Sang Qingzhou's lips trembled as if he had suffered a great humiliation.
Ji Yuchen stood up. "The emperor must be very worried. I'll go back first to report this to him. Yunxi, I'll need the help of your people."
"Brother, you can mobilize the Dream Blossom Pavilion as you like."
Watching Ji Yuchen walk out, Li Jiuge craned her neck to look. Immediately, she stood up, lifted the hem of her skirt, and stepped forward to kick Sang Qingzhou.
"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Look at your current situation. Do you think you can get away with keeping silent? We can find out on our own. We were just giving you a way out. Since you don't want it, then go to hell!"
Her action didn't scare Sang Qingzhou, but it did startle the other men present, especially her elder brother, Feng Xingzhi.
Ji Yunxi was stunned for a moment and quickly stepped forward to hold her back. "Jiuge! There are people here, there are people..."
But Li Jiuge didn't care. "So what if there are people here? I've wanted to beat him for a long time. He even dared to kidnap me with sleeping incense. I'll beat you to death."
Feng Xingzhi obviously didn't expect his younger sister to be so hot - tempered. He stood there stunned, thinking that after they got back, he might have to arrange ten or eight nannies to teach her proper etiquette.
As a good friend, Ji Yunxi was extremely helpless. She could only smile awkwardly at the others, trying to salvage her friend's remaining dignity.
Amid the commotion, Ji Yuchen suddenly returned.
Li Jiuge immediately let go, put down her skirt, and sat back down on the seat gently. Her transformation was so fast that Qing Xuan couldn't help but lean on Ji Yunyi's shoulder and laugh.
"Qing Xuan, is it really that funny?" Li Jiuge gritted her teeth as she said this.
Scared, Qing Xuan quickly waved his hand. "No, no. I was just thinking that Sang Yuanyi, a general of the Northern Di, actually has such a useless son, and he treasures him like a precious thing. It's really laughable."
Not knowing what had happened, Ji Yuchen stepped forward. "Your Highness Prince and Princess, I've already written a secret letter to His Majesty. Please rest assured."
Sang Qingzhou was stunned. Looking at Feng Xingzhi and Li Jiuge, he thought, Prince and Princess?!
They must not be from the Northern Di. And since Xuan City was close to the Southern Yan, could they be the prince and princess of the Southern Yan?!
Fear filled his eyes, and his heart trembled. He didn't expect to have run into such high - status people.
The group didn't pay attention to Sang Qingzhou. Ji Yunyi stood up. "I'll go and see if Lu Shu and the others need any help."
"That's fine. This matter won't be resolved for a while. The investigation will take some time. We'd better go back and rest first and wait for the news."
The innkeeper immediately stepped forward, blindfolded Sang Qingzhou, and took him downstairs back to the cellar. He specially arranged someone to watch over him.
Back in the cellar, Sang Qingzhou was a bit nervous. He secretly hated himself for being so careless. Now, a prince and a princess of the Southern Yan were not easy to deal with. And that woman clearly wasn't an ordinary person either.
He had really kicked a steel plate this time. He clenched his fists. Offending them was a small matter, but if the matter of the military weapons was completely exposed, that would be a big problem!
He stood up and tried to push the cellar door. A shout came from outside. "Be honest!"
But Sang Qingzhou had lost his previous arrogance. "Good sir, let's talk. I'm from the Sang family in Xuan City. As long as you let me go, I'll promise you wealth and honor! I can give you a lot of money!"
"I spit on you. Shut up."
The other person was unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, which made Sang Qingzhou extremely frustrated. Now he could only sit quietly in the cellar, waiting for his father to come and rescue him. Little did he know that his most loyal guard leader had already fled without a trace.
Early the next morning, Lu Shu returned covered in the morning dew.
"Master, I've investigated. The villagers in the surrounding villages said that the Sang Mansion would take more than twenty boxes to the outskirts of the city every once in a while to trade with someone. I think it must be the military weapons."
Ji Yunxi thought for a moment. "Did the villagers see the face of the trader, or... any characteristics?"
Suddenly remembering something, Lu Shu slapped his hand. "Yes! They said that the accent sounded like that of someone from the Southern Yan, and the cart tracks were all heading in the direction of the Southern Yan."
Feng Xingzhi was very surprised. "Cart tracks? They had a trade recently? How could the tracks last so long?"
Lu Shu explained. "My lord, you may not know that there have been abnormal weather phenomena in many places recently. In some places, it hasn't rained for months, while in other places, it has been raining for months. There are even places where it has snowed in June."
"Pfft, this is quite normal. We've seen a lot of such things before." Qing Xuan was a bit disdainful. "Could it be because it hasn't rained in Xuan City for many days?"
"Precisely because it hasn't rained, the ground has dried and cracked, so the cart tracks can't be erased." Lu Shu sighed. "Moreover, the crops around Xuan City have all failed because of this drought."
Ji Yunxi and Feng Xingzhi exchanged a look. This abnormal phenomenon was definitely not a good thing.
Ji Yuchen was a bit worried. "If the crops fail, won't many common people have nothing to eat?"
"Brother, I'm afraid it's not just that. If the abnormal phenomenon has affected the crops, and with the taxes and corvée, there may be quite a few refugees."
Ji Yuchen's face instantly turned ugly. As the prime minister, he naturally knew what a large number of refugees meant.
It meant that the common people would be displaced, and it meant that the country would be in danger and turmoil.
For a moment, Ji Yuchen even broke out in a cold sweat.
Seeing everyone so tense, Qing Xuan wanted to ease the atmosphere. "Well, this may not necessarily be the case, right? Maybe it's only like this in Xuan City?"
Lu Shu shook his head. "I sent people to investigate last night. This strange celestial phenomenon is not unique to one place. Instead, it covers a very wide area and lasts for a long time."
He said with some difficulty. "Moreover, some people have already started to be displaced and are heading towards the capital."
"What?!" Feng Xingzhi and Ji Yuchen suddenly stood up. "Were there any officials in charge along the way?"
"It should have been reported, but for now, it doesn't seem to have been brought under control."
This news was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, making everyone feel a bit uneasy.
"A Shu, does the Dream Blossom Pavilion have any stored grain? How much?"
Lu Shu knew that Ji Yunxi would definitely choose to open the granaries to relieve the common people. "Master, we've stored a lot of grain over the years. If we really calculate it, I'm afraid..."
He glanced at Feng Xingzhi. "It's even fuller than the national treasury."
His answer made everyone feel a bit more at ease. With the guarantee of the Dream Blossom Pavilion, the Southern Yan wouldn't be in chaos for the time being.
"In that case, then get ready and wait for the emperor's order to open the granaries and relieve the people. The Dream Blossom Pavilion shouldn't become the target of public criticism, but rather the guarantee of the royal family."
Feng Xingzhi understood what Ji Yunxi meant. Since ancient times, emperors have been suspicious. If the Dream Blossom Pavilion directly opened the granaries, it would be no different from challenging the royal family and winning the hearts of the people. But if the emperor gave the order, it would be different.