Chen Xi was stunned for a moment. He had been away from Gefeng for too long. Although reports of victory kept arriving, whenever he thought back to it, the scene he remembered was always the barren Gefeng he had left behind.
He looked at the fleet lined up along the shore, then at the busy sailors on the island. Their sun-darkened faces were filled with smiles, their bodies strong and robust, and their strides steady.
Without realizing it, their Jinyang Army had already joined the ranks of the truly powerful. They now possessed the strength to contend for dominion over the realm.
For some reason, he suddenly felt like crying, but he merely smiled and changed the subject.
“I was afraid of affecting the lord’s business. You have no idea how well the lord’s glass sells—especially those glass panes later on. I sold them directly to the First Prince. We probably won’t have another opportunity like this in the future.”
This batch of glass had not been given away for free. He had raised the selling price a hundredfold, then offered it to the First Prince at a “rock-bottom” price of thirty percent off.
Of course, that hundredfold increase was not based on Gefeng’s price, but on the price set by Fenggexuan. Anyone could imagine how exorbitant it was.
The First Prince, however, did not think it expensive. The glass windows were currently exclusive to his residence, and any price was reasonable for such a rare treasure. They simply could not be measured in money.
In other words, the ships and men belonging to these great clans had all been provided by the First Prince, and he still had money left over.
Xie Nanxiao pointed at several ships moored along the shore. “I’ve brought you quite a lot of goods this time as well. I can transport them directly to Tao Commandery for you.”
“Haha, good.” Chen Xi laughed heartily.
As though suddenly remembering something, Xie Nanxiao pulled a letter from inside his robe. “This is a letter from Dean Chen.”
Chen Xi hurriedly took it, asking, “Is my younger sister doing well?”
Xie Nanxiao nodded. “She’s doing very well. She’s just incredibly busy. The lord suddenly acquired so much territory, and everything from literacy campaigns to establishing schools depends on her.”
“Oh, and there’s also the Jinyang Times.” He then took out copies of the latest issues and handed one of each to Chen Xi.
Chen Xi accepted them delightedly. “Wonderful.”
He had heard of the Jinyang Times before, but had never actually seen it. At last, he could read it for himself.
“When are you heading back?” he asked while looking through the newspaper.
Xie Nanxiao shrugged. “In a few days, I suppose. The lord also gave me some seeds and asked me to look for suitable land for planting on Keyuan Island.”
Chen Xi paused and looked up at him. “Seeds? Didn’t the lord seize Donghu Commandery? Isn’t there more than enough land there for planting?”
Xie Nanxiao was helpless. “You know the lord. She likes farming. But these seeds are a little different. They’re called…”
He thought for a moment before recalling the name. “Rubber trees, that’s right—rubber trees. She said they grow better in the south.”
This was one of the reasons Jiang Jin had wanted to occupy Keyuan Island. She was not sure when she would be able to conquer the entirety of Yan, but rubber had many uses, and cultivating it required time. Even though the seeds had been improved by methods from later generations, it would still take several years from planting to the first tapping of the trees. Preparations had to begin early.
Xie Nanxiao also planned to visit a small island not far from Keyuan Island. The island had no name, so Jiang Jin had simply named it Xiaoyuan Island.
As long as the land was suitable, rubber trees could be planted on both islands. In short, the more, the better.
Chen Xi asked curiously, “Have you found any suitable places for planting?”
Xie Nanxiao shook his head. “We only just arrived. We’ll first decide where to build the docks. Then I’ll take the farmers around the island to look. The lord said that if the soil is suitable, we can plant some fruit trees as well.”
He was quite optimistic. “This place is different from Xunfeng Island. Xunfeng Island is covered in rocky mountains, while this one has dense forests. The soil must be good. We’ll definitely be able to grow things here.”
He pointed toward the mountain in the distance. “The farmers have already looked around and said this area might work. Still, planting trees on an uninhabited island won’t be easy.”
Chen Xi consoled him. “Planting trees is fairly simple. You just dig a hole. It’s certainly much easier than clearing land and growing rice.”
At that moment, Mo Susu was also reading the latest issue of the Jinyang Times in Gefeng. Her eyes curved into delighted crescents as she laughed.
“Look, look! The lord has taken Feng’an County too! Hahaha, wonderful!”
Yan Ke asked, “Have you decided where you want to open your shop? There’s plenty of wasteland available for rent now.”
She had taken a position at the county government office and had learned about some of the government’s policies.
Mo Susu gave a little “hmph.” “I’m planning to look around near Xianglu County. I’ll go to the local government office tomorrow and ask about it.”
She looked up at her two friends. “Which of you is free to come with me tomorrow?”
Yan Ke waved her off. “I’m busy.”
Su Zhenxue did not even lift her head. “I’m busy too. Go by yourself.”
She had recently begun teaching at a school in Gefeng, and only then had she discovered that there were even more advanced fields of study—such as chemistry. She had developed a keen interest in it.
Unfortunately, she had only recently arrived in Gefeng, and the authorities did not yet trust her completely. Although she had applied, they had not approved her request to join the chemistry research department. Still, she intended to keep working hard.
Mo Susu: “…”
After arriving in Gefeng, she felt as though she had become the only idle one among them.
She lowered her head and looked at the newspaper, her expression brightening. No—she would soon be busy too.
Sheng Chi, however, was in a complete panic. Their lives were not going well at all. Not only had they experienced poverty unlike anything they had ever known, but they were also being mocked in veiled terms by the other great clans.
When had he ever suffered such humiliation? He drank in silence with a dark expression.
Huo Chun’s face was equally gloomy. “Patriarch, we have no land, no shops, nothing at all. What are we supposed to do?”
If they had retained their wealth, none of this would have mattered much. But Jiang Jin had taken all their property, and they were now extremely poor while still having to support so many people.
Those who remained were either trusted servants or trusted private soldiers. Some were needed to manage their daily lives, while others were needed to protect their safety. They could not simply abandon any of them.
Zhang Tinghan drained his cup of wine. “It’s all that Princess Jinyang’s fault. How can someone who behaves like this possibly serve as a princess of the realm?”
Kong Yi lowered his head without speaking. Nothing they said now would change anything. They might as well think of a way to improve their situation.
Huo Chun suggested, “Don’t we have grain seeds? Since we no longer have any land, why not offer the seeds to the First Prince in exchange for some benefits?”
Zhang Tinghan’s eyes lit up. “I think that could work.”
Then, as though remembering something, he asked doubtfully, “Do you think the First Prince knows that the Jinyang Army belongs to Princess Jinyang?”
Everyone was taken aback by his question.
After a moment, Huo Chun frowned. “He must know, surely?”
In the past, they had even suspected that Princess Jinyang had been placed in Gefeng by the First Prince.
Kong Yi shook his head. “It’s hard to say. Fengzhou has always been in Qu Zhao’s hands, so it would have been difficult for the First Prince to find out.”
“However…” He changed tack. “We can’t rule out the possibility that the siblings have been communicating with each other.”
Sheng Chi lowered his head in thought. After a moment, he made up his mind. “Find someone and see if we can arrange a meeting with the First Prince.”
The thought made him feel stifled with resentment. In the past, even meeting Emperor Yan had been easier than meeting the First Prince was now.
It was all because of Princess Jinyang. She had left him without grain or money, reducing him to a state worse than even a third-rate clan. Everything was her fault.
Two days later, he finally met the First Prince.
