"Please come in, Fang, have you eaten lunch yet? The food in the pot is still warm..."
"I’ve eaten already, sister-in-law, no need to fuss..."
"Don’t be a stranger!"
"Look at you... Guangzong, come here, see what Fang has brought you?"
Fang Ke’s voice woke Yang Ge, who had been dozing with his chin propped in his hand. He opened his eyes and instinctively glanced at the old shopkeeper on the bed; seeing him still in a deep slumber, he stood up and tiptoed over, bent down to check the shopkeeper’s pulse, then released a few strands of True Qi to carefully probe the vigor inside his body, afterward tucking the corner of the blanket and tiptoed out.
Outside the room, Fang Ke, wrapped in a thick overcoat, was leading Guangzong, who was bundled up like a ball, his cheeks puffed, with some candy in his mouth.
The snow in the yard had not melted yet; Huang lay in the dog kennel from afar, his eyes intently watching Fang Ke.
Upon seeing Yang Ge, Guangzong immediately let go of Fang Ke and threw himself into Yang Ge’s arms, his voice muffled as he shouted, "Uncle!"
Yang Ge bent down to pick up Guangzong and passed a trace of True Qi to warm his body, whispering, "Has the person sent to the capital returned?"
"He has returned..."
Fang Ke nodded in response and saw Yang Ge’s eyes were dark-ringed and bloodshot. He couldn’t help but advise softly, "Sir, the old man’s health is important, but you must also take care of yourself... Should I send a couple of careful brothers over to lend a hand?"
"I’m fine."
Yang Ge smiled: "It’s always like this just after waking up... How’s the situation in the capital?"
Meanwhile, Madame Liu came out of the kitchen with a teapot, her voice as loud as a cannon as she called out, "Don’t stand there, come sit in the main hall."
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Yang Ge’s eyes twitched as he chuckled bitterly, "Sister-in-law, keep your voice down, the old man is asleep..."
Madame Liu was all good except that she was too... fiery. In the Liu family, aside from the old shopkeeper whom she could only scold, she dared to snap at the other three men, including Yang Ge!
"Look at me..."
Madame Liu smiled sheepishly, holding the teapot as she quickly walked into the main hall, and before long she was carrying a chair over in one hand.
Yang Ge hurriedly set Guangzong down to receive the chair.
Madame Liu: "Guangzong, go inside, don’t disturb your uncle and your Fang in discussing important matters."
Guangzong clung to Yang Ge’s leg and wouldn’t let go: "No!"
Madame Liu glared: "I’m counting to three!"
Guangzong promptly let go and turned to waddle shakily toward the main hall.
The ferocity of the situation left both Yang Ge and Fang Ke barely able to open their eyes.
Once Madame Liu had busied herself seeing Yang Ge and Fang Ke seated, each with a bowl of hot tea in their hands, she turned to tend to her own tasks.
Fang Ke sighed in relief, chuckling softly, "Brother Liu is truly blessed!"
Yang Ge chuckled softly: "How’s the situation in the capital?"
Fang Ke: "I went to the Northern Pacification Commission but didn’t see Shen..."
Yang Ge: "You went to the capital?"
Fang Ke chuckled: "It’s hard for the underlings to speak up about some matters."
Yang Ge smiled helplessly: "During this festive season, you’ve had a tough time..."
"It’s part of the job, not worth mentioning as hard."
Fang Ke waved it off nonchalantly and continued, "Shen seemed not to be in the capital, and I couldn’t meet old man Shen. According to the news gathered from other guards, the situation generally matches what Brother Liu mentioned: due to the heavy snow blocking roads, some areas couldn’t transport their grain, and some areas were transporting it northward..."
After a pause, he summarized, "This grain shortage should be temporary, and it should alleviate once spring warms up."
Hearing this, Yang Ge felt the heavy load on his heart land steadily, exhaling softly, "That’s good!"
Fang Ke lowered his head to sip his hot tea, pondering for a moment before hesitantly saying, "However, during my trip to the capital, I heard some rumors in the streets and alleys..."
Yang Ge: "Let’s hear them..."
Fang Ke glanced at him and said softly, "In Luoyang, some people are spreading rumors that the ’Single Whip Law’ favors merchants over farmers, upends priorities, the current emperor is vastly expanding the military at the cost of agrarian needs, and the Han Jia Granary’s ten silos are nine empty... leading to the recent rise in grain prices."
Yang Ge slowly furrowed his brow, sipping his tea thoughtfully, then suddenly scoffed, "Nice move with the flow!"
Fang Ke blinked in confusion, asking softly, "You mean... someone is seizing the opportunity to slander the emperor, to slander the new policies?"
Yang Ge shook his head slightly: "On the contrary, these rumors... are most likely true."
Fang Ke was startled: "Ah?"
"The national grain reserves for military readiness should be directed as the rumors have suggested..."
Yang Ge said flatly, "The reason there was no problem before but there is now is that someone is taking advantage of the emperor’s recent ascension, his unfamiliarity with governmental affairs. They intentionally let the new emperor make mistakes, watching for slip-ups to ’open the emperor’s eyes.’"
A person’s mental and physical energy are limited; no one can be involved in everything and handle every aspect thoroughly.
Otherwise, what would the emperor need ministers for? He could govern the entire country by himself!
The issue this time lies in the decisions made by the emperor; the ministers who should have been there to support and correct him did not play their part and instead, might even be encouraging the emperor to spend more lavishly on money and grain...
For instance, the state granaries—the emperor is not aware of the detailed accounts of grain in and out, nor the specifics of grain transportation logistics; surely the Ministry of Revenue must be aware, right?
When the grain allocated by the court exceeds the storage red line or the expenses far outweigh the income, the Ministry of Revenue should step forward, loudly alerting the emperor that this cannot continue without problems, or directly raise the issue so everyone can discuss how to convert the silver in the national treasury into grain to support the court’s major policy directions.