Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

Chapter 2205: I SeeEditor: Henyee Translations

The Sun family... dealing with them was proving to be quite a challenge!

”How much did they demand?” Shao Yunduan’s unease grew.

As anticipated, Qi’s expression soured with indignation as he recounted, ”It’s outrageous! That Sun family has no shame! They argued that as the Emperor is the ruler of the world, everything ultimately belongs to him. Since the Emperor’s forces are facing a food shortage, they insisted we allocate half of the Northwest Army’s food to them.”

”Unbelievable!” Shao Yunduan’s anger flared. ”And you agreed to this?”

”Of course not!” Even though the ordeal had passed and he was now venting to his brother, Qi’s fury remained palpable. ”Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law, you both aided us in procuring food at great expense. We’re already indebted to you; we can’t simply hand it over to them!”

”If they had demanded a toll of 23,000 taels of silver, we might have reluctantly complied. It’s not unheard of to pay for peace and smooth passage. But this demand was beyond reason. There was no room for negotiation.”

Shao Yunduan shot him a stern glance. ”What happened next? How did you manage to proceed? Why did they eventually allow you to pass?”

”Of course not! The Sun family is utterly unreasonable.” Qi’s lips curled into a sneer. ”Negotiations were futile. Both sides reached an impasse, so I warned them that the Northwest Army’s provisions wouldn’t last indefinitely. If their obstruction led to dire consequences, Generals Feng and Xu would expose the entire affair to the world. Let them ponder the repercussions!”

”Hmph! Despite all my explanations, they insisted on one-third of the food. They claimed it’s non-negotiable! They have the audacity to assert that it’s the Emperor’s duty to secure the food for the Northwest Army, especially now that rebels have destabilized the realm. The Emperor’s intent is to quell the rebellion and restore peace. Hence, he unequivocally requires this food! Fifth Brother, can you believe this nonsense? It’s utterly exasperating!” Qi’s frustration was palpable, his expression twisted with anger and disbelief.

Shao Yunduan, witnessing his brother’s turmoil, felt a mix of anger and sympathy. ”Stay composed; getting angry won’t change anything. Unfortunately, that’s the Sun Family’s modus operandi. What happened next?”

Shao Yunduan’s irritation piqued his curiosity.

Qi continued, ”I refused to concede to their demands! Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-in-law worked tirelessly to procure this food for us. Eventually, the Northwest Army will need to compensate them with something of equal value. Why should we yield to the Sun Family’s demands?”

”Then I proposed that since the Emperor has yet to allocate any military funds to the Northwest Army, shouldn’t he start by compensating them? I suggested an initial payment of 500,000 taels of silver! Frankly, 500,000 taels isn’t sufficient; it won’t sustain us for even a year. Ha! Fifth Brother, you should have seen their reaction. They were fuming; Sun Pu was practically seething. Hmph, if things had escalated to a physical confrontation, I fear I’d have to watch my back!”

Shao Yunduan: ”...”

”It’s Sun Pu again. Seems like fate has a way of bringing enemies together,” remarked Shao Yunduan.

Briefly recounting their previous encounters, Shao Yunduan left Qi dumbfounded.

The distance was vast, and the northwest region was currently far from peaceful. With tensions high and everyone preoccupied with the ongoing war, there was little room for anything else.

Qi, upon arriving at Huaixi Pass, had also found it puzzling. However, he hadn’t dwelled on it much, assuming his brother had seized another piece of territory.