jdhmnovel Chapter 172 Where is the Food?
Chapter 172 Where is the Food?
"Princess, you are clever," Ning Yunxiao praised, then suddenly changed the subject. "But Princess, you should know that Vetiver is planted along the coast because it is a water-control plant."
"So I only want the tenderest part of the vetiver, which won't damage the plant's roots and still achieves our goal."
Ning Yunxiao nodded with satisfaction, "Princess, you have thought it through."
Jiang Lige readily took over the conversation and smiled, "I learned this from the prince."
If you want to move, but you want to do it without making any noise, then you should muddy the water first and then move.
Under the moonlight, the two smiled at each other. At this moment, it seemed as if everything around them was forgotten by the world. Only the two of them were left, holding hands and watching the gentle moonlight.
……
The next day, Jiang Lige still diligently played the role of a "brainless beauty" and went out early in the morning to shop.
It must be said that Ning Yunxiao had become famous in one battle. At least Jiang Lige heard many people talking about this newcomer along the way.
An envoy who made boastful promises about flood control.
In just twelve hours of a day, the power of public opinion was fully demonstrated.
In the morning, the people were still quite expectant. They gathered in groups of three or five to discuss whether this young envoy could save the border town from disaster. They praised Ning Yunxiao as if he were a "god descending to earth."
By the afternoon, the mood of the people in the border town had obviously become much more impatient. Some people even placed bets on whether Ning Yunxiao could collect supplies within a fixed time.
As the sky gradually darkened, the spirits of the people in the border town also waned, and more and more people called Ning Yunxiao a "liar".
The "swindler" Ning Yunxiao himself was calmly checking the empty granary for any loopholes. The storage of grain was a serious matter and could not be sloppy at all. The price of one careless mistake would be the lives of all the people in the city.
The granary arranged for him by the border town officials was right at the city gate, and it was also the place where Ning Yunxiao made a guarantee with the people.
Arranging this place as a granary was ostensibly to facilitate the receipt of food and fodder, but in reality it was just to make it easier to "watch a joke" and to block Ning Yunxiao's possible excuses and pretexts.
Wherever you make a promise, there you will be beaten. If Ning Yunxiao cannot ensure that the food and supplies arrive on time this time, even if he is not killed by a hundred military sticks, he will be drowned by the people's spit.
Just as it was getting dark, many people gathered outside the granary and started talking.
"Do you really expect him to raise food and fodder? It seems being an official in the capital city is really easy. All you have to do is talk, and it's us common people who are the ones who suffer!"
"That's right. My distant cousin's family was trapped by a flood last year and starved to death in the mountains. Oh, I wonder how many more people will die this year!"
"Bah! You're just a liar! I think he was the one who orchestrated the destruction of the grain. After all, he's disobeyed the emperor's orders and will be held accountable for any incompetence in flood control. The destruction of the grain during transportation is the perfect excuse to get away with it!"
"Throwing away our food and supplies is like pushing us into the fire pit! Damn it, what a beast!"
"Swindler Ning Yunxiao, get out here! Give us an explanation!"
"Yes! Get out!"
Hearing this, some of the people who had been silent before became enraged and joined in cursing, accusing Ning Yunxiao of incompetence and inaction.
Under the cover of night, the climate in the border town grew colder and colder, but the people's enthusiasm for cursing did not diminish in the slightest. Their voices grew louder and louder, each word more vicious than the last.
At this moment, a general who hadn't been seen for a few days pushed through the crowd and walked to the warehouse door. He angrily kicked the wooden door open and said aggressively, "Sir, the city gate will be closed in half an incense stick of time. Do you think your words from that day count?"
Hearing the sound of someone kicking the door, Ning Yunxiao pulled his gaze away from the concentration of inspecting the house. He glanced at the general slowly and said indifferently, "My lord, you broke the door by kicking it. You will have to fix it yourself later."
"Don't try to act stupid!" The general's face was filled with anger. "What? Prince, do you still want to stall for time and escape late at night?"
Ning Yunxiao remained calm, reaching out to right a fallen cabinet in the room, completely ignoring the general. "My first lesson upon joining the military camp is that a Sheng Ling soldier would rather die than surrender. How can you, a mere soldier, say such a thing?"
General Ning Yunxiao's face flushed red as he choked. Looking at the empty warehouse, his anger immediately flared up. "Prince, there's no need to make sarcastic insinuations against me. We soldiers fought in battle, sacrificing our lives to protect the peace of this area. We have a clear conscience! Prince, you enjoy the people's offerings, but you've thrown away their life-saving food!"
"The city gates haven't been closed yet, have they? Your Excellency, it's premature to say so."
After saying this, Ning Yunxiao no longer paid attention to the general, and slowly walked to another damaged cabinet. He covered the corners with oil paper to ensure that the cabinet could be used normally.
Seeing this, the generals became even more furious. At this moment, someone in the crowd started shouting, "Prince Zhao, return our life-saving food!"
The generals were startled, then they also raised their arms and shouted, echoing: "Prince Zhao, return the life-saving food to the people!"
The cursing grew louder, and the people's anger and disappointment were almost uncontrollable. Everyone raised their arms and shouted, as if they wanted to tear Ning Yunxiao into pieces.
The condemnation hit Ning Yunxiao like a torrential rain, but his expression remained unchanged. He continued to inspect the granary in silence, as if all this had nothing to do with him.
The calmer Ning Yunxiao appeared, the more angry the people became. They were completely unaware that Ning Yunxiao in the house had already made up his mind as he glanced at the crowd of people cursing outside.
At this moment, the sound of hurried horse hooves rang out on the official road outside the city, accompanied by waves of inspiring shouts: "Food and fodder have arrived! Food and fodder have arrived!"
The people turned around and saw a huge team rushing towards them, with the carts behind them piled high with sacks.
The people who had been cursing Ning Yunxiao just now were all at a loss when they saw this. Then, someone in the crowd shouted, "It's food! We're saved!"
As soon as he finished speaking, cheers broke out in the crowd, and at this time the team escorting the grain finally entered the city gate.
The leading general dismounted and quickly walked up to Ning Yunxiao, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness, a hundred thousand dan of grain and fodder have been escorted here. Please review them."
Ning Yunxiao then stopped what he was doing, immediately helped the general up, and smiled for the first time that day.
"General Xu, you have worked hard."
"What's so hard about this, General?" General Xu stood up and chuckled, showing his honest and straightforward nature. "If it weren't for the prince's cleverness, who took on such great pressure and secretly moved to Chencang, these grain and grass would have been destroyed long ago."