Chapter 406: Chapter 393: Pregnant
Xie Jue and Xie Xun were a bit taken aback as they watched the grain being unloaded. The shipment was escorted by Jiangnan General Trading Company’s convoy, which braved the snowstorm to deliver five boatloads of grain to Jiaozhou. The leader was a burly man, distinctly robust and rather outgoing by nature. Upon seeing Xie Xun, he greeted him warmly. Xie Xun asked, "Who sent this grain?"
It couldn’t possibly be the Jiangnan garrison suddenly acting out of charity to provide them grain, could it?
The convoy leader chuckled and replied, "Prince, this grain was gathered by Jiangnan merchants from various places. We knew that when Yangzhou was in trouble, the Prince mobilized the grain from all twelve prefectures to provide emergency relief. Now that the harsh winter has come and the twelve prefectures are suffering food shortages, the Jiangnan merchants, deeply grateful for the Prince’s benevolence, have collected grain throughout Jiangnan to repay your kindness, especially since the epidemic has subsided."
The five boatloads of grain comprised not only rice and flour but also long-lasting vegetables, meats, medicinal supplies, and other essentials—all of which were scarce in the twelve prefectures. Xie Xun dispatched men to inspect the grain and confirmed there were no issues with it.
Xie Jue raised his brows. He hadn’t expected that the goodwill formed in Yangzhou would carry on to this point. Grain taken from the twelve prefectures was now being shipped back to them. To say this wasn’t touching would be a blatant denial of the facts.
Xie Xun had already been moved by the citizens when he left Yangzhou. Now, he was once again deeply struck by the overflowing gratitude of the Jiangnan merchants. When Marquis Zhenbei was alive, he had nothing but praise for the Jiangnan merchants. Su Ming’s merchant convoy, led by him over the years, had always prioritized the well-being of the common folk.
"The generosity of Jiangnan merchants is something the twelve prefectures cannot properly repay. Please convey my gratitude to the merchants in Jiangnan. Such immense kindness and virtue, Xie Xun will repay it someday."
"Prince, you speak too highly. Without your aid to Yangzhou, the Jiangnan merchants wouldn’t be offering this grain. The Prince saved countless people in Jiangnan. My parents contracted the epidemic in Yangzhou, and if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have seen them again. This act of repayment, this gratitude—it’s the people of Jiangnan repaying kindness. The Prince needn’t dwell on it. As for the twelve prefectures’ winter grains, Jiangnan will do everything in its power to help."
Xie Xun dared not let Jiangnan send grain again. "These five boatloads of grain are enough for the twelve prefectures to make it through the winter. Last year, Jiangnan suffered from flood-induced disasters, resulting in poor harvests. Coupled with the epidemic spreading in Yangzhou, Jiangnan itself is struggling to get by this winter. Having these five boatloads of grain to help the twelve prefectures through the winter, we are already incredibly thankful."
The Jiangnan merchant convoy left hastily and didn’t linger in Jiaozhou, as there were still thousands plagued by the epidemic outside Jiaozhou City. They didn’t dare take risks. Xie Jue and Xie Xun escorted them all the way to the riverside.
When Fengyu heard about Jiangnan General Trading Company delivering grain, her feelings were complex. Yanyang had completely locked down trade routes, yet they managed to send five boatloads of grain via the river, unquestionably a challenging feat. They must have navigated countless checkpoints along the way. Grain sent from Jiangnan was recognized as a lifeline for the twelve prefectures, and pass-throughs all along the rivers knew this—they turned a blind eye to allow the boats passage.
If even one checkpoint had blocked them, the grain wouldn’t have come through. This demonstrated just how significant Xie Xun’s disaster relief efforts in Yangzhou had been. Although the court hoped to use trade restrictions to blockade the twelve prefectures, they could not override the will of the people.
This batch of grain was enough to help the twelve prefectures survive the winter, at least until spring arrived. Once spring came, everything could begin to improve.
Under the coordination of Xie Jue and Fengyu, the grain was promptly distributed to the counties of the twelve prefectures suffering severe shortages. As the snowstorms slightly subsided after the Lunar New Year, Xie Xun began preparations to return to the twelve prefectures.
However, just then, Fengyu received astonishing news sent from the Capital City.
Feng Shu was pregnant and about to give birth. However, the pregnancy had complications, and the letter had been written during Lunar New Year. Due to heavy snow, it didn’t reach Fengyu until well after the New Year.
The letter came from Lady Thirteen’s trusted confidant, who delivered it personally.
Such shocking news couldn’t be kept hidden. Fengyu rushed off to find Xie Jue and Xie Xun in such haste and urgency that she nearly slipped in the courtyard.
When she burst into the council hall, Xie Jue, Xie Xun, and General Xu Zhou, along with several other generals, were discussing matters. Xiaoqi, with a longsword hanging from his waist, was idly spinning the sword tassel at the door. When he saw Fengyu storm into the council hall, he frowned. He wanted to remind her that there were outsiders present, but there was no time.
"Ayu, what’s the matter?" Xie Xun quickly moved to support her as he saw her. Fengyu’s eyes were brimming with tears, carrying a mix of joy and fear, and her entire body quivered violently.
The Third Miss was usually calm and composed. She would never lose her poise unless something truly significant had happened. Xie Jue exchanged a glance with him, and General Xu Zhou and General Chen led the others out of the hall, looking worried.
General Chen was uneasy. "Could something major have happened again?"
General Xu Zhou couldn’t say for certain. This matter was unpredictable. They knew the Third Miss well and were genuinely worried that something tremendous was unfolding.
Inside the council hall, Xie Xun rapidly scanned through Lady Thirteen’s letter, absorbing each word at lightning speed. He froze in place, speechless, and turned abruptly to call out, "Second Brother?"