The Four Households Provide the Supplies
Having reached an agreement, Prefect Zhang had no intention of staying any longer and led his entourage of yamen runners and four families back to the prefectural city.
Zhou Xian immediately issued orders to divide his troops to guard the passes and key roads at the foot of the mountain, and to send more scouts to patrol the mountain. Any small paths or trails were to be watched closely to prevent the villagers from secretly going down the mountain to buy supplies, and to prohibit anyone from sending anything up the mountain from outside.
Halfway there, Prefect Zhang reined in his horse, turned back to look at the three heads of the Li, Huang, and Pan families, as well as the tutor from the Wang Household, who were following behind, and said in a deep voice:
"You all heard what General Zhou said. The Government Army will be besieging the area for a long time, so we'll have to rely on the four of you for supplies. The grain reserves in the government granary were almost used up in the recent disaster relief efforts, and we really don't have any extra."
Upon hearing this, the head of the Huang Household immediately stepped forward with a bitter expression:
"My lord, it's not that we're unwilling to contribute, but we simply lack the means. Our Huang and Pan families' estates outside the city were recently looted by bandits from Azure Cloud Stronghold; our stored grain and livestock were completely wiped out. Our households are large, and we're struggling to make ends meet ourselves; we simply can't afford much military rations."
The head of the Pan Household family quickly echoed:
"Yes, sir, the farmland has been seized, and this year's harvest looks hopeless. There's simply no way to make any money."
Prefect Zhang's face darkened, he flicked his sleeve, and his tone turned cold:
"I don't care how many difficulties you have. You were the ones who jointly invited these people, and the battle is being fought for you, so the provisions should naturally be shared equally among the four of you."
He glanced at the crowd, his words carrying a hint of warning:
"I'm telling you this: if the food supplies don't keep up, I can't guarantee what those two thousand-plus soldiers in the camp might do when they're starving. You'd better think it over carefully."
After saying that, without waiting for a reply, he flicked the reins and led the constables straight ahead, leaving the heads of the families standing there, looking at each other with increasingly grim expressions.
The Capital, the residence of the Third Prince.
Inside the warm pavilion, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. The Third Prince, Xiao Mingyuan, leaned against a couch covered with a soft fur coat, while a maidservant beside him was tending to a teacup with her head bowed.
Li Mo, the chief clerk of the manor, strode in, bowed before the bed, and said in a low voice:
"Your Highness, I have thoroughly investigated the details of the four-wheeled carriage you requested to be investigated."
Xiao Mingyuan slightly raised his eyelids and casually hummed in agreement. "Speak."
Li Mo bowed his head and reported:
"Your Highness, the four-wheeled carriages currently on the market in the Capital and Chang'an Prefecture all originate from Yuxi Prefecture. The carriage that Great Confucian Yan had back then was a gift from his student, Shen Jingchuan of Yuxi Prefecture."
The trucks currently being shipped out in bulk all originate from Yuxi Prefecture. They have connected with the Zhou Household in Chang'an Prefecture, Zhou Household are responsible for selling the goods in both the provincial capital and the Capital.
Hearing this, Xiao Mingyuan sat up straighter.
He took a liking to that smooth and exquisite four-wheeled carriage at first sight, and after using both soft and hard tactics to get it from Great Confucian Yan, he kept thinking about this way of making money.
He could imagine how huge the business opportunities were here; it was enormous. He just hadn't been able to find the source yet, and he never expected that someone in the Capital would be selling it.
Now that the truth was out, he tapped the edge of the bed lightly with his fingertips, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Chang'an City, Shen Jingchuan... from Yuxi Prefecture."
He muttered a sentence under his breath, then said:
"Perfect timing. I haven't left the capital for quite some time. I haven't seen my cousin, the Prince Jing's Heir in Chang'an City, for a long time. I'll take this opportunity to pay him a visit."
Li Mo instantly understood; this wasn't a family visit at all, but rather an attempt to personally secure the deal.
"Who's in charge of the Zhou Household here in the Capital?" Xiao Mingyuan asked again.
"He is the eldest son of the Zhou Household, named Zhou Tong."
"Alright, we know the whole story now."
Xiao Mingyuan waved his hand, his tone resolute:
"Go and arrange for people to be on board, prepare the carriages and luggage, and we will set off for Chang'an early the day after tomorrow."
"Your subordinate obeys." Li Mo bowed and withdrew, then went to arrange the itinerary.
Xiao Mingyuan did not travel alone when he left the capital; he brought with him three Qi Refinement Realm retainers from his residence.
These were all cultivators he had recruited at great expense; they usually stayed at the palace to guard it, and accompanied him on his outings.
The group traveled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery along the way, and it took them seven or eight days to finally arrive at Chang'an Prefecture.
The carriages drove straight to the gate of Prince Jing. Upon seeing that it was the Third Prince's entourage, the gatekeeper hurriedly ran inside to announce their arrival.
Xiao Mingxuan had just finished dealing with miscellaneous matters in the front hall when he heard that his third brother had arrived. He immediately got up and strode out to greet him.
"Third Brother! Why did you come so quietly? You didn't even send a message beforehand so I could send someone to meet you outside the city!"
Xiao Mingxuan smiled and cupped his hands in a familiar greeting.
He lived in the Capital for several years when he was young. He was only three months younger than Xiao Mingyuan. They grew up together and were the closest among their cousins.
Xiao Mingyuan smiled and patted his arm:
"I'm so bored staying in the capital all day. I need to get some fresh air. Why make such a big fuss?"
The two walked side by side into the main hall, chatting and laughing as they entered. A maid served them fine tea, and they chatted casually about recent events in the capital and trivial matters of the Prince's residence. Xiao Mingxuan put down his teacup, looked up at him, and gave him a half-smile:
"Alright, Third Brother, let's not beat around the bush. You, the Third Prince, wouldn't come out of the capital to relax for no reason; there must be something you need. Tell me, what brings you to Chang'an this time?"
Xiao Mingyuan didn't hide anything from him, tapping his fingertips on the table as he said directly:
"I'm here today about that four-wheeled carriage. You saw it yourself, the four-wheeled carriage I came in. When I first got it, I thought it was ingenious and a way to make money."
The investigation has now revealed that the car originated in Yuxi Prefecture, given to Great Confucian Yan by his student Shen Jingchuan. The cars currently sold on the market all come from Yuxi Prefecture.
"Hey, I thought it was something new."
Xiao Mingxuan waved his hand:
"I also bought one of these cars at home, picked it up from Zhou Household's shop. But to be honest, after seeing your car, I realize that the workmanship and materials of mine are far inferior to yours, Third Brother."
He paused, then said:
"As for the source, I've had it investigated. It's said there's a Zhenyuan Escort Agency in Yuxi Prefecture, and the head escort is surnamed Lin. They're the ones who built the cars there. I'm not sure how much this Shen Jingchuan you mentioned has to do with car manufacturing."
Upon hearing the name "Shen Jingchuan," Xiao Mingxuan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of amusement in his tone:
"However, I do have some impression of Shen Jingchuan. He was also present at the poetry gathering in Chang'an City before, and there was a bit of an unpleasant incident. He looks like a scholar from a poor family, but I didn't expect him to have such skills to create such exquisite objects."