Chapter 163
Chapter 163
After Jin Bao reminded him, Xiao Che recalled that they had indeed obtained many seeds from the Persians and never done anything with them.
Because Jin Bao loved potatoes and their yield was extremely high, the valley had begun planting them on a large scale.
The other seeds had been hung from the rafters and left unopened all this time.
Now that Jin Bao had brought them up, Xiao Che immediately ordered Ye Qi to send word to Xiao Jingmo and have him give all the seeds to Old Han to bring out of the valley.
However, seeds could only add more varieties of produce. They could not become grain overnight, and only a few months remained before the bitter winter. Their most urgent task was still to buy food.
They would have to make the trip to Baishui Town after all.
Xiao Che looked at the tens of thousands of soldiers who still needed to be settled.
Fortunately, they were not far from Jintang Valley.
“Ye Yi, go to the valley and notify Chancellor Xie. Have him bring the Dragon Tiger Guard out to settle these soldiers.”
Once the army was entrusted to Xie Chengyan, Xiao Che continued toward Baishui Town with Jin Bao.
With no pursuers behind them, father and daughter finally no longer had to race along the road. They could travel at leisure and take in the scenery of the Northern Frontier.
The Northern Frontier truly was vast and sparsely populated. They saw almost no one throughout the journey. Aside from the rolling mountains in the distance, there was only boundless wilderness. They barely encountered another person on the road.
After four or five days of travel, they finally entered the territory of Baishui Town.
A stone marker beside the road bore three striking characters: Baishui Town.
Pointing at them, Jin Bao slowly read aloud, “Baishui Tawn.”
Xiao Che stroked his daughter’s head. “Girl, that word is pronounced town. Baishui Town is where we’re going this time.”
With a grin, Jin Bao repeated it. “Baishui Town.”
“That’s right. Let’s head in and have a look around.”
Even before they entered, Xiao Che could tell how prosperous the place was.
There were noticeably more common people and carriages passing through the town entrance.
Unlike the desolation they had seen along the road, this place brimmed with everyday life.
Xiao Che slowed his horse. After another half hour, he stopped before a gate tower.
The words Baishui Xiao Family were written above it.
Passing through this gate meant entering the Xiao Family’s domain.
The Xiao Family truly dominated the region. The entire town belonged to them.
Xiao Che rode straight toward the Xiao residence.
The streets bustled all along the way. People and carriages flowed back and forth in a scene of remarkable prosperity, a world entirely removed from the warfare raging outside. This place seemed to be guarding a pocket of peace all its own.
But Xiao Che knew that when the nest fell, no egg within it would remain whole. Such peace could only be temporary.
Moreover, Baishui Town was a strategic stronghold along the direct route to the Capital. Its fall was merely a matter of time.
Prince Cheng’s entire attention was currently fixed on Jin Bao, which was the only reason he had not yet found time to deal with the other great families of the Northern Frontier.
Those families might be deeply entrenched across the region, but beneath an iron fist, they were worthless. They would all become nourishment for the new imperial court.
Xiao Che dismounted at the entrance to the Xiao residence, holding the reins in one hand and Jin Bao in the other arm.
“I am Xiao Che of the Xiao Family from the Capital. I have come specifically to visit your Family Head. Please announce my arrival.”
The guards at the gate did not recognize Xiao Che and knew nothing of his ancestral connection to their family. Judging by his clothes and the little girl in his arms, they assumed he was an impoverished relative who had come to beg for help.
“Go on, get out of here! What fallen household did you crawl out of? Don’t you know where you are? Do you think any stray cat or dog can walk inside? We’ve never heard of a Xiao Family from the Capital. If you have a calling card or invitation, I’ll announce you. If not, leave while you still can, unless you want us to use force.”
Xiao Che had seen plenty of lackeys like these, men who changed their treatment according to a visitor’s clothes and status.
