Chapter 535: Turning Danger into Opportunity

"No wonder Your Highness had to be the first to receive the Smallpox Inoculation?"

Yanguan General's Mansion, Zhao Xu was staying here temporarily.

At this moment, Shi Zhengui was taking Zhao Xu's pulse, and Mo Yu stood beside him, with some small pustules also growing on the back of his hand.

"Indeed, if it weren't for the fact that Your Highness and the generals were also in this state, I fear the soldiers would have rebelled." Mo Yu wore a bitter smile.

Not to mention the soldiers, even when he had just grown small pustules, he had felt a bit of fear in his heart.

"Do not worry, it is only a bit uncomfortable, it will be fine in a few days." Zhao Xu appeared calm and composed.

Cows that have contracted Cowpox do not die, so how could humans possibly die?

But suffering a bit is certain.

This time, the situation with the Cowpox inoculation was about the same as he had expected.

Generally speaking, after coming into contact with items carrying the smallpox virus, it takes eight or nine days to fall ill.

Whereas inoculating Cowpox only requires three days to fall ill.

After all, the virus has entered the body directly, and the concentration is quite high.

By the ninth day, the small pustules on the body can scab over and fall off, and from then on, one possesses immunity to smallpox.

Having said that, he jumped off the bed directly and went to inspect Yanguan together with Mo Yu.

Regarding the unknown, people are always full of fear.

He was only fearless because he understood these things.

But it was different for Mo Yu and the others.

After all, even in the modern era, there are many people who fear vaccines.

Another week passed.

The small pustules on Zhao Xu's body had indeed fallen off, and he felt refreshed.

Subsequently, the pustules on the soldiers' bodies healed one after another.

Smiles also bloomed on every one of their faces.

"Your Highness, a large number of North Territory cavalry have been discovered coming toward Yanguan."

On the third day after Zhao Xu recovered, early that morning, Mo Yu suddenly arrived at his bedchamber in a hurry.

"They have come after all." Zhao Xu's eyes narrowed, "Have all the recovered soldiers ascend the city wall."

The soldiers who had recovered in these few days were basically those inoculated on the first and second days, numbering approximately five thousand.

Among them were Artillerymen, Flintlock Infantry, and Heavy Infantry; one could say the troop types were complete.

Even if the North Territory launched a full-scale siege, these five thousand soldiers could hold out for a while.

And now, the North Territory had sent cavalry, which basically verified his second hypothesis.

The North Territory intended to use Light Cavalry to shoot items carrying smallpox onto the city wall.

Ascending the city wall.

Zhao Xu and Mo Yu picked up the Telescope and looked toward the North Territory.

At the edge of their vision, a black line indeed appeared.

As the black line gradually drew closer, he discovered that these cavalry were divided into three columns: left, center, and right.

The left and right columns of cavalry were very far from the cavalry in the center.

Very clearly, the cavalry in the center were the ones responsible for spreading the poison.

"Your Highness, shall we fight?" Mo Yu asked.

Shaking his head, Zhao Xu said: "We must fight, but do not fight for real; let them believe their scheme has succeeded."

Mo Yu understood and immediately passed down the order.

Half an hour later, the North Territory cavalry arrived outside Yanguan City.

At this time, the North Territory cavalry suddenly dispersed, forming a very sparse formation.

Zhao Xu knew that they were doing this to reduce casualties under the attack of the Artillery.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The Artillery on the city wall did indeed roar, but compared to wartime, these Artillery were clearly firing without any method; the Cannonballs flew wildly, lacking precision.

After a round of shelling, only a few unlucky ones were hit and fell into pools of blood.

And while the Artillery were bombarding the North Territory cavalry.

The North Territory cavalry in the center column charged toward Yanguan one after another.

They held their Curved Bows high, and upon entering a distance of one hundred meters, they shot the Arrows in their hands toward the top of Yanguan City.

"Swish, swish..." A sound of breaking through the air rang out.

The arrows descended from the sky like a swarm of locusts.

However, because they were shooting from a very long distance, these Arrows had no force left when they landed and did not cause any casualties to the soldiers.

The two sides fought back and forth for a while, and the North Territory retreated, leaving behind over a hundred corpses.

Not a single soldier on the top of Yanguan City was injured, but Arrows were everywhere.

"Hahaha..." Zhao Xu and Mo Yu looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

This was the North Territory's scheme.

It is estimated that, just like the arrows soaked in feces, these Arrows were likely smeared with the pus from smallpox patients.

Looking at the number of these Arrows, it is estimated that the North Territory had carefully prepared for several days after the slave soldiers fell ill.

"Your Highness, this all depends on you; otherwise, Yanguan would have suffered this time." While mocking, Mo Yu also felt a lingering fear.

If they had not received the Smallpox Inoculation, these Arrows would have been truly difficult to deal with.

I fear Yanguan would have truly experienced a major plague.

This plague might even spread to other parts of Yanzhou.

Thinking of how vicious the Northern Di were, he added, "Your Highness, the Northern Di are so devoid of conscience; why not give them a taste of their own medicine this time? Let a unit of Cavalry head to Ning City and return these Arrows to them."

Zhao Xu shook his head upon hearing this, "Do not forget, there are still many of my Great Song subjects in the Ningjin Dusi. The Northern Di deserve to die, but they do not deserve to suffer such an unmerited disaster. Furthermore, after I take the Ningjin Dusi, I am still counting on them to manage the Ningjin Dusi."

Mo Yu patted his head; he had almost forgotten this.

Among the two million Xiliang people who migrated to the Ningjin Dusi, nearly half were Great Song subjects abducted by Xiliang, and there were originally over five hundred thousand Great Song subjects in the Ningjin Dusi.

If Smallpox spreads, the Northern Di will simply kill those infected with Smallpox and then flee further north.

But these commoners would suffer the consequences.

"It is just that this subordinate truly cannot swallow this anger." Mo Yu stomped his foot.

Zhao Xu smiled and patted his shoulder, "However, I have a more ruthless method that will surely make the Northern Di pay a heavy price."

Mo Yu's eyes suddenly lit up, and he was somewhat impatient, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Zhao Xu then leaned in and whispered a few words to Mo Yu.

The more Mo Yu listened, the more excited he became, until his mouth was almost grinning from ear to ear.

"Hahaha, brilliant, truly brilliant! If it is like this, we might be able to take the Ningjin Dusi by surprise this time, and we can also make a huge profit." Mo Yu laughed incessantly.

Zhao Xu also wore a smile on his lips.

Crisis, crisis; since he had already turned the danger into safety, what remained for him was opportunity.

……

Ning City.

Mule Hongzhen was currently standing on the city wall of Ning City, looking toward the south.

Wulanba was attending to his side, and Tiemuta was there as well, though he stood at a great distance from him.

"Our Cavalry should also be arriving at the foot of Yanguan City by now." Mule Hongzhen suddenly could not help but grow excited.

He was already imagining the Yanguan soldiers picking up the Arrows, and the Smallpox being transmitted from the Arrows to these Yanguan soldiers.

Immediately, a plague would break out across the entire Yanguan.

The soldiers would become chaotic because of this and rush out of Yanguan to flee for their lives regardless of anything else.

These soldiers would then carry the Smallpox to every part of Yanzhou, and even Yancheng.

If the Yan Wang Zhao Xu were also infected and died, that would naturally be for the best.

Thinking of this, he felt increasingly comfortable.

Ever since this Yan Wang arrived in Yanzhou, he had been losing constantly.

His resentment toward the Yan Wang Zhao Xu had reached the point of driving him mad.

This time, he could finally take his revenge.