Countermeasures

After leaving Wu Clan Manor, Feng Xiu did not board his own carriage, instead following Lin Che directly to the Lin Residence.

The two remained silent throughout the journey.

It was not until they entered Lin Che's study and the door was shut that Lin Che finally could not hold back any longer.

"Wenzheng, what exactly is Fan Ling's intention?"

Lin Che paced back and forth, his folding fan gripped tightly in his hand, his brows furrowing and smoothing in turns.

"Back then, the three of us studied under Master Jingzhai, taking the master's ruler together, sneaking out to drink together, and hunting Black Fighting Yaks together. Fan Ling, he... how could he..."

Lin Che muttered, memories churning in his mind, vivid yet bewildering.

After a long while, he looked up at Feng Xiu, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse. "Tell me, do you think he has been in league with the River Law Bureau for a long time?"

Lin Che found Fan Ling impossible to understand, still harboring a sliver of the sentiment one holds for a close friend.

"Yes. Today's display was clearly meant for us to see," Feng Xiu said slowly after a silence.

When it came down to it, Fan Ling's actions were driven by profit.

If he could cling to a powerful backer in these chaotic times, Feng Xiu would have acted even more ruthlessly than him.

Unfortunately, Feng Xiu was currently a thorn in the side of the River Law Bureau, a target for everyone.

Earlier, when discussing the Eastern Army with Uncle Zheng, it was not as if Feng Xiu had never considered defecting to the Eastern Army or the River Law Bureau.

But his previous actions had essentially offended the River Law Bureau to the point of no return.

Moreover, the Feng Clan could not produce a decent token of allegiance.

"If he had defected to the River Law Bureau long ago, why didn't he just refuse back during the Sweet Dew Grand Festival?"

"Why bother running around busy with us? And now, he drags Qin Huan out and leaves us hanging there. What is this supposed to mean?"

Lin Che continued, his eyes filled with deep disappointment.

Fan Ling had made such a clean break that even now, he still found it hard to believe.

As he spoke, Lin Che's voice faltered, a flash of keen insight crossing his eyes.

"Wenzheng, does Fan Ling know something?"

Lin Che calmed down. "Qin Huan appearing today is a wrong signal. On the surface, they say it's for releasing water, but who knows what schemes they are plotting behind the scenes? Fan Ling defecting early must mean he received some news."

Feng Xiu remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Wenyuan." Lin Che was startled and looked at him.

Feng Xiu said, "Start making preparations."

Lin Che's expression shifted, and he hurriedly pressed, "Wenzheng, what do you mean by that? What have you learned?"

"If you can, distribute the grain stored in your home." Feng Xiu did not answer directly, shifting the topic instead.

"What?" Lin Che was stunned.

Seeing that he still did not understand, Feng Xiu offered a hint. "Exactly what I said. Just like the Feng Clan—open porridge stalls and distribute the grain to the refugees."

Upon hearing this, Lin Che's brows furrowed tightly.

"Wenzheng, teach me."

Lin Che had a vague idea in his mind, but he was still somewhat confused, so he asked with a serious expression.

"The Eastern Army is coming soon."

Feng Xiu's statement was concise; such classified intelligence would eventually come to light anyway.

By saying it now, he could also share the risks the Feng Clan was bearing.

Once the words were out, Lin Che understood instantly.

Once Jin Province fell into chaos, the Eastern Army would certainly target the grain production of Cloud Province, which was also a plateau—easy to defend and hard to attack.

The first thing an army would do upon arrival was to requisition grain.

And if Feng Xiu opened porridge stalls now to distribute grain, it would look like relief for the refugees, but in reality...?

Suddenly, a chill ran through Lin Che's heart.

"Brother Wenzheng, are you planning to...?" Lin Che steadied his mind. "If the grain is distributed, the Eastern Army won't be able to requisition it?"

"Not entirely."

Feng Xiu replied calmly, "If they cannot requisition grain from us, they will have no choice but to go after the River Law Bureau and the Grain Constitution Bureau."

"The River Law Bureau refused to open the sluice gates earlier, pushing us into a corner. Now that the Eastern Army is here, what will they use to answer for their failures?"

Lin Che's eyes lit up instantly.

This move was ruthless.

The River Law Bureau had used the Tang Reservoir to manipulate the various great clans; this method would not only counter the River Law Bureau but also sow discord between the Eastern Army and the Bureau.

