Wei Yuan knew that the Xiang Marquis could not provide grain.

Considering the poor harvests across Western Jin, only civil officials and noble families possessed the power and influence to mobilize large quantities of grains at the moment. Not even the Eunuch Clique would be able to do it. The transportation of large volumes of grain was a major challenge for major sects as well, which was why the best route for the Xiang Marquis to draw grain was from Ningxi.

As it happened, Wei Yuan had purchased all the grain in Ningxi—both what was for sale and what was not—at twenty times the market price. If the remaining grain were to be sold, then the soldiers would go hungry.

The military ration pill was a marvellous item. In wartime, a single pill could stave off hunger for three days while also providing boundless energy, allowing one to fight continuously without sleep or rest. The Xiang Marquis had promised to provide 10,000 at once, a quantity equivalent to 500,000 catties of military provisions.

However, 10,000 military ration pills didn’t take up much space at all. An expert could deliver them in a single trip. What Wei Yuan really wanted to see right now was who could transport large quantities of supplies in Ningxi. Anyone who could do it wielded true power, whereas those who couldn’t were...