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At first, things were manageable, but the rice was either rotten or mixed with pebbles, and the supply was insufficient. However, as they got closer to Yingzhou, the granaries became increasingly empty. Some officials even resorted to burning the granaries and blaming it on the relief teams or claiming they were raided by refugees or bandits.
In any case, there were numerous excuses being thrown around, but fortunately, the Yongxin Marquis saw through it all and resolved the various difficulties one by one. He executed corrupt officials and seized grain from wealthy families, ensuring that the common people could at least fill their stomachs somewhat and not starve to death.
However, the disaster area faced more than just a food shortage; Yingzhou was hit by severe snowstorms, leaving the ground frozen everywhere, making rescue efforts incredibly challenging. The Yongxin Marquis initially intended to focus on his work without getting sidetracked, but complications arose that delayed the rescue. The Third Prince, feeling guilty, attempted to incite the populace to cry out about hunger and falsely accused the Yongxin Marquis of embezzling funds.
This repeated provocation finally angered the Yongxin Marquis, prompting him to investigate the grain situation. To avoid alerting anyone, he made a show of it, and sure enough, the Third Prince revealed his true colors. When he met with spies, he even brought A-Yuan along as a cover. He tried to drug A-Yuan with a cup of spiked wine, but A-Yuan saw through it and feigned unconsciousness long enough to overhear shocking secrets.
The Third Prince had raised private soldiers! And not a small number either!
What?! He truly had some audacity! Ze was astonished; given that the Third Prince's maternal family was influential and he himself wasn't particularly good at managing affairs, maintaining a sizable private army would require substantial funds. Where did he get his supplies?
A glance from Shi Yun made Ze's mind race. Could it be that all the grain in those granaries had been consumed by him?
Exactly.
Ze calculated silently in his heart and asked with a serious expression how many private soldiers he had.
No less than ten thousand.
Ze was taken aback again; however, ten thousand private soldiers couldn't possibly consume that much grain.
Hmph! His private soldiers were well-equipped. He exchanged grain with Dayu Kingdom for numerous horses. Ironically, he provided them with high-quality grain while receiving inferior horses in return. He had to swallow his pride and accept this arrangement for fear that others would expose him.
Having suffered significant losses and yet still being caught in leverage by others, he remained unrepentant—continuing to trade good grain for poor horses just to maintain a more impressive cavalry!
Ze gritted his teeth in anger. This little beast! How dare he accuse Yongxin Marquis of treason? I think he deserves to be punished far worse!
Shi Yun understood why Ze was so furious now. I shouldn't have stepped in to stop you; I should have stood beside you and cursed him out together.
No rush; let's hold back for now!
That evening, Sang Qingxiao entered the familiar Ministry of Justice Prison. Qi Xiaomian's treatment was evidently much better than Yuanhui's; inside there were complete furnishings—tables, chairs, and beds—and a pot of fine tea brewed on the table. The scent in the cell indicated that meat had been served recently along with some wine.
"You're here?"
Qi Xiaomian had actually opened the cell door himself, and when the Jailor saw it, he acted as if he hadn't noticed.
"This prison you've made is quite comfortable," Qi Shuo said. "I've been worried about you all afternoon."
"Were you the only one worried about me? Don't you care at all?"
"Knowing you're just putting on a show, what do I have to worry about? So you've already eaten, huh? Then I suppose this food I've brought is unnecessary."
Qi Xiaomian took the Lunch Box and guessed that he would come. "I only ate a little bit just now, saving some space in my stomach for you to feed me."
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