Chapter 1774: The Desperate Struggle

Chapter 1774: The Desperate Struggle

Doctor Mi raised his hand, saying, "What were you saying?"

The medicine boy quickly slinked away, and facing Shu Yu's gaze, Doctor Mi cleared his throat and explained, "Besides brewing medicine, I only know how to boil plain water and cook vegetables. Grandma Fang is a great cook, and I've been benefiting from her these days. I've waived her food expenses and even considered hiring her to help in the kitchen. But the county office is better than our place, and she's gotten used to working there. Maybe she can stay there long-term in the future. I can't really stop her."

Hearing that Granny Fang was doing well, Shu Yu felt relieved. The county office was indeed in need of more personnel. With Xia Yi there, she didn't have to worry much, and Yuan Gui was even more meticulous than she had imagined.

Just as she was thinking this, Ying Xi came over and said, "Miss, we need to go."

Shu Yu nodded, bid farewell to Doctor Mi, and then got on the Meng family's carriage.

Thick blankets were laid in the carriage. Meng Pei sat at the front, while Xia Yan led the horse slowly ahead. Although the snow on the ground was still shallow, they were worried about the slippery roads.

Shu Yu told Meng Pei and Meng Xiaoshu about Meng Yunzheng's letter. They were both extremely happy to hear that the situation in the city had been resolved as well.

It seemed that the city gates would open soon, allowing for free passage. The upcoming Spring Festival, which was just over a month away, wouldn't be too quiet.

A bright future lay ahead for them.

However, before they could celebrate, just as Shu Yu and the others had settled Meng Xiaoshu, news arrived that the rebels from the black market had suddenly launched a counterattack.

Following that, the two laborers who had previously lived in the black market came out of the abandoned mansion to find Xia Yi. They reported that someone was trying to reopen the secret passage to the outskirts that had been blocked off.

Shu Yu's expression turned serious. It seemed that Master Wu, the leader of the rebels, had received news of the death of the Prefect Magistrate of Changjin Prefecture. They had originally been comfortably carrying out guerrilla warfare, assuming they had everything under control.

However, they hadn't anticipated the Prefect Magistrate's sudden death. They were probably unable to contact their inside sources in the prefectural city, realizing that something was amiss.

Returning to the black market, they found the entrance to the secret passage blocked. Master Wu was likely to be infuriated.

Ke Lao Da and Fu Lao Er had gone to the capital, leaving Master Wu as the leader. However, Fourth Brother Chang had been captured and taken as a prisoner to General Huang's side by Qi Lie. Considering the blocked entrance to the black market, it was likely that Guo Laowu, who had remained in charge, had also encountered trouble.

And the fact that there was such a significant issue in the black market without County Magistrate Cheng notifying them indicated that he was no longer in power.

With the Prefect Magistrate dead, all the pressure had shifted to Master Wu in an instant.

Unfortunately, the number of people at his disposal had decreased by more than half, and he was now up against the battle-hardened General Huang. Master Wu hardly had any chance of success.

However, this might lead to even more erratic behavior from him. Shu Yu and Xia Yi were afraid that he would act recklessly. Upon meeting, they immediately decided that Xia Yi would return to the black market to assess the situation.

Shu Yu and Meng Pei gathered their forces and stationed them at both city gates, ready to respond to any sudden developments.

As expected, in the late evening, there was a sudden commotion outside the city gates.

Fortunately, though time was tight, Shu Yu and her group were well-prepared. The rebels beneath the city walls were a small group, not many in number. Shu Yu instructed the archers to shoot, and those who were good at throwing rocks to throw rocks. They quickly dealt with this group.

Nevertheless, they didn't dare to let their guard down.

It wasn't until early the next morning, when there was still no movement outside the gates, that Shu Yu finally let out a sigh of relief.