Chapter 59: Military Supplies

"Your Highness..."

The group suddenly became tense.

Xu Lie said, "Your Highness, you and Tutor Liu must return to the city immediately; I will go ahead to investigate."

Having said this, Xu Lie led a hundred guards and galloped away, completely disregarding his own life.

"Your Highness, let's go quickly. Our deaths are insignificant, but if anything were to happen to you, Yan Commandery would never know peace again." Liu Fu raised his whip and struck the horse Zhao Xu was riding hard.

Before Zhao Xu could even speak, the horse carried him charging out.

Liu Fu spurred his horse to follow.

In the wilderness, the sudden appearance of such a large group of troops would make anyone cautious.

The two of them galloped while looking back.

They saw that Xu Lie's men had intercepted the group.

Shortly after, Xu Lie led his men back.

Seeing this, they breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed nothing was wrong.

They immediately stopped to wait for Xu Lie.

"Your Highness, it is General Mo of Yanguan; he has come to Yan Commandery to pay his respects to you." Excitement flickered in Xu Lie's eyes.

When they were in the Imperial Guard, they had held this old general in high regard.

Both he and Chang Wei knew that Mo Di was currently stationed at Yanguan.

Before Zhao Xu's brain ailment had healed, they had even privately discussed going to defect to this general.

"Mo Di." Zhao Xu breathed a sigh of relief.

This General Mo Di could be considered a staunch royalist of the Great Song.

Every generation of the Mo Family had served in the Great Song military, fighting in all directions for the Imperial Clan.

However, he could not help but find it strange that this general had suddenly appeared in Yan Commandery.

But since the person had arrived, he could only receive him.

Driving his horse northward, he soon saw Mo Di's group clearly.

Among them, an old general over fifty years of age rode at the front, looking majestic; he was presumably Mo Di.

Behind Mo Di were over five hundred Cavalry, each wearing red inner linings and draped in black Armor.

"This subordinate, Mo Di, pays his respects to the Yan Wang, Your Highness."

Upon reaching them, Mo Di dismounted and knelt on one knee to salute Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu immediately dismounted to help him up.

Compared to Yuan Li's arrogance last time, one could see the different attitudes the two held toward the Imperial Clan from the respect Mo Di showed him.

"I have long heard of General Mo's great name and have regretted not being able to meet you. Today, with the General gracing Yan Commandery with his presence, I am very gratified." Zhao Xu looked Mo Di up and down.

And Mo Di was likewise observing Zhao Xu.

Seeing that Zhao Xu was courteous and sharp in his speech, he could not help but nod slightly.

This Yan Wang was truly no different from a normal person.

In his view, this was also a stroke of luck for the Imperial Clan.

The Emperor, out of dislike, had sent this son to Yan Commandery.

He had not expected that planting a willow without intention would result in it providing shade.

This Ninth Prince had not only recovered from his illness but had also taken root in Yan Commandery.

"This subordinate is of dull talent; how can I deserve such praise from Your Highness?" Mo Di cupped his hands. "I have come to disturb Your Highness today because I have a request for you."

"Oh?" Zhao Xu's face showed confusion.

He had been wondering why this Mo Di would run from Yanguan to Yan Commandery.

He just did not know what this general was requesting.

Seeing the sky gradually darkening, he said apologetically, "This is not a place for a detailed discussion; General, please enter the city, and let me fulfill the duties of a host."

"Then I thank Your Highness." Mo Di mounted his horse, and the group followed Zhao Xu into the city.

Upon arriving at the Prince's Mansion, Zhao Xu ordered Feng'er to have the servants prepare a banquet.

At this time, Chang Wei learned that Mo Di had arrived at the Prince's Mansion.

He disregarded his injuries and came to meet him.

"Chang Wei, you are here too." As everyone took their seats, Mo Di was slightly surprised to see Chang Wei approach.

Chang Wei saluted Mo Di, "It is my good fortune that the General remembers this subordinate."

Mo Di laughed heartily, "I remember, I remember. When you were in Xiliang, you were famous for not fearing death in battle. It is just a pity you were not under my command; otherwise, there would be a place for you at Yanguan today."

