Seeing Li Yuan return, Lady Yan quickly stood up and pulled him inside, whispering, "Husband, something happened outside."
Saying this, she closed the door again.
"What happened?"
"Let Sister Xue tell you, today she encountered people from the Four Seas Commerce Association, the shop that used to sell grain near our Little Ink Workshop."
Li Yuan looked at the proprietress.
Today, the proprietress was dressed in a light green gauze dress with lotus leaf edges, giving her a touch of fresh purity. Outside, she was a shrewd businesswoman and a dignified noblewoman, but at home, she was merely a young wife who slept beside Li Yuan.
"Husband, today the Four Seas Commerce Association fled back into the county. They were robbed..."
Li Yuan said, "I remember they have been a long-standing association, traveling this route for a long time without issue. Why were they suddenly robbed?"
The proprietress shook her head and said, "They said they encountered many bandits that just suddenly appeared."
"What’s going on?"
"I heard from the commerce people that it seems... over a month ago, the Red Lotus bandits took down the Jade Capital, and the Great Zhou Emperor fled.
And over this past month, the Red Lotus bandits have completely secured the Jade Capital. Then the leader of the Red Lotus bandits, ’Crown Prince Red Lotus’ Peng Chao... claimed the throne.
This Peng Chao claims to be the son of the Red Emperor of heaven, now conforming to the mandate of heaven to drive away the son of the Green Emperor who clings to the throne.
He also said that the current natural disasters are because the son of the Green Emperor went against the great trend, angering the Divine Spirit, hence inviting them."
Li Yuan was stunned for a moment; he didn’t expect to hear such a "reason for claiming the throne."
However, he didn’t care about that, instead thinking about the robbery of the Four Seas Commerce Association.
A few moments later, he understood and said, "So, the reason the Four Seas Commerce Association encountered bandits is simply because those bandits... are fleeing to remote corners?
These people in Central Earth might not be much, but when they came here, they became bandits.
Is that the case?"
"It should be..." the proprietress nodded, "Otherwise, the Four Seas Commerce Association, which often runs this line, wouldn’t have been suddenly robbed... Even their young lady was taken, and they don’t know her situation now."
Lady Yan beside them said, "What else could happen?"
The proprietress shivered and said, "Yes, what else could happen?"
The expressions of both women were somewhat fearful, their pretty faces seemingly covered in frost and frozen.
Li Yuan closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. This matter he heard for the first time, after all, in these days, unless one has a dedicated information channel, messages really spread very slowly...
To be honest, he didn’t care about the Emperor fleeing or Crown Prince Red Lotus claiming the throne...
But now, this already turbulent Shanbao County might again face a wave of chaos.
When Immortals clash, the tremors from the core might also overturn the remote corners.
Li Yuan’s heart suddenly grew heavy.
"Husband..."
"Husband..."
Lady Yan and the proprietress softly called his name, as if chanting a comforting mantra.
Li Yuan smiled and pulled the two women into his arms, saying, "We’ll handle the soldiers as they come and the water as it rises."
Thinking about the matter, his heart felt tightened with waves of uncertainty and danger, making his brow furrow. But seeing the frightened look on the two women, he gently embraced them and said warmly, "Don’t worry, I’m here."
After a moment of thought, he added, "Sister Xue, pay attention to the comings and goings, keep an eye on messages, especially watch where those caravans plan to retreat to, and gather some information about other towns outside of Shanbao County.
Sister Yan, there are also several ladies from small factions in your tea parties, quietly ask them when you have a chance, see what they plan to do..."
"Okay, husband."
"Understood, husband."