Disaster relief is not something you can simply decide to carry out at will.
In fact, as long as the court is not utterly fatuous, in years of famine it will allocate relief grain.
However, it would be fortunate if even one tenth of that relief grain reached the hands of the common people.
The rest would be embezzled by officials at all levels, then resold to the people at high prices.
This was precisely why Jin Feng had been frantically stockpiling grain so far in advance.
Those corrupt officials could not be relied upon at all.
They would never provide genuine relief. Instead, they would take advantage of the disaster to squeeze yet more profit from the people.
If he remained in Xichuan, he could still make decisions on the spot.
But now that he had to go to Jiangnan, he could only entrust the relief efforts to the Ninth Princess and Qing Xinyao.
As for his previous plans, they had to be abandoned.
Now he only hoped that his grain would truly reach the people.
“Sir, rest assured. This palace will supervise with full effort. Anyone who dares touch the relief grain, this palace will chop him down!”
The Ninth Princess solemnly promised.
“I hope so!”
Jin Feng nodded slightly.
At present, the only ones he could count on were the Ninth Princess and Qing Xinyao.
Afterwards, the three discussed some specific details of the relief efforts. Zhang Liang then arrived outside the tent with three hundred black-armoured escorts.
Accompanying them were three hundred new recruits.
They had been temporarily selected by Zhang Liang.
Some were elite troops for practical combat training, others responsible for transporting supplies and logistical support.
“I am leaving.”
Jin Feng clasped his fists towards the Ninth Princess and Qing Xinyao, then mounted his horse.
“Sir, take care. If anything arises, send word immediately.”
The Ninth Princess looked up as she gave her instructions.
Jin Feng nodded, then led the mounted team away.
Before turning at the foot of the mountain, Jin Feng looked back once more at the distant Da Mang Slope and the main camp.
The Ninth Princess stood on a large boulder, facing the direction in which Jin Feng had departed.
Her bright red cloak billowed in the wind.
Seeing Jin Feng turn his head, she quickly waved.
Jin Feng smiled back, then disappeared around the mountain foot.
The Jinma River could lead directly to the Yangtze, then downstream along the river, reaching Jiangnan quickly.
Han Feng had already sent men ahead to prepare large ships at the Jinma riverside.
As soon as Jin Feng’s mounted team arrived, the new recruits immediately began loading things onto the ships.
The Zhenyuan Army had only recently been established, and the new recruits’ training was not yet complete.
Jin Feng stood on the bank, once again instructing Zhang Liang that, in his absence, everything should prioritise stability.
Neither of them noticed that, on a distant mountain peak, several figures in white robes were watching them.
Confirming that Jin Feng had boarded and departed, the leader of the white-robed figures said, “Go inform the lord. Jin Feng has left!”
“Yes!”
Two white-robed figures immediately descended the mountain and rode away.
That very afternoon, two eunuchs who had come from the capital found the Ninth Princess at the Qing residence.
They also brought an imperial edict from Chen Ji.
In the edict, Chen Ji demanded that the Ninth Princess return to the capital immediately, without delay.
After driving away the eunuchs, the usually composed Ninth Princess paced the room in anger.
“Wuyang, you must think of something!”
Qing Mulan, lying on a soft bench, said, “We will still need you to take charge of the overall situation.”
The Ninth Princess was an imperial daughter. Her status could overwhelm any evildoers.
If anyone sabotaged the relief efforts, she could execute first and report later.
Yet with the cold wave imminent, Chen Ji had issued an edict recalling her.
“What can I do when Father Emperor has already issued the edict?”
The Ninth Princess said irritably, “Am I supposed to defy the imperial decree?”
“His Majesty really… Why issue such a decree at a time like this?”
Qing Mulan sighed, “Does His Majesty not know that Chuanshu is suffering disaster?”
“What else could it be? He must have listened to slander from certain people again!”
The Ninth Princess rubbed her brow in helpless frustration.
This time, she was truly angered by Chen Ji.
“Sir has gone to Jiangnan. If you also return to the capital, can my brother hold things together alone?”
Qing Mulan said worriedly, “Sir said the affected area this time is very large.”
“Even if he cannot hold, he must!”
The Ninth Princess paused suddenly as she spoke these words, “Brother Xinyao, do you think these two events are a coincidence?”
“Which two events?” Qing Mulan was completely bewildered.
But Qing Xinyao understood and asked, “You mean Sir’s departure and your receiving the edict?”
“Yes,” the Ninth Princess said, “Sir left just moments ago, and Father Emperor’s edict arrived right after. No matter how you look at it, it is too coincidental.”
Upon hearing this, a chill ran down Qing Xinyao’s back.
Qing Mulan finally caught on, “If it is not a coincidence, then it would be truly terrifying…”
If someone was scheming behind the scenes, they had first lured away Jin Feng, then recalled the Ninth Princess. The next target would surely be Qing Xinyao.
“Wuyang, Brother, you must think of something!”
Qing Mulan was so anxious she nearly stood up.
“If someone truly is scheming behind the scenes, now that the edict has been issued, it is too late to think of any solution!”
The Ninth Princess shook her head.
“Indeed. Apart from defying the decree, the only thing Wuyang can do now is return to the capital as quickly as possible to find out exactly what has happened.”
Qing Xinyao added.
Hearing this, the Ninth Princess sat down on the bench weakly.
What Qing Xinyao said was indeed the only solution.
With the edict issued, they could only comply.
If they wished to argue, they would have to do so in the capital.
If someone truly was plotting, since both she and Jin Feng had been removed, the Ninth Princess believed there would surely be another edict waiting for Qing Xinyao.
Communication in Da Kang was far too backward. By the time she returned to the capital, clarified what had happened, resolved the issue, and sent a new edict back to Xichuan, it would take at least one or two months.
By then, who knew how many people would have frozen or starved to death.
“Qin’er, go see where the decree-bearing envoys have gone?”
The Ninth Princess called Qin’er in and instructed her.
Without even stepping out, Qin’er replied, “They are both waiting outside in the courtyard.”
“Heh, it seems this palace has no choice but to return?”
The Ninth Princess laughed upon hearing this.
But her expression was cold enough to drip water.
The eunuchs waiting at the door were clearly telling the Ninth Princess: hurry and come with us, you cannot escape.
“Brother Xinyao, the edict clearly states that I must set off the moment I receive it, and with the envoys waiting at the door, I definitely cannot refuse to go.”
The Ninth Princess said, “I will depart shortly. As for things here… you must act according to the situation.”
She had wanted to tell Qing Xinyao to hold firm no matter what, but thinking there might be a second edict, she could not bring herself to say it.
She dared not defy the decree. Would Qing Xinyao dare to?
She could only instruct him to act as circumstances allowed.
“I know what I should do.”
Qing Xinyao stood up and said, “I understand that Wuyang must be very anxious right now, but the mountain roads are difficult, now covered in heavy snow. You absolutely must not rush and put yourself in danger. Your safety comes first. We still need you to mediate in the capital.”
“Wuyang understands.”
The Ninth Princess nodded, then turned and instructed, “Qin’er, prepare the horses. We depart for the capital at once!”
“Yes!” Qin’er swiftly darted out.
The two eunuchs guarding the main gate saw someone emerge and simultaneously craned their necks to peer inside.
The Ninth Princess was already extremely irritated, and these two eunuchs had walked right into her crosshairs.
“Zhu’er, go investigate when exactly these two arrived in Xichuan City. If they did not arrive today, break their legs for this palace and throw them out onto the street!”
