Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Overwhelming...
Amidst the overwhelming dust, Jiang Wan fished her mask from her pocket and quickly put it on, revealing only her eyes. Before her eyes, a pale yellow light drifted by, and the wind howled around her. The immense force of the wind made her dizzy and disoriented.
In a trance, Lin Xiangzhi grabbed her arm and pulled her into the dug sand pit. Jiang Wan ran after him in a daze, and after half a cup of tea, she finally dove into the sand pit.
The sound of the wind in her ears subsided, and she leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. It took her a long time to come back from her dizzy state.
She looked around, all was a dark yellow. Dozens of craftsmen were hiding in the sand pit where she was, all of them pale, having clearly experienced the same dizziness as she had.
Jiang Wan remembered that they had dug about ten sand pits, all close together. There were many more nearby that offered shelter from the wind, and he wondered if the other craftsmen had taken refuge in them.
"This sandstorm came suddenly and I couldn't see anything. It took me a long time to feel my way over, and there were still many people outside!" said a craftsman anxiously.
"Dia, although I can't see clearly, but I have a big ticket, there are at least half of the people outside." Another craftsman said in a stiff Central Plains dialect.
Lin Xiangzhi said calmly, "Don't worry. This sandstorm may look fierce, but it won't hurt anyone. It usually stops in less than a quarter of an hour. Even if you stay outside, as long as you wear a mask, you'll be fine."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and waited for the sandstorm to dissipate.
After a while, the wind died down. The craftsmen who had been hiding in the sand pits came out and helped those who stayed outside into the tents to rest. They had been blown by the strong wind for a quarter of an hour. Although they were not seriously injured, some were dizzy, some were vomiting, some were crying and shouting, and needed to recover.
The building materials were blown to pieces, and the craftsmen who were in better condition had already gone to clean up. Lin Xiangzhi looked at the endless desert and muttered, "It's over..."
The ancient trail they were walking on wasn't really a road, but rather a path carved by the footprints, camel hoof prints, and wheel tracks of so many people. To prevent wind and sand from obscuring the path, Lin Xiangzhi had used the traditional method of marking it with large stones at intervals.
But the sandstorm swept away all the stones in sight, and the newly fallen sand covered the traces on the sand. Looking out into the distance, there was nothing but a vast expanse, and there was no way back.
Lin Xiangzhi walked to the temporary stable and grabbed the horse's hair. "As the saying goes, an old horse knows the way. Brother Ma, you must remember the way, right?"
The brown-haired horse raised its head with a few pieces of grass in its mouth, looked around, and looked at Lin Xiangzhi innocently.
"Hey, do you recognize him or not?" Lin Xiangzhi scratched his head anxiously.
The horse continued to look at him innocently, its big eyes filled with clear confusion.
Lin Xiangzhi looked at the big camel next to him again and tried to pull the rope around its neck. The camel snorted, turned around, and faced its butt towards him.
Lin Xiangzhi: ...
Jiang Wan: "Never mind, just go ahead and supervise the construction. Once the hotel is built, I'll find a way to take you back to Loulan."
"Master Jiang, do you have such a good sense of direction?" Lin Xiangzhi was surprised and delighted, but then he thought again and said suspiciously, "No, Master, you couldn't even find the sand pit just now, and it was me who took you there. Can you really find the way?"
I wasn't the one looking for it, the navigation system was. After the Silk Road Flower Rain quest appeared, the system store added a navigation function, which can be used once for ten points.
In fact, things like compasses and compasses are more cost-effective and permanent. But this time and space don't have them yet, and the unscrupulous system won't sell them, forcing her to pay every time.
Jiang Wan mentally greeted the system and laughed through his teeth, "A friend of mine gave me something that can show me the way."
"Oh? What is such a magical object? Let me see it." Lin Xiangzhi was curious.
Jiang Wan: "It won't let me show it to others. I'm sorry."
Lin Xiangzhi was disappointed: "Then who is this friend of yours? You can always tell me."
Jiang Wan: "It's a black-hearted friend who doesn't want to reveal his name. If I tell it, he will kill me."
Lin Xiangzhi was startled and stopped asking questions. However, for the next few days, he looked at Jiang Wan with an inexplicable sympathy.
Although this man only slept six hours a day, he was still very professional in the engineering field. He directed the work in an orderly manner, quickly appeased the craftsmen, and got the building work back on track.
The Rose Inn took a month to build and passed the durability test, ready for operation after renovation. According to the plan she and Lin Xiangzhi agreed on, the first floor would house a warehouse and stables, the second floor would house guest rooms and living quarters, and the third floor would house storage. A reservoir was built in the front yard to collect rainwater for livestock.
She didn't need to be present at the site for the renovation, so Jiang Wan and Lin Xiangzhi arranged the follow-up work and followed the system navigation back to Loulan City - they piled up new stones along the way as a mark to prevent the remaining craftsmen from getting lost.
The cost of labor and materials for building a Rose Inn cost her 100,000 taels of silver, which was equivalent to Qingjiangju's net profit for a month.
Although it was painful, it at least proved that a hotel could be built in the desert. By charging the caravans for accommodation, selling them some rations and clothing, and developing the hotel economy, I could easily make back the 100,000 silver.
