The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 2312 - 2287: Had No Choice but to Agree

General Guo was getting ready for the next expedition. Upon hearing that Zhou Man sought an audience, his first instinct was to refuse.

But thinking she had just returned from outside and might have actually found the cowpox formula, which was indeed quite important, being the Protectorate of Anxi, he truly needed to be informed. So after stifling his irritation, he said, "Please let her in."

Manbao came only with Mr. Zhuang and Bai Shan; the others were not keen on seeing General Guo’s stern face.

General Guo took up his tea and drank half a cup, then raised his eyebrows upon hearing Zhou Man’s purpose, asking, "Lord Zhou, have you found the formula?"

Manbao replied, "There is no specific formula. After all, the legendary far-west country is still unknown how far away, and the region of Kucha is unstable, making it difficult for us to pass through. But we have learned some steps, so we want to give it a try."

Manbao said, "When we experimented with the people pox method in the capital, we also didn’t know everything, yet didn’t we succeed? We are quite confident about the cowpox method this time too."

While she was confident, General Guo was not.

Currently, the battlefield is indeed at its most brutal moment, how could he allow something like smallpox to appear in Xizhou?

If it spreads, the consequences would be unthinkable.

So General Guo smiled and said, "Since Lord Zhou is so confident, why not try it back in the capital? After all, Xizhou is remote and barren, with many medicines unavailable, whereas in the capital, there are the imperial doctors of the Imperial Hospital and Lord Zhou for consultation."

"Though confident, it’s not entirely assured," Manbao said. "So we want to try here; if we fail, we can continue to inquire. Otherwise, if we can’t succeed in the capital, should we make another thousand-mile journey back to the Western Regions?"

General Guo, smilingly, was about to evade when Mr. Zhuang suddenly laughed and said, "General need not worry. Since from the last merchants you sent to our yard, we know the cowpox method exists. Since it exists, we certainly can experiment with it."

General Guo said, "But that’s just a legend."

"So we cannot return only with a legend," Mr. Zhuang said. "We traveled a thousand miles to the Western Regions, attacked twice by horse bandits, once by Tubo soldiers, losing so many soldiers and guards to get here. If we only get a legend to return to the capital, even if His Majesty does not question us, we would have no face to return."

Mr. Zhuang looked subtly at General Guo, awaiting his decision.

General Guo pursed his lips. Zhuang Xun had already spoken to this extent; they had to get results here before returning to the capital. What else could he do?

The delegation had considerable autonomy, and His Majesty had already ordered that he provide them with maximum support.

General Guo was unhappily silent for a long time, finally having to ask, "What does Lord Zhou need?"

Manbao had intended only to ask him for a few people for the experiment, but after witnessing Mr. Zhuang and General Guo’s exchange, she felt inspired. Realizing that a flexible attitude was not effective on General Guo, she decided to be more assertive and said with a smile, "I’d like a few cows and an open area to build houses for the experiment. Of course, we also need people for the vaccination trial."

Manbao said, "We’ve had precedents for recruiting from prisoners."

General Guo snorted and said, "Most prisoners in Xizhou have gone to the battlefield. If recruited voluntarily, I’m afraid no one will volunteer."

Bai Shan smiled slightly and said, "Though vaccination may result in death, going to war could too. If they are unwilling, then aside from exempting them from punishment, giving them more money should suffice."

Saying it was simple, but wouldn’t the Ministry of Revenue have to provide the money?

General Guo, thinking of something, said, implying, "Lord Zhou may not know, currently Anxi is in the midst of war, even the military expenses are hard to come by, where would there be so much money to recruit prisoners?"

Everyone’s gaze fell on the jade cup in his hand. It was rumored that even the military tents had gold and jade decorations, yet General Guo would cry poor?

However, Bai Shan quickly said, "General, just help us with recruitment. We cannot arrange the exemption, but we do have some silver."

He said, "We brought some silk from the capital, and the quality is still decent. If they are willing, once completed, regardless of their survival, I will give them a piece of silk."

"If alive, the item is naturally given to them. If deceased, whether they want it as burial goods or sent home, we can arrange," Bai Shan said. "I will certainly prepare a sturdy coffin."

General Guo felt choked; the average person might feel Bai Shan was cursing or insulting people, but General Guo knew, to those prisoners, this was a real obsession.

There were many prisoners exiled here who wished to be buried in peace, but who would prepare a coffin for them?

If they died in prison, at least a pit could be dug, and they wrapped in a straw mat. If they died on the battlefield, those whose bodies could be collected were buried in a mass grave with others. If not, they mostly fed the birds or wolves.

General Guo rubbed his forehead, nodded his head, and said, "The three of you should return first. I will arrange for things and inform you once done."

Such small matters naturally did not require General Guo’s personal attention. He summoned an official from the Protectorate and delegated the task to him.

The official quietly asked whether to hinder or delay.

General Guo pondered for a long time, then shook his head, "Forget it, better sooner than later."

He felt that he might be incompatible with them. Ever since they appeared, he hadn’t felt really comfortable, and at the moment, he still needed supplies from the Ministry of Revenue, so it was not advisable to spar with that young Liu Huan.

Moreover, he was still an elder, always squabbling with the juniors. An ill reputation had already spread outside, and he didn’t want to keep yielding to the Liu family’s grandfather and grandson, so it might be better to quickly settle things and send them off sooner.

At this moment, General Guo was unaware that Zhou Man and others planned to wait here and return with General Ashina. Otherwise, he would definitely retract today’s instructions.

When he found out, they were already on the expedition’s path. Sending someone back to tell the Protectorate’s officials seemed too troublesome, so he left it as it was.

Of course, Manbao and the others were unaware of this.

At this moment, they had just left the Protectorate, and after walking some distance, Manbao said, "So he responds better to assertiveness."

Mr. Zhuang thought she was too cheeky. After lightly patting her head, he said, "No nonsense. General Guo is a superior; how can you speak so carelessly of him?"

Manbao shrunk her neck, but yesterday when they were discussing, the gentleman did not object?

Just as she was complaining internally, two horses galloped towards them from the opposite direction. The rider paused upon seeing them, then rode over, greeting them with a smile, "Lord Zhou and Young Master Bai have returned? Was the journey smooth?"

It was Junior General Guo and Junior General Meng. The two left a good impression on Manbao and Bai Shan, so they greeted them with smiles too, "It was quite smooth. From where do the two junior generals return?"

Junior General Guo smiled and said, "We’ve just returned from the military camp after troop exercises."