Chapter 367: Chapter 356 Riot_2
"I understand." Fang Lingjun was somewhat forlorn. Even if Fengyu didn’t instruct her, she would keep her mouth shut, manage those around her properly, and ensure she wouldn’t cause trouble for Fengyu. But after Ayu left, when would they meet again?
Fengyu understood her thoughts all too well. Ever since arriving in the Capital City, whenever she ventured out, she was almost inseparable from Fang Lingjun. She also couldn’t bear to part from her friend.
"Who knows how long the chaos in Yangzhou will persist? Though wealthy, when the city gates are closed, it’s nothing but an isolated fortress. Refugees are gathering at the gates in increasing numbers, and people die of hunger each day. The situation feels off; I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is imminent." Fengyu was deeply worried, her heart full of unease.
Fang Lingjun said, "Once my father arrives with his troops, everything will be fine."
Yet, three days had passed, and the Marshal’s forces had not reached Yangzhou. Only a small detachment had been sent to the city, insufficient to suppress the refugees. More and more displaced people gathered outside the gates of Yangzhou City. Every day, cries echoed as desperate individuals banged on the gates, pleading for salvation. Some held feverish children while knocking; others dragged dying parents to the gates in desperation.
The sounds of crying, curses, and wails filled the air. The soldiers guarding the gates shed tears, yet they dared not let anyone in due to their duty. The Yangzhou Prefecture attempted to distribute provisions, but the limited food supply caused those at the forefront of the crowd to madly snatch at it, while those in the rear fiercely pushed forward, leading to massive stampedes. Many refugees at the front were trampled into mud, countless others injured. The situation grew steadily worse, and the State Mansion, realizing they could not keep distributing food like this, became frantic.
Opening the gates was impossible, while keeping them shut amounted to watching the refugees starve to death. The Prefecture could only appeal to the Capital City and the towns along the Liujiang riverside for aid, hoping they’d come to Yangzhou’s rescue.
But the Liujiang riverside towns were disaster zones themselves, overwhelmed with their own plights; how could they provide assistance to Yangzhou?
There were already eighty thousand refugees gathered outside the city gates!
The food stocks within the city were almost exhausted as well. Reliance on wealthy merchants and the Prefecture’s grain warehouses was futile, as they would eventually run out. Even if the refugees entered the city and were provided meals, it would drain resources until there was nothing left. Moreover, not all merchants were willing to share their reserves out of goodwill; many sought to keep enough food for the next six months.
Fengyu took stock of the warehouses and found they could only distribute provisions for one more day—no more than that. The situation was worsening by the hour.
The Marshal’s troops were stalled because Prince Sangnan Han Ziqi was negotiating trade matters in the Capital City. No word had come from the Capital, leaving Jiangnan’s army waiting on the brink, unable to act without orders.
Sannan had been restless ever since the Beiman envoy Dugu Jing arrived in the Capital. Marshal Fang did not dare take risks. No one had foreseen the severity of the natural disaster, which had left the people of Yangzhou and the Liujiang regions devastated, their situation dire.
"There’s hardly any grain left in my family’s warehouse either," Fang Lingjun said after hearing from her grandmother. "Things are so bad right now; Grandmother said that something major may happen soon. She told me to stay home and not wander. The households near us have all locked their doors. Two nights ago, some refugees sneaked over and broke in to rob a residence but were driven off by the guards. You must be careful too."
Fengyu’s mood sank deeper and deeper; the depletion of food was bound to spark chaos.
"Ayu, by the way, Lin Cheng will be arriving in Yangzhou soon. He heard about the Liujiang River embankment breaking and somehow came up with a solution. He’s entering the city via the waterways and will arrive by midnight tonight."
"This is bad!" Fengyu’s scalp tingled, feeling as though she’d been struck by lightning.
Lin Cheng was now the Commander of the Three Armies, overseeing all troops in the Capital—a close confidant of the Emperor. For him to travel all the way south to Jiangnan could hardly be just to address the Liujiang embankment collapse. Impossible. That wasn’t his area of expertise. Besides, Emperor Yuan Hui wasn’t known for empathy or addressing the suffering of the people. Even if the Cabinet were dispatching someone for disaster relief, Lin Helin would never have sent Lin Cheng.
He must be acting on behalf of Yuwen Jing. What business does Yuwen Jing have in Jiangnan?
The wealth of the Su Family’s Trading House!
This is terrible!
"Junjun, I need you to do me a favor!"
"...Alright!"
Fengyu made an immediate decision and transferred all the silver from the Su Family’s Trading House to Fang Lingjun’s private residence. Fang Lingjun was privileged, and her grandmother had purchased a house right next to her own mansion as a retreat for Fang Lingjun’s leisure and seclusion. Upon hearing that Lin Cheng was arriving in Yangzhou, Fengyu promptly ordered people to move all the silver, gold, jewels, and valuables to Fang Lingjun’s residence.
Before the Yangzhou disaster, all of these items had already been packed in boxes, only waiting to be shipped out. Now, they needed only be loaded onto carts and moved to Fang Lingjun’s house. Yangzhou had seen a dramatic increase in cart traffic lately, as many feared trouble and busily transported their goods. Numerous merchants had sealed their doors tightly. Under cover of night—a time of strong winds and deep darkness—Fengyu and Fang Lingjun moved everything in secret, working tirelessly from afternoon until just before daybreak.
"Ayu... you truly are wealthy!" Fang Lingjun exclaimed in shock as she stared at the dark room filled with boxes, all overflowing with silver, gold, jewels, and silk.
The grain that hadn’t been moved had largely been given for disaster relief. As for the remaining valuables, Yuwen Jing would undoubtedly disdain anything other than gold, silver, and jewels.
"Junjun, I’m giving it all to you."
Fang Lingjun, "?"
"I truly must be Ayu’s favorite, to have mountains of gold and silver bestowed upon me," Fang Lingjun joked, after recovering from her confusion, and then burst into laughter. "I don’t want it. What would I do with so much silver? Don’t worry, I’ll keep all of it safe for you. No one except my grandmother knows about the hidden room in this residence. Once the trouble in Yangzhou is resolved, I’ll return everything to you."
Fengyu genuinely meant to give the silver to Fang Lingjun, treating it as her dowry gift for Junjun. Since Fengyu couldn’t transport it away anyway, she might as well leave it in Junjun’s hands. With Lin Cheng’s arrival, the Trading House was certain to be thoroughly plundered by him. She was determined to leave him nothing—not even a single penny. Burning the remainder would harm her less than allowing Lin Cheng to seize it. Managing to relocate the wealth in time was Junjun’s blessing.
What the twelve devastated provinces lacked was grain, not silver!
Just as the silver was fully relocated, dawn broke, signaling the imminent sunrise. Fengyu and Fang Lingjun were preparing to part ways when, suddenly, the sound of murderous shouts erupted from all directions—Yangzhou City had fallen into chaos!