Chapter 270: Chapter 265 Business
When Xie Jue led his forces back for reinforcements, he was unaware that the Crown Prince had murdered his father and overthrown the Emperor. Amid the chaos, Fang Chuning led the Jiangnan army to rescue the throne, and the vanguard of the Four Cities army also arrived. Xie Jue’s sole focus was to take Xie Xun away as quickly as possible. Upon reaching Lian City, Lin Xiao informed him about Yuwen Jing’s patricide and regicide, and only then did the truth become known to him. Even with his vast experience, he was immensely shocked. A madman’s thoughts are truly unfathomable; it always seemed he’d been misjudging Yuwen Jing’s motives.
He should have approached Yuwen Jing as a madman—not as a rational being.
Xie Jue had no idea what would happen on the sixth day of June; however, the peculiarities surrounding the Xiyanshan incident gave him an uncanny sense of unease. Mobilizing troops was merely a defensive measure; the implementation of the new policies was entirely beneficial to the royal family, and unless the Crown Prince had lost his mind, why would he exterminate the entire Marquis Mansion?
After Dugu Jing left the Capital City, Emperor Jianming and the Marquis reconciled and put their old grievances behind them—so much so that the Crown Prince’s attempt to destroy the Marquis Mansion seemed improbable without bypassing the Emperor. The Marquis Mansion hadn’t left any incriminating evidence for him to seize upon. Only Emperor Jianming’s death could validate claims of rebellion by the Marquis Mansion. The Crown Prince couldn’t tolerate the mighty and influential Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, nor would he allow the Xie family to migrate to Ningzhou.
Once they left the Capital City, the Xie family would truly escape the grip of imperial power. Emperor Jianming and the Marquis Zhenbei had forged a life-saving bond in Ningzhou, yet between Yuwen Jing and Xie Zhang, there was only the jealousy of rivals—enmity born out of confrontation and bitter animosity. How could such leaders of the state possibly be at ease?
Xie Jue and Xie Xun didn’t have time to grieve. The day after Xie Xun regained consciousness, Xie Jue borrowed grain supplies from the governor of Lian City, and the army departed, advancing toward Ningzhou. Although the governor of Lian City was loyal to Marquis Zhenbei, these few days he had been pondering whether to follow Xie Jue and Xie Xun in leaving.
The imperial court was experiencing turbulent times. He was a governor of one city; if he left, what would become of the people? Lian City was far too close to the Capital City, and with his elder brother as an official in the court, how could he possibly depart? The governor knelt before Xie Xun and heavily kowtowed to him. Xie Xun helped him up but did not reproach him, for everyone has the right to make their own choices.
Not every soldier among the hundreds of thousands of cavalry troops would necessarily join him in rebellion, let alone a city official charged with overseeing the welfare of the populace.
By the time Xie Jue and Xie Xun arrived with their troops at Shun City carrying the Marquis’ remains, the governor had already opened the city gates in anticipation of their arrival. Unlike the governor of Lian City, the governor of Shun City emptied his office storehouses of grain and silver, moved his entire family, and joined Xie Jue and Xie Xun in their march toward Ningzhou.
Twelve Provinces and Ningzhou lay in opposite directions, and Fengyu had been contemplating how to inform Xie Xun of her departure. Since appearing in Lian City, Xie Xun had tacitly assumed Fengyu would follow him to Ningzhou.
But in truth, Fengyu had already made her decision.
She was bound for the Twelve Provinces!
Xie Xun had his path to follow, and she had hers.
On the seventh day after the Marquis’ death, the army reached Salt City. As the name implied, Salt City was renowned for its salt production, and Xie Jue and Xie Xun planned to stay there for a day to pay their respects.
Zhang Da, Qiuxiang, and Chunlu all knew of Fengyu’s intent to head to the Twelve Provinces. Chunlu urged Fengyu to bid farewell to Xie Xun as soon as possible—the further north they traveled, the farther away they were from the Twelve Provinces.
Fengyu repeatedly debated with herself but ultimately decided to wait until after the Marquis’ seventh-day observance before discussing it with Xie Xun.
Meanwhile, Xie Jue and Xie Xun faced a dire problem: insufficient grain supplies for their cavalry. How would they ensure provisions for hundreds of thousands of troops?
The saying "One year of war in Ningzhou will impoverish Yanyang for ten years" was no mere hyperbole.
