When they arrived at the Song residence, the rain outside had yet to stop. Duan Yan and Song Fengsui closed their umbrellas beneath the eaves.
Just as they turned to enter the house, they saw Grandfather Song, who was usually bedridden, sitting upright in the main room today.
The two exchanged a glance and immediately sensed that something was wrong. Instinctively, they both tensed.
“Father, what happened?”
Song Wushen had also arrived at the residence not long before. He had just changed out of his official robes. When he saw Duan Yan and Song Fengsui return, he nodded at them and motioned for them to sit down first.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Song Xuemu looked around the courtyard. It was raining, and night was approaching; there was hardly anyone out and about to begin with, and the area was especially quiet. Only then did he slip back into the house and close the doors and windows.
Song Fengsui was not an impatient person by nature, but given the atmosphere in the household, he could not help feeling uneasy. He wanted to sit beside his grandfather, yet his heart remained suspended, and he could not bring himself to take a seat.
Mu Linghui, whose heart was likewise wound tight, could not endure the tension any longer and asked, “Wushen, what exactly happened?”
Anyone could tell from the atmosphere that this was no good news. Mu Linghui could not help thinking of the night before the family’s downfall, when the mood had been just as heavy.
They had already endured the catastrophe of their entire family being ruined. She had managed to survive even that and bring the household to where it was today. She thought that no matter what bad news came now, it could not possibly be worse than being exiled as an entire family.
Seeing everyone on edge, Song Wushen did not deliberately build up the suspense or frighten them. He went straight to the point.
“I received a secret dispatch. There has been unrest in the capital.”
It was only a simple sentence, yet it exploded through the small main room like a bolt of thunder, sending huge waves through the hearts of everyone present.
Mu Linghui had expected the situation to be bad, but she had never imagined it could be this bad. Still holding on to a sliver of hope, she asked, “H-How could this happen? Is it possible there’s been some mistake?”
“When I first received the news, I was deeply shocked as well. I had it confirmed several times. There is no doubt that it is true. Only then did I dare tell you all.”
Song Wushen said this to his wife, then turned toward Grandfather Song in the armchair with a worried look and called out cautiously, “Father…”
Grandfather Song’s sallow face tightened slightly as he closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.
It was something he had expected long ago, yet when the news truly arrived, it still felt as though an awl had been driven violently into his heart.
The Emperor had favored Consort Lian, who came from a lowly background, and allowed her maternal relatives to seize control of the court. The Crown Prince had survived several assassination attempts, only to die after being bitten by a venomous snake during an outing to hunt. The circumstances were unclear, but it had been declared an accident.
The Empress had tried several times to investigate the matter thoroughly, only to be berated by the Emperor as a madwoman driven insane by the loss of her son. She had then been confined within the palace.
The faction supporting Consort Lian had repeatedly stirred up trouble. They had formed parties at court almost openly, intending to push the mediocre Fourth Prince into the position of Crown Prince.
At the time, the Song family had refused to take sides, while Grandfather Song had done everything in his power to uncover the truth behind the Crown Prince’s death. The result went without saying.
The Emperor had stubbornly pursued his own course and refused all remonstrance. Meanwhile, Consort Lian’s faction had not merely manipulated affairs in the capital; the regions under its authority in the east had also been plunged into misery.
While the Song family was still in the capital, they had heard reports that an army belonging to the Qin family was secretly rising in the east, already calling for “cleansing the Emperor’s side and executing the treacherous ministers.” Yet before any of these disturbances could be quelled, the Song family had first been sent to the southwest.
At the time, Grandfather Song had already sensed that if the Emperor did not punish Consort Lian’s faction, it would not be long before the capital fell into disorder—and, on a larger scale, the entire realm would descend into chaos.
Now, in the end, matters had indeed developed in that direction. Since the news had arrived, there was probably no longer any way to turn things around.
Song Fengsui could not calm himself. His entire body felt cold. It seemed that his vague foreboding from earlier had truly been justified. Was this not a prophecy fulfilled? Only moments ago, he had still been chatting and laughing with Duan Yan at the estate…
Just as his thoughts descended into chaos, a warm hand gently patted his wrist. He lifted his eyes and saw Duan Yan watching him with concern. The tight furrow between his brows eased slightly.
“Does this mean war is about to break out?”
Song Fengsui asked his father and grandfather.
“The secret dispatch did not say much. It merely stated that unrest had erupted in the capital. But if the situation were still under control, they would certainly have sent someone to escort us. The fact that they sent only a few brief words suggests that the various passes around the capital have already fallen under someone’s control.”
Song Wushen’s voice was grave. “War is only a matter of time. Consort Lian’s faction harbors treasonous ambitions, but there is more than one prince in the imperial family. How could the others simply sit back and watch her faction triumph? The Empress and the Crown Prince’s deaths have also aroused the fury of her maternal family. It was only because the Empress’s family held power in the south that they could not act recklessly before. But once chaos breaks out, they will have a legitimate reason to march north.”
