Chapter 340: Chapter 330 Anning
Last night’s fireworks display caught the attention of the entire city. Others didn’t know the reason, but Lin Helin did—it was to celebrate the birthday of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s Commander. Even so, he found it somewhat unbelievable.
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry was so impoverished that Ting Feng had already begun scrounging for food and borrowing money. Yet, they still managed to spare funds for Xie Xun to launch such fleeting fireworks. To Lin Helin, such transient beauty was the most useless thing.
However, the citizens of Jiaozhou City seemed quite delighted; even in the dead of night, many lingered in the streets to admire the spectacle.
Xue Yu remarked that it had been a long, long time since the Twelve Provinces had witnessed such a scene of splendor.
Even wealthy Jinzhou refrained from squandering money on fireworks during the New Year. Though frivolous like the sudden bloom of a night-flowering cereus, this visual feast brought joy to the common folk, which could be deemed worthwhile.
The fireworks were beautiful, yet life remained bitter. Xie Xun and Lin Helin were at an impasse, placing Xue Yu in the unenviable position of being caught in the middle. Within Jiaozhou City, there was a group of staff members, with Xue Yu overseeing affairs. Although merchants harbored grievances, they had been subdued. The northern city gates were closed, but the impact on river transport was limited. As long as livelihoods were ensured, merchants and citizens remained relatively stable.
Still, Xue Yu was deeply troubled by one particular matter.
Winter was fast approaching.
The grain transported from Jiangnan would only be sufficient to sustain Jiaozhou until the end of November. In previous years, merchants would begin stockpiling enough grain and supplies to survive the winter by mid-November.
Now, with just half a month left, the city’s granary was dangerously empty, and merchants had failed to prepare any surplus grain. Xue Yu was so anxious that he was practically spinning in circles. By the end of November, the Twelve Provinces would officially enter the harsh winter season, which would last until February of the following year. Heavy snow would blanket the land, and aside from winter-hardy crops, essential supplies would become alarmingly scarce. Starting in October, each provincial mansion across the region would typically begin storing up winter provisions.
"Sir, if you and the Prince continue to remain at odds, this winter will be unbearable for Jiaozhou. It will lead to corpses piling up in the streets. I beseech you to reconsider," Xue Yu said, forcing himself to negotiate with Lin Helin.
Lin Helin was a scholar and hailed from an aristocratic lineage, making him, in Xue Yu’s view, easier to deal with compared to Xie Xun.
"Jiaozhou’s lack of stored grain—what does it have to do with me?" Lin Helin maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke, his tone always measured and deliberate. "It is Xie Xun who has stationed troops in Jiaozhou. This city belongs to Yanyang. I am here to negotiate with him. If you wish to relieve Jiaozhou’s plight, you ought to seek out Xie Xun. Coming to me is entirely misplaced."
"While that may be true, your dispute with him leaves the common folk as innocent victims," Xue Yu said, rubbing his temples. "The Twelve Provinces rely entirely on Jiangnan and Zhongzhou for their grain supply. With tensions rising in Jiaozhou, merchants are afraid of war and dare not invest heavily in stockpiling grain. Although the state mansion wishes to replenish the granary, there are no funds on the books. In recent days, the price of rice in Jiaozhou City has already surged by thirty percent. You cannot stand by and watch the citizens of Jiaozhou starve to death this winter."
Winter is typically the most profitable season for rice merchants because heavy snow cuts off travel routes in the Twelve Provinces, and the freezing weather drives up grain prices. While the state mansion would try to regulate the market, supply was beyond the reach of mere regulation. With no funds to store grain, the state mansion could only rely on merchants. Merchants, however, hoarded their stockpiles, driving prices even higher. Coupled with the shortage caused by the ongoing unrest, winters in the Twelve Provinces were always grueling, and grain prices soared. This year, with fears of impending war, merchants were even more hesitant to invest heavily in grain stockpiles.
Firstly, if they did allocate significant sums to stockpile grain in warehouses, and war did break out, transporting grain was far more cumbersome than moving silver coins; relocating it would pose a major challenge. Secondly, if the citizens of the city fell into hardship, lawlessness in the rural areas could erupt, and households with stored grain would be the first targets of plundering. Grain was different from other goods.
It was a necessity!
Jewelry could be left unworn, and one outfit could last an entire winter, but grain was an everyday requirement. No merchant dared to invest heavily, and thus Jiaozhou City had yet to prepare sufficient winter provisions by the end of October.
Lin Helin understood the dire predicament in Jiaozhou.
Xie Xun understood it too!
