Zhao Xian's arrangement deeply moved Li Guang. He nodded earnestly and said:

"I understand, thank you for your concern, Brother Zhao. I will be careful."

Li Xue was also very happy. She looked at Zhao Xian gratefully, but didn't know what to say.

After dinner, Li Xue was about to go to the inn to rest when Zhao Xian stopped her.

"Princess, please wait a moment. Here is something I would like to give to you."

"What will the Registrar give me?" Li Xue stared at the black package in Zhao Xian's hand, a little curious.

"A protective soft armor, made of a special material that cannot be cut by a knife, provides excellent self-defense when worn. It will be safer for the princess to wear it when she goes to Yuanxi."

"Really?" Li Xue was pleasantly surprised.

As a martial artist, the two things one desires most are a handy weapon and protective armor, with soft armor being the best choice.

"Thank you, Registrar. I've only ever heard of protective soft armor before, but I've never seen it. Now I'm eager to see it for myself." After saying this, Li Xue left with her guards.

Inside the inn, Li Xue and her guards were carefully examining the protective soft armor.

This is actually a bulletproof vest that Zhao Xian bought in the system. This bulletproof vest can stop incoming bullets, so it's even less of a problem to stop attacks from knives and swords.

Li Xue pinched the soft armor in her hand and found that it was soft in texture, equivalent to the thick linen shirt worn in this era. Was this really a protective soft armor? Li Xue was a little doubtful.

"Princess, you'll know if it can protect you once you try it," a guard said.

Li Xue nodded, laid the soft armor on the stool, then drew her sword and slashed at the soft armor.

Li Xue dared not exert force, fearing that a single strike would damage the soft armor. However, upon striking, she clearly felt the sword bounce back from her hand.

She quickly grabbed the soft armor in her hand and examined it carefully. There wasn't even a mark left where the sword had struck.

Li Xue was overjoyed. She then spread the soft armor on the stool and raised her sword to slash forcefully.

This sword strike was incredibly powerful; if it had been aimed at a person, it would have cleaved them in two.

But the sword was clearly deflected again, and the soft armor remained completely unharmed. Li Xue was overjoyed; it seemed that swords and blades could not cause any damage to soft armor.

"Draw your swords and strike a few more times," Li Xue instructed.

Without saying a word, the guards drew their swords and began hacking at the soft armor.

Li Xue felt a pang of heartache, watching helplessly as the soft armor was slashed more than ten times before she finally told them to stop.

The group couldn't wait to pick up the soft armor and examine it carefully. Soon, they jumped up with joy.

Since they slashed so many times with their swords, the soft armor was not damaged at all, so it seems that this soft armor is indeed a treasure.

With this soft armor protecting her, Li Xue's strength will greatly increase, making it difficult for even the most powerful experts to harm her.

The next day, three carriages were ready. They were prepared for a trip that might last a month, so they had brought plenty of supplies.

One of the boxes was locked tightly, and no one knew what was inside.

Zhao Xian told everyone that the materials inside contained weapons and must not be lost.

Actually, the box only contained some items that Zhao Xian needed. However, with this box, he could directly purchase anything he urgently needed from the system.

The box was just a cover to prevent my secret from being discovered.

He plans to upgrade his system soon, which will expand his storage space.

The upgraded system would allow him to buy more things, but this upgrade would cost 50,000 taels of silver. He was still a little reluctant to spend so much money at once.

There's no need for me to upgrade the system right now; I can upgrade it when I've made more money.

We're about to leave, and the whole family came out to see us off. This trip is different from our previous ones; there are certain risks involved.

Even the ancients knew that sailing and riding horses were fraught with danger; everything carries risk, but the things that need to be done still need to be done.

Seeing that it was about time, Zhao Xian said, "Let's set off. See you in a month." He then waved goodbye to his family.

The family watched the carriage leave from the village entrance until it disappeared from sight.

The three carriages traveled swiftly along the road. As evening fell, they arrived at a post station to stop and spend the night.

However, they were dressed entirely as merchants, and according to regulations, the post station was not allowed to receive them.

When the courier saw the waist token that Li Xue handed over, he was terrified and quickly reported it to the postmaster.

The postmaster was both surprised and delighted that Princess Li Xue of the current dynasty had come to their post station, and hurriedly came out to pay his respects.

This was Zhao Xian's first time staying at a post station, which he found very novel. Since the post station was run by the government, he could receive excellent service here, and most importantly, it was very safe.

This continued for several days, and gradually the road became difficult to travel, making the journey bumpy.

After finally reaching the next post station, it was obvious that the conditions there were much worse.

Li Xue inquired about the situation ahead and how far it was from the source of the water.

The postmaster told them that the source of the river was less than two hundred li away, but because the post road was difficult to travel, it would be difficult for a horse-drawn carriage to reach the source of the river in a day.

Yes, if they were riding horses, they could arrive in half a day. But there's no need to rush. At this speed, they would arrive at Yuanshui at least two days earlier than the boats.

Yuanshui is a prefecture-level region. Because it is remote and desolate, Yuanshui Prefecture looks smaller than a county town in the Central Plains, but the area it governs is definitely not small.

The houses in the city center look very old; there are no tall buildings, only relatively wide roads.

The group went directly to the government office, and after identifying themselves, the yamen runners immediately went in to report. A short while later, Miao Yongnian, the prefect of Yuanshui, came out to greet them.

To their surprise, Bao Ping from Qing'an Prefecture also came out to greet them, along with Prefect Miao.

"Greetings, Princess. I am Miao Yongnian, the Prefect of Yuanshui."

"Lord Miao, there's no need for such formalities. Yuanshui is located in a remote area with a harsh environment. We admire you for having served here for over ten years."

Miao Yongnian gave a wry smile and said:

"Serving as an official in one's post is to benefit the people in one's region. Managing the water source well and sharing the burden of the imperial court is our duty."

"This place is a land of wind and sand, please rest here, Your Highness." After saying this, Prefect Miao led everyone into the government office.

Miao Yongnian has been the prefect of Yuanshui for more than ten years. It's not that he doesn't want to leave, but that no one is willing to come. In addition, Prefect Miao is very honest and easy to talk to, so he has stayed in office.

Inside the council hall, Bao Ping informed Li Xue of the situation in Yuanshui. He had arrived in Yuanshui two days prior and had already informed Prefect Miao of the action plan.

Prefect Miao attached great importance to this matter and actively cooperated with Bao Ping to arrange specific tasks.