The envoys who were sent to various countries completed their diplomatic missions one after another and returned to the imperial capital of Wei.
As the messengers reported their successive reports to the court, the entire civil and military court gradually fell into despair. Furthermore, Wei's domestic fundraising campaign had not raised much money or food. If the court could not provide relief to the flood of refugees caused by this flood, rebellion was very likely.
Even though many states harbored hostility toward Wei, they refrained from killing their envoys. Among these envoys, one particularly brave man even ventured to the Xiongnu to request food aid. Surprisingly, the Xiongnu not only spared the envoy, but ensured his safety and escorted him all the way back to the Wei border.
Chu Fan was bewildered as he witnessed the safe return of all the envoys from the court. He could understand other nations, but the Xiongnu hadn't killed the Wei envoys who had come to their country.
After all, the Xiongnu still occupied large swathes of Wei territory, and relations between the two sides had reached a point of irreconcilability. Furthermore, Wei's current national strength was weakened, and even if the Xiongnu had killed the Wei envoys, Wei would have been unable to launch a counterattack. How could the other side have been so amicable as to send the envoys back?
Even on Blue Star, envoys sent by the powerful Han and Tang dynasties had met with murder. However, when the Wei Kingdom was so weak, no country had resorted to violence against envoys sent to its territory. This puzzled Chu Fan.
The court was in dire straits over the food supply issue, unable to find an effective solution. As the ministers discussed the issue in court, they were gradually enveloped in a pessimistic mood.
After the court meeting, the state of Wei was facing severe internal and external troubles, and the fate of the country was in jeopardy, almost on the brink of extinction. Faced with such a critical situation, many ministers who had previously spoken at court began secretly planning to escape in the event of national collapse, in order to preserve their own lives and property.
As the refugee tide from Hedong Jiuzhou was about to pour into the imperial capital, although some people had unfortunately died during the long journey, hundreds of thousands of refugees still insisted on moving forward.
These surviving refugees were undoubtedly strong and resolute. If Chu Fan, the ruler of Wei, failed to provide sufficient food to support these people in need, these refugees who had come to the imperial city with such hope would fall into deep despair. Once they lost their reverence for imperial power, large-scale rebellion and riots would likely ensue.
As the refugees gradually approached the imperial city, the court officials stopped their daily meetings. The entire court was plunged into chaos and unrest. Meanwhile, Chu Fan chose to distance himself from this tense atmosphere and retreated alone to his imperial farm.
Here he concentrated on observing the crops he had worked so hard to cultivate, especially the corn and sweet potatoes that were growing well.
Chu Fan uses a terraced planting method, a highly efficient agricultural technique. He strategically plants dense sweet potato vines between two rows of tall corn plants. This layout not only fully utilizes every inch of land but also ensures that the crops don't compete for nutrients and sunlight.
Now it was harvest season for corn and sweet potatoes. Chu Fan put everything aside and went to the royal farm to get busy.
Chu Fan could only sigh silently at the various questions from the ministers in the court. Was there really no minister in the court who could stand up and take charge of the situation?
Were those powerful families so cold-blooded that they could watch so many people die without doing anything? They would rather take their money and leave Wei State than give their own food to disaster relief.
Or are you more ambitious and want to lead these disaster victims in a rebellion, overthrow your rule and become emperor yourself?
Mu Yunfeng arrived at the imperial farmland at this time. Because Chu Fan had handed over most of the troops to Mu Yunfeng's command, even though many Wei officials had fled the imperial city, large-scale unrest did not break out.
Chu Fan gazed deeply at Mu Yunfeng before him and asked tentatively, "General Mu, have you ever considered leaving Wei? The situation in Wei is now precarious, almost to the point of no return. Faced with such a predicament, isn't General Mu worried about his future and where to go?"
"I swear to follow Your Majesty until death." Mu Yunfeng knelt in front of Chu Fan and answered in a strong voice.
Mu Yunfeng hadn't slept for several days because he had to guard against invasions from foreign empires and refugee riots. But his response to Chu Fan was still as powerful and forceful as ever.
Mu Yunfeng looked at Chu Fan, who was working hard in the official fields and covered in mud, with red eyes, and said angrily: "Let me rob those wealthy businessmen."
Chu Fan deftly picked at the roasted sweet potatoes on the ground with his fingers. He looked up at Mu Yunfeng with a firm gaze and said, "General Mu, you really don't have to bother with this. I'm afraid there aren't many wealthy merchants left in this imperial city these days. Merchants are always chasing profit, and their eyes are sharp. When they saw that Wei had lost hope and the possibility of victory, they should have taken action long ago and left."
Chu Fan's words revealed a hint of helplessness and determination. He didn't seem surprised by the merchants' departure, but rather took it for granted. His gaze turned again to the roasted sweet potato in his hand.
Mu Yunfeng stood aside, his brow furrowed. He clearly disagreed with Chu Fan's words, but he didn't object. He simply listened quietly, perhaps pondering his future strategy. The two of them fell into silence, the air filled with the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.
Chu Fan carefully cut the roasted sweet potato in half and handed one half to Mu Yunfeng. He smiled and said, "General Mu is my future father-in-law. Come and try this sweet potato. As far as I know, this kind of food has never existed in this world before."
Mu Yunfeng had a look of confusion and puzzlement on his face, and his eyes were fixed on the half sweet potato that Chu Fan handed to him.
At that moment, in the official fields, eunuchs and palace maids were busy gathering sweet potatoes. Mu Yunfeng carefully bit into the sweet potato Chu Fan handed him, and was instantly amazed by its delicious, fragrant, and soft texture. He watched the eunuchs and palace maids dig up piles of sweet potatoes from the ground, piling them up like mountains, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart, tears welling up in his eyes.
"With these grains, Your Majesty's people who have suffered from the disaster will be saved." Mu Yunfeng said with a sob.
Chu Fan looked at Mu Yunfeng's reaction, chuckled and said lightly: "Sweet potatoes are a magical thing that can fill your stomach."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
