Has Su Jun Stocked Up on Food Today?

1. The first thing Su Jun does every morning is inspect the county granaries. After a while, her subordinates start teasing her, asking, “Have you stockpiled grain today, Lord Su?” They may joke about it, but they obey every order from Su Jun, daughter of County Magistrate Su, without question. Ever since Magistrate Su fell gravely ill, the entire Pingyang County has depended on Su Jun’s governance. Without her, Pingyang City would have long since been overrun by starving corpses and rampant disease, like the other counties. The people of the county would never have been able to eat their fill, let alone grow medicinal herbs to support the front lines. Yet Su Jun stares at the full granaries, lost in thought. She needs to stockpile not only grain and medicine, but weapons too. Every day, I must ask myself three questions: Has Su Jun stockpiled grain today? Has Su Jun stockpiled medicine today? Has Su Jun stockpiled guns today? 2. A new emperor takes the throne, and a prince launches a rebellion. Peaceful Pingyang County falls overnight. County Magistrate Su and his officials fight back with all their strength, leaving him on the brink of death. With famine looming in the war-ravaged county, the magistrate’s daughter, Su Jun, takes up the county seal and assumes command. Su Jun’s fiancé disapproves, and even a Jiangnan merchant visiting the county for business thinks she’s ridiculous. But the public granaries slowly fill, life in the county gradually returns to normal, and they can even send supplies to the generals on the front lines. Pingyang County turns out to be the only place in the entire empire untouched by the turmoil. Has Su Jun stockpiled grain today? She has. Has Su Jun even looked at them? No. Her eyes are fixed on this impregnable city alone. Theme: If you keep striving to live, good fortune will come.