Chapter 929 – The Rabbit and Sheep Poison Scheme (Part Three)
Wu Libai had a foreboding sense of dread.
“Have there always been this many rabbit holes in past years?”
Wu Libai summoned the Horse Farm Owner and carefully inquired about the situation.
The Horse Farm Owner shook his head, “Though there were rabbit holes before, the numbers weren’t many, let alone so densely packed as they are now.”
Wu Libai’s inner unease grew more intense; something was definitely wrong.
Although he was a man born on the grasslands, he had lived a life of luxury and hardly interacted with the lower-class herders, not even truly understanding the state of the grasslands. As a wise man from the Northern Border, he had learned Central Plains culture and used its essence to enhance the Northern Border’s strength.
Over the years, to help the Northern Border recover from the blows dealt by the Horse Plague, Wu Libai had been far too preoccupied to focus elsewhere.
Moreover, the King of the Northern Border was getting older, and his princes were maturing, making the competition for the throne almost tangible.
With these two looming threats, how could Wu Libai afford to concern himself with the lives of the lower-class herders?
If it weren’t for the increase in rabbit hole numbers causing the war horses at the pasture to be lame, he wouldn’t have dug deeper into the matter.
Once his aides presented the gathered reports to him, Wu Libai slammed his palm onto the desk, his expression twisted with anger.
“Who allowed these fools to be so clever, raising wild rabbits?” Wu Libai was furious.
The Guard’s expression froze, quickly bowing his head to hide the anger boiling beneath the surface.
If it weren’t for the royal court’s policy failure, buying expensive horses from Shalan Country that caused the entire Northern Border to be hit by Horse Plague, would the common herders really be so poor they couldn’t afford rice to cook? If they didn’t raise these rabbits, who knows how many families would be driven to desperate situations, selling themselves into slavery?
However, the Guard dared not voice these thoughts. Having been by Wu Libai’s side for several years, he knew well the man’s temperament.
“Sir, are you aware of the herders’ lives in recent years?” the Guard cautiously reminded him.
Wu Libai’s expression stiffened.
Of course, he knew!
The creation of such a situation had an indirect relation to him.
To cultivate more war horses, the Northern Border royal court had promised the herding families benefits, selling them foals and then buying them back at high prices through official channels. Because of this policy, the Northern Border was able to develop rapidly in just over a decade, even threatening Dongqing so they wouldn’t act recklessly.
This suggestion had originated from Wu Libai himself, and it was with it that he secured his position as a wise man, earning the trust of the King.
Success brought setbacks.
The herding families had funneled all their resources into war horses, leaving no other income source.
With the outbreak of the Horse Plague in the Northern Border, hardly one war horse remained out of ten, and the royal court was unwilling to compensate for their losses, leading many herding families to ruin. Even if Wu Libai didn’t care for the lives of the common people, he could deduce these consequences, understanding them clearly in his mind.
Wu Libai gritted his teeth, “Even so, they shouldn’t be doing this.”
The Guard looked perplexed.
What else could the herders do if they didn’t raise rabbits for food?
Should they not eat and lie on the ground nibbling on dry grass?
Rabbits’ short reproduction cycles and ease of raising made them a lifeline for ordinary herding families during the most desperate times.
If the Northern Border royal court had shown a bit of compassion toward the herders and compensated for their losses, they wouldn’t resort to raising rabbits.
Those living as herders on the plains knew exactly how annoying rabbit burrowing could be.
Yet, to survive as a family, they had no choice but to do so.
Choosing wisely to remain silent, the Guard said, “Continue investigating! Find out who is truly behind those merchant caravans. I refuse to believe the Central Plains would be so lacking in rabbit meat and fur. This is clearly a scheme targeting our Northern Border, and we must uncover it!”
The Guard took his orders to investigate.
Not knowing what to expect, a little further probing…
Wu Libai was left astonished.
Almost every month, different merchant caravans were buying dried rabbit meat and pickled rabbit pelts from Northern Border herders. Though the quantities weren’t large each time, the annual total was a staggering astronomical figure. Besides that, they were also purchasing sheep wool and meat.
Compared to selling sheep meat, herders preferred expanding their flocks and selling wool.
The herders crunched the numbers.
As long as the sheep were alive, they could continually sell wool, providing a steady income.
If they slaughtered the sheep, however, it was a one-time transaction, not worth it.
Selling wool was more lucrative than selling rabbits, leading nearly every household to raise varying numbers of sheep, which caused the herd numbers to soar.
The Northern Border herders naturally had a habit of raising sheep, leaving Wu Libai momentarily unsure if this was indeed a conspiracy.
He pondered it over and over again, then decided to secretly visit some herding families.
“It doesn’t seem that suspicious…”
Wu Libai rode atop his horse, gazing into the distance; herders were driving their flocks, and under the blue sky and green grass, everything looked so harmonious and peaceful.
“Old man, watching over so many sheep must be tiring.”
Wu Libai, dressed as an ordinary herder, carried no valuables, making him blend in with the common folk.
The Old Shepherd chuckled, “It is a bit tiring. This year the grass isn’t too lush; we have to keep moving to find grazing.”
The Northern Border was a nomadic culture, moving with the pasture.
Wherever the grass was ample, they would lead their animals to eat.
Wu Libai felt something wasn’t quite right in the Old Shepherd’s words, so he probed further.
“With so many sheep, I wonder how much grass they consume. At this rate, you’ll soon have to move to another pasture.”
The Old Shepherd replied, “Indeed, they eat a lot! If we don’t drive them along, they’ll pull out the roots of the grass in the mud.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Libai had a sudden flash of insight, as if he had grasped the truth.
He hurriedly asked, “Old man, where did you graze the sheep before?”
The Old Shepherd casually pointed, and after thanking him, Wu Libai swiftly mounted his horse and galloped toward that direction.
At this time of year, the pastures were supposed to be abundant.
From afar, the vast grasslands looked like a fallen, green jewel, verdant and refreshing to the eyes.
However, when Wu Libai arrived at the location the Old Shepherd pointed out, he found the grass there sparse.
To use a vivid metaphor, it was akin to light thinning hair; although the scalp wasn’t exposed, it was evident that the hair was no longer as thick as before.
Wu Libai murmured to himself, “Sheep… rabbits…”
The wind blew across the grasslands, swaying the pasture gently.
“Could it be the grass?”
In an instant, he connected all the dots, his heart tightening.
The grass was key to raising war horses; it was clear the conspirators were using this indirect method to strangle the resources necessary for the war horses’ survival!
“What a sinister scheme!”
Wu Libai clenched his jaw tightly.
Fortunately, he had discovered it early; otherwise, if the enemy had hidden this behind the scenes for another seven or eight years, the Northern Border might well struggle to sustain its war horses.
“This matter must be reported to the King; let him decide. As for the person behind this plot, I must capture them and tear them limb from limb.”
