Green Mountain
Chapter 319 - 259, Looking for Grain

Chapter 319: 259, Looking for Grain

Billowing smoke drifted into the sky, with sparks and ash surging upward, as the heavens seemed to hang low.

The people of Guyuan all turned their heads to look at the distant raging fire; for a moment, they became like statues, their hearts gradually sinking to rock bottom, their faces showing despair.

Chen Ji stood solemnly under the eaves of a tavern, gazing intently at the Border Army Camp.

The next moment, a thunderous explosion came from the Border Army Camp, shaking Guyuan; it was as though more than ten Divine Machine Camp cannons had been fired simultaneously.

Firearms?

No!

Chen Ji watched as flames burst in all directions, instantly engulfing a large swath of tents... It was a flour dust explosion, the grain supply of the Border Army Camp had exploded.

The stored grain of the border army was indeed burning!

At that time, someone cursed angrily from below: "Damn it, the border army conscripted our grain, and now it’s been burned by Jing Dynasty spies?"

"The border army is useless—can’t even guard the food, let alone fight a war!"

"I’ve said it long ago, that Hu Junxian can’t fight a war at all. The Commander of Guyuan should have been replaced long ago!"

Someone said in grief and anger: "What’s the use of saying this now? Guyuan is finished! Everyone clean your necks and wait for the Jing Dynasty troops to come in!"

"Let’s go, demand an explanation from the border army!"

Without a single Jing Dynasty soldier dispatched, inside Guyuan City chaos already reigned.

Chen Ji watched as a sea of people rushed toward the Border Army Camp, then turned and leaped away across the rooftops.

When he rushed back to the Dragon Gate Inn, the Yulin Army was standing on Qiu Ci Street, gazing silently at the fire with complex expressions.

Groups of Guyuan people passed by them, shouting that they needed to find the border army for an explanation. Qi Zhenzhuo glanced at Li Xuan: "Brother-in-law, should we also go ask Hu Junxian what the hell the border army is doing?"

Li Xuan shot him a fierce look: "You want to make it even more chaotic?"

Qi Zhenzhuo stood his ground: "Isn’t all this the border army’s doing? If we can survive to return to the Imperial Capital, I will surely have grandfather impeach that Hu Junxian!"

The Crown Prince spoke softly: "Alright, let’s first go inside and tally up the grain we bought today... Has Chen Ji come back?"

He saw Chen Ji standing outside the crowd, instinctively looking at Chen Ji’s hands, but when he saw that Chen Ji too had his hands empty, he was immediately disappointed.

The Crown Prince asked solemnly: "Did you also fail to find any grain?"

Chen Ji replied calmly: "Your Highness, I did not go to seek grain today, but attended to other matters."

Qi Zhenzhuo frowned: "What could possibly be more important than grain right now? If you’re not looking for grain, what are you messing about with?"

Chen Ji gave him a silent glance, not responding.

The Crown Prince sighed: "Now is not the time for colleagues to reproach each other. Let’s discuss this inside and not be a laughingstock to the public."

Li Xuan stepped forward a few steps and lifted the cotton curtain for the Crown Prince, and everyone filed in.

Inside the main hall of the inn, the shopkeeper was nowhere to be found, leaving only Xiao Wu dozing off on the counter.

The Crown Prince and Li Xuan sat by a square table, with a ledger spread before Li Xuan, who asked the Yulin Army soldier before him, "How much grain did you buy today?"

The Yulin Army soldier bowed his head: "My lord, I..."

Li Xuan’s voice was heavy: "You didn’t manage to buy any grain today?"

The soldier replied ashamed: "My lord, I visited over a hundred households today, and none of them had surplus grain. No amount of silver could buy anything."

Li Xuan wanted to speak but ultimately waved his hand, helpless: "Next."

Soldiers of the Yulin Army had left in the morning with empty sacks and returned with them still empty. After hundreds took turns reporting their findings, in the end, only a meager amount of grain gathered on the square table.

Li Xuan stared blankly at the few sacks before him, then raised his eyes to address the soldiers: "Today, more than 400 of us went out but managed to only buy 12 catties of millet and 28 catties of wheat flour. We’ll cook porridge for tonight, but I’ve no idea what we’ll eat by tomorrow morning..."

This was only the first day of the siege, and the Yulin Army was already at their limit.

Li Xuan looked around solemnly: "Go out and continue looking for grain now. If you can’t find any, nobody sleeps tonight. No matter what you do, if you come back empty-handed, don’t bother returning!"

Mr. Chen Liqin suddenly added from the side: "However, everyone must be mindful not to do anything against the law. We must not dishonor His Highness."

Qi Zhenzhuo raised his eyebrows: "Mr. Chen, what do you mean by that? Do you look down on the discipline of my Yulin Army?"

Mr. Chen’s expression darkened: "Vice Envoy Qi, that’s not what I meant. I am merely reminding everyone to be mindful of the methods while seeking grain. Many eyes are watching His Highness; if you make a mistake, it will implicate His Highness, and the historians will record it. How will the world then view His Highness?"

Qi Zhenzhuo scolded angrily: "Mr. Chen, you’re really speaking without thinking; your household servants found grain today, right? Why don’t I see you sharing it with everyone? While the brothers of the Yulin Army brave the cold to find grain, the Chen family hides indoors keeping warm. Even if you and Lady Chen can’t do it yourselves, Chen Wenzong, Chen Wenxiao, and Chen Ji should be out with us, right?"

Wang Gui hastily said: "My eldest son and Second Young Master are scholars, after all!"

