Chapter 259: Finding Food

Thick smoke drifted upwards, carrying sparks and ash as it surged towards the low-hanging sky.

All the inhabitants of Gu Yuan turned their heads to stare at the distant, surging fire. For a moment, they were like statues, their moods plummeting to the depths of despair, their faces etched with hopelessness.

Chen Ji stood gravely on the roof of the tavern, his gaze fixed on the border army camp in the distance.

The next moment, roars erupted from the border army camp, followed by a massive explosion that echoed through Gu Yuan, as if more than ten Shen Ji Camp cannons had fired simultaneously.

Were they firearms?

No!

Chen Ji watched the flames scatter and fly, instantly engulfing a large area of tents. This was the sign of a dust explosion; the flour in the border army camp had exploded.

What had burned was indeed the border army’s stored grain!

At this moment, someone downstairs angrily cursed: "Damn it, the border army requisitioned our grain, and now it's burned by Jing Chao spies."

"The border army is useless, they can't even guard grain, what kind of war can they fight?"

"I already said, that Hu Junxian fundamentally doesn't know how to fight. The general of Gu Yuan should have been replaced!"

Someone said mournfully: "What's the use of saying this now? Gu Yuan is finished! Everyone just wash their necks and wait for the Jing Chao army to kill their way in."

"Go, let's go demand an explanation from the border army!"

Not a single soldier of the Jing Chao army had been dispatched, yet the city of Gu Yuan was already in chaos.

Chen Ji watched the dense crowd rushing towards the border army camp, then turned and leaped across the rooftops, moving away rapidly.

He hurried back to the Longmen Inn. The Yu Lin Army was standing on Gui Zhi Street, gazing at the fire in the distance, their expressions complex and silent.

Groups of Gu Yuan citizens passed by them, shouting about going to demand an explanation from the border army. Qi Jianzhe looked at Li Xuan and said: "Sister-in-law, how about we also go ask Hu Junxian what exactly their border army is doing?"

Li Xuan glared fiercely at him: "Isn't there enough chaos already?"

Qi Jianzhe stiffened his neck: "It's not entirely the border army's fault. If we can return to the capital alive, I will definitely ask grandfather to impeach that Hu Junxian with a memorial!"

The Crown Prince said slowly: "Alright, let's first go inside and check the grain we bought today... Chen Ji is back."

He saw Chen Ji standing outside the crowd and subconsciously looked at Chen Ji's hands. However, when he saw that Chen Ji's hands were also empty, he was suddenly disappointed.

The Crown Prince asked gravely: "You didn't find grain either?"

Chen Ji answered calmly: "Reporting to Your Highness, I did not go looking for grain today. I went to handle other matters."

Qi Jianzhe frowned: "What matter is more important than grain now? You didn't go looking for grain, what nonsense were you busy with?"

Chen Ji silently glanced at him and didn't respond further.

The Crown Prince sighed: "Now is not the time for colleagues to attack each other. Let's go inside to talk, don't let the common people see and laugh."

Li Xuan stepped forward a few paces and lifted the cotton cloth curtain for the Crown Prince. Everyone filed inside.

In the main hall of the inn, the shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen, leaving only Xiao Wu lying sound asleep on the counter.

The Crown Prince and Li Xuan sat at an Eight Immortals table. Li Xuan placed an account book in front of her and, pen in hand, asked the Yu Lin Army officers standing before her: "How much grain did you buy today?"

A Yu Lin Army officer lowered his head: "Sir, I..."

Li Xuan said heavily: "You didn't buy any grain today?"

The Yu Lin Army officer said shamefacedly: "Sir, I visited over a hundred households today. None of them had any surplus grain at home. No matter how much silver, it was useless."

Li Xuan wanted to speak but stopped, finally only waving her hand helplessly: "Next."

The Yu Lin Army officers who had gone out in the morning with empty bags returned with empty bags. Several hundred people reported their harvest in turn, and finally, only a small amount of grain was piled on the Eight Immortals table.

Li Xuan stared blankly at the few bags in front of her, then lifted her head to look at the crowd of Yu Lin Army soldiers: "Over four hundred people went out today, and actually only bought back twelve jin of millet and twenty-eight jin of yellow flour. We'll cook porridge tonight, but who knows what we'll eat tomorrow morning..."

This was only the first day of the siege, and the Yu Lin Army was already struggling.

Li Xuan looked around and said gravely: "Now, all of you go out and continue searching for grain for me. If you can't find any, you won't sleep tonight. No matter what means you use, if you come back empty-handed, there's no need to return!"

Chen Liqin suddenly added from the side: "But you must all be careful. Do not do anything that violates national law. Do not bring a bad name upon His Highness."

Qi Jianzhe raised his eyebrows: "Chen Daren, what do you mean by that? Do you look down on the military discipline of my Yu Lin Army?"

Chen Liqin's face sank: "Vice Envoy Qi, this official does not mean that. I am just reminding you that you need to pay attention to the means you use when seeking grain. How many eyes in the court and among the public are watching His Highness? If you all make mistakes, it will implicate His Highness and will be recorded by historians. How will the world view His Highness?"

Qi Jianzhe angrily retorted: "Chen Daren truly speaks without experiencing the pain! Did your family's servants buy grain today? Why don't I see it being added to everyone's grain? Our brothers in the Yu Lin Army are braving the cold wind to seek grain, while your Chen family is hiding in your rooms warming yourselves one by one. Even if you and your madam are inconvenient, Chen Wen Zong, Chen Wen Xiao, and Chen Ji should at least go with us, right?"

Wang Gui hurriedly said: "My family's eldest young master and second young master are both Ju Ren!"

