The next morning.
In the main hall of the Mu Family, seeing that both his parents had dark circles under their eyes, Xia Rong felt a deep sense of guilt. "Did you two not sleep the whole night?"
"Ah, well, it's nothing," Mu Shanhe stammered with an awkward smile.
Li Nianru gazed eagerly at her daughter. Seeing that she had put down her bowl and chopsticks before finishing even a single bowl of rice, she couldn't help anxiously saying, "Won't you eat a little more? The road to Yunzhou is a very long one."
"Mother, I really can't eat anymore."
Xia Rong pulled Lin Hao by the hand and smiled cheerfully at the group. "You all just stay home and wait for me. The next time I come back, I'll definitely make you look at me in a whole new light!"
"Alright, alright, alright, Grandmother believes in you."
Grandmother Mu smiled and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, joining everyone as they saw them out of the estate.
Once outside the front gates, Xia Rong noticed that her mother's legs were constantly trembling, and she asked with concern, "Mother, what's wrong with your legs?"
"I'm fine, just caught a little cold, you don't need to worry."
Li Nianru watched them board the carriage and waved a tearful goodbye.
Back inside the estate, once the area was clear of people, Li Nianru nudged Mu Shanhe with her elbow. "It's all your fault, you almost gave the game away in front of our daughter! Honestly, what on earth did you eat last night to be so incredibly fierce..."
Hearing this, Mu Shanhe's weathered face turned red. "I don't know either, my dear. Let me help you back to rest."
"I was scared to death last night, it nearly tortured the life out of me."
"Yes, yes, yes, it was all my fault."
***
After more than half a month of arduous travel by land and water, the three of them finally arrived at the borders of Yunzhou.
As the carriage rolled down the street, Xia Rong lifted the curtain and looked at the refugees huddled on both sides of the road, their expressions one of bitter misery. Unable to bear it, she asked with heartache, "How could this locust plague in Yunzhou be so severe? Didn't they say the Emperor already sent officials down for disaster relief?"
"The disaster relief funds have to pass through layers of corruption before finally trickling down to Yunzhou, and then they still have to go through the local officials skimming off the top. There's no helping it," Lin Hao said, sitting beside her.
"You mean the relief funds were all pocketed by those officials?!" Xia Rong was utterly shocked.
"What else?"
Lin Hao was long accustomed to the corrupt atmosphere of the Wu Dynasty.
Although he spent most of his time up on Langya Peak, he was still somewhat aware of affairs in the outside world.
But Xia Rong was different.
She was a typical sheltered young lady of a noble household.
Ever since she was little, she had hardly ever ventured out.
Now, seeing those destitute refugees looking no better than beggars, Xia Rong was consumed by fierce indignation and immediately shouted, "Stop the carriage!"
Xia Rong pulled back on the reins, and the carriage came to a halt.
Xia Rong lifted the curtain, stepped down, and under the gazes of those suffering commoners, softly spoke up, "Everyone, follow me, I'll take you to buy rice."
What!
She never expected there would actually be such a kind-hearted person.
The commoners scrambled over each other and swarmed around.
They all followed along in Xia Rong's footsteps.
"Young Master, what should we do now?" Xia Rong was somewhat bewildered.
Lin Hao smiled knowingly. "Since she wants to help, let's help out. We'll follow them."
Soon, they arrived at a grain shop.
Seeing so many poor people swarming around, the grain shop clerk immediately went back inside to fetch people, and before long, a group of guards holding swords and sabers rushed out.
"What is this, looking to start a riot?"
The head of the grain shop, dressed in a green brocade robe with a green hat on his head, looked at the crowd with utter disdain. "Let me tell you, our shop is an enterprise of the Nalan Clan! If you want to cause trouble here, you must have a death wish!"
The angry shout terrified the commoners, causing them to panic and sheepishly take a step back.
Hearing this, Xia Rong stepped forward. "Uncle, you've misunderstood. I brought them here."
"You?"
The grain shop owner looked the young woman up and down. Noticing her extraordinary attire, he frowned curiously, "Who is the young lady?"
Xia Rong gave a gentle bow. "I am Xia Rong of the Mu Estate of Yancheng. Arriving in Yunzhou for the first time today and seeing the people here suffering so deeply, I thought I would bring them over to buy some rice. I kindly ask the owner to accommodate us."
The Mu Family of Yancheng?
The grain shop owner had indeed heard of this family.
He simply nodded. "Buying rice is fine. Since Miss Xia has such a compassionate heart, then come on and buy."
With that, he signaled his clerk to set up a plaque right in front of the door.
"Fifty Spirit Stones per dou!"
Seeing the price marked on it, Xia Rong's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why is it so expensive?!"
The grain shop owner crossed his arms and let out a cold huff. "Miss Xia, what has our Yunzhou just been through? That was a once-in-a-century locust plague! At a time like this, the price of rice at every grain shop is this price. If you don't believe me, feel free to visit a few more shops and see for yourself."
"But a dou of rice only costs five Spirit Stones in Yancheng! No matter what, you shouldn't jack the price up tenfold!" Xia Rong said anxiously.
Hearing this, the commoners burst into tears.
Yet the grain shop owner just laughed. "You've got a funny way of talking. The whole of Yunzhou is at this price right now; if you expect me to sell it at the original price, wouldn't my peers curse me out as a fool?"
"Alright, if you think it's too expensive, go check out other shops. Don't waste my time here."
The grain shop owner waved his hand.
He looked thoroughly impatient.
Seeing this, Lin Hao stepped out of the carriage and walked up to him. "Fifty Spirit Stones is only half a Spirit Stone. Logically speaking, buying all the grain in your shop shouldn't be a problem."
"Oh, is this sir planning to buy it all out?" Hearing this, the grain shop owner immediately put on a flattering smile and stepped forward.
"However, I don't intend to let you profit off a national disaster. What should we do?"
To everyone's surprise, Lin Hao's next sentence instantly wiped the smile off the grain shop owner's face.
He took two steps back and raised his head with a sinister look. "What do you mean? Are you trying to make trouble here?"
"Xia Rong..." Xia Rong tugged at Lin Hao's sleeve.
"It's fine, just watch quietly."
Lin Hao smiled gently and gave Xia Rong a subtle glance.
Xia Rong leaped gracefully and landed right in front of the group of guards.
"Hah, you must really not know the meaning of death, actually daring to come to the Nalan Clan's territory..."
A burly, broad-shouldered man right in front was about to resort to violence.
With a mere flick of Xia Rong's little hand, *slap!* — she delivered a resounding blow that sent the over-two-hundred-pound brute flying straight through the air!
"Brother Xiong!"
Seeing the man fly right over the roof of the opposite shop, the Nalan Clan's guards were scared out of their wits and collapsed backward in a heap.
Xia Rong brushed off her little hands without a care in the world, and instead asked the pale-faced owner with a playful smile, "Was there something that just flew out a moment ago? A fly, perhaps?"
"You!"
Having witnessed the terrifying prowess of this little maid, the owner no longer dared to act arrogant. He could only drop to his knees and wail, "You can't bully people like this! I'm just running a normal business, I didn't steal or rob anyone..."
"But you are profiting off a national disaster!"
Lin Hao looked down at him coldly. "Profiting off a national disaster is where I draw the line."
Xia Rong seized the opportunity, grabbed the owner by his collar with one hand, and lifted him straight up over her head. The terrified owner clutched his head and shrieked.
At that moment, Lin Hao turned around, faced the crowd, and smiled. "Everyone, go inside and get your rice. Calculate it at five Spirit Stones per dou — we will pay for every last coin."