allonlinenovel Chapter 131 Purchasing Grain
Chapter 131 Purchasing Grain
Zhu Ling shook his head. "Thank you, Lord Xie. I'm not trying to upset you. Although Changgan City has grain reserves, the people of Changgan also need to eat, so the grain in the city cannot be touched."
During this period, Zhu Ling took a detailed inventory of the grain reserves that the Changgan regional government could directly mobilize.
The former prefect of Changgan did do some practical things, although corruption was quite serious, he never neglected the daily management of the granaries and other related matters.
Overall, the grain reserves are sufficient to guarantee the daily lives of residents in the Changgan area.
Many villages outside the city also grow vegetables, so supplying the city's operations is not a major problem.
When the city was under control, Zhu Ling specifically collected information about the surrounding villages, some of whom would come to the city to sell vegetables.
Zhu Ling specifically issued some travel permits to the villages under his jurisdiction.
However, if we were to suddenly be responsible for the future lives of the residents of Uro, it would certainly not be enough; we would need to draw upon the grain reserves of a wider region.
Although the Kingdom of Uro is not large, the villages and towns near the border have a large population. How could the Changgan region possibly supply them?
Not to mention, the emperor's goal this time is to directly annex the entire Uro, and the subsequent control will require even more resources.
The destroyed grain was a consequence of anticipating the situation after the capture of Uro.
The emperor originally intended for a swift victory in dealing with the first batch of supplies and related matters. He hoped that the flying caravan could conquer Uro as quickly as possible, and that supplies would follow immediately. This would also allow the local people to be appeased and their morale consolidated.
Yue Zhen had shown Zhu Ling the emperor's original secret edict, which required that the opportunity be seized and the matter resolved as quickly as possible.
However, the sudden destruction of grain disrupted the plan. Yue Zhen and Xie Changyuan, the generals of the flying car team, discussed adjusting their strategy and decided to send out five flying cars first to make an initial impression and strive for peace negotiations.
At this stage, it appears that this strategic adjustment has begun to have an initial effect.
However, everyone present knew that this was just a temporary arrangement. The large amount of grain destroyed indicated that someone in the vicinity had ill intentions and was deliberately causing damage.
Marquis Changxing himself still needs to take responsibility for the consequences of this grain loss.
Therefore, the two people most anxious and worried here are Marquis Changxing Xie Changyuan and his deputy Gu Tinghui.
Upon hearing Zhu Ling's words, the two sighed deeply, seemingly deflated and at a loss for words.
"I had already thought of that; it is indeed the case. To maintain secrecy, His Majesty did not inform the people in the vicinity of his plan. The temporary order for the surrounding towns to prepare food was certainly insufficient."
Xie Changyuan sighed helplessly.
Gu Tinghui, who was standing to the side, was only a young man of about eighteen years old. He tried to speak several times, but Xie Changyuan stopped him each time.
"Lord Xie, I'm sorry, but Changgan City has a large population. Even if Changgan itself has grain reserves, I need to go back and take stock first. Even if the residents of Changgan are willing to contribute to the great cause of the country, I really cannot take out this grain."
“I understand, Prefect Zhu. Then… I would like to ask if there are any merchants stockpiling grain near Changgan? I am willing to pay to buy it.”
Xie Changyuan seemed to have made up his mind. After calculating for a moment, he finally spoke.
"Although we have informed His Majesty of the attack, if we can resolve this matter sooner, His Majesty will not be too troubled. His Majesty has many other matters to consider in court, and this time..."
Xie Changyuan spoke sincerely, and although he didn't say it explicitly, he truly wanted to relieve the Emperor's burdens as soon as possible. He spoke hesitantly, as if he was considering his words.
"In short, His Majesty's affairs take the highest priority. My personal interests are irrelevant. Prefect Zhu, if there are any grain stockpiles near Changgan, I am willing to pay to buy them. The price will be absolutely reasonable. I will go bankrupt to ensure that all my money is allocated, no matter the cost!"
"My lord, please don't get agitated." Zhu Ling understood what the other party meant and thought for a moment. "Buying grain directly is an option, but... the cost here... is quite high."
Xie Changyuan seemed to have convinced himself, and the gloomy expression on his face had faded somewhat. "I'm not afraid to let you know that the lady's dowry is naturally untouchable. However, besides that, I still have some family property, all of which were bestowed by the Emperor. If I don't have enough cash, I can bring out some of my family's collection. As long as the merchants are willing to provide grain to solve the current problem, I don't mind losing some."
Gu Tinghui whispered from the side, "My lord, you still have a wife and several children to support...you..."
"Don't worry, I'll get Madam's approval."
Xie Changyuan waved his hand, not really caring about this part of the situation.
"In short, Prefect Zhu, if you know of any grain reserves in Changgan, could you perhaps act as a go-between?"
Zhu Ling had also heard these words and turned slightly to the left.
Yun Yuke was standing on the left. When it came to businessmen, the first person Zhu Ling thought of was Sister Yun standing beside him.
With just a slight change in expression, Zhu Ling quickly composed herself.
"I understand, Lord Xie. After I return to the city, I will inquire and see if any merchants have stockpiled grain."
"Then thank you very much, Prefect Zhu. Please be sure to keep this a secret. I will immediately send someone to the capital to invite my wife here so she can pack up my family's belongings. Rest assured, anyone willing to provide food will be rewarded after the matter is settled!"
"Let's find the person first."
Zhu Ling didn't say much, after all, all he knew was the state of grain reserves held by local governments, and he figured that merchants must also be hoarding grain.
Now we need to carefully consider how to find people, so that those merchants don't take the opportunity to raise prices.
"Prefect Zhu, I'll be leaving now; I have military affairs to attend to. Don't worry, if anything comes up, you can send someone to find Tinghui. I'll have Tinghui specifically handle all related business."
Xie Changyuan and Gu Tinghui were about to leave when they saw Yun Qingjin sitting next to them as they exited the private room.
The little girl didn't tie her hair up in a bun today; she just combed it up, and she was still wearing a coarse cloth men's outfit.
As Xie Changyuan walked past Yun Qingjin, Yun Qingjin gently looked up.
The two looked at each other for a moment.
Yun Qingjin remained quite calm, her gaze unwavering, as if she were looking at a complete stranger.
Xie Changyuan glanced at it, then turned back to continue explaining things to Gu Tinghui.
"Tinghui, send someone back to the capital immediately and send a letter to the Marquis's residence. The lady will understand it."
"Understood, please rest assured, I will send the letter to Brother Minghao without arousing suspicion."
The two chatted as they walked. As soon as they reached the door, someone led their horses up.
Yun Qingjin breathed a sigh of relief in the lobby, a relieved smile appearing on her face.
"As expected, you didn't recognize me. That puts my mind at ease."