Chapter Thirty-Three: The Hidden Scheme of the Gentle Mirror
Huairou was extremely sensitive. Jiancheng Jun was no one to speak carelessly; his seemingly casual mention of Binghui, followed by that pointed question, must have had a deeper meaning. However, this meaning was shrouded in mist, difficult for her to decipher. As for the hypothetical scenario of "Binghui and Yunji being enemies," the answer was obvious to her—she would naturally choose Yunji without hesitation. He was the child she had poured all her maternal love and care into across two lifetimes. However, she couldn't fathom Jiancheng Jun's intentions and feared that her hasty answer might bring unnecessary trouble to Yunji, or even become a pretext for others to attack him.
“That rascal Binghui…” she couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “He’s been away from the city as an official for three years, and hasn’t even sent a letter recently. Isn’t this fiancée a daughter-in-law?” A hint of helpless reproach swept through her heart. Huairou was, after all, Ji Moli. Her memories of her “husband” Lu Binghui, though not as unforgettable as her memories of Yunji, were like those of a distant relative, carrying a bond that didn’t belong to the identity of “Guo Huairou” and was difficult to sever completely.
However, her worries about Yunji had now reached their peak. Her brother and father were far away on the northern frontier, fully supporting Yunji, but unable to attend to the hidden attacks from the court and the people behind the scenes. Binghui, as the governor of Ganzhou, should also be inspecting the people's conditions in the fertile lands of Zhenguo; his influence couldn't reach the heart of the political storm in the capital. It seemed the northern border wasn't remote enough; the blame for this attempt to kill had ultimately been accurately placed on Yunji.
The root of the problem can be traced back to last winter.
At that time, the vast grasslands were hit by an unprecedented cold snap and blizzard. White winds raged day and night, and the snow piled up to knee-deep. Large numbers of cattle and sheep from various Xiongnu tribes froze to death, suffering devastating losses. Several tribal leaders who were on good terms with Yunji and deeply involved in the trade, clinging to their last hope, approached him to discuss the matter. They pleaded that they could pool their remaining, but also precarious, cattle and sheep to exchange for life-saving winter food from the imperial court.
This move was doubly beneficial: firstly, relocating the surviving cattle and sheep to the relatively milder Central Plains region for penning would prevent them from perishing in the coming harsh winter, preserving the seeds for the tribe's revival; secondly, the tribe's people would receive much-needed food to survive the deadly winter, reducing unrest caused by hunger and cold. The goodwill built up through past friendly trade, coupled with Yunji's inherent kindness, made it impossible for him to stand idly by while these tribes that had submitted to him fell into dire straits. After much deliberation, he finally agreed to help them through their crisis.
At that time, among the imperial granaries, the Yongzhou granary was the largest official granary closest to the northern border and capable of transporting grain northwards via a long stretch of waterway along the Yellow River and its tributaries, thus enabling the fastest possible transport of grain. Considering the urgency of the situation, Yunji followed procedure and applied for the emergency transfer of a batch of grain from the Yongzhou granary to the north to be exchanged for cattle and sheep from the tribes.
But man proposes, God disposes. The following spring, Yongzhou and the surrounding areas were struck by a devastating flood. Rumors began to circulate and quickly spread – all because of the Seventh Prince, Yunji, who, in an attempt to appease the barbarians, diverted grain intended for Yongzhou's disaster relief! This led to empty granaries, a severe grain shortage, soaring prices, and widespread discontent among the victims. Some even took advantage of the situation, with officials submitting memorials to the court impeaching the Seventh Prince, Yunji, claiming that the number of cattle and sheep he submitted to the treasury to replenish the royal hunting grounds was significantly different from the reported grain allocation, suggesting embezzlement and disqualification from his position!
Huairou knew his "son" all too well. Yunji had grown up in the palace; though not extremely favored, he had never lacked food or clothing. His life of luxury had instilled in him little greed for wealth. Born into a less privileged family, he had seen through the coldness and sharpness of power early on and had no interest in vying for it. What he sought was simply to use his abilities to be useful to the country and its people, earning genuine respect and affection. Embezzling military rations and enriching himself? This was the greatest slander against his character.
At present, Huairou believes it is essential to help Yunji ascertain two key figures: first, the exact amount of grain transferred from Yongzhou, and second, the exact number of cattle and sheep that Yunji actually delivered to the imperial court. Only with conclusive data can the injustice be cleared.
She did not sit idly by and wait for her fate. Taking advantage of the convenience provided by Jian Chengjun and some connections with her former classmates, she managed to obtain the travel documents to enter Yongzhou City and decided to sneak into the city alone to find out what was going on.
Although the floodwaters had receded for several months, the devastation of the disaster was still visible everywhere in Yongzhou City. Muddy streets, dilapidated houses, and pale-faced, hurried people all testified to the lingering effects of the calamity. Huairou arrived at a rice shop that appeared to be quite large.
"Boss, how much is this millet?" Huairou asked, pointing to a common grain in the store.
