Chapter 348: Both Sides Negotiate Terms

"So many?" Bai Wei was surprised now, and asked hurriedly, "What kind of illness did they catch? Could it be an infectious disease?"

To have so many people fall ill at the same time, could it be that a plague has started spreading again?

If it really were a plague, I fear the entire city would break out in it.

Yannan City is a large city with at least a million people; once a plague breaks out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, if that were the case, the medicine in her warehouse would not be enough.

Zhang Yu shook his head, "It is not contagious. The Peasant Army has been in small-scale skirmishes with the Yuan Clan, and recently we have fought the Fusang Ronin several times. Many brothers in the Peasant Army were injured, and we cannot afford good doctors, nor do we have money to buy medicine, so many injured brothers can only rely on mountain herbs to treat their wounds."

"But the wild herbs are, firstly, insufficient, and secondly, not very effective. Many people did not receive timely treatment and just dragged it out, causing their injuries to worsen."

"Bai has excellent medical skills, so I wanted to ask you to treat them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhan could no longer hold back and stepped forward.

"Zhang Yu, aren't you being unreasonable?"

"Asking Bai to treat your hundreds of wounded is clearly making her shoulder the cost of the medicine all by herself."

"Medicine for hundreds of people is no small amount, yet you say it so lightly; this is just taking advantage of Bai."

Bai Wei reached out to stop Qin Zhan and shook her head slightly.

"It's fine, let me ask first."

She looked up and stared directly at Zhang Yu.

"You have no medicine there, which means if I treat these hundreds of people for you, these medicines will be provided by me?"

Zhang Yu's dark cheeks flushed slightly.

"Bai, our conditions are limited, but whatever medicine you need, we will certainly do our best to find it."

"Forget it, you lack even ordinary herbs, where would you find the medicine I need?" Bai Wei interrupted, "Besides, the medicine I need, even if you searched the entire Daliang, you might not be able to find."

"I am truly sorry." Zhang Yu lowered his head, his tone tinged with a hint of guilt, "We have many brothers whose conditions are already critical, and I was forced by circumstances to seek your help. However, I, Zhang Yu, swear on my life that if we have the means in the future, we will definitely pay you for the medicine."

Bai Wei waved her hand, "There is no need for medicine money. Besides, the medicine I use is priceless; money cannot buy it. You can ask me to treat them, but you just proposed conditions to us, and now I must propose requirements to you."

Zhang Yu was startled, "Then your meaning is..."

"It's very simple." Bai Wei was very straightforward, "I see that your Peasant Army has gained some momentum; there should be over a thousand of you, right?"

"This..." Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "There are about two thousand or more."

"Yannan City is the central area of the Yuan Clan, heavily guarded. You have led over two thousand people to maneuver against the Yuan Clan's army of over a hundred thousand for so long, and you have actually managed to remain safe; I see your leadership ability is not weak." Bai Wei said, looking Zhang Yu up and down, "How about this: since we have the same goal, why don't you lead your troops to submit to Beijiang and become a member under the Prince of Zhenbei in the future?"

Zhang Yu knitted his thick brows, "You want me to risk my life for the Prince of Zhenbei?"

"It is not risking your life." Bai Wei shook her head repeatedly, "Xiao Moting loves his soldiers like his own children and is especially good to his subordinates. He would rather go without food himself than fail to pay his men; how could he possibly treat you as cannon fodder and make you risk your lives?"

"My meaning is that a wise bird chooses its tree to perch in. Since you have the ability and the courage, why not join the Northern Frontier Army and accomplish great things in the future? Relying solely on these two thousand people of yours, you have neither food nor decent weapons, and it will be very difficult to deal with the Imperial Court, right?"

Zhang Yu's brows were tightly knitted as he looked at Xiao Moting with vigilance.

Xiao Moting also glanced at him indifferently. He had not expected that Bai Wei would actually recruit troops for him, wanting the Peasant Army to join the Northern Frontier.

