New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

The news that one could exchange useless stones from the mountains for food spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of Youzhou City in just one night.

Even those who initially found it absurd began to waver after witnessing the stonemason carrying away two jin of grain in front of the princess's residence that afternoon.

So the next morning, the once deserted streets of Youzhou suddenly became like a pot of boiling water. All the people who could move around sprang into action. As soon as the city gates opened, they formed a procession led by the stonemason and marched in a grand procession toward Yanshan outside the city.

Tang Qian naturally knew that after the scene of erecting pillars at the city gate yesterday, a large number of quartz stones would be delivered today. Therefore, the exchange point in front of the princess's mansion was expanded three times. Originally, there were only two or three bags of grain stacked at the door, but now they were piled up into a small mountain.

Even with ample preparations, the return of the quarrying army after noon still startled the princess's guards stationed at the exchange point.

Seeing the throngs of people rushing forward in such a chaotic manner, the commander of the personal guards immediately raised his long sword and shouted, "Slow down and line up! Otherwise, you will be punished for trespassing on the princess's residence and executed without exception!"

Although there were huge piles of grain right in front of them, everyone wanted to be the first to exchange for it. However, when faced with a squad of soldiers who had already drawn their gleaming steel swords, the people's rampage immediately slowed down. Exchanging grain was for survival. If they were to lose their lives in order to exchange for grain sooner, what would be the point?

To prevent a stampede, the commander of the personal guard cracked his whip and charged toward the city gate, repeating his earlier orders along the way, and finally managed to control the speed of the troops.

"Don't worry, the princess's residence is well prepared this time, and we will definitely be able to exchange for food today."

As the commander of the personal guards said, the princess's residence had practically emptied its coffers to cope with this grain exchange policy. The grain piled up outside was all the grain in the residence, which would be more than enough to get through today.

As time went by, more and more people returned to the city, completely blocking the entrance to the Princess's Mansion. Tang Qian arranged for two squads of guards to maintain order, which prevented any chaos from occurring. Even so, long queues formed at the five exchange points, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Seeing that the grain piled up at the door had dwindled by nearly half within an hour, Wanyan Xi, standing shoulder to shoulder with Tang Qian, still showed a hint of worry: "At this rate of exchange, the grain in the manor will not last more than five days. Even if the workshops work day and night to make all the glass, it will still take time to transport it to the various cities. If the grain supply cannot be replenished, I, the princess, will have broken my promise to the people."

Wanyan Xi wasn't worried at all about whether the glass could fetch a high price. Just as Tang Qian had said, it was only a matter of time before this thing replaced the easily torn window paper and became a necessity in the mansions of nobles. And what she was worried about was also just a matter of time.

It takes at least a month for the glass to be made and sold. If our own grain runs out and the newly purchased grain hasn't arrived yet, then things will be in trouble.

Wanyan Xi's concerns were not without merit, but Tang Qian did not care at all: "There is indeed a quartz mine in Yanshan, but only a small amount of ore is exposed on the surface. The vast majority is buried deep underground and needs to be dug out. Once all the ore on the surface has been mined, this lively exchange will no longer exist."

Today, almost the entire city turned out. The people who went into the mountains to quarry saw the specific situation of the mine. There was only so much ore on the ground. Once it was mined out, it would be gone. Anyone with a brain would not exchange it for food and go home to overeat, just waiting to go back to carry stones the next day.

As long as they understand the principle of slow and steady wins the race, and persevere until the newly purchased grain returns to the city, these people who are used to hardship can still manage it.

"Next, Princess, you need to seal off that mountain valley and mobilize laborers to mine it. I'll say it again: Youzhou City is a resource-based city. Once you have the glass workshop, Youzhou will surely become a rich and prosperous place under your leadership."

When that time comes, Youzhou will become a place where merchants gather. The taxes alone will fill the princess's treasury with silver. How could it not support the tens of thousands of people in the city?

A gust of cold wind blew by, causing Wanyan Xi to shiver slightly. Her already pale face looked even more bloodless. Seeing the orderly exchange site in front of the door, she bowed slightly to Tang Qian: "Then everything will depend on you, young master."

Tang Qian bowed respectfully, and as he watched Wan Yanxi turn and leave, he grabbed Xiao Li, who was following closely behind, and whispered in her ear, "The princess seems to be unwell. Has she caught a cold?"

Hearing his question, Xiao Li blushed inexplicably. She glared at Tang Qian fiercely and flung her sleeve, saying, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

Tang Qian suddenly realized that Miss Li's actions made him understand that Wanyan Xi was not suffering from any cold or evil, but rather had started her period. No wonder Miss Li found it difficult to talk about this. As a young girl, she was facing a grown man, and the secret she was discussing was that of the princess. If the princess found out, she would probably be beaten to death.

"If Miss Xiaoli trusts me, I do have a folk remedy that can alleviate His Highness's pain."

Xiao Li's expression revealed a hint of doubt, but she still leaned closer. Whether it was due to the change in environment or the unusually cold winter, Wanyan Xi's lower abdomen had been aching for two whole days. As a maid, and especially as close as sisters with the princess, she naturally wanted to share her mistress's burdens.

Tang Qian's remedy was not complicated to make, and all the ingredients were readily available in the Princess's kitchen. With a try-it-and-see attitude, Xiao Li followed his instructions and actually made a bowl of brown sugar ginger juice.

Xiao Li said that the soup in front of her could relieve the pain in her lower abdomen. Although Wan Yanxi thought it was spicy and didn't taste very good, she still pinched her nose and drank it.

To her surprise, not long after the medicine entered her stomach, a warm current spread throughout her body, and her lower abdomen, which had been aching slightly, seemed to feel much better. Although it couldn't cure the problem, the excruciating pain had at least lessened considerably.

Wanyan Xi breathed a sigh of relief and handed the bowl in her hand to Xiao Li: "This recipe is indeed effective. Where did you get it?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li stumbled and nearly fell. The name Tang Qian kept repeating itself in her mouth, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't bear to let a grown man see through her secret.

However, since the princess had asked, she couldn't give a vague answer. She stammered for a long time before finally saying, "Tang Qian seems to have noticed the princess's discomfort. This prescription was... taught to me by him."

"What?" Wanyan Xi's eyes widened suddenly, a surge of shame and indignation rising from the soles of her feet and instantly spreading throughout her body. That scoundrel Tang Qian actually... actually knew about a girl's menstruation. Is this something that can be talked about?

"That lecherous scoundrel, he can even do something like this... He's utterly depraved, shameless, and vile!"

"Your Highness, please calm down." Seeing that Wan Yanxi's eyes were blazing with anger, as if she wanted to skin Tang Qian alive right now, Xiao Li hurriedly comforted her, "If I hadn't heard some rumors, I'm afraid I would have been just as angry as Your Highness. However, because the guards in the manor said that Tang Qian might know medicine, I believed him. Now it seems that what he said was true."

"He also knows medicine?" Wan Yanxi frowned slightly, then relaxed, and rubbed her lower abdomen. Tang Qian's bowl of medicine had an immediate effect, which proved that he did indeed know medicine.

"If that's the case, then this person isn't entirely useless, except for his ability to please others." However, the thought that the lecherous man had even seen through such an embarrassing thing still made Wanyan Xi feel ashamed.

How am I supposed to face that bastard Tang Qian in the future?