Chapter 218: Chapter 218 Leave a Way Out Chapter 218: Chapter 218 Leave a Way Out Large quantities of grain were unloaded at the grain storage facility in Murong Jiu’s Capital City, and Manager Chai intentionally did not cover them up, letting everyone see what was on the carts.
The local people were ecstatic; Princess Consort Ling’s grain shops had not raised their prices, and these grains were ultimately sold to them.
Capital City finally did not have to worry about a grain shortage!
However, Murong Jiu only allowed Manager Chai to unload part of it, the other half was donated to the Imperial Court in the na of Prince Ling’s Mansion.
The Emperor, upon hearing this, was overjoyed and praised Prince Ling’s Mansion, then imdiately dispatched officials to the most famine-stricken areas to distribute relief grain.
The person dispatched was the selflessly fair Minister of Dali Temple, Sikong Fu, and Murong Jiu was also very satisfied with this, not fearing that officials would embezzle the funds.
It should be noted that these two rchant ships from overseas are the largest rchant ships currently at sea, each capable of carrying a hundred thousand catties.
Together, that is two hundred thousand catties of grain. However, while it seems a lot, in reality, when actually distributed, it could only prevent a very small fraction of severely afflicted people from starving, and the idea of them having enough to eat was nothing short of a pipe dream.
The grain from overseas was not all rice and wheat; there were many crops not native to the area, such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, which Murong Jiu specifically ordered to be saved for cultivation within Great Yan, having heard that sweet potatoes and potatoes had high yields and were very filling. This could potentially prevent future famines from being as severe as this year’s.
It was precisely because of crops like sweet potatoes that two hundred thousand catties of grain did not seem like much.
Fortunately, Manager Chai had already negotiated with those sea rchants, and currently, more than a dozen rchant ships were collecting grain from various mariti regions to transport to Great Yan.
Murong Jiu intentionally let Manager Chai spread this word out.
The next morning during the early court, many court officials were discussing this matter.
The one who brought up the topic was, of course, Prince Ling’s faction, specifically Su Kai’s father, the Marquis of Wuan, Su Shouzhi.
Ever since Jun Yuyan had harbored intentions of usurping the heir, he had secretly garnered support from many significant court officials, albeit covertly; the only overt supporters were the Marquis of Wuan and a few other ordinarily inconspicuous scholars.
“Although Princess Consort Ling is but a woman, she harbors concern for the entire nation,” he began. “I heard that she exchanged all the silver she earned for grain, just so the soldiers at the frontier and the famine-stricken populace need not suffer hunger, which is truly a great kindness! The grain from an additional ten or so rchant ships donated to the Imperial Court will be enough for the populace and the frontier soldiers’ winter needs!”
The Emperor, pleased by having resolved a burning issue and having gained a good reputation, nodded and said,
“Beloved Minister Su spoke well. I indeed did not expect that Princess Consort Ling, being a woman, would possess such boldness and moreover, a long-term vision, relieving of my worries.”
One of the elderly officials from the Second Prince’s faction imdiately spoke up, “Your Majesty, although Princess Consort Ling’s act is charitable, among the four classes—scholars, peasants, artisans, and rchants—rchants are the lowest. Princess Consort Ling, being of the Imperial Family, yet engaging in the acts of rchants to accumulate wealth aggressively, truly loses decorum!”
There were not a few such old-fashioned officials.
Neither the Second Prince’s faction nor the Third Prince’s faction wished for Prince Ling’s Mansion’s reputation to improve. Moreover, by now, most people knew that under Princess Consort Ling there was a Manager Chai, whose ability to amass wealth was top-notch.
Both factions had tried to dig into this, but Manager Chai was utterly loyal to Princess Consort Ling and protected by the expert guards of Prince Mansion, so it was not easy to take action.
They saw today an opportunity to impeach Princess Consort Ling in front of the Emperor.
However, the Emperor felt that Murong Jiu’s involvent in comrce was beneficial. Since rchants had a bad reputation, regarded as the lowest of the low, this association would also tarnish Prince Ling’s Mansion with the stench of money, making it even less likely for Jun Yuyan to inherit the throne. And even though he was distributing grain for disaster relief, it was the officials dispatched by the Imperial Court doing so, and indeed, Murong Jiu had solved a significant problem for him.
