In Jiaozhou, the sky was cold and the ground was frozen. Snowflakes drifted down like cotton, covering the ground with a thick layer of ice. Children played joyfully on the frozen grounds, while Xie Jue and Fengyu worried over how to solve the food shortage. Their reserve of grain would only last until mid-February, and the military provisions for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry were untouchable. Xie Xun led a group into the mountains, gathering a large batch of wild vegetables, and brought them back to the State Mansion to have the elderly farrs test which ones were edible and which ones were not.
When there was no grain, people could only rely on the wild vegetables provided by nature. Xie Jue and Fengyu sent people to educate households one by one, urging every family to save food for the winter as the State Mansion was also facing a critical shortage of grain. Officials at the State Mansion started registering information about the poorest farming households. So households had absolutely no grain at all and had to rely entirely on governnt aid. Fortunately, it was not the sumr when trade was cut off; Fengyu had calculated simply that, while it would be arduous, they might manage to survive until April.
Among the Twelve States, Dan State and Yu State were the most impoverished, forming the regions hardest hit by food shortages. Following the completion of the Liangma Road, Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, and Zhou Liyu led troops to station themselves at Dan State and Yu State respectively. The grain for tens of thousands of soldiers was shared with the local people, while this group of able-bodied n ventured into the mountains to hunt for survival, tightening their belts to endure the days.
Xie Jue tried his best to allocate grain and provisions to Dan State and Yu State. These soldiers had only just finished constructing the Liangma Road; it was unthinkable to let them go hungry. The epidemic had just receded, and everyone knew that the Twelve States were poor—Dan State, Yu State, and several others had initially hoped that the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry could provide relief. Now, with large forces stationed there, though als were sparse and uneven, at least they weren’t starving to death, and no one dared voice complaints.
Against the calamities of nature and man, Xie Xun was no deity; he couldn’t magically produce grain out of thin air.
West Continent and Huangzhou managed to save a little grain to send to Yu State and Dan State. While the Liangma Road was completed, the major roads across the Twelve States remained unbuilt, making travel throughout the Twelve States exceedingly difficult. Transporting grain from Jinzhou to Dan State and Yu State, for instance, proved extrely challenging. If a thousand people were dispatched to transport grain, half of it might be consud along the way.
Xie Jue frowned deeply as he read the Residence Reports sent from various regions. His brows knitted together tightly—the fact that the epidemic hadn’t spread across the states and districts was the only piece of good news. Nearly all the reports highlighted the massive food shortage.
Xie Xun and Xie Jue were both at their wits’ end.
Using the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s grain provisions for relief seed like the best solution. Yet even Xie Xun had never once uttered the suggestion of using military provisions for aid; those rations were sacrosanct.
No one could predict what might happen along the borders or whether the Beiman forces might invade.
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry was required to maintain a reserve of rations sufficient for at least half a year. If anyone dared touch the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s provisions, General Zhou would likely die by suicide in front of the granary in protest.
Xie Jue ca up with an idea to divide the Twelve States into six regions. Cities like Luocheng and Pingzhou would be managed by Salt City, while the several states near Jinzhou would be handed over to Jinzhou to co up with solutions. Though poverty-stricken, the northern Salt City and southern Jinzhou were relatively wealthy, and so districts had slight surpluses of grain. Distributing the food evenly might suffice to get through the winter.
In mid-January, continuous snowstorms raged. Xie Xun originally planned to return to Ningzhou but stayed in Jiaozhou longer due to the extre weather. Xue Yu acted as the interim leader of Jiaozhou’s State Mansion, and Xie Jue had yet to find a suitable replacent.
He thought Fengyu was actually quite suitable for the role of governor of a State Mansion. However, as soon as he suggested the idea, Xie Xun opposed it, saying, "Ayu is physically frail and cannot exhaust herself. Although the governor of West Continent is technically Nangong Heng, Ayu is the true authority there. Co spring, after Dongxue lts, she will still have to oversee agricultural and sericultural matters across the Twelve States and cannot take on Jiaozhou’s governorship as well."
"But Jiaozhou has tens of thousands of Iron Cavalry stationed there. The choice of governor is crucial; if they don’t align with the Iron Cavalry, managent will be extrely difficult."
"Second Brother, since you’re staying in Jiaozhou anyhow, why don’t you take the role?" Xie Xun suggested. "Or appoint soone you trust."
Xie Jue had no desire to beco Jiaozhou’s governor. The position required extensive socializing and diplomacy, which he found annoying. Even in Ningzhou, he had delegated a scapegoat to act as the figurehead while he retained true control from behind the scenes.
Outside Jiaozhou City, in the epidemic zone, only sixty individuals remained unhealed. Fengyu wished to relocate all of them inside the city; after all, living in tents outside, exposed to the bitter cold, posed severe risks. The temperatures were so low at night that so nearly froze to death in the tents. If soone were to die from the cold, it would damage Xie Xun’s reputation.
After discussing with Xie Jue, they decided to clear out a dical facility near the North City gate of Jiaozhou and relocate the patients there. Fengyu took personal responsibility for bringing them into the dical facility. Among the patients, one young boy caught Fengyu’s attention. The boy’s body was growing taller, already standing half a head past Fengyu, with sharp, black eyes resembling those of a hunting hound—fierce and focused. His dirty face obscured his features. Fengyu inquired with the physician; the boy had contracted the illness recently and was not native to Jiaozhou. He had no parents and was an orphan.
Fengyu couldn’t shake the feeling that those eyes were hauntingly familiar, resembling soone from her mory, though she deed it impossible. Until suddenly, a dagger fell from the boy’s body. The scabbard was slightly yellowed, carved with the image of a fox. The gem in the hilt had been pried out. Fengyu stared at the dagger, stunned, and then shouted, "Xiaoqi, is that you?"
Startled, the boy turned to face her. When he saw the dagger in her hand, he looked at her in bewildered astonishnt and called tentatively, "Sister?"
Overco with joy, Fengyu was swept into a tide of elation at this long-lost reunion. She suddenly rushed forward and embraced him tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Xiaoqi, you’re alive—this is wonderful! I’ve missed you so much!"
Xie Xun returned to the city after leading a hunting party into the mountains. Upon hearing that Fengyu was managing the patient relocation, he went to pick her up and return to the mansion. However, what he saw was Fengyu embracing a young boy passionately. In that instant, it felt like sothing struck his mind hard. Xie Xun’s gaze turned instantly dark and furious!
The boy was equally joyful as he hugged her back, on the verge of speaking when suddenly, a great force yanked him away. Xie Xun’s expression was nacing and jealous as he turned to Fengyu and snapped angrily, "Are you crazy? He’s still sick!"
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