In the early morning at the North Gate of Zhenbei City, the wind was filled with the smell of sand and dust.
Not long after the city gate opened, four small donkey carts blocked the entrance, covered with old felt cloth.
A dusty cloth flag hung by the cart shafts, bearing the four characters "Medicinal Herbs and Dry Goods".
A gate guard used his spear shaft to lift the felt cloth, revealing a few wooden boxes underneath.
"Medicinal herbs?"
The guard reached out and knocked on the box lid, staring suspiciously at the cart driver.
"Which pharmacy? Hand over the customs pass."
The driver's face was covered in travel dust, his stubble stained with cracked mud spots.
He pulled out a half-piece of copper coin from his chest, then took out a small folded note, handing them over with both hands.
"Goods from the Xu Manor in Jiangning, traveling through the Xu family's secret route. Please ask Manager Li Sheng to inspect it, military sir."
Hearing the name of the Xu family, the guard pulled back his spear shaft.
But he didn't dare let them pass, only sending a subordinate to the West City Ward to deliver the message.
In less than two quarters of an hour, Li Sheng arrived at the North Gate on horseback.
He dismounted, took the half copper coin, and matched it perfectly with the half he carried on him, then unfolded the short note and scanned it.
The short note was in Xiaocui's handwriting.
"The first batch of dry goods from Jiangning, made according to the Eldest Miss's old method, sent quickly by light cart. Three bags were damaged on the way, the remaining goods are three hundred and seventeen catties, with samples inside the boxes."
Li Sheng pinched the slip of paper, muttering in his heart.
"The Eldest Miss's old method? What dry goods can Jiangning send to the Northern Frontier?"
He had someone pry open the first box.
Inside the box, oil paper packages were neatly stacked, each no larger than a fist, the tied ends brushed with tung oil, the outer layer sealed with yellow mud, feeling extremely light in the hand.
Li Sheng opened one package.
Shriveled vegetable leaves were shrunk inside the oil paper, dark in color, the leaves rolled into small balls, looking no different from dead grass fallen by a fire pit.
A gate guard next to him peeked over and laughed on the spot.
"Manager Li, the Xu Manor in Jiangning sent a cart of dead leaves all this way?"
Li Sheng didn't smile.
He re-wrapped the oil paper package and ordered his attendants to load the wooden boxes onto the headquarters' handcart.
"Cut the nonsense, the Imperial Envoy's things, even if it's a handful of dirt, must be delivered properly."
The cart wheels rolled over the bluestone of the North Gate, creaking all the way into the West City Ward.
In the Imperial Envoy's headquarters, Xu Qinghuan was verifying the agricultural tools inventory sent by the Hetao military farms. Hearing the sound of carts outside the courtyard, she raised her hand to let Li Sheng in.
The wooden boxes were carried into the corridor outside the study.
Xu Qinghuan opened an oil paper package, picked up a few pieces of dried vegetables with her fingertips, and sniffed closely.
The vegetable leaves were completely dry, yet still retained their vegetable fragrance.
Her hand resting by the desk paused for half a beat.
Over in Jiangning, it had succeeded.
Xiaocui never dragged her feet when handling matters, but for this first batch of goods to arrive so quickly still exceeded Xu Qinghuan's expectations.
What the Northern Frontier lacked was never just provisions.
What it lacked were things that could let soldiers live like human beings.
Xu Qinghuan put the package of dried vegetables back into the oil paper, looking up to give orders.
"Li Sheng, fetch three earthen basins, bring boiling water, and find some sun-dried vegetables and pickled vegetables."
"Then go invite Elder Sun and Marshal Tie to the wounded soldiers' camp in the south of the city."
Li Sheng was stunned.
"Miss, shouldn't we test this stuff in the manor first?"
Xu Qinghuan pressed the box lid back down.
"If we are to test it, we test it in front of those who drink sheep kidney soup until they feel nauseous."
In the wounded soldiers' camp in the south of the city, the cooks were bringing freshly boiled sour sheep kidney soup into the tents.
As soon as the soup entered the camp gate, the sour and gamey smell drilled into people's noses.
Several sick soldiers leaning on straw mats had just picked up their bowls when their throats started to heave.
"This stuff again."
"Drink it, if you don't and your mouth bleeds again, Elder Sun might whip you with his cane."
"I'd rather be whipped than drink this sour soup again, my dreams last night were full of the sheep stench."
The cook unhappily slammed the bowl onto the wooden table.
"Stop being picky, it's good enough to save your life. A few days ago you couldn't even bite into millet cakes, and now you're complaining about the strong smell."
Despite these words, the sick soldiers in the tent still dawdled.
Some covered their mouths and dry heaved, while others pushed the soup bowl to the corner of the mat, planning to gulp it down when it cooled.
At this time, the sound of cart wheels came from outside the camp gate.
Several personal guards carried wooden boxes in, with Xu Qinghuan walking in front and Li Sheng following behind holding the earthen basins.