The Emperor then said,
“Although rchants belong to the lowest class, they have truly saved many people and ensured that the soldiers at the frontier do not have to endure hunger. If I were to reproach Princess Consort Ling, I would be the one chilling the hearts of people across the nation.”
The ministers present were no fools. Hearing just the first sentence from the Emperor, they understood his intentions. Although the Emperor deaned the status of rchants, in the future, the fact that Princess Consort Ling engaged in comrce would beco one of the stains on Prince Ling’s Mansion.
It was apparent that the Emperor truly disliked the Eldest Prince.
As for this, Murong Jiu was not particularly concerned.
Her engagent in trade was not only for money but also for the convenience it afforded in many matters.
Look, the iron mine in Tea Ridge County, just because she set up a porcelain workshop, the extraction of iron ore was tightly concealed.
Moreover, she could transport the manufactured Fire-thunder to the Frontier Pass under the pretext of delivering military provisions. Without her rchant convoy, would such actions be so convenient?
Furthermore, if she didn’t have money, how could she buy a large amount of food from overseas to help Great Yan survive the famine?
The people of Great Yan who ate the food she bought were indebted to her. Even though so conservative and outdated people thought her involvent in trade was deaning, she believed that many more were grateful to her for saving countless lives.
She was also doing it to accumulate good deeds.
She kept the words of Master Hui Jue in her heart.
Reborn into this life, she could save many people and change many destinies.
She accumulated good deeds only for Jun Yuyan, her father and brothers, and her children to have a good ending.
The incident of the Second Prince being severely injured also quickly spread back to the Capital City.
However, the Second Prince was adept at creating montum. Before he returned to the capital, his subordinates had already spread words in the Capital City about how brave the Second Prince was and how terrible the secret weapons of the Xiongnu were.
Although the people were panic-stricken, the purpose of the Second Prince’s faction was achieved; no one criticized the Second Prince for being cowardly, but instead, they thought he was brave in combat, standing in the front like ordinary soldiers, and everyone praised his courage.
Murong Jiu did not send anyone to expose him because the more the Second Prince publicized how formidable the Xiongnu soldiers were, the greater the military achievents of Jun Yuyan and her father and brothers would be.
Defeating a child is no feat, but for a child to defeat an adult without the adult being able to fight back is a true skill.
Although the taphor is inappropriate, if the Yan Army didn’t have Fire-thunder, it truly resembled a child gambling with an adult. In her previous life, Great Yan suffered heavy casualties and only after several years when they invented Fire-thunder were they able to repel the Xiongnu Soldiers.
Less than ten days later, the Second Prince’s carriage returned to the capital.
Murong Jiu heard that his injuries were indeed very serious, with several wounds on his arm festering and his leg was fractured from falling off a horse, taking a hundred days to heal, just like the Third Prince, he was incapacitated and had to lie down for a period.
When the people saw the wretched state of the Second Prince, they all praised his valor.
At the sa ti, she received a ssage from Jun Yuyan at the Frontier Pass.
The letter said that they had secretly sent a ssage to the Emperor, informing him that they knew what the Xiongnu’s secret weapon was and requesting permission from the Emperor to manufacture Fire-thunder to fight the Xiongnu.
If Fire-thunder was made privately, the Emperor would definitely settle accounts after the autumn; hence, asking for permission was essential. Once they got the Emperor’s order, they still needed the Imperial Court to send Saltpeter and iron filings there.
The Xiongnu were cunning, attacking other cities when they couldn’t break through the pass, which made the Imperial Court act quickly. After receiving the ssage, the Emperor imdiately ordered officials around the Frontier Pass to provide Saltpeter and other materials.
He then ordered the officials to manage their Saltpeter mines and iron mines properly, strictly prohibiting any private mining.
Fortunately, Murong Jiu used information from her previous life to secretly purchase an unexploited barren mountain in Laizhou earlier. Inside that mountain was a large deposit of Saltpeter.
With the Emperor being so indifferent, how could she not leave a back way for Prince Ling’s Mansion?
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