Chapter 1130

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Three cities, 200,000 shi of grain are enough to guarantee surviving this harsh winter and lasting until next autumn's harvest. Dongliang Jun itself still has stored grain. Although Da Yong suffers continuous disasters, the cities and towns of Jiangbei have not been affected by the natural disaster. I expect a bumper harvest next year in the vicinity of Dongliang Jun; excess stored grain would only be wasted and would invite unnecessary hatred. Sir, why not shift the pressure to the court? You could also earn the reputation of a loyal subject who loves the people."

After listening to Zhuge Guanqi finish, Hu Xiaotian felt a sudden enlightenment. Indeed, he should not be short-sighted, overly concerned with the grain stored in the East Lu Granary; no matter how much more grain there is, it could never feed these soldiers and civilians for a lifetime of food, clothing, and daily needs. Only continuous production can fundamentally solve the problem. As the saying goes, an innocent man who holds a jade brings guilt upon himself. Given his current situation, it is indeed unsuitable for him to be an enemy of everyone. If he refuses to allocate grain to the capital, the ensuing consequences would be unimaginable. One who lacks foresight will surely face near-term worries; Zhuge Guanqi's perspective on the issue is indeed lofty.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Following Brother Guanqi's opinion, I will take out 300,000 shi of grain to support the Emperor." As he said this, another thought occurred to him: "Earlier, the surrounding cities came to me asking to borrow grain. Since I have agreed to give grain to the Emperor, should I also lend them some?" He shared this idea with Zhuge Guanqi.

Zhuge Guanqi shook his head and said: "Sir, you have no such obligation; giving it to them would be of no use. Sir, you only need to send these 300,000 shi of grain to the court; as for how to distribute it, leave that to the court."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Given the Emperor's temperament, I'm afraid he won't care about their life or death."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Perhaps someone will take desperate measures and seize the grain by force."

Hu Xiaotian's brow twitched: "If that really happens, what should we do?"

Zhuge Guanqi smiled: "If that really is the case, Sir, your opportunity will come; the Emperor might give you a noble pretext to use troops against other cities, perhaps soon. Then the cities under your control will be more than just these three."

Zhuge Guanqi undoubtedly sees further ahead; keeping these 500,000 shi of grain in Hu Xiaotian's hands will make him a target of everyone's arrows, and it is foreseeable that the crisis has only just begun—as long as the grain remains with him, trouble will follow one after another. Given Hu Xiaotian's current strength, he still does not have the appetite to swallow this much grain at once; in that case, it would be better to shift the contradiction to the court. One can foresee that this batch of grain will inevitably cause internal upheaval in Dakang, and for survival many forces will eye this grain, even sparing no expense to seize it for themselves, just like a previously tranquil pond. Suddenly a school of fish is thrown in, and it is foreseeable that before long the pond will surely boil over. By using these 300,000 shi of grain to stir up the internal situation of Dakang, Hu Xiaotian can instead seize this opportunity to plot development and expand his own strength. This is truly a brilliant move.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly understood; perhaps Da Yong's intention was precisely to be the one who casts the bait—if he were to send out these 300,000 shi of grain, it would be equivalent to seizing, ahead of Da Yong, the power to control this fish pond.

Fan Zongxi had already given up hope of smoothly obtaining the grain. Although Hu Xiaotian showed him superficial warmth, whenever the matter of requesting grain came up, he always chose to avoid it. Fan Zongxi is no fool; he naturally would not believe that Hu Xiaotian still does not know how much grain is stored in the East Lu Granary to this day. Although Fan Zongxi himself is unclear about the exact reserves of the East Lu Granary, he firmly believes that, as one of Da Yong's seven major granaries, the East Lu Granary can certainly produce 100,000 shi of grain. He has also heard that many local officials previously came to borrow grain and were refused by Hu Xiaotian, but as an imperial envoy of the Emperor, he thought Hu Xiaotian could not possibly refuse to give him face.

When Fan Zongxi thought about this problem, he first shook his head; Hu Xiaotian now possesses considerable strength, perhaps he no longer needs to give face to the Emperor—orders issued outside are not necessarily obeyed, and moreover, now Dakang suffers famine everywhere, and grain is exceedingly precious.

Just as Fan Zongxi was worrying incessantly, Hu Xiaotian arrived. Seeing Hu Xiaotian's face glowing with spring breeze, Fan Zongxi's heart involuntarily stirred with a glimmer of hope. Even if Hu Xiaotian is reluctant to part with 100,000 shi of grain, giving a discount—say, 50,000 shi—would be acceptable; if he truly does not wish to, even 30,000 shi would be good. Anything is better than returning empty-handed and being unable to explain himself before the Emperor.

Fan Zongxi carefully invited Hu Xiaotian into the room, accompanying him with a smile and said: "Sir Hu, the reason I sought you tonight is because I need to hurry back to the capital to report on my mission."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You're leaving just like that? Sir Fan, why not take this opportunity to stay a few more days here, and let me, as your brother, properly fulfill my duties as host?"

Fan Zongxi said: "Your deep affection and sincere kindness, Zajia keeps in my heart, but the imperial command cannot be violated; after the Emperor entrusted me with an oral decree, I must return to the capital immediately—I really dare not delay."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "If that is the case, I also cannot insist on keeping you. How about this: I will host a farewell banquet for you tomorrow, after keeping you one more day."

