"Yes, Mother."
Receiving Da Zhuang's response, Qin Sang felt a slight chill in her heart. She tightened her grip on the reins, and the Horse's speed increased further.
Ten meters, five meters...
Seeing people in the refugee crowd pulling out kitchen knives and hoes, Qin Sang wasted no more time. She grabbed her unfastened bundle and gave it a toss. The fried pancakes and boiled eggs inside flew out in a parabolic arc, raining down into the crowd of refugees like raindrops.
"Food's here!"
Qin Sang shouted loudly, tossing out more crusty bread and copper coins toward the other side with another wave of her hand.
"Pick up the money!"
The refugee ranks fell into chaos.
Everyone rushed to both sides of the road, crowding together to scavenge for items.
"Wow, it's pancakes! They smell so good!"
"Damn it, that's mine!"
"My eggs!"
"There's meat in the pancakes..."
"I'll beat you to death if you steal from me!"
The refugees descended into a frantic scramble, allowing Qin Sang and Tian Dazhuang's two flatbed carts to pass through this section of the crowd quickly.
She didn't dare slow down, because once she did, those refugees might be emboldened enough to jump directly onto the carts to rob them. The impact speed of a running Horse was terrifying; if anyone truly dared to block the way without fear of death, they would first have to consider whether they'd be trampled into meat paste by the Horse.
Whenever she encountered refugees along the way, Qin Sang would scatter money and food. After a thrilling journey, they entered the Town and headed straight for the backyard of Steward Huangs Residence.
From a distance, she saw Steward Huang's servant pacing anxiously at the door, looking left and right. Seeing them appear, he jogged over to meet them.
"Oh, Doctor Qin, why are you so late today? My Master has already ordered us not to wait any longer."
Qin Sang pressed a tael of silver into his hand.
"My apologies, we were delayed on the road. The quantity is quite large; I hope we're still in time."
The servant led the carts into the courtyard. Inside, carriages and flatbeds were lined up in a long row. Steward Huang was being assisted by a maidservant as he boarded a carriage.
It seemed that if they had been even a few minutes later, Qin Sang's batch of goods wouldn't have been sold.
Hearing the commotion, Steward Huang stood straight on the carriage shaft.
"Doctor Qin, I thought you weren't coming."
Qin Sang stepped forward and apologized repeatedly.
"It's my fault, it's my fault for delaying you, Steward Huang. There are two thousand three hundred tubes of mosquito coils here; let's just count them as two thousand. Consider the extra as my apology for arriving late."
Steward Huang wasn't angry. He walked over, still supported by the maidservant's hand.
"Doctor Qin is quite straightforward. In that case, I won't bother counting them."
With that, he raised a hand, and a servant nearby brought over a tray.
"Here are one hundred taels of silver and nine hundred taels in banknotes. Please take them, Doctor Qin."
It seemed Steward Huang was also in a great hurry to save time, handing over the money without even checking the goods.
Being a straightforward person herself, Qin Sang accepted them with a smile.
"Thank you, Steward Huang. I just wonder, once we part ways this time, when will I be able to do business with you again?"
Steward Huang let out a sigh.
"It might be a long time. This time, I may be heading north for a while. I probably won't return to Songbai Town in the short term."
Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat.
"Heading north? Shouldn't the north be even more chaotic right now?"
The water shortage was surely worse in the north than in the south; why was Steward Huang doing the opposite of what one would expect?
Steward Huang didn't intend to hide it.
"My wife's family runs a merchant house in the north and has business dealings with the military there. Their operations are quite large. Even your mosquito coils sell better and for higher prices there than here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have risked my life waiting for you here. Also, what you don't know is that the north actually had uprisings long ago, but the troops have already suppressed them."
"As for our south, we are far from the capital. Once things get chaotic, it won't be settled for three to five years."
Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully. The two words 'suppressed' that Steward Huang spoke so lightly must have involved a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
"So this current unrest is sweeping in from the south?" Qin Sang guessed.
