There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 401 Mr. Solitary

"I..." Princess Changning was speechless for a moment.

"Everyone needs to be careful from now on. There's someone in the Imperial Guard who's been grinding medicine all day long," Ye Bingli reminded them.

"Is it the one with the missing arm?" Li Shuchen asked.

"That's right, Shu Chen also noticed that he was not only grinding medicine, but also collecting herbs along the way."

"Hmm, I wonder who he's grinding all that medicine for."

"Let's eat first, we'll talk about it tomorrow morning," Gu Ziying said, picking up a cornbread and taking a small bite.

The others also ate.

The next day at dawn

After the five of them finished their watery rice porridge, they went back to their room to pack their things and prepare to leave.

Li Shuchen accompanied Liang Yuying to inspect the grain and fodder.

Five carts of grain and fodder were piled high on the open ground.

"General Liang, the provisions are all here, totaling 2,500 catties, enough to feed the delegation for over a month, and roughly enough for the delegation to cross the Heavenly Throne and reach the border of Boyu Kingdom."

The magistrate of Yifeng County bowed and scraped, smiling obsequiously.

Liang Yuying casually pulled out a bag of grain, untied the rope, and scooped it out to examine it.

The millet was bright yellow; although not particularly plump, it was still acceptable.

"The county magistrate has worked hard."

"I dare not accept such praise; it is merely my duty," the magistrate of Yifeng County said, his face crinkling with smiles, his mustache trembling slightly.

"Everyone prepare to leave the city," Liang Yuying ordered, and the group lined up to depart.

"I respectfully send you off, my lord"

The magistrate of Yifeng County looked up as the delegation departed, his eyes filled with disdain, devoid of any respect.

"Sir, if General Liang finds out we mixed sand into the millet, won't she come back to settle accounts with us?" the clerk said worriedly.

"What's there to be afraid of? Didn't she not notice anything wrong? Even if she did, so what? Whether she'll come back alive is another matter entirely; a grasshopper in autumn won't be able to jump for many more days."

The magistrate of Yifeng County flicked his sleeves and strode away.

……

Outside the city, Li Shuchen looked at the grain supplies, feeling that something was amiss.

The magistrate of Yifeng County served them only watery soup and said that the county had suffered from a three-year crop failure and was in dire straits.

This time, they're giving us plenty of rations so readily. Given their previous behavior, they should have said something about a shortage of rations.

Such an abnormality

There must be something fishy going on.

"drive"

Li Shuchen rode up to Liang Yuying's side and lowered his voice.

"Yu Ying, what are your thoughts on the matter of supplies?"

"The magistrate of Yifeng County did not tell the truth," Liang Yuying said calmly, looking straight ahead.

"If you know the truth, why don't you expose him?"

"Exposing him will only lead to empty talk; he won't get any supplies and will only waste time for the Boyu Kingdom. Let him run wild for a few more days."

Liang Yuying's confident demeanor gave Li Shuchen a great sense of security.

Anyway, she has Xiao Jizi; if she doesn't have enough food, she can just buy some more. Food supplies aren't a problem.

The delegation arrived at the foot of the mountain in the evening.

Li Shuchen looked up at the endless mountain range, its dense forests shrouded in mist, the air filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

"Is this the 'threshold of heaven'?"

"This mountain is called 'Misty Mountain' because it receives abundant rainfall and is often shrouded in mist and clouds."

After explaining to Li Shuchen, Liang Yuying looked at everyone and said...

"Rest here, we'll head into the mountains early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, General"

Li Shuchen dismounted, took Wanbai's hand, and said to Liang Yuying...

"Give me Red Shadow, I'll take them to graze."

"it is good"

Li Shuchen held Wanbai's hand in one hand and Hongying's in the other, leading them into the mountains and forests.

The vegetation is lush and tall, reaching as high as her.

Fortunately, there was a path trodden by someone before her, which she could follow.

Wanbai and Hongying were both very excited, looking around curiously, and then they both found a patch of grass and started eating.

The surrounding grass was lush and green, with dewdrops on it that made it look so fresh.

"You two know how to pick a spot," Li Shuchen muttered, casually plucking a blade of grass and biting into it, a sweet juice spreading in his mouth.

tasty

The fog inside the woods was even thicker than it appeared outside; visibility was reduced to almost nothing a dozen steps away.

She couldn't help but recall Liang Yuying's description of it being "perpetually shrouded in mist," a truly apt description.

Suddenly, the red horse pricked up its ears and looked warily in one direction. At the same time, Wanbai stopped chewing, and both horses showed signs of unease.

"What's wrong?" Li Shuchen squinted, trying to see the situation through the fog.

A rustling sound came, and then a figure emerged from the mist—it was the one-armed Imperial Guard.

He carried a half-full bamboo basket on his back, filled with various medicinal herbs.

The two exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"Um...you're here to gather herbs?" Li Shuchen spoke first.

The one-armed soldier nodded and held up a few plants: "Perilla and mint, for insect repellent."

His voice was hoarse, but his tone was calm.

"There are a lot of bugs here, we definitely need to get rid of them. Can I buy some deworming medicine from you?" Li Shuchen said with a smile.

"I'll make some and send them to you," the one-armed soldier said, gesturing with his intact left hand.

"Thank you so much! Not only are you handsome and knowledgeable about herbs, but you're also incredibly kind-hearted. You're truly a rare find. May I ask your name, sir?" Li Shuchen asked after finishing his presentation.

"Living alone," the one-armed soldier said somewhat embarrassedly.

“Mr. Judu, I’ve got it,” Li Shuchen nodded.

The one-armed soldier nodded again, turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and looked back at Li Shuchen: "It's going to rain in the mountains, you'd better go back early."

After saying that, he disappeared into the thick fog.

Li Shuchen's smile faded. He looked up at the sky, but through the gaps in the leaves, all he could see was a white expanse; it was impossible to tell whether it was going to rain or not.

However, she decided to heed the advice, thinking that perhaps this Judu had other abilities, so she led the two horses back.

When they returned to the camp, the others had already started a fire and were cooking. Ye Bingli was whittling something with a knife, while Gu Ziying was simmering porridge. Princess Changning... was complaining.

"There are bugs all around here, how am I supposed to sleep at night?" Princess Changning waved her hand to shoo away the bugs flying around her.

"My lady, we are in the wilderness, not in your boudoir," Li Shuchen said while tying up the horse.

"I'll give you some insect repellent in a bit; just sprinkle it on the ground."

"Okay, you still love me," Princess Changning said, clinging to Li Shuchen's arm and acting coquettishly.

Li Shuchen tied up the horse, then, with Princess Changning in tow, walked to Liang Yuying's side: "I just ran into that soldier with the missing arm; he said it was going to rain."

Liang Yuying looked up at the sky, her brows furrowing slightly: "The weather in Wushi Mountain is unpredictable; everyone should be prepared."

Zizhu had just given the order

Large raindrops began to pelt down.

"It's just like what I said came true!" Princess Changning screamed and hid in the carriage.

Everyone hurriedly covered the supplies with tarpaulins and then sought shelter from the rain.

The rain grew heavier, pattering against the leaves with a loud pattering sound, and soon formed a curtain of rain, obscuring visibility even for those a few steps away.

The rain continued until late at night before gradually subsiding.

Just after the rain subsided, Mulan's army secretly switched their provisions.

"My lady, the provisions have been replaced, and there are still two hundred taels of silver left from Young Master Ruan's donation."

"That was very well done. Go back and rest."