Ch. 231 Snowboat
What?! They were lacking one more plank of fir?
Leader Mo was filled with regret as he remembered the pieces of wood he had carelessly burned earlier.
When he looked at how Manager Qin hobbled away while clutching his behind, he felt even more anxious. At this rate, wouldn't he take too long to find more fir wood?
Mo Chenggui followed closely behind Manager Qin and said, "Manager Qin, you're injured, so leave this matter to me!"
Manager Qin looked him up and down and snorted in his heart. This Mo Chenggui was making his two-faced act so obvious that he felt irritated just looking at him.
"If you want to go, then go ahead. I'm not holding you back. However, since this is something that Third Young Madam has ordered me to do, I have to do my best to complete my task no matter what!"
After saying so, Manager Qin tossed his sleeves and hurried away. He beared with the pain from his injury the best he could and completely ignored Mo Chenggui.
Mo Chenggui knew that he had gone overboard with his previous actions. However, what was done was done. He couldn't turn back time. Thus, he gritted his teeth and led a party of his men to help search for more fir wood.
After four hours, it was still Manager Qin who found some stock of fir first and sent it back to the He Estate. He had already gone out to buy wood a few times, so he had some connections.
In just a short moment, the object that Chu Lian had entrusted to the old carpenter to build was completed.
Chu Lian ordered her people to move the object to one of the more deserted courtyards. She then ordered them to harness horses to the object and test how it moved over an area covered in knee-deep snow.
When she saw that there were only two shallow tracks where the horses had passed, Chu Lian then passed orders to Manager Qin to have heavy items put on top of the object for another test.
The result? The horses were actually able to maintain a normal speed even as they pulled a load of goods!
Manager Qin couldn't help but cry out in surprise, "Third Young Madam, it was a success!"
Chu Lian heaved a sigh of relief and let out a refreshed smile. With this, they wouldn't have to worry about the problem of transporting goods through heavy snow!
Wenqing and Wenlan had similar expressions of joy. Wenlan asked excitedly, "Third Young Madam, what is this thing called?"
Chu Lian's almond-shaped eyes were all smiles as she affectionately called it, "A snowboat."
"A snowboat? A boat that can travel over snow?" Manager Qin's eyes lit up. "What a fitting name," he praised.
The old carpenter and his helpers were already smiling from ear to ear as they watched from the side.
Chu Lian came closer to examine the 'snowboat'. In actuality, it was a sleigh that was commonly used during winter in northeastern China back in the modern world. It could also be called a sled, but there were some differences between sleds and sleighs.
There were many different types of sleighs, but the one Chu Lian picked for her blueprints was the most suitable for transporting goods. It was slightly larger than most sleighs and should be able to withstand the same load that normal carriages could. They could even create a small warm pen on top by putting up a tent of animal skins and leaving small windows at the side for ventilation. With braziers within for warmth, they would be able to travel long distances without risk of frostbite.
With a wave of Chu Lian's hand, Manager Qin ordered their men to move the sleigh back to the courtyard. On their way back, the joy on everyone's faces shone through undisguised.
Manager Qin was smart enough to realise how important the sleigh was. He moved into a room close to the sleigh's storehouse and even ordered some guards to keep a close watch on the carpenter and his family.
Wenqing and Wenlan helped Chu Lian back to her room. Wenlan's face was flushed red from the icy winds outside, but her joyful mood wasn't affected. "Third Young Madam, are we going to send the snowboat to the border camp now?"
Chu Lian shook her head. "It's too late now. Night is about to fall, and it's still snowing outside, too. It's not safe to travel. Besides, I still have a few more designs to draw."
While Wenlan was a little disappointed with her answer, she didn't question further.
Just as Chu Lian had settled down at her desk with a fresh sheet of paper, preparing to draw out the design for the warm pen, Li Yue quickly strode into the room with a report to make.
Chu Lian paused with a charcoal pencil in hand and turned to her with a strange look. "What's wrong?"
Li Yue frowned, but she still honestly replied, "Honoured Lady, Leader Mo is outside the courtyard. He and his subordinates are carrying a large plank of fir wood, and they're requesting entrance."
Chu Lian stayed silent for a moment. Mo Chenggui was seriously out to make her mad today.
Wenlan huffed. "So it's only now that he realises our Third Young Madam wasn't doing all that for nothing?! Why didn't he mind his own business earlier? If not for him, we might have been able to send the snowboat to camp today! Our Third Young Madam's snowboat is already completed, so we don't even need that piece of wood! Why bother come so late?"
