Chapter 990: Chapter 986: The Sky Has Changed
“Third Brother…” Bai Jintong called out to Bai Qingqi, her tears continually blurring her vision, “Third Brother, you’ve finally returned! Third Brother… you have no idea, when the news came that Grandfather, my uncles, and Father… and that you were all killed in battle, they bullied our family! Eldest Young Lady… Eldest Young Lady had such a hard time supporting our Bai family!”
Since she left home, Bai Jintong had not cried once, she had weathered many storms, nearly lost her life at sea, yet she gritted her teeth and survived.
But for some reason, upon seeing her Third Brother, she couldn’t hold back her emotions. Clearly, seeing her Third Brother alive should be a joyful event, yet she wanted to pour out all her grievances to him.
But now she was grown up, no longer the girl who could freely rush into her Third Brother’s arms. Otherwise, she truly wanted to have a good cry in his embrace.
“It’s my fault for returning late! I let you all down!” Bai Qingqi restrained his emotions, but his breath still trembled slightly.
Bai Jintong wiped her tears with her sleeve, yet her vision continued to blur, tightly biting her lower lip, she no longer had her usual composed and capable demeanor.
The lights in the four corners of the carriage cast wavering shadows inside, Bai Qingqi pushed the tea he had poured for Bai Jintong towards her, speaking softly, “You cannot stay long in Xiliang. Chen Qingsheng has made arrangements, once you return to the Cui Mansion, he will arrange for you to first go to the farmhouse west of the city. At dawn tomorrow, you should leave Yunjing with Chen Qingsheng and hasten towards Qiushan Pass.”
“What about you, Third Brother?” Bai Jintong asked.
“I still have matters to attend to in Xiliang. Additionally, I have sent a letter with Chen Qingsheng for General Shen Kunyang. When you reach Qiushan Pass, hand the letter to General Shen Kunyang and have him act according to the plan!”
“Third Brother…” Bai Jintong pursed her lips, “I know you’re worried about my safety, but Third Brother… I can’t leave yet. If I leave, there’s no guarantee that the Eight Great Families in Xiliang and the Empress of Xiliang won’t take it out on the Cui family’s business. The Bai family has invested too much silver in this business to reach where it is today, and now is just when we can start seeing returns!”
Bai Jintong’s eyes were firm: “This nation Xiliang may be in chaos, but the silver we should earn… cannot be lessened! Third Brother, trust me!”
What Bai Jintong had experienced in just these few years since leaving home, Bai Qingqi had already heard from Chen Qingsheng. He could hardly imagine… what his sister had gone through after their brothers were gone, she had faced life and death so many times.
Whether it was the Eldest Young Lady or the younger sisters, they were all risking their lives to fight for the Bai family’s path.
Bai Qingqi suddenly hated himself, why hadn’t he come back sooner.
After a while, Bai Qingqi slowly responded, “Fine, we siblings will work together to take Xiliang for the Zhou.”
The Empress of Xiliang had released Cui Fengnian, who had been imprisoned for a long time, hoping he could lower the grain prices in Yunjing.
However, perhaps because the grain prices had suddenly doubled, when the grain stores lowered the prices slightly, the people flocked in swarms to buy grain.
Cui Fengnian communicated with the Eight Great Families, coordinating the market prices… lowering the grain prices every day.
As expected, after three consecutive days of price drops, fewer people came to buy grain.
By the fifth day that the prices dropped, the people who had bought grain at high prices regretted their actions intensely, feeling they had wasted their silver, and their enthusiasm for hoarding grain was evidently not as high as before.
Bai Jintong knew that Li Zhijie went to Dadu City to seek peace as the Rong were on the verge of waging war against Xiliang, and that the Zhou were bound to intervene. Since they intended to drag the Yan Kingdom into the conflict, they needed Xiliang’s grain situation to quickly become problematic.
Bai Jintong was pondering how to discuss with the Eight Great Families to have them quietly send people to buy up the grain from the hands of the citizens, when unexpectedly, the head of the Qi family, the leader of the Eight Great Families in Xiliang, came personally, ostensibly to visit the imprisoned Cui Fengnian. In reality… they were displeased with the sudden lowering of grain prices this time.
Bai Jintong took the opportunity to discuss with the Qi family about buying back the grain from the people at low prices: “In this way, the prices will continue to drop, even lower than before. Only then would the people be willing to sell the constantly dropping grain, but if the Empress finds out, this plan might fail.”
The Qi family members smiled, picked up their teacup leisurely, and said, “In business nowadays, all Eight Great Families are involved. As long as the Eight Great Families don’t want the Empress to know, she won’t know…”
Bai Jintong lowered her gaze and smiled faintly, responding in agreement, and added, “However, Gongxing is still worried. After all, the Rong are eyeing Xiliang like a tiger watching its prey, and the alliance between Xiliang and the Zhou is undecided. If Xiliang does go to war, then… hoarding wealth this way might lead to Xiliang’s downfall.”
The Qi family member used the teacup lid to lightly press down the floating tea leaves, gave a half-smile, and looked at Bai Jintong…
Bai Jintong quickly smiled and cupped her hands respectfully, saying, “I ask for Qi brother’s understanding, Gongxing is just a businessman, if Xiliang falls, and there is no longer a border between Xiliang and the Zhou or the Rong or the Yan, then my business…”
The Qi family members seemed to regard Bai Jintong as no threat, merely a businessman in pursuit of profit, and revealed a hint of insight: “Rest assured, you have helped our Eight Great Families a great deal this time, and your business in Xiliang will surely face no problems in the future!”
“May I ask Qi brother for some guidance!” Bai Jintong rose and bowed deeply, his attitude very respectful, “It would help this younger brother understand better.”
The Qi family member chuckled lightly, casually placed the teacup on a small table beside him, and began to speak: “Have you ever seen the Eight Great Families of Xiliang so united? We, the Eight Great Families of Xiliang, are all people of Xiliang, and which family would wish for Xiliang to become a foreign country? If that were the case… we, the Eight Great Families, would be far removed from the center of power! So… be at ease, the Eight Great Families will never allow such a thing to happen.”
Having finished speaking, the Qi family member stood up and said to Bai Jintong, “Your method is excellent, and if things succeed in the future, you will have your fair share of benefits.”
Bai Jintong quickly smiled and said, “I will see Qi brother out.”
Watching the Qi family member board the carriage and leave, Bai Jintong turned back towards the residence, the smile on her face faded… She quickly walked into the main hall, seeing Bai Qingqi already seated inside, Bai Jintong said, “Third Brother, Xiliang… is likely about to change.”
Bai Qingqi nodded.
From the words of the Qi family member… when have the Eight Great Families of Xiliang ever been so united, Bai Qingqi and Bai Jintong understood that Xiliang was about to undergo a change.
The Eight Great Families were acting with the intent of dethroning the Empress of Xiliang and replacing her with someone else.
Because the various new decrees of the Empress of Xiliang had harmed the interests of the Eight Great Families.