Chapter 168
Chapter 168
“Look at you drooling, greedy little imp.”
Fat Chef complained but checked promptly. “This one’s ready.”
Jiang Yunsui’s eyes lit up.
With Fat Chef, she never went hungry. The roast meat smelled wonderful, and the mushrooms inside the chicken had steamed in its juices.
One bite filled her with satisfaction.
“Fat Grandpa’s food is the best. Barbarian food tastes awful.”
Fat Chef basked in the praise. “Of course. They ruin food. Yesterday their steamed buns weren’t even cooked through.”
Everyone ate happily. Their Central Plains stomachs truly could not adapt to Barbarian fare.
Nothing remained, so food for Centurion Lin’s group still had to be stolen from the kitchen. With Song Jin covering her, it went smoothly.
That night, Jiang Yunsui carried a large sack of grass cakes while Ji Si used his lightness skill to take her to the stable. The guards were strict, so he could not approach.
She squeezed through a gap in the fence, though her belly stuck.
“My tummy is stuck, QAQ.”
She inhaled and strained. Dinner had made it slightly larger.
When she finally popped through, she tumbled just as a patrol approached.
“Who’s there?!”
Clutching the sack, she crouched silently. The leader searched by torchlight several times before leaving.
Jiang Yunsui breathed again and ran among the dark stables.
She chose horses by instinct and offered each grass cakes. No horse could resist the scent.
“Number seven,” she whispered. “Only three cakes.”
The compressed cakes were larger than her palm and two knuckles thick. Their ingredients made horses crave more.
After three, she firmly left despite each horse’s pleas, though some caught her clothing.
“Don’t lick my hair. There’s no more! Don’t bite my clothes! You’re too much!”
Her soft scolding had no force. To humans and horses alike, she was simply adorable.
She returned safely, but Ji Si fell silent at the sight of the newly filthy Mushroom.
Clinging to his long leg, she complained that the horses ruined her hair and clothes and wanted to eat her fragrant self.
He picked her up. “Take them home. Pull carts.”
She waved a fist. “Yes! Make them work every day and pull really heavy carts.”
That was the worst punishment Little Mushroom could imagine.
With Ji Si carrying her, the return was easy.
They also visited Centurion Lin’s group.
The men crowded around Jiang Yunsui.
“Little Yunsui, did anyone bully you? Did you sleep well? Were you hungry?”
Their concern was sincere.
She puffed out her chest. “I’m amazing. Nobody can bully me.”
Ji Si silently remembered the horses bullying her.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
She patted her belly. “I came to see you, but I have to go again.”
They were reluctant, but could not ask her to stay in a sheep pen.
For the next several nights, she secretly fed about fifty selected horses.
There were roughly fifty core rebels. Originally fewer, until Song Jin discovered thirteen Yue tribesmen – members of the group that had once cleverly sold themselves as slaves.
These were strong men. Powerful but simple-minded, they had been assigned the heaviest important work.
The Yue Tribe put every natural gift into physical strength. Ji Yan’an and Song Jin had both found the Yue tribesmen remarkably easy to work with: as long as they were given enough food and drink, they followed orders and became the sharpest weapons on a battlefield.
Song Jin won their allegiance with a little food. They hated the Barbarians, who had attacked their tribe, stolen women, eaten children, and killed men. Here they labored hardest while starving.
When Song Jin offered rebellion, reunion with their people, and full stomachs, they agreed without thinking.
His language talent made it possible. From Yue soldiers in the army, he had learned enough of their language for daily communication.
Once preparations were complete, Jiang Yunsui poured sesame oil around key tents one night.
The granaries were heavily guarded, and the oil smelled. At the third tent, someone noticed the oil, though not her.
“Sesame oil? Why is it here?”
“Notify the King! Someone wants to burn the grain!”
The sharp guard ordered everyone alert and all strangers seized.
Whoosh…
A flaming arrow flew from afar. It struck the oil-soaked tent, and fire erupted.
While running, Jiang Yunsui lit another tent with a fire striker.
“Fire! The grain is burning! Save it!”
She raced toward Ji Si. “Si Si!”
He swept her up and ran.
“There! The arsonist is there!”
Patrols pursued them.
Near the armory, Fat Chef saw flames at the granaries. As guards rushed inside for weapons, he blended into them and set the armory tent alight.
“The armory is burning too!”
“Disaster! The slaves in the sheep pens have rebelled!”