Chapter 1634: Replaced General

He had just moved back, and many of his belongings were not yet in their usual, convenient places.

Knowing that Qingyang intended to move against him, a hidden threat emerged. He could no longer afford to take risks; all threats had to be nipped in the bud!

Misty Lake Retreat.

Qingyang had just taken a sip of hot tea when she heard a soft "plop" sound outside. It was a light sound, as if something had fallen to the ground.

She pushed open the door and saw a titmouse that had fallen beneath a plum tree. A light snow had fallen last night and melted into ice during the day. The titmouse struggled a few times, its slender legs repeatedly slipping, unable to lift itself.

"Can't you fly?" Qingyang cradled it in her palm, observing it. The titmouse flapped its wings, attempting to escape, but it was willing yet unable, only able to tremble and gasp for breath.

Qingyang carried it indoors and placed it on the long table beside the brazier. As it opened its beak, she quickly fed it two sesame-sized pills. The spiritual pill dissolved instantly, and the titmouse soon stopped trembling.

Qingyang examined the corners of its eyes and sighed softly, "You've grown old, too." Although the titmouse was adorably fluffy, a closer look revealed a slight baldness around its eyes and tough, aged skin on its claws, suggesting it was elderly. In the freezing weather, it was difficult for the old bird to find food, which must have caused it to faint beneath the tree.

Qingyang extended a finger and gently tapped its head, "Has your flock abandoned you, too?" As it was just a bird, not a spirit, it naturally couldn't respond. She stoked the brazier, and the titmouse slightly spread its wings, quickly warming itself.

About fifteen minutes later, someone suddenly knocked on the door. "Palace Master? A message has arrived." It was Yuan Xuan's voice. Qingyang called out, "Come in."

With a creak, as soon as the door opened, the titmouse startled, flapped its wings, and darted out through the crack, eager to return to the icy wilderness. Yuan Xuan started, taking half a step back to see what had flown out. He then heard Qingyang remark softly, "This old bird is truly foolish, refusing comfort and insisting on returning to a harsh world."

Yuan Xuan, seeing clearly that it was just an ordinary titmouse that had flown out, quickly averted his gaze, entered the room, and closed the door. "Palace Master, an urgent message from the hydro-mirror."

He held a round mirror, its surface misty and blurred, yet several handwritten characters were visible on it: "The Xiyao Palace treasury retrieved the ceremonial standard; the Lord secretly met Wang Sili; the King led two hundred elite soldiers towards the North Gate."

If King Xiyao were present, he would be struck with a chilling dread: How could secret matters that had just transpired within the palace instantly reach Qingyang? Especially since the item he ordered retrieved from the treasury was supposed to be highly confidential.

The hurried handwriting on the mirror surface betrayed the sender's urgency. This was hydro-mirror communication. Previously, when Yu Zecheng and the Wanmo uncle-nephew duo, under the command of National Master Frost Leaf, conspired to seize the Yangshan Islands, they used hydro-mirror communication for short-distance, real-time messaging.

Qingyang's residence was now under strict surveillance by King Xiyao's men, and her usual methods of communication, such as demonic birds and flying messages, were easily intercepted. Therefore, Qingyang activated this set of magical artifacts. The sender, not far from Misty Lake Retreat, also held a similar precious mirror. As long as they wrote on its surface, Yuan Xuan could receive the message in real time.

This communication method was secure and covert. Its only two downsides were its limited short-range effectiveness and its impracticality during intense combat.

Qingyang's eyes narrowed. "King Xiyao ordered the ceremonial standard to be retrieved?" The ceremonial standard was a scepter representing royal authority, typically hidden in the most secure part of the royal treasury. It was only retrieved for diplomatic missions or military campaigns. An envoy carrying it was considered to embody the king's presence; soldiers would kneel before it, and foreign courts would extend their courtesies. It was, in essence, an extremely important ceremonial object.

At this moment, where did King Xiyao intend to dispatch an envoy? He had also secretly summoned Wang Sili. Wang Sili was also a general of the Xiyao Kingdom, with a distinguished military record. Several years ago, he had led troops to intimidate the smaller southern states. He was now fifty-two years old. Yet, this general hadn't seen combat in years. Why would King Xiyao suddenly deploy him to the north?

"North? Two hundred elite soldiers?"

"No good!" Qingyang slammed the table and rose. "Send a message to General Zhongwu, quickly, quickly!"

Next, two major events occurred in Tianshui City:

First, grain prices surged again. What was originally five copper coins per jin of rice now cost fifty copper coins. Grain prices officially increased tenfold. At fifty copper coins, how many families could afford to eat? In other words, money that once bought ten days' worth of food now only covered a single day. Food is the foundation of daily life; if grain prices rose, could other goods possibly remain unaffected?

Residents of Tianshui City discovered that all daily necessities had become more expensive, with prices doubling every few days. The more expensive and scarce goods became, the more people rushed to panic-buy and hoard. Due to exorbitant prices, shops on the streets began to close one after another. Outside of Tianshui City's northern district, visiting merchants could no longer find a place within the city to bathe, get a shave, or enjoy a relaxing massage.

As a wave of officials were dismissed, the authorities in Tianshui City, Mangzhou, and other major cities arrested nearly three hundred merchants, large and small, on charges of price gouging and hoarding. Large quantities of grain were confiscated from their merchant associations and granaries! The common people cheered, then splattered filth on the doorways of these shops. Shop assistants who ventured outside were likewise accosted and beaten, narrowly escaping being treated like rats in the street.

Consequently, Dongshang Grain Store, one of Tianshui City's largest, whose main road shop began to limit daily sales of rice to twenty thousand jin. Priced at thirty-five copper coins per jin, each person was restricted to three taels (a small measure) and prohibited from repeat purchases, with sales continuing until supplies ran out. The other grain stores followed suit. They were all under official dispatch. In plain terms, the government forced them to sell affordable grain. Refusing to sell was not an option, nor was failing to procure grain. The authorities only supervised the sales, without caring whether the merchants could actually secure the grain supplies. It was up to them to exercise their initiative; otherwise, the wealthy merchants, accustomed to lives of luxury and fine dining, would face imprisonment.

However, even though major merchant houses like Dongshang Grain Store were compelled to sell affordable grain, less than 70% of it actually reached the common people. Where did the remaining 30% go? Unfortunately, it went to those not subject to purchase limits. To secure enough food for their families, residents often had to queue at various grain stores in rotation. Arrive a moment too late, and you'd miss out entirely. At this point, even money couldn't guarantee access to grain. The mounting panic further fueled the rise in grain prices. In present-day Tianshui City, the only thing rising faster than the price of new urban housing was grain itself. Some residents, unable to endure the hardship, began selling their new urban land plots.

Fan Shuang also reported to He Lingchuan that grain was indeed unobtainable. A visiting general, who had just arrived in the capital with his dozen or so guards, found himself literally trapped and starving in his inn. Days earlier, they could still buy a few bowls of overpriced noodles—at one hundred thirty copper coins per bowl—to sate their hunger. Now, however, all the restaurants on the street were closing because they, too, could no longer source ingredients. The general had tried every connection, yet still couldn't procure any grain. If even a person of rank faced such destitution, how could common folk expect to fare any better?

Bailing'an, on the northern front of the Xiyao Kingdom.

Bailing'an was originally a small town with over a hundred households. However, once it became a frontline location, the town was requisitioned and converted into a military camp.