But then again, although this Zhang Yu is of peasant origin, he is quite capable, leading a group of peasants to maneuver under the nose of Yuan Canghai and actually surviving until now.

Although Yuan Canghai is headstrong, arrogant, and refuses to listen to others' opinions, his strength is not weak.

Moreover, this person has strong mental fortitude; just now, when he held a blade to Zhang Yu's throat, this person did not change his expression and even spoke and laughed as usual.

If it had been Xiao Dabao, he would have long since shrunk into a ball in fear.

This Zhang Yu's strength is worth three Xiao Dabaos!

After hearing Bai Wei's words, Zhang Yu showed defensiveness and hesitated before saying.

"Bai, the Prince of Zhenbei is a hero, but we are just a rabble composed of ordinary peasants, accustomed to being free and loose. I will take your good intentions as received."

Hearing his refusal, Qin Zhan immediately stepped forward and said.

"Zhang Yu, let me tell you, don't take Bai's good intentions for granted."

"Go out and ask around; the Northern Frontier Army eats well and drinks well, our monthly pay is the highest in all of Daliang, and there are generous pensions for those injured or killed in battle, with preferential treatment for their families. We are ten times stronger than the Yuan Clan's troops; others want to join the Northern Frontier Army, and we might not even be willing."

Zhang Yu smiled distantly, "We are all peasants with no skills; let us just fend for ourselves outside the city."

"You person, how are you like a stone in a latrine, both smelly and hard..."

Qin Zhan wanted to say more, but Xiao Moting raised a hand to stop him.

"Qin Zhan, no need to say more. I understand the Leader's concerns; he simply sees that I am a person of the Imperial Court and does not trust me."

Having been called out by Xiao Moting, Zhang Yu did not hide it either.

"Prince of Zhenbei, I know you treat your subordinates well. But throughout the dynasties, we peasants have been accustomed to being deceived and oppressed by the government, so everyone does not trust the Imperial Court and only trusts me alone. I have to have concerns for the safety of these two thousand peasant brothers, so I ask the Prince of Zhenbei to forgive me."

Bai Wei said, "Since you don't trust us, why ask me to treat your illnesses? Although I have a benevolent heart as a doctor and will not watch your people die, I will still collect the medicine money that should be collected."

Zhang Yu smiled and changed the subject.

"Bai, although I do not trust the Imperial Court, I admire the strong."

"If the Prince of Zhenbei can demonstrate extraordinary strength this time, annihilate the Fusang People in one fell swoop, and escape the Yuan Clan's pursuing troops, I am willing to lead my people to follow him."

"The Imperial Court hates our Peasant Army to the bone and only wants to kill us as quickly as possible. I am also afraid that after the matter is done, we will be handed over to the Imperial Court. Only those who are truly powerful can resist the Imperial Court and protect our safety."

Seeing that Zhang Yu had relented, Bai Wei did not quibble and nodded readily.

"Fine."

She knew Zhang Yu's worry was nothing more than the fact that the Peasant Army was at odds with the Imperial Court. He felt that Xiao Moting's status was that of an imperial prince, and his father was the Emperor, so he was afraid that after fighting the Fusang People, Xiao Moting would turn his back on them and hand the two thousand peasant soldiers over to his imperial father to claim a reward.

But what Zhang Yu did not know was that Xiao Moting had long since stopped caring about the Emperor; he even dared to defy imperial edicts, so would he be afraid of not being able to protect these two thousand people?

It must be said that Zhang Yu, as the leader of the Peasant Army, still had great courage and strategy.

It was just that he did not see as far or as thoroughly; compared to Xiao Moting, he was still lacking by a few degrees.

Seeing Bai Wei agree so readily, Zhang Yu also breathed a sigh of relief.

He had taken a huge risk coming here today.

However, this "Bai" before him really looked different from ordinary women; she had a benevolent heart as a doctor, yet she was not a foolish saint. She was very intelligent and had a clear sense of love and hate, enough to be trusted.

The cold wind whistled, and the snow fell even more heavily, burying the entire world in a vast, desolate white.