Chapter 255: Yellow Cornmeal Buns

Chen Ji silently looked at the handful of yellow soil and ashes on the ground, pinching the corner of the yellow paper talisman in his hand. Whose talisman was this... Bailong? He wasn't sure. Chen Ji had seen yellow paper talismans in Bailong's hand before, but Bailong wasn't the only official who used them. Mengji used them, the Dao Court used them, and the paths of officials scattered from the Dao Court branches all required the use of yellow paper talismans.

But for some reason, he had a vague feeling that the owner of this yellow paper talisman was definitely Bailong.

When he first arrived in Guyuan, the station official had said that the secret spy department personnel had withdrawn because it was too difficult here... This was inherently unreasonable. A chaotic spy city like this, how could it lack the crucial role of the secret spy department? Secret spies saw merit as if they were crazy, wishing they could catch Jing Chao spies every day. There should have been a large number of secret spies here!

Initially, the Si Li Jian had deliberately exiled Jiaotu and Yunyang in order to make the Liu family lower their guard.

The current situation in Guyuan, how was it not particularly similar to the initial one?

When Chen Ji realized that the "possible" person behind this matter was Bailong, his heart involuntarily sank. He subconsciously looked around, worried that as soon as he turned his head, he would see "Mr. Feng" looking at him with a half-smile from a distance.

Fortunately, he wasn't there.

But there was still a question: who exactly killed the thirty-four people of the Chen family?

Was it Bailong? Certainly not.

If it hadn't been for the mutton just sent by the border army that day, Chen Ji and the others might have also been hit. Bailong had gone to great lengths to have him sneak back to the Chen family, how could he kill him again?

Since it wasn't Bailong, who else could it be?

Who would benefit from killing the Chen family? The border army, Jing Chao spies, the Crown Prince...

While thinking, footsteps sounded from outside the alley. Someone from afar said: "Gentlemen of the army, there were screams coming from this direction just now, it sounded very scary!"

An old man leading a team of border army soldiers quickly walked over. When they turned the corner, they only saw ashes on the ground. Chen Ji was nowhere to be seen.

The border army soldiers squatted on the ground, pinching up a bit of yellow soil and rubbing it carefully in front of their eyes: "It's bone ash."

Another person doubted: "It can't be bone ash. Burning a person on a wood fire for a whole day doesn't necessarily turn them to ash."

Chen Ji stopped and walked on the street, raising his head to look for signs until he saw the three large characters "Yuan Cao Tang". Only then did he lift his foot and walk into the shop.

Deer antler, bear gall, bear paw, snow frog, and ginseng smuggled from the north were first transported from Changbai Mountain to Tokyo Dao's Longhua Prefecture, then from Longhua Prefecture to Zhongjing Dao, then south down from Xijing Dao's Fengsheng Prefecture, entering Guyuan.

Finally, they were transported to this Yuan Cao Tang for various brokers and merchants to select.

As Chen Ji stepped over the threshold, he actually saw a familiar figure, wearing a sheepskin coat with a conspicuous leopard sleeve, standing in front of the counter talking to the shopkeeper.

Hu Sanye!

He only heard Hu Sanye, his back facing Chen Ji, calmly say: "Shopkeeper, Guyuan has already been surrounded by the Tian Ce Army. The city will break in the coming days. Your ginseng is no longer valuable."

The shopkeeper smiled without panic: "Sanye, you know about my Yuan Cao Tang. Even if Jing Chao kills their way in, I have connections I can appeal to. I don't know what will happen to others, but my Yuan Cao Tang will definitely be fine."

Hu Sanye touched the stubble on his chin, then said: "Let's not talk about breaking the city for now. Jing Chao doesn't know how long they will surround Guyuan. Now the granary has been burned, and every family is short of grain. Everyone is rushing to buy grain and won't come to buy your ginseng. You might as well make it a bit cheaper and sell it all to me."

The shopkeeper said with a forced smile: "Sanye, we are old acquaintances, no need for pleasantries. With Guyuan isolated and without aid, and the Tian Ce Army possibly breaking the city at any time, many officials want to buy ginseng to improve their realm. How could I possibly sell it cheaply to you?"

Chen Ji frowned slightly. Hu Sanye had actually thought of the same thing as him. With competition, prices would naturally rise with the tide.

He did not go forward, only listened silently from the back.

At this time, he heard Hu Sanye say: "I have been in Guyuan for so many years, so I naturally know what is expensive and what is cheap at this time. Officials need at least five days to endure a ginseng. After five days, who knows if Guyuan has already broken? What's the use of temporary measures? Moreover, one or two ginseng won't improve the realm much. Shopkeeper, at this time, having grain is the most important thing. Ginseng won't sell for a high price."

The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows: "Even so, you just said eight taels per jin for ordinary wild mountain ginseng and ten taels per piece for fifty-year-old ginseng. This price is really difficult for me to accept. Even if I burned it all, I wouldn't sell it so cheaply to others. You say that Hu Sanye is also a figure with status in Guyuan, you wouldn't force a purchase, would you?"

Hu Sanye smiled: "Harmony brings wealth. Shopkeeper, no need to say such harsh words. You are reluctant to burn that ginseng. If you think my price is too low, you might as well exchange it for grain. Your Yuan Cao Tang has more than a hundred people to feed, and your family, old and young, has over thirty mouths, all needing to eat. If grain is cut off, your seven precious sons and more than ten concubines may all starve to death."

The shopkeeper smiled slightly: "That's not for Sanye to worry about."

"Oh?" Hu Sanye asked with interest: "It seems the shopkeeper has hidden grain. Could it be that the border army hasn't finished searching?"

