Chapter 252: The Crown Prince's Thoughts

In front of the door of Tian Zi Bing Hao, Chen Ji lightly knocked on the door with his knuckles.

The wooden door creaked open, and Xiao Man said happily, "Young Master is back!"

Saying this, she took a handkerchief to dust off Chen Ji's clothes. The Crown Prince stood at the doorway, leaning slightly, silently observing the ground mat inside the room and the curtain separating the inner chamber.

Inside the room, a charcoal basin was burning. A chessboard with snacks and preserved fruits was placed on the table. Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia were sitting cross-legged on a ground mat, softly muttering something.

Chen Li Qin wanted to speak many times but stopped. He thought about what was appropriate to say, but for a moment didn't know how to open his mouth.

Chen Ji walked into the room and said to Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia, "Brother Zhang, Second Miss Zhang, His Highness the Crown Prince has come."

Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia quickly stood up upon hearing this and cupped their hands in a bow to the Crown Prince at the doorway. "His Highness the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince smiled and waved his hand. "No need for such courtesy. I just learned that the four of you were squeezed into one room, which is quite hard. Fortunately, I have prepared two more Di Zi Hao rooms for you, so you can live separately."

Zhang Zheng was startled for a moment, then immediately refused, saying, "Reporting to Your Highness, we are fine living here."

The Crown Prince asked doubtfully, "The two of you normally live in luxury in the Zhang residence. How can you be accustomed to living on a ground mat?"

Zhang Zheng politely said, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. We are safer together. The extra two guest rooms can be used to accommodate more Feather Forest Army officers."

Li Xuan, standing behind the Crown Prince, opened his mouth and said, "With the Feather Forest Army guarding at night, everyone doesn't need to worry about their safety."

Zhang Zheng happily said, "So many Feather Forest Army, and they didn't even manage to guard the Capital Governorate."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere inside and outside the room became solemn.

Li Xuan wanted to speak in refutation, but he couldn't think of a way to refute it. Someone had burned the Capital Governorate to ashes under the eyes of the Feather Forest Army. This was a strange shame and a great humiliation.

Only, no one expected Zhang Zheng to dare to step on and trample the face of the Feather Forest Army in front of so many people.

At this moment, Zhang Xia quietly tugged at Zhang Zheng's sleeve.

Zhang Xia said with a smile, "Then many thanks, Your Highness. My brother and I will move over now."

Zhang Zheng was unwilling, but Zhang Xia forcefully pulled him out the door.

The Crown Prince made way at the door, allowing the two of them to go downstairs.

On the stairs, Zhang Zheng softly complained, "We were living well there, why change places?"

Zhang Xia was silent for a moment. "Chen Ji wants to get closer to the Crown Prince, Brother. Don't add trouble for him."

Zhang Zheng understood even less. "He has the Chen family behind him, and even if the Chen family isn't reliable, he has my Zhang family and the Xu family. If he wants a future, where does he need to seek others?"

Zhang Xia shook her head slightly. "He's not doing it for his own future."

Zhang Zheng was doubtful. "Then what is he doing it for? Did he tell you?"

Zhang Xia thought for a bit. "He didn't say, but I can guess what he wants to do."

Zhang Zheng's eyes darted around. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, the ground mat is still in the room. We'll quietly slip back in a while."

In front of the door of Tian Zi Bing Hao, the Crown Prince acted as if nothing had happened and said to Chen Ji in a warm voice, "You've had a hard day. Get some rest early."

Chen Ji cupped his hands. "Many thanks for Your Highness's care."

The Crown Prince led Chen Li Qin and Li Xuan into the Tian Zi Ding Hao room. He sat by the Eight Immortals table and asked solemnly, "What do you think we should do to solve the problem of grain and fodder?"

Chen Li Qin thought for a moment. "Your Highness, this humble official will go to the border army camp tomorrow and definitely persuade Hu Jun Xian to allocate some grain. Your Highness is the heir of the country, and Hu Jun Xian is also a scholar. I believe he is not like Zhou You who doesn't know the gravity of the situation."

The Crown Prince's fingers tapped on the table, making no comment.

Li Xuan poured him a cup of tea and respectfully said, "Your Highness, this humble official will send out the Feather Forest Army tomorrow to search for grain. We will buy back all the grain that hasn't been requisitioned yet. The Household Department still has over three thousand taels of silver allocated, which can more or less be used in an emergency."

The Crown Prince sighed. "The price of grain in Gu Yuan is probably going to skyrocket now. Three thousand taels of silver is just a drop in the bucket."

Li Xuan said in a low voice, "Let the Feather Forest Army officers go to the porridge shed to get porridge. Buying back grain to supply you and Master Chen's relatives is still enough."

The Crown Prince hesitated. "This is not good, is it? I should also share joys and sorrows with the Feather Forest Army officers."

Li Xuan quickly knelt on one knee. "You are of noble birth. How can you go to the porridge shed with common people to get porridge? Spreading this out will damage the dignity of the imperial family. If I allow you to fall to this, what face do I have to return to the capital? I would rather be buried here, my body wrapped in horsehide."

Chen Li Qin also stood up and cupped his hands. "Your Highness, my Chen family will also get porridge with the Feather Forest Army officers, but Your Highness absolutely cannot damage the dignity of the imperial family."

The Crown Prince helped Li Xuan up. "Master Li, why say such angry words? I will follow your arrangements."

A moment later, Qi Zun Zhe brought a map and spread it on the table. Li Xuan pointed at the map and said, "Tomorrow we must visit all the grain shops in the city to see if they have hidden grain..."

The Crown Prince suddenly asked, "What do you all think? Now that Gu Yuan city is cut off from grain, how long can it hold out before Tai Yuan Prefecture discovers that Gu Yuan is surrounded?"

