Chapter 104: Local Snake "Shh, someone is following us, Lao Shi, you...
Chapter 104
Inside the Yuzhou Governor's residence, the banquet finally came to an end.
Tan Dasen called his confidants to receive the supplies brought by the imperial envoy.
Pei Nanyu pretended to be drunk and stalled, "Didn't Lord Tan say we should rest first? We've come all the way here and are exhausted. The people in charge of supplies must have rested too. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning."
Tan Dasen, caught off guard by his own words, froze, his expression stiffening before he let out a wry smile. Just as he was about to speak, Xie Junxing, with a mock sigh, asked with concern, "Could it be that the people of Yuzhou can no longer bear it? Did Lord Tan lie about the disaster?"
Tan Dasen hurriedly explained: "Don't say that, Mr. Xie. I just want to make the people's lives stable as soon as possible."
Lin Zhihua quickly added, "There's no rush to hand over the supplies. I think Lord Tan governs well—we often encountered bandits along the way, but when we arrived in Yuzhou City, we didn't see any civilians scrambling or refugees. It shows that everything in Yuzhou City is in perfect order right now! Sending supplies so quickly might actually disrupt the balance of Yuzhou City and disturb the existing peace. Lord Tan, don't you agree?" She first threw out her skills. "Why don't we clear the snow in the city first? Lord Tan, can you gather the city's skilled mechanical engineers tomorrow?"
Tan Dasen didn't expect that after drinking and chatting, these three people would actually take control of him.
"Okay, that's no problem." At this point, he could only agree.
As for the handover of supplies... they will definitely hand it over to him tomorrow morning.
Now that the supplies are in his hands, can't he just do whatever he wants with them?
Tan Dasen arranged accommodations for each of them: "Master Pei will live in the East Courtyard, Master Xie will live in the South Courtyard, and Master Lin will live in the West Courtyard."
Xie Junxing: "No need to be so troublesome, the three of us can just live in one courtyard."
Tan Dasen: "Isn't this...inappropriate?"
Pei Nanyu: "It's okay. Having a place to stay is much better than sleeping in the open. It's warmer if there are more people. Let's save some resources for the people."
Tan Dasen: "...Okay. That's it. The East Courtyard is the most spacious, so I'll excuse you three to live there."
Xie Junxing smiled and said, "Thank you, Master Tan. Take care, Master Tan."
Tan Dasen: “…”
After Tan Dasen and his confidants left, the drunken looks on Pei Nanyu and the other two's faces immediately disappeared without a trace.
Pei Nanyu: "We can't give him the supplies."
Xie Junxing: "I will take people out tonight to investigate the situation in Yuzhou Prefecture."
Lin Zhihua: "Be careful. Bring the goggles Xiuyuan gave you and the lantern I modified. Also, remember to remind everyone to embroider brightly colored handkerchiefs on their clothes when going out. Hang a ceramic whistle around your neck so everyone can find each other as quickly as possible. If something unexpected happens and you get separated, you'll have the iconic colors and sounds to call for help."
"Okay." Xie Junxing nodded in agreement.
Their team experienced many twists and turns on the way from the capital, so they learned a lot of experience. The above was summarized along the way.
Pei Nanyu also gave a few instructions: "Go to the supply warehouse first. But be careful, Tan Dasen may be on guard in advance."
Xie Junxing: "Don't worry, Lord Pei, I will pay attention. You should also pay attention to safety. When using charcoal fire to keep warm in the house, you must be careful about ventilation." He looked at Lin Zhihua specifically and was more worried about her.
Lin Zhihua smiled and said, "I'll keep an eye on it. The guards around me are all carefully selected by my parents, so don't worry. I'll also modify the mechanical vehicle blueprints tonight so I don't fall asleep."
Xie Junxing: "Okay, then I'll set off."
He picked out ten people with great martial arts skills and left.
Pei Nanyu and Lin Zhihua didn't want to rest. They stayed in a room, studying the blueprints. Next to them were several talented guards who were picked out on the road and were suitable for making and modifying mechanical vehicles.
At this time, in addition to making full use of things, we should also make full use of people.
A guard is not just a guard, he can also be a mechanic, a craftsman, or a hunter.
The terrain of Yuzhou is generally wide and flat, it is a large plain, so clearing the snow and exposing the roads is easier than imagined.