The shopkeeper shook his head: "Sanye, no need to probe my words. I plan to bring my entire family, old and young, to starve to death."

Hu Sanye laughed heartily and cupped his fist: "Then I won't disturb the shopkeeper. I'll come back and ask you in ten days."

The shopkeeper casually cupped his hand: "As Sanye pleases."

Hu Sanye turned around and actually saw Chen Ji standing not far away. He was slightly startled, then pretended not to know him and went out.

The shopkeeper smiled and looked at Chen Ji: "Guest, what do you need?"

Chen Ji asked: "How much is fifty-year-old ginseng?"

The shopkeeper extended three fingers: "Thirty taels of silver per piece, no deceiving children or elders."

Chen Ji turned around and left. This price didn't even need bargaining.

He went out the door, turned into a small alley without a sound, waited quietly at the corner, and slowly drew a short knife from his sleeve.

The next moment, Hu Sanye turned in. Chen Ji pressed the short knife against the other's neck and calmly asked: "Sanye, what are you following me for?"

Hu Sanye slowly raised both hands and smiled: "Don't worry, I have no ill intentions."

Chen Ji didn't understand. With Hu Sanye's jianghu status, presumably his official realm wasn't low. Even if ordinary officials were more familiar, they wouldn't casually put their lives in others' hands.

But this Hu Sanye showed no intention of resisting, just letting him press the short knife against his neck.

Chen Ji thought for a moment, but didn't put down the short knife: "Sanye, what do you want with me?"

Hu Sanye looked at Chen Ji with his only remaining good eye: "You also want to buy ginseng for cultivation? What realm are you at now?"

Chen Ji was confused by this series of questions: "Sanye, what do you care about this for?"

Hu Sanye was silent for a moment: "If you want to buy ginseng, I can help you."

Chen Ji sized up this Hu Sanye from head to toe: "Sanye, you also want to buy ginseng, why help me?"

Hu Sanye smiled: "I travel south and north, there are many opportunities to buy cheap ginseng. If you are in a hurry, I'll give it to you first, just consider it building good karma."

Chen Ji hesitated. The kindness of strangers always made people vigilant.

Hu Sanye didn't mind his vigilance and asked directly: "How much ginseng do you want to buy?"

Chen Ji gripped the knife handle tightly: "How much ginseng is inside Yuan Cao Tang?"

Hu Sanye thought: "That's probably a lot. There are several thousand jin of ordinary wild mountain ginseng, and I'm afraid there are also six or seven hundred pieces of old ginseng over fifty years old, all waiting to be transported to Ning Chao inland as stock in the spring."

Chen Ji replied: "Over fifty years old, I want all of it, but his price is too high, I can't afford it."

Hu Sanye's pupils shrank slightly: "What do you want so much for? Although old ginseng is good, you also need to pay attention to gradual progress. Slice the old ginseng, divide it into thirty portions, and steam two slices in a jar each morning, noon, and evening to drink the water. Absolutely do not rush for success, otherwise your meridians won't be able to bear it."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Seeing Chen Ji not answering, Hu Sanye softened his tone: "Since you want to buy it, I'll help you then. Come back to Yuan Cao Tang in five days, and you'll get what you want. Remember, pretend not to know me at that time."

With that said, he slowly retreated backward, his neck gradually moving away from the short knife.

After retreating out of the small alley, he turned and quickly left, leaving Chen Ji full of doubts: could it be that he had unintentionally saved a relative of Hu Sanye before, but didn't know it himself?

But what did Hu Sanye want so much ginseng for? It wasn't for making money; if it were, selling grain would be more profitable than selling ginseng.

Behind Hu Sanye, there were still many officials who needed ginseng for cultivation!

Chen Ji returned to Long Men Guest Inn, lifted the thick cotton curtain, and saw several middle-aged men carrying packages gathered in front of the counter, anxiously saying: "Shopkeeper, quickly arrange for us to leave Guyuan. We really can't stay in Guyuan for even a moment."

The shopkeeper said unhurriedly: "You all know the rules for sending people away at my Long Men Guest Inn, right?"

The middle-aged men patted the packages on their backs: "Understood! Understood!"

The shopkeeper slanted his eye towards one of them: "Li Lao Qi, why do I remember you still have a wife in Guyuan? Aren't you bringing her with you?"

Li Lao Qi shrank his neck: "She can't bear children anymore, what's the point of bringing her? With silver, you can find another wife anywhere."

The shopkeeper stroked the abacus beads beside his hand: "I see you don't want me to earn an extra two hundred taels of silver, do you? You stingy thing, you make so much money but aren't willing to spend two hundred taels of silver to buy your wife a life?"

Li Lao Qi stiffened his neck: "Er Ye, why are you also getting involved in my family affairs?"

The shopkeeper smiled: "Okay, I won't get involved. You go stay in the ren character common room. I'll send you away the day after tomorrow."

Li Lao Qi was stunned: "Why the ren character common room? A di character room would be fine too."

The shopkeeper was impatient: "The di character rooms are all full. The ren character common room was just vacated last night. Are you staying or not? If not, get out of the way."

Li Lao Qi hurriedly took out a string of Buddhist bronze coins and stuffed them to the shopkeeper: "Staying, staying, staying... Can I at least get a meal? Bran rice is fine too, I'm really unbearably hungry."

The shopkeeper sneered: "My Long Men Guest Inn also has no surplus grain. You figure it out yourself. You're so stingy, it's really not okay to dig a bit of your own foot skin to eat."

Chen Ji: "......"

At this moment, Wang Gui came in from the backyard carrying a tray. On the tray were more than ten yellow-faced steamed buns.

He saw Chen Ji face to face, panicked, and turned his body away, worried that Chen Ji would see what he was holding in his hand.