TKTWC 12

Chapter 12

Now, She Had Succeeded**

Liu Yi had actually expected the Qian family to donate less.

When war loomed, local powers also needed to protect themselves.

Of course, different powerful clans had different ways of doing so.

Bold and farsighted ones—like Lu Su of Jiangdong—would proactively lend their grain to Zhou Yu, who at the time wasn’t particularly powerful and was even somewhat down on his luck.

Later, when Sun Ce and Zhou Yu took over Jiangdong, the Lu Su family rose with them, gaining both status and protection.

But most local powers were conservatives like the Qian family—prioritizing their own survival first. If Yuyang were truly breached, they could use that same grain to curry favor with the new ruler, build a good relationship, and continue living their comfortable lives as a local power.

Generally, as long as they cooperated, the new ruler wouldn’t suppress the old local powers too harshly.

So what did it matter to them who governed Yuyang?

Besides, Governor Liu had always been incorruptible and upright, favoring the common people more—and had given the Qian family fewer special privileges than other commanderies gave their local powers. The relationship between them wasn’t as good as outsiders imagined.

The Qian family’s attitude wasn’t surprising.

“How can ten thousand possibly be enough?” her parents asked in confusion.

The granary had about twenty-five thousand hu. Adding this ten thousand made thirty-five thousand total—still fifteen thousand short of Liu Yi’s target of fifty thousand.

And how much could the common people donate? Three thousand? Five thousand at most?

Liu Yi counted on her fingers: “The Qian family gives ten thousand, the granary has twenty-five thousand, and the people have currently raised eleven thousand. That makes forty-seven thousand total.”

“I only need forty-two thousand.” Her tone carried a certainty and ease that Governor Liu and Madam Qian hadn’t expected.

“Didn’t you say you needed fifty thousand?” Governor Liu remembered that in front of Liu He, she had said they’d send fifty thousand to deliver forty thousand.

Liu Yi tugged at a piece of silk fabric she had hung to dry in the courtyard: “That was because I didn’t know what I could achieve back then.”

Now, she had succeeded.

—

After Liu Yi quickly cleaned herself up, the three of them went to the government office together to recount the grain donated by the people and get an accurate number.

They were in for a surprise—the estimated eleven thousand hu from the first day had already grown to nearly fifteen thousand hu.

In just half a day, it had increased by four thousand hu!

That number was astonishing!

To make an inappropriate comparison, even if Liu He’s soldiers went door to door robbing, they couldn’t take that much in a day!

Not only were her parents shocked, but Liu Yi herself couldn’t believe it either. She even snatched the register from the chief clerk and double-checked it over and over.

It really was that much.

In the register, Liu Yi saw many familiar names. Some weren’t from the seat of the commandery but from surrounding counties—they had heard the news and sent grain in as well.

Over the years, she had also traveled to nearby areas to help locals improve their farmland and share knowledge, though never as often as in the commandery seat. She hadn’t expected people from those places to support her so strongly.

There were even Wuhuan names on the register.

The Wuhuan could be understood as an ethnic minority group in modern terms—most were nomadic on the grasslands. But in the Eastern Han, the Wuhuan weren’t under court control, so they were called “foreign tribes.”

Because Yuyang Commandery was close to foreign tribes, many Wuhuan had given up nomadism and settled in Yuyang in recent years, and Governor Liu had treated them well.

(In this regard, the Wuhuan were different from the Han—their entire ethnicity had no unified leader but was divided into many tribes, each governing itself. The Wuhuan causing chaos in Guangyang and the Wuhuan settled in Yuyang were not aligned. The settled Wuhuan enjoyed peaceful lives and wouldn’t help the rebellious Wuhuan for no reason.)

This time, they donated a thousand hu of grain in the name of the entire Wuhuan community of Yuyang.

“Congratulations, Governor and Young Master—this is the reward for your kindness over the years.” The chief clerk of Yuyang, who had been receiving the grain donations on Liu Yi’s behalf at the office these past days, was deeply moved.

After a quick tally, they found they had about fifty thousand hu of grain in total.

“Maybe you should take fifty thousand with you after all.” Governor Liu still worried about his daughter, fearing accidents along the way and wanting her to have extra insurance.

But Liu Yi shook her head: “No need. I’ll take forty-two thousand. Forty thousand delivered to Guangyang, and two thousand for normal consumption along the way.”

Everyone fell silent at that. The escorting troops would probably consume over a thousand hu themselves during the journey—leaving only a few hundred for wastage.

Had she miscalculated?

Unaware of the exchanged glances, Liu Yi picked up a brush and began marking on the register.

“We’ll still announce that we’re sending all the grain away. The surplus should be hidden as reserves—we never know how long this war will last,” she said with her head down. “I know the situations of some families on this register. A few may have donated too much and might not have enough grain after the new year. Father, please keep an eye on them when the time comes.”

Still, no one spoke.

It was then that Liu Yi finally sensed something was off.

She was only fifteen in the Eastern Han, yet she seemed to be managing too much—and too forcefully, even assigning tasks to her father, the commandery governor.

At home that was one thing, but with the chief clerk present, she was embarrassing her father.

She quickly finished marking the register and handed it back to Governor Liu. Before she could think of a way to smooth things over, she felt a warm weight on the top of her head.

It was Governor Liu’s large hand gently patting her hair.

“My child thinks of everything thoroughly—far better than your father.” He smiled gently. “If you get the chance in the future, don’t worry yourself so much every day—you’ll lose your hair.”

The chief clerk showed no disdain for their dynamic either, chiming in with a smile: “Opportunities will naturally come. Master Yi has genius that could govern the realm—surely one day she’ll serve at court.”

He had been chief clerk for over a decade, having watched Liu Yi grow up, and like many commoners, he had long come to regard her as a reincarnated immortal.

But Governor Liu and Madam Qian exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with unspeakable bitterness.

—

Soon, Governor Liu arranged for trusted men to transfer the grain in batches to another long-abandoned granary in Yuyang under cover of night, leaving only a little over forty thousand hu behind.

Liu Yi had intended to go find Liu He and have him personally inspect the grain, to avoid any future trouble.

But Governor Liu wouldn’t let her go. He went alone to handle Liu He, then asked for a hundred or so men to help with loading.

This gave Liu Yi time to focus on her own preparations.

To minimize grain loss during transport, loading was the most critical step.

The grain carts of the Han Dynasty were actually different from what modern TV dramas showed.

In the dramas, grain was first packed into hemp sacks, then loaded onto carts one bag at a time—but in practice, that was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Han grain carts were somewhat similar to modern pickup trucks—two wheels at the bottom, no roof on top, and a movable tailgate that could be pulled down.

When loading, grain could be poured directly in with large shovels. Unloading was even simpler—just pull down the tailgate, tilt the cart, and the grain would pour out on its own.

But these carts had many drawbacks.

First, they were pulled by oxen, and with two wheels, they were hard to steer. Even on slightly rough roads—let alone mountain paths—they tipped over easily.

Second, the cart bodies themselves were prone to mildew, making the grain even more susceptible to dampness and insects.

Years ago, Liu Yi had already replaced Yuyang’s grain carts and passenger carts with three-spoke wheels. The wheel surfaces of frequently used carts were wrapped in animal sinew, bonded with natural resin—similar to modern mountain bike tires.

This made even bumpy, potholed roads feel like smooth ground.