Li Xue said, "In the Central Plains, a few dozen people would be enough to transport it, but in the vast desert, the situation is different."

Of this huge sum, gold and silver notes accounted for a large proportion, which was beneficial for transportation, but there were still more than two million taels of silver, which was not a small amount either.

Loading all this silver into carts would require at least two hundred carts, and transporting so many carts would be no easy task.

The vehicle was enormous, but the escort was less than three hundred people. Basically, each person had to escort one vehicle, which greatly reduced the convoy's defensive capabilities.

The desert is fraught with risks and dangers. If the convoy is attacked, the escort personnel will do their best to protect the vehicles in order to prevent them from being stolen, and will not have much energy to fight back.

In this situation, it is difficult to guarantee that the vehicles will not be hijacked; even if not all of them are hijacked, some of the vehicles will still be lost.

I know that General Wan is very brave and fearless of any force in the desert, but he is only one person. His first priority is to protect the Crown Prince, and only then can he ensure the safety of the caravan.

If you encounter a small force, it's not so bad, but if you encounter a powerful force in the wilderness, such as the force of Xiao Taiyuan, it's even worse.

They each had thousands of soldiers at their disposal, making it easy for them to deal with a convoy escorted by fewer than three hundred men.

As far as I know, there are some regions in the northwestern border of the Great Northern Dynasty that are very similar to the former Western Regions.

Because the government was weak in these areas and could not effectively control them, multiple factions emerged in these regions.

These forces completely disregard the local government, and the government has no way to deal with them.

Take Louye and Lanwei, two regions deep in the desert, for example. Hundreds of years ago, they were a small country. Later, they were conquered by the previous dynasty and are now part of the territory of the Great Northern Dynasty.

Because the government's control over these areas was not strong, these local forces took the opportunity to develop and their power grew.

If these forces learn that Xiao Taiyuan has more than 20 million military supplies to transport to the capital, they will definitely come to seize them and take them for themselves.

With these funds, their development momentum will be unstoppable, giving them the strength to become kings. Based on this alone, they will definitely take action.

Once the convoy enters the desert, it will be isolated and helpless, becoming like a flock of sheep, and will inevitably be targeted by wolves.

Under these circumstances, it would be very difficult for the vehicle to return to Beijing safely, and even if it eventually made it back, it would suffer heavy losses.

After listening to Li Xue's analysis, the Fourth Prince found it very reasonable and couldn't help but worry.

"What should we do, Xue'er? Is there any solution?"

"According to calculations, the Crown Prince has not yet arrived in Yuanxi. They should return after they have finished handling the affairs in Yuanxi."

"There were no troops available to be mobilized in the surrounding areas of Yuanxi. The only option was to send reinforcements from the capital. However, due to the long distance, the reinforcements could not arrive in time, so we had to meet them on the way."

The most dangerous section of the convoy should be the area after leaving Yuanxi. It will take seven or eight days to get out of that area, and it will be much safer after that.

Therefore, the imperial reinforcements must meet up with them in that area as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the convoy.

The reinforcements must depart immediately; once the silver is robbed, it will be irrecoverable.

Li Xue's analysis made the Fourth Prince uneasy. If this situation were to occur, not only would a huge amount of silver be lost, but the blow to the Great Northern Dynasty would also be enormous.

"Xue'er is right. This matter is of utmost importance. The convoy transporting the silver must be made absolutely safe. I will go to see the Emperor now." After saying this, the Fourth Prince was about to get up immediately.

“My father is going to see the Emperor, and I will go with him,” Li Xue said.

"It would be even better if Xue'er could come to see the emperor with me. Quickly change your clothes, and we'll go to the palace immediately."

It was already afternoon. After a nap, the emperor was full of energy and was reviewing memorials in his study.

The emperor had many things to do. In addition to his busy official duties, he was also calculating every day when the huge sum of silver being transported from the west would arrive in the capital.

Just then, the young eunuch came to report:

"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince and Princess Li Xue request an audience."

"Princess Li Xue has returned to the capital! Quickly, invite her in!" the emperor said excitedly.

During this time, the emperor was in a state of excitement. The events that occurred in Yuanxi made him very happy, but he was still unaware of the specific details of what happened in Yuanxi. He had been looking forward to Li Xue's return so that he could learn the details.

"Li Xue pays her respects to Your Majesty."

Upon seeing the emperor, Li Xue immediately knelt down.

"Princess, please rise. You have made great contributions to the victory in Yuanxi. Tell me about the specific situation in Yuanxi."

Seeing that the emperor was in such a hurry, let's talk about the things that make him happy first, and we can discuss the risks of the caravan later.

With that in mind, Li Xue began by recounting the discovery of the slave trade, detailing the entire Yuanxi incident.

The Emperor and the Fourth Prince listened intently, unaware that what followed would be so thrilling.

After Li Xue finished her story, the emperor was filled with emotion.

"This great victory in Yuanxi was the result of the coordinated efforts of Qing'an, Yuanshui and Yuanxi. Princess Li Xue and Secretary Zhao played a crucial role in this, ultimately eliminating Xiao Taiyuan's power in Yuanxi. I am very pleased."

It was only at this point that Li Xue began to voice her concerns. The emperor remained relatively calm and was not blinded by his current joy. However, with the Fourth Prince's analysis, the emperor could not help but worry.

The situation in the northwestern border region of the Great Northern Dynasty had always been unstable. The emperor was well aware that if this silver were stolen, it would be the death of him.

"Then what do you think we should do about this? How can we ensure that this batch of silver arrives in the capital safely?"

After a moment's consideration, the Fourth Prince spoke:

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's entourage will arrive in Yuanxi in two days. Once they have settled their affairs there, they will return immediately."

There should be five or six days in between. The imperial court must immediately send an army to meet them. By the time the Crown Prince's convoy departs, the convoy should have entered the heart of the desert.

Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen to the Crown Prince's convoy when it enters the desert. This section of the road is the most dangerous. Once the convoy connects with reinforcements, everything will be safe.

"Fourth Prince, who should lead the team to meet the First Prince?" the Emperor asked anxiously.

"At this time, who else can we rely on? Of course, I will go myself. I plan to select three thousand iron cavalry to set off overnight to meet the Crown Prince and ensure that the convoy arrives in the capital safely."

Seeing that the Fourth Prince was going in person, the Emperor couldn't help but worry, after all, the Fourth Prince was no longer young.