sovbooks Chapter 36 The Zhen Family's Worries
Chapter 36 The Zhen Family's Worries
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang finally calmed down.
I heard Shen Pei's plan clearly from the beginning.
They only provided one month's worth of food, and even then, they exploited each other at every level.
In this way, the grain that reached Yuan Tan would certainly not be enough to support him for more than a month.
But Yuan Tan managed to hold on, even defeating Lü Bu and subjugating Langya.
If there is no one supporting this...
He definitely doesn't believe it.
Yuan Shang frowned deeply:
"Indeed! Qingzhou is devastated and could never support such a military campaign! There's definitely something fishy about this!"
Guo Tu paused for a moment, then continued:
"The reason why the eldest son was able to launch a surprise attack on Xuzhou this time is because of the long sea expedition! This is no child's play. It requires a guide who is familiar with the sea route, and a considerable number of sturdy and durable ships!"
"May I ask, Third Young Master, since the Eldest Young Master has just arrived in Qingzhou and is not yet settled, where did these ships come from? They can't possibly be those dilapidated fishing boats, can they?"
Feng Ji also chimed in:
"Brother Gongze is absolutely right! Supplies and ships are the lifeblood of an army! The fact that the eldest son was able to solve these two problems so quietly suggests that someone is helping him behind the scenes!"
Yuan Shang gasped, his expression turning extremely serious.
He always regarded Hebei as his private domain.
If this happened on their own territory, and a force emerged to help Yuan Tan...
This feels as painful as being NTR'd!
"Investigate! This must be thoroughly investigated!"
Yuan Shang clenched his fist tightly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"Send people out immediately to investigate separately!"
He quickly gave the order:
"Keep a close watch on merchant caravans traveling to and from Qingzhou, especially grain transport convoys. Check them bag by bag! Find out who is secretly supplying the enemy!"
"We will also send others to infiltrate Qingzhou, investigate the coastal ports, find out the origin and number of those ships, and... who exactly is managing the maritime transport for Yuan Xiansi!"
"And that black jade,"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Haven't heard from her in a long time, have you? Find a way to contact her! We must get the truth about Yuan Tan's situation in Qingzhou out of her!"
"promise!"
Guo Tu and Feng Ji responded in unison and left.
Yuan Shang walked to the window, looked in the direction of Qingzhou, and said through gritted teeth:
"Yuan Xiansi, don't be too happy yet! What kind of skill is it to manage to acquire grain and ships? The future master of Hebei can only be me, Yuan Xianfu! We'll see!"
……
Zhongshan County, the inner residence of Zhen Mansion.
Inside the warm pavilion, the charcoal fire crackled, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air.
Zhen Yao leaned back on the soft couch, watching his youngest daughter, Zhen Mi, intently playing a guqin, her fingertips producing clear and melodious sounds. A loving smile appeared on his face.
Peaceful days and the joy of family life—nothing could be better than this.
However, this tranquility was soon broken by a series of hurried footsteps.
The butler, Zhen Ping, practically ran in, disregarding all formalities, his face filled with anxiety:
"Master! Something terrible has happened! News has come from Qingzhou... from Qingzhou!"
"What's the matter?"
Zhen Yao frowned slightly, put down his teacup, and felt a sense of foreboding.
When Yuan Tan asked him about the Zhen family borrowing the boat, he had already heard about it from the steward.
However, he didn't pay much attention to it at the time.
After all, it wouldn't be easy for Xuzhou to find out by sea that the Zhen family was behind the scenes helping them.
Even if Xuzhou really finds out,
That doesn't matter.
After all, the Zhen family didn't have much business in Xuzhou.
Therefore, he did not send anyone to Qingzhou to negotiate with Yuan Tan at that time.
He told Zhen Mi to stop, and little Zhen Mi obediently sat up straight, her bright, beautiful eyes looking at the butler.
"The eldest son decisively defeated Lü Bu, captured his daughter alive, and also took Langya in one fell swoop. The lord was overjoyed and sent someone to Qingzhou to reward the eldest son."
Panting, Zhen Ping recounted the messages he had received.
"Oh?"
Zhen Yao was taken aback at first, then his eyes flashed with an astonishing light, and he even sat up straight involuntarily.
"Young Master Xiansi possesses such courage and skill? To defeat Lü Bu with only three thousand troops? This is an astonishing feat!"
His first feeling was one of unexpected joy.
The Zhen family only agreed to borrow grain this time because of Yuan Tan's status as the eldest son and his promise.
It was an unexpected outcome.
If the eldest son really fails to secure Qingzhou, then the loss to him won't be too great.
never expected,
The eldest son not only secured Qingzhou, but also received a reward from his lord.