Before Xu Qinghuan could speak, several veteran soldiers in the camp had already gathered together to whisper.
"I heard the Imperial Envoy got some new medicine again."
"What new medicine?"
"Dead leaves, it's spread all over the North Gate, they say it was sent from Jiangnan, so dry it can be crumbled into ash."
"The sheep kidney soup is already deadly enough, the dead leaf medicine is probably even harder to drink."
As these words spread, the sick soldiers in the tent all pricked up their ears.
Hundred-man Commander Zhao Kui, whom He Minghu had planted in the wounded soldiers' camp, was waiting for exactly this moment.
He stood next to the cook, deliberately raising his voice.
"Vegetable leaves withered into paper flakes can still cure diseases? If this isn't witchcraft, what else could it be?"
The murmurs in the camp were immediately suppressed.
Zhao Kui swept his gaze over those weak wounded soldiers, continuing to fan the flames.
"Brothers, sheep kidney soup is at least something from an animal, brewing it can still be said to nourish qi and blood, what are these dead leaves?"
"If people eat this stuff, who can guarantee it won't ruin their foundation?"
"We are men of the border army, if we even damage our manhood, what's the point of living?"
These words were vicious.
The sick soldiers in the tent had already been tormented by the strange disease, with bleeding gums and weak bodies; their greatest fear was developing new ailments.
Several lightly wounded soldiers pushed their sour soup bowls even further away, and when they looked at those wooden boxes, they shrank their necks back.
Li Sheng flared up on the spot.
"Zhao Kui, keep your mouth clean. How many of you has the Imperial Envoy saved, what are you gossiping about here?"
Zhao Kui spread his hands.
"Manager Li, I didn't scold the Imperial Envoy, I'm just asking on behalf of the brothers, who dares to risk their lives to try these dead leaves?"
"A few days ago when we drank the sheep kidney soup, it hurt so much we rolled all over the camp, now there's a dead leaf medicine, who wouldn't be afraid?"
These words hit everyone's soft spot.
The cook stood in place holding the soup bowl, not daring to serve it forward either.
When Elder Sun arrived, the atmosphere in the camp was already tense.
Marshal Tie also came, followed by two participating generals, with several personal guards pressing their hands on their sabers guarding the perimeter.
After Elder Sun heard the whole story, he squatted in front of the wooden boxes and carefully opened the oil paper package.
He held the dried vegetables in his palm, turning them over and over for a long while, his brows pressed very low.
"Imperial Envoy, this thing... In my many years of practicing medicine, there has never been a precedent of using dead leaves as medicine."
Xu Qinghuan didn't rush to reply.
A participating general behind Marshal Tie lowered his voice, but still let the surrounding people hear.
"Marshal, the wounded soldiers' camp has just settled down, if another disturbance occurs, I'm afraid it won't end well."
Marshal Tie remained silent, only placing his hands behind his back.
He trusted Xu Qinghuan.
But the three tens of thousands of border army soldiers had too many ears and too many mouths; if this thing couldn't suppress the rumors, He Minghu's side would definitely take the opportunity to turn the tables.
Xu Qinghuan raised her hand, signaling Li Sheng to place three large coarse porcelain bowls on the open ground in the camp.
In the first bowl, she placed ordinary sun-dried vegetables made by commoners.
In the second bowl, she placed pickled vegetables fetched from the kitchen.
In the third bowl, she placed the dehydrated vegetables sent from Jiangning.
The three bowls were lined up side by side.
Xu Qinghuan spoke.
"Since someone says this is witchcraft, let the whole camp see clearly."
Li Sheng lifted the copper kettle and poured boiling water into the three bowls in sequence.
As the hot water fell, steam rose.
The sun-dried vegetables in the first bowl rehydrated very slowly. The leaves were yellowed and the edges woody. The broth had an earthy, fishy smell that carried a bitter scent.
As soon as the pickled vegetables in the second bowl entered the water, the broth turned murky. A strong salty odor rushed out, causing the nearby army cook to involuntarily take a half-step back.
In the third bowl, the shriveled vegetable leaves first floated on the surface of the water, then gradually unfurled.
The curled leaves opened up, revealing fine veins in the hot water. The dull green faded, transforming into a vibrant, fresh emerald.
The fragrance of vegetables spread along with the steam.
The sick soldiers closest to the bowls, who had originally been covering their noses, slowly lowered their hands.
Someone in the camp swallowed hard.
"This smell... is it vegetables?"
"It really is the smell of vegetables."
"I haven't smelled this in almost a year."
Zhao Kui's face stiffened. He opened his mouth, wanting to shout again, but his voice was drowned out by the murmurs around him.
Old Sun stepped forward quickly. He first scooped up the sun-dried vegetables, smelled them under his nose, pinched the leaves open to take a look, and then tossed them back into the bowl.
"The color is ruined, the scent is gone. It will most likely taste bitter and astringent."
