Chapter 711 - 489: The Aggrieved Second Prince

Chapter 711: Chapter 489: The Aggrieved Second Prince

"What do you want me to do?" Ling Yunhe asked, looking at Xie Jinshu.

Xie Jinshu hesitated for a moment, raised his wine cup to tap it against Ling Yunhe’s, and then said in a low voice, "I think we should start by hoarding some grain."

Ling Yunhe’s expression froze. "His Majesty has left on a campaign. Where would there be any surplus grain in the dozen or so prefectures and counties around the Capital City? Besides, the court isn’t short on grain right now, so why are you hoarding it? The price of grain is high at the moment. If it turns out we don’t need it and get stuck with it, that’s a huge amount of silver. You’d lose everything you’ve earned these past few years."

Xie Jinshu looked at Ling Yunhe. "How long do you think this war will last?"

"His Majesty is leading the troops himself. It will probably be a quick and decisive battle."

"You sound so hesitant. I suppose you aren’t so sure yourself, are you?"

Ling Yunhe scoffed. "The weather has been too harsh this year. It’s hard to say how things will go."

"That’s what I was thinking too. If the war drags on, do you think the army’s provisions will be enough?"

Ling Yunhe fell silent.

Xie Jinshu chuckled softly. "I know what you’re thinking. ’Even if the army’s provisions run out, what does that have to do with us?’ But don’t forget who holds the position of Minister of Revenue."

Ling Yunhe sighed. He knew the Xie family and the Song Family were related by marriage, but he hadn’t expected Xie Jinshu to go to such lengths for the Imperial Concubine in the palace. He said, "Shouldn’t you report this matter to the Imperial Consort?"

Xie Jinshu shook his head. "The fewer people who know about this, the better. Countless eyes are on Minister Song and the Imperial Consort right now, and there are definitely people watching us too. You have it a bit easier. I can barely make a move in the Capital City."

"So you just want me to be your errand boy?" Ling Yunhe nearly rolled his eyes.

"My good brother, let’s not be formal. This is too important to entrust to anyone else. I can only rest easy if it’s you."

"Thanks for thinking so highly of me." Ling Yunhe looked at Xie Jinshu. "Even if I leave the Capital City, the other merchants will be watching. We still need a plan. Besides, to really acquire grain, I’ll have to go south. With the new policies implemented last year, the south supplied a lot of rice and grain to the capital. If I go to buy more now, I don’t know how much I’ll be able to get."

Once a war starts, grain, like medicinal herbs, becomes a scarce commodity. Ordinary people won’t sell it easily.

If he were to buy from grain merchants, the price would be higher under these circumstances. Even if he and Xie Jinshu pooled their resources, he wasn’t sure how much grain they could buy with the silver they had.

Xie Jinshu chuckled. "I told you, you’re too by-the-book. Business isn’t just about buying and selling. There’s also bartering."

"What do you want to barter with?" As the words left his mouth, Ling Yunhe thought of something, and his expression changed instantly. "You’ve really got some nerve."

Xie Jinshu gave a sly grin. "So, what do you think? Will it work?"

"I think it will." Ling Yunhe gritted his teeth. "Goods from the Baozhuang Building are in high demand in the south. If we use them for bartering... it’s hard to say what the exchange rate will be, but we’ll definitely be able to make a trade."

"Then let’s give it a try. But we must be discreet so no one notices," Xie Jinshu said softly. "Don’t show your face. Find a few stewards under you who aren’t well-known to handle this. If someone starts watching, you need to be able to get away clean and not drag the Imperial Consort into this."

The reason goods from the Baozhuang Building could be bartered was because the Imperial Consort had opened it with the three other concubines. To the official’s wives, the palace’s name was a golden signboard.

After the Ling Family’s misfortune, Ling Yunhe was no longer the naive person he once was. He nodded slightly at Xie Jinshu. "I know what to do. Get the silver ready. I’ll leave the Capital the day after tomorrow. If we’re going to do this, the sooner, the better. But we have to be prepared. If we don’t end up needing this grain, we’ll be stuck with it."

