Chapter 1901: The Weight of the Golden Signboard

The practice of using civilian merchant guilds and caravans to transport military supplies has never been a secret; both present-day Beiga and the former Yaoguo employed this method. Official grain transport was often problematic, inefficient, and resulted in significant losses. Therefore, the royal court outsourced this task to private organizations, finding it faster, more effective, and considerably more economical.

However, the crucial prerequisite was trustworthiness.

Given that He Xiao was an adversary, not an ally, Bai Tan's continued involvement with him seemed like an act of covert defiance against her and the Sky God.

Bai Tan shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum. "It wasn't a commission, merely... a necessary utilization of Yangshan's channels."

"Channels?" Qingyang echoed, hearing the word from Bai Tan for the second time, and felt an increasing sense of unease.

"Although we made some preparations beforehand, since our uprising began, I first attacked three counties and seven townships, then fought Qu Ruhai, repelling General Chongwu. After that, we pushed back Yuwen Yong and Tu Han, and now we are in the midst of encircling Chen Chuihua. With the war progressing ceaselessly, military supplies are inevitably strained, and some shortages must be procured externally."

Warfare invariably presented the most practical challenges.

"I only control one of the southern grain-producing plains, yet I must provision one-third of the nation's soldiers. The consumption is indeed immense, so a portion of our grain is imported from foreign regions like Xianhe Valley and Taowei. Furthermore, consumables such as boots, arrow fletchings, hemostatic agents, and insect/poison repellent herbs are in short supply within our territory and must be sourced from outside. As I mentioned before concerning Baimaoting oil, we don't produce that ourselves."

With the Yaoguo region in disarray, many previously available supplies are now unobtainable. War, like a bottomless pit, devours all resources and manpower poured into it, leaving nothing behind.

Even though Bai Tan possessed a substantial inheritance from the former Yaoguo, he was deeply anxious about the constant struggle to make ends meet.

In truth, there were other circumstances he found difficult to confide in Qingyang.

His grain requisition officers had repeatedly reported that even within their own occupied grain-producing areas, collecting provisions was challenging. Merchants, wealthy households, and commoners meticulously hid their grain, fearing that what was termed "requisition" was, in reality, outright plunder. Even when Bai Tan offered payment, people remained distrustful. They wondered if the army would entice them with money for grain, only to reclaim the funds later—a precedent that was all too common.

"Tsk, they're all cunning paupers."

Bai Tan clearly understood that, at his core, he was merely a regional warlord and the primary cause of Yaoguo's downfall. The people of Yaoguo utterly distrusted him, making his personal efforts at grain requisition highly inefficient.

However, the Yangshan Merchant Guild was different. The grain Bai Tan's army couldn't acquire through requisition, Yangshan could purchase. Everyone knew it as a purely commercial organization with an excellent reputation, one that wouldn't scheme to gain without effort or use force to raid granaries.

Qingyang understood at this point. "So, you entrusted Yangshan to purchase these supplies from external sources?"

"Some of these producing regions were already hostile to the former Yaoguo, such as the Allied territories. Others were once Yaoguo's tribute lands, like Shuangxi and Song'e, previously managed by Xue Zongwu; after Yaoguo's collapse, they severed ties and refused further tribute. More commonly, these were places that had no prior dealings with me, feared the risks, and were unwilling to trade with a war-torn region."

Bai Tan offered a wry smile. "Whether we like it or not, Yangshan's business extends across most of the Blazing Gold Plains. All the places I just mentioned conduct business with Yangshan. I can only conveniently procure these supplies by leveraging Yangshan's reputation and its established channels."

He omitted one crucial point:

While the Yaoguo King was still alive, these regions might not have dared to disrespect the powerful Blazing Gold nation, compelled to sell even against their will.

After the fall of Yaoguo, however, they held no regard for Bai Tan; if they refused to sell, their word was final.

