Chapter 418 - 262: People’s Hearts Can Be Overturned
Chapter 418: Chapter 262: People’s Hearts Can Be Overturned
"...Asutai, the son of the Barbarian Left King Mu Hage, was captured by horse bandits from Poshisu Country and made into a barbarian slave. Right now, he’s in Shu State!"
Chen Yi finished, looking at the wide-eyed Lou Yuxue. He chuckled lightly and said, "That’s all."
Lou Yuxue stared at him blankly.
After a long moment, she finally spoke.
"Th-that’s all?"
"Do you have any idea what you’re saying?"
"King Landu is marching east to raid the border, and the Left King’s son is in Shu State. If these two pieces of news get out, it will undoubtedly cause chaos."
"All of Shu State, and even the entirety of Great Wei’s Nine State and Three Prefectures, will be thrown into a panic."
"I, you... Why would you do this?"
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Chen Yi’s face. "I’m very satisfied with your reaction."
"If someone as sharp as you can lose their composure like this, I imagine no one else in Shu State will be an exception, will they?"
Lou Yuxue couldn’t help but curse, "Satisfied my ass!"
"Tell me, what are you really planning?!"
Chen Yi let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Relax, relax. I’m just asking you to play along with me."
Seeing that Lou Yuxue was still glaring at him, he had to explain further, "The news is fake."
"Fake... It’s all fake?"
"Not entirely."
Lou Yuxue, who had just started to relax, instantly tensed up again. She nearly choked on her own spit.
"Explain everything!"
’To think that I’m a distinguished White Tiger Guard Silver Banner Officer—and one on the verge of becoming a Golden Banner Officer at that. I’ve been through things ordinary people can’t even fathom. I should be able to stay calm even if a mountain collapsed in front of me.’
’Yet here I am, losing my composure and blurting things out again and again because of Chen Yi.’
’It’s truly embarrassing for a Silver Banner Officer like me.’
Chen Yi naturally noticed, but he didn’t point it out, lest Lou Yuxue pounce on him and bite him.
"As King Landu’s biological younger brother, it’s not entirely impossible that Lv Jiunan would lead the Peacock King Banner here, but the idea doesn’t hold up to scrutiny."
"Horse bandits are horse bandits, after all. Their weapons, equipment, and their soldiers’ Cultivation are all inferior to the Dingyuan Army. They’d have no chance of victory in a large-scale attack."
"So that piece of news is just a ’rumor.’"
"As for the son of the Barbarian Left King... he really is in Shu State."
Before Lou Yuxue could speak, Chen Yi preempted her, asking, "You remember the incident with the East Market Grain Storehouse being burned down, don’t you?"
A flicker of understanding crossed Lou Yuxue’s mind as she realized, "Are you saying that one of those barbarian slaves is Mu Hage’s son?"
"Have those bumpkins from Poshisu Country lost their minds? They even dared to go after the Black Bear Tribe?"
"Aren’t they afraid Mu Hage will lead the Barbarian Race’s army to slaughter everyone along the Ancient Tea-Horse Road?"
Chen Yi shook his head, not explaining further. "It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when I have time."
"You just need to know that Asutai... Mu Hage’s son... is currently in Shu State."
Lou Yuxue gritted her teeth. She really wanted to punch him.
But she knew that if Chen Yi didn’t want to talk, there was nothing she could do. She could only press on, asking:
"Then where is he now?"
"I don’t know."
"Then how can I be sure that what you’re saying is true?"
Chen Yi spread his hands. "If both pieces of news were fake, wouldn’t that be even better for you?"
Lou Yuxue said helplessly, "I still need to understand what the impact will be after the news gets out."
"Otherwise, I can’t possibly help you with this."
Seeing this, Chen Yi thought for a moment and nodded. "There’s no harm in telling you."
"After these two pieces of news spread, grain prices in Shu State will skyrocket."
"You... You’re doing all this just for that?"
"Of course. It’s not like I’m actually crazy. Why would I joke about such matters for no reason?"
Lou Yuxue was beginning to understand Chen Yi’s intentions for releasing these two rumors.
The two rumors—"King Landu is attacking" and "The Barbarian Left King’s son is in Shu State"—would have only one effect.
—To create panic among the people of Shu State.
Even if the news couldn’t be confirmed, and even if many people weren’t foolish, there would still be some who adopted a "better safe than sorry" attitude.
It wouldn’t take many.
If even one percent of the population believed it, they would do everything in their power to buy grain, causing prices to soar.
At this thought, Lou Yuxue snorted, "Deceiving the common people... aren’t you afraid of retribution?"
Chen Yi smiled and shook his head. "You’re using the wrong word, and you’re blaming the wrong person."
"I’m not the one deceiving the common people. It’s the few grain distributors in Shu State, and the Ji State Trading Company."
"Manipulating people, then. That’s right, isn’t it?"
"’Manipulating’... I suppose you could call it that. But my targets have never been the common people."
At this point, Chen Yi paused, toying with the black iron mask in his hands before changing the subject.
"Do you remember the question for this year’s metropolitan examination?"
Lou Yuxue thought for a moment before saying hesitantly, "Was it ’A boat is on the water, why does it capsize’?"
"That’s right. Why does it capsize?"
"The common people are like the water. The boat is like ’Shu State,’ like the Great Wei’s Nine State and Three Prefectures, like the Court Officials."
"Tell me, if the boat capsizes, is it the fault of the people in the boat, or the fault of the water beneath it?"
Lou Yuxue looked at him, displeased. "I haven’t read many books..."
Chen Yi shook his head and said, "What I’m trying to say is, the water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it up."
"Since they want to plot against the people of Shu State, I don’t mind teaching them what real pain feels like."
Hearing this, Lou Yuxue gave him a deep, long look.
She might not be well-read, but she understood the meaning behind the phrase "the water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it up."
’Since the people from the Ji State Trading Company don’t care about the common folk, manipulating grain prices and forcing them to buy at exorbitant rates to make a massive profit...’
’He, "Liu Wu," was going to end this farce as soon as possible.’
"Two questions."
"First, aren’t you afraid of the situation spiraling out of control? Those people from the Ji State Trading Company are no pushovers."
Chen Yi smiled and said, "Simple."
"Before the news is released, all we have to do is find a way to buy up all the grain they’re holding, right?"
"You... Where are you going to get that much silver?"
"I have my ways."
Lou Yuxue was momentarily stunned. After a moment’s thought, she couldn’t help but remind him, "Whatever you’re planning, you still owe me the silver for the grain I bought from Simurgh Phoenix."