Chapter 1563: Great Winds Rising

The shop assistant snapped, "Get out! If you can't afford it, don't babble nonsense here!"

Ten coins for three catties of rice was a price from a month ago. Did these vagrants expect to fill their bellies just by opening their mouths and facing northwest? Only the gentry in Tianshui City could afford to be ignorant of rice prices; these commoners certainly couldn't.

His attention was fixed on the two customers, so he didn't notice another vagrant sneaking in through the back of the shop, quietly scooping rice into a cloth bag.

The vagrant had scooped about half a bag when a customer at the front shouted. Only then did the shop assistant notice, turning around to bellow, "What are you doing? Put that down!"

The vagrant clutched the bag opening tight and bolted out the door.

"Stop, don't run!"

Hearing that, the vagrant, as if his feet were greased, ran even faster.

If they couldn't buy grain, stealing was their only option, He Lingchuan thought, shaking his head. Rising grain prices always hit vagrants first, as they had no savings and the weakest capacity to withstand hardship.

Upon returning, he ordered Spring Mountain Villa to purchase grains and vegetables in bulk.

It was time to stock up.

Under his deliberate control, the Yangshan Merchant Guild's branch in Tianshui City remained "under construction." It was normal for a guild to spend several months preparing to open a storefront in the capital. Furthermore, He Lingchuan himself was dedicated to a major project for the Yaoting imperial court, even delaying the opening of his own branch. This devotion to public duty over personal gain was lauded as a great tale.

As a result, Yan Bo, a Yangshan member in charge of local affairs, was transferred by the grand proprietor to Spring Mountain Villa to serve as interim manager, and his subordinate Yangshan members also moved into the villa.

Yan Bo, one of Ding Zuodong's most capable disciples, was efficient in his work. After arriving at Spring Mountain Villa, he had it running smoothly in just a few days.

Besides Wanqifeng and other Yangshan members, nearly a thousand men under Zhao Song were also housed at the villa. With so many people and horses, they consumed a significant amount of grain and vegetables daily.

Although Spring Mountain Villa had existing supplies, Yan Bo was busy until evening before he returned with the delivery carts.

Cart after cart of rice, flour, oil, and various easily storable root vegetables were transported into the villa and stored in cool cellars, enough to feed the entire villa for a month.

Frost talismans were also affixed in the cellars to carefully control the temperature.

As for fruit, Spring Mountain Villa had an abundance, picked fresh daily and never stored overnight.

At this time, the nine hundred imperial guards proved useful. Thieves and vagrants coveting Spring Mountain Villa were becoming more numerous; even laborers from the eastward expansion project tried to climb over the wall to steal food in their leisure time. The guards patrolled around the villa, catching dozens of culprits. Instead of handing them over to officials, they whipped the petty thieves until their faces bled and they howled, only then throwing them outside the villa.

Yan Bo's first words upon entering were:

"Master, grain prices have risen again."

"What exactly is going on?" He Lingchuan asked, putting down his documents. "Can the capital really be running short on grain?"

"Seven or eight days ago, the surrounding towns were already feeling the strain, but major grain shops still had stock, and nearby farms were supplying Tianshui City, so things were somewhat stable," Yan Bo explained. "For a capital city this large, with a population of millions, the daily grain consumption is astonishing. Relying solely on existing stockpiles won't last long."

"At least we can still buy grain for now," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "It's not that serious."

Yan Bo replied seriously, "I had to contact several merchant guilds separately to buy this batch of grain and vegetables today, and I even had to invoke your name. They said they had long heard rumors of an imminent surge in grain prices and were all trying to cope."

He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "Oh? So the rumors were released first? That's a clever tactic."

They even know how to manage expectations... Could they have secretly learned from him?

"Some grain merchants have started hoarding supplies, reluctant to sell. From the look of things, if a grain shortage truly materializes, it will arrive earlier than anticipated."

Yan Bo, having started his own business, clearly understood the concept of hoarding for speculation. If merchants anticipated a sharp rise in grain prices, they would certainly stock up in advance. Then, ordinary citizens would panic buy, making an already tight market supply even more scarce.

"Stock up a bit more tomorrow, just in case," He Lingchuan said. A great tide was coming, and he intended to watch its ebb and flow. "Oh, and buy more spices too."

"Understood!"

Just as Yan Bo left, a large owl flew to the window, landing with a flutter on the sill. It hooted in its characteristic mournful tone, "A letter! An urgent letter from the west!"

Lingguang's scalp tightened at the sound, and he quickly hopped over. "Give it to me."

With a soft *plop*, the owl spat something into his hand: a fat mouse.

"Hey!" Lingguang exclaimed, his hand shaking, causing the mouse to drop at the owl's feet.

Before the mouse even hit the ground, the owl extended its beak, snatched it, and swallowed it whole. "Apologies, wrong delivery," it hooted.

It stretched its neck again and spat out a small metal tube. "This, this is it."

Lingguang handed the owl a bottle of pills as payment, then pointed behind him. "There's a mouse infestation in our peach orchard at the back, with nests of newborn pups by the lake. Are you interested? It's on the house."

"Yes, absolutely!" the owl hooted, its eyes gleaming at the thought of tender little snacks that squeaked with every bite, and all for free! It fluttered off towards the back of the study.

Lingguang handed the small tube to He Lingchuan, who pulled out a note and glanced at it.

The smile instantly vanished from his face.

"Damn it!" the Soul Mirror in his arms exclaimed, its voice rising three octaves as it also saw the note. "Bai Ziqi is here!"

How many Bai Envoys are there in Lingxu City?

Only one is renowned.

He Lingchuan had long expected the Heavenly Palace to send someone to investigate the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities, but he never anticipated it would be Bai Ziqi.

"This isn't good. Why him?" the mirror said, holding onto a sliver of hope. "Maybe he's in Shanjin Plain on other official business, not specifically for you."

"A figure like Bai Ziqi wouldn't handle trivial matters," He Lingchuan countered. Though the note contained only a few sentences, he read them with extreme care. "He was asking about the Black Armored Army and the rebel forces in taverns, and then hired guides to Stone Helmet Peak and Willow Slope. The focus is very clear; those are the two places where the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities first publicly appeared. Therefore—"

He concluded, "He's here for me."

"Ugh!" the mirror exclaimed, feeling its scalp tingle—if it had a scalp, that is.

"We operate cleanly, making it hard for others to trace us, but Bai Ziqi is different," He Lingchuan said, rubbing his eyes. The news had chased away his recent drowsiness, though his eyes still felt sore and dry. "They hired guides and set off ten days ago; I don't know where they are now."

No matter how well-established his information network was in Shanjin Plain, he couldn't avoid human error. A-Hao hadn't reviewed the Haolin Guild's information for half a month, causing him to miss such crucial intelligence!

"What do we do now? What will *you* do?" the mirror asked, frantic as an ant on a hot griddle. "Could he already be in Yaoguo? If he started by investigating Stone Helmet Peak and Willow Slope, then once he reached Yaoguo, he definitely wouldn't miss the clues related to Xiaotao Mountain Villa!"