The delegation split into three groups. Fang Hong and Chen Xi set out south from Loulan, building roads and houses as they journeyed towards Qiuci and Chechi. Fang Zeshi and Qi Qi set out north, heading towards Dayuezhi and Dayuan. Jiang Wan, along with Lin, Liu, and Bai, continued westward, traversing the Tubo Basin and passing through six small states in the Western Regions.
In addition to developing the market, they also had two more tasks: one was to form an alliance with these small countries in the name of Da Zhou; the other was to cooperate with various governments to renovate ancient roads and build Rose Inns.
Of course, not all missions were accomplished. The Xiongnu, after all, were the dominant power in the Western Regions. Some smaller states, hampered by the hostile relationship between the Xiongnu and the Great Zhou, were hesitant to form alliances and instead signed trade agreements. Two smaller states even refused entry to Jiang Wan's caravan.
Jiang Wan wasn't discouraged by this. The Western Regions had long been dominated by the Xiongnu, and changing that landscape wouldn't happen overnight. However, as artifacts from the Central Plains spread, the Great Zhou's influence on the Western Regions would only deepen.
As autumn ended and winter arrived, the spring breeze from the western regions blew in gusts, finally bringing a hint of summer's warmth. By the time July arrived again, the Rose Inn had become the largest hotel chain in the desert, and almost every caravan had stayed there.
Jiang Wan's caravan traveled through the thirty-three countries of the Western Regions and became a symbol of the Western Regions caravans. Just as Emperor Chengde had expected, he became the uncrowned king of the desert, and his influence even surpassed half of the small countries in the Western Regions.
Once these Westerners had seen the dazzling beauty of Central Plains artifacts, they became addicted. Whenever a beautiful young Central Plains girl passed through a country, her wares were snatched up: caravans eagerly awaited her new arrivals; princesses from desert nations eagerly awaited the arrival of new goods; and ordinary people lined up in front of newly opened shops.
When the news reached Lin'an, Emperor Chengde stroked his beard with satisfaction during a morning court session and praised her for her ingenuity and for being the first person to spread national culture.
Taking advantage of the reputation of the Rose Inn, her caravan was called "Central Plains Rose".
When the delegation reunited at the foot of Loulan City, the progress of [Silk Road Flower Rain] had reached 66%, still short of 30% from the Xiongnu and 4% from its two vassal states.
After years apart, Fang Hong looked even more energetic; sixteen-year-old Chen Xi had grown into a true beauty. Qi Qi and Fang Zeshi, now experienced and successful, looked more stable and capable; Lin Xiangzhi, having stopped taking sleeping pills, was full of energy; and Liu Ming, who spent all day with the chatty Bai Yanyun, was no longer as taciturn as he had been a year ago.
After a long journey, Jiang Wan decided to return to Xiaofangpan City to rest and take care of some business. However, he had to leave some staff in the Western Regions, so Fang Zeshi and Qi Qi stayed behind to manage the business, while Fang Hong and Chen Xi also volunteered to stay and run the Rose Inn.
Atop the high Loulan Pagoda, Jiang Wan gazed at the rolling sand dunes beyond the Great Wall and said to Bai Yanyun, "I'm going back to the Great Zhou soon. Do you miss home?"
Bai Yanyun was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Honestly, if it weren't for your pre-arrangements, my Lord, I would have wanted to stay in the Western Regions. No matter how much material I read in Lin'an, I still wouldn't be able to truly experience it, and I'd be better able to delve into the languages of the Western Regions. Besides... only here, by your side, can I focus on my studies without distractions."
The mission that person had assigned him was to gain Jiang Wan's trust, influence her judgment, and thus hinder the spread of porcelain and silk in the Western Regions. For a year, he had meticulously planned and set up numerous obstacles, but she had successfully resolved them all.
His mission had failed. He had no choice but to kill her and take her place, thereby controlling the mission. Otherwise, he would be tortured to death by "that person."
He had experienced that man's methods three years ago. Back then, like Lin Xiangzhi, he relied on his lack of family and friends to refuse to give in, but he still underestimated the man's torture skills.
That person gave him countless materials on Western languages, but when he had made some achievements, he poisoned his voice and made him unable to translate anymore.
He had no choice but to join that man's organization and be trained to be a qualified mole in exchange for the antidote that would allow him to speak.
Just as she was lost in thought, Jiang Wan held her hand and said slowly, "It's okay. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I can promise you that no matter how vicious or powerful the enemy is, I will protect you so that you can concentrate on studying the Western Region language."
"But the prerequisite is that you have to trust me." She paused, turned and left, her voice long and meaningful, "I'll wait for your answer."
Jiang Wan truly felt that the five deputy envoys of the delegation were all to her liking. Just like her in the past, they were determined to do something, willing to give up anything and take on anything.
The opportunity has been given, and she has done everything she can. It depends on how Bai Yanyun chooses.
Behind him, Bai Yanyun stood stiffly in place, as if standing on an extremely cold iceberg with a basin of cold water poured over his head. The usual smile on his face had not yet faded, but the blood color had disappeared, making him look particularly weird.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
