After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 96

The next day, He Lang returned to Luoyang, keeping an eye on the team escorting the rewards. Liu Jixin and Guo Mao also went to Mang Mountain to visit Cui Xuan.

Not only did they bring generous gifts, but they also brought Cui Yan, who rarely left the Ministry of Government Affairs, hoping that Cui Yan could help persuade Cui Xuan.

Upon learning of their purpose, Cui Yan had an instinctive feeling that this matter would not succeed. He knew his father Cui Xuan too well. Due to his exile in his youth, Cui Xuan had an extreme aversion to the officialdom. It was already the limit for him to come down from the mountain and help Yuan Li receive his crown. However, Cui Yan hadn't seen his father, wife, and children for a long time, so he gladly accompanied the two of them to Mang Mountain.

Yuan Li also believed that Cui Xuan would not agree to this matter. After Liu Jixin and Guo Mao left, he began making secondary preparations—sending people to find other famous scholars in Youzhou. At the same time, he started spreading the news that Li Li had murdered Chu Wang and Madam and intended to frame the eunuch, as well as his intention to bribe Chu Hechao and the Youzhou Governor.

This matter was closely related to the stability of Youzhou itself. It wasn't just about Chu Wang and the Madam being murdered; all the county officials in Youzhou had to stand united with Yuan Li against their common enemies.

At the same time, Yuan Li, together with Chu Hechao, began preparing for the upcoming winter.

Chu Hechao didn't take his words lightly and had already brought people to the mountains to chop wood, collect firewood and coal, and build houses.

Yuan Li told him, "Don't deforest the mountains completely. Plant saplings while you're cutting, so that the green mountains will remain and we won't run out of firewood."

Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, "Your brother understands better than you."

After saying that, he flicked Yuan Li's forehead with his hand and then ran away.

The orders from Jixian quickly spread to the officials in various counties. They were instructed to stockpile food, build shelters, and strengthen houses for the people.

Yuan Li ordered the captive prisoners to start building more granaries, and he also sent guards with gold to several nearby provinces to purchase grain after the autumn harvest.

Such a large-scale action puzzled and confused everyone who knew what they were doing.

After all, the grain in Youzhou hadn't been collected yet, and there was still plenty of surplus in the granaries. After the autumn harvest, there would surely be even more grain. In their eyes, Yuan Li's behavior of using gold to buy grain from outside the region seemed like a waste, as if he had too much money to spend.

Having more grain was good, but if they stockpiled too much, they wouldn't be able to consume it all. It could attract pests and rodents, and if not properly protected, it could become damp, rotten, and moldy. Yuan Li was well aware of these issues, but why was he doing this?

Zheng Rong, Zhan Shaoning, and Yang Zhongfa all came to persuade Yuan Li, asking him not to be anxious and not to waste money on such a large amount of grain.

They already had enough grain, and every year they needed to replace old grain with new grain. Buying more grain would only waste resources.

Yuan Li had always been someone who could listen to his subordinates' advice, but this time, he stubbornly rejected their suggestions and insisted on doing it his way, regardless of who advised him.

His authority was already deeply rooted, and his subordinates dared not argue further, so they could only let him proceed.

After Liu Jixin and Guo Mao returned from Mang Mountain, they heard about this matter. Once they realized how determined Yuan Li was, they wisely refrained from offering further advice. However, after reporting that Cui Xuan was unwilling to write articles for them, they subtly inquired about why Yuan Li was doing this and if they could help.