Thirty thousand Stones of Grain

On the night when Zhang San and Wang Xiaoer were eating New Year's Eve dinner at Bai Fang's home, it was also the night when the various commanderies of Dawu Country were celebrating the New Year. In the north centered around Hanwu Commandery, rumors erupted.

At first, when the Northern Garrison Army suddenly broke in and looted grain, although the common people more or less understood some of the contents, due to the government's cover-up, the fact that several large granaries now had no reserves was not yet known to ordinary people.

The court had also strictly ordered that no officials were allowed to mention it, violators would be executed along with their clans!

But the news still somehow leaked out for some reason.

The whole Hanwu Commandery was instantly thrown into turmoil!

The famine ten years ago in Ya Commandery, where 100,000 people starved to death in six months, was still fresh in people's memory.

Now with no grain reserves in Hanwu Commandery, the 500,000 residents were all worried for their safety. In addition, the commanderies in the north had decreasing harvests in recent years. They had to supply grain to the Northern Garrison Army every year, and they could barely support themselves, let alone supply food for 500,000 people.

With no grain reserves, and the surrounding commanderies also unable to provide aid, a sense of crisis hung over every resident of Hanwu Commandery.

At this time, in just one night, a New Year's night, two sentences spread wildly in Hanwu Commandery...

"There is no more grain left. We will starve to death anyway if we do nothing, so why don't we take back our grain from the Northern Garrison Army?"

"The Northern Garrison Army is just north of us! The grain that originally belonged to us is in the north!"

On the first day of the new year, these words echoed all over Hanwu Commandery, and almost every household had people discussing them.

On the second day, including the prefect "Wu Qixue" and two other prefects, they reported to the imperial court at the same time that public opinion in Hanwu Commandery had already begun to vigorously discuss the idea of seizing grain from the Northern Garrison Army! And it was suspected that some people had already begun organizing militias.

On the third night, the imperial court received reports from the three prefects of Hanwu Commandery, and the court was also thrown into chaos.

Because right now the situation with the Northern Garrison Army in the north was uncertain. Wang Jue had deployed his battle lines very wide and dispersed.

But the allied forces of the Five Northern Countries had been repeatedly plundered by Wang Jue over the years, although their military strength was also growing, not knowing Wang Jue’s intentions, they did not dare attack, and the situation was deadlocked.

But one thing was clear from the current battlefield situation, Wang Jue had retreated as far back as he could, if he retreated further, it would be exposing his back to the allied forces of the Five Countries.

However, if the 500,000 residents of Hanwu Commandery in the crucial rear erupted into chaos under these circumstances...

The allied forces of the Five Countries would definitely surge forward, and they might even invite other countries that had been repeatedly plundered by Dawu Country over the years.

But the imperial court of Dawu Country was not entirely filled with greedy and corrupt officials. There were also quite a few capable people.

At this critical moment, someone immediately pointed out that the possibility of the common people seizing grain from the Northern Garrison Army was very low.

Because common people were not fools. Even local ruffians knew that no matter how many residents a commandery had, they could not match the most elite 200,000 Northern Garrison Army soldiers of Dawu Country.

People wanted to live, not to die.

Only when there really was no grain left, when 5 million people were close to starving and death, could a massive riot really occur.

So the top priority now was to find out exactly how much grain Hanwu Commandery still had left and how many days it could last, and to quickly allocate grain from several large granaries in the south.

As long as no one starved to death, there would be no major unrest, and the battlefield situation in the north would not change. As long as Wang Jue could hold the border and defeat the allied forces of the Five Countries, the danger would turn into relief.

But if hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands starved to death, plus someone was secretly instigating unrest among the common people, the final outcome could be the Northern Garrison Army, the most elite forces of Dawu Country, being defeated by the Northern Countries and retreating back behind the passes.

And the territories outside the passes plundered over the years would naturally have to be returned in full...

...

"I'm afraid Wu Qixue will die without a place to be buried."

In Hanwu Commandery, Zhengwu Prefecture, in the humble home of Prefect Wu Qixue.

His teacher was standing by his side.

The teacher said, "Sir, there is no need to worry too much. Regarding the rumors and organizing militias, what we have done..."

