The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 279 - A Secret Maneuver

No one expected the war to break out like this, and yet the young General Ye had achieved the first merit.

If anyone in the palace felt the most awkward, it would naturally be the Empress Dowager, who had recently sent someone to "check-in" on Ming Xiuyuan.

However, she wouldn't admit to her mistakes, holding her head high and declaring, "I am the Empress Dowager; what of teaching the emperor's concubines?"

Fu Momo sighed in distress but was relieved that Empress Dowager wasn't completely muddled and had decided not to pick on Ming Xiuyuan anymore.

Once the fighting started, supplies and troops were naturally indispensable.

For now, the Ministry of War wasn't needed, as both Lingzhou and Zhasake still had enough troops, so preparations were merely underway.

However, the Ministry of Revenue was different; military provisions had to be swiftly gathered and sent to the battlefield. The Minister of Revenue was none other than Yao Xiang's father, Shunyuan Marquis, Yao Bingshuo.

With this, the supply of front-line troops was largely in the hands of the Yao family.

Ye Yun felt uncomfortable about this; just by observing Yao Xiang, her impression of the entire Yao family was not good.

Now that her brother's logistics and supplies were controlled by such a family, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

However, matters of state were not something she could casually interfere in.

After much deliberation, she decided to find a way to send a letter to her maternal family outside the palace.

When Chu Xiuwen received his niece's letter, he called his youngest son, Chu Yunhong, and together they went to his father, Chu Peiyi's study.

"Father, Yun'er means to say that Ye Yun is worried the Yao family may not be reliable, and we must prepare for contingencies for Zhe'er," Chu Xiuwen said.

After reading the letter, Old Master Chu's expression grew serious.

"Ye Yun has been in the palace with that Yao girl for many years; she must have her reasons for this concern. If a large-scale battle breaks out on the front lines, the supply of provisions will need to be much greater and quicker than usual. If the supplies are insufficient, it could lead to serious trouble."

Chu Yunhong became anxious. "Our family has provisions, but they are for business. We cannot send them under the Chu family's name in a single line. If we want to send them openly, we have to go through the Ministry of Revenue, and that would still be ineffective."

Isn't it just like having someone choke you by the neck?

No matter how much you send, as long as the Ministry of Revenue is holding on tightly, it still won't reach Ye Zhe's hands.

"That's why Ye Yun mentioned in her letter that we need to think of a way," Chu Peiyi said, frowning, with a look of worry in his murky eyes.

The three generations sat in the study, pondering how to secretly prepare the provisions.

Just then, the steward came in to ask a question.

Earlier in the year, merchants from Zhasake had ordered a batch of tea leaves and tea sets from the Chu family. However, now that the war had begun, those nobles clearly had no intention of drinking tea, and these items would undoubtedly not sell. 

He sent someone to deliver the message, asking for a refund and no longer wanting the tea.

The three of them—father, son, and grandson—suddenly looked up in unison, staring at the steward, "No refunds!"