this, Zhao Mang roared, "Who told you all to start drinking!"

The shout silenced the jeering crowd instantly. He didn't want to ruin their fun, but he had to maintain order. "I don't blame you for celebrating a happy occasion, but don't overindulge in the camp. I won't punish you too severely this time, but since you’ve all had too much, you’ll run three extra laps around Dunzi Peak tomorrow!"

A chorus of groans rose from the men. Zhao Mang remained expressionless. "If you want to shed less blood on the battlefield, you must shed more sweat during training. Don't give me that look."

With that, his stern expression softened. He walked over to Jiang Wan and handed her a piece of mutton. "Eat more, or your body won't hold up."

His gesture caused the camp to erupt in laughter once more. Jiang Wan, mortified, threw the meat at him and ducked into her small tent. Zhao Mang awkwardly picked up the meat, rinsed it with water, and popped it into his mouth, laughing foolishly, completely unbothered.

...

For the next three days, Jiang Wan stayed at the camp, carefully looking after the soldiers. Everyone was moved by her actions and began to train even harder. In just a few days, the camp had been expanded, and the soldiers' quarters were improved, no longer leaking in the wind.

During this time, Zhao Mang showed Jiang Wan the greenhouse construction and the newly developed bows. Jiang Wan was stunned. "Mang-lang, your mind is full of so many things; I really want to open it up and see what’s inside."

Zhao Mang laughed and patted her head. "Always letting your imagination run wild. I want to improve the quality of the soldiers' weapons, and I need you to recruit some skilled craftsmen from the city for me."

Jiang Wan rolled her eyes. "All you ever do is ask, ask, ask. If I had known, I should have brought sister Zhenzhen along instead."

Zhao Mang understood her meaning perfectly and scratched his head in embarrassment. "I'm talking about serious business here. If we encounter a larger battle, how can the soldiers survive without good weapons? Don't you agree?"

Jiang Wan nodded helplessly. "Fine, fine, I understand. I’m heading back today. I’ll let you know the moment there is news about the Zhang family's grain transport. You’d better act quickly!"

Zhao Mang pulled her into a hug and kissed her. "Mission accomplished, I guarantee it."