Chapter 391
Jiang Pengji’s question confused Luoyue . However, as an imperial guard, he had to obey Jiang Pengji’s orders . “Based what my knowledge, there are 1,000 men . ”
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The edict was clear, so how was there an extra 1,000 men?
Jiang Pengji’s eyebrows drew closer together . She listened intently to the series of footsteps that were approaching them . Luoyue’s hearing was not as insanely acute as Jiang Pengji’s, but as the mysterious forces came nearer, he instinctively tensed his muscles . He was ready for preventive measures .
Upon seeing Luoyue, who was ready for action, Feng Jin closed his eyes briefly as if he was contemplating something .
Tap, tap, tap!
A series of orderly but heavy footsteps came closer . The imperial guards waiting outside sensed a foreign force approaching . The probability of a riot increased steadily .
Jiang Pengji couldn’t sit tight . She rose and walked quickly past Luoyue and three other imperial guards . Flashes of small fires appeared, heading in their direction . The lights from the fire torches became clearer . There were three men in the group on horses .
Meng Hun was militant and naturally had the best eyesight . He swiftly found Jiang Pengji . His face lit up, and he quickened his horse’s pace .
“Langjun, hello!”
They’d been apart for years, but Meng Hun would never forget Jiang Pengji’s features––even if she did look exhausted .
Jiang Pengji identified the three people from afar . She almost thought her eyes were blurry until Meng Hun got down from the horse . She couldn’t contain her excitement . As soon as she regained her focus, she pulled Meng Hun up from his kneeling position . She half-smiled as she looked at Qiguan Rang .
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Based on her understanding, Meng Hun could not carry out his task of leading the troops from afar . Moreover, they appeared at such a crucial moment . She pondered it, and the only person with the capability was Qiguan Rang .
“Wenzheng said before that you’d appear when Xi needed you most . Has the time come?” Jiang Pengji stepped forward . Qiguan Rang stepped on the stool to descend from his horse . He flicked dust off his sleeve and bowed to her respectfully .
He smiled bitterly and said, “Man proposes, but the gods dispose . I initially wanted to wait by Fengyi County for your grand arrival, but unbeknownst to me, the earthquake occurred . ”
Jiang Pengji asked in confusion, “Why would you wait in Fengyi County?”
Qiguan Rang was about to speak when he caught sight of the imperial guards . His eyes flashed, and he swallowed back the words on his tongue .
Jiang Pengji sensed his actions and raised her hand . She ordered Luoyue to take the imperial guards away .
Luoyue felt it was unjust, but he was the mere leader of the imperial guards . He observed that Jiang Pengji’s troops were a rare breed of elite soldiers . Meng Hun, who was at the frontier, had understated vibes . His build was so intimidating that people shrank in his presence . Thus, Luoyue brought his men to retreat more than ten miles .
“Initially, I predicted that you would be hunted down by someone that was after your life . I took all possible routes into consideration and figured the border between Shangyang County and Fengyi County was highly possible . Thus, I brought men there to lie in wait and to also serve as a backup for you . When the earthquake happened, it messed up all the plans . ” Qiguan Rang wore an expression of defeat .
Even if man saw no flaws in himself, he could not thwart heaven’s will .
Even if a man saw no flaws in himself, he could not thwart heaven’s will .
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“Someone wanted to kill me? Why?” Jiang Pengji crossed her arms . It was not that she did not believe Qiguan Rang . She was curious .
Qiguan Rang shook his head and answered, “Matters have gone a different direction now . It is no longer relevant . ”
It was obvious that Qiguan Rang was unwilling to reveal his thoughts .
The earthquake not only disrupted Qiguan Rang’s plan, but also the plan of those who were eager to take action against the Emperor’s evil officials . The relatives of the land-owning class and the eunuchs had to hold their anger in . Even the crown prince, who wanted to usurp the throne, had the energy but was not given the opportunity . They were currently focused on escaping with their lives . There was no time to consider such “great ambitions . ”
Jiang Pengji sighed deeply then said, “Even if you refuse to say, I can guess . Regardless, I am grateful to you . ”
There was a lack of manpower . She witnessed people die when they could have been saved . Jiang Pengji’s feelings were valid .
Qiguan Rang brought 3,000 troops with him, 2,000 of which were searching to save the people in Fengyi County . The remaining 1,000 were of great assistance to Jiang Pengji .
“You flatter me . I’m just doing my job . ”
Qiguan Rang narrowed his eyes . His pupils, which were normally moving about, were seemingly at peace .
His words moved Jiang Pengji; her smile became increasingly splendid .
“Since that’s the case, it is better to be early than late . ” Jiang Pengji’s face was somber . She continued, “The earthquake has injured or killed countless people . The weather is scorching hot, so the corpses cannot be kept for long to prevent them from rotting and attracting parasites . It is imperative that we locate a place for burial to prevent an epidemic outbreak from spreading . ”
Qiguan Rang nodded in agreement . “All things shall be decided by you . ”
Jiang Pengji now had 1,000 imperial guards, 1,000 personal troops, and the people she had employed previously . The number of people she had expanded substantially .
She called for Qiguan Rang, Feng Jin, Xu Ke, Meng Hun, and Luoyue to prepare and regroup to search for survivors .
Whatever was going on in Luoyue’s mind, Jiang Pengji could not be bothered . It was enough that he obeyed her orders .
“Xiaoyu, did you bring the items I asked you to transport?”
With the 500 deniers of rice given by the Emperor, the rations could last for a few days . As for the medicinal herbs, she ordered men to search the vacant medical shops . She “borrowed” the herbs that no one wanted . If they used them sparingly, they could last for days .
The crucial issue was that burying all the bodies required a lot of lime .
Xu Ke was startled momentarily . He spoke up, “The items are in the carriage . ”
Jiang Pengji ordered, “Get some men to transport the medicinal herbs and rations down . Lay some grass or something to cover the carriage . We will bury the corpses tonight . I have surveyed the weather and predict that it will rain in a few days . If the corpses rot, the water that touches the corpses and the rainwater will flow down together into the well and contaminate it . Consequently, we must control it . If people ingest contaminated water, an epidemic disease will be imminent . ”
Jiang Pengji described the situation plainly . The people sitting around her had a change of expression .
They were imaginative . Their minds could not help but envision the scene Jiang Pengji described, and they were extremely disgusted .
“The north, south, east, and west of the city…” Jiang Pengji used a twig to draw out Shangjing’s map on the ground . She divided the map into four sections, and each section had 450 people assigned to it . People would then search for survivors and render aid in their assigned section . Each section was further divided into more detailed zones; she even had the resource routes mapped out .
Jiang Pengji’s thought flow was precise . She was quick at delegating tasks .
The people present were not foolish; they remembered their tasks and waited only for Jiang Pengji to give orders . If there was a poisoned corpse, it would follow the rainwater, drip into the well, and contaminate the water . Thus, they needed to decide where to bury the bodies .
Jiang Pengji took that into account . She circled a location .
“It’s situated on the mountain on the east side of the city . It is convenient to transport corpses . It’s also on high ground . It is far from the moat, and it’s not linked to the water source beneath . Other than the east of the city, the terrain is isolated; there are few men and villages . Considering all these factors, it is wise to bury them here . ”
Since they could not burn the bodies, Jiang Pengji’s only choice was to bury them . She needed to brainstorm the details with them collectively .