Qi Jianzhe spat on the ground: "Pah, what kind of dog Ju Ren? My Qi family has plenty of Ju Ren, are they rare? Ask my Yu Lin Army brothers, which family doesn't have a Ju Ren?"

Wang Gui still wanted to say something, but was stopped by Chen Wen Zong.

Chen Wen Zong cupped his hands and said: "Brother Qi speaks reasonably. Later, I will go with all of you to seek grain."

Qi Jianzhe sneered: "Now that's like human talk! Also, take out the grain your Chen family bought today and put it with the rest, don't hide it!"

Liang Shi slowly comforted: "The Chen family didn't buy much grain today either. We steamed a few Mantou at noon and ate them all."

Qi Jianzhe pointed at Wang Gui: "That's not right, I just saw him hiding in the inn kitchen eating Mantou!"

Liang Shi suddenly turned her head, her eyes like knives staring at Wang Gui.

Wang Gui hurriedly knelt: "You've wronged me! Vice Envoy Qi saw wrong. This humble one did not hide grain privately."

Chen Liqin angrily cursed: "Still not rolling away to take out your hidden grain? Otherwise, I'll break your dog legs!"

"Yes, yes, this humble one will go right away!" Wang Gui scrambled and crawled towards the backyard.

Amidst the noise, Chen Ji stood quietly in the corner, his gaze fixed on the beam, secretly pondering. The shopkeeper had said earlier that the secret passage was under the wooden board of the counter. He wondered if it was true.

Was this great fire the work of Jing Chao spies, or White Dragon's doing?

Chen Ji did not know the answer. He only knew that everything involving White Dragon would become mysterious and confusing, and no one would know what would happen until the very last moment.

He could only wait and see.

At this moment, the Crown Prince saw him distracted and suddenly asked: "Chen Ji, what did you do today?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Reporting to Your Highness, this lowly official went to seek traces of Jing Chao spies."

The Crown Prince's gaze was probing: "Did you find any?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No."

Today he had caught Old Wu, killed the shopkeeper of Yang Shi Fur Shop, and found the Secret Spy Division and White Dragon. However, he had to keep all of this secret so as not to ruin White Dragon's plans.

In the main hall, a Yu Lin Army soldier mocked: "So, you were busy for nothing all day, huh? You'd better go find some grain so at least you won't be hungry yourself. What time is it now and you're still thinking of finding Jing Chao spies? Do you think you're one of the Twelve Zodiacs of the Secret Spy Division?"

Chen Ji glanced at him but didn't retort.

Qi Jianzhe pressed on: "You weren't hiding somewhere slacking off all day, were you? After His Highness appointed you as the Right Si Wei, you still haven't made any merit. I advise you to be a bit more diligent to share His Highness's worries."

Chen Ji was silent for a long time, finally cupping his hands to the Crown Prince and saying: "This lowly official originally thought that finding grain was not a difficult matter, and that with the Yu Lin Army officers searching for grain, it should be enough. So this lowly official simply went to seek Jing Chao spies and didn't take this matter to heart. Yet, I didn't expect so many people from the Yu Lin Army to only bring back forty jin of grain."

When these words were spoken, the room suddenly fell silent. The Yu Lin Army soldiers all turned their heads to look at Chen Ji, their brows furrowed.

Qi Jianzhe was suddenly angry: "Chen Ji, what do you mean?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "No meaning."

Li Xuan frowned: "Chen Daren, stop showing off with your tongue. Seeking grain is indeed not easy now. Don't put yourself in an awkward position."

Chen Ji cupped his hands to the Crown Prince and said: "Your Highness, I know where grain can be found. However, the price of this grain is not cheap. You will probably need to spend money."

The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment: "Chen Ji, you don't need to worry about the price. But can you really find grain? Rest assured, even if you can't find grain, it's alright. There's no need to force it."

Chen Ji said impassively: "This lowly official can definitely find grain, but this lowly official has one request."

Seeing his certainty, the Crown Prince no longer advised him: "What request?"

Chen Ji pointed to the nearby Qi Jianzhe: "If I can buy forty jin of grain, Vice Envoy Qi only needs to call me Chen Daren from now on."

Qi Jianzhe sneered: "What kind of brag is that? If you can really find it, what harm is there in me calling you Chen Daren?"

Chen Ji nodded: "It's settled then."

Saying this, he looked at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, forty jin of grain will probably cost four hundred taels of silver to buy now. This silver..."

In normal times, four hundred taels of silver could buy forty head of cattle, eighty mules, or forty-eight thousand jin of grain. Now, with lives at stake, the Crown Prince could not care about such matters.

He glanced at Li Xuan. Li Xuan took a string of Buddha coins from her sleeve and handed it to Chen Ji: "This is five hundred taels. As long as you can buy it, silver is not an issue."

Chen Ji received the Buddha coins, turned, lifted the curtain, and walked out of the inn.

At this moment, shouting came from outside the door: "The border army is killing people! The border army is killing people!" "Run quickly!"

The sound of dense footsteps transmitted as countless Gu Yuan citizens ran past from the front of Gui Zhi Street. Some people had blood splashed on their bodies.

Chen Ji pulled one person aside and asked gravely: "What happened? Why is the border army killing people?"

The man he pulled explained in a panic: "We went to the border army camp to demand an explanation, and we don't know how, someone moved away the barricade and rushed into the camp. The border army turned their backs on us and killed anyone they saw. I'm afraid several hundred people have been killed!"

Chen Ji looked at the sunset gradually sinking behind the city and remained silent for a long time.

Someone had charged the military camp, so the border army naturally had to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys and act decisively.

But this was only the first day of the siege.