Chapter 890: The Issue of Supplies
Editor: Henyee Translations

In the tent, the woman had given birth and fainted from the pain and hunger.

Jia Liyu brought over a bowl of chicken soup, “Miss, this was specially simmered in the kitchen for her, to nourish her body.”

Chu Qingzhi stepped forward, pressed two fingers on the woman’s forehead, “Feed her the chicken soup. And Fourth Sister, later prescribe her some lactation-promoting medicine. This is a military camp; we have no milk and it’s difficult to find a wet nurse.”

Chu Qingning responded, “I’ll prescribe it for her right away.”

Hearing their conversation and with her son born safely, the woman felt a surge of gratitude, “Thank you, ladies, or else my child and I might have lost our lives.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Take good care of yourself. When we leave, we’ll find a place for you and the others to stay, don’t worry.”

Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes, “Thank you, Miss. You are truly saviors.”

Jia Liyu handed the chicken soup to the woman, “Drink the soup.”

The woman devoured the soup hungrily, and after finishing, she hugged her child to breastfeed.

Suddenly, Chu Qingning remembered something, “Madam, where is the child’s father?”

Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes again, “The officials killed him. They were ruthless, beating anyone they caught. My husband was frail and was quickly beaten to death.”

As Chu Qingzhi was about to leave, she stopped upon hearing this, “Where are you from?”

The woman wiped her tears, “I’m from a village in Luo Huai County, Linzhang City. Life in the village was unbearable, so we planned to flee to the capital. But we were constantly obstructed by officials along the way. They didn’t leave us any way out, more ruthless than bandits.”

“These people you see are all refugees. Originally, there were over twenty thousand of us. Many were killed or starved to death by the officials on the road, now only a few of us are left.”

Chu Qingzhi thought to herself, Linzhang City is the first city to enter the eastern border, which is their current target.

Chu Qingzhi asked, “How did you contract smallpox?”

The woman shook her head, “I don’t know. The refugees come from all over, it’s hard to tell who brought the disease.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, no longer asking, “Once we control the epidemic, we’ll send you home.”

The woman’s eyes filled with tears, “Thank you, Miss.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Rest now, don’t cry. It’s not good for your body to cry too much during confinement.”

“Yes.” The woman nodded, wiping away her tears.

The group left the tent.

Chu Qingzhi said, “Fourth Sister, take care of this mother and child for now. Once the medicine for treating smallpox is ready, serve her a bowl.”

Chu Qingning agreed, “Alright.”

Chu Qingzhi, accompanied by Jia Liyu and Jia Lixia, went to distribute rice porridge among the refugees.

…

Inside the main tent, Meng Shengdong brought the local magistrate to Tang Jinghong.

Seeing Tang Jinghong, the magistrate was so frightened that he knelt down, “General, this is not my fault. The problem lies with the eastern border. These people are all diseased, no city dares to accept them. Please understand, General!”

Tang Jinghong’s face was cold, his aura somewhat murderous as he stared at the magistrate, “Since you say so, you must have known about the refugees. Why didn’t you report to the court!”

The magistrate trembled, “General, I dare not. You’re going to the eastern border yourself and must know the reason. How could I, a minor official, dare to confront them?”

Tang Jinghong’s eyes were frosty, “Aside from the refugees we encountered, are there others elsewhere?”

The magistrate was terrified, “I don’t know.” He desperately wanted to avoid this issue, let alone actively seek trouble.

The root of the problem wasn’t with this magistrate. Tang Jinghong didn’t want to waste more effort, “Immediately go to the county town to prepare medicinal materials and food. Redeem your crimes with service!”

The magistrate eagerly seized the chance to save himself, “Yes, General.”

Sweating profusely, the magistrate left the military camp. The assistant waiting at the entrance hurried forward to support him, “Sir, how did it go?”

The magistrate waved his hand, “Quickly go back and prepare the medicines and food. Let’s send Tang Jinghong on his way.”

The assistant dared not say more, “Yes.”

As they hurried back to prepare the necessary supplies, the gravity of their task at hand was clear. The crisis facing the refugees demanded immediate attention, and Tang Jinghong’s intervention was a stark reminder of the urgency.

Meanwhile, back in the camp, Tang Jinghong’s stern demeanor did not waver as he awaited further reports on the situation. His eyes were like sharp blades, cutting through the veils of negligence and incompetence that had allowed such a disaster to fester.

Qi Kaiming entered the main tent to report, “General, the prefects of the nearby cities are not in town, and no one knows where they have gone. I have already dispatched scouts to keep watch. As soon as there’s news, we will report immediately.”

Tang Jinghong nodded, his thoughts racing. The absence of these officials at such a critical time suggested a deeper problem, “Keep a close watch. We must find out what they are up to.”