The pork stew with vermicelli smelled so good, the bandits dismantled their stronghold overnight

Gu Moran put down his teacup.

Three thousand?

Yun Shuyue swallowed hard. "Uh... two thousand... one thousand..."

Shen Ling'er's lips twitched slightly.

Su Yao turned her face to the other side.

Yun Shuyue realized she couldn't continue making things up, so she immediately changed her strategy.

She patted her sunken chest and straightened her back.

"Your Highness! I am willing to go up the mountain alone for the Prince's mansion, infiltrate the bandits, and gather intelligence to find out the details of their leader!"

Her eyes were sincere and ardent.

Gu Moran looked at this determined female bandit who was destined to infiltrate his mountain stronghold.

He bit the inside of his mouth, and his temples throbbed twice.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Courageous."

Yun Shuyue straightened her back.

Gu Moran pulled a piece of paper from under the stone table.

The paper was stamped with the official seal of Prince Yi's Residence, vermilion in color, with the edges still smelling of fresh ink.

He finished writing quickly, held it between two fingers, and waved it in front of Yun Shuyue.

"Do not suppress bandits."

Yun Shuyue was stunned.

"Change to surrender."

Gu Moran slapped the paper into her hand.

"The people of Black Wind Stronghold, as long as they are willing to come down the mountain to repair the road, will be provided with food and lodging. They will eat three meals a day, steamed buns with pork stew and vermicelli. During festivals, they will receive two new cotton-padded coats and hot pot."

Yun Shuyue looked down at the contract in her hand.

She can read.

She recognized every single word.

Meals and accommodation included. Pork stew with vermicelli.

cotton-padded coat.

She was a bandit for three years. She would break eggs in half and divide coarse flour cakes into four pieces to give to the children. She would go hungry and go down the mountain in the middle of the night to steal cured meat that others had left to dry outside their yards.

She stared at the contract, her throat bobbing.

"Is this... real?"

"My seal is undeniable." Gu Moran back in the rattan chair.

Yun Shuyue turned the contract over to look at it, then turned it back over.

"Braised pork with vermicelli... is that available every day?"

"Every day."

How big is the steamed bun?

Gu Moran held up a fist-sized hand gesture.

Yun Shuyue's pupils dilated slightly.

She pressed the contract to her chest, clutching it tightly.

"Your Highness!" She stood up, her voice trembling.

"I'll go up the mountain right away! I promise to bring everyone down!"

Gu Moran waved to her.

"Go."

Yun Shuyue turned and ran.

He ran a couple of steps and then stopped, glancing back at the last piece of jujube paste cake left on the stone table.

Gu Moran reached out and pushed the plate away.

"Take it."

Yun Shuyue grabbed it, stuffed it into her bosom, leaped over the wall, and jumped out.

The roof tiles on the wall rattled again.

The backyard returned to quiet.

Black Wind Stronghold.

Yun Shuyue pushed her lightness skill to its limit, traversing mountains and valleys, and arrived at the village gate in less than half an hour.

Under the moonlight, the four crooked characters "Acting on behalf of Heaven" on the tattered wooden sign still swayed.

She mentally rehearsed the plan a hundred times.

Let's start with the situation.

Then, a large army from the imperial court arrived.

Then, changing the subject, he said that the chief was a man of great principle and had assessed the situation carefully. For the sake of his brothers and sisters' lives, he endured humiliation and accepted the offer of amnesty.

This way, you can save face and descend the mountain with dignity.

Perfect.

She jumped onto the large rock and put her hands on her hips.

"Everyone out! The boss has something to say!"

A few oil lamps were lit in the dilapidated house.

Tiedan rubbed his eyes and ran out. Auntie Zhao carried the child to the door, Old Master Sun, who was lame, shuffled out with his cane.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on her.

Yun Shuyue cleared her throat.

"Today, I want to tell you all something..."

She rolled the prepared platitudes on her tongue.

never mind.

Just say it directly.

" Prince Yi's Residence is hiring! Three meals a day! Steamed buns! Pork stew with vermicelli! Room and board provided! Cotton-padded clothes provided during holidays!"

The sound from the stones carried on the night wind.

There was a two-second silence.

Tiedan was the first to react.

"Aww!"

The wooden sword flew out of my hand and hit someone, I don't know.

"There's meat to eat!"

Old Master Sun threw his cane on the ground and rushed into the house.

That leg, which had been lame for three years, ran faster than Tiedan.

Auntie Zhao turned her head and shouted.

Pack your things! Take the pot with you!

Less than half an incense stick's time.

The pots and pans, tattered cotton wadding, dry firewood, and half a bag of miscellaneous grains in the village were all packed into dozens of large bundles.

