Chapter 26
[The capital city, the Taiji Hall]
In late autumn, the chill in Beijing is gradually deepening.
Inside the Taiji Hall, the atmosphere was even more somber than the chilly autumn wind. Civil and military officials stood in silent rows on either side, all eyes fixed on the weary messenger kneeling on one knee in the center of the hall. He bore the marks of the northern frontier, and his voice was hoarse with urgency.
"Your Majesty! Ten days ago, the northern barbarians suddenly gathered 30,000 iron cavalry and launched a night attack on our Yanmen Pass! General Zhao, the defending commander, led his troops in a desperate battle and managed to repel the enemy, but our army suffered heavy casualties. Inside the pass... inside the pass, there is an urgent need for a large quantity of medicinal herbs and winter clothing!"
Upon hearing this, a suppressed gasp of astonishment immediately filled the court.
The flames of war in the north rose suddenly!
Since the Emperor temporarily entrusted the power of regent to the Crown Prince, this was the first time that Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng had faced such a major military crisis. Beside the dragon throne, the Crown Prince, dressed in an apricot-yellow regent's robe, showed no sign of panic on his handsome face, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue!" The Crown Prince's voice was steady and powerful. "The soldiers in the Northern Frontier have served the country with great merit and hard work. Now that the war is urgent, the matter of supplies cannot be delayed! The Ministry of War is to immediately inventory the armory, and the Ministry of Revenue is to immediately allocate funds. The first batch of military supplies must be delivered to Yanmen Pass within ten days!"
“Your Highness,” a sarcastic voice rang out from the ranks of civil officials. It was Zhou Xian, the Vice Minister of Revenue from the Second Prince’s faction. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your Highness’s care for the soldiers is admirable. However… the national treasury also has its difficulties. The previous floods in Jiangnan and the relief efforts have already consumed most of our funds and grain. Now, in such a rush, to allocate such a large amount of supplies, I’m afraid… we are willing but unable.”
"Lord Zhou, you are mistaken!" The Minister of War, an upright and righteous old minister, immediately retorted, "The safety of the northern border is a matter of great importance to the nation! How can we disregard the lives of 30,000 soldiers because of a shortage of funds and provisions?!"
“Your Excellency, please calm down,” another Vice Minister of War, a member of the Second Prince’s faction, stepped forward slowly. “That is not my intention either. However, the winter clothing in the armory was all prepared according to the regulations of previous years, with fixed sizes and quantities. The barbarian attack was sudden and unexpected, and it is indeed not easy to temporarily procure enough suitable winter clothing and rare medicines for 30,000 soldiers. Allocation, purchase, transportation… many of these processes take time. Your Highness’s ten-day deadline is really… unreasonable.”
The two men, working in perfect harmony, seemed to make every point, but in reality, every word was a pretext for shirking responsibility and hindering progress. They exploited the cumbersome nature of official procedures, employing the tactic of delaying to its fullest extent. They deliberately wanted to drag things out, watching helplessly as the soldiers in the northern border bled in the cold wind, and as the Crown Prince lost face in court and before the Emperor due to inadequate supplies!
Standing in the ranks of the Eastern Palace officials, Cui Yuanjue trembled with rage at the hypocritical faces of Zhou Xian and his ilk, who wore the facade of "sharing the nation's burdens." He wanted to step forward and argue several times, but didn't know where to begin. He knew they were referring to the unshakeable "rules" of officialdom. Under these rules, any decisive action would be labeled "disregarding the law" or "seeking quick gains."
He was extremely anxious and could only watch helplessly as the Crown Prince was forced into retreat by this group of shameless people.
Tang Pu, standing at the front of the military ranks, already had his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The fierce and murderous aura of a battlefield general emanating from him was almost uncontrollably bursting forth.
As the young prince of the Anjun Prince's Mansion, he was also in charge of some military affairs in the capital region and knew the importance of logistics in a war. Winter clothes and medicines—these seemingly insignificant things were the soldiers' second life in the freezing north!