"Indeed. It's precisely because the Imperial Court put all its effort into suppressing the northern unrest that this side had the chance to grow. Furthermore, the borders are unstable, and the court really doesn't have the capacity to spare a hand to deal with these refugees. They think that as soon as the heavens rain and the drought eases, this ragtag bunch will scatter like birds and beasts."
"I'll tell you a secret: the Imperial decree has already come down. There is no tax exemption; instead, we have to pay twenty percent more in grain taxes than in previous years. Just imagine how chaotic this place will become once that decree is issued."
Following Steward Huang's information, Qin Sang grew increasingly dissatisfied with this Imperial Court.
Drought and locust plagues yet no tax reduction? Chaos breaks out and they don't send people to appease or suppress it, expecting these people to just stop on their own after they've eaten and looted enough? This was forcing the common people to rebel. Those honest farmers who worked hard for over half a year to harvest grain wouldn't even have a mouthful left for themselves; if it were me, I'd go looting too.
Qin Sang suppressed her inner indignation, cupped her hands, and said, "Thank you for telling me, Steward Huang. I have an audacious request. I wonder if you have a map of the Daxing Kingdom's prefectures?"
Steward Huang stroked his beard and looked deep into Qin Sang's eyes.
"Why does Doctor Qin suddenly ask about this?"
Qin Sang smiled, her expression unchanged.
"It's truly because hearing that the Rebel Soldiers are coming makes me feel anxious and uncertain. I'm just a peasant woman who hasn't even been to the county seat many times. I'm completely ignorant of the surrounding situation. It was only today, when you mentioned it, Steward Huang, that I realized how much I've been like a frog at the bottom of a well. So, I wanted to keep a map. In case I encounter Rebel Soldiers and need to flee, I won't be running around like a headless fly. Who knows, I might accidentally run right into where the Rebel Soldiers are located, and that would be seeking death, wouldn't it?"
Steward Huang was amused by this explanation.
"I do have one, but I only have one copy, so I can't give it to you."
Qin Sang said happily, "Can I copy it?"
Steward Huang did not refuse. He took out a parchment map from the carriage and spread it out for Qin Sang to see.
It was indeed a map of the Daxing Kingdom's prefectures. Unlike the detailed and clear maps of later generations, the drawing on this parchment was as crude as a three-year-old's doodles. One could only say it was better than nothing.
Qin Sang didn't delay. She took out a pen and paper and began to draw quickly.
Steward Huang saw the strange-looking pen she had taken out and was about to ask about it when a scream suddenly echoed from afar. Everyone turned their heads to look; black smoke was rising from somewhere in the Town, and the faint metallic sound of clashing blades could be heard.
"This is bad."
Outside the courtyard, someone pounded on the door.
"Master, the Rebel Soldiers have entered Songbai Town!"
The group grew frantic. Steward Huang gave a broad wave of his hand.
"Get in the carriages! Leave immediately!"
The servant also shouted loudly, "Guards! Guards! Quick, quick!"
The map was taken away. Qin Sang didn't have time to finish drawing, but fortunately, she had memorized it all after looking at it once. Tian Dazhuang was a bit anxious.
"Mother, the direction the smoke is rising from seems to be the way we entered the Town. How do we get back to the village?"
Qin Sang had noticed it too.
"Don't worry. We'll follow Steward Huang's carriage out of the Town first, then find a way back to the village."
Steward Huang overheard what Qin Sang said.
"That works. Follow us out of the Town first. You can circle around through the back mountain of my manor. The Rebel Soldiers will definitely linger in the Town for a day or two."
The so-called 'lingering' was nothing more than killing, burning, and looting. Only after the Town's money and grain were stripped clean would these Rebel Soldiers spread to the surrounding villages.
Time was of the essence.
Qin Sang nodded, said her thanks, and hurriedly boarded her cart. This time, she let Da Zhuang go ahead of her.
The Horse paced uneasily. Fortunately, after leaving the courtyard, Steward Huang's carriage picked up speed. Qin Sang gripped the reins tight and took a look back while turning a corner, her eyes suddenly widening.