Back and forth: I brought supplies to help the impoverished prince

Chapter 148 Summoned to the Palace

Qiao Shinian spent a fulfilling half month in Prince Xian's Mansion. His original plan was to go out and see how the ancient merchants operated, but because of the recent developments, what Qiao Shinian saw was the people's food shortages and the Zhou merchants' arbitrary price increases. The powerful and wealthy were not greatly affected.

The Zhou State and the Chu State started fighting again. The people suffered, prices rose and men were conscripted to go to the border.

Poor families couldn’t get enough food and started selling their children.

Because of the previous natural disasters, the Zhou Kingdom had basically begun to fall into civil strife.

The country's appropriation was pitifully small, and most of the money was used to prepare for the war, resulting in large quantities of food, fodder, and horses being consumed every day.

Faced with the current chaos in the Zhou Kingdom, Qiao Shinian lost interest after going out twice. The Xianwang Mansion could provide her with enough food and drink and her safety could be guaranteed, so there was no need for her to go out and cause trouble.

The experience of going out was not very good. The inner city was relatively stable, but the outer city had already started to see disaster victims and people who could not afford food waiting for relief every day.

Young and strong men were forced to take up arms and go to the battlefield, leaving only women, children and people with terminal illnesses.

They had no labor and no food to eat, so women and children could only beg. Tragedies over a meal were happening in the outer city at any time.

Qiao Shinian didn’t dare to think about it. If the situation was like this under the feet of the emperor in the capital, what about outside?

Mu Qingchen seemed to know that although she was calm, what she was most worried about was Wen Jiu, so he told her every day that Wen Jiu was still alive.

These bits of news about Wen Jiu were what Qiao Shinian looked forward to every day. She often looked at the high city walls where Wen Jiu was imprisoned, while she had no worries about food and drink outside.

When she was inside, she felt like it was a prison cell, and when she came out, the cell locked her up.

In Prince Xian's mansion, she could fall asleep at night. Most of the time, Yingzhu would light the lamp, lie under the couch, hold her hand, and tell her that she was safe.

That day, Mu Qingchen dressed neatly and looked at her: "Come with me to the palace."

Mu Qingchen, who hadn't left the house for more than half a month, pursed his lips at this moment, with a stern expression that she had never seen before.

"The Emperor specifically asked me to enter the palace?"

"Yes." Mu Qingchen reached out and took the accessories that Qingyu handed over. He looked at Qiao Shinian and said, "This is my brother's order. I can't disobey. He said you don't have to go."

"What's the price?" Qiao Shinian stared at Mu Qingcheng and asked, "What did the emperor say?"

"My brother said that this time he wants you to persuade Wen Jiu to write a letter to Chu Wenguo to withdraw his troops."

Qiao Shinian, who had never asked about the current situation of Chuwen Kingdom and Zhou Kingdom, asked tentatively: "Is Zhou Kingdom in a bad situation this time? Did you lose a city?"

"Yeah, we lost three." Mu Qingchen pursed his lips and frowned. He looked at Qiao Shinian with some emotions in his eyes that she couldn't understand. "Perhaps, it's my turn to fight again."

After Mu Qingchen finished speaking, without waiting for Qiao Shinian to say anything, he said, "You can choose not to go? But after today, it's hard to say whether Wen Jiu is dead or alive."

Qiao Shinian nodded: "I understand. I'll go."

"Let's go, the car is ready." As if he already knew Qiao Shinian's choice, Mu Qingchen stretched out his hand and wanted to take Qiao Shinian out.

Qiao Shinian turned around and ran towards the room, picked up a small bag and returned to the hall.

She was asking herself if this was a dead end, she didn't know what to do now?

Wen Jiu has been imprisoned for such a long time, and Yu Changming has never shown up. So has Yu Changming gone into hiding, or has he given up on Wen Jiu?

How to break the current dilemma.

"What are these?" In the carriage, Mu Qingchen looked at the small bag that Qiao Shinian was holding tightly.

Qiao Shinian took out the things in his pocket and placed them on the small table: "Typhoid medicine, painkillers, hemostatics... This potato can keep everyone from starving. As long as we plant a large number of them, in just two years, the food and clothing of the people of Zhou will not be a big problem."

Qiao Shinian suppressed his uneasiness and asked, "Are these valuable to the Emperor of your Zhou Kingdom? Can they be exchanged for Wen Jiu's life? Don't underestimate these medicines, they are very effective. They are acute medicines that will take effect immediately after use."

Mu Qingchen's eyes were deep. He did not try to find out what Qiao Shinian had brought out, and Qiao Shinian had never told him on his own initiative. Now all these things were taken out just to save Wen Jiu?

"That's all. He won't be moved."

"I can supply him for a long time. As long as Wen Jiu is alive, I can prepare some for him regularly, and I can also..." Qiao Shinian paused. She looked at Mu Qingchen, then lowered her head and put the things away: "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do. Wen Jiu can't die."

"Ah."

"Or, I don't care about anything. I won't come here again. I will live a good life in my hometown. In fact, these have nothing to do with me. I know that it is a foolish dream to realize all the ideals I told you before, but I am here, and I have to do something.

I want to create an ideal world in my mind here and bring something to this feudal dynasty.

Or I should say, I don’t know how long I will stay in this era, I always have to make myself comfortable, I want a world that is satisfactory, I want this world to have some humanity and laws.

In fact, I have always been afraid of you. You powerful people want to kill me just like killing an ant. If I die, there won't even be a splash.

Wen Jiu is not a good kid. I know he is not a good person by nature, but with me around, he can always be a normal person. In fact, maybe only he can live well in this world."

Qiao Shinian was getting more and more confused as she spoke. She looked up at Mu Qingchen's deep gaze and said, "If, I mean if something really happened to Wen Jiu today, then, then I'm afraid we won't be able to meet again in the future. I will go back, and no one of you can stop me.

I will go back to my hometown and never come here again. I admit that I am a cowardly and timid person. Thank you, Mu Qingchen, for your help and care for me all the time. "

Mu Qingchen looked at Qiao Shinian, who gradually calmed down after talking nonsense. He gently reached out and embraced her, holding her in his arms.

"I see. I'll come to you as soon as possible. If nothing happens after today, let's talk about the future." He said in a low voice, as if he had made some kind of decision. "I'll come to you as soon as possible."

"it is good."

The carriage stopped, and Qiao Shinian followed Eunuch Fu, who had been waiting for a long time, to find Wen Jiu, while Mu Qingchen went to the other side with a gloomy face.

The two separated. Qiao Shinian only had a potato in her purse. She pinched her hands and asked, "Eunuch Fu, where are we going now? This doesn't seem to be the direction of the prison."

As he walked, Eunuch Fu turned around and gave Qiao Shinian a strange smile: "Of course it's not the dungeon. The Thirteenth Prince is waiting for you in the Colosseum right now."