Chapter 39: The Number One Devoted Simp of the National Server

The morning mist had not yet dispersed.

When the notice announcing the closure of the case was posted, the common people finally let out a sigh of relief; they had truly feared that the Northern Di tribes were invading. The notice attributed the incident to a personal vendetta, urging everyone to return to their peaceful lives.

But before one wave settled, another rose.

Before the crowds had even dispersed, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly echoed from East Street.

"A wealthy merchant from Jiangnan has opened a grain seed shop! He is trading our inferior seeds for high-quality ones, and he’s even subsidizing five copper coins for every catty! The exchange lasts only while supplies last, everyone go quickly!"

The news was like water splashed into a pan of hot oil, causing an instant uproar. The people flocked to the seed shop to see for themselves.

Xin He—New Harvest.

These were the latest seeds provided by the little fox, and they were, indeed, a new harvest. The Xin He Grain Shop was packed with a sea of people.

Shop assistants ran back and forth, setting out the seeds. There was an abundance of wheat seeds, followed by corn, while rice seeds were the most scarce—the region was not suitable for rice, and they were only displayed for the people to see.

At the end of the line, an old man with white hair, clutching an empty cloth bag, walked up with trembling steps. His cracked fingers repeatedly traced the wheat seeds on display, and tears of excitement streamed down his face. Suddenly, he knelt down, his tears carving furrows through the dust and dirt on his cheeks. "Master, are you truly going to trade these seeds with us?"

"Old man, just call me Xin He. I am a grain merchant from Jiangnan. I heard that the people of the Northern Frontier were suffering, so I brought these high-quality seeds to help everyone increase their yields. You can bring any seeds you have from home to exchange. For every catty of seeds, I will provide a subsidy of five copper coins, and we will pay you on the spot."

As he finished speaking, assistants brought out large bamboo baskets filled to the brim with copper coins.

"Master Xin, I shall return home at once to fetch my seeds for the trade!"

With one person taking the lead, the crowd scattered in all directions.

Dongfang Jiebai held Ji Ci in his arms, his eyes filled with a gentle smile. The people were the foundation of this country. The little fox was right; everything should center on the people, and their hands would be the ones to lift him up.

Families living nearby came together, forming long queues in front of the shop. Ji Ci poked her little head out, looking around. The people here were all wearing patched clothing, which looked like linen. It seemed that cotton did not exist in this era.

*If only everyone would bring all their seeds, then we could see if there’s any cotton.*

Cotton?

Dongfang Jiebai had become almost immune to the strange things Ji Ci said. Seeing her observing the crowd, he quickly understood her meaning. Cotton must be what they called "white fleece."

"By the way," Dongfang Jiebai said, raising his voice intentionally, "if any of you have rare seeds, such as the white fleece passed down from the Northern Di, I will buy each seed for one copper coin."

This gesture stirred the crowd once more, and many people ran home to fetch other types of seeds.

Ji Ci nodded with satisfaction. Life was hard for the common people, and they would save seeds from anything edible. This was undoubtedly the fastest way to collect seeds.

Zhao Qiaofeng, wearing a pale blue dress, stood to the side distributing the copper coins. Wang Feng stood nearby holding a fan, wiping sweat and offering water, as sycophantic as a lackey. Ji Ci shook her head as she watched.

*The national champion of deep affection and ultimate suck-up.*

Dongfang Jiebai glanced back at Wang Feng. He was puzzled; wasn't deep affection a good thing? Why call him a "suck-up"? Did people in her era refer to deep affection this way? It seemed a bit disrespectful to love.

The line grew longer and longer. It seemed as though everyone in the county had arrived, and people from other counties were also rushing over to trade. The plump, high-quality seeds were clearly superior to the shriveled grains the farmers were used to, and they didn't doubt the Jiangnan merchant’s motives for a moment.

Dongfang Jiebai had his men open several more exchange counters, but the crowd was simply too large; even twenty counters could not relieve the pressure. Bag after bag of seeds was brought out, and basket after basket of coins was handed out.

Few people traded for the corn seeds; perhaps the yield of corn was considered too low, and no one wanted to take the risk. Dongfang Jiebai felt that everything the little fox gave him was precious, and he didn't want such treasures to go to waste.

His eyes darted around, and he told those distributing the grain, "Give every household a handful of 'six-grain' seeds. Tell them that if they grow them next year, ten ears of 'six-grain' can be exchanged for one copper coin."

Hearing this, they were more than happy to accept the free seeds. Being able to exchange them for money next year was like a windfall from heaven. The people knelt down, kowtowing to Dongfang Jiebai.

"Master Xin is truly righteous; may you live for a hundred years!"

Dongfang Jiebai raised his hand, his voice gentle. "I am merely doing my small part to help the people of the Northern Frontier live a better life."

"A true philanthropist!"

The people kowtowed again. Ji Ci jumped onto the table, watching the people kneel. Suddenly, she saw a golden light shimmering above Dongfang Jiebai's head.

*Faith—it is the power of faith!*

Ji Ci was confused. What faith?

*The people have placed their faith in Dongfang Jiebai.*

Ji Ci’s eyes flickered. This was a man of great destiny. With this fortune, Dongfang Jiebai should never turn to the dark side.

Inside the county office, the new magistrate had not yet arrived, and only the clerk was left to watch over the place. A yamen runner rushed in, breathless. "Clerk, there is a merchant from Jiangnan in the south of the city, collecting grain seeds on a massive scale! The people are flocking to him!"

The clerk stroked his beard, deep in thought. The previous magistrate had been wiped out, and there were certainly people in the city he could not afford to offend. Now, let alone trading grain, even if someone wanted to become the new magistrate, he wouldn't dare utter a word of protest!

Listening to the report, the clerk held his teacup in mid-air. "As long as it doesn't cause chaos, let them be. The Northern Di are watching us like tigers, and if the grain improvement is real, it will save the imperial court the trouble of disaster relief."

The runner added, "He is subsidizing five copper coins per catty. If the seeds have problems, what will we do about next year's grain tax?"

After hearing this, the clerk dared not take it lightly and immediately wrote a letter to the prefect.

When the prefect received the letter, it was already late at night. He closed the account book and scoffed, "Subsidizing five copper coins per catty? Is this merchant here to do charity, or is he here to buy people's hearts?"

A scribe whispered, "The Northern Di just caused trouble, and the people are in dire need of seeds. If we stop him, it might incite a riot..."

The prefect fell silent, and late into the night, he called his advisors to discuss the matter.

The next day, a letter sat on the clerk's desk. His fingers tapped on the secret dispatch—it had been sent from the prefect's office that morning, with the words "observe the situation" circled in red ink.

The grain exchange went smoothly, continuing for over half a month, until the seeds in all the villages, large and small, around the prefecture had been swapped.

Ji Ci selected some seeds she didn't have and genetically modified them. The inferior seeds were stored in her spatial dimension, serving as military rations for Dongfang Jiebai.