Yun Poxing nodded: “Exactly so. If the court sells grain at ordinary prices, I fear that before the people can get their hands on it, the eight great families will have already bought up the grain first and sold it at high prices. This would only benefit the eight great families while the people receive no actual advantage. But if we distribute grain directly to the people, we might encourage them to further abandon their farmland.”

The Xiliang Empress clenched her fists tightly, her heart full of rage.

Cui Fengnian… Cui Gongxing! Using profit as bait, borrowing the hands of the eight great families… to manipulate all of Xiliang in the palm of his hand. Though Cui Gongxing wouldn’t admit it, the Xiliang Empress dared assert that if he wasn’t from Great Yan, then he was from Da Zhou – all to use this method to drag down Xiliang!

But these profit-obsessed, treacherous eight great families completely disregarded national righteousness, only caring about accumulating wealth for themselves. They didn’t even consider that Xiliang was already on the brink of national destruction – they only thought of personal gain.

“I will go see Cui Gongxing immediately!” the Xiliang Empress said helplessly. “Now we can only release Cui Gongxing and have him stabilize grain prices, while continuing to find ways to encourage farming. We absolutely cannot allow others to strangle us by the throat with grain.”

“This humble minister’s foolish opinion…” the Minister of Revenue suddenly spoke up. “I think this incident is a good thing. When the people realize they have no grain stored at home and that the silver they earn will become grain merchants’ money due to grain price fluctuations, they’ll understand the importance of grain and will certainly return to farming.”

Yun Poxing also nodded: “Exactly so. Now that Xiliang is in such a precarious situation, even if Your Majesty suspects this Cui Fengnian was sent by Great Yan or Da Zhou to disrupt our Xiliang, since we didn’t discover it earlier, we can’t act rashly now – we can only take it slowly!”

Take it slowly…

Da Zhou, the Rong Di, Great Yan – which of these three nations would allow Xiliang to take it slowly?

The Xiliang Empress’s heart… had never felt so stifled.

Ever since ascending to this position, she had been determined to restore Xiliang’s former glory, but these eight great families were like a festering sore attached to bone – they had infiltrated and entrenched forces throughout all aspects of Xiliang and couldn’t be easily removed.

The Xiliang Empress felt as if she were trapped in an invisible great net. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free, couldn’t even truly fight the eight great families to the death.

In the great prison.

Fortunately, the Xiliang Empress still remembered old affections and treated Bai Jintong relatively well.

At least after being imprisoned for so long, Bai Jintong’s clothes were still clean and tidy, the bedding in the cell was reasonably clean, and the daily meals were not neglected. When Bai Jintong wanted books, brush, and ink, the guards provided them readily.

Today, Bai Jintong learned from the guard who brought her food that grain prices had risen…

Bai Jintong calculated the time and was certain in her heart that her eldest sister must have learned of her imprisonment and sent someone to Xiliang, and that person had already met with Chen Qingsheng.

Given the profit-driven nature of Xiliang’s eight great families, they would never raise grain prices at this time for the sake of her, Cui Fengnian.

After all, it wasn’t yet time for the grain stores in Xiliang people’s hands to be exhausted. These eight great families cared so little for the nation of Xiliang itself in pursuit of profit – how could they damage their own interests for “Cui Fengnian”?

Moreover, given Chen Qingsheng’s nature, he would certainly manage the shops well. The more he couldn’t gather information, the more careful he would be. He would never rashly raise grain prices like this.

Unless… Chen Qingsheng had received orders from someone.

But who could it be? Had Mr. Liu returned?

No… though Mr. Liu was wise, he had made it clear to Bai Jintong beforehand that he was willing to help Bai Jintong go to sea as a guide out of respect for uncle Bai Qishan, and could even allow Bai Jintong to command him. But… if Bai Jintong were in danger, the old man wouldn’t save her – he would just slip away, after all, he still had a grandson to raise and didn’t dare die.

Then it could only be someone sent by eldest sister. But who could eldest sister send who could directly command Chen Qingsheng? Could it be… second sister?

Thinking of this, Bai Jintong couldn’t help but worry. The grain stores in Xiliang people’s hands weren’t completely exhausted yet – was… eldest sister planning to mobilize troops against the Rong Di now?

Bai Jintong’s palms tightened. They should wait a bit longer… even waiting another month would be more secure.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Bai Jintong, who was sitting by the flickering candlelight at the square table, picked up a bamboo scroll and pretended to read, glancing toward the cell door from the corner of her eye.

After a while, the Xiliang Empress, dressed in men’s clothing, slowly emerged. She stood with her hands behind her back at the cell door, looking at Bai Jintong, who sat calmly by the black lacquered square table, focused on reading the bamboo scroll. She paced a few steps lightly and spoke: “I didn’t expect that at a time like this, Gongxing could still have the composure to read.”

Bai Jintong’s lips curved upward as she stood and bowed to the Xiliang Empress: “I didn’t know Your Majesty was gracing me with your presence – forgive my poor reception.”

The Xiliang Empress turned and gestured for the guard to open the cell door, then walked in from outside the cell. Her gaze fell on the bamboo scroll on the black lacquered small table. She smiled, picked up the scroll and casually flipped through it, asking: “Gongxing… are you still unwilling to tell me the truth?”

Bai Jintong respectfully bowed to the Xiliang Empress again: “Your Majesty, Gongxing is just a merchant who only knows how to pursue profit. I truly don’t have all those schemes Your Majesty speaks of. Moreover, Gongxing’s background can be investigated – Your Majesty must have sent people to investigate my hometown, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be able to speak with Your Majesty here now.”

The Xiliang Empress’s beautiful features showed an increasingly rich smile. Under the flickering candlelight, she was like blooming brocaded splendor: “You came to my Xiliang and got mixed up with the eight great families, binding your interests with theirs, steady and methodical. This doesn’t seem like pursuing profit for yourself, but rather helping the eight great families pursue profit. This… doesn’t match a merchant’s nature!”

“Your Majesty, when Gongxing first arrived in Xiliang, I deeply felt that the eight great families’ influence was deeply rooted and complex. To seek profit in Xiliang, I… had to bring in Xiliang’s eight great families. Though in Xiliang… Gongxing gave all the profits to the eight great families, seemingly working for nothing. I gained connections in Xiliang and could do business in Da Zhou, Great Yan, and Tianfeng Kingdom, even go overseas… to those island nations for great profits!”

Seeing the Xiliang Empress nod, Bai Jintong stepped aside and walked around her, smiling as she faced the Xiliang Empress, taking small steps and respectfully turning to always maintain the most respectful posture toward the Xiliang Empress…

“For another example, in Xiliang… now there should be no one who doesn’t know me, Cui Fengnian. Cui Fengnian is regularly summoned to the palace by the Xiliang Empress for long conversations – this is no secret in Xiliang, and naturally won’t be secret in other nations either. So wherever Cui Fengnian goes, he will become an honored guest of other nations.”