IDWBE -Chapter 498 Patience

As Lord He would say: no matter how wealthy Jiangnan is, it still can’t withstand so much exploitation!

Since Emperor Yongguang came to power, heavy taxes had been imposed on Jiangnan.

By the time Emperor Delong reigned, the empire was in decay, and all expectations rested on Jiangnan’s taxes!

When Lord He entered Jiangnan, he couldn’t bear to raise taxes further, so he simply confiscated the estates of the Jiangnan aristocrats.

The army marched north to the frontier, consuming countless funds and provisions. Money was so tight that He Jixiang fell asleep for entire nights, yet still dared not raise taxes in Jiangnan, instead weeping as he drew down on Jizhou’s resources.

Now, most of the refugees in Ankang City came from Jizhou and Qizhou!

Some impoverished families, unable to survive, had secretly prepared to give their children to the palace to beg for a meal—barely avoiding starvation.

But unfortunately, the palace had already announced that there were no vacancies.

Whether this was Lord He’s intention or not remained unknown.

It was said that Lord He once considered abolishing the eunuch system but was thoroughly scolded by Consort Yuan in the palace.

“No,” Jiang Tuhuo glared again, “you still haven’t said how you actually found out. Is the information reliable? Don’t get too confident, or it’ll just waste money.”

Zhu Ruorong chuckled. “This army expedition is set in stone. They’re about to hold another suppliers’ meeting soon.”

Jiang Tuhuo rolled his eyes. “I’ve heard of that, but I’m not asking about the suppliers’ meeting. I want to know how you found out that Lord He is personally leading the troops.”

Logically, this kind of thing was top secret; it should never have reached Zhu Ruorong’s ears. Otherwise, heads would roll all the way from the Ministry of War to the Governor’s office!

Even without an education, he knew this counted as a crime of leaking state secrets.

Who would risk their life for that?

“Well…”

Zhu Ruorong hesitated slightly.

But he knew that if he didn’t explain, Jiang Tuhuo wouldn’t let it go. After a pause, he said, “The palace is rotating troops. Liu Kan’s flag guards have been sent out of the palace and are training near our garrison.”

“Rotating troops is normal,” Jiang Tuhuo smiled. “What does that prove?”

“The flag guards are the emperor’s ceremonial honor guard. If it were just them moving, it wouldn’t mean much. The key is that in the past few days, warships have been mobilized. Jiang Kan’s navy is currently docked along Qizhou’s coast, heading south with the main army,”

Zhu Ruorong waved him off, “Let me finish. If it were just transporting generals, would Jiang Kan personally escort them? Although I don’t like the guy, he’s now the Navy Commander, a first-rank official.”

“Besides Lord He, no one else deserves his escort,” Jiang Tuhuo frowned. “But that’s just speculation; we can’t be sure. We can prepare after the suppliers’ meeting.”

Zhu Ruorong stomped his feet. “We can’t wait! Don’t you remember what happened two years ago? When the army was mobilized, food and meat prices doubled. You and I had to slog through the winter with the workers to collect pigs. You know how exhausting that was! Now, the Ministry of War and the Ankang Prefect are already recruiting large ships along the canal. This expedition to Chuanzhou is definitely going ahead. We need to secure ships in advance, or when the time comes, the goods won’t move—we’ll just stand there.”

Jiang Tuhuo shook his head. “You’re talking nonsense. My Sanhe is not what it used to be. Whether in Jingzhou, Yuezhou, or Yong’an, our garrisons are everywhere. There’s no need to move troops from Ankang City all that way. Moreover, Lord He is traveling by ship to Jinling City, then down the river to Chuanzhou. He can’t be bringing many troops. They’ll mobilize nearby Yuezhou, Chuzhou, and Jingzhou units to Chuanzhou.”

Zhu Ruorong asked, “Then we can’t do this business?”

“Difficult,” Jiang Tuhuo stroked his chin. “Ankang’s grain comes from Yuzhou and Jiangnan. At the end of last year, grain prices soared. He Jixiang even exempted Nanyang merchants from taxes. Lord He even awarded a large Aryan merchant a ‘friendship prize,’ allowing him to carry weapons in Ankang City. The merchant proudly paraded on horseback—what a spectacle! You know that. Although grain is not so tight now, He Jixiang would still never allow it to be diverted to Chuanzhou. In recent years, Yuezhou, Hongzhou, Chuzhou have been tax-exempt, peaceful, with full granaries. Supplying Chuanzhou won’t be a problem. At worst, there’s Sanhe.”

Zhu Ruorong asked, “So you mean we should go early to Yuezhou or Hongzhou?”

Jiang Tuhuo shook his head. “If they’re really mobilizing to Chuanzhou, the suppliers’ meetings have probably already been held locally in Yuezhou and Hongzhou. There’s no room for us now.”

“Sigh,” Zhu Ruorong sighed. “This business keeps getting harder.”

Jiang Tuhuo snorted, “Otherwise, do you think I’d want to go back to Sanhe?”

“So we just watch?”

“Of course not,” Jiang Tuhuo thought for a moment. “Chuanzhou is far, and the war won’t end quickly. We can leave now directly for Chuanzhou. Even if we can’t be official suppliers, we can still pick up leftovers. Some broth is better than nothing.”

“Alright, I’ll arrange people. We’ll take the official road.”

Zhu Ruorong left hurriedly.

The sun was just right.

Lin Yi squatted by the lotus pond in the imperial garden, tossing fish food into the water intermittently, paying no mind to the glowering Emperor Delong behind him, casually saying, “In terms of martial arts, I can’t beat you, Father. But when it comes to fish and dog care, I’m confident I’m better.”

Emperor Delong sipped his tea and handed the cup to the little eunuch, snorting coldly, “You really are my good son.”

Lin Yi turned to the emperor, smiling. “Father, you flatter me.”

Suddenly, with a plop, ripples spread across the lotus pond. The fish scrambled for food, still rushing forward without pause.

“Sweetie, you’re so strong, you can even throw stones,” Lin Yi scooped up his daughter, tickling her tiny nose. She giggled. “Alright, sun’s done, time for a nap.”

“Your servant takes her leave,” Zixia said, carrying the little girl with the guards and leaving.

Lin Yi turned to Emperor Delong, proudly saying, “See? Your granddaughter is quite cute, right?”

“You’ve surprised me,” Emperor Delong squinted, “so patient.”

Lin Yi said, “Of course I’m patient with my own child. How could I not be?”

Emperor Delong said lightly, “I thought you’d ascend the throne directly. I’m old; the position should be yours.”

Lin Yi smiled. “Do you believe me if I say I have no interest in the throne?”

Seeing no response, he sighed, “I just want to live comfortably, sleep until I wake, count money until my hands cramp. But so many people force me, not letting me be at ease. I have no choice but to take this path.”