The cavalry had fought against the Beiman for many years, relying on provisions from the entirety of Yanyang. But now, what could they do? If they occupied Ningzhou, they would simply starve to death. If the Beiman launched an invasion, it would require not only grain but also warhorses, armor, and weapons to defend against them. What was their plan?
This was the most pressing issue laid before Xie Jue’s desk.
They could not lead the cavalry to occupy Ningzhou; doing so would render them utterly trapped!
Unfolding the map of Yanyang, Xie Jue and Xie Xun circled the entire northwest, designating the Mo Bei Mountains as their dividing line, splitting Yanyang into two.
Dividing the nation was the last thing Xie Jue and Xie Xun wanted to do. They sought revenge but did not wish to plunge the common people into the chaos of war. Yet, if they brought their cavalry to Ningzhou, they would become sandwiched between Yanyang and the Beiman—destined to starve in Ningzhou. They needed to find a new path forward.
This was bound to be a grueling battle. To win over these cities without shedding a single drop of blood, the challenge loomed large. Before undertaking this arduous battle, their priority was ensuring the survival of their cavalry.
Deploying forces to the northwest as things stood would only starve hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The immediate concern was survival.
"I have an idea—perhaps not fully formed—but would you hear me out?" Fengyu said.
She had been quietly listening as Xie Xun and Xie Jue debated their options, the brothers proposing solutions that were always just shy of perfection.
Ningzhou’s grain supplies could sustain the cavalry for half a year—but what about afterward?
Could they breach the Capital City in half a year?
With Grand Marshal Fang Chuning there, it was impossible!
Yanyang’s fertile lands were situated in Jiangnan; could they march their cavalry to Jiangnan? No, they couldn’t—Jiangnan was the Grand Marshal’s stronghold, solidly entrenched and unshakable. They’d be outsiders in unfamiliar territory, with little chance of establishing themselves.
Fengyu had always lived under Feng Shu’s protective wing, often overlooked by Xie Jue during their brief encounters. Xie Xun, however, understood the depth of the Third Miss. "Speak!"
Fengyu said, "The Twelve Provinces’ Jinzhou, Huangzhou, and West Continent—though overrun with bandits—have fertile lands. I’ve studied the geography of the Twelve Provinces and my maternal grandfather’s notes. More than ten years ago, these three provinces were abundant in wheat, millet, and maize. Millet, though less productive, is drought-resistant, can be used to brew wine, and has a short growth cycle. The people of the northwest often cultivated millet in times of drought. Later, as wheat yields increased, millet gradually fell out of favor. Now that Ningzhou is facing a grain shortage, can we construct a grain route from Ningzhou to Jinzhou, Huangzhou, and West Continent? Over the past few days, I’ve been examining the terrain from Ningzhou to West Continent. Most of it consists of mountain roads; the army might need more than half a month of marching to traverse it. What if we construct a detour..."
Fengyu drew a path on the map. "By bypassing West Mountain, Hua Mountain, and Bei River, this grain route, using swift horses, would connect in just three days. Moreover, Jinzhou, Huangzhou, and West Continent have seen significant population loss, with West Continent practically reduced to a ghost town. Its lands lie barren, untended. If we dispatch troops to cultivate the fields and plant emergency millet alongside high-yield wheat, millet can be harvested within just twenty days. Provided no natural disasters occur, I’ve calculated the potential output—it should suffice to supply over half of Ningzhou’s military grain needs."
Fengyu paused briefly before continuing. "The common people don’t concern themselves with who ascends the throne. Their desires are minimal: to eat their fill, stay warm, and keep their families from starving. They go wherever they can secure sustenance. Once these three provinces stabilize and populations start flowing back in, the army can proceed to cultivate another city, repeating the cycle. Of course, this depends on the news of Yanyang’s division not reaching the Beiman, ensuring their forces don’t march south. I’ve also considered... In the worst-case scenario, within five years, military needs could be fully met. If fortune smiles, it might only take three years."
Xie Jue stared in astonishment at the seemingly delicate and fragile Third Miss, who resembled a clinging vine. He lowered his gaze to the grain route Fengyu had drawn and, lifting his eyes to her again, revealed deep admiration. "How did you arrive at this idea?"
"Second Young Master, I’m a businesswoman!" Fengyu said with a light smile. "Two years ago, I hired professionals to oversee the mitigation of agricultural disasters at Yiling Village. Concerned they might submit false reports, I personally spent two months traveling through the fields with veteran farmers. I’ve gained some insight into resource yields. However, I’ve never been to the Twelve Provinces, so I’m limited to theoretical projections for now. That’s why I need to go and see for myself."