Chapter 1475
What we’ve done is finally bearing fruit. (5)
“Stand in line over there, line up!”
“There’s plenty of grain! No need to rush!”
“Once you’ve received your grain, come over here to collect your daily necessities! Don’t come this way first, line up over there!”
The grain, piled high like mountains on the main road, was distributed methodically to the gathered crowd.
“…Good heavens, they’re actually giving out grain.”
Those who came to the distribution center clutching their wooden plaques blinked in disbelief. At a glance, the amount of grain being distributed was substantial.
“Is that all? They’re even giving out essential supplies.”
“They’re giving us houses and food, what more could we need?”
“Shaanxi is much colder than Hubei, isn’t it? They’re even giving out clothing to keep us from falling ill.”
“Ha… Ha-ha. This is unbelievable…”
It was hard to tell if they were refugees or guests visiting Shaanxi. Naturally, this led to a question.
“Why on earth are they treating us so well?”
It would make sense if the gathered refugees were skilled with swords. In these times, martial artists are undoubtedly favored.
However, most of the people lining up for rations were farmers who knew how to wield nothing more than a plow.
“Well, who knows. We just take what we’re given.”
“…They keep saying it’s ‘Cheonumaeng’, ‘Cheonumaeng’…”
“Let’s hurry. If we dawdle and the grain runs out in front of us, what will we do?”
“Right.”
Those talking people quickened their pace and joined the line.
❀ ❀ ❀
“We’re running out of grain!”
“What are the people we sent to Luoyang doing?”
“L-Luoyang isn’t exactly the next town over. It’s going to take a while for them to get back…”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Send a message immediately and tell them to hurry back with the supplies!”
“We’re also critically short on cotton cloth.”
“The people who went to buy cotton cloth in Xian will arrive soon! Those who haven’t received their allotment should have their names recorded so we can distribute it later. For now, use all the remaining cloth to make clothes for the children!”
“There’s no water! The wells are depleting faster than they can refill. We need to secure water from somewhere else, immediately!”
Hwang Jong-ui snapped his head around and shouted at the chief administrator.
“Didn’t I tell you to assign extra manpower for that earlier?”
“We did assign extra manpower, but carrying water manually has its limits…”
“Then assign more! If we’re short on people, then find more! What’s your issue now? What else is a problem?”
“A lot of people are falling ill from traveling such long distances without rest. The clinic in Hwaeum doesn’t have enough hands to handle it. We need to bring in more physicians from elsewhere immediately.”
“Ugh, well… that’s…”
Hwang Jong-ui, sweating profusely as he issued orders, hesitated for a moment. Then he grimaced and looked back.
On the makeshift bed behind his office, someone had been lounging carelessly for a while. This person, munching on an apple with audible crunches, sensed Hwang Jong-ui’s gaze and spoke indifferently.
“Hmm? What’s up?”
Hwang Jong-ui’s eye twitched.
Of course, this man didn’t have any specific duties right now. But while everyone else was sweating profusely, to the point their clothes were soaked, why did he have to be lounging behind him…
“General… The physicians, they’re not exactly people we can summon at will.”
“Summon physicians? Why? We have plenty of them here.”
“…What?”
“Hmm, let’s see… You there.”
“Yes? Yes, sir!”
The person reporting to Hwang Jong-ui answered in surprise.
“Make a list of all the people who are ill. Separate those who are in critical condition and need immediate attention from those who can wait a day. Tell the ones who can wait that a physician will visit them tonight.”
“T-Tonight? Why at night?”
“Because the physicians are only free at night. During the day, they’re busy building houses.”
…Ah, the Tang clan.
Yes, the Tang clan is known for their exceptional medical skills. But…
‘So they work as carpenters during the day and then treat patients without rest at night?’
At this point, it wouldn’t be more surprising if the Tang clan sided with Sapaeryeon.
“Alright, that seems settled. What other issues are there?”
“Well…”
Hwang Jong-ui fidgeted uncomfortably.
“Everyone, leave!”
“Yes!”
“Chief administrator, stay!”
“Ah, yes, Master.”
The bustling room quickly quieted as it emptied. Hwang Jong-ui clung to Chung Myung, pleading.
“General, how many more refugees do you plan to take in? At this rate, we can’t sustain ourselves.”
“The people from Four Seas merchant guild seem to be arriving now. Why all the fuss? Back in my day…”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, enough with the ‘back in my day’! It’s not a manpower issue, it’s a financial one! We can’t conjure money out of thin air with sheer willpower! Just how much more do you plan to pour into these people?”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung pouted, but Hwang Jong-ui didn’t back down easily.
“The funds you provided before are already exhausted. Right now, we’re covering the costs with our own guild’s resources, but those will soon run dry too.”
“I’ve already given you so much money, and now you’re whining like a true merchant.”
“Oh dear, General! Those people aren’t just staying for a day or two – we’ll need to feed them for at least a few months. The price of grain is skyrocketing, and the logistics costs are endless… I’m not just worried about our guild. At this rate, Cheonumaeng will collapse too.”
“Hey, don’t worry. Cheonumaeng has plenty of money. I’ve extorted… I mean, received contributions… uh… anyway, there’s money we’ve collected from various sects.”
“General!”
Hwang Jong-ui pounded his chest in frustration.
“Having money isn’t everything! You might not be familiar with accounting, but money is just paper if you can’t use it when you need it. Do you think anyone around here will exchange the grain for the pavilions we own in Anhui? It would take months just to verify them!”