Sweat gathered in Song Fengsui’s palms. As the saying went, it was better to be a dog in peaceful times than a human being in an age of chaos. If war truly broke out, it would be the common people who suffered most.
The collapse of their family had already been a devastating blow. How could they now be facing a world thrown into chaos as well? They had only just managed to enjoy a few peaceful days, and now those days were likely to be destroyed once more. Where would they go from here?
“What has happened is already set. No one person can easily change it. The Song family has lost its influence, but at least we have escaped the heart of the whirlpool.”
Grandfather Song, who had remained gloomy all this time, suddenly spoke. “With an age of chaos approaching, our first priority must be to keep the entire family safe and at peace.”
Back when he had served at court, had he not been just as stubborn as anyone? He had devoted himself to eliminating corrupt officials and assisting the Emperor in restoring order to the realm.
He had ignored his family’s objections, willing to die for the world and its people without regret. Yet he had failed to realize that the man on the throne was no longer the young ruler who had once governed with diligence. Now old and muddleheaded, the Emperor craved pleasure and was no longer fit to bear the burden of ruling.
In the end, Grandfather Song had not died in that raging current, but neither had he managed to change anything. All he had done was drag his entire family into suffering and put their lives at risk.
Now, the very situation he had least wanted to see had come to pass. Strangely, it had instead helped him see things more clearly.
Song Wushen and Song Xuemu could both sense that Grandfather Song was no longer as dejected as he had been in the past. Their spirits lifted as well.
“Father is right. With the entire family together, ensuring that we all survive is what matters most.”
The reason they had summoned the whole family to discuss the secret dispatch was not to make everyone panic, but to come up with a plan together for how they should respond in the days ahead.
Only then did Duan Yan speak.
“If war breaks out, the fighting may not reach a small place with terrain like ours, and this area may not become a battlefield. But in chaotic times, cities will be closed, roads blocked, and travel restricted. Refugees, bandits, and rogue armies will run rampant. At the very least, the price of food and other necessities will rise; at worst, they may become impossible to buy.
“We must take advantage of the news spreading and stock up on salt, sugar, grain, and other supplies before the fighting truly begins.”
He had known for some time that this day would come, but he had not expected events to unfold so quickly. Fortunately, the Song family had received the warning in advance. Since they still had some time to prepare, he no longer had to bear the pressure of making plans alone while everyone else remained unable to understand him.
“Xiao Duan is right. Once chaos begins, provisions will become exceedingly precious. We must make preparations in advance…”
Furthermore, even if Rock Town does not become a battlefield, we still have to guard against bandits and raiders. We must ensure that order within the town does not collapse. A haven amid wartime can only endure if the officials and people stand united and face the outside world together.”
A few traces of his former sharpness returned to Grandfather Song’s eyes as he slowly asked, “What sort of person is the current town overseer?”
Song Wushen hurriedly gave a careful explanation. “Shan follows the middle way. If he remained here, we could still reason with him to some extent. Unfortunately, his term is nearly over. He will leave for the south at the end of the year and take up a post there next spring.”
“Once the town overseer leaves, the tax official Qin Cheng will supervise the town in his place until the new official arrives. He is timid and mediocre, but at least he is honest and kindhearted both as a person and as an official.”
After listening, Grandfather Song said, “It is just as well that the town overseer is leaving. Find out where the next one comes from. If he is one of our own, there is no need to say more. If not, then given the timing, it will also be easier to keep him out.”
Wushen acknowledged the order.
The heartstrings of everyone else in the room tightened as well.
“As for stockpiling supplies, we can currently rely only on Xiao Duan. You are the only one with the money and manpower to handle it, while the Song family can focus on securing our footing in the government offices and provide you with support when the time comes.”
“Before the town is closed when war breaks out, we must first obtain salt certificates and purchase salt. Like grain and provisions, salt is something we absolutely cannot do without!”
Duan Yan had already taken responsibility for stockpiling supplies, so he was naturally happy to continue. He had not previously considered salt because it was controlled by the authorities.
He was no salt merchant, and the Song family had no one in the government offices. He had not dared to get involved rashly and invite trouble. Now that they had someone inside to assist them, things would be much easier.
Since Grandfather Song was making arrangements as well, intending to keep the new town overseer—who was not one of their own—from taking office and to place Rock Town firmly under their control, their efforts to resist the coming turmoil, as well as the disasters they knew nothing about yet, would no longer concern merely two families. They would concern the entire town.
“I have no objections to stockpiling grain and provisions, but with my current abilities, it will be difficult to stockpile enough salt in such a short time. The salt certificates are limited, too.
“Although obtaining enough for our two families would not be a problem, once the outside world falls into chaos and the town is closed off, leaving us as the only people in town with salt and grain may not be a good thing. The slightest mistake could spark unrest within the town.
“My thought is that we should mobilize the salt merchants already operating here and have them purchase and stockpile more before the war begins. That way, the entire town will have enough salt to use.
“As for grain, medicine, cloth, sugar, oil, meat, tea, sauces, and other necessities, ideally the town should only bring goods in and not let them out. We should have the merchants purchase and stockpile supplies, and prevent outside merchants from entering the town to buy up grain and carry away medicinal materials, draining the supplies that originally belong here.
