Days passed by in a flash, and soon it was October.
During this ti, the snow fell relentlessly, but the charcoal allocated by the imperial court was slow to arrive.
The reason, as reported by the Departnt of Internal Affairs, was that the Gold Thread Charcoal, traditionally sourced from the Nanfen Kilns, had been produced, but heavy snow had blocked the roads, making transportation difficult.
The Emperor sighed; fortunately, the leftovers from last year were enough to last a full day and night and should hold out until spring.
He told the ministers to just make do and use regular charcoal for now.
One piece of bad news followed another, and finally, morials reporting that drought and floods in the south had caused crop failures, leaving the common people with no harvest and facing famine, reached the Emperor’s desk.
The Emperor imdiately summoned his ministers to discuss counterasures.
That night, Father Su returned to the manor close to the Zi hour.
For several days straight, Father Su left early and returned late. On the rare occasions Su Li saw him, his brow was deeply furrowed with worry.
On this particular night, upon returning to the manor, Father Su went straight to the study.
Su Li had the kitchen prepare so soup and brought it to the study herself.
Seeing soone enter, Father Su looked up in surprise. "Li’er? Why aren’t you resting yet?"
"Father, quickly drink this lotus seed soup while it’s hot to warm yourself up."
Father Su’s expression softened with gratification. He took the food container and opened the lid.
"Li’er, you’re so thoughtful. It’s cold on a snowy night like this; hurry back and sleep."
Su Li walked over and started massaging her father’s back. "Father, have you been worrying about the famine in the south lately?"
Father Su sighed. "Yes. The Emperor intends to release grain for disaster relief, but the crucial roads are all blocked by heavy snow. Light cavalry might still pass, but transporting grain is simply impossible."
Su Li frowned. "Then did the Emperor say how it should be handled?"
"Prince Jing requested orders to go provide relief. Although the grain can’t get through, the intention is to demonstrate the court’s determination to help, appease the common people, and prevent unrest."
Su Li fell silent for a mont.
Famine is raging, the grain isn’t arriving... what use is sending just one person?
Luckily, they had made preparations early.
If one went empty-handed in such circumstances, even being of imperial lineage would be useless.
"Father, actually, there’s sothing I haven’t told you."
Sipping the piping hot soup while his daughter massaged his back, Father Su’s eyes softened as he asked gently, "What is it?"
"Father, actually... I had two granaries built in the Shu region and also purchased so grain."
Father Su shot up from his seat, his eyes wide.
"You... you said you have two granaries? In Shu?"
Su Li nodded.
"Where did you get so much silver to build granaries? And why build them so far away?"
Su Li explained, "Mother knows a little about this. I dread that there would be a disaster in the south, so Mother gave so of the earnings from Zui Xian Ju. I also received so silver from treating the Right Chancellor’s daughter."
He knew about the Right Chancellor spending a fortune seeking dical help for his daughter, but he hadn’t known his own daughter had spent so much silver based solely on a dream – and moreover, that the dream had actually co true.
"My girl, you really are too daring."
"Father, this was my thinking: the grain harvests in the south are usually quite good. If the dream was real, the grain in the granaries would be useful. If the dream was false, then I could transport the southern grain to the north, which would also earn a good profit."
Father Su looked at his daughter, his expression shifting between a frown and pride.
"You’re a young lady, what are you doing worrying about silver? I also heard you opened a restaurant?"
Su Li smiled. "Father, ’money makes the ghosts turn the millstone’. Silver is a good thing."
"Money-grubber."
Su Li continued massaging her father’s shoulders. "I’ve discussed it with Prince Jing. I need to go south with him."
"What? Absolutely not!"
Father Su imdiately objected upon hearing this.
Are you kidding ? Famines are breeding grounds for riots! If anything happened to his beautiful, jade-like daughter, he would regret it forever.
Besides, his daughter had never traveled far from ho before.
Su Li knew he would react this way.
"Father, I have grain in hand. ’Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda’."
Father Su said, "Don’t say any more. If I agree, your mother will definitely get angry with ."
"Mother agreed."
Father Su was shocked again. "How is that possible?"
"Mother said that with His Highness Prince Jing present, she feels at ease."
"..."
"Father, you don’t need to worry about my safety. You know about the Mo Wei, right? His Highness specifically assigned Mo Wei to follow . Besides, with His Highness there, no one will be allowed to harm . What’s more, we aren’t going there to fight with the common people; we’re going to deliver grain to them."
"That may be so, but..."
"There are no buts, Father. The grain belongs to . If I don’t go oversee it myself, I won’t feel secure. If we don’t release the grain now, and His Majesty finds out later, I’m afraid there will be trouble."
With so much grain in her possession during a national crisis like this, if she didn’t offer it for relief, even if His Majesty didn’t say anything explicitly, he would certainly be displeased internally.
"You shouldn’t go. Father will go in your place."
"No!"
Father Su asked in surprise, "Why not?"
Su Li scrambled for an excuse. She couldn’t very well say that the grain in her granaries wasn’t enough and that she needed to go fetch more from Jun Hui’s granaries, could she?
"Father, how can you be so unperceptive!"
Father Su’s eyes widened as he retorted, "I’m unperceptive?"
"Look, I’ve only just been betrothed to Prince Jing by imperial decree, but we don’t know each other well yet! Here in the capital, every word spoken can be twisted into various rumors. Since Prince Jing is going for disaster relief, if I go too, firstly, it’s a good chance to get better acquainted and deepen our relationship. Secondly, it’s an opportunity to show everyone that I am capable enough to be his match and shut the mouths of those gossips."
Father Su suddenly understood.
"What you say makes sense."
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief.
To strike back at Jun Hui, she had even put herself on the line.
When she returned from the relief mission and her parents heard she wanted to break off the engagent, wouldn’t they be utterly astonished?
"So, Father agrees?" Su Li asked tentatively.
"Go then. Father will assign several dozen guards to you."
Su Li quickly stopped him. "Father, there’s no need. One Mo Wei is worth ten ordinary guards. Besides, with the roads blocked by snow, traveling with too many people isn’t safe."
"Then I’ll send ten. No less!"
Su Li nodded. "Alright then."
Receiving her father’s consent, the stone in Su Li’s heart finally dropped.
"Father, head back to your room and rest soon. Your daughter takes her leave."
"Oh, right. The Emperor dispatched Prince Jing to the south for disaster relief. With the heavy snow continuing in the north and the charcoal supply being insufficient, this matter has been assigned to the Sixth Prince to resolve. When I returned to the manor today, the Sixth Prince stopped and asked if our household possessed a large quantity of Gold Thread Charcoal. He said he was willing to buy it at a price higher than the market rate. He ntioned he would arrange for small amounts of charcoal to be transported to the capital later, but hoped we could provide so in the anti to help bridge the gap."
Su Li paused for a mont, then said, "Father, our family has enough charcoal, but my hotpot restaurant consus a huge amount. Tell him we only have enough for our own use."
Without Gold Thread Charcoal, there’s still regular charcoal. It’s not like they’ll freeze to death. Are these prominent families really that delicate?
"Alright, I’ll give him that reply tomorrow."
Su Li returned to her courtyard with her maidservant, washed up, and then went to rest.
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