Chapter 108: Double Blessings Arrive

The Night Owls’ branch in Dunhuang Commandery was tucked away in an inconspicuous little courtyard within the city. However, according to Qiu Niang, the surrounding courtyards had also been purchased by the Night Owls. Underground tunnels connected them all, with many compartments, each arranged for specific purposes. Li Wenyuan preferred not to inquire into the details.

The reason Li Wenyuan was here now was that Qiu Niang had received news from the Night Owls on the way. She said it was something Li Wenyuan had been particularly eager to see, so she had him wait here for a surprise.

Soon, Qiu Niang entered, carrying a ledger which she handed to Li Wenyuan. “Take a look at this. After the city fell, during the investigation, these records show merchants caught hoarding grain maliciously, as well as the military grain of Li Gui’s army and the private grain reserves of the Li family. The Night Owls compiled these volumes overnight.”

The moment Li Wenyuan heard it was about grain, his eyes lit up as he took the ledger from Qiu Niang and began leafing through it. The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. The grain hoarded by those merchants nearly matched the amount of Li Gui’s military provisions. As for Li Gui’s private grain, there wasn’t much—likely either transported away in advance or already used for military supplies.

As expected, Qiu Niang explained from the side, “We didn’t find records for Li Gui’s private grain, but the Night Owls assigned to surveillance said that before Li Gui’s army departed, numerous horse-drawn carts came and went from the Li estate day and night. It’s estimated that those carts carried away grain, and judging by the number of carts, it’s roughly equivalent to what these merchants have hoarded.”

Li Wenyuan nodded in understanding, excitement shining in his voice as he said, “My dear Qiu Niang, you truly are my lucky star. With this influx of grain, I can cut my external purchases by at least half.”

“Then how about rewarding the Night Owls with a portion of those savings as seed capital for the Western Trade Company?” Qiu Niang teased with a playful smile.

“I’d completely forgotten about that. I’ll write the official document later—you can take it directly to Xue Renyue to withdraw the funds,” Li Wenyuan quickly agreed.

“Oh, and the second surprise: before your messenger even arrived in Wuwei Commandery, Xue Ju has already set off from Jincheng, riding hard towards Dunhuang Commandery. He should arrive in a few days. You can focus on pacifying the people and handling other affairs for now. When Xue Ju passes through Guazhou, I’ll send someone to inform you,” Qiu Niang revealed another significant piece of news.

“Xue Ju himself is coming? Why the urgency?” Li Wenyuan asked, surprised.

“That’s still unclear, but it’s probably related to his own rebellion. Since you told us to keep an eye on Xue Ju’s movements, we’ve invested heavily in developing an intelligence network there. After you instructed Zong Luo Hou to go to Xue Ju’s camp, Xue Ju supplied him with grain, weapons, money, and other resources. Zong Luo Hou then occupied a hill near Jincheng with his men. Meanwhile, Xue Ju has been recruiting soldiers and expanding his forces. However, he hasn’t gained the favor of the emperor to serve as a general and thus dares not expand his army too much openly. Instead, he’s quietly funneled many displaced people to Zong Luo Hou,” Qiu Niang explained.

“How do you know so many details?” Li Wenyuan frowned. This was a serious matter. No matter how much he trusted Qiu Niang’s Night Owls, he needed to verify.

“We have informants embedded among the displaced. Some have infiltrated Xue Ju’s army, others were sent to Zong Luo Hou’s hill, and a few have even become officers. The intelligence is reliable,” Qiu Niang smiled.

“I see. Thank you for your hard work. After your long journey, rest well. I’ll attend to some official business. Tonight, let’s meet at the Joyful Spring Tavern—I’ll treat,” Li Wenyuan said.

Qiu Niang nodded, saluted, and withdrew. Li Wenyuan then left and arrived at the Dunhuang Commandery Governor’s residence, where he saw a group of people carrying large crates inside. Curious, he stepped in. No one recognized him as a stranger, so no one stopped him.

He grasped the arm of Yuan Lun, the newly appointed governor, and asked, “What’s in all these crates?”

Yuan Lun, recognizing Li Wenyuan, quickly saluted and replied, “Sir, these are all my books—original copies of ancient texts. That’s why they’re so heavy.”

Li Wenyuan knew Yuan Lun’s background. He was a younger son of the Yuan family, favored by the household head because of his mother. He had been educated and literate, but after his mother’s death, the Yuan head, pressured by his own wife, reluctantly drove Yuan Lun away—someone who bore some resemblance to himself. On the day he was expelled, the Yuan head asked what he wanted—wealth to become a rich man or a minor official position—but Yuan Lun knelt and begged for these precious ancient books instead, which he cherished carefully.

Yuan Lun was also an official chosen through the imperial examination. When he underwent intensive training at the Political Work School, this past came to light. Li Wenyuan had the Night Owls investigate and confirmed that Yuan Lun was indeed a cast-off from the Yuan family, not a spy planted by them.

Li Wenyuan nodded and said, “I will set up my office next to the governor’s residence. Come find me there if anything comes up.”

Having said this, he left, leaving Yuan Lun to continue supervising the hired laborers moving the books. Yuan Lun’s mind echoed with Li Wenyuan’s words from their graduation day at the Political Work School, when Li Wenyuan smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder:

“I don’t care if you’re from the Yuan family or the Yuwen family. If you want to have a career here, you must produce achievements. Your merits lie in the hands of the people under your governance. If they say you’re a good official, promotion and wealth are within reach. But if you engage in selling offices or oppressing the people, no law can be escaped. Even if the family head tries to save you, it won’t work. As you take office, remember: a true official serves with clean hands.”

Leaving Yuan Lun behind, Li Wenyuan proceeded to the neighboring courtyard beside the governor’s residence—a large compound sufficient for his office. Since he would continue his western campaign, the administrative center would temporarily move westward to Dunhuang Commandery. As an ancient city, Dunhuang was well-equipped to handle the personnel and logistics of the western expeditionary forces.

Relevant policies had long been promoted by arriving officials, with dedicated personnel handling population registration, so Li Wenyuan had little to worry about. Qiu Niang had also begun building an intelligence network targeting the Western Turks. After seizing a large amount of grain, the grain shortage in Dunhuang Commandery was no longer a pressing concern. Now, Li Wenyuan only needed to wait for Xue Ju’s arrival.

(End of Chapter)