Chapter 346: Chapter 336 Accident
Outside Jiaozhou City, the wind howled fiercely. In the first half of November, Jiaozhou had already seen a change in weather. After a torrential rain, it turned even colder. Fengyu grew increasingly anxious. The longer Xie Xun stayed within Jiaozhou City, the greater danger it posed. Ships had ceased docking at Bei River, and there were barely any grain-transporting vessels at Lanzhou Port either. Among the twelve states, only Jinzhou had surplus grain, yet even Jinzhou struggled to supply all the state capitals.
Both West Continent and Huangzhou had only millet to sustain them through winter. Before departing, Fengyu had already instructed Nangong Heng that aside from millet, other food supplies were scarce. Some wild vegetables and other greens had been pickled or stored in cellars for the winter. This winter was destined to be particularly difficult. West Continent and Huangzhou were advised not to encroach on the grain supplies of other states. Their saving grace was having ample farmland and fewer people—the cultivated lands far exceeded the population’s needs, allowing them to just barely manage through winter.
If West Continent had ten thousand more people, Fengyu would have had to start planning for winter provisions much earlier.
Manager Wang had already sent news from Jiangnan: no grain was available there. The amount collected was insignificant, leaving Zhongzhou as the last glimmer of hope.
Nuanyang rushed into the command tent, her forehead drenched in cold sweat. "Young Mistress, something terrible has happened! The Second Young Master has been discovered by the stationed military in Zhongzhou. He’s now being hunted throughout the entire city, and all checkpoints in Zhongzhou have been sealed."
"What?" Fengyu’s expression changed drastically as she abruptly stood up. "What was the Second Young Master doing in Zhongzhou?"
Nuanyang was visibly rattled. "The Second Young Master went to Zhongzhou to secure grain supplies. The Su Family’s grain warehouse had already been emptied back in late July, with much of the food shipped to Salt City. Recently, they’ve been relocating their businesses. Because the state capital kept a tight watch, the people hadn’t yet evacuated. When the authorities abruptly locked down the warehouse and found it emptied, a conflict broke out. The Second Young Master sent people in to rescue them, but his identity was exposed. Though the trading house staff managed to retreat, the Second Young Master couldn’t leave in time and is now trapped in Zhongzhou."
"If it was just to procure grain, a single command would have sufficed. Why go personally?" Fengyu was growing restless. With the Second Young Master trapped, Xie Xun needed to be informed.
If anything happened to the Second Young Master in Zhongzhou, Xie Xun would lose his mind!
Nuanyang asked nervously, "Could it be that... he went to see Fang Chuning?"
"Impossible... right?" Fengyu’s first reaction was denial. But as memories of Xie Jue’s once ambiguous interactions with Fang Chuning resurfaced, she found herself uncertain once more.
Could he really... be so foolish?
This didn’t seem like something the Second Young Master would do.
"Were all the trading house staff evacuated?"
"They’ve all relocated to Salt City. The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry went to escort them. You can rest assured, Young Mistress," Nuanyang replied. "What’s crucial now is what to do about the Second Young Master being trapped in Zhongzhou. We must inform the Master."
"I know!" Fengyu pressed her hand against the Soul Suppressing Pearl, her heart in chaos, thoughts swirling chaotically. The night was still young. She and Xie Xun had an arrangement: if there was intelligence to share, they would exchange it at midnight. Last time, something had gone wrong during the exchange, prompting Xie Xun to issue explicit prohibitions. Fengyu could only wait patiently until midnight, worried that barging in now might expose their secrets if Xie Xun were in the middle of discussing matters with Lin Helin.
The Second Young Master in Zhongzhou must remain safe, at all costs!
Meanwhile, within Jiaozhou City, Lin Helin received top-secret news from the Capital City. Prince Sangnan, Han Ziqi, had entered the capital on behalf of King Sannan for trade negotiations. He intended to revise the tariff agreements with Yanyang.
There was also news from the palace: a rift had formed between the Empress and the Emperor. The Crown Prince had caught a cold, and his condition was steadily worsening. Each of these updates was enough to leave Lin Helin uneasy.
Finally, news arrived regarding Xie Jue’s entrapment in Zhongzhou. Due to Xie Jue’s identity being exposed, checkpoint inspections throughout the region had become extremely stringent. By the time the information reached Jiaozhou, it was already somewhat late.
"Ting Feng..." Lin Helin laughed coldly, his anger barely restrained. "How dare you!"