Chu Lian waved her hand, indicating for Li Yue to send them away.
Li Yue pressed her lips together and decided to report everything she had heard. "Third Young Madam, this subordinate knows that Leader Mo and his men have committed wrongs. However, this subordinate heard from the old soldiers that Leader Mo traded all of his winter clothing and cloaks in order to buy that one piece of fir. He's only standing outside in his inner clothing right now. Although he's an experienced soldier, he'll likely fall sick from the cold sooner or later."
Chu Lian's brows finally drew together. Li Yue wasn't trying to speak for Mo Chenggui at all. She was simply worried that He Changdi would blame Chu Lian if anything really happened to him due to exposure to the cold. Chu Lian could sense Li Yue's good intentions.
"Tell him to put the fir wood down and return to his courtyard with his men." Chu Lian paused before turning to Wenlan and ordering, "Go over personally and give them something to eat."
After hearing her orders, Li Yue was clearly relieved. She quickly went off to carry out the task she had been given.
Once Li Yue had left the room, Wenlan began to mumble her complaints. "Third Young Madam, are you really going to have this servant send them something to eat, even after what he did?"
Chu Lian looked up and shot her a look. "It's just some porridge and buns. When did you become so stingy, you little rascal? Furthermore, those are just some simple items. If we're able to 'bribe' Leader Mo with those, won't it save us more time and energy?"
Chu Lian wouldn't even have to speak then!
Wenlan gaped.
Fine, she was worrying for nothing then. Their Third Young Madam probably already had some sort of plan already in mind.
Wenlan figured she should be lighting a candle and praying for that Leader Mo instead.
As expected, once Wenlan sent over a pot of porridge and a box of buns to Leader Mo's courtyard, that stubborn old soldier really ended up getting bought over by the food...
The man who had refused to eat anything from Chu Lian's courtyard was now the most fervent fan of her food. He even snatched more than half of the buns in the box just for himself and refused to let anyone have them.
All of the old soldiers were now ashamed to be part of Mo Chenggui's party.
However, the scar-faced Leader Mo was so thick-skinned that his eyes didn't even twitch when faced with his old comrades' mocking remarks.
Early in the morning, Great General Qian gathered his most trusted subordinates in the commander's tent.
Once everyone left the commander's tent, most of their faces looked about the same as He Sanlang's usual icy expression.
Xiao Hongyu patted He Changdi's shoulder with a bitter smile. "I'm not used to there being so many Brother Hes in the camp so suddenly."
When Zhang Mai saw that he still had the mood to joke around, he glared fiercely at the brat.
Xiao Hongyu pouted with a wronged expression.
Even the officers had been forced to eat bean paste these few days. Couldn't he just crack a joke to lift the mood a little?
He Sanlang, ignoring his brothers around him, stood in the camp's observation tower and looked towards the horizon. Urgency was like a raging beast in his heart. Why hadn't they come yet?!
Ch. 232 Immediate Needs
Of course, he wasn't waiting for Chu Lian.
The Chu Lian of this lifetime seemed to be a whole other person from the previous one, and He Sanlang's feelings for her were growing the more he interacted with her.
However, He Changdi had never thought that Chu Lian might have a solution for the border troops' situation. In his eyes, as clever and cunning as Chu Lian was, she wasn't capable enough to take on the burden of helping the border troops.
Although he only had a rough understanding of what had happened in this war from his previous life, He Changdi had already managed to cheat death once. He wouldn't be so silly as to sit and wait for his second death.
Once he saw the border troops' situation for himself, He Changdi grew worried. He understood that his preparations were far from enough. It might still be able to help the border troops out of trouble for the time being, but it wouldn't be able to treat the root of their problems.
It hadn't been that long since He Changdi had come to the border, so it was already pretty impressive that he had been able to take some preemptive measures.
"Captain, it looks like there's someone over there!"
He Changdi's thoughts were pulled back into reality by the guards on duty. His gaze lifted and focused on the swirling snow in the distance.
The wind-propelled snow blocked most of his vision, but he could still make out the vague outline of a party of men and horses.
He Changdi's eyes shone with life, and the eternal ice that covered his face seemed to melt a little. He signalled the soldiers up on the watchtower and began to stride towards it himself. When he reached the foot of the tower, he shouted for his personal guards and mounted his horse. In a short moment, He Changdi was already leading his soldiers out of the main camp and sprinting towards the barely visible group of people in front.
The guards on the watchtower waved a small red flag and made a few signals towards the camp. The soldiers on patrol immediately informed their leaders, rousing the camp. Barely a few moments later, a few hundred people had charged out of the camp, hot on the heels of He Sanlang.