The shopkeeper lazily raised his eyelids and quoted a price. Huairou was shocked; this price was more than three times higher than the usual price she knew in the capital! She suppressed her shock and her mind raced, quickly fabricating an identity for herself. She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Boss, I'm the new purchasing manager of the Lu family. If the price is right, our household might need a thousand catties."
She had hoped to use this opportunity to get closer to the shopkeeper and find out some inside information. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper, instead of becoming enthusiastic, looked her up and down with even more suspicion, and sneered, "The steward of the Lu family? I've never seen you before. In Yongzhou, does the Lu family need to come out and buy rice? Humph, this little shop of mine, along with most of the rice shops in this city, are owned by the Lu family! Get out of here... where did this swindler come from, trying to trick me into talking or trying to cheat me out of rice?"
Huairou was rebuffed and embarrassed, so she had to leave dejectedly. But she was not discouraged. The next day, she visited several rice shops in the city, and the responses she received were all similar. Either the prices were outrageously high, or they would look away and become vague when they heard she was a "big customer," or they would simply say that it was a Lu family business and they didn't need to buy from outside.
After a thorough investigation, Huairou understood: the Lu family practically monopolized the rice market in Yongzhou. Controlling the source meant controlling the price.
She initially intended to write to Binghui immediately to inquire about the background of the Lu family of Yongzhou and why they possessed such great power. However, she reconsidered, as travel was slow and correspondence would take a long time, making it difficult to provide immediate assistance. As she frowned in thought, an idea flashed through her mind: Why not ask Jiancheng Jun? Since he was here, he must know something about the situation.
Before dawn, Jian Cheng left his villa to inspect the sections of the Yellow River embankment that required key repairs. The imperial court had allocated substantial funds for waterway maintenance and mobilized several renowned craftsmen, but progress was far from ideal. It seemed the same old approach was being used repeatedly: organizing laborers to dredge the silt, then raising and reinforcing the embankments on both sides—a superficial solution that didn't address the root cause. While listening to the cautious reports from officials of the Ministry of Works and local river workers, he pondered how to overcome the technical bottlenecks. At the same time, he was constantly thinking about assessing the actual grain reserves in Yongzhou so that grain could be promptly transferred from other regions to stabilize prices and maintain public morale.
When Huairou returned to the villa, it was already afternoon. She saw Jiancheng Jun had just returned and was in the courtyard, whispering instructions to his guards, his expression serious. The words she was about to say died in her throat when she saw his tired yet still upright figure. She turned and went to the kitchen, where, relying on her memory and the available ingredients, she concocted several seemingly simple yet novel desserts—one a modern imitation of double-skin milk pudding, and another lotus root starch dumplings with osmanthus honey.
When she brought the snacks to the study, Jiancheng spoke first, his brows softening slightly and revealing a gentler expression: "Huairou, I was just about to come see you. I've been very busy with official duties these past few days, and I was thinking of letting you get some rest. If you're free tomorrow, come with me for a walk, and we'll go see the granaries in Yongzhou."
Upon hearing this, Huairou was overjoyed; it was like having a pillow handed to her when she was sleepy! She had been worried about not having a proper reason or opportunity to investigate the granary. She nodded quickly, her eyes shining: "Okay! I'll go with you."
Jiancheng took the tray from her, gazing at the crystal-clear, sweet-smelling pastries, a warmth flickering in his eyes. He picked up a small spoon and tasted the smooth double-skin milk pudding; the sweet flavor melted in his mouth, seemingly dispelling some of the gloom in his heart. He ate intently, while Huairou took the opportunity to sit down beside him, listening to him chatter about the troubles he encountered during his inspection of the river works that day.
Listening to his words about his troubles with water conservancy projects, Huairou couldn't help but think of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System she had visited when she was still Ji Moli. Its ingenious design and the wisdom of using minimal effort to achieve maximum effect... She secretly regretted that if she had studied its principles and structure carefully back then, it might really come in handy now.
The next day, the two traveled lightly and arrived at the site of Yongzhou's largest official granary. The massive granary complex was built along the river, and from a distance, it looked like a series of silent, earthen-yellow fortresses.
They were received by a shrewd-looking, impeccably eloquent grain warehouse manager. No matter how Jiancheng subtly probed, inquiring about inventory details and accounts, the manager's answers were always grand and eloquent, citing precedents and repeatedly stating that everything was "handled according to regulations" and that "the accounts are clear." However, when it came to specific figures and recent changes, he became vague, or used excuses such as "this is confidential" or "it needs to be reported to superiors" to evade the question. By noon, no substantial progress had been made.
Huairou, who had been watching all this, felt her competitive spirit rise again. She quietly tugged at Jiancheng's sleeve and whispered, "Jiancheng-jun, I have a clumsy idea that might be worth a try."
Jiancheng raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes questioning.
Huairou didn't explain further, but had her maid buy several bundles of sturdy long ropes from a nearby market. Then, under the slightly astonished gazes of Jiancheng and the steward, she deftly lifted her skirt and nimbly climbed up a ladder next to a barn used for inspecting the roof.
"Jiancheng-kun, could you please hold this end of the rope for me?" She stood on high and gave the order in a clear voice.
