Qi Pingwei pressed his lips together. After a moment, he stepped out of line. “This minister is willing to go.”
After hesitating for two breaths, Qiu Dao also stepped forward. “This minister is willing to go as well.”
In any case, he was the only one left in his household. Ah, life these days was truly hard to put into words.
His old father was thriving in Fengzhou. He had supposedly been preparing to join some kind of research institute, and Fengzhou Medical College had even invited him to lecture to the students.
Qingqing had gone so far as to open a drinks shop that also sold pastries. She liked eating pastries and drinking beverages herself, so she had simply opened a shop of her own where she could indulge to her heart’s content.
Even A-Tai, the least promising son in the family, was apparently preparing to open a second pharmacy, this time in Feng’an. He was already looking for a storefront.
Jiang Chun was quite pleased that the two men had volunteered. However, one was a military officer and the other a physician, so they still needed to add a civil official to the group.
He turned his gaze toward Wen Zixin. “Minister Wen?”
Wen Zixin’s heart jolted. He hurriedly stepped forward. “This minister is willing to go.”
Only then was Jiang Chun satisfied. He turned to Dong Cheng. “How is the newspaper coming along?”
Dong Cheng hurriedly replied, “It’s already underway. We should be able to publish the first issue by the middle of September. Your Majesty, please rest assured.”
While the ruler and his ministers were each harboring their own thoughts, Gu Bi of Daqing Commandery had also discovered that something was wrong.
He hurriedly prepared to head to the county office, but the moment he stepped outside, he ran into Wang Boshan, who was approaching at a brisk jog.
“You noticed it too?” he asked urgently, quickening his pace.
Wang Boshan nodded. “Yes. The flooding in Sizhou is severe, especially in Tao Commandery and Shankang Commandery. I heard that everything has been submerged. The grain and crops have all been destroyed.”
Gu Bi frowned slightly. “Flooding in Sizhou?”
He had not been particularly surprised by the flooding in Sizhou. After all, when he had set out, the rain had already begun to show signs of becoming uncontrollable.
What surprised him was the extent of the disaster.
Wang Boshan looked at him strangely. “Didn’t you just say it was flooding in Sizhou?”
Gu Bi shook his head. “No. Daqing recaptured the other four counties a few days ago.”
“What?” Wang Boshan cried out.
A moment later, he realized what that meant. His face filled with shock. “Daqing… belongs to Princess Jinyang?”
If Lu You had possessed such ability, Daqing would never have lost those four counties in the first place.
Now that the four counties had suddenly been retaken, it was obvious that Princess Jinyang had made her move.
And Princess Jinyang would not have acted for no reason. The most likely explanation was that Daqing had already submitted to her.
Gu Bi’s expression turned grave. “It seems so.”
He could not be completely certain, but it was highly likely.
Of course, it was also possible that Lu You had offered Princess Jinyang enormous benefits and persuaded her to help him.
Whatever the truth, it showed that the Daqing Army and the Jinyang Army were growing increasingly close.
The two men exchanged a glance and saw the gravity of the situation in each other’s eyes.
Li Zan was not surprised by Wang Boshan and Gu Bi’s arrival. He smiled warmly. “What brings you two here?”
Gu Bi’s expression was unpleasant. “Your Daqing has recaptured the other four counties. Tell us the truth.”
Li Zan nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”
As a military officer, Gu Bi was highly sensitive to matters of war. There was no way to conceal this from him.
Wang Boshan murmured, “You really did take them back?”
Gu Bi’s emotions were complicated. In the past, they could still comfort themselves by claiming that the Quzhao Army was no match for the Jiao Army, and that Princess Jinyang had been able to reclaim Fengzhou only because Quzhao was weak.
But now, while facing the same Jiao Army, their own Sizhou had been suffering defeat after defeat, whereas the Jinyang Army had been capturing city after city, reclaiming the lost territory in the blink of an eye.
After a moment of silence, he still wanted to confirm it. “Has Daqing now submitted to Princess Jinyang?”
Li Zan frowned. “General Gu, what makes you say that?”
Gu Bi gave a cold laugh. “You need only tell me the truth. There is no point hiding it any longer.”
