Chapter 271 Burning Night

In the evening, the setting sun is like molten gold, pouring into every detail of this bustling city, coating the city with a dreamy golden light. At this moment, the entire city seemed to be immersed in a peaceful and glorious atmosphere.

Qian Renxue, after reviewing all the good news coming in from Fangxian, her mood was as bright and comfortable as the golden glow in the city.

She carefully examined the rising amount of food in her accounts. Her mood, which was originally slightly tired due to days of hard work, gradually receded like the tide, and was replaced by a heartfelt sense of relaxation and joy.

She turned her head and looked at Teacher Ning Fengzhi, who had been accompanying and assisting her. With wisdom and cunning in her eyes, she asked half-jokingly:

"Teacher, do you think that if we had severely punished those worms who only care about pleasure and do not produce anything, the empire might be in a better situation now?"

After Ning Fengzhi heard this, he did not respond immediately. He just pinched the bridge of his nose gently, showing a thoughtful expression. Then he shook his head slightly and replied seriously:

“Your Majesty, governing a country is like managing a flood. It requires a combination of removing obstructions and not just being tough.

As we both know very well, the Tiandou Empire has not yet established a complete and efficient system for material transfer, coordination of distribution between cities, and logistics operations.

If we are too strict in our actions, whether proactive or passive, those businessmen who appear to be opportunistic but actually bear the heavy responsibility of circulation may choose to retreat out of fear and no longer actively participate in market circulation.

As a result, we may face even more severe urban supply problems.

——Without their transportation capacity and flexible scheduling, cities that do not produce food but rely on external supplies of living materials,

Just like the isolated islands on the empire's territory, the state of survival is precarious. "

Although Qian Renxue nodded to show her understanding of Ning Fengzhi's views, the unyielding light in her eyes revealed that she did not fully agree with this view in her heart.

She retorted firmly but strategically:

"I understand the teacher's long-term considerations, but our top priority right now is to get through the immediate difficulties first. If we can't ensure the lives of the people in front of us, how can we talk about the grand blueprint for the future?"

Ning Fengzhi was keenly aware of her determination, sighed quietly, and then cleverly changed the topic to further analyze the essence of the problem:

"Indeed, our current rectification measures have begun to bear fruit, and the grain seized this time can undoubtedly make up for the losses caused by various reasons during the previous rationing period to a certain extent.

But I speculate that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Those grain merchants who can be called 'parasites' and 'vampires' will never store large amounts of grain in a place with high storage costs like the city.

What we have found now is just a portion of their reserves brought into town for sale and transshipment.

Therefore, how to dig out and effectively control the large amount of hoarded food resources hidden outside the city is the key to solving the current crisis. "

Faced with this troublesome problem, even with Qian Renxue's calmness and resourcefulness, she couldn't help but fall into deep thinking. She sat upright in front of the case, a stern look flashed across her delicate face, and her crystal-clear jade fingers gently tapped the table. Every touch seemed to be tapping a complex and important decision.

Judging from the detailed information sent by the spies, the large amount of grain reserves outside the city were actually hidden by the cunning landowners and old nobles in their respective mountain villas.

These places, when the old aristocratic rule was overthrown and the land was redistributed, were once ignored due to their remote location and secrecy.

Most of those annexes are located among lofty mountains, with deep forests and dangerous roads, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. This undoubtedly adds great difficulty to the food seizure operation.

The bigger challenge, however, is how to ensure that before successfully seizing food, the landowners and the desperadoes they hire will not end up burning the precious food because they have no other choice.

"Maybe we can use their desire for the glory and wealth of the past and the lives of wealthy businessmen as exchange conditions in exchange for this batch of food?"

This thought flashed into Qian Renxue's mind like a meteor streaking across the night sky, but she decisively snuffed it out in an instant.

She knew that once such a precedent was set, it would lead to endless compromises and deals. This was a bottom line that she could not accept.

Moreover, she could not tell whether the old nobles were more resentful about losing power or yearned for a stable life.

Qian Renxue, who had a heavy responsibility but was caught in a dilemma due to some insurmountable constraints, finally couldn't restrain her inner anxiety. She clenched her fists, slammed her palms on the table, and made a clear and powerful sound. The sound was like a declaration of war against difficulties.