“Especially those goods that cannot be produced locally but are indispensable to daily life—we must keep a tight rein on them and stockpile as much as possible!”
Everyone in the Song household nodded, fully agreeing with Duan Yan’s considerations.
The supplies Duan Yan stockpiled were primarily intended to meet the needs of their own people. But they could not simply disregard the common folk. It was not that he had suddenly developed some saintly desire to care for everyone; rather, maintaining stability in the region required more than ensuring that those in charge had food and drink while ordinary people went hungry. If the townspeople rose up against them, they might not be able to withstand it.
Besides, given their current circumstances in these troubled times, it was unwise for them to fight alone and concern themselves only with their own affairs.
“Getting the merchants to stockpile supplies will be easy enough. We can do it without letting word of the coming chaos spread and cause panic.”
Grandfather Song calmly began making arrangements. “Wushen and Xue Mu, draw up a list of goods that should receive tariff exemptions and bring it to me for review. In small places, trade is often obstructed because tariffs are too high. Merchants find the profits too thin and the costs too steep, so they are unwilling to invest in bringing goods here. Then, when commerce stagnates and the local government’s tax revenue looks poor, it can only raise tariffs to make up the shortfall. This creates a vicious cycle in which officials, merchants, and common people all suffer.”
“When the time comes, announce this year’s tariff reductions to encourage them. Then announce that tariffs will rise next year to spur them into action. With incentives and pressure alternating, the merchants will naturally go out and bring back plenty of goods.”
“As for outside merchants who wish to enter the pass to purchase supplies, and local residents who want to sell grain, we can simply arrange for a few sufficiently overbearing people to hold the line at the checkpoint.”
Duan Yan listened quietly to Grandfather Song’s arrangements, and admiration rose in his heart. As expected of an old hand—he had come up with a solution in the blink of an eye.
“That would certainly be best. With several elders holding down the fort in town, I can leave with peace of mind. To ensure everything goes smoothly, I plan to personally lead people outside the pass to purchase supplies. I’ll have to trouble the elders to look after matters in town while I’m gone.”
At that, Song Fengsui’s eyes shot up. “You’re going out personally?”
Duan Yan nodded. He had planned to make the trip for a long time, but earlier he had been unable to rest easy knowing there would be no one to watch over the town. Now that the situation was urgent, he had to make the journey himself. This would likely be the last time he left the town before the war.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“How could that possibly work?”
Duan Yan immediately objected. “The roads are treacherous and the journey dangerous. This time, I’m not merely going to the county seat—I’ll have to travel much farther. Your health has never been good. How could you endure the fatigue and hardships of such a trip?”
Song Fengsui replied, “There isn’t much silver left in the accounts. This time, I can bring the medicinal solution I developed and either sell it or trade it for supplies. We can at least replenish some of what we need.
“If I don’t go with you, will your men understand what the insecticide does? Will they be able to explain it clearly to others?”
“That still won’t do.”
Duan Yan was indeed short of money, but he did not want to take Song Fengsui out and expose him to danger. “If you leave, who will take care of the medicinal fields? And there will be no physician left at the estate to see patients.”
“The weather has turned cooler. There won’t be nearly as many people falling ill from heatstroke now. A few days ago, I contacted Lady Physician Liu, who has examined the pulses of several people in town. She is willing to come to the estate in the countryside, see patients, and dispense medicine. How can you say there will be no physician?
“As for the medicinal fields, Herbalist Ye will take care of them. What difference would my presence make?”
Duan Yan was rendered speechless by Song Fengsui.
“All right.”
Watching the two of them argue back and forth, the members of the Song family could not help smiling. In the end, it was Grandfather Song who spoke. “Xiao Duan, if you don’t want to take Sui Sui because you think he’ll be a burden, then don’t take him. But if you’re refusing because you’re worried that he’ll suffer and become exhausted outside, then let him go with you.”
Song Fengsui’s eyes lit up at once. “Thank you, Grandfather!”
“You’re thanking him awfully quickly. Has Xiao Duan even said whether he thinks you’ll be a burden or whether he’s worried about you?”
Song Wushen scolded him lightly.
“This is an important assignment. You must not add to Xiao Duan’s burden.”
Song Fengsui tilted his head slightly and looked toward Duan Yan. He did not say anything, but the threat in his eyes was practically overflowing.
At this point, what else could Duan Yan say? He certainly could not claim that Song Fengsui was a burden. And since Grandfather Song had already spoken, with someone glaring at him so fiercely, how could he possibly dare refuse?
“Fine. You win. I’m truly afraid of you.”
Mu Linghui was still somewhat worried, but seeing how much the child wanted to go—and that neither her father-in-law nor her husband had objected—she naturally could not bring herself to stop him.
He was only calculating how best to pack their things with Song Fengsui.
Everyone in the room discussed it for quite a while. Although the storm was about to break, at least they were united, which eased some of the tension and fear.
Outside, the sound of the rain had somehow softened as well.