In that case, wouldn't the Zhen family's trade routes in Qingzhou be completely opened up?
But then he had a bad feeling.
The eldest young master has done too much this time, and the third young master must be furious. If he finds out that the Zhen family has helped the eldest young master in any way, he will surely retaliate!
Butler Zhen Ping clearly didn't consider these things; he simply cried and complained:
"Master! Disaster! Our ships helped Yuan Tan defeat Lü Bu, how could the Marquis of Wen let this go? Our trade routes in Xuzhou are probably... probably completely cut off! Those salt and iron businesses bring in a considerable amount of income every year!"
Upon hearing this, Zhen Yao's expression instantly darkened.
The Xuzhou trade route was indeed an important source of wealth for the Zhen family.
Lu Bu is a man who holds grudges and seeks revenge. After this incident, the Zhen family's caravan will not only be unable to enter Xuzhou, but will probably find it difficult to move an inch in the border area.
However, he was, after all, the head of a wealthy family who had been in charge for many years, and his vision was far more far-reaching.
He slowly shook his head:
"The losses in Xuzhou are certainly painful. But compared to that, there is a much greater calamity right now, one that is truly urgent!"
He looked sharply at Zhen Ping:
"Think about it, the eldest young master has neither soldiers nor supplies in Qingzhou. Where would he get the ships to launch a surprise attack on Xuzhou? Who can be kept in the dark about this? In Yecheng, the third young master and his cronies are still there. Do you think they won't find out that the ships came from my Zhen family?"
Zhen Mi listened quietly to the sound, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting the sash of her clothes, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed.
Zhen Yao continued, his tone tinged with bitterness:
"In Young Master Yuan Shang's eyes, our actions are tantamount to openly siding with the eldest son! He is currently riding high, and his mother, Lady Liu, is deeply favored by the Grand General..."
If he were to take his anger out on my Zhen family, he could easily destroy them by manipulating taxes, grain transport, or even fabricated charges! At that point, the losses would extend far beyond just the Xuzhou trade route.
These words were said less to the butler and more to himself.
The thought of potential political repression sent a chill down Zhen Yao's spine.
No matter how wealthy a businessman is, he is still like an ant in the face of absolute power.
The room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.
Just then, a clear yet unusually calm female voice rang out, breaking the silence.
"Father, I believe that this matter... may not be a disaster, but rather an opportunity for our Zhen family."
The speaker was none other than Zhen Mi, who was only a little over ten years old.
She raised her head and looked at her father with clear eyes.
"Mi'er, you..."
Zhen Yao looked at his daughter in surprise.
Zhen Mi bowed slightly and analyzed the situation with clear logic:
"Father's concerns are certainly wise and mature. However, has Father considered that precisely because the Third Young Master is so powerful, our Zhen family needs to make plans even sooner?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear:
"Young Master Yuan Tan, with his meager strength, was able to accomplish such an earth-shattering feat, which demonstrates that his courage, boldness, and luck are beyond the reach of ordinary people. This is what is meant by the ambition of a hero."
Now that he has just pacified Qingzhou, he is in dire need of manpower and urgently requires financial and logistical support. Providing timely assistance is far more valuable than adding to his existing success later.
She paused, looked at her father, and began to speak eloquently:
"Although the trade routes from Xuzhou are cut off, Qingzhou is located by the sea. If managed well, wouldn't the sea routes be ten times better than the land routes? Since Young Master Yuan Tan was able to achieve success using the ships of my Zhen family, if he were to control Qingzhou in the future, wouldn't he rely heavily on my Zhen family for the navy and maritime trade?"
"As for the Third Young Master's anger..."
Zhen Mi gently shook her head.
"Father, now that we've lent the boat, there's no turning back. If we waver and try to distance ourselves now, we'll not only fail to gain the trust of the Third Young Master, but we'll also offend the Eldest Young Master. If both families are angry, then our Zhen family will truly be in grave danger."
"How about..."
She took a deep breath and uttered her boldest suggestion.
"Why not seize this opportunity and completely side with Young Master Yuan Tan! Let's use the full strength of the Zhen family to help him gain a foothold in Qingzhou. In this way, if he succeeds in the future, the Zhen family will be loyal subjects of the emperor, and we can be guaranteed wealth and honor for decades!"
Even if... even if we ultimately fail and my Zhen family loses all our wealth, we can still preserve our family lineage and flee to a distant land. That's better than sitting here waiting to die, at the mercy of others!
(The next ten chapters or so are about farming content. If you find them boring, you can skip them and start reading from chapter 47.)