As the saying went, the King of Hell was easy to meet, but his little demons were difficult to handle. Unfortunately, if Xiao Che wanted to see the current Xiao Family Head, he truly did have to rely on these snobbish servants.
Xiao Che took out a one-tael silver ingot and tossed it to the two guards.
“Gentlemen, this is for your trouble. Please make the trip and tell your Family Head that Xiao Che has come to discuss business.”
When the guards saw how generous he was, their expressions changed at once.
“Please wait here. We’ll announce you immediately.”
Jin Bao’s eyes widened. Were these two uncles learning some kind of face-changing trick?
They did not wait long before the gatekeeper came trotting back.
“Our Family Head invites you inside.”
Xiao Che clearly saw the sweat covering the guard’s forehead. Perhaps the man had just received a scolding.
After thanking him, Xiao Che climbed the steps. Before he even entered the gate, he saw a group of people hurrying toward the entrance.
The previously arrogant guards now stood respectfully on either side with their heads lowered, not daring to look up.
Xiao Che guessed that the man approaching was probably Xiao Lan, the current Xiao Family Head.
The moment Xiao Lan rounded the spirit wall, he saw the man outside holding a child. The man’s features bore a seventy-percent resemblance to the portraits hanging in their ancestral hall. He was most likely a descendant of their Xiao clan relatives from the Capital.
“May I ask if you are Xiao Che, Lord Xiao?”
Xiao Lan cupped his hands, his eyes full of excitement.
Xiao Che inclined his head. “I am. However, the Family Head must have heard that my family was framed and exiled to the Northern Frontier. I am no longer Lord Xiao, so you may simply call me by name. I am Xiao Che.”
Xiao Lan froze for a moment. “To tell you the truth, Older Brother, not a single ship from Baishui Town has traveled to the Capital since last year. We truly have not heard any news from there. Please come inside. We should sit down and discuss exactly what happened.”
Judging by Xiao Lan’s expression, he did not appear to be lying.
The Xiao Family members following behind Xiao Lan came forward one after another to offer their greetings, then escorted Xiao Che and Jin Bao inside.
They arrived at the Xiao Family’s main hall.
Xiao Che was invited to take the seat of honor.
Only then did the members of the Xiao clan come forward again and introduce themselves one by one.
The sight of the flourishing Xiao clan pleased Xiao Che greatly.
No matter what else might be said, Xiao blood flowed through all their veins.
“Family Head, what did you mean by what you said outside?”
Xiao Che sensed that there was more to the matter.
Xiao Lan sighed before answering, “Ever since Prince Cheng entered the Capital last year, he has cut off the Xiao Family’s river route there. He established checkpoints along the river and stationed large forces to guard them. Every passing ship must pay ten thousand taels in protection money and surrender twenty percent of its cargo.
“Shipping by water is already extremely dangerous. Encountering bandits, losing a vessel, and seeing everyone aboard killed are common occurrences. Yet Prince Cheng chose to exploit our misfortune. How is that any different from banditry?
“Last year, the bitter winter was already approaching and the river was beginning to freeze, so it was nearly time for us to suspend shipping anyway. After Prince Cheng robbed us once, we stopped our transport ships a month earlier than usual. We thought matters might improve when spring came this year, but when we sent men down the route, they discovered more than a dozen new checkpoints.
“Once a ship leaves the Northern Frontier, it must travel thousands of li south. There is a checkpoint every one or two hundred li, and every checkpoint strips away another layer of profit.
“The Xiao Family’s entire fortune would not be enough to pay all those protection fees.
“A cargo run would not earn us money. It would leave us utterly ruined. Who could possibly afford to conduct business like that?”
Xiao Lan poured out all his grievances.
Xiao Che knew little about river shipping, but Prince Cheng was plainly robbing people of their money.
If his guess was correct, Prince Cheng’s soldiers had probably seized the land routes as well.
Would that not allow him to fleece every trade route between the Northern Frontier and the Central Plains?
Had Prince Cheng gone mad from poverty?