A full week slipped by after the stone incident.
And within the week, the city had slowly went into a period of unrest because of a rumour that famine was approaching fast.
At first, it was nothing more than hushed speculation traded between alleyways and teahouses, but fear spreads faster than fire in dry grass. Before long, the entire city was gripped by it.
Crowds surged toward the grain markets in a frenzy, pushing and shoving as if time itself were running out.
Yet when they arrived, what awaited them was not relief but empty shelves. Every grain merchant had already sold out of rice. Not a single sack remained.
The same scene unfolded across the meat markets. Hooks hung bare, stalls stood abandoned, and the familiar scent of fresh cuts had long since faded. Every last piece had been bought up.
For the merchants, it was a day of overflowing coffers.
But for the common folk, it was nothing short of despair.
