Goguryeo Royal Palace.

After Suzy left, Engai Suwen had been anxiously waiting for news from her.

With the blockade and continuous advance of the Tang army, the supply of materials to Goguryeo became more and more difficult day by day, prices soared, and people were panicked.

Recently, the shortage of materials, especially food and salt, has caused the contradictions within Goguryeo to intensify. Some of the merchants and the nobles, with grain and salt in their hands, hoarded the odds, and in order to make more huge profits, they reduced the supply to the market, making the situation even more chaotic.

Yuangai Suwen gathered the minister and his three sons to discuss countermeasures.

The eldest son said, "Father, it is becoming more and more difficult to supply all kinds of materials, especially grain and salt. Now the people have begun to change their children, and they have fled one after another. If this continues, it won't be long before the people will escape.

Erchen had sent troops to block the border with the Tang people, and there were daily clashes with the fleeing civilians. Although most of the people were left, how did they feed them? There isn't that much food in the army.

As a result, not only the people complained, but even the soldiers began to flee continuously. ”

The second son said: "The damned merchants are hoarding the house, and the son suggested that troops be sent to forcibly search their dwellings and force them to supply grain and salt to the market at a reasonable price.

"yes, yes. Now is the time to take decisive action. Many ministers agree with this view.

The third son said: "The sons oppose this, the state has laws, food, salt, cloth and other materials are people's own, whether they are sold or not is the right of the people, if you forcibly force people, then the world will not be chaotic." ”

"yes, yes. You can't rob it anyway! "There are also many ministers who agree with him.

Merchants were more or less connected to the aristocracy, even their own estate, and they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune.

These people knew very well the policies of the Tang Dynasty, even if they laid down the Goguryeo Dynasty change, the personal property in the hands of most of them was still protected by the Tang Dynasty. The rise and fall of the country is the king's business, but if their personal property is reduced, it is the real loss.

Everyone talked and discussed, and the court was in a row.

Weighing the stakes, Yuangae Suwen finally decided to apportionment to all the merchants and promised that if Goguryeo could be preserved, the state would compensate them.

Yuangai Suwen is good at talking, coercion and temptation, and finally has some gains. Pyongyang's aristocrats and grain merchants agreed to sell about 80,000 quintals of grain and a small amount of salt at a 30-fold and 100-fold increase in grain and salt, respectively, at a price 30 times and 100 times higher than the usual market price.

With this result, Yuangai Suwen felt a lot better. He ordered the local government to settle the matter according to Pyongyang's method, so that Goguryeo could maintain its life for a longer period of time.

At this moment, bad news came from the front that Xiu Zhixing failed to assassinate Li Shimin and was taken hostage.

The Tang Dynasty sent news from the officers and soldiers on the front line that they wanted Yuangai Suwen to exchange food for hostages.

Those Tang Dynasty people did it on purpose, they did not send a letter, but shouted repeatedly with iron horns at the place where the two armies were fighting on the front line, for fear that the Goguryeo soldiers and people would not hear the news.

Not only that, but the Tang Dynasty also sent a lot of fine works to infiltrate Goguryeo-ri and spread the news everywhere, which attracted great attention from people.

The news reached Pyongyang.

With such a shortage of food, this poses a big problem for Yuan Gai Suwen.

To change or not to change? Yuangai Suwen couldn't make up his mind for a while.

Yuangai Suwen had no choice but to convene another meeting to convene the ministers to discuss the issue.

When the three sons heard that their sister Suzy had been captured, they were all overjoyed. One is that they are glad that Suzy is still alive, and the other is that they think that if they go by themselves, I am afraid that it will not be as simple as being captured, and they will already return to the West with their lives. The reason why Suzy survived was probably because she was a woman.

This time, the three sons were unanimous in their opinion, and they asked for food in exchange.

Those aristocrats who were forced to sell grain at a reduced price looked at Yuan Gai Suwen and his son coldly, wanting to see how he handled this matter.

Everyone is not stupid, no matter how Yuan Gai Suwen urges, except for his three sons, no one has expressed an opinion on this.

In normal times, not to mention 30,000 loads of grain, even 300,000 loads of grain, Yuangai Suwen will not hesitate to exchange for his daughter. However, now is an extraordinary time, nothing is as important as life-saving food, and Yuan Gai Suwen does not dare to make a decision easily on such a sensitive matter.

In the end, he decided to send people to the Tang army camp to find out the situation first.

The envoy sent by Yuangai Suwen was Suzy's uncle, who came to the headquarters of the Tang army and first asked to see Suzy himself.

Zhang Guigui couldn't make his own decisions about this matter, so he asked Li You for instructions.

Li You smiled: "This kind of opportunity to be a favor is left to you." ”

Zhang Guigui was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Brother You, then I'll go." With that, he walked briskly.

Zhang Guigui first came to Xiuzhi's room and said to him, "Princess Xiuzhi, your uncle is here." As specified. I won't let you meet. I have quietly arranged this, and you must not make a noise. ”

"Thank you." Suzy said.

This is the first time Xiuzhi has said thank you to Zhang Mougui, and Zhang Guigui is very useful in his heart. He said, "It's okay, if there's anything I can do to help you, I'll try to help you." ”

Suzy's uncle saw her, and the two of them wept across from each other.

When his emotions calmed down, his uncle explained his intentions.

Suzy knew it was a big problem. Of course, she hoped to be able to exchange herself back, but she could understand her father Yuan Gai Suwen's difficulties, and she also fell into a deep dilemma for a while.

These days, Suzy sees hope that she can survive, and her will to die has been shaken, and how she wishes to be able to return to her father, king, and queen mother, who love her.

However, she also knows the importance of food, if she exchanges food for it, how much pressure will Yuangai Suwen face?

Suzy shook his head and said, "Uncle, you don't have to change it. At this time, if you exchange food for people, it will definitely cause those hungry people to riot. Since Suzy had come to exercise the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he had no intention of going back alive.

Just ask my uncle to take good care of my mother. ”

When she said this, Suzy looked resolute.

The uncle was very touched and felt very sorry for this poor child.

He gave a detailed account of his efforts to raise food, and he made it clear that he was not going to exchange her.

Although Suzy made her own decision not to exchange, her heart was full of a heroic plot at this time.

But when she heard what her uncle meant, Yuangai Suwen had given up on herself, the sadness in her heart was indescribable.

Suzy cried, she didn't cry, but tears gushed out and flowed silently on her snow-white cheeks.

The uncle was very sad, but he did not know how to comfort the poor child.