Capítulo 831: Chapter 347: Imperial Investiture—”Hu Gate” (Part 4)
When passing by a woman with a towel on her head, holding a child, Zhou Xuan crouched down and tore off half of the meat, handing it to her: “Your health isn’t good, and you have to care for a child. Eat some meat to nourish yourself.”
“Thank you, sir, thank you, sir.”
“It’s nothing.”
After Zhou Xuan stood up, he tore the meat in his hand into several portions and distributed them to a few other people who were ill.
By the time he found an open space, Zhou Xuan was left with only greasy fingers.
“Fuzi, don’t waste it. You can dip your finger, it’s still meat,”
“No, sir, I’m strong, I can bear it, I don’t need too much grease,” Little Fuzi made a mischievous face, rejecting Zhou Xuan’s “kindness.”
Zhou Xuan chuckled too, wiped the grease with a handkerchief, and sipped the porridge along the edge of the bowl.
While drinking, Zhou Xuan worriedly said, “This porridge is thick enough, but… with no vegetables and no meat, if we eat like this for a few more days, half of Mingjiang Prefecture might suffer from malnutrition.”
Just as he was pondering, the painter also brought porridge over and crouched beside Zhou Xuan, saying, “Sir, you seem troubled.”
“I’ve been thinking, just drinking porridge is insufficient. Why don’t we contact Ping Shui Prefecture to send some preserved meat and vegetables? Nutrition has to be balanced, otherwise, after three or five days, half the people won’t be able to endure… More patients will emerge.”
“That’s probably difficult.”
The painter said, “Ping Shui Prefecture isn’t wealthy. They’ve sent us so much rice and medicine and will continue to do so daily, they’re already stretched thin. Asking for meat and vegetables might push Ping Shui Prefecture too far.”
“Then why not try a different approach? Propose a strategic alliance. Although Mingjiang Prefecture is practically in ruins now, it won’t take long before it recovers, and it will still be Jing Country’s economic center, with plenty of business opportunities to enrich Ping Shui Prefecture.”
“Sir, we’re among ourselves, let’s not say things out of bounds… Across Jing Country, apart from us few… No one would believe Mingjiang Prefecture could be rebuilt quickly within ten days.”
The painter pointed at the Mingjiang Prefecture citizens drinking porridge: “Even our own people in Mingjiang Prefecture don’t believe it.”
Since they don’t believe, the alliance Zhou Xuan promised couldn’t take root.
“Thinking about this, this idea indeed won’t work, I’ll think of another way, not eating meat or vegetables, just drinking porridge, can indeed lead to illness.”
Zhou Xuan fell into deep thought again,
while the ancient tree golden bell in Mingjiang Prefecture sounded three alarms.
“Dong! Dong! Dong!”
With the bell ringing, the painter stood up as if faced with a formidable enemy and said: “Sir, someone with the expertise of seven incense sticks has entered Mingjiang Prefecture.”
“Are they friend or foe?”
“Though the bell sounds, it’s not urgent; the visitor harbors no ill intentions,” said the painter.
“Just as I imagined,” Zhou Xuan pointed at the Divine Eagle in the sky, saying: “If it were someone malicious, the Divine Eagle would react; let’s wait and see who it is.”
The two then squatted down again, stirring the porridge, waiting for the expert with seven incense sticks.
About five minutes later, suddenly a commotion rose from the crowd—
—”Where did the fox come from? Seven tails?”
“Isn’t this fox too big, bigger than a tiger?”
“What fox, that’s the Fox Immortal. In this disaster, Mingjiang Prefecture owed much to the Fox Immortal.”
Amid the noise, Zhou Xuan looked up to see a fiery red seven-tailed fox, sprinting towards him.
To describe the fox, its body was covered with dust and dirt; originally its bright fur was now somewhat dull.
The seven-tailed fox ran to a distance of a yard from Zhou Xuan, lifted its front paws, transformed into a middle-aged man, and knelt on one knee, clasped fists in salute: “I’m Hu Dengfeng from Red Dragon Mountain of Yellow Field Prefecture, elder of the Red Dragon Fox Clan, paying respects to Sir.”
“You’re from Yellow Field Prefecture?”
Zhou Xuan inquired.
“Traveled a thousand miles without delay,” Hu Dengfeng stood up, saying: “Hu Clan expresses utmost gratitude to Sir, bringing ten thousand pounds of wild game and eighteen loads of mountain treasures, in appreciation for your great kindness to us.”
Upon saying this, Hu Dengfeng cupped his hands like a loudspeaker and shouted with full energy towards the Heavenly Dome: “Little foxes, I’ve met Sir, you can just proceed into the Medical College and present your offerings to Sir…”
This booming voice, like a great bell, echoed in the large grounds of Hui Feng Medical College, and in an instant, bursts of fire blazed into the college,
Tens of thousands of red foxes, carrying baskets filled with wild game, flooded in…