sbdcsierra Chapter 279: Prince An dispatches food and fodder to the border
Chapter 279: Prince An dispatches food and fodder to the border
After seeing off Luo Xiyao, the capital seemed calm on the surface for the next few days, but in fact, there were undercurrents.
Prince An was recuperating in the palace, but his subordinates were not idle and were privately spreading the news of his injuries.
There were even storytellers in teahouses who exaggerated the injuries Prince An suffered when he returned to Beijing and described how he was injured in such vivid and colorful ways that his descriptions were full of saliva.
It was just like the day when Prince An returned to the capital. He pulled open Prince An's clothes and saw it with his own eyes.
As this kind of news spread, many people in the capital had forgotten the fact that Prince An was defeated before he had even recovered from his injuries.
I just feel that the battlefield is dangerous. King An was so seriously injured, but he was able to hold on at the border for so long. He is really determined and willing to risk his life for the country and the people. It is a blessing for Dai Viet to have such a prince.
Shen Qionghua was having a meal when he heard these exaggerated remarks.
Hearing this, I immediately lost my appetite and felt nauseous.
She told Luo Xiyao that Xie Qian'an's injury was most likely self-directed and self-acted, but based on her understanding of this man, it was absolutely 100%.
But there was nothing she could do as the people were convinced that Xie Qian'an was seriously injured.
You can't bribe the storyteller to tell people that Prince An directed and acted in the drama himself.
She had no evidence, and acting in this way would only bring danger to herself.
Xie Qian'an really made a good move this time.
She couldn't stop such a blatant conspiracy, which made her feel a little unwilling.
Shen Qionghua stayed at the Shen family, watching the development of the situation calmly, and asked Fuling to inquire about the news outside.
For several days, apart from those storytellers, Xie Qian'an did not make any other moves.
Shen Qionghua also wrote a letter to Luo Xiyao, asking if there was anything unusual in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, but the answer was no.
Everything remained calm until seven or eight days later, when news spread in the palace that Prince An was able to walk.
Just when Shen Qionghua was secretly wondering if Xie Qian'an had been stabbed in the heart and had changed his temperament and become more open-minded, one morning, Fuling heard a piece of news:
Early this morning, Prince An went to court, and the emperor ordered Prince An to go to the Ministry of Revenue and work with the Minister of Revenue to dispatch the food and fodder needed for the border.
Shen Qionghua: “…”
She asked why it was so calm, and it turned out that she was waiting here.
War is not only labor-intensive but also costly. Although the military camp does not use much money, the rations and cotton clothes for an army of hundreds of thousands are already a huge sum of money.
The Minister of Revenue was originally Prince An's man. Now that the Emperor has ordered Prince An to cooperate in the dispatch of grain and grass, Prince An can act even more blatantly.
The border war is currently at a stalemate. If Prince An deliberately delays it, the food and supplies will arrive at the border a few days later.
How can the soldiers have the strength to fight if they can't even fill their stomachs?
If it were spring, it would be better. If the food and fodder were delayed by a day or two, the soldiers could go hunting in the nearby mountains and forests to find some food to fill their stomachs when they were not fighting.
But now it is late autumn, everything is withered, and there is nothing to eat in the forest. When winter comes, many animals will hibernate, and there will be even less food to eat.
What's more, in winter, if it snows and the ground is wet, it is normal for the transportation of grain to take a few days. Even the emperor could not find any fault in this.
The soldiers were hungry and had no strength. If the two armies fought, they would definitely be at a disadvantage and would easily be defeated.
Xie Qian'an lost the battle and stabbed himself in the heart to divert attention. But if Xie Nanyuan lost the battle, he would be far away at the border, and Xie Qian'an would not be as obedient as Xie Nanyuan. He would definitely rack his brains to plot against Xie Nanyuan in the capital.
In this way, he could better cover up his previous defeat.
Shen Qionghua felt that these things were quite difficult to deal with.
It is said that when marching into battle, food and supplies must go first.
Under such circumstances, Prince An controlled the Ministry of Revenue, which could be said to have strangled the lifeline of the border army.
No!
We must not let ourselves be bullied like this!
Not to mention that Xie Qian'an hasn't done this yet, the fact that he entered the Ministry of Revenue under such circumstances is simply obvious to everyone. Shen Qionghua knows what he will do without even having to think about it.
In order to avoid being manipulated by others, we should make preparations in advance and plan ahead.
Shen Qionghua made up her mind and immediately stood up and shouted, "Shaoyao, get the car ready, I want to go out!"
Shaoyao agreed immediately.
With the help of Gancao, Shen Qionghua quickly changed into traveling clothes, took out a thick stack of silver bills from the dressing box, circled it and put it into her sleeve, then hurriedly took Shaoyao and Gancao out in a carriage and drove towards Shidinglou.
Shen Qionghua left in a hurry.
Less than an incense stick had passed since she left when Luo Xiyao, who had also heard the news, came to find her from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
But unexpectedly, I came up empty-handed.
I asked the doorman, but he didn't know where Shen Qionghua had gone.
Luo Xiyao couldn't find anyone, so she could only let the servant invite her in and sit quietly in the Shen Mansion, waiting for Shen Qionghua to come back.