Li Zan shook his head. “That is not the case. The Jinyang Army did indeed help us capture the cities, but our relationship is merely one of cooperation.”
Admitting it was impossible.
Gu Bi decided to stop pretending and spoke bluntly. “When can I meet General of the Left? I would like to seek a position in the army.”
Li Zan shook his head. “The general is busy at the moment. As for positions, such matters will have to wait.”
Gu Bi gritted his teeth. “Does Daqing have some dissatisfaction with His Majesty?”
Li Zan smiled faintly. “How could that be? His Majesty is His Majesty. How could we be dissatisfied?”
Watching him evade the issue with practiced ease, Gu Bi’s heart sank. He knew there was no point in saying more.
With a sharp motion, he rose to his feet. “In that case, I shall take my leave.”
Li Zan raised his brows slightly. “Have we failed to offer you proper hospitality?”
Gu Bi shook his head. “No. It is merely that you seem to have no trust whatsoever in Sizhou.”
A flash of mockery crossed Li Zan’s eyes, but he said aloud, “What makes you say that?”
Gu Bi did not wish to say anything more. He cupped his hands. “You know perfectly well what is going on. Since Daqing has no intention of discussing a return, I shall take the money and supplies back to Sizhou.”
Seeing that he had made up his mind to leave, Li Zan sighed. “Since that is the case, I will not force you to stay. Please, go ahead.”
Gu Bi ground his back teeth and turned away.
Wang Boshan was dumbfounded. How had the discussion fallen apart after only a few sentences?
Remembering the flooding, he hurriedly asked, “Is the flooding in Sizhou truly that severe?”
Li Zan nodded. “How did you hear about it?”
Wang Boshan’s heart rose into his throat. “I happened to hear it mentioned as well. Is Daqing preparing to make a donation?”
He had learned how serious the flooding in Sizhou was after overhearing several merchants discussing donations in a tavern.
Li Zan did not conceal the truth. “Yes. The flooding in Sizhou is severe. The benevolent Princess Jinyang of Fengzhou is preparing to go to Sizhou to provide disaster relief, and Daqing would also like to contribute what little it can.”
Since Daqing had only recently returned, its common people had little spare money. However, there were quite a few wealthy merchants and minor aristocratic families in Daqing.
And these people had indeed risen to the occasion. The three counties had collected more than two thousand taels of silver—enough to purchase roughly ten thousand dan of grain at Fengzhou’s prices.
Wang Boshan was stunned. “Princess Jinyang is preparing to go to Sizhou to provide disaster relief?”
Li Zan stroked his beard and nodded. “That is correct. I heard that Fengzhou is also collecting donations throughout the various regions, and that all the funds will be converted into supplies and transported to Sizhou.”
He sighed as he spoke. “We saw that even the people of Fengzhou were making donations, and we were moved. So we thought we should contribute something as well. When the time comes, we will hand the supplies over to Fengzhou, doing our part for the victims of the disaster in Sizhou.”
Wang Boshan opened and closed his mouth, finding the entire situation far beyond his expectations. Princess Jinyang was going to Sizhou to provide disaster relief? What could she possibly want?
In the end, he forced out a single sentence. “The princess truly is compassionate.”
Then, remembering something, he hurriedly asked, “What about His Majesty? Has he made any arrangements for disaster relief?”
Li Zan shook his head. “We have not received any news so far. We do not know the details.”
Wang Boshan understood more or less what had happened. His Majesty’s indifference toward disaster victims was hardly unprecedented. This time, he was probably doing the same thing.
A wave of helplessness swept over him, and his waist bent slightly.
After a moment, he rose and took his leave. “With the flooding in Sizhou, I will not remain in Daqing any longer. Farewell.”
Li Zan stood up. “I’ll see you out.”
He still had a favorable impression of Wang Boshan.
Xingge Wharf.
Looking at the place where the ship had been moored before, Gu Bi found it completely empty now. The veins on his forehead throbbed violently.
“What happened? Where is our ship?”
The trusted aide beside him was equally bewildered. “I don’t know. It was moored here earlier.”
A bad premonition welled up in Gu Bi’s heart. He shouted an order, “Quick! Bring the person in charge of the wharf here!”
