Chapter 252
Chapter 252
The caravan sold all its goods and received more than ten wagonloads of medicinal herbs in return.
A small portion had already been processed, but most were fresh. The later batches had been gathered on short notice by people from several villages and stockades.
The most valuable items were two sets of tiger bones, some deer antler velvet, and the ginseng, lingzhi, and other herbs Jiang Yunsui’s party had found in the valley.
When they left Wuhe Stockade, two more people had joined their group.
Unexpectedly, two guards really had fallen for girls from the stockade, and the girls were willing to leave with them.
Sitting in the carriage with the egg in her arms, Jiang Yunsui asked, “Shen Qingzhu, are we going to find Ji Yan’an?”
Shen Qingzhu nodded. “The Young Master has already resolved the trouble in Henan and returned to Mobei. We’ll head straight back there too.”
The rebellion among the feudal princes was intensifying. The south was now even more dangerous than the north.
To expand their armies, the princes were seizing able-bodied young men everywhere and forcing them into military service.
Their own convoy was at some risk as well. With so many wagons, all filled with medicinal herbs, they were bound to attract covetous eyes.
Shen Qingzhu could not help worrying.
As the saying went, what one feared most was precisely what came to pass.
Halfway through their journey, they encountered a rebel force after all.
It was a two-hundred-man detachment under the Prince of Nanyang.
The Prince of Nanyang’s power and prestige were growing, and his subordinates had become increasingly arrogant. Any caravan unlucky enough to encounter them would be stopped on one pretext or another.
Some lost most of their money and cargo. Others were accused of fabricated crimes, stripped of everything, and taken prisoner as well.
Shen Qingzhu’s party was unfortunate enough to have their dozen wagonloads of herbs targeted.
He restrained himself from fighting. They were badly outnumbered, and a clash would bring them no advantage.
He only instructed Jiang Yunsui, “Use your ability to slip away in a moment. Release a carrier pigeon to Dali and request five hundred soldiers. Also, follow these men and find out where they take the herbs.”
Shen Qingzhu sneered.
He was petty and held grudges. Since the Prince of Nanyang’s men had arrested them, they had better be prepared to suffer some losses.
Jiang Yunsui listened carefully and nodded her little head.
“I remember everything!”
Shen Qingzhu stroked her head.
“Go. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits, and put your own safety first.”
Jiang Yunsui left with the Phoenix-Mimic Bird egg in her arms, then whistled to alert her animals.
She certainly could not leave them behind. What if these people went mad with hunger and slaughtered her animals for food?
Milk Tea, hidden nearby, immediately moved. It soared into the air, then swooped down to distract the rebel soldiers.
The other animals seized the chance to flee at full speed.
The Prince of Nanyang’s men loosed arrows, but not a single shot struck its target.
“Damn it! Have those animals turned into spirits? How can they run so fast?”
“I was going to slaughter those beasts and bring them back to eat. Those two chickens alone were nice and fat.”
“Hurry and chase them!”
Not only did they fail to catch up, but the animals killed two of them instead.
Shen Qingzhu and the others feigned weakness and surrendered. Every one of them was captured.
Well, everyone except Ji Si and Ji Lu.
After the soldiers left, Jiang Yunsui found the two men where they had remained hidden.
“Si Si, Liu Liu, Shen Qingzhu said to bring five hundred soldiers from Dali.”
Ji Lu said, “Leave that to me. I’ll go to Dali. Ji Si, you and Little Yunsui keep an eye on Shen Qingzhu and the others. Make sure they don’t let things get out of hand.”
Once the work was divided, Jiang Yunsui sent Milk Tea and the other animals deep into the mountains to hide until the party returned for them.
Then she and Ji Si followed the column. Jiang Yunsui lowered her presence and walked openly behind it, while Ji Si shadowed it unseen.
The Prince of Nanyang had occupied a city in the area. His troops escorted their prisoners and seized herbs straight through its gates.
At a glance, Jiang Yunsui found the city desolate and silent. Few people even had stalls out, and many wore numb expressions.
Whenever the townspeople saw the soldiers, they hurried far out of the way.
Once inside the city, the prisoners were separated from the medicinal herbs.
Obeying Shen Qingzhu, Jiang Yunsui followed the men transporting the cargo.
“Hahaha! Commander, luck was on our side this time. We ran into medicinal-herb merchants. They had twelve wagons of herbs, and we seized every last one!”
Inside a certain residence, the squad leader who had confiscated the herbs announced his good news with great excitement.
“Oh? Did they say where the shipment was originally going?”
“I questioned them. They said it was headed north. With the fighting there and the drought, medicines are badly needed. They planned to risk the journey and sell the lot for an enormous profit.”
“Merchants truly care for nothing but gain. Still, their loss is our fortune. These herbs will solve many problems for His Highness.”
In wartime, medicinal supplies were an important strategic resource.
“In that case, put them all in the storehouse. I’ll write to His Highness.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jiang Yunsui followed the herbs to the storehouse and carefully memorized the person who collected its key.
Then she went to find Ji Si.
“Where’s the jail?”
Having followed the herbs, Jiang Yunsui had no idea where the prisoners had been taken. She scratched her head, her little face blank.
Finally, she crouched down and picked up a pebble.
“I’ll leave it to my luck.”
Muttering under her breath, she began spinning in circles, intending to throw the pebble.
After several turns, she did throw it-but she also made herself so dizzy that she staggered sideways, sick to her stomach.
She shook her head, looking thoroughly drunk.
It took quite a while before the dizziness eased.
Jiang Yunsui was just about to look in the direction the pebble had flown when a voice reached her.
“Are you insane? How can the handful of us rescue anyone?”
Jiang Yunsui blinked.
Who was talking?
She should go look.
Forgetting the pebble entirely, she shuffled toward the voices.
Two men in soldiers’ uniforms stood there.
One looked furious. “But my father is being tortured in the jail!”
The other replied, “It was hard enough for us to infiltrate this place. There are only a few of us. Forget rescuing anyone from the dungeon-we’ll be captured ourselves.”
“Then what are we supposed to do? My father is old. If this continues and something happens to him…”
“I’ll investigate first. Constable Wang, who guards the jail, comes from my hometown. From what he implied, prisoners can be ransomed with money.”
“Damn them! What right do they have to arrest my father and the others? The Prince of Nanyang calls himself a virtuous prince, but I say he’s a-mmph!”
“Do you have a death wish?”
The other man clapped a hand over his mouth and glanced around.
“Go back for now. Don’t alert them. Once everyone is safely home, we can plan everything else slowly.”
With that, he turned and left.
Jiang Yunsui quietly followed without hesitation.
See? She knew she had good luck. Just when she could not find the jail, a guide had delivered himself to her.
The man led her straight there, then went to speak in hushed tones with his fellow townsman. Sharp-eyed Jiang Yunsui even saw him slip silver to the constable.
She did not linger. She wandered inside and began searching.
Come to think of it, she was strangely familiar with jails. This was hardly her first time sneaking into one.
The cells held so many people that the place was nearly overflowing.