"Vice Envoy Cheng, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."
The long journey was nothing to Su Luo; she had already experienced the far more terrifying apocalypse, so this little bit of fatigue was nothing to her.
Hearing Su Luo say this, Cheng Yimin felt much relieved and took out a crossbow and arrows from his horse, handing them to Su Luo through the carriage window.
"It's good that Your Highness is alright. I heard that Your Highness can also shoot arrows, so please take this crossbow. The closer we get to Beichuan City, the more dangerous it becomes. Please take good care of yourself."
This wasn't Cheng Yimin's first time escorting grain supplies; the closer they got to their destination, the more people would try to steal the supplies.
The enemy, in particular, would destroy as much grain and fodder as they could, and they would never miss such an opportunity.
The presence of Su Luo this time has increased the difficulty for them in fighting the enemy.
"Thank you, Vice Envoy Cheng!"
Su Luo opened the carriage window and saw that the woman inside had changed into men's clothing, making her look like a handsome young master at first glance.
"Your Highness, you..."
Seeing Cheng Yimin looking at her in men's clothing with surprise, Su Luo smiled faintly.
"On the march, men's clothing is more convenient and easier to conceal, so Vice Envoy Cheng need not be surprised."
Cheng Yimin, realizing his rudeness, turned his head to the other side and said, "This humble official has been presumptuous."
"It's alright, let's continue on our way."
The army escorting the grain supplies numbered over a thousand soldiers. They couldn't stay at inns along the way, so when they got tired, they could only set up camp and rest on the spot.
Su Luo and the others traveled together for another ten days. During these ten days, she could clearly see that the army had become more cautious, so she naturally had to be vigilant as well.
As they reached a rugged road, the army escorting the grain suddenly stopped, and Cheng Yimin called out from the front.
The entire army will rest here for half an hour. Everyone, please cheer up!
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The procession stopped, and Su Luo also got off the carriage. During this time, she had been with the army and had gained some understanding of their rest and route planning.
This is not a time for rest, yet the team is resting here. In addition, the location of this road is not suitable for them to rest and eat.
"Vice Envoy Cheng, have we entered the territory of Beichuan City?"
Cheng Yimin looked warily at the surroundings of Zhoushan and respectfully addressed Su Luo, who was dressed in men's clothing.
"Yes, Your Highness, there are frequent bandit attacks along the way. They usually don't dare to target the army, but we are escorting grain supplies, and this year is different from previous years."
Without food, we'll inevitably be robbed by those reckless bandits. So we're resting now, and if bandits do come, we'll have the strength to fight back.
If all goes well, we'll cross the hills ahead tonight, make contact with the Akabane army, deliver the supplies, and then this mission will be complete.
Su Luo looked at the hills in front of her. As long as she could climb over them, she would be able to see Nangong Chiyu.
At this moment, she felt both excited and nervous.
"Then let everyone rest well, and we'll plan the matters concerning the hills ahead once the scouts return."
Half an hour later, the army had rested enough, and the ten scouts returned on horseback.
"Reporting to the Vice Envoy, there are signs that the hill ahead has been disturbed, and it seems to be a trap set by bandits."
Cheng Yimin glared angrily, slamming his spear into the ground. "These bandits have some nerve, daring to even try to steal the army's provisions. I'll wipe them out!"
Su Luo looked at the map. If they wanted to get to Beichuan City, they had to go through this section of road. The other small roads were not suitable for carriages to travel on.
These bandits were certain this was their route, which is why they dared to act so recklessly, not even bothering to conceal the signs of their ambush.
Cheng Yimin turned to look at Su Luo, who was deep in thought, and assumed that her expression was one of fear.
“Your Highness, they are just some arrogant bandits. You can hide in the carriage for a while, and I will handle the outside.”
Su Luo nodded. With a large escorting army here, she naturally didn't need to lift a finger. These soldiers were all skilled in martial arts; otherwise, they wouldn't have been chosen to escort the grain.
"Vice Envoy Cheng must also be careful and not underestimate the enemy. The fact that they dare to leave no trace is not because they are stupid or inexperienced. Perhaps this is their cleverness."
This is to lull the entire army into a false sense of security. If they dare to target our supplies, they must be well-prepared. Remember this…
Cheng Yimin sneered: "They are all wicked people. Your Highness need not worry. If they dare to come out, I will take them down."
If it weren't for the fact that escorting grain was Cheng Yimin's mission this time, he would have really wanted to infiltrate the bandits' den to rid the people of this scourge.
Su Luo had already reminded him, but Cheng Yimin didn't seem to take her words to heart.
She wasn't worried about bandits, but rather about fake bandits. They had entered the territory of Beichuan City, which was located at the border with Beiliang.
If these bandits are actually enemies using the guise of bandits to destroy our supplies, that would be the most dangerous situation.
“Vice Envoy Cheng, we must not be rash.”
Seeing how nervous Su Luo was, and considering she was a princess, Cheng Yimin felt he had to listen to her opinion.
"Dealing with a bunch of low-life bandits, does Your Highness have any other brilliant ideas?"
This batch of provisions was intended for Nangong Chiyu's campaign, and Su Luo didn't want any losses. She pointed to the map as she spoke to Cheng Yimin.
“Vice Envoy Cheng, let me ask you this: the hills ahead are our only way through, but do you understand the principle that a swallow leaves a trace as it flies by?”
Can you guarantee that these reckless bandits won't damage any of the supplies?
"If there is even the slightest loss of grain, not only will Prince Yu be held accountable, but His Majesty will also hold you responsible. I am the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Nanning, and I can tell you without hesitation how difficult it was to obtain this batch of grain."
The two sat by the fire. Nanning looked like it had plenty of food, but after hearing Su Luo's words, Cheng Yimin realized that this batch of grain had been extremely hard-won.
Last year, the grain and fodder near the north were burned, and the imperial court compensated the people in that area.
In addition, the second season of rice could not be grown in many parts of the south due to drought, and there was also the prophecy of the national advisor.
The imperial court not only had to store up grain and fodder to provide relief for this year, but also had to provide grain and fodder to Nangong Chiyu to resist foreign enemies.
It's already March and there's still no rain. If we can't grow any crops this year, Nanning is in grave danger...
Therefore, if Cheng Yimin can deliver this batch of grain to Prince Yu intact, then everything will be fine. But if there is any loss, he will not only lose his merit, but will also be punished when he returns.
Suddenly, Cheng Yimin's attitude towards the bandits underwent a huge change. He no longer wanted to kill the bandits, but only wanted to protect the grain and fodder.
As long as he had provisions, he would live; if he ran out of provisions, he would offer his head to the people of Nanning as an apology.
"Your Highness, is there... a more comprehensive solution?"
Su Luo looked at Cheng Yimin and told him her plan. Cheng Yimin nodded repeatedly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com