At this moment, the Crown Prince, who was being criticized, arrived at the study. His subordinates said they had received a secret report from Xu San, and the Crown Prince's face became even more gloomy.
Xu San, you'd better bring me good news.
That was that person's territory, and he sent Xu San over there to dismantle it, ideally stripping the old general of his power. However, two or three years have passed, and progress there has been slow.
Everyone says that Ouyang Zhen is dead, but the Crown Prince knows that the man is very cunning and could not have died so easily.
"Grain merchants? Large quantities of grain?"
Upon seeing Xu San's report, the Crown Prince's eyes lit up. Everyone was short of food, and hers was especially scarce.
It should be noted that after three years of famine, the national treasury was already empty of grain.
However, when the prince saw the portrait sent by Xu San, his pupils contracted sharply, and his eyes were filled with turbulent emotions.
These two people are...
She still remembered that woman—Han Luoxue! It was like finding a needle in a haystack!
She remembered that the little red horse she saw that day belonged to this woman named Han Luoxue.
The grain that suddenly appeared in the Zhou family's possession was also obtained by this woman.
When they found out what the little red horse was, her people searched everywhere for it, but there was no news for so long. Who would have thought that the little red horse's owner would run away to Yongyang?
Was this a coincidence or an accident? The Crown Prince sensed something was amiss.
After reviewing Xu San's message again, the Crown Prince summoned his advisors and asked them for suggestions.
"Although I don't know where they got the food, the sudden discovery of so much stuff is definitely a big move. I think we should send someone to keep a close eye on them."
"Your Highness, let's arrest these two people first."
Another aide was even more radical; her voice became agitated.
"In this day and age, having food makes everything convenient."
"Your Highness, I think so too."
Several people immediately said the same thing, and the Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction, his voice cold and arrogant yet filled with a determined resolve: "Since everyone says so, let's bring them back first."
In fact, the Crown Prince had long harbored this idea. Such a capable person naturally belonged to him. He was certain that with a large quantity of grain, not only would the army be grateful, but the common people would also be deeply thankful to her.
He would go out and distribute porridge whenever he had free time, and the people loved and respected him even more.
With a large supply of food, the army also had no shortage of pay. The famine wasn't limited to their region; neighboring countries were experiencing the same problem.
With her strong and well-equipped forces, it wouldn't be difficult for her to seize several cities on the other side.
The more the prince thought about it, the more pleased he became, feeling that this was an opportunity given to him by heaven.
"Your Highness, that Miss Han Luoxue is not bad-looking either. Why don't you take her into your household?"
For a woman, what is the most reliable relationship? It must be her husband. The crown prince already has a crown princess, so a principal wife is definitely out of the question, but giving that village girl a concubine or even a wife is still possible.
This was just a matter of a word from the Crown Prince. Wouldn't that village girl be overwhelmed with gratitude and flattery upon hearing it?
"That won't do. I've already married Yao Yao, how could I possibly want another woman?"
The crown prince wore a troubled expression, but his heart was wavering.
The most reliable way to make a woman loyal to you is to get her body.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess is a woman of great understanding and will surely agree."
"Alright, let's leave that aside for now. Let's bring those two back first."
He was also curious as to why these two people had traveled so far from the capital to Yongyang.
"By the way, hasn't that person in the dungeon confessed yet?"
"Your Highness, that man is insane; not a single word he says is normal."
"Send someone in to find out what she's really saying, to determine whether she's truly insane or just pretending."
If that person hadn't been useful, the crown prince would have killed her long ago.
"Your Highness, my subordinates believe that Prince Zhen should have died long ago."
Several advisors were puzzled as to why the Crown Prince was so persistent, but the Crown Prince sneered, "He's cunning enough not to die so easily. Besides, if he really died, would his people still be clinging to power so tightly?"
These words left everyone speechless.
"I must see him alive or dead. I will never be at ease until I confirm it with my own eyes."
Everyone sighed. How could they possibly find someone who had been missing for several years?
...
"Han Qiang!"
Hutouya Village is currently enjoying great popularity. While other villages are starving, Hutouya Village has plenty to eat. They somehow acquired a special type of sweet potato that has a very short ripening period, and it's said to be ripening soon.
Everyone has tried that kind of sweet potato, and it tastes really good.
Cut a sweet potato into chunks, add a little grain, and stew it in a big pot—enough for a family to have a meal.
At this point, people weren't concerned about being full; they were just happy to feel satisfied with their stomachs.
Some people, unwilling to give up, went to Hutouya Village to buy sweet potato seedlings. However, Han Qiang said that these sweet potato seedlings cannot reproduce on their own.
Some people just wouldn't believe it, so Han Qiang gave them some, but told them not to complain if the harvest wasn't good in the future.
People from several surrounding villages were eyeing their sweet potatoes covetously. The people of Hutouya Village were also uneasy when they found out, so they arranged for everyone to take turns guarding them. Fortunately, the sweet potatoes wouldn't be ripe for long.
Now that Han Mingyuan's legs were healed, he went hunting in the mountains again. There were fewer wild animals on the mountain now, but he could still occasionally catch pheasants and rabbits. He would treat his family to a meal, and since they already had enough food, their life was the best in the village.
The Han family was in dire straits. Han Datou and Han Laotai had grain, but their three sons had none. Those two were truly heartless; they didn't share any of the hundreds of pounds of grain with their sons.
However, none of the Han family's sons were pushovers; if they weren't given the money, they'd steal it. Eventually, the matter reached Han Qiang's ears.
"Han Qiang, you have to stand up for us!"
Grandma Han was crying her eyes out, and there were two bloody handprints on her face, which were from Grandpa Han's family.
What's wrong with you now?
Seeing the Han family members gave Han Qiang a headache.
"My two sons are such ingrates!"
Old Mrs. Han sobbed as she recounted the misdeeds of her three sons. Han Qiang was dumbfounded. How could sons and daughters-in-law behave like this? This Han family was truly something else.
The elderly couple secretly hid their grain without telling their son and even divided the family property. However, after the division, their children found out about the grain. The eldest, second, and fourth sons, feeling resentful, conspired and, unable to bear it any longer, stole the elderly couple's grain. This led to the scene just described.
What do you want me to do?
It is said that every family has its own problems. Han Qiang is the village head, not the one in charge of their family affairs, nor is he the ancestor of the Han family. We can't expect him to uphold justice, can we?
"Make those three unfilial sons return the grain to me!"
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