Chapter 223

Chapter 223

The trained mountain people pursued the Human Gu while Ji Yan’an led part of his force into the city and took control of Dali.

After the recent Human Gu calamity, nearly all the common people were hiding in their homes, trembling with fear behind tightly shut doors and windows.

Ji Yan’an immediately sent Nanshu out with a group of men to persuade them to emerge and bring anyone who had been scratched or bitten for treatment.

Song Jin went to find the officials who had not fled. Those who could be useful remained; those who could not were dismissed on the spot.

Some mountain people were assigned positions as constables or garrison soldiers.

Those with ability were given other work.

Ji Yan’an kept his word and accepted talent from any background. Mountain person or outsider, anyone useful could receive an office and a task-as long as they were not treacherous enough to covet their superior’s position.

Because of this, the mountain people submitted to him wholeheartedly.

It was winter now. Winters in the south were milder, so Ji Yan’an wore fewer layers than he had the year before.

After months of treatment, the poison had not been cured, but he looked far healthier than before.

“Young Master, take your medicine and rest. You can’t keep wearing your body down the way you used to.”

Ji Yan’an gave a quiet hum. “I know. Where is Jiang Yunsui?”

“That Little Ancestor ran off to Mr. Shen. She’s probably making more trouble while trying to help.”

*

“Ouch…”

Jiang Yunsui walked carefully with a bowl of medicine in her hands. Her foot came down on a stone, and she pitched forward, spilling the medicine.

She climbed up and scratched her cheek guiltily.

“Jiang Yunsui…”

At the sound of Shen Qingzhu’s voice behind her, Jiang Yunsui immediately clutched her little head.

“I only fell because I stepped on a rock!”

Shen Qingzhu pressed a hand to her head. “Go play somewhere else. No more helping, all right?”

Jiang Yunsui drooped.

She turned and looked at him.

When Shen Qingzhu saw her face, he could not help laughing.

“We should have someone trim your bangs again. It’s only been a year, and you’ve singed them off once more.”

Jiang Yunsui touched the hair over her forehead. It was charred black.

She had tried to help tend the fire beneath the medicine pot. When it refused to catch, she had lain on the ground and blown into the mouth of the stove. The flames had finally leaped up, but because she was too close, they burned off the hair at the front of her head and her eyebrows again.

It was even worse than last year!

In the end, she still had not managed the fire properly, so Shen Qingzhu had sent her to carry medicine instead.

And that had led to what had just happened.

She looked terribly busy every day, yet somehow accomplished nothing.

Shen Qingzhu sighed. “We’re running short of medicinal herbs. I’ve studied the poison for so long, but we’re still missing one ingredient for a complete cure.”

“With supplies low, no medicine merchants will come to Dali at a time like this. We can only rely on locals to gather herbs in the mountains.”

Fortunately, most of what they needed grew in the surrounding mountains.

Jiang Yunsui wiped her little face clean with a handkerchief.

“Huh? Then let’s go find them. I’ll go too! I can help. I definitely won’t make trouble this time!”

Shen Qingzhu stroked her slightly prickly hair.

“We’re short of hands, and we need far too many herbs.”

“We’re not short,” Jiang Yunsui said. “Aren’t there lots of people with nothing to do?”

She pointed to the poisoned patients sprawled on the ground whose symptoms were not too severe.

“Let them look.”

Something flickered in Shen Qingzhu’s eyes, and then he smiled.

“You’re right.”

They had nothing else to do. He might as well give them work.

Once the herbs were gathered, they could be purchased at market price.

As for the money, Ji Yan’an was not short of it now.
After all, he had an enormous tomb and a silver mine to fall back on.

Shen Qingzhu immediately took Jiang Yunsui to find Ji Yan’an and explain the proposal.

Ji Yan’an thought it feasible too.

Song Jin even expanded on the idea.

“The city streets and houses have been damaged, as have several river embankments. I found some records at the former prefect’s residence.

“Nearly all the money the Imperial Court allocated to repair the embankments was embezzled. Absurdly enough, even the emperor took part.

“He wanted a good reputation but couldn’t bear to part with the silver, so more than half was clawed back before it even reached Dali. The prefect and garrison commander swallowed what remained.

“The embankments were never repaired. Judging by their present condition, they’ll probably collapse when the flood season comes.”

Everyone was rendered speechless. That dog emperor truly lived up to the name.

Song Jin continued, “We might as well use this opportunity to recruit idle refugees to repair them. But the wages and grain must be provided in full.”

“Silver won’t be a problem,” Ji Yan’an said. “I intend to send Nanmo and the others to the ancient tomb to borrow some money.”

“I’m going! I want to go too!” Jiang Yunsui cried.

Ji Yan’an hummed in agreement. “You have to. You’re the only one who knows where it is.”

“As for grain, prices in Dali are under control now, and I’ve had a shipment of sweet potato flour transferred from Mobei.”

But the food was still not enough. He intended to raise an army here.

He had also written to Mobei, which would send troops to garrison Dali.

The region had only just been conquered. It naturally had to be managed by people he trusted.

Dali was not peaceful, either. Its borders lay near several small kingdoms that often clashed with it.

Taking advantage of Dali’s internal turmoil, a neighboring state called the Piao Kingdom was already secretly assembling an army to attack.

They probably intended to let the mantis stalk the cicada and play the oriole behind it, but had not expected Dali’s unrest to be suppressed so quickly.

The small force trained from the mountain people was far too limited.

Ji Yan’an needed to find a way to contact grain merchants.

With Great Liang itself in turmoil, that would probably be difficult.

Before leaving to rob the tomb, Jiang Yunsui continued roaming the city. She wanted to help too, but Shen Qingzhu had driven her away.

“Nobody wants me. I’ll play by myself!”

Jiang Yunsui knew everyone was busy. Even Lin Shitou and the others had work to do, so no one could play with her.

She simply took the two dogs, the two roosters, and the other cats and dogs she had recently befriended in the city to play hide-and-seek.

She had always been popular with animals.

Facing a tree, Jiang Yunsui covered her eyes and began to count.

“One, two, three, four…”

She sneaked a peek.

Little Mushroom counted while peeping through her fingers.

As soon as she reached twenty, she set off to find the hidden animals.

“Hee-hee… Little Elephant, you’re too big. You’re always the first one I find.”

The baby elephant hiding behind a wall was indeed the first one she discovered.

It trumpeted and rubbed its trunk against Jiang Yunsui’s face.

“All right, all right. I have to find the others now.”

“Zuozuo, I found you! You’re out!”

Standing on the calf’s back, Jiang Yunsui planted her hands on her hips and shouted toward a distant rooftop.

“Milk Tea, I see you! Stop flying onto rooftops every time just because you can fly a little!”

That was right: Milk Tea, the little golden eagle, could fly now. It could not go high or stay aloft for long, but reaching a rooftop was no problem.

“Coo-coo!”

Once discovered, Milk Tea flapped its wings and flew crookedly down from the roof, an impressively large bundle of feathers.