And it became even easier when they brought the mechanical vehicle and related talents.
The only problem is the food.
Yuzhou is a major grain-producing province, and its annual tax revenue is higher than that of other provinces. The grain stored in the warehouses of the provincial capital, counties, and even in the homes of ordinary people should be enough to eat.
But on the way here, they often encountered bandits and robbers. It was obvious that the governor of the state and local officials did not distribute food to the people, nor did they settle the affected people.
This forced some people to take risks and become bandits.
Of course, the team they recruited was composed of good people, but the other ruthless killers had existed in the mountains and territories around Yuzhou for a long time.
Yuzhou is a vast area, but it is so unstable, which further highlights the incompetence and mediocrity of the government.
Maybe he even exploits the people on a daily basis.
If we give the disaster relief supplies to Tan Dasen, it would be like sending a sheep into a tiger's mouth.
Before the three teams separated, Lin Zhihua heard Xiuyuan talk about a method that could successfully grow vegetables in winter.
The supply lists for the three teams were arranged by the Ministry of Households, and naturally they also followed Xiuyuan's arrangements. Therefore, Lin Zhihua's team also brought potatoes, pumpkins, and beans - the bean sprouts can be used as emergency food and as vegetables.
Although beans can be eaten, Xiuyuan said that it is important to properly supplement the "vitamin" nutrition in bean sprouts.
Vitamins were a new concept, but Lin Zhihua trusted Xiuyuan unconditionally, so she took note of it.
They also tried it on the way and were able to successfully eat fresh "vegetables" - bean sprouts.
There is also plenty of charcoal and coal in Yuzhou, so heating should not be a problem.
Lin Zhihua and Pei Nanyu discussed, "We need to find a way to store charcoal in the state government."
Pei Nanyu took out the map: "Generally speaking, the provincial government warehouse is in this location--" He showed it to Lin Zhihua.
Lin Zhihua also took out a map - it was given to her by her third sister, which was more detailed and meticulous -
"They have many areas where they can store things. I guess the coal and other things are here, here, and here... I'll send someone to check it out later."
The reason why I didn't give it to Xie Junxing just now was mainly because Xie Junxing's task was to check on the situation of the people and check the state government's open material warehouse along the way.
Lin Zhihua and Pei Nanyu analyzed and guessed the hidden granary and charcoal depot in the provincial government from the map.
The three of them felt that Tan Dasen was unreliable from the moment they met him, and after the meal, they became even more certain.
Therefore, the three of them had long since given up hope in Tan Dasen and the officials under his rule.
The most urgent task is to first confirm the situation of the people, then find ways to take care of the people, and finally punish unreliable officials such as Tan Dasen.
And they need evidence and ensure the safety of their imperial envoy team.
A strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake.
You must always be on guard against others.
Xie Junxing and his team relied on their martial arts skills and their internal energy to maintain body heat, so they dared to investigate the unfamiliar place on a snowy night in December.
"Second Young Master, these goggles are really useful." Someone sighed.
Xie Junxing and his team only had twenty pairs of goggles - Lin Zhiyi and his team hurriedly made them before leaving Beijing, but it was impossible for everyone to have one, so they were only worn in turn by those who were out on business.
It is not suitable to stare at the vast snowy field for a long time. Others can only cover their eyes with colored gauze or wear a veil instead.
This time, all eleven of them wore goggles, which blocked the wind and did not get in the way, and were very practical.
"When we start mass production, we'll try to get one for everyone," said Xie Junxing.
He also deeply admired Lin Zhiyi—his Royal Highness was truly gifted at coming up with novelties. If he wanted to pursue a career in the Ministry of Industry, he would surely excel.
"Hush, someone is following us, Lao Shi, go and deal with it."
"Okay, Second Master."
"Second Master, there is light ahead."
"Let's go and take a look."
The bright places are residential areas, where people gather spontaneously to keep warm, eat and drink together, and increase their survival rate.
The people in the houses looked fine, not as miserable and miserable as they had imagined.
At least they were dressed warmly and had food to eat. Some people brought their children with them, and the children were wrapped up tightly. Some of them were even given hot milk.
"Second Young Master, they don't seem to be affected by the disaster and are living quite comfortably."
Xie Junxing observed it carefully for a while, sneered, and said, "This is all fake, performed for us."
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