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“Although not as good as the seed grain I have, it yields around seven to eight hundred catties, possibly reaching about a thousand catties,” Wang Jinhe explained to Wan Feng.
Wan Feng’s face changed upon hearing this, “Is this really happening?”
“Wan Feng, go find Lou Manqing and ask him to help investigate how much grain has been bought in total and retrieve it all.”
“Encountering bandits in the mountains is quite common,” Wang Jinhe’s eyes held a hint of coldness.
Before she agrees, she won’t allow Xuan Empire’s grain to be taken abroad.
Unless it’s an Empire with excellent relations with Xuan Empire, others shouldn’t even think about it.
Wan Feng nodded solemnly, “Madam, rest assured, I’ll attend to it right away.”
“I’ll also visit the palace, inform the emperor about this matter, and have him mentally prepared.”
“Yes.”
As they split up to take action, when Wan Feng went to find Lou Manqing, he approached with a serious expression, “Where is Madam?”
“She’s gone to the palace.”
“I just discovered that a caravan from Lu Empire entered Xuan Empire, not only arriving but also purchasing a considerable amount of grain.”
Wan Feng looked surprised as Lou Manqing solemnly spoke, “I just spoke to Madam about this. She suspected it might be people from other empires buying the grain. Madam ordered us to investigate how much has been sold and find a way to retrieve it. We can’t let our high-yield seed grain fall into others’ hands.”
“So far, tens of thousands of catties have been sold. Will the yield of this grain be high?”
“Madam mentioned it could be around seven hundred to a thousand catties.”
“Damn it, just as we started enjoying good days, we’ve begun selling grain to people from other countries. Do they find Xuan Empire too passive and want to snatch from us?” Lu Empire’s ambitions surpassed those of Qi and Ling Empire.
If Lu Empire obtains such seed grain, who knows what they might do next?
Once Qi empire is defeated, Xuan Empire will be only one city away from Lu Empire.
Lu Empire is stronger than Xuan Empire, and if Lu Empire were to attack Xuan Empire, Xuan Empire might not necessarily emerge victorious. It seems they are feeding their enemies with their own grain, preparing them well before launching an attack on their own Empire. Quite a clever strategy they have there.
“What was the reason for Madam’s visit to the palace?”
“Madam went to inform the Emperor about this matter. Let’s get moving as well; we can’t allow the situation to escalate further.”
“Agreed, I’ll organize it right away.”
As the two discussed their plans, Wang Jinhe also met Xuan Feiran at the palace.
“Why do you have time to visit me today, Xiao He? Is something happening?” Wang Jinhe was always busy, with numerous matters to attend to.
If Xiao Yu isn’t home, she isn’t keen on coming to the palace unless Xiao Bao and the others are here to play.
“We suspects that foreign caravans are purchasing grain from the commoners in Xuan Empire.”
Upon hearing this, Xuan Feiran sat up straight, looking at Wang Jinhe with a serious expression, “Xiao He, I have one question for you: If they use the seed grain from the commoners for planting, what will the yield be?”
“It could be around seven hundred to a thousand catties, possibly even higher,” Wang Jinhe informed Xuan Feiran.
“I’ve instructed Wan Feng to inform Lou Manqing to investigate this matter. If it turns out to involve people from other countries, we must find a way to retain control over the situation.”
Xuan Feiran nodded, “Indeed, we must ensure we retain control. If they have access to the grain, it wouldn’t bode well for us.”
While he wouldn’t object to simply providing the commoners with seed grain, if the other party stockpiled enough to launch an attack on Xuan Empire, it would pose a significant challenge, something he wasn’t particularly fond of dealing with.
“Xiao He, I’m entrusting this matter to you. Let me know if you need any assistance, and I’ll have someone lend a hand.”
Wang Jinhe acknowledged with a nod, “Rest assured, Your Highness. I won’t allow Xuan Empire’s grain to fall into the wrong hands. I’ll visit those villages afterward.”
“Xiao He, I appreciate your efforts in handling this matter,” Xuan Feiran expressed with a hint of helplessness.
Ideally, he wished Wang Jinhe didn’t have to deal with this, but she was the most suitable person for the job. Given her unique position in Xuan Empire, her influence over the commoners would likely prove effective.
“Why such courtesy, your Highness? I’ll be sending the children to the palace later on, so I’ll trouble the Empress to look after them,” Wang Jinhe expressed her concerns about leaving the children at home while she attended to her tasks.
Given the various activities at the Su residence and the potential distractions, it wasn’t suitable for her two little ones. Sending them to the palace where there would be assistance seemed more secure. She also arranged for the maids and servants responsible for the children’s care to accompany them.
“You’re right; the Empress and the Empress Dowager both adore children. With them around, you can rest assured,” Xuan Feiran assured Wang Jinhe earnestly.
Wang Jinhe nodded with a smile, “In that case, I appreciate your assistance, Your Highness.”
“Why be so formal with me?”
“In that case, I’ll head back for now and bring the children later. I’ll be busy starting tomorrow.”
“Go ahead.”
Upon returning home, Wang Jinhe informed Xiao Bao and the others about her upcoming busy schedule.
“Xiao Bao, I have a lot of tasks to attend to in the near future and might not have much time for you. I’m considering sending you to the palace. Would that be all right?” Wang Jinhe asked the two children.
After exchanging a glance, Xiao Bao and Xiao Zhi nodded in agreement, “Sure, Mommy, make sure to come fetch us after you’re done.”
Wang Jinhe smiled and nodded, “I will definitely come to get you both once I’m finished. You can trust me on that.”
“What happened, Mommy?” Xiao Zhi inquired.
“Caravans from other empires have bought a lot of grain from the commoners in Xuan Empire. We need to retrieve the grain and prevent any future risks. We can’t allow such incidents to happen again,” Wang Jinhe explained earnestly to Xiao Zhi.
“Do they want to take the grain back for planting?” Xiao Bao asked.
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bao quickly reassured her, “Mommy, you don’t need to worry about us. Go ahead and focus on your tasks; we will take care of ourselves.”
Wang Jinhe gently rubbed Xiao Bao’s face and affectionately said, “You two are the older siblings. Take care of your younger siblings. I’ll finish my tasks quickly and come to pick you up right away.”
“Okay.”
After discussing with them, Wang Jinhe went to find the siblings, Su Yanchen and Su Yanxi, and said, “Xixi, Xiao Chen, would you like Mom to take you to play with Uncle Xuan Feiran?”
“Okay.”
Wang Jinhe couldn’t help but feel exasperated. These two children were quite something.
They seemed to have taken a liking to Xuan Feiran, despite not having spent much time with him. Whenever Su Yu was around, he would feel jealous seeing the children clinging to Xuan Feiran.
After packing up their belongings, she gathered the caretakers and gave them specific instructions.
“After you enter the palace, remember to take good care of the young masters and miss,” Wang Jinhe instructed them sternly.