Chapter 87: Joy Turns to Sorrow

The saline-alkali flats stretched desolate as far as the eye could see, the cold wind blowing on people's faces, painful like a knife cut.

Meng Chengping used to lead troops on patrol, often coming this way.

Whether person or warhorse, no one had ever found anything edible in this place.

Moreover, the area was unsafe; Gu Xixi had searched for a long time without making a sound, so Meng Chengping grew anxious.

"What does the thing Boss Gu is looking for look like?"

"If you tell us, we can all look together and maybe find it faster."

"Saying it won't help," Gu Xixi said, still bent over, her hands rummaging through the ground.

In the past, she hated being urged while gathering in the wild, but now she understood Meng Chengping was worried about safety, so she patiently explained, "The first grass I'm looking for is called alfalfa."

"Each stem has four leaves, low and slender, bluish-green in color, tender in texture, normally easy to identify."

"But at this time they are dry and dormant; someone who has never seen them would find it hard to recognize them."

Meng Chengping nodded and asked, "What about the second one? Can we help with the second?"

Gu Xixi thought and said, "Then please trouble yourselves to look for grass with seed heads at the top."

She raised her hand to indicate a height, "About this high."

Meng Chengping was assigned the task, his spirits rose again, and he immediately shouted for the soldiers to go search.

Actually, Gu Xixi's search for alfalfa was not blind.

She first determined the surrounding location most suitable for alfalfa growth, and searching there greatly increased the chance of finding it.

After searching another area, Gu Xixi straightened up and discovered Mu Nan Zhao was still beside her.

"Why didn't you go with them?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "I promised Aunt Zhang to bring you back safely."

He paused, looking toward the western horizon, "But you can only search two more places at the end."

"We must leave before sunset."

Gu Xixi gave Mu Nan Zhao a deep look, then rallied her spirits again, focusing all her attention on the ground.

Then, while Gu Xixi was searching for alfalfa, Meng Chengping and his soldiers successively brought foxtail grass, wolf-tail grass, knotweed, and even a long string of withered silver willow branches...

The sun drew nearer to the horizon; above the saline-alkali flat, half the sky was orange-red sunlight, half dim.

Mu Nan Zhao was about to speak to call a halt when Gu Xixi suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Found it!"

"Come quickly and look—these are them; this patch actually has so many! Great!"

Mu Nan Zhao bent over to look, seeing pale yellow, thin dry grass curled and lying on the ground; looking ahead, there were many more of the same dry grass.

"Is this the stuff? Only this patch—does that count as a lot?"

Gu Xixi dug up a sample by the roots, stood up, and said, "Alfalfa reproduces quickly; it is naturally suited to the saline-alkali soil of the northwest. As long as we intervene manually next spring, I can make it cover this saline-alkali flat."

"Furthermore, it can grow from early spring to late autumn, so feeding warhorses with it poses no problem."

Her face was filled with the radiance of confidence, even more dazzling than the splendid sunset.

Mu Nan Zhao couldn't help but stare, entranced.

Until Meng Chengping came running over, his head covered in dry grass scraps, saying, "This stalk is different from those just now; Boss Gu, take a quick look—is this what you're looking for?"

Gu Xixi looked up, her eyes widened in surprise, then she cried out joyfully, "It's it, it's it! Oats!"

The two great edible plants of the northwest saline-alkali lands are alfalfa and oats.

Gu Xixi had thought finding just one type today would be good enough, but she never expected to obtain a double blessing as sunset approached.

Moreover, fortunately, the discovered oat grains were plump and could be completely collected for use as seed.

Everyone together set to harvesting the oats.

The joy of the harvest caused their departure time to be delayed again and again.

As the sky grew dark, every available spot on the wagons and horsebacks was stuffed full of oats.

The patch of alfalfa Gu Xixi found was also marked covertly by Meng Chengping, to be revisited next spring.

On horseback returning, everyone's mood relaxed considerably.

Meng Chengping said with satisfaction, "Now even the problem of feeding the warhorses is solved; we just await Boss Gu's later decision on what to plant on those wastelands—just think how pleased the senior general will be."

He then asked, "Boss Gu said these things are good for warhorses to eat; could you tell us in what ways they are beneficial?"

Gu Xixi said, "Alfalfa differs from ordinary forage; not only does it taste good, but horses that eat it also gain weight easily."

"It tastes good?" Meng Chengping wondered.

Gu Xixi nodded, "When alfalfa is most tender in early spring, people can eat it too."

"As for oats, they are similar to black beans and millet—both are coarse grains."

Meng Chengping now understood that the army's best reward fodder for warhorses is black beans.

"Warhorses eating black beans gain strength; if we could replace their fodder with alfalfa plus oats, wouldn't our cavalry strength greatly increase?"

Gu Xixi nodded, "Such a combination is indeed much better than ordinary feed."

After all, in Han history there was a saying that the Western Region's blood-sweating precious horses ate only fresh alfalfa grass.

Gu Xixi added, "However, I am not expert in husbandry; the specifics should still be observed by your army's dedicated horse-feeders."

The other soldiers, hearing this conversation, all showed genuine smiles.

How great—this time they truly picked up a treasure!

Meng Chengping, eager to say more, suddenly closed his mouth, tugged the reins, and turned his head to look back.

At the same time, the soldiers outside the wagon all picked up their weapons and assumed a defensive posture.

Seeing Mu Nan Zhao's expression also grave, Gu Xixi nervously whispered, "What's wrong?"

Mu Nan Zhao sat still, his tone calm, "A dozen or so people are chasing us on fast horses from the west."

"They are likely coming for us."

As soon as the words fell, Meng Chengping shouted in a low voice, "Quick! Quickly go! March at the fastest speed!"

All the horses galloped at full speed; even sitting in the carriage, Gu Xixi could hear the wind.

She placed both hands on her knees, clenched them nervously, wondering if those behind were Beili people—could they escape alive tonight?

The carriage suddenly jolted violently.

Bang! A feathered arrow pierced the carriage's rear cover, its silvery tip startling Gu Xixi.

The carriage's speed gradually slowed, finally stopping, and the sound of close combat rang out outside.

Before Meng Chengping could react, Mu Nan Zhao grabbed Gu Xixi and hauled her out through the carriage window; they tumbled on the ground a few times and rolled into a nearby thicket.

Meng Chengping saw this from afar, then turned and continued focusing on the enemy, spearing down one foe who had climbed onto the carriage with his lance.

He grit his teeth inwardly, really careless.

Previously encountered Beili cavalry came in groups of three to five, or as many as seven or eight.

What's going on today? Not only did a dozen or so people come, they even dared to pursue this far!

Meng Chengping hated himself for going back on his word; he had originally sworn to protect Gu Xixi.

But now he could only hope that Mu Nan Zhao would bring Gu Xixi to find a hiding place quickly.

Because there was an archer among the enemy.

At this moment, night fell; the archer hid in the darkness to attack, leaving everyone here in even greater danger.