As Ke Yiming finalized the marriage arrangements for the two children with Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi in Yuzhou, Jinling received the latest intelligence regarding the alliance that same evening. The Jinling higher-ups breathed a collective sigh of relief upon learning of the plan's success.
"Fortunately, the other party has agreed to our terms. Otherwise, how we would obtain grain in the future remains an unknown. In any case, the news that we can now trade for grain is the best news!" Everyone was relieved, as they had all worried that if Yuzhou had not agreed to the alliance, they would truly face upheaval.
"Don't celebrate too soon. Although the other party has agreed to the alliance, if they decide to demand an exorbitant price, we'll be in trouble. Who knows how many good things we'll be extorted for." At this point, some people remained rational, understanding that even if the other party agreed to the alliance, the final outcome might not be very good.
"As long as we have grain now, that's enough. Why worry about anything else? If they want gold, give them gold; if they want silver, give them silver. In short, we just need to get grain and feed everyone!" others joined the discussion.
In this era, it was practically impossible to cultivate crops. Even in plains suitable for planting, the climate was not conducive. The growing season for plants lasted only a few months, perhaps three or four. While some crops like soybeans could grow, long-term crops would be frozen to death by cold currents before they could bear fruit.
Moreover, many tropical regions had very limited planting areas. Southeast Asia, which was once a suitable region for agriculture, was devastated by a single eruption of the Tambora volcano. As for Africa, it was characterized by deserts and arid climates, plunging almost everyone on Earth into a desperate situation.
If crops could not be grown, then when the stored food ran out, people would resort to cannibalism.
In fact, cannibalism had already appeared in many places. If someone walked in the wilderness due to lack of food, they were likely to be attacked, as people knew that any meat was edible.
Throughout human history, there had been numerous instances of cannibalism, and many primitive tribes still retained this custom. If tourists appeared and stumbled upon these cannibal tribes, they would likely be eaten.
However, the consequences of cannibalism were usually dire. If human flesh was consumed, a prion disease would develop in the body, infecting humans and leading to a tragic death.
Unfortunately, by this time, people had tasted hunger. When people walked on the streets or in the wilderness, their stomachs were empty. They could only drink water, but drinking water provided no relief and only made them weaker. At this point, they could no longer afford to care about benevolence and morality. As soon as they saw someone nearby who had not yet been consumed, they would find a way to fill their stomachs, even if it meant eating human flesh.
If there was no more food, humanity would destroy itself.
Because people without food would devour each other, ultimately consuming everyone else. Furthermore, countless upheavals would erupt in a cannibalistic society, upheavals that were enough to destroy all social foundations.
Therefore, in the current world, whoever controlled grain controlled all of humanity, as people would only flock to places where there was grain. With the influx of these people, the strength of that region would further increase. Thus, everyone wanted to obtain enough grain to prevent their region from being plunged into turmoil.
Yet, at this time, only Shen Feng possessed the ability to produce grain. They had spent three months establishing a production base of tens of thousands of mu, and they could produce grain from it daily. This capability made countless people envious.
As a result, countless people heard about this and began to flock to the Chuan-Yu region. Although they were still on their way, they all held onto a hope: as long as they reached the Chuan-Yu region, they would be able to eat their fill and no longer have to struggle for a meal.
The people of Jinling were also very happy upon hearing this news because they knew they could obtain enough grain through trade. This way, they would not have to travel long distances to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River; they could simply wait for the grain to arrive.
Almost everyone was happy, except for one family, that of Zhou Yayun. He was nearly fifty years old this year, but he only had one daughter who had grown up. Although he had a son, he was too young, not yet of school age. Now, he had to send his only grown child away, which made him very sad.
Zhou Yayun said to his daughter, "It's not that I don't want to keep you by my side, but this society no longer allows me to protect you. I've heard some bad news: your fiancé now dislikes you immensely. So, even if you marry him, you probably won't receive any help. You might suffer there, but for the sake of everyone in the city, you'll have to be wronged!"
Zhou Yuyao was very sensible and said earnestly, "If I need to sacrifice myself alone to save everyone in the city, then just sacrifice me. Because I understand that Father, you have protected me for over ten years, and now it's my turn to repay you!"
Zhou Yuyao also knew very well that if she married into a strange place, she would definitely face difficulties, especially with her husband intensely disliking her. She would receive no help and would ultimately face all sorts of unkind treatment, but she had no way to prevent this from happening.