He then scooped up the pickled vegetables and tasted the broth, the wrinkles between his brows deepening.
"It is too heavy on salt, which will draw water from the body. If the sick soldiers eat too much of this, they will suffer from unbearable thirst."
Finally, Old Sun picked up the vegetable leaves from the third bowl with his chopsticks.
He did not rush to a conclusion, but instead had his apprentice taste the broth.
The apprentice first tasted the broth of the sun-dried vegetables. It was so bitter that his tongue went numb, and he quickly spat it out to the side.
He then tasted the pickled vegetable broth and grimaced at the extreme saltiness.
Finally, he tasted the broth of the dehydrated vegetables. He smacked his lips, then picked up a vegetable leaf and chewed on it a couple of times.
"Master, this is edible. It's crisp, and it even has a sweet taste."
A few of the sick soldiers could no longer sit still upon hearing this.
A one-armed wounded soldier near the door supported himself on his straw mat and shifted over. He stared at the green leaf in the bowl, his throat bobbing several times.
"Elder Sun, can I have a taste?"
Old Sun did not agree right away; he first looked at Xu Qinghuan.
Xu Qinghuan picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a rehydrated vegetable leaf, and chewed it in her own mouth.
After swallowing it, she pushed the bowl in front of the one-armed soldier.
"Taste it."
The one-armed soldier pinched the vegetable leaf with his fingers and carefully stuffed it into his mouth.
He chewed very slowly. As he chewed, his entire body froze.
Everyone in the camp stared at him.
The man suddenly lowered his head, covered his face with his remaining right hand, and his shoulders trembled a few times.
No one laughed at him.
When he raised his head, his voice was terribly hoarse.
"It's a green leaf."
"So we really can eat green leaves after all."
As these words fell upon the wounded soldier camp, many of the veterans remained silent.
They had suffered in the Northern Frontier for too long, so long that fresh vegetable leaves had become something that only existed in dreams.
Sheep kidney soup could save lives, but the smell of it made people want to vomit.
This bowl of green vegetables rehydrated in hot water made them feel, for the first time, that they were not just livestock being dragged along by the military camp just to stay alive.
Tie Lanshan walked up to the bowl, personally picked up a vegetable leaf, and put it into his mouth.
He chewed twice and turned his head to look at Old Sun.
"Can this replace the sheep kidney soup?"
Old Sun did not nod immediately. He grabbed the wrist of the one-armed soldier, checked his pulse for a while, and then examined his gums.
This man had relied on the sheep kidney soup to suppress the bleeding these past few days, but as soon as he stopped taking it, his gums would still turn red and swollen.
Old Sun gently pressed the gums with a clean piece of linen.
No blood oozed out.
He then called over two other severely ill soldiers and examined them one by one. Finally, he stood up and cupped his hands toward Tie Lanshan.
"Marshal Tie, if these vegetables can be supplied daily, the sheep kidney soup can be reduced. The soldiers with mild symptoms can stop the soup first and switch to this for their recovery."
"This item is mild on the palate and does not harm the stomach or intestines. It is much more suitable for long-term consumption than that sour, gamey soup."
The uproar in the camp could no longer be suppressed.
The army cook holding the sheep kidney soup looked at the bowl in his hands, then at the coarse porcelain bowl soaking the green vegetables, and even he found the soup disgusting to smell.
Zhao Kui gritted his teeth, still wanting to steer the conversation back to sorcery.
"Elder Sun, do not be deceived by this bit of color. Who knows what evil things have been added to it? It was smoked with sulfur; will people be poisoned if they eat it?"
This was exactly what Xu Qinghuan had been waiting for him to say.
She turned around, took out three pieces of dried vegetables, placed them on the wooden desk, and then laid out the sun-dried and pickled vegetables side by side.
"Centurion Zhao asks a good question."
"Then I shall make things perfectly clear today."
She pointed to the first piece of sun-dried vegetable.
"Ordinary sun-drying involves harsh exposure to the sun. The vitality and medicinal properties within the leaves are scattered by the heat. It can fill the stomach, but it cannot cure bleeding gums."
She then pointed to the pickled vegetable.
"Salting preserves them for a long time, but the border lacks salt. If thirty thousand men eat pickled vegetables..."
"...the daily consumption of salt would cost a fortune. Moreover, if the soldiers eat salty food, they will need water. On the Gobi Desert, water is more expensive than meat."
Finally, she picked up the piece of Jiangning dehydrated vegetable.
"This dried vegetable was first blanched in boiling water to remove its raw, astringent taste, then lightly smoked with sulfur to protect its color. After that, it was dried with hot air. When it was canned, quicklime was used to absorb the moisture and seal out the dampness."
"It removes the water, but not its properties."
"The medicinal properties in the leaves are still there, and they return as soon as they enter the water. When the sick soldiers eat it, it can replenish the vitality they have long lacked."
