Chapter 224 Qian Renxue's Troubles

Qian Renxue was not a mediocre person. After hearing Ning Fengzhi's reminder, she immediately understood everything. He hurriedly called the guards and handed over the required information.

She sat in the tea room. Outside the window was a bustling street scene in Tiandou City, which formed a strong contrast with the tense atmosphere of the room.

She slid through the information on the light screen one by one, and the information on it made her more and more frightened.

The food demand caused by the previous continental unification war caused the original grain reserves in many warehouses to be requisitioned. Qian Renxue, whose ultimate goal was to destroy both Tiandou and Xingluo, did not pay attention to the food management and coordination that should have been strengthened.

When she saw those shocking data now, she wanted to go back a few months ago and slap herself hard.

The food that could support at least a year can now only support half a month. A large amount of food was lost and transported during the war and has long been lost.

Thinking back to Qian Renxue, who had just pieced together the truth in her mind, her limbs were like being soaked in ice water.

The number of gold soul coins that Ross had stolen from Soto City reached an astonishing million, and the number of vehicles stolen from the carriage and horse shop reached 600. Not counting the carriages he had obtained from other cities one after another.

If an adult needs a black bread a day, the number of wheat consumed a day will be 438 grams. The population of the entire southern region is at the million level, which means that more than 26,000 tons of wheat will be consumed before the new wheat is harvested.

According to the worst-case scenario, Ross has more than 2,000 heavy-duty carriages with a carrying capacity of two tons and has been purchasing grain for a month. Counting the consumption on the road, about 30,000 tons of grain have been swept away and are still increasing!

30,000 tons, what do I need to do to fill this hole!

Qian Renxue has foreseen what kind of human tragedy will happen in various cities where food is at a bottom in half a month.

A trace of despair flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a firm will.

She is the empress of the Tiandou Empire. She cannot let her people fall into famine and chaos. She must find a way to solve this crisis.

She quickly analyzed several possible solutions in her mind, but none of them were ideal.

The way is there

The first one is to disperse the strong labor in the city to the countryside and use the food in the vast countryside to feed these city dwellers. The cost is also imaginable. It completely offends all the urban and rural populations and even deepens the contradiction between the two.

Second, ask for help from the Xingluo Empire, but the more than 20,000 tons of food are transported abroad, which is probably a drop in the bucket, and she has to bow to Muzhe, who she least wants to admit defeat.

The last one is also the option that Qian Renxue will not gamble with the most. Find the food storage place of Ross and others, take back the food and distribute it to eliminate the crisis.

As a ruler, Qian Renxue will never put this plan full of unknowns on the table. This will be putting millions of people on the gambling table of fate.

So this one will only be said to be an alternative plan, which will be carried out simultaneously.

She took a deep breath and raised her head. Her eyes were firm and calm, without any panic or fear. She said to the guards:

"Go and inform my advisers that I will hold an emergency meeting. At the same time, send out the most elite reconnaissance team to track Ross's whereabouts and find out where they hide their food. I want to let them know the consequences of angering me!"

A dock in the south of the Tiandou Empire is a small village isolated in the wilderness. It is surrounded by a green wheat field, and it seems that it has entered the flag-raising period.

Looking at these, there are verdant peaks in the distance. The villagers here are all hardworking and simple farmers. They make a living by growing wheat and pay a certain amount of taxes to the Tiandou Empire every year.

The guards on the gate tower looked vigilantly at the merchants leading five huge ox carts, their faces full of vigilance. They wore coarse cloth clothes, iron helmets on their heads, and steel guns in their hands. They knew that this place had been affected by the war, food was in short supply, and merchants no longer came and went.

"Where are you from? Since the war, no grain merchant has come to this place for a long time." The guard held the steel gun tightly in his hand and stared at the suspicious merchant with a serious look.

The merchant, wearing leather armor and holding a piece of grass in his mouth, got off the ox cart unhurriedly, walked to the cart, and took down an item tightly wrapped with straw rope from it.

He took out his pocket knife and cut open the straw bag, and white salt grains instantly sprinkled out of it. He brought a whole bag of refined salt.

"The best refined salt from the Endless Sea, loyal guard, tell the village chief here about my arrival." After saying this, the merchant posed in a relaxed posture and leaned in the cart head of the ox cart.

He had a smile on his face, but a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes. He was one of the operatives sent by Ross to purchase grain. Behind him followed four accomplices, all of whom were soul masters. They planned to exchange salt for the grain in the hands of the villagers and then transport it to the place designated by Ross.

Rhodes knew how to break through the psychological defenses of these stubborn villagers.

For a place where farm work is the main source of income, providing salt for physical labor is a bargaining chip that they cannot refuse.

The merchant's wait did not last long. Soon the guard ran back to the gate panting and opened the gate a little.

"Bring your salt and come in alone." The guard said loudly.

"I know the rules, so don't play this trick, guard." The merchant spit out the grass roots in his mouth to show his strength as a soul master with three soul rings.

"I won't play any tricks with you. Fifteen bags of grain and one bag of salt. This price is not available anywhere else, and the harvest is about to start. Without these salts, your harvest progress will be much slower."

The merchant waited for the guard's reply leisurely.

The loyal guard looked embarrassed, his eyes rolling around, as if thinking about whether he should agree to such a transaction. In the end, he gave up thinking and closed the door to the village again. Hearing the footsteps going away, he must have gone to discuss with the wise man in the village.

The meeting hall in the village is a simple house built with wooden boards and thatch. There are several wooden tables and wooden benches inside. This is where the villagers discuss important matters.

Several old men and strong laborers in the village are discussing whether to agree to the merchant's transaction conditions at the wooden table.

Their faces were full of hesitation and worry. They knew that this decision was related to their livelihood and future.

"I think this businessman must have bad intentions. The war has just ended. How can someone come to buy grain so soon instead of waiting until our new wheat is harvested? There must be some conspiracy."

A strong and dark-skinned young man said.

"Niu Er, don't worry. Fifteen bags of grain for one bag of salt, this deal is a good deal that you can't find except for the sucker. There are still two months before the wheat can be harvested. Stocking up some salt in advance is also a rainy day."

An old man with white hair and beard said while puffing on a dry pipe.

"Old Donkey, don't talk first. Niu Er, how much wheat is left in the village barn?" Another middle-aged man with gray beard spoke.

"Shuan Ye, Er Dan and I have inspected the barn a few days ago. The grain in it is enough for us to eat until this winter." Niu Er replied in a buzzing voice.

Hearing Niu Er's answer, Shuan Ye began to write and draw on the mud, as if calculating something.

After a while, he threw down the small branch in his hand and stood up to say to everyone.

"I have calculated it. Let's sell him 100 bags of grain first." Shuan Ye said with determination.

"Shuan Ye, don't be impulsive. These are 100 bags of grain, enough for our whole village to eat for a long time. Two hundred and fifty-seven people have eaten for more than two months! Are you really not going to leave any?"

Niu Er was anxious when he heard Shuan Ye's arrangement.

"Niu Er, I'll ask you, do you still want to eat meat during the New Year?" Shuan Ye did not directly answer Niu Er's question, but threw out another question.

"Of course! What does this have to do with buying salt?" Niu Er answered in seconds.

"If you want to eat the best meat, listen to me!" Shuan Ye made the decision without saying much.

Soon, bags of grain were carried out with the help of strong villagers. The transaction was completed in a tense atmosphere.

Watching these merchants drive the carts away, the villagers breathed a sigh of relief.

Such scenes were constantly being played out in villages across the Tiandu Empire's main grain-producing areas, with countless amounts of grain being gathered in the hands of Ross and his gang.