After leaving in a huff, Jing Yan went straight back to his camp and said, "An Chenghuan won't be back for a while. He's going to drag me down here."
Rong Ying: "I have just observed that the soldiers of Anguo have no intention of breaking camp. On the contrary, they are all diligently training. It is likely that An Chenghuan is waiting for us to run out of food."
He paused before saying, "Your Highness, first send men to Qi to collect grain; I will handle the rest."
“The people of Qi are already starving, so levying grain is just a drop in the ocean,” Jing Yan said, turning around instinctively with concern.
"Rong Ying, you don't still want to go to Yu Kingdom, do you? I've made up my mind. I'll send someone to Yue Kingdom to buy grain to buy enough to buy time to get rid of An Chenghuan and return to Jing."
“Jing Lu doesn’t have many men under his command, but if he enters the palace unimpeded, it will be bad if he takes the Emperor hostage and uses him to blackmail the civil and military officials. Yue Jiang and her son will also be in trouble.”
Rong Ying: "The Yue Kingdom has always been neutral. Even if it has a marriage alliance with my Jing Kingdom, if the Jing Kingdom cannot become the strongest among all the kingdoms, the Yue Kingdom will not take such a big risk and place its bets on the Jing Kingdom."
"Even if Yue Kingdom is willing to sell grain, the supply it can provide is limited. If An Kingdom dares to take this step, it means it is determined that Yue Kingdom will help Jing Kingdom, and it will not help without any scruples."
“Chen Qi is dead, and the whole world knows it. Your Highness should lead the Jing Kingdom soldiers back to Jing. Now that King Li is obstructing things, if he returns to Jing first, the cities of Jing will surely be suspicious.”
"The palace is a place where information is readily available. It is impossible for someone to be completely unprepared. It won't be easy for King Li to succeed in his rebellion. He might be gambling."
Rong Ying stood on the opposite side, took out a token from his sleeve, and bowed, requesting permission: "Your Highness, this token can help us solve the problem of food supplies. I will go to the border of Yu Kingdom."
Following Rong Ying's words, Jing Yan's gaze fell on a gold token. He picked it up and examined it from all angles, surprised.
"This is Yu Chuyi's token. Where did you get it?"
Rong Ying truthfully replied, "Before I came out, Chu Xuan gave me a pouch and told me to open it at a critical moment. Seeing that the food supplies were almost gone, I suddenly remembered the pouch I had brought with me. When I opened it, I found this token."
“This belongs to Yu Chuyi. If he were to be present in person, he could command the soldiers of the Dragon Tiger Camp of the Yu Kingdom. The Dragon Tiger Camp happens to be located on the border of the Yu Kingdom. I will take this token to the Dragon Tiger Camp to request provisions.”
Jing Yan was even more surprised: "How could Yu Chuxuan have this token?"
Rong Ying wasn't sure, so he shook his head and said, "I don't know. Chu Xuan is different from Yu Chu Yi. He's just an ordinary prince who can't inherit the throne of Yu Kingdom."
"But I think that since Chu Xuan dared to give me this token, I should be able to use it safely. I just need to be careful to avoid being seen by Yu Chu Yi."
Jing Yan hesitated, but Rong Ying interrupted his concerns: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is still waiting for you. The little grandson should have been able to speak and call you Father long ago."
"There are people waiting for you in the Eastern Palace, and the Imperial Palace also needs you. We cannot delay any longer. Your subject will go now."
Rong Ying didn't waste any more words; after saying what was in her heart, she turned and left.
Jing Yan raised his hand, watching Rong Ying ride away on horseback, and finally swallowed his words.
An Chenghuan was watching him intently from the side. He really shouldn't waste time; he should finish his own business before Rong Ying returned from the Jade Kingdom with the grain.
So Jingyan first arranged for some people to take money to Yue Kingdom to buy grain, and then ordered Wei You to go to Qi Kingdom to collect grain. At the same time, he kept an eye on An Kingdom's movements and made sure that Rong Ying could return.
...
As the days went by, Jingyan and An Chenghuan each supervised the soldiers' training and quietly handled government affairs in their respective camps, both showing a test of patience.
Even after the people of Qi learned that the grain supplies of the State of Jing had been burned, the State of An remained inactive.
They had just lost their country and home, and some had no relatives left.
The Jing Kingdom seized their kingdom, and they were filled with resentment.
However, the people of Qi had suffered massacres at the hands of An, and they feared that if Jing were to run out of food, An would go to war with Jing.
At least the Jing Kingdom did not harm innocent civilians, nor did it impose heavy taxes on them. I heard that even the ruler of the Qi Kingdom will receive excellent treatment in the future.
If something happens to the State of Jing, the people of Qi will likely suffer another massacre at the hands of the State of An. No one can guarantee that they will be the lucky one to survive.
So, before Jing Yan's men who went to Yue Kingdom to buy grain and Rong Ying who went to Yu Kingdom to collect grain returned, Wei You had already managed to collect enough grain for more than a month without any trouble.
The people of Qi not only provided grain, but also sent someone to Jing Yan to ask for his help.
"Your Highness, if it weren't for you allowing us to farm and harvest grain in peace last year, we wouldn't have survived. Please stay safe and sound, so that we common people can live in peace."
They are just ordinary people who make a living by farming. They love and respect whoever allows them to live and work in peace and contentment.
I absolutely do not want to see the Jing Kingdom fall.
Jing Yan helped the old man up with both hands and promised, "I will return the provisions you have today to you in the future. I will definitely defend the land of Qi."
An Chenghuan was waiting for him to run out of food so he could kill him and then take over the rest of Qi territory. He wouldn't let him succeed.
An Chenghuan could see the grain being transported back and forth from Jing State, and he also saw that many people in Qi State loved and respected Jing Yan, but he remained silent about it.
How long can the people of Qi survive on their grain?
In order not to offend either of the Anjing Kingdoms, the Yue Kingdom is only giving a small amount of grain. He has already sent people to intercept it, and the grain from the Yue Kingdom will not arrive. Jingyan will definitely not be able to survive this winter.
...
Two months later, when Jing Yan sent people to buy grain and arranged for people to protect it, he still received a letter from An Guo that the grain had been deliberately destroyed and that the grain had been lost in great difficulty.
Even if they could be brought back, it wouldn't last long. At this time, there was still no news from Rong Ying, and Jing Yan couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to Rong Ying.
Just as An Chenghuan was making his move, Jing Yan also began to prepare for battle.
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