Yet neither was willing to yield. Xue Yu and the state mansion’s staff were as frantic as ants scalded by boiling water. Xue Yu had begun calculating the meager funds available on the state’s books, attempting to procure grain from Jiangnan.
"Sir, if all else fails, could we perhaps divert some funds from Jinzhou as an emergency measure, treating it as a loan to Jiaozhou?" proposed one of the staff members.
"Jinzhou could spare at most 500,000 taels—a drop in the ocean," Xue Yu replied, unable to ease Jiaozhou’s plight. Two of the city’s rice shops had already ceased operations; this winter, the price of grain in Jiaozhou might rise to astronomical levels. Even with money, acquiring grain would be exceedingly difficult.
Beyond the city walls!
Before receiving Xie Jue’s letter regarding grain procurement, Fengyu had already penned a missive two days earlier to Manager Wang, instructing him to secretly procure grain from Jiangnan and Zhongzhou, all to be stockpiled in Jinzhou. She ordered maximum efforts to prepare as much grain as possible in Jinzhou. The shopkeepers of the Su Family’s Trading House were known for their habit of stockpiling grain, a practice born out of gratitude to the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. After Feng Shu assumed control of the business, she prioritized stocking up on grain, and Fengyu carried on the tradition. Thus, every winter, the shopkeepers diligently worked on accumulating supplies.
Fengyu’s specific written request made the demand clear. Manager Wang immediately embarked on sourcing grain, fully aware of the urgency in Jiaozhou, which Jinzhou had already caught wind of. However, he encountered significant challenges that were relayed back to Fengyu.
Jiangnan had experienced heavy rainfall throughout the autumn, resulting in a grain harvest far below expectations. The quantity of grain available for procurement was severely limited. Meanwhile, Zhongzhou had closed off Bei River, prohibiting ships from crossing. The Ministry of Revenue had taken control and begun reallocating resources, effectively cutting off the Twelve Provinces’ winter grain supply. The timing of their efforts had been somewhat late.
This winter promised to be incredibly difficult.
Even with vast riches, she could not conjure grain out of thin air. As an essential commodity, it was exceedingly susceptible to interruptions caused by natural calamities or human strife. Moreover, transferring grain from south to north added yet another layer of complication.
West Continent and Huangzhou had only just begun their autumn and winter planting; their harvest wouldn’t come until the spring of the following year. Fengyu could only hope that Manager Wang managed to gather enough grain to tide people over through the winter.
If excessive rains in Jiangnan escalated into flooding, the availability of grain would shrink even further.
In Zhongzhou.
Fang Chuning had yet to establish his footing. General Chen Ming and Marshal Fang were closely connected, and Zhongzhou had always been firmly under the control of the Yuwen Royal Family. Like Marshal Fang, General Chen Ming was a veteran committed to preserving orthodoxy. Though old injuries prevented him from returning to the battlefield, he still oversaw every detail of Zhongzhou’s defenses.
General Chen Ming’s trust in Fang Chuning was tenuous. The reason lay partly in unfamiliarity and partly in Fang Chuning’s longstanding ties with the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Unwilling to fully delegate authority, Chen Ming retained firm control, leaving Fang Chuning free to relax.
Fang Chuning thrived in the Capital City and had strong rapport within the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. For now, Xie Xun showed no signs of crossing into Zhongzhou. Any directives from the court were handled independently by General Chen Ming, giving Fang Chuning the opportunity to socialize with a group of younger officers in Zhongzhou.
Some of these young officers seemed deliberate in their intentions, dragging him out drinking day after day. Living a life akin to "drunken debauchery," such minor schemes weren’t worth Fang Chuning’s attention—he had seen Xie Jue employ similar tactics. Years ago, Xie Jue had used such ploys while stationed in Beiman, though his weak tolerance for alcohol often led to embarrassing moments. A drunken Xie Jue had trouble differentiating reality, occasionally losing all sense and even forgetting crucial incidents.
In truth, Fang Chuning understood the dynamics of Zhongzhou’s bureaucracy. Most were staunch Royalists, and, as an outsider, gaining their trust was virtually impossible. He didn’t even trust himself, so why would they trust him? He found himself yearning for Xie Jue, torn between an emotional desire to fly to Ningzhou and a rational restraint that kept him bound in Zhongzhou.
What he didn’t expect was to wake up after a heavy bout of drinking and see the very Second Young Master he longed for standing beside his bed. Fang Chuning chuckled wryly, covering his face with one hand.
He murmured, "This dream hasn’t ended yet, has it?"
Xie Jue’s Adam’s apple bobbed faintly, his heart heavy with a bittersweet ache. Was Fang Chuning dreaming of him?
"Anning, it’s not a dream."