It was at this juncture that the true capability of the Yangshan Merchant Guild became evident. Bai Tan had to be pragmatic.

In a war of attrition, wasn't logistics the ultimate determinant?

Alas, the greater the wartime pressure, the more significant Yangshan's reputation became. He simply couldn't deny it.

Qingyang slowly stated, "So, Yangshan cannot be touched in your territory either?"

The latent threat in her words prompted Bai Tan to quickly clarify, "No, no, that's certainly not what I mean. I'm simply stating that we've already advanced a substantial amount of money, but the goods haven't been delivered yet. Disrupting the Yangshan Merchant Guild at this juncture would be genuinely detrimental to us."

"The goods haven't been delivered yet?" Qingyang raised an eyebrow, instinctively asking, "You paid upfront?"

As the words left her mouth, she immediately felt she had asked a redundant question. Of course, payment was made upfront!

As expected, Bai Tan launched into a litany of complaints. "We are a war-torn region; how could we possibly have credit abroad? It's always payment upfront, then delivery."

Was there any greater uncertainty in the world than war? If they delivered goods to him first, and he were defeated or annexed tomorrow, wouldn't that become an unrecoverable debt?

In such circumstances, the golden reputation of the Yangshan Merchant Guild became even more invaluable; otherwise, Bai Tan might have paid for goods he never received.

Bai Tan then seized the opportunity to complain for quite some time.

Two days prior, he had heard the legend that the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities was the reincarnation of the Dragon God, poised to sweep across the Blazing Gold Plains. Initially startled, he then considered it a potential opportunity. If the "Dragon God" truly intended to cause upheaval, would the Sky God permit the Yaoguo region to remain in chaos?

After months of warfare, he increasingly discerned that the chaotic conflict in the Yaoguo region was entirely orchestrated by the Sky God. He also discovered that Qingyang, that old woman, remained ensconced in Youhu Xiaozhu, secretly communicating with multiple other factions.

What did this imply? The Sky God wasn't solely placing bets on him, Bai Tan!

Now, after over a hundred days of chaotic fighting, the situation in the Yaoguo region had become much clearer, and his advantages were increasingly evident. If the Sky God wished to end the war, appointing him as king was the most probable outcome!

The prerequisite, however, was that he had to defeat Chen Chuihua and Qu Ruhai!

Even Bai Tan, who had inherited the Yaoguo King's legacy, found the fighting so arduous, implying that his two opponents must also be struggling severely. Everyone was grimly enduring.

Bai Tan was not short on money; what he lacked was supplies.

Since the internal strife in the Yaoguo region began, merchants and the wealthy had fled abroad to escape the turmoil, leading to the decay of all industries, stagnant logistics, and a severe scarcity of goods.

Why do wars often impoverish nations? Economic destruction is a primary cause.

Bai Tan clearly knew he was just a step—or perhaps several steps—away from ultimate victory. He absolutely could not lose momentum now.

Qingyang, however, seemed somewhat distracted.

Her thoughts had long since transcended the Yaoguo region and Bai Tan's immediate predicament.

Finally, Qingyang asked Bai Tan, "The Sky God has also ordered the proscription of the Yangshan Merchant Guild. How do you intend to explain yourself?"

At such a crucial moment in the war, if Bai Tan dared to defy orders, the Sky God would surely turn against him.

"If the Sky God wishes to proscribe it, then let it be proscribed," Bai Tan said, having already formulated his response on the way there. "Yangshan's emblem can no longer appear in our territory. However, those who were imprisoned—considering they were unaware of He Xiao's true identity—should be released for now."

Most of those apprehended by the Qing Guards were people from Yaoguo, local influential figures. Qingyang naturally raised no objection to this.

If they were to be released, they should all be released together. There was no point in detaining just a few individuals from Yangshan or the Blazing Gold Plains.

In her heart, it was perfectly clear: "Yangshan's emblem cannot appear, but you still wish to retain Yangshan's channels, is that correct?"