Her eyes were firm and decisive, "Although the food outside the city is urgent, it is just a drop of water in the overall situation. We should use an elite team to fight quickly with thunderous momentum and get the most food first. As for the other things , I’ll turn a blind eye to it for the time being and wait until the time comes to discuss it.”

Seeing that the disciple he loved so much still maintained the enterprising spirit of the past, like a sharp knife unsheathed, Ning Fengzhi's heart was filled with mixed emotions, relief and worry intertwined.

He knows that in this complicated situation, it is important to make the best choice, but the most important thing is to set a practical goal and make every effort to achieve it.

The moonlight is like a hook, the stars are bright, and time passes quietly in the night.

It has only been a quarter of an hour since the order from Tiandou City came, and there is still a good opportunity for action.

At this critical moment, Yan Sansi, an elite soldier who has made great achievements in the war and belongs to the "Sharp Blade Squad" of the enemy's rear corps, led a group of colleagues to quietly leave Soto City and embark on the journey to recapture food.

The dozens of miles of distance seemed to shrink into an inch under their feet. In just one stick of incense, the team has quietly arrived at the destination-the gorgeous summer resort where the food is hidden.

The carved beams and painted buildings, the complicated window grilles, and the various vegetation dotted in between make it particularly elegant; at this moment, those valuable soul guide lamps illuminate the entire courtyard like daylight, bright and dazzling.

After carefully checking the information drawings carefully drawn by the intelligence department, Yan Sansi quickly locked the location of the target and calmly formulated a thorough infiltration plan.

For these professionals who grew up in the baptism of war, stealth in the night is as natural as instinct. They merged with the darkness and infiltrated the target's granary silently like flowing water.

Every action was precise and decisive, as if the night was their stage and silence was their ally. A silent battle was quietly taking place.

As a warehouse guard was ruthlessly pierced through the chest by the guard's iron spear, the assault on the grain warehouse suddenly kicked off.

Knowing that these grains were the last bargaining chips in their hands, the mercenaries rushed over like a group of madmen who had lost their minds. They had no time to take care of the formation and coordinated operations. Soul skills and martial arts poured out in no particular order in the chaos.

However, in the eyes of the veterans of the Blade Squad, such an attack was more like a struggle before death.

As the battle became more intense, the marble floor, which was originally as smooth as a mirror, was gradually dyed dark red by blood plasma. The strange and dazzling color flashed the luster of death under the light. As more and more death auras spread, the nobles who thought they could save their lives finally couldn't bear the pressure, broke down, and screamed and took out a barrel-shaped object.

A strong soul power fluctuation instantly surged in the barrel, which immediately alerted the members of the sharp blade team, although they didn't know what kind of counterattack the nobles were about to use.

Then, a dazzling red light burst out from the barrel, accompanied by a deafening roar, and a huge fireball condensed by soul power burst out from it and rushed into the sky.

"Oops!" Yan Sansi recognized what it was at the first time - it was a precious soul guide, which could be used as a powerful fire attack weapon and for emergency communication between armies.

The fireball exploded violently in the sky, and the earth-shaking roar and blazing flames illuminated all directions, and everyone who witnessed this scene was stunned.

Under this dazzling light, an old nobleman showed a ferocious and resolute expression on his face, and his voice was trembling but full of resentment:

"You forced me to do this! Since you want us to be buried with you, let's die together! You people..."

However, before he finished speaking, Yan Sansi's steel gun pierced his throat like lightning.

The noble could only make a few weak hoarse sounds, and could no longer utter the threatening words completely. His life came to an abrupt end at this moment.

As the fireball exploded in the night sky, more similar signals followed in the distant sky.

The originally quiet and deep night seemed to be ignited with passion at this moment, becoming as lively as a festival celebration, but under this liveliness, there were dangers that could not be concealed.

Although Yan Sansi had successfully captured what might be the largest grain warehouse around Soto City, there was no joy on his face.

He was clearly aware of the terrible truth hidden behind those fireworks-like signals blooming in the night sky.

Sure enough, not long after, faint starlight began to flicker on the dark earth, and quickly evolved into a blazing flame.

These flames were like lotus flowers blooming in the dark night, beautiful and deadly.

But behind this sad and beautiful scene, there was endless hunger and death.

Those granaries were reduced to ashes in the raging fire, just like what happened in Xingluo City, history seemed to repeat itself at this moment.

The fire burned all night until dawn.