Zhongli Ting had already directed his men to take inventory of the remaining grain stores that morning; at most, they could last for another half-month.
A pressing report had just arrived from the front: due to severe flooding in the interior, all the prepared grain had been diverted for disaster relief. The message essentially told them to requisition food locally and hold out for a while longer. Only under immense pressure from various parties had the Ministry of Revenue finally guaranteed that a full shipment of grain would be gathered within a month.
A month? If they actually waited for the Ministry of Revenue to deliver those supplies, the soldiers would be reduced to skin and bones.
Chapter 174