Chapter 1642: The Replaced General

Since he knew Qingyang intended to deal with him, there was a hidden danger right now. He couldn't take any more risks and must nip the threat in the bud! ￥￥￥￥￥

Youhu Small Abode.

Qingyang had just sipped some hot tea when she heard a "plop" sound outside.

It was very light, as if something had fallen to the ground.

She pushed the door open and saw a mountain sparrow lying under a plum tree. A thin layer of snow had fallen last night, which turned into ice during the day. The mountain sparrow struggled a few times, its thin legs slipping, unable to support its body.

"Can't fly anymore?" Qingyang held it in her palm to observe.

The mountain sparrow flapped its wings, wanting to escape, but was powerless, and could only tremble and pant.

Qingyang brought it back indoors, placed it on the long table by the fire basin, and then, while it was gaping, quickly fed it two pills the size of sesame seeds.

The spirit pill melted upon entering the mouth, and the mountain sparrow soon stopped trembling.

Qingyang looked carefully at the corners of its eyes and sighed softly: "You are old too."

Although this mountain sparrow was fluffy and cute, a closer look revealed bald spots at the corners of its eyes and hardened skin on its claws; it was clearly advanced in age.

In the freezing weather, it was difficult for an old bird to forage, which was why it fainted under the tree.

Qingyang extended a finger, gently tapping its head: "Has your flock abandoned you too?"

This bird was not a demon, so naturally, it couldn't answer.

She stirred the fire basin, and the mountain sparrow spread its wings slightly, quickly warming itself.

Half a quarter of an hour later, someone suddenly knocked on the door outside: "Palace Master? There is a message."

It was Yuan Xuan's voice.

Qingyang called out: "Come in."

Creak, the door opened, and the mountain sparrow was startled, flapping its wings and rushing out through the crack in the door, unable to wait to return to the freezing world.

Yuan Xuan was startled, stepping back half a step to see what had gone out, only to hear Qingyang say softly: "This old bird is truly stupid; it doesn't enjoy comfort and insists on returning to the dangerous world."

Yuan Xuan also saw clearly that what flew out was an ordinary mountain sparrow, so he hurriedly withdrew his gaze, entered the room, and closed the door:

"Palace Master, an urgent message from the Water Mirror."

He held a round mirror in his hand; the mirror surface was misty and blurry, but there were a few handwritten words on it:

"Yao Palace takes festival banner from the treasury, Monarch meets Wang Sili in secret, Wang leads two hundred elite soldiers to the North Gate."

If the King of Yao were here, he would be horrified: how could the secret matter that just happened in the palace be transmitted to Qingyang immediately? Especially the items he ordered to be taken from the treasury, which should have been very secret.

The handwriting on the mirror was sloppy, showing the anxiety of the writer.

This was the Water Mirror Technique.

Previously, Yu Zecheng under Grand Preceptor Shuangye and the Wanqi uncle and nephew conspired to seize the Yangshan Islands, which was conducted through real-time communication at short range via the Water Mirror Technique.

Qingyang's residence was now strictly monitored by people sent by the King of Yao, and the original demon birds and flying message methods were easily intercepted, so Qingyang activated this set of magical artifacts.

The sender was not far from the Youhu Small Abode and also held a treasure mirror; as long as they wrote on the mirror surface, Yuan Xuan could receive it in real-time.

This method of communication was safe and hidden, with only two flaws: it was only effective at short range and inconvenient to use during intense combat.

Qingyang's gaze froze: "The King of Yao ordered to take the festival banner?"

The festival banner represents royal authority, usually kept in the treasury, and can only be taken out for diplomatic missions or military expeditions.

The envoy holding it is like the Monarch himself; soldiers kneel and bow when they see it, and foreign palaces must also return the salute; it can be said to be a very important ritual object.

At this time, where did the King of Yao want to send an envoy? He even summoned Wang Sili in secret.

Wang Sili was also a general of the Yao Nation with military merits, having led troops to deter small countries in the south a few years ago, and was now fifty-two years old.

But this man hadn't fought in years; why did the King of Yao suddenly mobilize him to the north?

North? Two hundred elite soldiers? "Not good!" Qingyang stood up abruptly, "Send a message to General Chong Wu, quickly!"

￥￥￥￥￥

Next, two major events happened in Tianshui City: first, grain prices rose again. The rice that was five wen per jin earlier now cost fifty wen.

Grain prices officially increased tenfold.

Fifty wen, how many families could afford to eat? In other words, the money that could buy ten days of grain before could only last one day now.

Grain is the foundation of people's livelihood; if grain prices rise, can other things not follow? Residents of Tianshui City discovered that all daily necessities had become expensive, and the prices doubled every few days.

The more expensive and scarce things were, the more people rushed to buy and hoard them.

Because things were too expensive, shops on the street closed one after another. Except for the northern district of Tianshui City, visiting merchants couldn't find a place in the city to bathe, shave, or relax.

While a pile of officials fell from power, the government also arrested nearly three hundred merchants of various sizes in Tianshui City, Mangzhou, and other major cities, on charges of price gouging and hoarding, and seized a large amount of grain from their chambers of commerce and grain shops!

The commoners clapped and cheered, splashing filth at the doors of these shops, and the shop assistants were beaten when they went out, almost becoming street rats.

Thus, the Dongshang Grain Firm, one of the largest in Tianshui City, sold a limited amount of 20,000 jin of rice every day at its storefront on the main road of Tianshui City, at thirty-five wen per jin, but limited to three liang per person, with no repeat purchases, until sold out.

Other grain firms were no different.

They were all dispatched by the government. Translated into plain language, they were forced by the government to sell flat-priced grain.

Not selling wouldn't work, and not being able to get grain wouldn't work either.

The government only sent people to watch you sell grain, regardless of whether you could get it or not.

It depended on whether you were willing to exert subjective initiative; if not, the wealthy merchants who usually lived in luxury could only go to eat prison food.

However, although large firms like Dongshang Grain Firm were forced to sell flat-priced grain, less than 70% actually reached the hands of the commoners. Where did the other 30% go? Sorry, it went to those who weren't limited in purchase.

To gather enough food for the whole family, a resident often had to queue at major grain firms in turn.

If you were a step late, you would miss out.

At this time, even with money, one might not be able to buy grain.

The panic further pushed up grain prices.

In Tianshui City today, the only thing rising faster than the price of land in the New City was the price of grain.

Some residents couldn't hold on and started selling the New City land they held.

Fan Shuang also gave feedback to He Lingchuan that grain couldn't be bought, it really couldn't be bought. A foreign general who had just entered the capital, with his dozen attendants, was trapped in an inn starving. A few days ago, he could still buy a few bowls of high-priced noodles to fill his stomach, the kind that cost 130 wen a bowl; now, all the restaurants on the street outside were closing because they couldn't get ingredients either.

This general tried to pull strings everywhere but couldn't get grain.

If dignitaries were in such a predicament, how could ordinary people be better off?

Northern front of the Yao Nation, Bai Ling'an.

Bai Ling'an was originally a small town with over a hundred households, but since it became the front line, the town was requisitioned and turned into a military camp.

This was the northernmost part of the Yao Nation, where even the falling snowflakes were more solid than in the south. ===== CHAPTER 1643 =====