“Are all nine of our branches the same?” Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and lightly tapped the table.

“Yes.” The shopkeeper nodded. “Within Xixi City, there are more than a dozen Linshan Grain Shop branches. We’ve been working with them for many years.”

“Where’s the main shop located?” Feng Jiu’er raised her eyes.

“In Wutong Town.” The shopkeeper answered. “Linshan is the owner’s name—Owner Lin lives in Wutong Town.”

“Miss, are you thinking of…”

“I want to go find Owner Lin.” Feng Jiu’er stood up.

She truly felt responsible for this matter.

“By the way.” Feng Jiu’er looked at the shopkeeper. “The owner isn’t around, so you’ll come with me.”

“In a moment I’ll disguise myself as a servant boy. You’ll be the one to handle the talking—we’ll discuss the details in the carriage.”

“All right.” The shopkeeper clasped his hands.

No sooner said than done. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn down partway, Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu, disguised as servant boys, set out together with the shopkeeper.

Fortunately, the Lin residence wasn’t far.

By the time the three of them arrived, Lin Shan had already finished his evening meal and was enjoying tea.

The Lin residence was large—naturally, someone who owned more than a dozen grain shops would not be poor.

“Shopkeeper Li, what brings you to see me?” Lin Shan looked at the man seated beside him and asked.

“What else would bring me here but grain supplies.” the shopkeeper said.

“Since when does restocking an inn require Shopkeeper Li to come in person?” Lin Shan waved a hand. “Have some tea, this batch is quite good.”

Being in the same town, Lin Shan naturally knew Shopkeeper Li.

“With grain prices rising this severely, of course I’d come myself.” Shopkeeper Li picked up the tea a maidservant had poured for him.

“Shopkeeper Li, what kind of talk is that? Would I really just raise the price on grain going to your inn without reason?”

“Whatever amount you need, you may take it at the original price.”

“You said it yourself.” Shopkeeper Li took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and stood up.

“Then I’ll have someone go collect the goods right now. Let me say this in advance—this month, we intend to take three months’ worth of stock. That shouldn’t be a problem, should it?”

“Three months’?” Owner Lin’s brow furrowed.

“That’s right.” Shopkeeper Li nodded slightly. “Every branch, all the same.”

Owner Lin stood up and waved a hand. “Shopkeeper Li, are you not intending—”

“I am.” Shopkeeper Li nodded again. “But rest assured, our Fenglan Inn has no intention of competing with Owner Lin’s business.”

“We simply plan to sell the surplus grain at the original price to those in dire poverty.”

“These are people who cannot afford to buy grain at the current prices Owner Lin is charging. Don’t worry.”

“Fine!” Lin Shan raised no objection. “Then let’s do it that way. Please, this way.”

He wasn’t angry in the least, and personally escorted the three of them out of the main hall.

“Did you come by carriage? Would you like my men to see you off?” Lin Shan asked, standing outside the door.

“No need.” Shopkeeper Li shook his head. “We can make our own way back.”

“Thank you very much for today, Owner Lin. When the owner returns, he’ll host a banquet at Fenglan Inn to properly thank you.”

“Good.” Lin Shan nodded slightly.

The two bid each other farewell, and Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu followed Shopkeeper Li away.

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly. Fenglan Inn hadn’t uttered a single threatening word, and Lin Shan had agreed all the same.

Truly, a man in business knew how to read a room. Since the outcome couldn’t be changed anyway, it was better to make the decision before things turned sour.

Moreover, what they were doing wouldn’t affect the grain shop’s business all that much in the end.

Early the next morning, throughout all of Xixi City, a simple canopy had been set up beside every Fenglan Inn branch.

Under the canopies sat large quantities of rice, flour, various beans, and coarse grains.

In front of the canopy, an open space had been fenced off. The fence wasn’t high, but the gathered onlookers observed the rules on their own, and not a single person tried to slip inside without permission.

In front of the fence stood two people from Fenglan Inn.

The two of them asked a great many questions of anyone who came to buy grain.

Only once they received the shopkeeper’s approval would they let the villager in to purchase.

There was an exit on the inner side of the fence, and one by one, villagers who had bought their grain left through it, smiles on their faces.

The price Fenglan Inn paid Linshan Grain Shop for their stock was cheaper than what one would normally find selling outside.

They made no profit at all—selling the grain at exactly what they’d paid for it.

To be able to buy good grain this cheaply at a time like this was no small mercy.

Standing by the window on the inn’s second floor, Feng Jiu’er watched the smiles on the villagers’ faces, and her own mood lifted a little.

At midday, Xing Zizhou returned.

“Jiu’er, I’ve made contact with the guard at the gate. He says he can arrange it.”

“And there’s more—I learned from him that people actually slip out of the city every midnight.”

“He also told us not to worry, that he’d guarantee our safe departure.”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “Let’s eat first.”

“With Fenglan Inn as our shelter, there’s no need to rush too much.”

“If possible, I’d like the Empress’s people to escort us all the way until we meet up with Ninth Imperial Uncle’s forces.”

“Xinyue and the others are in Luoyang City. Once we reach Luoyang City, we can join up with them.” Xiao Yingtao raised her eyes to look at everyone.

“Are we going through Chengchuan City next?”

“No!” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “Third Brother is currently in Fenglai West City. Barring any surprises, we’ll head to Fenglai West City.”

“Fenglai West City is close to Fenglai City, and Fenglai City borders the capital. Turning back that way is meant to confuse Feng Qiongcang’s tracking of us.”

“Besides, Ninth Imperial Uncle’s army is currently in the western part of the Black Pool Earth Vein. If we head southwest, we’re more likely to be discovered.”

“So our plan is…” Xing Zizhou looked at Feng Jiu’er, brow furrowing.

“First we join up with Xinyue, Long Shiyi, Third Brother and the others, and decide once we reach Fenglai West City.” Feng Jiu’er glanced around the table.

“Let’s eat quickly! I imagine Owner Yuan will be looking for me soon. Everyone should be ready to leave Wutong Town at any time.”

“All right.”

“All right.”

Everyone nodded and began eating, dropping the topic.

Sure enough, that night, Mister Yuan returned as well.

He told Feng Jiu’er that in a couple of days, he could arrange for them to leave at night.

But unexpectedly, that very same night, something went wrong at the city gate.

Early the next morning, at the base of the city wall beside the gate, five men had been tied to a raised platform.

All five were men.

Each was bound to a fixed wooden post, their hair and clothes in some disarray.

“Everyone, take a look—these are the two who tried to sneak out of the city last night.” A guard holding a whip stood beside two men dressed as commoners.

“By the city lord’s order, anyone caught trying to sneak out of the city will have all their goods confiscated, and each will be fined one hundred taels of silver.”

“And of course, six months’ imprisonment is unavoidable as well.”

“And there’s more!” The guard turned toward the other side, toward three more bound men, all dressed as guards.

“Zhu Haisheng, Zhu Hainian, and Chang Erniu—the three of you knowingly broke the law.”

“Aside from having their ill-gotten gains confiscated, each will be fined fifty taels of silver, stripped of their posts, and imprisoned for one year.”

“By order of the city lord: when the emperor breaks the law, he is punished the same as commoners. These five will be left here exposed to the sun for two days and two nights before being transferred to the prison…”