three or five days! We thought the canal would be dug quickly so we could have food and water. But now we’ve eaten and drunk everything we had."My wife even bought a bag of vegetable seeds for a few...When Pan Zhi'an relaxed his expression, Fang Jinyu smiled and said, "Rest assured, Lord Pan. A young lady's request will never cause you any trouble."

Although the people of Luoshui City seem to be living a relatively stable life right now, it is actually a facade painstakingly maintained by the adults.

"In fact, the supplies within the city have been gradually decreasing, and the prices of many goods have risen to a level that ordinary people can no longer afford."

"A common vegetable is almost half a tael of silver per catty now. Don't you really worry about it, sir"

"Without outside help, or internal adjustments to break through the current situation, I estimate that within six months, the people of Luoshui City will be unable to afford food, prices will collapse, and the population will begin to flee."

"Finally reduced to a panicked city!"

Pan Zhi'an's face turned pale, not from being frightened by Fang Jinxiu's words, but because what she said matched the ending he had once calculated.

He did petition the court for aid, but, after all, Luoshui City was just a small town on the outskirts of Xizhou. The court simply didn't pay much attention to it.

One by one, the notes were passed up, but there was no response. Pan Zhi'an couldn't help but feel anxious.

He just couldn't act recklessly. He was the county magistrate of Luoshui City, the parents official of its people. Once he lost his composure, everyone would panic.

Pan Zhian couldn't act rashly, nor dare he.

He finally put away the faint smile on his face, his expression became much more serious, and he even raised his hand to pour a cup of tea for Fang Jinshi, pushing it to her.

"What are your requests, Madam Zong Please speak."

“As long as it is within my capabilities, I will do my best.”

Fang Jinxiu raised an eyebrow. With Pan Zhian letting his guard down, she had already accomplished half her goal for this evening.

The citizens within the city need a greater circulation of goods, and merchants and trade caravans are the key to this flow.

"I see that there isn't even a merchant guild in Luoshui City. Would Lord Pan be interested in taking the lead in establishing one"

Fang Jinshi's words seemed to open up Pan Zhi'an's thoughts at once.

"What you mean is, to let the merchants within the city go abroad to trade, bringing back more supplies and vitality to the city"

Fang Jinxiu nodded. "Moving resources can keep a city alive longer. Although there is the risk of loss, if we don't take a chance, how can the people inside have hope."

"When the severe drought arrives, the scene will likely be a hundred times more devastating than adults expect."

When Fang Jinshi mentioned the severe drought, Pan Zhi'an immediately couldn't sit still.

When he came to Luoshui City to take office, he happened to meet a wandering monk on the road. The two hit it off, and the monk gave him some pointers.

He said that wherever he went, great disasters would befall, but there was a way to avert them.

If you encounter a benevolent person, all difficulties will naturally be resolved.

Could the noble person the high monk spoke of be Fang Jinshi!

Pan Zhian's gaze towards Fang Jinshi became incredibly complex, Fang Jinshi herself found it strange.

"Master Pan" Had she been too harsh in her words just now, frightening Master Pan

But, to put it mildly, how could Pan Zhi'an possibly agree to establish a trading company in Luoshui City

Pan Zhi'an stared at her, his brows furrowed tightly. After a long while, he finally spoke slowly.

"It's possible to establish a merchant guild, and I have one request, hoping that Madam Zong will agree."

"Lord Pan, please speak."

"I hope you will take the position of president of the Luoshui City Chamber of Commerce."

Fang Jinshu was taken aback. She had approached Pan Zhi'an to propose the establishment of a merchant association with the intention of supporting Zhao Xingzhou in taking over all of the Zhao family's businesses.

Her manor house required a large sum of money, and it also needed to be built quickly. It needed manpower, materials, and money.

Su Yusheng was far away in Mùzhōu. Water from afar could not quench thirst nearby, so he had to support Zhao Xingzhou in order to have a continuous supply of resources.

Finding Grandpa relying on selling herbs and ingredients to make money is too slow.

This was a scheme Fang Jinshui had come up with on her way here.

"Me, as president I'm afraid many people would object."

She wanted to establish a chamber of commerce, not for self-promotion. She never even considered the position of president.

"Well now, Lady Zong, are you still afraid of this"

"Since you proposed establishing a chamber of commerce, you must be responsible for it to the end."

"This official can represent the government in fully supporting your Chamber of Commerce, but this official does not trust others and can only entrust you to personally manage the Chamber of Commerce."

"If you agree, the Chamber of Commerce can be established at any time."

Fang Jinxiu lowered her head and pondered for a moment. To be honest, the journey between the village and Luoshui City wasn't exactly short, nor was it particularly long.

If she really wanted to take over the Chamber of Commerce, she'd have to travel back and forth between the two places constantly. The commute would waste a lot of her time.

"If someone else were in her position, they would be thrilled to become the head of the sect. Why is Lady Zong hesitating"

This was her idea, after all.o be as wide as a main road, just smooth and well-hidden enough for their own people to transport goods in and out.She arrived with breakfast, much to the surprise of the caravan people.Mr. Chen had e...