Li Xuan replied, "At most fifteen days. After the Lantern Festival, if Tai Yuan Prefecture still doesn't see merchant teams coming and going, they will definitely become suspicious. At that time, it will only take fifteen days for the troops from Tai Yuan Prefecture to come to our aid. We can hold out for over a month."

The Crown Prince slightly relaxed his breath. "Then there is still hope."

As they spoke, they heard footsteps outside the door.

The Crown Prince stopped talking and listened quietly as the footsteps stopped in front of the door of the next-door Tian Zi Bing Hao room. Then someone lightly opened the door and welcomed the newcomers in.

Li Xuan and the others looked towards Chen Li Qin. The Crown Prince said with a smile, "I originally heard people say that the Chen family and the Zhang family always have political disagreements. It seems it was all just rumors. The Chen family values reputation the most, but I didn't expect you to get along so well with Master Zhang."

Chen Li Qin quickly explained, "This humble official and Zhang Zhuo Dao do not work well together."

"Oh?" The Crown Prince's words changed. "I heard earlier that Second Miss Zhang serves as a mathematics doctor in the Imperial Academy and has the ability of photographic memory. Is this rumor true?"

Chen Li Qin sighed. "This is indeed true. Second Miss Zhang is quick-witted and has photographic memory. When she was in Luo City, ordinary scholars and talented people simply weren't her match in debating scriptures. She is also an expert in checking accounts. It's a pity she is a woman; otherwise, winning the chief examination of a state would be easy."

The Crown Prince was curious. "Master Chen and Master Zhang were colleagues in Luo City for three years. Did you not consider arranging a marriage for Second Miss Zhang with Master Zhang?"

Chen Li Qin repeatedly waved his hand. "How can my Chen family establish a relationship with the Zhang family?"

The Crown Prince picked up the teacup, lowered his head to take a shallow sip, then lightly said, "Is that so? That's too bad. Although Master Zhang is a dissolute and unrestrained person, he has strategic talent, and the Emperor values him quite a lot."

Inside the Tian Zi Bing Hao room, Zhang Zheng sat cross-legged on the ground mat and complained, "We were living well together. The Crown Prince insisted on separating us. He's really not sensible."

Xiao Man rolled her eyes. "I still thought my young master could finally sleep in a bed, but you came back again."

Zhang Zheng lay on the ground mat like a rolling pin. "How boring it is without anyone to bicker with!"

Zhang Xia ignored the two of them and turned to look at Chen Ji. "Did the granary in Gu Yuan city really burn down?"

Chen Ji nodded. "Yes."

Zhang Zheng sat up again and said worriedly, "When can the reinforcements arrive?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "It's hard to say."

Zhang Xia calculated, "Tai Yuan Prefecture didn't see merchant teams coming and going after the Lantern Festival. They will probably become aware, right?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment. "If I were the great commander of the Jing Dynasty Heaven Strategy Army, I would definitely send soldiers disguised as merchant teams to Tai Yuan Prefecture to report peace. The longer we hide it, the more chance of winning we have."

Zhang Zheng's eyes widened. "Doesn't that mean we might not get reinforcements for a month?"

Chen Ji comforted him, "The border army isn't incompetent either. Perhaps a high official has already quietly left Gu Yuan to report the message to Tai Yuan Prefecture. If all goes smoothly, the official can arrive in Tai Yuan Prefecture within ten days."

Zhang Zheng sighed. "That still means we have to hold out for half a month."

Chen Ji smiled. "It's a good thing Xiao Man bought a grain shop beforehand. There are still two thousand shi of grain hidden in the cellar. We won't starve. Xiao Man, is that grain hidden well? Will the border army search it away?"

Xiao Man thought for a bit. "It's hidden in the cellar at the wellhead. The border army shouldn't discover it. That place is very hidden and was originally used to hide smuggled goods."

Chen Ji praised, "Xiao Man is indeed very good at doing business. If I take back the industry in the capital from your aunt, I can hand it over to you to manage."

Xiao Man's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Zhang Zheng also gave a thumbs-up. "Xiao Man is stronger than the big pile of people the Crown Prince brought. They are just scratching their heads over grain now. If five hundred Feather Forest Army starve to death in Gu Yuan city, it will probably become a big joke."

Xiao Man let out a sound of surprise and then became shy. "This is all taught by my aunt. She said before that to do business, you just need to grasp the first opportunity. If you can see what will happen three days later, you can be a small vendor. If you can see what will happen half a year later, you can be a decent merchant. If you can see the fate of a country, then you can be an official merchant with connections that reach the sky... I just guessed what would happen a few days later. It's nothing."

Zhang Zheng looked at Chen Ji. "Do you think the Feather Forest Army can get grain?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "It's difficult. At this time, everyone knows how important grain is. A handful of grain can be used as an ingot of gold."

Xiao Man looked at Chen Ji. "Young Master, what should we do with that batch of grain? We can't eat that much anyway. If we sell it in a few days, we can probably earn ten times more."

Chen Ji looked out the window. The large fire in the distance within Gu Yuan city had not extinguished, as if the flames of war had already burned from outside the city to inside the city.

He calmly replied, "No rush. This batch of grain has a big use for me. We will go out tomorrow and take a look at the grain market situation."

In this chaotic world, ordinary things that are extremely cheap can be priced comparable to gold, while ordinary things that are extremely expensive are not inquired about by anyone, such as ginseng.

Since Chen Ji absorbed the ice flow from Jing Wang, he had not found a suitable opportunity to convert the silver in his hand into cultivation realm. Now, this opportunity had finally arrived.