Furthermore, the authorities were currently doing absolutely nothing to address the surge of refugees in the city.

Using the grain for the refugees in a tangible way would also earn a good reputation.

"But what if the Eastern Army forces the issue?"

The method was sound, yet Lin Che still hesitated.

"If they issue an ultimatum demanding we gather the grain within a few days, what do we do?"

"Then we tell them we have no grain. The ledgers for the porridge stalls are there for all to see; the grain has already been given to the refugees. Can they kill the refugees and force them to spit it back out?"

Feng Xiu paused, then added, "Besides, don't forget, Cloud Province is not like other provinces. Even if the Eastern Army wants the land, they still rely on us to farm it in the end!"

Seeing Lin Che still deep in thought, Feng Xiu added one more point.

"Furthermore, we aren't just some ownerless grain merchants."

"If you find it difficult to act, you can let the other grain families know. The more families involved, the greater the security."

Feng Xiu never hid his true intentions: if they were going to shoulder the burden, they would do it together!

If something went wrong, none of them would be able to escape.

And when the Eastern Army arrived, facing resistance from a multitude of grain merchants, there would only be two possible outcomes!

"Stability, overriding everything!"

Or alternatively, "Violence, destroying everything!"

Lin Che was silent for a moment; the major families were not fools.

They knew exactly what the River Law Bureau was planning by refusing to open the Tang Reservoir.

It was just that they had been harboring a shred of hope, thinking things might not reach that point.

Now that Feng Xiu had laid out the path, whether they followed it or not was their own business.

If there were families who could still endure the River Law Bureau's repeated disregard for the rules, then Lin Che would have to admire them.

At this thought, Lin Che's mind stalled, and he recalled the Fan Family, who had defected to the River Law Bureau.

He did not believe that such a move could have been made without the head of the Fan Family stepping in to make the final decision.

"Wen Zheng," Lin Che asked suddenly, "do you think the Eastern Army is really here just to requisition grain and land?"

Feng Xiu shook his head. "No."

"How so?"

Feng Xiu sighed softly, then explained it thoroughly.

"The martial artists of our Cloud Province are different from those elsewhere."

Lin Che was taken aback.

Feng Xiu continued, "We are used to living in Cloud Province, so we don't feel anything special about it. But once we descend to the plains, that vital energy becomes like a wild horse off its leash, far more ferocious than it is on the plateau."

This was something Feng Xiu had figured out himself.

When he had first transmigrated, he also thought Cloud Province was nothing special, especially after realizing they were in a high-altitude region.

Aside from the absurd growth cycle of the Golden Ear Wheat, he hadn't felt any altitude sickness or other obvious regional characteristics.

But after he began practicing martial arts, Feng Xiu finally started to seriously consider the issue.

He reached a conclusion: altitude sickness existed and everyone had it, but they had simply adapted to it.

If one looked at it from the perspective of the martial path, the circulation of vital energy in Cloud Province martial artists was heavier than the paths described in the manuals.

It wasn't slow; it was heavy, it was dense!

In other words, every martial artist who achieved success in Cloud Province was essentially undergoing weighted training!

It was far more intense than the suffocation and oxygen deprivation felt while running on the plateau!

Their cardiopulmonary capacity was incredibly strong—extraordinarily, explosively strong!

Once they reached the plains, these martial artists would not experience any "oxygen intoxication." Instead, the vital energy circulation honed by their martial practice would erupt instantly!

Although Feng Xiu had never been to the interior, he understood exactly what kind of power the martial path was.

If he were to go to the interior now, he felt he would break through the Blood Burning realm without any obstruction, and his strength would skyrocket!

Therefore, the Eastern Army's arrival this time was not just about grain.

It was very likely they wanted people, too!

Inside the room, Lin Che remained silent for a long time after hearing Feng Xiu's explanation.

He finally understood the sense of vitality he had felt from Feng Xiu after their many meetings; it was by no means as simple as the farm work Feng Xiu had claimed.

"Wen Zheng, I understand."

Feng Xiu nodded, not lingering any longer, and stood up to walk out.

As he reached the door, Lin Che called out to stop him.

"Wen Zheng, regarding the opening of the porridge shops, what is the specific limit?"

"Everything."

Lin Che was stunned.

"Bring everything out." Feng Xiu looked at him, his tone calm yet heavy.

"Not a single grain left behind."