Chapter 115 - 115 Chapter 115. Is the Military Food Poisonous?
115 Chapter 115. Is the Military Food Poisonous?
Su Qing’s cooking skills had improved by a level because she had made lotus root starch. She had boiled a large pot of hot water in the morning and was now demonstrating how to eat lotus root starch in front of everyone’s curious eyes.
“It’s ready to be eaten after it’s washed with water.”
Su Qing demonstrated that the lotus root starch was transparent like a paste and had a faint lotus root fragrance. Eating a bowl of lotus root starch in the hot summer was quite comfortable.
“Su Qing is truly capable.”
Auntie Li followed Su Qing’s instructions and made a bowl of lotus root starch. She felt that it was delicious and started praising Su Qing when she saw her.
Without Su Qing, they could only eat wild vegetables and fish. Even if they stewed fish, they couldn’t taste the same as Su Qing’s cooking. After all, the descendants of the royal chefs were capable and had many different ways of cooking.
“That’s right. With Su Qing around, we’ve eaten so many good things that we’ve never had before.”
Auntie Jiang also praised Su Qing. Although this lady looked so cold that no one dared to get close to her, she was warm inside and had done a lot for them.
The girls admired Su Qing even more and treated her as a role model for them to learn from. They didn’t like to dress in red but wanted to be in gear. They all hoped they could be as strong as Su Qing to survive in this chaotic world.
The big fish that had been sliced was placed in the shed and tied with straw ropes before they continued to dry them. The lotus root starch was done, but the dried fish was not. However, they had no time to waste. They put on the small fish and hung them on both sides of the cart.
After eating and drinking enough, they would have the strength to walk. Moreover, most old, weak, sick, and disabled could ride horses without walking.
This time, the counter-robbery had been a great harvest from the bandits. They had gotten over a dozen horses, hundreds of taels of silver notes, and things worth gold and jade. Counting their food losses in Li City, they had already made up for it tens or hundreds of times.
Su Qing asked Ji Shuisheng to drive the carriage. She sat in the carriage and began making her and Xiaoying’s cotton-padded clothes.
Fortunately, these dozens of bags of cotton were not placed in the same carriage as the food. The soldiers only saw the food and did not notice the cotton, so they were left behind.
Today was the second day Madam Li had taken her medicine. Madam Li was very excited but didn’t dare to say it out loud, afraid that it was just her imagination. She kept feeling that her vision was foggy and shadows were flashing in front of her.
Su Qing was making cotton-padded clothes in the carriage. The first step was to cut the clothes. She had the drawings given by Xiao Qi, so it was not difficult for her to cut them. Although the carriage was swaying, her hands were steady, and she did not cut beyond the line.
“Shuisheng, I have an idea.”
Qiu Yongkang caught up to Su Qing’s carriage and discussed with Ji Shuisheng as he followed the carriage.
“What do you think?”
Ji Shuisheng respected Qiu Yongkang and asked him to sit on the shaft’s left side.
Since we have money now, I thought we should go to Jin City and buy a cart. A horse can only fit one person, so if we put it on a cart, we can do seven or eight people. If we all take a cart, it will be faster, and we can reach Jingshi Dao before the snow.
“Alright, let’s leave this place as soon as possible. I have a feeling that something big is going to happen.”
Ji Shuisheng agreed with Qiu Yongkang’s suggestion as his feeling wasn’t wrong. After the Barbarian race got the benefits, they started to have the ambition to conquer the great Xia Kingdom.
Outside Li City, the barbarians were frantically attacking Li City with scaling ladders and rolling logs.
The Wan family Army in Li City received Wan Yulin’s order only to defend the city and not chase the barbarians away.
The defenders in the city were only defending and not attacking, which made the barbarians very proud. They would burn, kill, and pillage outside the town if they couldn’t break into the city. The victims of the disaster became their targets.
Some victims were driven to the city gate, thinking that the defenders in the city would let the victims in so they could follow and attack.
However, they didn’t expect the great Xia Kingdom’s soldiers to shoot arrows at the disaster victims. This was an eye-opener for the Barbarian race.
Motherf*cker, the great Xia Kingdom’s soldiers were all animals!
Although the Barbarian race was ferocious, they had never killed their people. This bunch of soldiers from the great Xia Kingdom even killed their people.
The Wan family Army in the city was currently cooking. The military provisions of the Imperial court and the seized provisions had been placed together, and they were made together when they were cooking.
After the meal, many people held their stomachs and rolled on the ground. Soon, they died from bleeding from their seven orifices. The Wan family Army was in chaos.
Wan Yulin brought his fourth brother’s coffin back to the capital. He sat on his horse and listened to the intelligence gathered by the spies.
“Reporting to the General. After the barbarians captured old man Qin, we rescued him on the way and await the General’s judgment!
“Ask the government office of Li City to send someone to escort old man Qin to the capital. Don’t let him feel good; leave him alive until he reaches the capital.”
Wan Yulin sneered. ‘Old man Qin, I wanted to let you off the hook, but you ruined my plan, so I’ll let you die a horrible death like your Godson-in-law!’
“Alright.”
The Scout bowed and left.
“General, bad news.”
A horse galloped across the dust, and the officer on the horse shouted before he arrived.
“What’s going on?”
Wan Yulin saw that it was the Deputy general he had kept in Li city, so something big must have happened for him to come so anxiously.
“Reporting to the general, the military provisions sent by the Imperial court were poisoned and killed 70 to 80 of our brothers.”
The Deputy General jumped off his horse and kneeled on the ground. He cupped his hands and said to Wan Yulin with tears in his eyes.
“The military food was poisoned?”
Wan Yulin asked the Deputy general with a sullen face,
“Have you investigated thoroughly?”
“We’ve discovered that this military grain batch has just arrived. The grain we ate before was fine, but dozens of our brothers were poisoned to death this time.”
The Deputy general said to Wan Yulin in grief and anger.
“You may leave. Don’t eat those rations. I’ll send people to redistribute the rations for you.”
Wan Yulin gritted his teeth and clenched the horse’s reins. His evil eyes flashed with killing intent as he waved at the Deputy general with a cold face.
Wan Yulin’s military advisor, Lu Yue, came over after the Deputy General left and called out in a low voice,
“General!”
“What do you think?”
Wan Yulin squinted his eyes and asked Lu Yue in a low voice.
“A Meritorious Service trumps the master.”
Lu Yue only said four words. Wan Yulin closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were full of arrogance,
“Would he be that stupid?”
The Wan family Army could do whatever it wanted in the great Xia Kingdom. Don’t look at how that person was sitting on the dragon throne because the Wan family wanted him to sit. He would have to roll down if the Wan family didn’t want him to sit.
“General, you ordered the Army to defend the city and not attack. If our soldiers were to die during the attack, who would know that there was a problem with the Army provisions?”
Lu Yue looked at Wan Yulin and said carefully.
“What’s the benefit of him doing this? If the Wan family Army guards the gate for him, who will help him defeat the Barbarian race?”
Wan Yulin still didn’t believe that person would be so stupid. Lu Yue smiled,
“If the Wan family’s Army dies on the battlefield today, that person will sentence the Wan family’s Army for not being able to defend the city. He will then take the opportunity to reduce the General’s military power and find a replacement, just like replacing General Xiao with you. If he died, wouldn’t the great Xia Kingdom still stand? I’m guessing that that person must send an Army near Li city. Once the Wan family Army is defeated, they will naturally take over. At that time, the Wan family Army will be a wedding dress for others.”
Wan Yulin was already suspicious, and after Lu Yue said that, he also became suspicious. He narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself.
“Don’t tell me he noticed?”