What Fan Zongxi truly cared about was not just a farewell banquet; seeing that Hu Xiaotian never brought up the grain matter, he could not help but say: "Sir Hu, regarding the grain..."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir, how much do you want?"

Fan Zongxi said: "The Emperor's intention is that Sir Hu should produce 100,000 shi..."

Hu Xiaotian deliberately coughed a few times at this point; Fan Zongxi thought he was reluctant and quickly amended: "If Sir finds it difficult, 50,000 shi would also be acceptable."

Hu Xiaotian shouted: "50,000 shi!"

Fan Zongxi was startled by his shout, his heart involuntarily filled with apprehension; looking at Hu Xiaotian's demeanor, he estimated that even 50,000 shi was out of the question. Indeed! In this situation, who would be willing to hand over grain they have in hand to others? Only a fool would do that.

But then Hu Xiaotian said: "Just joking!"

Fan Zongxi's scalp tightened; he was about to say, "You don't have 50,000 shi, but you can at least produce 30,000 shi, right?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "How is 50,000 shi enough?"

Fan Zongxi thought he had misheard: "What?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir Fan, to be frank, I have just clarified the amount of grain collected in the East Lu Granary; aside from the portion burned in the fire, there remains a total of 400,000 shi of grain."

Fan Zongxi's heart leapt with joy; earlier Hu Xiaotian seemed to have said he would split half the grain with the court—could this boy really intend to keep his promise? Half the grain would be 200,000 shi; if he truly agrees to give 200,000 shi of grain, then this time he would indeed have rendered great merit.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am preparing to present 300,000 shi of grain as tribute to the Emperor, to relieve the people and alleviate Dakang's grain shortage."

Happiness came all too suddenly; Fan Zongxi felt as if he had turned into a fool, hardly able to believe that what he heard was fact. After a while he trembled and said: "Sir Hu... you... you mean all of this is truly true?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded: "A gentleman's word is hard to retract—when have I, Hu Xiaotian, ever gone back on my word?"

Fan Zongxi eagerly grabbed Hu Xiaotian's arm and said: "Sir Hu, you are truly a pillar of the state; only in times of crisis does a loyal minister's true colors show. Once Zajia returns to the capital, I will certainly memorialize the Emperor, earnestly presenting Sir Hu's wholehearted devotion to the country; the Emperor will surely bestow generous rewards upon you."

Hu Xiaotian hypocritically said: "What I desire is not some reward; as a subject of Dakang, it is my duty to share the Emperor's worries and relieve Dakang's difficulties. However, Sir Fan, I will promptly prepare the grain for the court; as for the transport, I hope the court will assume responsibility itself. Da Yong eyes me covetously and may launch a southern invasion at any moment; I must not let my guard down and must stand ready with arms at hand."

Having obtained Hu Xiaotian's promise of 300,000 shi of grain, Fan Zongxi dared not make any other requests, nodding repeatedly and said: "Sir Hu, rest assured, Sir Hu, rest assured—I will now send a carrier pigeon with a letter, ordering the court to dispatch personnel immediately to transport the grain."

A hawk swooped through the vast night sky toward the Mingyue Inn in Kangdu; Li Chen Zhou reached out, and the hawk landed on his left wrist. Li Chen Zhou took a copper tube from the hawk's talons, unfolded the paper inside, and upon seeing its contents he could not help but frown.

Behind him rose the light sound of footsteps—it was his wife, Jian Rongxin, stepping softly in the moonlight to his side. Li Chen Zhou smiled and turned his head: "Rongxin, aren't you asleep yet?"

Jian Rongxin softly sighed: "You're no different."

Li Chen Zhou took off his greatcoat and draped it over his wife's shoulders, speaking gently: "The night is cold and windy; let's go back and talk."

Jian Rongxin nodded, linked arms with her husband, and the couple leaned on each other as they entered the room. Jian Rongxin brought the freshly stewed ginseng soup to Li Chen Zhou's face; seeing him drink it, she then broke into a satisfied smile: "Chen Zhou, have the matters here been settled?"

Li Chen Zhou nodded and said: "They have already rejected the terms of the peace talks."

Jian Rongxin frowned slightly and said: "Could it be that the Emperor of Dakang does not consider the people at all? Witnessing the populace plunged into dire straits yet still refusing to yield?" She usually pays little attention to state affairs; this time accompanying her husband on the diplomatic mission was at his request. Along the way, seeing the people of Dakang displaced and suffering from hunger and cold, Jian Rongxin felt boundless sympathy. She does not understand the political maneuvering between the two states, nor does she grasp the true purpose of her husband's mission; in her view, it would be best if the two countries could reach a peace agreement, for regardless of anything else, the civilians are innocent.

Li Chen Zhou said: "For this peace negotiation, His Majesty has already made great concessions, yet I never expected Dakang to show no sincerity."

Jian Rongxin asked: "Will there be war?" Her greatest worry is that if the two countries go to war, the ultimate victims will be only the civilians; and if hostilities break out because of this, her husband would likely be ordered to take the field again.

Li Chen Zhou knew his wife's concern; he smiled and shook his head: "No!"

"Since they have already rejected the peace talks, when will we return?"

Li Chen Zhou's gaze turned to the flickering candlelight, and he said in a low voice: "We still need some more time; I still have some matters left to finish." (To be continued~^~)