The number one spendthrift woman in the capital actually brings glory to her entire family?

Lord Sikong took another sip of tea, gazing thoughtfully at the flickering lights. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Since it was about quelling a rebellion in the past, what do you think is the root cause of this rebellion?"

This question startled Zhang Feihu. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Feihu replied, "Of course it's because of famine. When people are in dire straits, they will do some crazy things, so I can understand it."

Sikong Jin nodded. “What you say is certainly correct, but I believe that famine is only one of the reasons. The northwest of our Great Yong is much poorer than other regions. The land there is barren, and the climate is extremely harsh, making it very difficult to live there. Once famine breaks out, the people have no way to survive and are forced to migrate. At this time, the ruling court not only fails to provide them with a temporary haven but also drives them away from entering the central region. It is only natural that such an uprising would occur. Moreover, relying solely on these meager and short-term rice relief measures is not a good long-term solution at all.”

"Sir, what can we do? The famine is widespread, and it won't be easy to control it completely. I've heard that this kind of weather is going to last for a long time."

The Minister of Works raised his hand and rubbed his temples. “We can only take it one step at a time. We need to find a way to get some grain to solve the immediate crisis. The relief funds and grain allocated by the court will not arrive so quickly. Our army will soon enter the northwest, and then we will face one difficulty after another. We need to be mentally prepared now.”

"But where are we going to get this batch of grain? Even if the Emperor has ordered the mobilization of grain from various places, it will probably take at least a month to get it there."

Sikong Jin frowned but didn't speak. She finished her tea and glanced thoughtfully at the bustling dock below. A strange smile suddenly appeared in her eyes.

"We do have grain, but we'll have to see if our Emperor is sincere."

……

Meanwhile, at this very moment, in the Emperor's study of the Great Yong Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Commander of the Northwest Army, Minister of Works, has sent a secret letter!"

Eunuch Wang rushed in, clutching a secret letter.

Emperor Da Yong looked up from the memorial, took the secret letter, and opened it. It was indeed in Sikong Jin's handwriting. The content was short, but it sent a chill down Emperor Da Yong's spine:

It has been discovered that Fengyunlou has a large amount of grain stored in Taizhou City and several nearby cities. They are willing to sell it to us at five times the price of grain in the Imperial City of Dayong. If you are sincere in wanting to buy it, you can secretly send someone to negotiate with the manager of Hongding Store in the Imperial City, reach an agreement, transfer the money to Hongding Store, and Taizhou City will release the grain immediately. They only give you ten days.

Fengyun Tower!

Sikong Jin was surprised to find people from Fengyun Tower, and even more surprisingly, they agreed to sell grain to their imperial court. Although the price was higher, if he could use this opportunity to get closer to Fengyun Tower…

Thinking of this, Yukichi suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and a cold smile appeared on his face. "Someone, help me change my clothes. I want to leave the palace!"

Whether it's true or false, he'll know once he tests it himself.

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

Eunuch Wang came forward and respectfully responded, but Emperor Dayong had already strode past him and walked outside.

……

As night deepened, the fishing lights on the river gradually dimmed. After eating his fill, Zhang Feihu sat for a while before going to the next room to sleep. Of course, Sikong Jin also found him a beautiful young woman. What happened next, Sikong Jin didn't know.

The entire Yihonglou was not as lively as when we first arrived, and the Zhenjiang Wharf was also a scene of dim lights.

Meanwhile, the private room where Lord Sikong was located was still brightly lit.

In the dim, cool candlelight, Lord Sikong leaned slightly to one side, his calm gaze fixed on an open map on the table before him, lost in thought.

"Everywhere is covered in ice and snow, making it difficult to find a place to set up a relief camp. Moreover, ordinary tents probably can't withstand such a terrible storm..."

Sikong Jin muttered to herself, thinking for a long time. Suddenly, a bright idea flashed in her mind. As if she suddenly remembered something important, she quickly pulled out a yellowed map and a stack of neatly arranged notes from her sleeve—the very things her father, Sikong Qi, had left behind in the study when she left.

Sikong Jin flipped through the notes and studied the map, turning the notes countless times. As dawn approached, her furrowed brows finally relaxed slightly, her tired eyes bloodshot. She reached for a teacup, drank a few sips of the now-cold tea, rubbed her eyes, and only then did she regain some energy. Just as she was putting her things into her sleeve, at that moment—

'Whoosh! '

'puff! '

The tightly closed window was suddenly opened, and a strong gust of wind rushed in, instantly extinguishing the candle on the table. The entire room was plunged into darkness, with only faint, cool light appearing intermittently—the lights from the fishing boats on the river.

Sikong Jin glanced sideways and subconsciously looked towards the window, only to see a dark figure quickly flash in, followed by a 'snap' as the window closed again.

"Asen greets Your Excellency!"

The man in black bowed respectfully to Sikong Jin at the table in the darkness.

Sikong Jin waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Hmm, you arrived fairly punctually? How is it? Where has the grain been transported to?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, we will arrive at Zhenjiang Wharf tomorrow night. Once the grain dispatch certificate from the Imperial City is issued, the grain can be dispatched and directly transported to various places in the Northwest."

Sikong Jin nodded. "Well done."

"My lord, Steward Feng has continued to procure grain from various parts of Wangzhou. Apart from the minimum reserves, the amount collected is still astonishing. Steward Feng assures you that the rice, grain and cloth market in Wangzhou is now under our control."

Asen looked at Sikong Jin with great admiration. As it turned out, Sikong Jin was indeed a very capable person. He controlled most of the market in the Hangu Wangzhou region without lifting a finger. If the Emperor of Dayong knew the inside story of all this, he wondered if he would be furious.

Although the Wangzhou region of Hangu Pass is not as developed as the eastern, southern, and central parts of Dayong, its grain production is astonishing, especially crops such as sorghum and wheat. Because it borders the northern continent, where animal husbandry is most developed, the animal husbandry economy here is also quite good.