"This way, it will be much easier to suppress the bandits next time."

Qin Xiaoyao smiled and continued: "Although I have not captured those bandits, my people have followed them into the mountains."

"I believe there will be news back soon."

She had already planned everything when Song Rui mentioned it to her and asked her to act in this scene.

Even if the old fox goes to investigate, he can't find out the reason.

After all, there is indeed a group of bandits on Maoer Mountain.

And she did receive the order to exterminate the bandits.

It's just that I'm too busy right now, so I put it on hold.

Xiang Shen understood immediately.

It was also clear why Qin Xiaoyao was in Maoer Mountain at that time.

Apparently, everything is a coincidence.

Thinking of this, Shen became a little more enthusiastic about Qin Xiaoyao.

"Well, Master Hou's plan is very clever. With Master Hou taking action, I believe that the days of those bandits will not last long."

"Okay, Lord Marquis, please stop standing at the door. Let's go into the mansion and talk in detail." Xiang Shen said and invited Qin Xiaoyao inside.

"Please." Qin Xiaoyao replied and entered the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The front hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Qin Xiaoyao and Song Ruicai sat down, and the servants served tea.

"Please—" Prime Minister Shen sat on the upper seat and extended his hand to Qin Xiaoyao.

"Master Shen, please." Qin Xiaoyao replied and picked up the tea cup.

I took a sip and found that it tasted pretty good.

"Good tea!" he said.

"Haha!" Shen Xiang laughed twice.

"The newly produced Longjing tea from Jiangnan Tea House. If the Marquis likes it, I will ask my servants to bring some to the Marquis later."

Qin Xiaoyao's eyes lit up.

"Then thank you very much, Mr. Shen!" He said thanks.

If you don't take it, you won't get it.

Although she doesn't know how to taste tea, she also knows that this tea is good.

It would also be good to keep it at home to entertain people.

Song Rui watched his wife's reaction from the side and smiled inwardly.

His wife is an honest person.

Shen Xiang, who was sitting in the seat, was stunned for a moment.

Unexpectedly, Qin Xiaoyao actually asked him for tea.

However, it only took a moment before he returned to his previous expression.

It's just tea. If Xiaoyao Hou likes it, it doesn't hurt to give her more.

"Your Majesty, you're welcome." Shen responded accordingly.

Immediately, he ordered the servants waiting outside the door to prepare tea.

Then, he asked Qin Xiaoyao about the details of how she rescued Shen Lian and Song Rui.

Qin Xiaoyao said it lightly.

Song Rui was supplementing on the side.

Of course, in the process of supplementing, he often flattered Qin Xiaoyao and expressed his admiration for Qin Xiaoyao.

"Haha, Mr. Hou's martial arts are indeed amazing!"

"With Lord Marquis here, the Jin Dynasty is as solid as gold." Prime Minister Shen looked at Qin Xiaoyao with admiration.

Apart from anything else, Xiaoyao Hou is indeed a good fighter.

It was she who turned the tide of the war with Daliao around.

If this person were here, Daliao would probably not dare to do it again.

For this reason, Xiaoyaohou deserves the respect of all Jin people, including him naturally.

Qin Xiaoyao and Shen Xiang were polite.

Later, he proposed to discuss some Ministry of War matters with Prime Minister Shen.

Mr. Shen was easy to talk to, so he agreed.

Immediately, Qin Xiaoyao told the generals that the welfare of the soldiers and generals was not in place.

He also said that when he applied for those benefits, the Ministry of Household Affairs did not approve them.

"Soldiers go to the battlefield to kill the enemy, and they do a life-threatening job."

"We fought bloody battles, not only to protect our homeland, but also to gain fame, or to get some money to subsidize our families."

"Especially those soldiers who died in battle. When people die, they die."

"But their families have been unable to receive pension funds. Not only do they have to bear the pain of losing their loved ones, they also have to face the oppression of life."

"If things go on like this, won't it make the officers and soldiers feel cold?" At this point, Qin Xiaoyao's voice rose a little higher, seeming to be filled with righteous indignation.

In addition to the father-in-law factor, another reason why she came to see Prime Minister Shen this time was indeed for this matter.

The imperial court had previously agreed to let King Huaiyin raise his own troops.

And her soldiers are also the soldiers of King Huaiyin.

According to the previous situation, King Huaiyin should pay for it.

But unfortunately, after she returned to the capital and was officially canonized, King Huaiyin ignored her and her soldiers.

She knew that King Huaiyin was deliberately keeping a distance from her.

But the lack of money did bring her a lot of trouble.

She was asked to support thousands of people, but it was not that she couldn't afford to support them.

But I can’t bear to part with it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to save her own money and spend it on herself and her family? Why should she give it to outsiders?

But it won’t work if you don’t nurture it.

The soldiers went into battle to kill the enemy during the war. Now that there is no war, they are training every day, which is very hard for everyone.

Everyone's military pay is only a little.

If she didn't give it, she would feel a little guilty. After all, she still had the fiefdom in Xiaoyao County.

The combined tax revenue from the fiefdom was barely enough to support these thousands of people.

But, whether she could give it or not, of course she didn't want to give it.

After all, although those soldiers were her soldiers, once she resigned from her current position as military commander, they would no longer be hers.

And she is planning to resign in the future.

Xiang Shen was stunned.

Remember something.

"Didn't King Huaiyin approve the soldiers' military pay and pension?" Chong Qin Xiaoyao asked.

Empress Jia admired Xiaoyao Hou and often called her into the palace. She also asked Princess Xiangyang to worship her as her teacher.

Is it because of this reason that King Huaiyin excluded Xiaoyao Hou?

Qin Xiaoyao looked troubled.

"Your Majesty learned that the Queen admires me, and that I have accepted Princess Xiangyang as my disciple. He has quite a few complaints about me."

"The matter of food and salary was stopped by the prince a month ago." Qin Xiaoyao's face was full of bitterness.

Seeing Prime Minister Shen looking over, he continued: "I have known about the feud between the prince and the queen before. But I didn't expect that it would have reached this point."

"I can actually guess a thing or two about their thoughts."

"But I have no interest in forming cliques or taking sides."

"I just want to be loyal to the Jin Dynasty and to the emperor." Qin Xiaoyao said and raised his hand upward.

"As for everything else, I really don't want to get involved too much."

Shen Xiang's eyes moved.
To be continued...