Qi Zhenzhuo spat on the ground: "Pah, what rubbish scholars. The Qi family has no shortage of scholars; are they something so special? Ask my brothers in the Yulin Army, who doesn’t have a scholar in their household?"

Wang Gui was about to retort but was stopped by Chen Wenzong.

Chen Wenzong stepped forward with cupped fists: "Brother Qi is right. I’ll accompany you all to seek grain later."

Qi Zhenzhuo let out a cold laugh: "Now, that sounds like something a person would say! Also, the grain your Chen family bought today, bring it all out and don’t hide anything!"

Mrs. Liang gently consoled: "The Chen family didn’t buy much grain today either, and it was all used up after steaming a few cornbreads at noon."

Qi Zhenzhuo raised his hand, pointing to Wang Gui: "That’s not true, I just saw him sneaking cornbread in the inn’s kitchen behind the scenes!"

Mrs. Liang suddenly turned her head, her eyes cutting towards Wang Gui like knives.

Wang Gui hurriedly knelt down: "I’ve been wronged, Vice Envoy Qi must have seen wrong, I have not hoarded any grain."

Chen Liqin angrily rebuked: "Don’t just stand there, run and get the grain you’ve hidden, or I’ll break your damn legs!"

"Yes, yes, I’m on it!" Wang Gui crawled and rolled, scurrying towards the back courtyard.

...

...

Amidst the clamor, Chen Ji stood quietly in the corner, his gaze fixed on the roof beams, contemplating inwardly. The shopkeeper had said earlier the secret passage is right under the wood panel of the counter, but could it be true?

Was this fire the doing of a Jing Dynasty spy or Bai Long’s work?

Chen Ji didn’t know the answer, he only knew that anything involving Bai Long would turn enigmatic and unpredictable, and no one knows what could happen until the very last moment.

All he could do was watch and wait.

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

Chen Ji shook his head, "Reporting to Your Highness, I went to search for traces of Jing Dynasty spies."

The Crown Prince’s gaze probed: "Have you found any?"

Chen Ji shook his head again: "No."

Today, he caught Old Wu, killed the shopkeeper of the Yang Family Fur Shop, and discovered the connection between the Spy Department and Bai Long, but all of this must be kept secret so as not to foil Bai Long’s plans.

Inside the hall, a soldier from the Yulin Army ridiculed: "So, have you been idly busy all day? You might as well have looked for some grain, at least you wouldn’t starve. What time is it and you’re still preoccupied with seeking Jing Dynasty spies; do you think you’re the twelve zodiac of the Spy Department?"

Chen Ji glanced at him and did not retort.

But Qi Zhenzhuo, unforgiving in argument, remarked: "Did you spend the whole day slacking somewhere? Since the Crown Prince has appointed you as the Right Guard, you’ve yet to achieve anything. I advise you to be more diligent and share His Highness’s concerns."

After a long silence, Chen Ji finally bowed to the Crown Prince and said: "I originally thought finding grain wouldn’t be too difficult; with soldiers from the Yulin Army searching for grain, that was supposed to be enough. Thus, I went straight to look for Jing Dynasty spies without giving the matter much importance, not anticipating that so many from the Yulin Army would bring back only forty catties of grain."

The room fell abruptly silent hearing these words. Soldiers from the Yulin Army turned to look at Chen Ji, their faces filled with somber expressions.

Qi Zhenzhuo exploded in rage: "Chen Ji, what do you mean by that?"

Chen Ji replied calmly: "Nothing in particular."

Li Xuan frowned and spoke up: "Mr. Chen, please don’t indulge in sharp words. It’s indeed difficult to find grain now; don’t put yourself in an awkward position."

Chen Ji bowed again towards the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, I know where to find grain, but the price is no trifle, I’m afraid it will be a costly affair."

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

Chen Ji spoke indifferently: "I shall find grain, but I have one condition."

Seeing his resolute attitude, the Crown Prince did not urge him further: "What is your condition?"

Chen Ji pointed at Qi Zhenzhuo: "If I can buy forty catties of grain, Vice Envoy Qi need only address me as Mr. Chen henceforth."

Qi Zhenzhuo smirked: "What big talk. If you can really bring it, what’s wrong with calling you Mr. Chen?"

Chen Ji nodded: "It’s a deal."

Then he turned to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, currently, forty catties of grain might cost as much as four hundred taels of silver, about this sum..."

Normally, four hundred taels of silver could buy forty cattle, eighty mules, or forty-eight thousand catties of grain. However, in these desperate times, the Crown Prince could ill afford to care about such matters.

He glanced at Li Xuan, who then retrieved a string of Buddhist Treasure coins from his sleeve and handed them to Chen Ji: "Here’s five hundred taels, just make sure you can buy it; the silver is negotiable."

Chen Ji received the Buddhist Treasure, turned, and lifted the curtain to step out of the inn.

At that moment, cries came from outside: "The border army is killing people! The border army is killing people!"

"Run!"

A relentless stream of footsteps approached, countless citizens of Guyuan ran past Qiu Ci Street, some splattered with blood.

Chen Ji grabbed one man and asked sternly: "What happened? Why are the border army killing people?"

The man, flustered, explained: "We went to the Border Army Camp to demand answers, it’s not clear how it started, but someone moved the cavalry blockades and rushed towards the camp. The border army turned hostile, killing anyone they saw, fearing hundreds have been slain!"

Chen Ji, watching the sun sink slowly behind the city, remained silent for a long time.

A confrontation at the military camp, the border army would naturally make an example of the transgressors, swiftly cutting through the disorder.

Yet, it was merely the first day of the city siege.