"

Mo Di's words stirred Chang Wei's memories, and he remarked with emotion, "Now that I am under the command of Your Highness, I am already satisfied. This is perhaps a case of losing at the mulberry trees but gaining at the eastern corner."

Hearing this, Mo Di stroked his beard and nodded with a smile.

Zhao Xu smiled and asked, "I wonder what advice the General has for coming to Yan Commandery this time? Could it be for the sake of the Northern Di Autumn Hunt?"

Aside from this matter, he could not think of any other reason for Mo Di's arrival.

Mo Di shook his head and said bluntly, "Not so. I have come this time to seek medicine."

Having said this, he recounted the matter of the Hu Yan disciples going to Yanguan.

Zhao Xu suddenly realized.

He had not expected that lending medicine to Hu Yan would lead to such a situation.

"I have come this time for this medicine. If it is indeed effective, I am willing to add this medicine to the military supplies list for this time and purchase a batch from Your Highness," Mo Di said solemnly.

"Military supplies?" These two words made Zhao Xu's heart tremble.

Because the Great Song has been in constant warfare year after year, the annual military expenditures of the Great Song are currently rising in a straight line.

Among these, a large amount of Silver has naturally been poured into military supplies.

However, such lucrative profits are rarely accessible to ordinary people.

In the end, they are basically all taken by merchants under the command of powerful clans.

Now, with Mo Di personally coming to his door and even offering a military procurement contract, he is naturally pleasantly surprised.

After all, he created this Allicin merely to save Chang Wei and could use it for his own army in the future; he had never thought of selling it.

This is because medicine is not as easy to promote as things like Wine.

But if a famous general like Mo Di were to endorse it, that would be different.

Once this medicine is proven effective in the army, it will likely soon become a necessity for the Great Song army.

At that time, wouldn't the Silver just come flowing into his pockets?

Most importantly, this opens a gap for him in terms of military supplies.

Now he can sell medicine, and in the future, he can sell other things as well.

Moreover, once its effectiveness is confirmed in the army, there will naturally be no issues among the common people, and the market will have been created invisibly.

Thinking this through, Zhao Xu can barely suppress his joy.

He says, "I will not hide it from the General; Chang Wei was struck by three arrows from Northern Di Cavalry a few days ago, and it was precisely this divine medicine that saved him."

At this critical juncture, he begins to advocate for his own medicine.

"Is that so?" Mo Di looks toward Chang Wei.

"That is indeed correct." Chang Wei looks at Zhao Xu with gratitude, "If not for the Secret Medicine of Yan Wang, this subordinate would already be in the underworld."

Mo Di nods slowly; with the nephew of Li Xingjian's master before and now Chang Wei as a witness, he basically believes it for the most part.

However, he has always been cautious, as this matter involves military supplies.

If any mistakes were to occur, he fears someone would impeach him.

"This subordinate has brought over thirty wounded soldiers this time; if Your Highness can save half of them, this subordinate will take this medicine of yours." Mo Di looks directly at Zhao Xu.

While returning to the Prince's Mansion, Zhao Xu saw some soldiers sharing a single horse.

The soldiers in the back were tied to the soldiers in the front; he assumes these are the wounded soldiers.

"Very well." Zhao Xu agrees immediately.

After the banquet, because of the medicine testing, Zhao Xu and the others did not drink too much Wine.

After the meal, they went directly to the courtyard where the wounded soldiers were located.

Zhao Xu then has people fetch the Alcohol and Allicin, orders someone to call Hu Langzhong, and participates personally.

"Cut away the rotten flesh, clean it with Alcohol, then apply the Secret Medicine, and additionally have them ingest some."

In the open space of the West Courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, thirty wounded soldiers are groaning; each person's injuries are very severe.

Seeing these thirty people, he shakes his head helplessly.

Mo Di is giving him a difficult problem.

"General Mo, if these thirty people had used my Alcohol to clean their wounds from the start, and then used this Secret Medicine both internally and externally, they could have already returned to the battlefield by now; why would it have come to this?" Zhao Xu sighs with emotion.

This is the terrifying casualty rate of ancient times; the sanitary conditions are too poor.

Mo Di remains silent, but seeing the way Zhao Xu treats the wounded soldiers, it does not seem fake.

He adds a bit more confidence in his heart.