Chapter 330: Volume 1, Chapter 330 — Can They Hold Out?

The reason unregistered households existed was, for the noble families, to avoid court taxes, and for the unregistered themselves, to have food to eat, a roof to live under, and to keep their families together.

But now, the court's workshops were openly poaching people — not only providing housing, wages, and food, but also granting the household registration they yearned for most. Even if it were them, they would flee desperately too.

"Brother Wu, do you think Suizhou can hold out?" Ruan Sheng asked with deep concern.

Wu Lu shook his head. "Hard to say. They say Xiao Shen brought along the newly built cannons from the Military Ordnance Bureau this time. We haven't seen these cannons ourselves, but from what I've heard, their power is ten times greater than the original Fire Thunder. If that's the case, I'm afraid Suizhou won't be able to withstand them."

"If the Song family of Suizhou is defeated..." Wu Lu's expression darkened. "Then we'll be next."

His Majesty's blade was already raised. They either had to raise arms in rebellion or bow their heads and surrender.

But neither option was a good thing for them.

Though the noble families all had private soldiers, the Late Emperor had been relatively lenient toward them during his reign, and with no wars for many years, the noble families' private troops lacked the sharp edge of earlier years. But in recent years, the court's armies had first attacked Qingxuan, and then under Xiao Shen's command had been training regularly.

Ten years ago, one could say the noble families had strong soldiers and sturdy horses and feared nothing from the court, but now that was no longer certain.

With no wars year after year, whether soldiers or horses, without training they would slowly go to ruin.

"Let's wait until there's news from Suizhou," Wu Lu said, looking at Ruan Sheng.

"What about Prime Minister Su's side?"

Wu Lu gave a cold snort. "Prime Minister Su has always thought highly of himself. Relying on the fact that his family produced an Empress Dowager, these past few years he's increasingly looked down on us. What's more, when the Marquis of Ningyuan got into trouble this time, Prime Minister Su acted as though it had nothing to do with him — truly chilling."

Ruan Sheng frowned slightly, then sighed. "When Shi Hua first entered the palace, the family could still receive news, but these past two months not a single piece of news has come from inside. At first we all thought that with Rong becoming Empress — a woman raised on a farmstead — what ability could she possibly have? But she successively produced the draw loom and the gauze loom, and under her governance the Hou Gong has been orderly and disciplined. Moreover, His Majesty dotes exclusively on the Empress, and the Emperor and Empress are of one heart — it is truly cause for endless worry."

"All news from the palace has been cut off now?" Wu Lu asked in a low voice.

Ruan Sheng nodded.

The two exchanged a glance, their worry deepening. It seemed the Emperor and Empress had been prepared all along.

Outside the palace, the Marquis of Ningyuan's imprisonment had the various noble families probing one another's attitudes with differing responses. Inside the palace, Rong Luoge met with the returning Song Huihe. Knowing that she had already done her best to persuade him, Rong Luoge said nothing more, only telling her to go back and rest well.

Song Huihe was worried about the Ten Thousand Li Rivers and Mountains painting, hesitating over how to ask the Empress about it.

Rong Luoge pretended not to notice Song Huihe's hesitation and served tea to see her guest out.

Song Huihe had no choice but to grit her teeth and leave, but she remained deeply worried about the Ten Thousand Li Rivers and Mountains painting. She didn't know whether the Empress would settle accounts with her over this matter — after all, there was no real affection between her and the Empress to speak of.

Rong Luoge had her own reasons for not responding to Song Huihe's look. First, she still didn't know the situation on Han Xinglan's side, so naturally she couldn't easily make any promises. Furthermore, the outcome of Song Huihe urging the Marquis of Ningyuan to plead guilty was still unknown, and the result of the battle at Suizhou was equally uncertain. Under such circumstances, Rong Luoge naturally wouldn't promise Song Huihe anything.

It wasn't until evening, when the lamps were lit, that Han Xinglan returned. Rong Luoge had just coaxed their son to sleep, and when she saw him come back, she went to welcome him.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Han Xinglan's tightly furrowed brow, she couldn't help asking with concern.

Han Xinglan took Rong Luoge's hand and sat down. Looking at her, he said, "There's still no news from Suizhou, but I've received word that several families have sent troops to reinforce the Song family."

Rong Luoge was a bit surprised. "It seems the Song family of Suizhou intends to resist to the bitter end."

Han Xinglan thought the same. "If that's the case, this battle is unavoidable."

Rong Luoge turned and took out her account book from a hidden compartment and handed it to him. Han Xinglan took it and asked casually, "What's this?"

"Military funds I've raised for you."

Han Xinglan was taken aback. "Military funds? Where did you get the money? I remember you emptied your entire private stash last time."

"I earned it." Rong Luoge was in a rather good mood. She felt there were only two reasons Han Xinglan would fret — one was the court officials, the other was military funds. Now that the battle at Suizhou was imminent, the noble families in the court would likely kick up a fuss at this juncture even before the results came in, so that only left military funds.

No one knew Han Xinglan's current situation better than she did.

Han Xinglan opened the account book and was immediately stunned. "This much?"

"This is all there is. Any more and there'd be nothing left." Rong Luoge sighed as she spoke. "Time is still too short, and our reserves are still too thin. If we had another year, we could quadruple this, and you wouldn't have to worry."

Han Xinglan was overjoyed. "This also resolves the urgent crisis. With this silver, Xiao Shen's side will be able to hold out." He stood up as he spoke. "Has all the silver been stored in the treasury?"

Rong Luoge nodded. "I had Shi An handle it. The silver was delivered to the private storehouse at the Glazed Tile Workshop."

The Glazed Tile Workshop was outside the inner palace, making it easier for Han Xinglan to have people transport the silver without drawing attention.

Han Xinglan couldn't sit still. He gave Rong Luoge a tight embrace. "You rest first. I won't be back tonight. I need to get this done right away."

Xiao Shen's army couldn't go hungry, and the ammunition for the cannons had to keep up as well.

Rong Luoge rose to see him off. "You go attend to your affairs. Don't worry about my side. Once we get through this period, you and I will both have it easier."

Han Xinglan wished he could tuck Rong Luoge into his pocket and take her along, but lacking such ability, he could only give her a kiss and hurry off.

Rong Luoge stood beneath the eaves. The weather was getting colder and colder. She hoped that before the snow fell, this battle would be decided.

Rong Luoge did not sleep soundly that night. She woke before dawn, and Rong Xin led the palace attendants in to help her rise.

When Rong Luoge wasn't going out, her attire was always simple. Today she wanted to visit the Weaving Workshop, so she had the attendants style her hair in an uncomplicated yet attractive coiffure and chose a phoenix robe embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix.

She was in the midst of breakfast when Wet Nurse Zhao hurried in. She curtsied to the Empress and said, "Your Highness, Kang Shufei has sent word asking you to make a trip to the Weaving Workshop. She says there is something major."

Rong Luoge's eyes lit up. "She didn't say what it was?"

"No," Wet Nurse Zhao replied.

Rong Luoge immediately quickened her pace of eating, and upon finishing stood up. "Let's go take a look."

For Kang Shufei to send word this early in the morning, it probably wasn't bad news. If it were bad news, Kang Shufei would have come directly herself.

But at a time like this, what good news could there be?

Rong Luoge couldn't think of anything for the moment. She would just have to wait until she arrived to find out.