Chapter 559: Northern Grain, Southern Transport

East of Black Cloud Stronghold, along the banks of the Clear River.

In deep autumn the sky is high, distant, and azure; sunlight spills across the vast fields, casting a reassuring golden sheen.

This is the largest reclaimed farmland opened up by the Northward Aspiration Army.

Thanks to the repairs of the Clear River waterworks and the relatively peaceful situation last year,

plus Chen Wen's occasional use of Ability Granting to aid critical farming periods, this year's harvest turned out surprisingly good.

Between the ridges, busy figures abound.

In the stronghold, rotating troops resting and the families of displaced settlers settled nearby.

Even some students from the Martial Lecture Hall rolled up their sleeves, wielding sickles, sweating profusely amid the golden millet stalks.

The harvested millet stalks were bound into sheaves, loaded onto mule and ox carts, and hauled to the drying field and granary.

The air filled with the fresh scent of new grain and earth, mingled with the occasional work chant of the laborers—exhausted yet satisfied.

A scene of bustling activity brimming with hope.

"What a fine harvest!"

Chao Gai straightened his back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, gazed at the endless gold before him, and broke into a grin.

Beside him were several Yue Family Army students taking part in the labor class.

These youths, when they first arrived, often carried the arrogance of veteran soldiers and looked down on field work.

But after a few days under the scorching sun and dust, seeing the grain they had harvested pile up into mountains,

hearing the old soldiers recount the misery of past famines—gnawing bark, even cannibalism—their mindset quietly shifted.

"Chao Tianwang, in our Northward Aspiration Army… has it always been this way, that soldiers must also farm?"

A young team leader surnamed Xu couldn't help but ask.

He came from the Yue Family Army; although they also have garrison farms, those are mostly full-time farmer-soldiers or conscripted laborers.

For combat soldiers to take part in such a large-scale harvest, and yet handle it with ease, is truly rare.

Chao Gai laughed heartily and patted his shoulder.

"Little Xu, here there's no strict division between 'soldier' and 'laborer'.

If you can wield a sword or spear, you can also swing a hoe—that's what makes you one of us."

"Grain is the lifeline. Rely on the Imperial Court? Rely on those grain merchants?"

He shook his head, his smile edged with a hint of coldness.

"Distant water can't quench immediate thirst, and who knows how much sand they've mixed in.

Only when we hold grain in our own hands do we feel unshaken, our backs straighten."

Another student gazed at the distant drying field where grain piles rose like mountains, murmuring.

"How many piculs is that? Surely enough to feed our… our stronghold for a long time."

Beside them, an old veteran of the Northward Aspiration Army overheard, took up the thread, his tone proud.

"We've only just begun. This year the heavens smiled, and… well, the higher-ups have some tricks that make the crops grow exceptionally sturdy.

Just this plot alone should yield about six or seven thousand piculs of fine millet.

Adding the several scattered plots and the vegetables grown inside the stronghold, if we're frugal,

we can easily last until next summer's harvest, with a surplus to spare."

"A surplus?" Xu's eyes lit up.

Surplus grain, in these days, is a hard currency harder than gold or silver.

Chao Gai glanced at him, seeming to guess his thoughts, and lowered his voice: "What, you're thinking of the south?"

Xu team leader nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

"Your Majesty, before heading south I heard that the unit's rations were being withheld and delayed; the brothers bore no complaint, but with empty stomachs their drills and combat always lack vigor. If we could send some surplus grain to relieve them…"

Chao Gai wiped away his smile, turned serious, and said: "This matter, the Lord and Mr. Wu have already planned for it."

"Our farming isn't just to fill our own bellies; it's to gain strength to strike the Golden Dogs and aid those who need help."

At that moment, a messenger trotted up.

"Chao Tianwang, the Lord invites you and several southern guests to go to the granary to discuss matters."

Chao Gai answered with an assent, called to a few students: "Come on, let's go listen in."

Everyone arrived at the granary zone located at the stronghold's central area, where defenses are especially tight.

This consists of several large stone warehouses and a wide drying field.

Right now, millet piles up like mountains on the drying field, while dozens of women turn it with wooden poles to ensure dryness.

Chen Wen, Wu Yong, and Qian Gui, who oversees logistics, stood in the open space before a storehouse.

Shi Dun stood nearby; he had just returned from the south not long ago.

"My Lord, Chao Tianwang and the several southern guests have arrived."

Chen Wen turned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, lingering briefly on the several dust‑covered yet clear‑eyed Yue Family Army students, and he nodded.

"Perfect timing. Take a look—this is part of this autumn's farm yield."

He pointed to those grain piles.

"After subtracting the stronghold's necessary reserves, seed stock, and emergency stores against possible disaster, we can free up roughly twenty‑five hundred piculs of surplus."

That number left several Yue Family Army students silently gasping.

"Twenty‑five hundred piculs! That's enough to sustain a force of several thousand for months!"

"What does the Lord intend?" Chao Gai asked.

Chen Wen looked at Shi Dun: "Shi Dun just came back from the south; the situation with the Yue Family Army's rations being withheld and delayed is worse than we thought. Though the soldiers are loyal and brave, no grain means no army."

He then turned his gaze to those students.

You all have seen during your time here that our Northward Aspiration army's garrison fields are self-sufficient, not merely for survival. Any surplus strength should be put to use where it is needed.

Several students, hearing this, felt their hearts heat up.

