Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 407: Seeking Advice on a Matter

Kunning Palace.

Yun Chu arranged for Lin Shi and her sister-in-law Liu Qianqian to be brought into the palace.

Looking at Yun Chu’s deliberately aged attire, Lin Shi couldn’t help but sigh: “Chu’er, you… ah…”

What sin had her Chu’er committed? Her first marriage was to a man like Xie Jingyu, and she had thought her second marriage would bring happiness and fulfillment. Yet, who could have expected Chu Yi to… Chu’er was only in her twenties and had already become the Empress Dowager, destined to spend the prime of her life in the lonely depths of the palace, withering away alone as she slowly aged…

“Mother, I am doing well,” Yun Chu said with a smile. “I invited you and sister-in-law here because there is something I need your help with.”

Liu Qianqian looked up and said, “Is it about the provisions and fodder?”

Yun Chu nodded. “Over the past few years, after each autumn harvest, I have been stockpiling large quantities of grain. After storing the grain for over two years, I sell it at a low price to the common people. While disposing of the old grain, I also purchase new grain to ensure the granaries remain well-stocked. I just reviewed the accounts, and the total grain reserves across several cities amount to approximately five million dan.”

“Gasp!”

Both Lin Shi and Liu Qianqian drew sharp breaths.

They knew Yun Chu had been stockpiling grain and even purchasing it from other countries, but they had no idea the reserves had reached such a staggering five million dan.

“The Great Jin and the Eastern Tomb Kingdom are separated by a vast sea. This war is likely to be protracted and will require massive amounts of provisions and fodder. Five million dan may seem sufficient for now, but if the war drags on for another year…” Yun Chu shook her head, not dwelling further on the war. After a pause, she continued, “Grain alone is not enough; we also need fodder. I will contribute the majority of my dowry to help you and mother purchase fodder. Then, in the name of the Yun family and the Empress Dowager, we will donate the provisions and fodder to the court without compensation.”

Liu Qianqian nodded earnestly.

Currently, the court was divided into three factions. The Empress Dowager needed to take such actions to win over the neutral faction. Only with sufficient support could the young emperor force the Regent to step down.

She spoke up, “I still have some dowry left. I…”

“Sister-in-law,” Yun Chu pressed her hand, “I have money—a lot of it.”

Not to mention the hot spring manor, just the large ship alone made three voyages overseas each year, each time bringing her immense wealth. Selling goods overseas could earn forty to fifty thousand taels of silver. Then, bringing goods back to the southern ports could earn another forty thousand or more. Finally, transporting goods from the south back to the capital could yield at least thirty thousand taels. In total, a single voyage could bring in over a hundred thousand taels.

Two years ago, she invested another hundred thousand taels to build a second ship. Over the years, these two large vessels had earned her more than a million taels in profit.

Others only knew she was engaged in maritime trade, unaware that she had seized the opportunity early and reaped enormous profits. Merchants who entered the market later could no longer achieve such high returns.

With ample funds and grain, many matters no longer troubled her.

After seeing off Lin Shi and Liu Qianqian, Yun Chu began reviewing memorials.

Before she began overseeing court affairs, state memorials were handled by five auxiliary ministers. Now that she was in charge, the memorials were sent directly to her.

She would first read through all the memorials. Major issues were reserved for discussion at the next day’s morning court session. Meaningless memorials received a cursory comment. For matters of moderate importance, she selected a few representative cases to discuss and deliberate with her son, Chu Hongyu, when he came for dinner in the evening.In her previous life, Yun Chu had little exposure to court affairs. Although she was now immersed in them, her political acumen still fell short of seasoned ministers.

She needed to read numerous historical texts daily, often until midnight, diligently absorbing knowledge to handle court matters.

"Mother!"

Chu Hongyu's voice came from the doorway, prompting Yun Chu to set aside the historical records.

The little one called out "Mother" at the door but immediately switched to "Mom" upon entering, saying, "I'm so hungry today—I could eat three big bowls of rice."

Yun Chu touched his slightly damp hair. "Did you fall into the water today?"

"Three times," Chu Hongyu replied, swallowing a mouthful of food before excitedly adding, "I only brought one set of clean clothes, so I sneaked off with Chen San to his courtyard to find something to change into. We almost got caught by his parents—that was close!"

Yun Chu: "..."

Even if the Minister of Works and his wife had noticed, they would likely have pretended not to see.

She set down her chopsticks and asked, "How is your research going?"

"Almost..." Chu Hongyu paused, astonished. "Mom, how did you know I was researching something?"

Yun Chu chuckled. "Did you really think you could hide such a small secret from your mother?"

"Exactly," Chu Changsheng chimed in with a smile. "Isn't Brother just studying how to quickly capture enemy ships during naval battles?"

Chu Hongyu rubbed his nose.

He had wanted to surprise his mother, but it turned out she knew everything.

"If you need any help, just ask me," Yun Chu said, placing a piece of fish belly in his bowl. "Once the provisions and military pay are secured, reinforcements will set out in about half a month. It'll take another half month to reach the front lines, and then they'll need to deploy troops. You still have time—no need to rush."

But how could Chu Hongyu not feel rushed? He was nearly frantic with urgency.

The next day during court, he pondered the matter. When Ouyang Ye was teaching him, his mind wandered. When Ouyang Ye inquired, he straightforwardly confessed: "Teacher, I have a question to ask."

Ouyang Ye listened attentively.

"In terms of naval warfare, our Great Jin has little experience, while the Eastern Tomb Kingdom excels at surprise attacks on the sea," Chu Hongyu explained calmly. "I've reviewed the battle reports from the front lines. The Eastern Tomb Kingdom's warships are less than a third the size of ours, yet they force our retreat without a fight... The reason is their small, agile ships specialize in sneak attacks. We struggle to control their vessels and can only watch as they succeed and escape... I've been wondering if we could develop something to seize their ships, turning naval battles into land combat, and then annihilate the Eastern Tomb Kingdom in one stroke. I already have a preliminary sketch—let me draw it..."

"Your Majesty, you have remarkable ideas for one so young, but..." Ouyang Ye shook his head. "I'm not well-versed in these matters and can't offer much advice."

Chu Hongyu's face fell. "Ah, I'll have to think about it some more then..."

"Your Majesty could consult the Minister of Works," Ouyang Ye suggested. "Every Minister of Works has excelled in such ingenious crafts—perhaps he could provide some insights."

Chu Hongyu's eyes lit up.

Of course! The Minister of Works had far more experience than he did. When in need, he should seek help.

After the lesson, Chu Hongyu changed his clothes, gathered his entourage, boarded a carriage, and stealthily slipped out of the palace.As Chu Rui approached the Imperial Study, he saw the carriage leaving the palace, a cold smile curling at the corners of his lips.

Since the young emperor was so uncooperative, he had no qualms about going to discuss a deal with Yun Chu.

He changed direction and headed toward Kunning Palace.