At this moment, only Yuzhou could rapidly produce grain and sustain its people. Grain was unavailable everywhere else in the world. To obtain grain, one had to go to the source, and she was the sacrifice. She needed to gamble her future for enough grain.
Zhou Yayun said helplessly, "If I were strong enough, I would have the power to protect you, but I can't. Now, I can only sacrifice you!"
Zhou Yuyao gave a bitter smile, "Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm willing to go anyway. If Father feels too guilty, then you don't need to. Take good care of your younger brother and raise him to be a man. As for me, I don't know what the future holds, but I will do my best to facilitate the grain trade!"
The people of Jinling were very anxious, primarily because they were worried that Shen Feng might be made to wait too long. If Shen Feng suddenly changed his mind, the alliance would fail. Therefore, they immediately contacted ships and sent the person to Yuzhou.
When Zhou Yuyao set out, her ship was already loaded with a large amount of gold and silver treasures. There was even a whole chest of enormous pearls. Hearing that Shen Feng liked cultural relics, they quickly searched for a large collection of antiques from various places and loaded them onto the ship as well.
Zhou Yuyao stood on the ship and looked into the distance, seeing her parents and younger brother standing on the shore. Their faces were no longer smiling. In addition, there were many people sending her off, their faces filled with anticipation, as if waiting for her to complete her mission.
In the past, Zhou Yuyao had never thought about the emotions behind Wang Zhaojun's departure, having never experienced it. But now, she finally understood. This feeling was truly unfathomable. She was leaving her hometown, yet she was being sent off by countless people. Moreover, she carried a great mission, and failure to complete it would inevitably lead to disappointment. At this moment, she herself was someone else's hope.
After the ship had sailed a considerable distance, Zhou Yuyao's nose stung, and she finally burst into tears. The female soldiers beside her quickly urged her to return to the cabin, relax her emotions, and began to comfort her.
"Once you go to Yuzhou, you won't have to go hungry anymore. You can live in luxury and comfort there. What's not to like about that?" everyone comforted her.
"That's right, you won't have to go hungry there. If you ruin your face by crying, it will be hard to meet your in-laws!"
"You must present yourself with grace and dignity then, so as not to disgrace us. Because, frankly, you are our princess, and you should be happy to marry as a princess."
After hearing everyone's comfort, Zhou Yuyao gradually stopped crying. This was the first time she had ever traveled far from home. Unfortunately, this time she was without her parents' company. She didn't know when she would be able to visit home after going to a distant place. Life was full of uncertainties, and she didn't know if this trip would be a good thing or a bad thing.
"Since this important task has been entrusted to me, I must complete it. No matter what scolding I receive, I will not give up!" Zhou Yuyao finally solidified her resolve, committed to her mission, and vowed not to give up, no matter what happened, ensuring the grain trade proceeded smoothly.
Often, people find themselves in very humble situations. At such times, they can only lower their proud heads. No matter how arrogant they were before, when they are at the mercy of others, they can only honestly admit their mistakes and seek forgiveness. And often, men will not admit their mistakes, so women need to step in to take the blame.
Since ancient times, many women have become scapegoats for disasters. When something happened, a woman would be pushed forward to take the blame, and then the saying "a beauty is a source of disaster" would spread.
Thus, the various princess marriages were all desperate measures. Because men's helplessness ultimately led to women taking the blame.
And at this moment, Zhou Yuyao was facing this situation, and her only choice was to fulfill her responsibility.
When Zhou Yuyao arrived in Yuzhou, she soon saw a "zongzi" (a common description for a city built on a riverbank) on the banks of the mighty Yangtze River. Although the Yangtze River's flow had decreased significantly, it was still mighty. When she saw this huge city from afar, she was stunned, as she had not expected such a prosperous city to exist even in the apocalypse.
Zhou Yuyao met her prospective in-laws that very day. She had seen countless photos of Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi before, so she knew what they looked like. However, seeing them in person, she was still very nervous.
"Lord Fengshen, Lady Qingxian, I am Zhou Yuyao from Jinling. This is my first meeting, and I apologize for any lack of etiquette. Please bear with me!" Zhou Yuyao lowered her head, preparing to kowtow.
However, Shen Feng stopped someone nearby from letting her kneel.
Chang Jianyi took the opportunity to observe and discovered that Zhou Yuyao was a rare beauty. She was sixteen years old this year and indeed graceful and elegant. She was dressed in a long gown adorned with many luxurious ornaments, clearly indicating she was from a wealthy family. Although she wore makeup, it did not detract from her beauty.