"We’ll just sell it at a loss. We should be able to recoup at least half our investment. But if it is needed, then I’ll have performed a great service. Fortune favors the bold, brother. Let’s take the risk."

Ling Yunhe chuckled softly. ’He made it sound so noble. But we both know the real reason, and that’s all that matters.’

Xie Jinshu took his leave of Ling Yunhe and went back to prepare the silver. Ling Yunhe also returned to the Ling Family estate, braving the cold wind.

The heavy snow cast a shadow over the entire Capital City. If things were like this in the capital, one could only wonder how His Majesty was faring on the march, and how the soldiers and citizens of the border city were managing.

Song Yunzhao was deeply worried, but there was nothing she could do.

Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager’s illness showed signs of worsening. She was old, after all, so Yun Zhao didn’t dare to be negligent. She had the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital take turns on duty at Shouci Palace.

She disliked the Empress Dowager, but she could not allow anything to happen to her while the Emperor was away on his campaign.

She had to mind the Empress Dowager’s health and look after her two children. Feng Ze’s studies continued without interruption; Anshun accompanied him to the front hall for his lessons every day. Yue Guanlan and Yang Weiqing also still came to the palace daily as his study partners. As the weather grew colder, she felt it wasn’t good to make the two boys travel back and forth, so she considered letting them take a break from their lessons once the twelfth lunar month began.

Fortunately, Feng Yun was a well-behaved child. He was perfectly happy as long as Yun Zhao sat and kept him company.

When Feng Ze returned from his lessons, Feng Yun’s attention would shift to his older brother. It was quite amusing how the two little brothers could communicate despite their babbling and gibberish.

Ji Yunting and Song Buran were busy dealing with the snow disaster in the Capital, and the Six Ministries were in a flurry of activity.

One day, as Yun Zhao was returning from visiting the Empress Dowager, Consort Shu caught up to her, braving the wind and snow. "We’re about to enter the twelfth lunar month," she said. "Why hasn’t there been any news from the front?"

Song Yunzhao hadn’t received a single letter since Feng Yi left the capital, so she was naturally worried. However, she knew the army was likely marching through the night, and under such circumstances, he would have no time to write to her.

"We’ll have to wait until the imperial procession reaches the border city before any news can be sent back to the capital. In this weather, the journey will take longer than usual. We must not be anxious."

How could Consort Shu not be anxious? She, a person who was normally so lazy, had even requested a statue of the Buddha, set up a small personal shrine, and now burned incense and chanted sutras every day, praying for His Majesty to win a swift victory.

"The Empress Dowager’s cold hasn’t been getting any better. The Imperial Hospital said she needs to recuperate slowly and can’t be rushed," Consort Shu said, looking at Song Yunzhao. "I was thinking we could add an extra thirty percent to the charcoal allotment for Shouci Palace. What do you think?"

Song Yunzhao couldn’t agree to that. She thought for a moment and said, "We’ll supplement Shouci Palace’s share with the Second Prince’s."

"How could that be right?" Consort Shu disagreed.

Yun Zhao looked at her. "The weather is colder this year than in previous years, so the charcoal allotments for all the palaces have already been increased. There isn’t much surplus left in the palace, and we still need to reserve some for the New Year. The Second Prince is with me all day, so even giving up half of his share will still be enough. If we take from another source, it will be difficult to replenish later."

Consort Shu had come to discuss this with Yun Zhao precisely because she was in a difficult position. Hearing her solution, she could only nod and say, "It’s just unfair to the Second Prince."

"He’s a young child and stays with me, so it’s not a true hardship. Besides, the Empress Dowager’s well-being is paramount. With His Majesty away at war, we absolutely cannot allow any mishaps at Shouci Palace."

Consort Shu nodded. "I go to visit every day now. An Pin has moved to Shouci Palace to attend to the Empress Dowager’s sickbed, and she serves her with utmost dedication. With her there, the Empress Dowager’s complexion looks a little better."

When Song Yunzhao heard Consort Shu mention An Shutong, her steps faltered slightly.