"There are no walls that are airtight," Wu Qixue directly interrupted his teacher's self-deceiving fantasy.

Then Wu Qixue said indifferently, "But it had to be done. When I was a prefect in the south years ago, I knew what the situation was with several granaries there."

Back then, when he had just become prefect, he could not restrain his anger towards those corrupt officials and clerks because of the granary affairs. He originally wanted to memorialize the court, but before he could submit the memorial, he was countered with false charges by someone.

And the opponent was clearly not an idealistic scholar like him. They had premeditated plans and accomplices, and the so-called "evidence" was also conclusive.

If it were not for Grand Secretary Ming personally coming to his defense at court, he would have been dismissed from office that year.

But also because he was afraid to implicate Grand Secretary Ming, and was then transferred to the central region, he did not continue to fight over the granary affairs.

Later in the central region, in the northern Ya Commandery, anyway no matter where he was transferred to, either the provincial governor took a dislike to him, or colleagues tried to take him down. He was transferred from place to place until he ended up as prefect of Zhengwu Prefecture.

Wu Qixue added, "The 100,000 elite reinforcements from the central region will arrive soon. They traveled in haste and could not bring much grain. When they reach the front lines, their provisions will definitely be supplied by the Northern Garrison Army. To win, Wang Jue will be even less likely to return our grain."

"And the national granaries must have no relief grain left, but those wealthy households in the south do! The top priority at court now should be transporting grain to Hanwu Commandery. If they can really obtain enough to tide people over until the harvest season, then Wu Qixue will die content."

Upon hearing this, the teacher could not help lowering his head as tears welled up in his eyes.

Wu Qixue's expression did not change much. He turned his head and said, "These days, I will hand over my official seal to you. You have followed me for many years and should know what to do and how to conceal that I am gone. As for me, this time, I will personally lead people on a trip to Tian Ge Prefecture."

After a moment's thought, Wu Qixue, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes that could not exactly be described as handsome, added: "You must remember, if hundreds of people starve to death in the commandery, submit a memo saying chaos and starvation have already broken out in Zhengwu Prefecture. If thousands starve, you order the hundreds of militiamen we organized to charge towards the Northern Garrison Army's camp!"

Undoubtedly those hundreds would die without question, but it could send the world, the court, and General Wang Jue a strong warning!

That we unarmed people here are not joking with you!

"Just talking without bloodshed and weapons, those senior officials will not believe it. If tens of thousands starve to death, then things will spiral out of our control. It is likely the 5 million residents and the Northern Garrison Army will both be finished, and I, Wu Qixue, will become the sinner of the ages!"

The teacher knelt down and agreed while crying.

Looking at his former classmate from college days, Wu Qixue smiled and said, "Years ago I promised you that as long as you chose to follow me instead of Lu Qingming, I would ensure you prosper. I have let you down, but back then I also did not know how much darker the bureaucracy was compared to the underworld. Haha..."

He laughed mockingly at the end, full of sarcasm.

The teacher raised his head and wiped away the tears.

The teacher said fiercely, "The whole world is muddy, only our peers are clear!" These were the words Lu Qingming said to you and me years ago! This time, let me say them back to you, the whole world is muddy, only you and I are clear!"

The teacher gazed into Wu Qixue's eyes and no longer addressed him as "Sir", saying: "Brother Qixue, if you do not come back, or are sentenced to death after, I will definitely help bring your parents to safety and support them for life! As long as I have one breath left, I will never let them suffer!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qixue's normally calm expression finally showed emotion.

Because the teacher mentioned his "parents".

Thinking and remembering.

Wu Qixue turned around, silently kowtowed towards the north room, and murmured, "Father, mother, your son has been unfilial. All my learning throughout life ultimately could not fulfill my life's aspirations. Now that I am going on this trip, I do not know if I can come back. And even if I come back, I wonder if I will still have the fortune to care for you..."

After kowtowing, Wu Qixue got up and left the residence. Carrying a sword on his back, riding a horse, and leading a group of loyal subordinates, a total of 95 fast horses towards Tian Ge Prefecture!

Because no matter which was the fastest route to transport grain from the south to Hanwu Commandery, it had to pass through Tian Ge Prefecture!