The people of the north cheered with joy, wishing they could cast a statue of the Prince of Xiliang and kneel in worship day and night to express their gratitude.
The people of Ningchuan Commandery were the most excited; they had gotten a real bargain.
If the Prince of Xiliang hadn't occupied Ningchuan Commandery, they would probably be stuck watching helplessly now.
When the news reached Wuning Commandery, it was met with widespread lamentation.
The people of Wuning Commandery were on the verge of tears. How could they have missed such a great opportunity, separated only by a river! A yield of 7,500 catties of grain per mu—and they had just missed it. It was heartbreaking.
"A yield of 7,500 jin per mu! What kind of data is that? One mu of my land could feed my whole family!"
"It's a pity that because there aren't enough potatoes to meet the grain needs in the north, they're being distributed to the northern people first. It's such a shame."
"Oh, I heard they're being given out for free! I'm so envious!"
"Damn it, I wonder if it's too late for me to move to Ningchuan Commandery now?"
"The newspaper said that the Prince of Xiliang, considering the hardships of the people in the south, will provide them with some potato seeds, which will barely guarantee their food supply. Large-scale planting can begin next year!"
The person speaking secretly took out a newspaper and comforted everyone.
Hearing this, everyone felt much better. At least the prince remembered them, and although the number was small, they should be able to get a share!
Well, let's wait a bit longer; we can plant them next year.
Seeing the people's reaction, Li Ke, the prefect of Wuning Commandery, immediately turned grim. This was not a good sign. If Lin Yi attacked in the future, these people might even have to lead the way for Lin Yi!
He looked at the intelligence he had just received; the terrifying production figure was undoubtedly accurate, and the Emperor had to make the decision.
If Lin Yi were to win over the hearts of the people, it would be an absolutely devastating disaster for Great Ning.
Thinking of this, he looked at Wang Yunze to the side and said in a deep voice, "Wang Changshi, send an urgent message to Chang'an at once, so that the Emperor will know about the news from Xiliang!"
Furthermore, this news must be blocked; it cannot be allowed to spread unchecked. Anyone deliberately spreading it should be arrested immediately!
The people are all looking forward to Lin Yi, so what business is there for the Emperor? This kind of thing absolutely cannot be allowed to happen; it will cause a chain reaction.
"This..."
Wang Yunze frowned slightly, but seeing Li Ke's serious expression, he nodded and went to make the arrangements.
"Urgent dispatch from the North!!"
Once this intelligence reached the capital, it immediately reached Emperor Li Anlan's hands.
Looking at the contents, Li Anlan's face darkened considerably. He said in a deep voice, "7,500 jin per mu, and then the entire north will be given free high-quality seeds."
" Prince of Xiliang, what a grand gesture!"
With nearly ten million people in the north, if Lin Yi causes this mess, the losses will be far more than a hundred million. This guy is simply insane!
Grand Commandant Qin Li's expression was grim. He said in a deep voice, "Although he is a madman, this move was fatal. I'm afraid the people of the North have already turned their hearts to the Prince of Xiliang!"
This is an open strategy; even if the Great Ning side finds out, they cannot disrupt it.
Food is the most important thing for people; this is a fundamental truth of nature!
The common people need to eat, and an emperor can't just let them go hungry. In that case, Lin Yi wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the people would overthrow the emperor.
Hearing his words, Li Anlan nodded and said in a deep voice, "This grain yield is terrifying. Once it spreads to the north, the Lin family's army will likely surge, and then it will be beyond my control."
The situation has reached an extremely critical point, and we must provide feedback immediately, otherwise Great Ning will be in grave danger!
Where there is food, there are soldiers; this was the norm in ancient times. Serving as a soldier today is different from when the Northern Barbarians invaded; frankly speaking, it's just about making a living now.
If there were potatoes, Lin Rusong would probably be restless, let alone his son.
"This matter is indeed of utmost importance. We must find a way to curb Lin Yi's expansion speed, otherwise he will be difficult to control in the future!" Li Ruyu said, his face turning somewhat grim.
Li Anlan took a deep breath, looked at Qin Li beside him, and said in a deep voice, "Grand Commandant, what is Tuoba Wanli's attitude now? Why hasn't he withdrawn his troops? Is that bastard really that stupid?"
A super powerful force has risen up around you, and it's someone you have a blood feud with. You still dare to cause trouble here? You've never died before!
"Your Majesty, Tuoba Wanli is well aware that the mountains will soon be blocked by heavy snow, so Lin Yi cannot make a move at this time. If he does, he is likely to be bogged down in the snowy mountains by the Northern Barbarians, and Lin Yi will suffer heavy losses!"
"This guy probably can't hold out much longer. If they don't leave now, they won't be able to leave at all. Besides, the Prince Consort dealt him a heavy blow with his troops earlier. Now, Tuoba Wanli should be preparing to withdraw his troops," Qin Li said in a deep voice.
Previously, Tuoba Wanli had been making a fuss, which made the villainous Tu Ningkun unable to hold back any longer. He directly sent troops to offer a friendly visit and defeated Tuoba Wanli's 30,000 vanguard troops.
After this defeat, Tuoba Wanli became much more subdued, and he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.
Heavy snow has blocked the mountain pass!
Li Anlan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Grand Commandant, if Tuoba Wanli refuses to go this time, then there's no need for you to go at all. Let the Prince of Min send his elite troops to deliver the final blow to Tuoba Wanli."
"Taking advantage of the heavy snow blocking the mountains, we can leave Tuoba Wanli here permanently, and then the Northern Barbarians will be completely defeated."
What?
Upon receiving this order, Qin Li frowned deeply. Something seemed amiss. They were on the verge of Tan Cheng with Tuoba Wanli, so why was the Prince of Min still required to mobilize his elite troops?
He gave the emperor a deep look, and finally nodded, choosing to trust him.
"I obey your decree!"
"Very good. The Prince of Min, Li Sanjiang, is hereby appointed Eastern Inspector, with the authority to inspect all the prefectures in the east and assist the Prince Consort in guarding Mountain and River Pass. Furthermore, the Prince of Shu is hereby appointed Northwestern Circuit Inspector, responsible for the defense of the entire northwest direction. We must not allow Lin Yi to invade from the northwest!"
After thinking for a moment, Li Anlan said in a deep voice.
"This..."
Everyone was stunned. Two imperial edicts in a row had greatly increased the power of the two vassal kings, and their influence had spread from their former fiefdoms to the entire surrounding area. This was a major move.
If we're not careful, things could get out of hand.
"Implement!"
Seeing Qin Li hesitate, Li Anlan gave the final order, which made Qin Li sigh, but he ultimately did not object.
Only Li Ruyu had a strange expression. The Emperor was most wary of the vassal kings, yet he had suddenly increased the power of two major vassal kings. Was this an attempt to use vassal kings to fight against vassal kings?
Something seems off!