Murong Xue's cheeks flushed instantly, and she grabbed a medicine sieve from the table, ready to smash it at him.
Gu Moran dodged away.
The medicine sieve didn't hit him; instead, it landed in Su Yao's arms.
Su Yao looked at the medicine sieve in her hand, then at the group of people, and gritted her teeth as she let out a breath.
"I don't think we'll have a peaceful night."
Gu Moran said with a smile.
Lock the door.
Lin Qingdai looked up.
Why lock the door?
Su Yao said, "He was afraid that Uncle Fu would come in to deliver the herbal tea and find the prince acting crazy in the pharmacy."
Murong Xue's eyes widened.
"Ah?"
"Never mind." Su Yao turned around, her expression still relatively calm, though her ears were bright red.
"Isn't the prince prone to anger? Perfect, now that we have four people, we can keep an eye on him together, lest he go crazy in the middle of the night and climb over the wall to a brothel, making a laughingstock of himself."
The sound of the wind whistling past the eaves outside the window.
The lights inside flickered, and the calming incense had just been lit, its bitter medicinal scent mingling with a warm, sweet fragrance.
The lights stayed on until very late.
On the other side.
Tubo's Silver City.
The wind blew in from the mountain pass, causing the tent flaps to flap against the wooden posts.
Chisang sat in the main seat, holding a piece of military report that had just been delivered in his hand.
The edges of the military newspaper were soaked with snow water, and the ink had smudged, but a few glaring words could still be made out.
The garrison at North Post remained in order.
The ambush was set up early.
The entire force of three thousand light cavalry was wiped out.
Four hundred died, more than two thousand were captured, and their warhorses were stolen.
After reading the last line, the veins on the back of Chisang's hand bulged.
On the table sat a copper bowl containing cooled mare's milk wine.
He raised his hand and swept it, causing the copper bowl to hit the wall and spill the wine onto the carpet.
"Waste."
No one dared to utter a sound inside the tent.
The vanguard general knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the carpet, his back covered in cold sweat.
"Chief, the Yi Prefecture garrison was well-prepared. They laid crossbowmen on both sides of the old road to North Post, cutting off our retreat as soon as we entered the valley."
Chisang looked at him.
"You're not going to attack the city. You're just probing!"
"Even a test can be turned into a pot of meat?"
The vanguard general's lips turned pale.
"It's as if they knew in advance that we would go to North Post, and set a trap beforehand. That loud noise could even trigger an avalanche."
Chisang kicked over the table.
The wooden table crashed to the ground and broke in two.
The guards outside the tent heard the commotion and even held their breath.
Lalong knelt in the corner, his wounds still not healed, and the hook wound on his shoulder left by the man in black was still wrapped in bandages.
He looked up at Chisang and spoke cautiously.
"Chief, Prince Yi is indeed strange."
Chisang looked over coldly.
"Are you going to talk about his witch soldiers again?"
Lalong's face tightened.
"Your subordinate dares not speak presumptuously."
"But the strange noise they described that could cause an avalanche must have been caused by Prince Yi."
Chisang remained silent.
He didn't believe in any witch doctors or sorcerers.
But he believed in the result.
Three thousand light cavalrymen were familiar with the mountain roads and chose a snowy night to test the waters, but they were still blocked by the garrison outside the North Post.
This indicates that Gu Moran possesses more than just a few unorthodox firearms.
He must also have scouts, guides, provisions, capable soldiers, and people who know the mountain paths better than they do.
If we continue to push our way into Jiannan Circuit, the cost will only increase.
"The supply officer whispered."
"Chief, Silver City's grain reserves cannot withstand repeated attacks."
"The old villages north of the snow line also need resupply."
"If we lose another light cavalry unit, we may not be able to hold the pastures by spring."
Chisang stared at the map.
Jiannan Circuit is like a piece of fatty meat studded with iron spikes, tempting but impossible to bite.
It's upsetting!
But he can't do nothing.
All the Tubo tribes were watching him.
Chisang paced back and forth, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
They had already suffered a loss at Gu Moran's hands. If they continued to cower in disgrace, the leaders below would immediately have other ideas.
Tubo might be in turmoil.