Several children rushed to the door, and the broken wooden sign that read "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" was taken down, chopped into four pieces, and stuffed into the bottom of their baskets to be used as firewood.

Tiedan even kicked the sign.

"It should have been chopped down long ago!"

Yun Shuyue stood on the rock, her mouth open, with crumbs of jujube cake still stuck to the corners of her lips.

Her proud three-year rise to power from humble beginnings.

It was smashed to pieces by a few meat buns.

from head to foot.

It shattered into pieces, leaving not a single fragment.

Tuoba Mang suddenly appeared from some corner, carrying two bundles on his back, his face beaming with a wide grin that revealed his teeth.

"That's great! I can see my sister-in-law every day now that I'm down the mountain!"

He stopped himself in time and changed his words, saying, "I can eat meat every day!"

Yun Shuyue stood blankly on the empty mountaintop.

A night breeze blew by.

Behind her was an empty village.

There's no one left. Not even a chicken remained.

Three years.

Three years.

She clutched the contract in her arms and took a deep breath.

It's worth it.

These people have food to eat.

It's worth it.

the next day.

In the open space behind Mixue Ice City, thirty people were crammed together in a chaotic manner.

This group of people came in all shapes and sizes, tall and short, fat and thin.

There were shirtless veterans, thugs with fierce faces, and ruffians with grass roots in their mouths.

They were the "security team" hired using funds from the Prince An's Residence to Chen Qing.

Ostensibly, they were there to help Mixue Ice City maintain order, but in reality, Chen Qing specifically hired them to cause trouble so she could have a reason to stay in the shop every day.

Then he could stage a "hero saves the damsel in distress" scene, giving him an excuse to be with Batuer.

Thirty people were arguing like a pot of turmoil.

Where is the shopkeeper?

"I've been standing here all morning!"

"If you don't come out now, I'm going home to farm!"

Batuer came out through the back door.

He wore a navy blue short jacket, a black belt around his waist, and carried a roster tucked under his arm.

All thirty people turned their gazes toward them.

Several thugs exchanged glances.

The shirtless man at the front took two steps toward Batuer.

"Oh, new here?"

Batuer didn't look at him.

She's looking for someone.

The first name on the roster was " Zhang Dachui ".

A shirtless man blocked her way, tilting his head to sized her up.

"He's got quite a build. Where did he come from?"

Batuer frowned, his thick eyebrows furrowing.

"Get out of the way."

The shirtless man didn't give way.

He turned around and grinned at his brothers.

"The new guy doesn't know the rules, he needs to be taught—"

Batuer thought he was blocking the way.

She turned to the side, reached out with one hand, and grasped the half-person-high blue stone lion base at the street corner.

The veins on his arms were bulging.

"Bang."

The stone lion has been lifted off the ground.

She moved a solid bluestone weighing 300 jin (approximately 150 kg) three feet by gripping the base with one hand.

The sound of stones rolling over the ground was muffled and prolonged.

The people in the open space fell silent.

The shirtless man's mouth was agape, his jaw almost dropping to the ground.

His brothers were already retreating.

He took two steps back.

Three steps.

Five steps.

Batuer put the stone lion down.

He patted the dust off his hands.

She flipped through the roster.

Where is Zhang Dachui?

The shirtless man's voice squeezed out from deep within his chest, as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "To..."

Zhao Tiezhu.

"Here we are!"

" Qian San."

"It's here! It's right here!"

Behind the columns on the second floor.

Chen Qing gripped the railing with both hands, pressing his entire body against the pillar.

His eyes were wide open.

He watched as Batuer moved the stone lion three feet with one arm, watched the thirty ruffians retreat in fear, and watched Batuer calmly flip through the roster and call out names.

His heart was pounding.

drum.

thunder.

All that could be heard was thunder.

This is not human.

This is a divine general who has descended to earth.

His lips trembled slightly.

no.

We absolutely must not let Brother Ba mix with them.

Chen Qing released the railing and strode down the stairs.

She hadn't even stepped properly on the stairs, tripped and almost fell, but she didn't care at all.

He rushed onto the field, spreading his arms to block Batuer.

" Brother Ba!"

He turned to face the thug number 30, raising his voice eight octaves.

"From today onwards, I'll be in charge of everything: registering, troop formation, and roll call!"

♡(ӦvӦ｡)

[A huge thank you to the mysterious person who gave a thumbs up, the red date person who gave a thumbs up, Xiaoya's razor blade person who gave a thumbs up, the Dragon Emperor's capsule person who gave a thumbs up, the Mad Cow person who gave a thumbs up, Fang Bi's milk tea person who gave a thumbs up, and Chen Qing's person who gave a thumbs up! Thank you all for your love and support and for the five-star reviews!]