Chapter 770

Youzhou

Dawang left without saying goodbye; this time the security work was thorough, even Xie Tu, who followed Dawang around, didn't know. Xie Yuan circulated his qi for a day before gradually calming down.

When the Emperor is not around, more responsibilities fall on him; fortunately, Chief Steward Zhu has returned, and Prime Minister Xie still has a place to urge. He knows Zhu Ti can contact Dawang.

That day, the palace examination was imminent, examinees had been arriving in Youzhou one after another, Dawang still hadn't been summoned back, but he was instead assigned a new task.

"Your Majesty wants to interrogate Chen State?"

Zhu Ti handed over the testimony from Yang Fang: "Exactly! Have Prince Chen and the Crown Prince come together to explain the matter of raising private troops and privately purchasing large amounts of grain and fodder. Together."

Xie Yuan inwardly complained about Dawang's precise demolition ability; it could be said that wherever he goes, things get done.

After reading it, he began to worry, "Sending this interrogative edict over, Prince Chen will probably rebel outright."

Zhu Ti shrugged indifferently, and Xie Yuan suddenly realized, "No! Could it be… that His Majesty is already preparing to take action this winter?" Otherwise why would he now turn against Prince Chen?!

He thought, Dawang can't be that crazy, right? Does he have any grain?!

"These past few years, both north and south have suffered severe drought, the climate quite abnormal. In the south, even September still hasn't lost its summer heat; His Majesty choosing to go south in winter is understandable—after all, our northern border's Xuanjia Cavalry are all locals from the northern border. Compared to the scorching, breathless spring and summer of the south, launching a campaign in winter is not a bad choice."

Xie Yuan felt overwhelmed, as if he had one head but two big worries.

In his free time, he mentioned to Minister Zhang that the upright Emperor might have some idea for this winter. Old Master Zhang was so frightened his hands trembled, seeming even less able to accept it than Xie Yuan.

"The elder of the Hou Clan of Dongdu has submitted a memorial; the mineral deposits in the south are too deep, with layers of exploitation. It's said that only thirty percent of what was sent to Chang'an during the former Emperor's reign arrives. They have the means to seize it by force, but cannot let the mines operate normally, thus cannot transport it to Youzhou. His Majesty's martial virtue is abundant; such days of being constrained by others and an empty treasury he likely cannot bear, nor can he endure them long."

Old Master Zhang understands the reasoning, but, what will we use to go south?!

Dawang made a trip to Yizhou, and on the return leg swung by Youzhou, gaining a rough estimate of this autumn's harvest; now he feels more confident than Minister Zhang and Xie Yuan.

Moreover, he obtained a delivery order from the Phoenix Collective.

It is a blackish, oval-shaped grain, kernels slightly larger than white rice but a bit smaller than soybeans; it is the staple food of that vendor's world. It can be sold through the Homestead, consumption is fine, though the taste is just average.

Compared to white rice it lacks, but it still has the distinctive aroma of grain, can be made into dry rice or porridge; Dawang bluntly named it—Black Rice.

Dawang cleared his remaining ingots, then filled in the silver mined over the past two months from the mine, finally settling the balance.

Zhu Ti led a group out of the city on a trip to conceal their movements, openly transporting some of the Black Rice back into Taotie's pocket. The procession was mighty and long; aside from Dawang and her, nobody else knew the exact amount of this grain.

Pockets empty, granaries full, Dawang was also pleased.

Zhu Ti's earlier trip to Mount Heng wasn't wasted; she has already built a secret granary there. When Dawang or she personally goes, they can transfer the grain Dawang has stockpiled in the Myriad Worlds Homestead warehouse to the Hengshan granary without loss.

As for Bai Ge's outstanding grain debt… he'll earn it.

The Stall Giant, on his way back to town, never forgets to set up a stall at the Phoenix Collective.

Today Dawang was selling Hotan white jade pen holders, pen shafts, and paperweights, ornaments; the material was the finest Hotan white jade offered as tribute from the Western Regions, produced by the Imperial Workshop. The jade is fine jade, the craftsmanship is fine, so the price isn't cheap either. Dawang's luck today was average; hardly anyone stopped to inquire.

"Qiao Ge, you say I've worked so hard, why am I still getting farther from the homeland shops?" The King gazed at the brightly lit commercial street in the distance from the poor district's market. He's struggled this long, his ingot balance is just the same as when he first arrived~

Today no one inquired after him, he always felt that the people strolling over there looked even more prosperous than those of Phoenix Guild!

Qiao Yi put down his book, yawned, and while manning his stall never forgot to glance at the pill manual.

"It's fine, selling anywhere—after all, my biggest customer is you, having a stall or not makes no difference, never mind where the stall is—Your Majesty, wherever you are, I'll be there." After all, the Emperor commands tens of thousands of troops; his purchasing volume is unmatched across the myriad realm homelands.

The King: ……

Only the world where the King is wounded has been achieved.

The King's eyes shifted, and he said, "Cough! This winter I will march south to suppress the rebellion; if I fail, I will become a martyr. Qiao Ge, you don't want to lose me, your biggest customer, do you?"

Qiao Yi nodded frantically.

"Then I think— the Great Gold Trauma-Healing Pill and Return Spring Pill should be discounted to support my unification of the world! After unification I can appoint you as the Honorary Chief Imperial Physician of the Grand Jin!"

Qiao Yi felt this was very familiar: "You this…"

The King raised his head: "Learned from Baiyang.... Other than that, don't worry about it. At this critical juncture, Qiao Ge, you had better give me at least an 20% discount? At 20% off I'll take a hundred each as a reserve! At full price I'd only buy three or five, sigh... my purse is really thin..."

Qiao Yi: ……

This bun, so round and big, is impossible to refuse.