Lalong saw through his thoughts, crawled forward half a step, and pointed to the south side of the map.
"Chief, why don't we tackle the easier challenges first and attack Dali?"
Chisang shifted his gaze over there.
Dali, this small country, borders Tubo and Great Yan.
But these scoundrels sometimes help Tubo fight against Great Yan, and sometimes help Great Yan fight against Tubo. They are very opportunistic and cunning.
Lalong swallowed hard.
"Chief, Jiannan Circuit is well-defended, but Dali is not so well-defended."
"There are many mountain roads over there, and the tribes are diverse, with their cities and strongholds not cooperating with each other. If we attack southward, we can replenish our supplies and also bypass Yi Prefecture's advance."
"Once we capture several villages in Dali, we can advance into Shu Region from the south."
"If we attack from both sides, Prince Yi may not be able to hold out so well."
Someone in the tent looked up.
The deputy commander in charge of supplies frowned first.
"The south is hot and humid with a lot of miasma, which makes the horses uncomfortable."
Lalong quickly replied.
"But it's winter now, and the rainy season hasn't started yet, so the mountain path is still manageable."
"We don't need to go deep into enemy territory; we'll just take the border villages and plunder their grain, salt, and horses."
On the other hand, they would frequently send small teams of several dozen men to harass Song Prefecture.
"Let Jiannan Circuit think that our army is preparing to launch a fierce attack on the north. Once they have committed all their troops to Song Prefecture, the garrison on the border with Dali will be left empty."
Chisang remained silent for a long time.
The wind outside the tent grew stronger, and the neighing of horses could be heard in the distance.
He raised his hand and pressed it against the location of Dali on the map.
"Send the order: 20,000 troops."
"Prepare provisions for a month, then head south."
"Attack the border fortresses of Dali first; do not be greedy for credit, and do not venture deep into the malarial areas."
Lalong bowed his head and accepted the order, pressing his forehead to the felt blanket.
Chisang stared at the map, his eyes dark and brooding.
Gu Moran.
This score won't just be settled like this.
Once he receives the grain and horses from Dali and looks back at Jiannan Circuit, the situation may not be the same as it is today.
As dawn broke, the paper windows of the pharmacy shone with a grayish-white light. On the table were scattered uncollected medicine sieves, incense boxes, and half a cup of cold tea. The charcoal fire in the stove was still glowing red.
When Gu Moran came out from behind the screen, she first bent down to pick up the outer robe on the ground, and then looked back at the large couch that had been temporarily put together.
Su Yao buried her face in the quilt, only a section of her black hair showing. When she heard footsteps, she raised her hand, grabbed a soft pillow, and threw it at the sound.
"If you dare tell anyone about what happened last night, I'll divert all your savings for next year to repair the latrines."
Gu Moran caught the pillow and patted off the ashes on it.
"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Su, I keep my mouth shut."
Murong Xue poked half her face out from under the covers, her voice hoarse, and kicked the edge of the bed.
"You're tight-lipped my foot! Who was it that asked me to try out the whip technique last night?"
Gu Moran placed the embroidered shoes that Shen Ling'er had kicked back on the bed, and then tucked the blanket around Shen Ling'er.
Shen Ling'er was sleeping the soundest, her cheek pressed against the pillow, with half a prescription clutched in her hand. Clearly, even in the chaos of the previous night, she was still thinking about the unfinished antifreeze cream.
Lin Qingdai leaned against the innermost corner, the knife within easy reach, but she didn't have the strength to reach for it. Hearing the commotion outside, she only managed to mumble a word from under the covers.
"Get lost, and don't hang around the pharmacy."
Gu Moran stood at the door, not provoking them any further. She simply ordered the maids waiting outside to bring hot water, breakfast, and a refreshing soup. She also specifically instructed Uncle Fu that no one was allowed to enter the pharmacy to disturb them today.
Uncle Fu stood outside the door, his eyelids twitching, but he still bowed his head and replied, "This old servant understands."
Gu Moran straightened his clothes, and behind him came Murong Xue's angry curses.
" Gu Moran! Give me back my whip!"
He didn't turn around, but simply tucked the soft whip that had somehow become wrapped around his wrist into his sleeve.