Xu Dui could not help but clasp his fists and say: "Mr. Chen, your righteousness is high! If there truly is surplus grain that can be sent south to relieve Yue's army's urgent need, we, on behalf of Marshal Yue and the entire army, first offer our thanks!"

Chen Wen waved his hand.

We are all resisting the Jin; what's the distinction between you and me? However, transporting this grain south is no ordinary matter.

He turned to Wu Yong and Qian Gui.

Mr. Wu, Qian Gui, tell me: what are the difficulties in this matter, and how can we overcome them?

Wu Yong slowly shook his feather fan and said in a low voice: "There are three difficulties. First, the route is long, requiring passage through areas where Jin forces, False Qi, and even the False Song imperial court's powers interlock, posing great risk."

Second, the quantity is enormous—2,500 shi is no small amount; the convoy would be long and conspicuous, making it easy to be robbed or intercepted.

Third, the handoff is difficult. Even if the grain reaches the vicinity of Yue's army's defense zone, how to safely and covertly deliver it to Marshal Yue without being noticed by the imperial court is also a problem.

Qian Gui added: "Furthermore, we must consider transport losses, manpower and animals, and arrangements along the way—many trivial matters. It is certainly no easy task."

As the problems were laid out one by one, the excitement on the faces of several Yue army students gradually gave way to solemnity.

Yes, with so much grain, how could it be safely transported across hundreds of miles of war-torn roads?

Chen Wen, however, seemed to already have a plan.

The risks on the road cannot be avoided, but we can try to reduce them.

We will not conduct a large convoy; we will break the whole into parts.

He looked at Qian Gui.

Qian Gui, your merchant convoys constantly travel north and south, familiar with all the passes, side paths, and even secret waterways.

We will split these 2,500 shi of grain into dozens of batches, mixing them among the legitimate cargo of different convoys.

Hide them in furs, conceal them in medicinal herbs, even hollow out parts of wood and stone… you will figure out the methods.

Each batch will be small; even if inspected, losses will be limited and unlikely to draw large-scale attention.

Qian Gui's eyes lit up.

Your lordship's plan is excellent! Our merchant convoys are already a cover; adding more 'cargo' is not difficult.

Some checkpoints and mountain strongholds along the way have already been bribed, and could perhaps be smoothed over.

Chen Wen nodded, then turned to Wu Yong.

Mr. Wu, you must devote thought to route planning. Choose several different paths to avoid the heavily guarded chokepoints of the Jin army.

As much as possible, travel mountain trails and sail by night.

Even if it means taking a longer route and spending more time, safety comes first.

As for the handoff—

Chen Wen's gaze fell back onto the several Yue army students.

This will require your help, as well as the secret channel already arranged by Marshal Yue's side.

Once the grain arrives at the designated area, it will not go directly into Yue's army's main camp.

Instead, it will be dispersed and stored in several absolutely reliable transfer points—such as hidden cellars of mountain hunters, underground chambers of abandoned temples, or the basements of trusted gentry's villas.

The specific locations, contact signals, and grain receipts must be designed as a set of coded words and tokens known only to Marshal Yue's trusted confidants.

Then Yue's army can, under the pretext of 'purchasing military grain' or 'levying tribute grain,' withdraw the grain in small batches from these transfer points and mix it into normal supplies, making it hard to detect.

Xu Dui listened, his heart surging; the plan was interlocking, both bold and meticulous.

He immediately said: "Mr. Chen, rest assured! Upon our return, we will work out the contact methods, coded words, and tokens in detail with Marshal Yue, ensuring nothing goes wrong."

No rush.

Chen Wen said.

This matter must be carefully planned; we must be steady and secure. The first batch of grain cannot be dispatched until at least a month later.

This time will allow you to become familiar with our stronghold's operations, and also bring back more detailed plans to the south to discuss and refine with Marshal Yue.

He paused, then his tone grew heavier.

Furthermore, this grain transport is not only to relieve hunger, but also a probe and a consolidation of the liaison channel.

In the future, perhaps other things will need to be sent south via this 'grain road.'

He did not specify what, but those present such as Shi Dun and Wu Yong understood it might refer to more important technical data or special equipment.

Even… personnel transfers in extremis.

The Yue army students also vaguely felt that the meaning behind this 'north grain south transport' far exceeds the grain itself.

This is the Northward Aspiration army's solid support for its allies, and a deeper bond binding the north-south anti-Jin forces.

This matter, then, is thus decided.

Chen Wen finally gave the final approval.

Qian Gui, you must immediately begin preparing the convoys and disguises.

Wu Yong, plan the routes, devise a detailed transport schedule and contingency plans.

Shi Dun, you and several southern guests shall work out the handoff signals and tokens in detail, to bring back when they return.

Chao Gai, you shall oversee the drying, screening, and bagging of the grain in the granary, ensuring its quality.

All responded solemnly to the orders.

Leaving the granary area, the setting sun dyed the fields and grain piles a warm orange-red.

Several Yue army students looked back at that scene representing vitality and hope, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

There was shock at the strength of the Northward Aspiration army, and gratitude for the impending aid.

Moreover, there was a vague premonition—that this force, rooted in the north and acting unlike the imperial court, before their eyes—

—might truly be able to change that seemingly immense, rigid anti-Jin situation.

Bringing some different, lively variables.

And they themselves are precisely the first batch of witnesses and participants in the flow of these variables.

Northern grain, southern transport.

What is transported is not only life-saving millet.

Perhaps, there is also a faint spark of another possibility quietly sprouting in the dire straits of harsh winter.