Chapter 465: Rush to Secure Supplies

Chen Guanlou found the injured Chen Guanfu amid the collapsed ruins and dragged him out.

Chen Guanfu refused to cooperate, "There are still people trapped below. They must be rescued. It's crucial."

"Could it possibly be the old emperor down there?" Chen Guanlou said it offhand.

"Not the old emperor. Unless something went wrong, he's already been rescued."

"With such a massive explosion, the old emperor didn't even die?"

"Whether he's dead or alive is still unclear—it's too early to say. Go save the others first. I need to appear publicly and lead troops into the palace. Hurry. There will be a substantial reward afterward."

A substantial reward is enough.

Chen Guanlou resigned himself to saving lives.

Under the protection of the Hou Fu guards, Chen Guanfu cut through several waves of assassins and escaped the explosion site without delay, leaving his wounds untreated.

Following the list provided by the chief steward, Chen Guanlou gradually rescued several people on it.

Seeing a large force of troops approaching, he withdrew decisively. The area would soon be surrounded by imperial soldiers—no fly could escape after that.

As for the condemned Great Ming Prince, he found the execution rack—the man was already dead, his throat slit clean, bled out.

The Great Ming Prince, having completed his mission, was now useless to the people behind the scenes; death was his only fitting end.

He did not bury the Great Ming Prince—soldiers would handle the corpse.

He left swiftly, putting distance between himself and the chaos and evil.

He returned to the Tianlaomiao and instructed those below to guard it tightly, ignoring the turmoil outside. When the capital descends into chaos, the Tianlaomiao can keep all storms at bay and ensure everyone's safety.

Don't keep complaining about the Tianlaomiao's flaws—when it comes to survival, no other yamen is more secure.

He returned home, shut the door, and took a bath, washing off the dust and grime.

He gave some money to Chunxiang's husband, Dawang, to deliver a message to his elder sister: from today on, stay indoors. Have her father-in-law, Su Dacheng, find any excuse to avoid duty at the city gates—hurry and stockpile supplies. The capital will be turbulent for a long time; violent clashes are inevitable.

Unsurprisingly, a large number of imperial troops will flood into the capital.

Once these soldiers leave their barracks, discipline becomes meaningless—they will inevitably ravage the capital, worse than last year's rebellion against the deposed crown prince.

Meanwhile, he told Chunxiang to take the money and rush to the market to buy grain—buy as much as you can, don't worry about the cost.

"I'll cover the cost. Don't be stingy. Hire a few laborers, rent a cart, and haul as much as you can. In short, buy up grain before most people realize what's happening—even if merchants jack up prices, it doesn't matter. Money can be earned again; without food, you're finished."

Chunxiang took the money, brought along her teenage sons—strong, capable boys who could handle heavy work—and left without asking why, without questioning the thunderous boom that shook the earth. She perfectly embodied the exemplary conduct of a temporary Hou Fu worker: at critical moments, she followed orders precisely, never asking unnecessary questions.

Chen Guanlou hurried to Du Fuzi's house.

Du Fuzi's eldest son and grandson were both present. Chen Guanlou told them to rush out and buy grain—buy as much as possible, don't care about the price. If they lacked funds, he had money to spare.

Du the elder was about to ask questions, but Du Fuzi silenced him with a sharp rebuke: "Go buy grain. Don't waste time asking questions. The capital isn't the countryside—obey and act, that's all that matters."

Du's eldest son said no more. He took the money and his son, hired a cart, and rushed out.

Only then did Du Fuzi turn to Chen Guanlou and ask, "What happened? I heard a huge noise from afar—I thought the earth dragon had turned, but the house didn't even shake."

"The altar was blown up. Assassinations broke out at the scene—horrible carnage. Many are dead. We don't yet know who exactly. But court ministers were certainly targeted."

"Oh heavens oh heavens oh heavens…"

Du Fuzi repeated "oh heavens" several times in a row, pacing frantically. This was unprecedented—someone had dared to blow up the altar, and on the very day of the Heaven Worship Ceremony.

"How did they do it? Who's behind this?"

Chen Guanlou shook his head. "I don't know who did it. Everyone is a suspect. But there's definitely an inside man. The capital will be in chaos for a while."

Although the Hou Fu's territory is certainly safe—no fool would dare cause trouble here—the current season is one of scarcity. Grain prices have already risen; now they'll skyrocket.

Before most people realize what's happening, we must stockpile quickly—it'll make life much easier.

Don't count on the Hou Fu's relief rations. The heir will be overwhelmed soon and won't have time to care for clan affairs. Grain from the estates outside the city may not even make it in. Even if it does, be wary of soldiers seizing it. In short, having your own supplies is better than anything else."

"Yes yes yes, stockpile supplies—having your own is better than anything else." Du Fuzi called his old servant, gave him money, and ordered him to rush out and buy dry, storable food—dried meat, dried chicken, dried fish. Also buy oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar.

"And firewood. Have merchants deliver several carts immediately. Buy some charcoal too. Once troops enter the capital, firewood from outside may not get in. Don't end up with rice and meat but no fire to cook them."

Du Fuzi thought of everything.

The old servant took the money and left without hesitation.

Du Fuzi hurriedly asked Chen Guanlou, "Aren't you buying anything?"

"I have food and drink in the Tianlaomiao. Stockpiling doesn't matter—the granary there can last at least half a year."

That's the advantage of being tied to a yamen—especially one that houses prisoners, which ensures a steady supply of provisions for months. And after he delivered the news of the altar's destruction, the Tianlaomiao's logistics staff had already begun organizing large-scale purchases across the city.

As a Tianlaomiao man, you might lack everything—but never food or drink. The only thing you worry about is being sealed in.

The Tianlaomiao's space is limited. Waste and refuse can't be cleared fast enough—the environment, the stench… they suffered this last year, and now it's happening again.

Truly, bad luck this year—offending the Year God.

The people of the capital are suffering terribly.

Chen Guanlou spoke with Du Fuzi, then notified his clan's elder uncle to hurry and organize clan members to stockpile supplies—delay and prices will rise further, and sellers may hoard or run out. The grain merchants of the capital aren't benevolent men; they won't miss such a perfect chance to hoard.

The clan elder was deeply grateful. He'd sent men out to investigate the noise, but none had returned. Nor had he heard anything from the Hou Fu.

Fortunately, Chen Guanlou warned them in time—otherwise, the entire clan would have remained clueless, utterly confused.