It turned out that Huairou discovered that most of the official granaries in Yongzhou were square at the bottom and tapered to a conical top, resembling a giant heap of grain. Unable to open the granaries directly for inventory, she devised a geometric method to estimate their volume. She carefully measured various measurements, including the circumference of the granary's base, the height of the granary itself, and the height of the conical top, using long ropes. For each measurement, she had Jiancheng tie a different knot at the other end of the rope as a marker, while her maid recorded in detail which rope and knot represented which quantity. She then numbered each of the dozens of granaries within her sight and managed to enter a few to check if they were full or half-empty, using this as a basis for her estimation. After completing the measurements, she "borrowed" from the increasingly strange-looking steward a specially made square wooden measuring tool commonly used in the granaries for weighing grain—a tool for measuring grain—and carefully measured its length, width, and height.
This operation kept them busy until the sun was setting. Huairou was exhausted, sweat beading on her forehead and her cheeks flushed, but her eyes were bright. She climbed down from the top of the warehouse, dusted off her hands, let out a long sigh, and smiled at Jiancheng, "Mission accomplished!"
Jiancheng cooperated fully. Although he wasn't as skilled in calculation as a civil official, he possessed the agility of a military general. Following Huairou's instructions, he jumped up and down, pulled ropes and tied knots, doing it with great interest, as if it weren't a tedious measurement but a unique game. Watching Huairou's focused and agile figure in the sunlight, his melancholy, long confined to the deep palace, seemed to be quietly dispelled by this energetic activity.
Finally, he considerately handed over the plum juice that he had prepared beforehand, chilled with well water, his eyes filled with undisguised praise and... a hint of indescribable heartache: "You've worked hard, quench your thirst first."
Although they were physically exhausted, they smiled at each other and shared a tacit understanding and joy in accomplishing something important together.
Back in her study in the separate courtyard, Huairou immediately began to work out calculations. Based on the measured data, she first calculated the approximate volume of a single granary (the volume of a cylinder plus the volume of a cone), then calculated the actual grain storage volume based on the full granary she observed, then divided it by the volume of the standard wooden trough to obtain the theoretical grain storage capacity of each granary, and finally multiplied it by the total number of granaries to estimate the approximate total amount of grain currently stored in the Yongzhou official granary.
Jiancheng then reviewed the grain reserves reported to the court by the Yongzhou granary in the previous quarter from the archives of the Ministry of Revenue, carefully compared them, and pondered the rationality and anomalies of the changes in the amounts.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the focused silhouettes of the two men. Sometimes they sat side by side, discussing in hushed tones the plausibility of certain data; other times they fell into deep thought upon discovering a suspicious point, each speculating on possible causes.
Ultimately, the calculation results were clear: the total amount of grain stored in the existing Yongzhou official granaries, divided by the current registered disaster-affected population in Yongzhou, meant that the per capita grain share was enough to support them through at least two years of famine! This meant that Yongzhou's local grain reserves were theoretically sufficient to cope with the current flood, and market prices should not have soared so drastically.
However, an even more startling discovery was made: there was a huge, inexplicable gap between the current total grain reserves and the amount reported by Yongzhou to the imperial court in the previous quarter. Even after subtracting the portion of grain that Yunji had requested to be transferred north, and the approximate amount consumed normally in Yongzhou over the past quarter, the deficit was still alarmingly large.
Where did this huge grain deficit go?
The emperor already understood most of it. His secret investigations had already pointed to the Lu family of Yongzhou secretly supporting the Second Prince An Tai in raising an army. The missing grain had most likely been diverted to feed that private army hidden deep in the mountains. The so-called severe disaster and food shortage, the claim that Yunji's grain requisitioning led to empty granaries, were all merely pretexts to cover up this massive embezzlement and conspiracy.
He looked at Huairou beside him, who was frowning as she stared at the accounts, deep in thought, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him. If she knew that her nominal fiancé's family, the Lu family to which Lu Binghui, whom she had known since childhood, belonged, was using the framing of Yunji to support the Second Prince's bid for the throne, even at the cost of damaging the foundation of the nation, how would she feel? Would she be heartbroken? Angry? Or would she... choose to stand with the Lu family?
He turned and approached Huairou, who was focused on her pen and paper. A faint, sweet fragrance mingled with the scent of ink wafted from the girl. Her slightly pursed lips and furrowed brows, a result of her concentration, were clearly visible to him. He hesitated, but ultimately decided against revealing the cruel truth. At this moment, he didn't want to taint the clarity in her eyes and the fruits of their shared effort with such sordid schemes.
He simply leaned down, his arm naturally wrapping around her shoulder in a semi-embracing position, his large hand covering her small hand holding the pen. Using her hand as a guide, he wrote eight powerful characters on the blank spaces of the paper filled with calculations:
"Intelligent and courageous."
His warm breath brushed against her ear, his deep voice carrying undisguised admiration, and a tenderness that even he himself was not fully aware of, which went beyond mere praise.
Feeling gentle and comforted, enveloped in warmth and close proximity, I couldn't help but feel happy.
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