“…That’s true.”
“No matter how much wealth is on the books, it’s useless. What we need now is tangible assets that can be exchanged immediately for grain or supplies…”
“Tangible assets.”
At that moment, something poured out from the chest Chung Myung lifted, scattering in front of Hwang Jong-ui.
Gold, gold, gold… and more gold. Countless gold ingots. Hwang Jong-ui was momentarily speechless with astonishment.
“Uh…?”
“Here you go. Tangible assets.”
Staring at the gleaming gold ingots, Hwang Jong-ui’s eyes widened, his mouth slowly opening in disbelief. If all of this was real gold, how much money was it?
“…Wh-where did all this come from…?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
Chung Myung grinned slyly.
“Will this be enough for now? If you need more, I can give you just as much again.”
“Y-yes, this will do. It’ll definitely do… Wait, you have more?”
Hwang Jong-ui’s face turned pale.
No matter how he looked at it, this seemed like money with no clear origin. How had he managed to gather so much? And in gold, no less, not in vouchers or land.
“W-what is this…?”
“Use this to cover the immediate expenses. Let me know if you need more.”
“No, no, giving this money to them… Honestly, it feels like such a waste. If this is how it’s going to be…”
“Geez. This is why merchants are the way they are!”
Chung Myung cut him off, glaring.
“Do you think money will multiply by itself if you just pile it up in a warehouse?”
“…”
“You might be a merchant and not understand, but money is meaningless if you don’t use it when it’s needed! Money must be spent at the right time!”
Hwang Jong-ui flinched. Chung Myung’s words echoed something his father, Hwang Munyak, used to say frequently.
‘…Is he really a Taoist?’
Because he doesn’t act like a Taoist monk, it’s easy to forget that Chung Myung is a legitimate disciple who received the teachings of Hwasan. Petty desires for material wealth should be beneath him…
“This way, it’ll return twofold! Threefold! Then, we can rake in the gold like this!”
Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed with greed. Hwang Jong-ui chuckled, thinking, ‘That’s more like you.’
“Anyway, use this money and be generous with it. Don’t hold back.”
“…Yes, I understand what you mean.”
“And make sure to account for all of this and record it separately. I’ll collect it back with interest later.”
Hwang Jong-ui nodded weakly. Chung Myung smiled at him.
“So, you know what to do, right?”
“Of course. But… are you planning something else?”
“I’ll need to step away for a bit.”
“You’re leaving Hwaeum? May I ask why?”
“To harvest.”
“…Harvest?”
Chung Myung grinned and nodded.
“I didn’t just plant seeds among the commoners. I need to collect everything I’ve sown.”
Hwang Jong-ui, not understanding, could only stare at him blankly.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Henan?”
“You’re going to Henan in the middle of all this?”
Five Swords’ face showed an expression of disbelief. It was understandable.
With the continuous influx of refugees, every helping hand was precious. Yet, in the midst of this crisis, Chung Myung planned to leave Hwaeum?
In the past, maybe, but now Chung Myung was the General of Cheonumaeng. Someone in such an important position abandoning his duties at a crucial time was unthinkable.
“You crazy bastard. I don’t know what you’re planning, but at least wait until things are settled here…”
“Sahyeong.”
Chung Myung interrupted Jo Geol and turned to Yoon Jong.
“Don’t you think Jo Geol Sahyeong has been talking too much lately?”
“Understandable. He’s earned a title, hasn’t he?”
“Ah, that’s why.”
“No, you idiot! And Sahyeong, why are you agreeing with him?”
Jo Geol shouted in frustration. Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
“Well, if you don’t want to come, don’t. I’ll go alone.”
“No… Sasuk! Don’t just sit there quietly. Say something!”
“…Let him be. You’ll get yourself killed.”
Baek Cheon, who had his face buried in his hands, answered without even looking up. It was only after a moment that he slowly raised his head, his face a mixture of all the world’s suffering. He asked.
“…But seriously, why are you going to Henan? We need to know the reason, at least.”
“Weren’t you listening? I told you, I’m going there to harvest.”
“What’s there to harvest? What’s in Henan, you crazy bastard? Are you planning to bring back the commoners from Henan too?”
“Oh? Wow, Dongryong.”
Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung with an obvious realization.
“It’s true, huh. I can read you like an open book now…”
“You’ve really become a bit dull lately. Maybe you should ask Lord Tang to check your pulse.”
“…”
Baek Cheon blankly stared up at the sky.
Jongnam has reopened its doors – maybe they’d accept him if he went there now?
Noticing Baek Cheon’s thoughts, Yoon Jong approached quietly and patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“It’s too late now, Sasuk.”
“They say the best time is when you think it’s too late.”
“It’s just too late. Accept it.”
Baek Cheon silently wiped his eyes. Chung Myung looked at him with a pitiful expression and said,
“People are sorted. Now, I need to retrieve something else. That’s the real focus now.”
“Huh? What do you mean, focus?”
Chung Myung grinned.
“You’ll understand when we get there. Those folks might be eagerly waiting for us.”
“No…”
Chung Myung waved his hand dismissively, as if too tired to explain further.
“Enough! So, are you coming or not?”
Five Swords collectively hung their heads.
“…I really wish he’d just die.”
It was no longer surprising that these words came out of Yu Iseol’s mouth.
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