Before he even reached the group trudging through the snow, He Changdi leaped from his horse, making a somersault before landing soundly right in front of the leader of the party.
It was only after they had drawn close that He Changdi's guards finally saw that it was a merchant caravan they were facing. They formed a long line of men with twenty or more carriages following behind. The carriages were clearly used for transport and loaded down with goods.
The guards' eyes lit up the moment they realised what the caravan was transporting. They couldn't resist gulping down some drool. This... this carriage couldn't possibly be transporting... food?
They hadn't been able to eat their fill for many days by now.
The leader of the caravan was seated at the front of the first carriage. He was completely wrapped up in a fur cloak and topped off with a fur hat, such that only his eyes could be seen.
By this time, his gaze had also landed on He Sanlang. The caravan leader stumbled off the carriage and almost fell into the snow. With staggering steps, he ran towards He Changdi and made it in front of him in just two strides.
The caravan leader immediately kneeled down without a care for the snow that had already reached his calves. "Third Young Master, this servant has finally returned!" he wailed. "This servant hasn't failed you!"
Laiyue's voice was hoarse and dry; even the skin on his face had cracked up from the harsh winds.
He completely disregarded his image and sobbed his heart out, snot and tears free-flowing down his face, making an absolutely pitiful picture.
He Changdi felt that his manservant was being ridiculous, but his heart was filled with warmth. He hadn't trusted the wrong person this lifetime.
"Alright, alright. Get up. Don't tell me you're planning to sleep here overnight in the snow?" While He Sanlang still spoke rather coldly, everyone could sense the unusual amount of care in his words.
Laiyue immediately scrambled up. He roughly brushed away the tears left on his face before pulling down the fur hood wrapped around his neck. It was only then that He Sanlang could finally see his manservant's face.
After so many months apart, Laiyue's originally chubby face had slimmed down. He looked a little more mature than he was before.
However, with his disheveled stubble, dry and cracked lips, as well as frost-reddened skin, Laiyue didn't make for a pretty picture. His heart had been in his throat for the whole journey here to the north with the supply caravan. Now that he had finally accomplished his mission, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from his heart. He smiled like a silly fool at He Changdi.
As for He Changdi's guards, when they heard what their captain and the wretched-looking man before them had said, their jaws dropped.
Despite his appearance, the leader of the caravan was one of their captain's subordinates?
Didn't that mean that all of the supplies in this caravan were meant for the border camp?
The guards couldn't hide their joy at all.
The winds were harsh and snow was beating on their faces. It was cold and painful, but the hearts of the soldiers were brimming with warmth.
He Changdi gave out straightforward orders and had his personal guards take over the supply caravan that Laiyue had brought. He told Laiyue to get on a horse and follow him back to the main camp to report the good news first.
Laiyue knew that time was of the essence, so he gathered up the last of his strength. On the way back to the camp, he explained everything he had done to He Changdi.
"Third Young Master, this servant followed your orders and bought supplies near the Yueqin Mountains. Even after two months, this servant was only able to gather up 200,000kg of food. When we were crossing the border into Liangzhou, we were attacked by barbarians and we lost around 20,000kg of our supplies. Taking away the supplies we used on the journey here, we only had 150,000kg worth left by the time we came to the heart of Liangzhou."
150,000kg of food! If they went by the normal amount of army rations, it would only be enough to feed fifty thousand troops for six to seven days. Even in these extreme circumstances, it wouldn't last more than ten days.
The border troops were already running out of supplies. This 150,000kg of food could only buy them a few more days- they weren't out of the danger zone yet!
He had to find another way!
He Changdi's hands curled up into fists so tight that he almost snapped his reins!
He gazed at the camp in the distance with unreadable eyes and a resolute expression, cheering himself on in his heart.
He was no longer the He Changdi of the past. He was going to find a way to get the border troops out of this crisis!
The current snowstorm was likely to last for another month. They had to survive this month somehow and mount a counterattack to take down the Tuhuns once and for all!
He Changdi brought Laiyue back to camp. As they dismounted from their horses at the entrance, he realised that Great General Qian was already waiting there with the other officers in tow.
Great General Qian was smiling from ear to ear and eyeing He Changdi as if he was carrying a whole store of grain. Some of the soldiers had likely run ahead of him and reported the good news to Great General Qian first.
He Sanlang kept his face cool and calm as usual, but General Qian didn't show any hint of dislike this time. He came forward and slapped He Changdi's shoulder, stopping him before he could salute. Then he said, "You brat! So you were still keeping this ace up your sleeve! Come, let's go to my tent and have a talk!"
