Chapter 498: Grain Reserves Consumption Plan! Uncooperative Nobles!

The day after Meng Ying returned to the City of Miracles, she set out with the fox woman Sister Qing Ling for the Spirit Kingdom.

The situation in the Hulton Kingdom had stabilized completely.

The trade route from the Spirit Kingdom to the Eternal Night Empire had also been opened; now, numerous nobles of the Hulton Kingdom formed caravans, first procuring goods in the Spirit Kingdom or Yan City, then crossing the Spirit Kingdom to trade in the Eternal Night Empire.

Across the Border of the Spirit Kingdom, a magical rail line connecting from Yan Country was under construction.

Once completed, Yan Country's potatoes could be transported directly to the western region of the Spirit Kingdom, then sold to nobles, who would carry them onward to the Hulton Kingdom for sale.

This magical rail line resembled a train but operated on a different principle: trains were powered by internal combustion engines, while magical cars were driven by magic stones charged with electrical energy, each adorned with countless magical runes—creations of magical technology.

As Sister Qing Ling and Meng Ying had anticipated, the Divine Beans were receiving considerable popularity in the Eternal Night Empire.

As a top-ten empire, the Eternal Night Empire wielded strong royal control and strict laws; after the Eldest Princess obtained the trade decree, commerce in the three eastern provinces proceeded relatively smoothly, with no foolish forces daring to interfere!

The Eldest Princess had studied there for many years; as a former Grand Magus, she still held some status and connections even within the Eternal Night Empire—this was why she secured the three-province trade decree so quickly.

When the fox woman Sister Qing Ling and Meng Ying arrived at the Spirit Kingdom, Luo Ying had already returned.

The Eldest Princess had also returned to the Spirit Kingdom.

Two hundred thousand beastmen troops had been recalled to the Spirit Kingdom, but Luo Ying left twenty thousand royal troops stationed within the Hulton Kingdom.

There were currently no troops in the Hulton Kingdom; with these twenty thousand royal troops stationed there, Luo Ying felt somewhat reassured.

Additionally, Wen Ni, the Seventh-Rank twin-blade tiger girl, had been permanently stationed in the Hulton Kingdom; with her present, if any foolish factions dared to stir trouble, she could handle them alone.

A Seventh-Rank warrior, especially a Tiger Clan warrior, could slaughter thousands in little time!

"Over the past month, I've further reduced the supply of Divine Beans to the Hunhe Duchy, while raising the purchase price of sorghum, forcing nobles to adjust the sorghum purchase price from 3.5 silver coins to 5 silver coins. The public excuse is that our sorghum liquor is selling too well and requires more sorghum."

Inside the temple, Luo Ying said.

Inside this temple were Luo Ying, the fox woman Sister Qing Ling, Meng Ying, the Eldest Princess, and Mia.

As for the other Holy Maidens, they remained in Yan Country, striving to enhance their strength to play greater roles in the future!

The fox woman Sister Qing Ling nodded.

This was the grain consumption plan they had previously discussed.

Whether noble or commoner, everyone held some grain reserves.

Especially the nobles—their grain piles were mountainous.

A noble's reserves typically sufficed for his family to eat for years, even decades.

Especially the great nobles, who possessed even more grain.

After all, this was a world of magic, and certain magics proved highly effective in preserving grain, unlike before Lin Yan's transmigration, when stored grain spoiled uselessly over time.

In fact, even without magic, the predecessor of rice—millet—could be stored for about a year and a half in dry conditions.

With magic, millet could be stored for years without spoiling!

Of course, once war broke out, if a noble had to supply both men and grain, his reserves would not last long.

You couldn't forbid people from storing grain.

Hence, the grain consumption plan.

Over the past month, the Spirit Kingdom gradually reduced its Divine Bean supply; naturally, the Spirit Kingdom's nobles had reasonable explanations—that the war against the Hulton Kingdom consumed too many Divine Beans, and the million captives from the Hulton Kingdom required vast quantities of Divine Beans to feed, and supply would resume after this period.

Meanwhile, under Queen Luo Ying's instructions, nobles collectively raised the sorghum purchase price.

Compared to previous prices, it had increased by nearly half.

This price greatly stimulated the nobles and commoners of the Hunhe Duchy.

They frantically planted sorghum to earn gold coins.

Under these conditions, grain prices were rising; seeing this, some nobles began selling off their stored grain, and the total grain reserves of the entire Hunhe Duchy were indeed shrinking rapidly.

Luo Ying continued: "The grain consumption plan is proceeding smoothly. According to our estimates, over the past month, the Hunhe Duchy's grain reserves have decreased by about 35%. In the preceding months, we had also slowly reduced Divine Bean supply, further depleting their reserves; now, the Hunhe Duchy's grain reserves are at most half of what they were a few months ago."

The Church has sensed the crisis; since last week, it issued a mandatory grain planting order, but the effect has been minimal—after all, we have not yet revealed any intention to attack the Hunhe Duchy, and under the lure of gold coins, the nobles refuse to plant grain.

At the national level, data is not measured by individuals or regions, but by the nation's total grain stock!

No matter how much the royal family or the Church holds, as long as the Hunhe Duchy's overall grain reserves decline, it's enough!

That was precisely Luo Ying's approach.

After a pause, Luo Ying continued:

"But the Church's lands have begun planting grain; even if they deploy all their magicians to accelerate growth, the earliest harvest will take a month, and even then, the Church's grain cannot possibly feed the entire Hunhe Duchy if a massive shortage occurs."

She had placed numerous spies within the Hunhe Duchy, and the nobles traveling there for trade were, in fact, the royal family's eyes and ears, allowing her to obtain highly detailed intelligence.

After hearing Luo Ying's report, Meng Ying nodded and said: "Notify the nobles: starting tomorrow, completely cut off Divine Bean supply, and raise the sorghum purchase price to ten gold coins per jin. At such a high price, the nobles across the border won't dare cut down their unripe sorghum."

Our army will reach the Hunhe Duchy's border within a week; we only need to wait there for a few weeks, and the Hunhe Duchy will collapse without a single blow!"

As the sun rose, countless caravans began streaming into the Hunhe Duchy.

These were the Spirit Kingdom's noble caravans.

"Huh? Why are you arriving empty today? Where are the Divine Beans?"

A Hunhe Duchy noble who frequently traded with them asked.