After leaving a large amount of food in the military camp, Hua Wanchi set off for Lin'an in the south of the Yangtze River.
When General Li saw the cart of fine grain, he knew that such good grain could definitely not be distributed by the imperial court.
Although he only knew how to fight, he did know everything. Even though Daliang was rich and its planting and irrigation technologies were far ahead of those of neighboring countries, it could not grow such plump rice and fine white flour.
General Li didn't know how Hua Wanchi got such good food, but he knew that sending this food would only bring benefits and no harm.
He also has a good friend who was exiled to the south of the Yangtze River. The area under his friend's jurisdiction is currently suffering from drought, and grain production is likely to decrease. The officials are colluding with each other, and the news will definitely not be reported.
By the time the imperial court provided disaster relief, many people had already starved to death.
That's why he asked Hua Wanchi to bring some food with him.
"Don't worry, little brother Hua. I won't let you suffer any loss. Jiangnan is rich, so money is not a problem. But a good cook cannot cook without rice. There is no food to be transferred from the surrounding areas, so I can only ask for your help."
Hua Wanchi had not originally planned to go back to see Tian Yiren, and it happened that General Li entrusted her to deliver food to Lin'an.
Lin'an's prosperity is comparable to that of Bianliang. It is the economic, political and cultural center of Jiangnan. Many literati and scholars are active there. Hua Wanchi is still very happy to go and see it.
Although Tian Yiren was extremely powerful, the court had complex institutions and redundant personnel, and it was impossible to exchange information with all departments at once. With the help of the Lin'an prefect, Hua Wanchi was not worried at all about being stopped outside the city of Lin'an.
When they arrived outside the Lin'an city wall, Hua Wanchi took out his pass and followed the crowd into the city. The ground outside the city was still mud, but the ground inside was paved with bluestone.
The bustling sounds of hawkers were endless. Hua Wanchi was strolling in the bustling Lin'an City when she heard someone calling her.
"Playboy! Playboy!"
An exclamation mark stood above Hua Wanchi's head. Is there anyone in Lin'an City who knows her?
She turned around curiously and found an acquaintance waving at her. It was Fanfan.
Hua Wanchi approached, and Fanfan looked at her with a bright smile: "Hua Gongzi! We are really destined to meet. I didn't expect that Lin'an would also look at you!"
Hua Wanchi was surprised: "Fanfan, why are you here?"
Fanfan said with a sad face, "Alas, ever since the young master left, that bastard official has come after me again. My grandma had no choice but to ask someone in the government office to help us get a travel permit so we could escape to Lin'an."
This is such a coincidence, Hua Wanchi sighed, they are quite destined to meet, not only did they both come to Lin'an, but they also met on the same street.
Hua Wanchi immediately patted his chest and said, "Meeting is fate. Since we've met, I'll treat you two, grandparents and grandchildren, to a meal!"
Fanfan's grandmother burst into laughter: "Oh, that really cost you a lot of money, sir.
"Fanny, let's go and have dinner with Mr. Hua."
Hua Wanchi smiled as he and the grandfather and grandson walked into a restaurant. Seriously speaking, the Central Plains Mandarin sounds quite similar to Mandarin except for the different intonation.
But sometimes, I always feel a sense of humor when listening to this tune.
Sometimes even Hua Wanchi himself would have the urge to say something, but then he would think that he was not used to saying this after all, and it would be a weird tone that would make people laugh.
So she just spoke Mandarin. The Mandarin of later generations was just a regional dialect at that time, and Daliang had many dialects, so it was not surprising.
After all, everyone can understand it.
After finishing his meal and bidding farewell to the grandfather and grandson, Hua Wanchi went to the government office in the prefecture, took out General Li's letter of introduction, and said to the guard:
"Please tell the emperor that General Li has asked me to come and see the prefect."
The guard glanced at her and said, "Wait."
After a while, a middle-aged man in crimson official uniform came out excitedly and hurriedly to greet them.
"Brother Hua, please come in quickly."
Hua Wanchi followed the Lin'an prefect into the hall of the government office. After they sat down, the prefect said enthusiastically:
"Brother Hua, I've read General Li's letter. Thanks for sending me food. I'm worried about what I need."
Hua Wanchi smiled slightly and said, "Your Excellency the Governor, I am too kind. I was asked to do this, so it's just a small favor. However, I came here this time not only to deliver food, but also to ask for a favor."
The prefect hurriedly asked, "Brother Hua, please tell me what you want. I will do my best to help you in any way I can."
Hua Wanchi said calmly, "I'm not here for gold or silver. I just want some of your specialties, like porcelain and silk. I've heard that the porcelain craftsmanship in Jiangnan is exquisite, and the silk is soft and beautifully patterned. I'd like to bring some back. Could the prefect help me?"
Upon hearing this, the prefect's eyes flashed with surprise, and he nodded quickly, saying, "That's easy. Jiangnan's porcelain and silk are indeed world-renowned. I'll arrange for someone to prepare as much as Brother Hua wants."
Hua Wanchi waved his hand and said, "No need to trouble you, my Lord. I brought a lot of food with me this time, and it's very valuable. I'd like to exchange it for some local specialties. What do you think, Your Excellency?"
The prefect pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Brother Hua, you're right. Since this is a fair trade, I can't take advantage of you. So, I'll have someone appraise the price and exchange it at the market price. I won't treat you unfairly."
Hua Wanchi nodded and said with a smile, "Then I'll trouble you, sir."
As the provincial capital, life in Lin'an is still acceptable, but life in the counties and villages below is a bit difficult.
After all, no matter how rich a place is, the common people at the bottom have a hard time. Once the food arrives, the prefect will send people to distribute it and then transport it to various counties in preparation for disaster relief.
Boxes of porcelain, jade, and silk were delivered to Hua Wanchi's room. According to the prefect, these were nothing compared to the precious food.
After delivering the food, Hua Wanchi started to think again.
She collected a lot of porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, and also some ancient light and thin silk. What else could she trade now?
How about buying some poetry collection to cultivate your sentiments?
However, the poetry of this era may not be the same as the history she lived in - Hua Wanchi suddenly slapped his thigh.
Isn’t it better if it’s different?
So she swaggered into a bookstore again.
"Boss, give me some of the best-selling collections of famous poets!"
The shopkeeper smiled and took out several copies with the clearest printing, saying attentively, "Sir, these are written by Lu Ke, Lu Gong. Lu Gong's poems are the most popular in the current poetry world. This is the best printed copy."
"How much?"
"Sir, these books total one guan."
One guan is 1,000 wen, equivalent to one tael of silver.
In addition to Lu Gong's collection, Hua Wanchi asked the shopkeeper to introduce some other famous writers. He not only bought poems, but also essays. Although he might not read them after buying them, they are also precious spiritual wealth.
After buying the book, Hua Wanchi started to think about it.
Now half a month has passed, and there is still half a month left.
She needs to think carefully about what to trade next.
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