He Changdi shot a look at Laiyue to indicate that he should follow.
It was only after two whole hours that General Qian finally let He Sanlang and Laiyue go.
Laiyue's face was full of happiness. He followed behind his young master like an annoying little duckling and prattled, "Third Young Master, did you hear that? The general said that you've made a huge contribution this time, so you'll be able to return to the capital once the war is over! Hehehe, too bad the roads are all blocked by the snowstorm, otherwise this servant would definitely write back to the estate with this piece of good news! If Third Young Madam were to find out, wouldn't she be over the moon?"
He Changdi had calmed down by now. He didn't share Laiyue's joy, as the biggest cause of the problem hadn't been solved yet. The food that Laiyue had sent over was only enough to solve their immediate needs, and they were merely delaying the ticking time bomb about to explode in their faces.
He just couldn't cheer up at all.
While worries still dominated He Changdi's heart, it was easy for his mood to shift... And Laiyue just had to mention Chu Lian.
He Changdi's eyes narrowed into slits. That wicked woman Chu Lian!
If not for her, he wouldn't have met such a terrible fate. He wouldn't have reincarnated and come running out to this dratted border to fight for a slim chance of survival!
He Changdi snorted and said, "So you were bought over by just a single bowl of Third Young Madam's braised pork? How cheap!"
Laiyue shrunk back. He instantly realised that his master was angry, judging from that mocking tone of his. However, hadn't He Changdi been perfectly fine moments ago? Why was he so unhappy now?
Laiyue scratched his head in confusion. He just couldn't understand the complicated nuances of his young master's moods.
"Then this servant won't write any letters to Third Young Madam. This servant will only write to the matriarch and Madam. They'll be extremely delighted for sure!"
He Changdi sneered. Could his manservant get any more stupid? If he wrote back to the estate, wouldn't his doting grandmother tell that wicked woman everything anyway?
When He Sanlang abruptly realised that his mind was drifting to meaningless possibilities, he blanked out for a moment before pressing his lips together.
He said, "You don't have to think about writing back. Your Third Young Madam is right here in Liangzhou City."
He Changdi's tone was emotionless, but Laiyue jumped in surprise after hearing his words. His eyes blew wide open as he exclaimed, "Third Young Master, what did you say?! Third Young Madam is here in Liangzhou?!"
The only reply that Laiyue got from He Sanlang was a cold sneer frosty enough to freeze his nose off.
This time, Laiyue finally believed that Third Young Madam had really come to Liangzhou.
He quickly said, "Then, this servant will rest for two days and go to visit Third Young Madam after this servant's body has warmed up. It's not easy for Third Young Madam to come all the way to Liangzhou as a young lady..."
As Laiyue mumbled by his ear about how it wasn't easy for a woman to travel this far out, the ice block that was He Changdi's face slowly started to melt.
His imagination brought forth an image to his mind. He thought of how Chu Lian must have trudged through the snow while holding up her thin skirt, showing how her pretty embroidered shoes had been soaked through. Her cheeks had most likely been flushed red from the cold winds while her wide eyes had been filled with unshed tears as she soldiered on.
A strong breeze almost pushed the Chu Lian of his imagination into the snow. That wicked woman abruptly looked up towards him with two watery, aggrieved eyes. He Changdi froze. He was filled with the urge to reach out and pull her into his arms, maybe wrap her entire person into his warm cloak and embrace.
However, the reality was vastly different from He Sanlang's imagination. On her way here, Chu Lian had simply sat in a brazier-warmed carriage with hand warmers to boot. She had been wrapped in a fur coat coupled with fur-lined boots, and not even a single chilblain had marred her hand or foot. How could she possibly have come to the north by walking through the snow?
If the overly imaginative He Sanlang were to find out the truth, who knows if he would be angry with himself or the wicked woman Chu Lian?
This time, He Changdi kept his calm and didn't speak a word of agreement or disapproval. However, Laiyue had been serving his master for a long time, so of course he understood his master's thoughts.
Actually, their Third Young Master was a really kind person. He was just held back by his pride sometimes.
Laiyue chuckled and took He Sanlang's silence as approval.
After he finished chatting about happier matters, the smile on Laiyue's face slowly vanished.
In a grave tone, Laiyue said, "Third Young Master, while this servant was in the Yueqin Mountains, this servant wanted to buy more food, but this servant didn't have enough silver on hand. This servant used up all the silver and traded away the jade amulets and accessories you gave, but this servant was only able to bring back this much."