The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 551: With Your Blow, We’ve Given Up the Struggle

Chapter 551: With Your Blow, We’ve Given Up the Struggle

In the deep of night,

at Xuanzheng Temple,

the cold wind howled outside.

Inside, the charcoal fire burned, but still, the young Taoists were bundled in thick cotton clothes.

Despite years of cultivation, few could draw the Teleportation Talisman.

The three Ming could manage a few, but they quickly became sweaty and breathless after only a few attempts.

Nanli sighed helplessly, "You three have practiced for decades, how can you not compare to a mere youth?"

With He Qinian intermittently drawing, he had already completed ten talismans in this hour.

The three Ming exchanged glances.

Ming Chong spoke up, "Your Highness, you’re not even seventeen, yet you can draw the Transfer Talisman. We, for our entire lives, might struggle to reach your level. With your prowess, we’ve given up the fight."

Ming Qin added, "It’s not giving up; it’s having self-awareness."

Ming Pei nodded, "Indeed, everyone’s talent is different. Although this He Qinian has good skills, we also have a Cangan here!"

Cangan was impressive, diligently cultivating and never slacking in his studies.

He had drawn a few fewer talismans than He Qinian, but his future looked promising.

Nanli walked over to inspect Cangan’s talisman.

Cangan was quite nervous but stood tall despite his fatigue.

The Teleportation Talisman he drew contained considerable power, allowing for a decent teleportation distance.

However...

She noticed Cangan’s stubbornness; he would likely refuse to rest properly on his own.

So, Nanli said, "Let’s all take a break."

She intended to draw for a while longer, but at that moment, Ye Siheng and Xuanyuan Che arrived.

Ye Siheng braved the cold, wrapped in a cloak to shield himself from the snow.

Xuanyuan Che wore a thick cloak but was still shivering, his complexion a shade of purple.

It couldn’t be helped; the Border Nation enjoyed spring-like weather year-round, and he hadn’t yet adapted to the climate in Mu Nation after so many years.

Upon entering, he crouched by the charcoal stove, extending his stiff hands to warm them.

It was freezing.

Though the Lantern Festival had passed, the snow should have lightened by now. With a bit more time, spring should be on the way.

But now, who knew how long this snow would continue to fall?

Ye Siheng’s expression had relaxed compared to earlier. Spotting Nanli, he even managed a smile.

Nanli was a bit surprised, "You just went to the Border Nation this afternoon. How did you return so quickly? Was everything settled?"

Ye Siheng nodded, "With your seal, the Prime Minister of the Border Nation naturally agreed without hesitation. He said their granaries have stored grain for nearly a decade, so they can supply as much as needed."

Nanli let out a breath of relief.

In the face of natural disasters, gold and jewels sometimes proved useless; grain was the most crucial resource.

Fortunately, Second Brother had stockpiled grain in advance, so the Capital currently had enough reserves, keeping rice prices relatively stable.

However, it was a different story elsewhere; Mu Nation had limited reserves and couldn’t distribute enough to feed the populace.

Some unscrupulous merchants took advantage of the situation to hike prices, making it impossible for common people to afford food.

But the Border Nation was different; with its spring-like climate, grain production was abundant.

Initially, it was thought that the Border Nation’s granaries held only two or three years’ worth of supplies, but it turned out to be ten!

Xuanyuan Che added, "It’s not just ten years’ worth of food for the Border Nation’s citizens, but for all the common people across the land."

"Is there really that much?" Nanli was even more astonished.

The Taoists of Xuanzheng Temple gasped, their eyes wide.

Ten years’ worth of food for all the people...

What an immense quantity that must be!

Ye Siheng settled down, slightly nodding, "I heard someone cultivated a type of Enchanting Bugs that can double crop yields, allowing for such a large amount to be stored in just a couple of years."

"Previously, due to the tense relations between the Border Nation and Mu Nation, the Border Nation never considered selling grain to us."

"Oh, right, the Prime Minister insisted I convey a message to you."

Nanli blinked, "What message?"

"The ruler is indeed the blessing of my Border Nation! The moment you ascended the throne, you resolved our grain crisis--long live the ruler!" Ye Siheng mimicked the Prime Minister’s tone, repeating the words.

Nanli’s lips twitched slightly, "Can that really be used to praise me?"

Xuanyuan Che felt the cold on his body dissipate a bit.

Turning back, he respectfully said, "Yes, because the old grain of the Border Nation is excessive, the citizens can’t sell it and are reluctant to discard it, leaving officials in a quandary. The Prime Minister also mentioned that your offer was too high--according to the Border Nation’s prices, a stone of rice only costs two hundred wen."

"Two hundred wen?! For a stone of rice?!" Ming Chong, in charge of finances and provisions, immediately had stars in his eyes. "Where do we buy it?! How do we get it back from the Border Nation?"

Ming Pei held him down, "Calm down, Senior Brother. The Border Nation sells it for two hundred wen, but with the heavy snow blocking the mountains, whether it can be transported is uncertain. Even if it can, with this snow, the manpower and resources required are unimaginable, so who knows how much it will cost by the time it arrives in the Capital."

After hearing this, Ming Chong finally calmed down.

That made sense.

Ming Qin muttered, "Buying grain from the Border Nation is useless; by the time it gets here, it’ll be summer."

What had the Ninth Prince and Ninth Princess been thinking?

Distant water couldn’t quench immediate thirst.

But only Cangan looked at the Teleportation Talisman on the table and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Ninth Princess, are you planning to use talismans to transport grain?!"

Nanli looked at him and smiled, "You’re quite clever."

Cangan scratched his head, a bit shy.

The three Ming also felt proud, glancing at He Qinian before asking how this plan would be executed.

Nanli pinched a Transfer Talisman between her fingers, saying, "First, send two people to the Border Nation to get the grain. Yizhou is the central hub of Mu Nation, where the grain delivery team will wait for the supplies to arrive before using talismans to send the grain to various states and counties."

Xuanyuan Che was puzzled, "But won’t two people be insufficient to fetch the grain?"

Nanli continued, "With a storage talisman, you can carry as much rice as you want; it makes it easier for the delivery team."

Saying this, she demonstrated.

Xuanyuan Che watched as items were packed into sacks, then attached with a talisman, shrinking and lightening, making them easy to carry. Instantly, admiration filled his gaze.

"Long live the ruler!"

Nanli sensed he was about to kneel and quickly said, "Don’t kneel; go pick the people for the delivery team--don’t waste any more time here."

Xuanyuan Che’s body stiffened.

He had just warmed up.

But for the ruler, he was ready to give it his all!

He gritted his teeth and was about to dash out of the room.

Nanli pulled him back, slipping a talisman into his robe. "Keep this with you."

Xuanyuan Che hadn’t yet asked what it was when he felt a warm current sweep through his body.

The biting wind and blizzard outside suddenly felt less daunting.

His eyes glistened with tears, "Ruler..."

Such a good ruler--where could he find another?