The Second Prince's faction, in their attempt to eliminate dissidents, was willing to gamble with the lives of 30,000 soldiers! Their ruthlessness and viciousness are utterly outrageous!
He desperately wanted to rush forward, grab Zhou Xian by the collar, and make him understand in the most direct way what it meant to be "in a state of emergency." But he couldn't. In the Taiji Hall, he was a subject, not a general.
The court assembly ended in discord amidst endless bickering and arguments. The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace with a livid face, while the Second Prince, Tang Jingming, cast a provocative and smug glance at Tang Pu as he left.
Tang Pu's heart sank to the bottom.
He knew this was not just a military crisis, but also the Second Prince's first direct declaration of war against their "alliance." And this time, they seemed... utterly powerless to retaliate.
In his view, this was the most significant crisis they had encountered before their "great cause" was accomplished!
【Cloud Pavilion, Top Floor Private Room】
That night, around midnight.
Contrary to his usual behavior, Tang Pu did not enter through the main gate of "Yunjian Pavilion". Instead, he used the privileges of the Prince An's Mansion to climb over the wall from the backyard and went straight to the private room on the top floor.
When Cui Yunshu was woken from her sleep by Atao and entered the private room wearing an overcoat, she saw Tang Pu, who was full of hostility and restlessness. He was like a tiger trapped in a cage, pacing back and forth in the room. The murderous aura he exuded made the air in the entire private room heavy.
Something has happened.
Upon seeing Cui Yunshu, Tang Pu got straight to the point, his voice hoarse and low.
He succinctly recounted everything that had happened in court that day. He didn't embellish it; he simply stated the facts calmly. But beneath that calm lay a volcanic eruption of anger and helplessness.
"...Following the incompetent procedures of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, by the time they finish their wrangling and gather all the supplies, it will take at least a month to slowly transport them to Yanmen Pass. But the northern border is already in the dead of winter, and the nighttime temperature is already below freezing. The soldiers lack medical care and medicine, and are poorly clothed; they simply cannot endure that long! This is not delay; this is clearly...disregard for human life!"
After he finished speaking, he slammed his fist hard on the rosewood table next to him, and a clear crack appeared on the hard surface.
"The Second Prince's move kills three birds with one stone." Tang Pu's eyes flashed with a cold light. "First, it is to severely damage the Crown Prince's prestige; second, it is to weaken the influence of my Prince An's Mansion in the army; third, and most viciously, he wants to use this opportunity to sow resentment among my northern border troops and shake their morale! This is a plan to undermine their very foundation!"
He looked at Cui Yunshu, and for the first time, a hint of pleading appeared in his usually deep and sharp eyes. In his heart, this seemingly fragile girl was the true core and brain of their "alliance." He believed she must have a way.
"I know this matter is thorny, and it might... disrupt our original plans." Tang Pu's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible apology. "But the lives of 30,000 soldiers are a matter of national security. We cannot ignore this matter."
Cui Yunshu listened quietly, without uttering a single word. Her beautiful face showed no sign of panic or distress.
Only after Tang Pu finished speaking, and the entire room fell into a deathly silence, with only the bleak sound of the autumn wind outside the window, did she slowly raise her head, look at the anxious "ally" in front of her, and softly utter four words.
"Wait for my message."
Her voice was soft and calm, yet it possessed an incredible power to soothe the soul.
Tang Pu was taken aback. He looked into her eyes, clear as an ancient well, devoid of any ripples, only a bottomless confidence and composure. It was as if the deadly situation before him, which could cause the entire court a great deal of trouble, was nothing more than a simple arithmetic problem in her eyes.
For some reason, his previously agitated heart miraculously calmed down at that moment.
He nodded, didn't ask any more questions, just gave her a deep look, turned around, and quietly left by the same route.
He chose to believe her unconditionally.
[The next day, at Qing Shu Courtyard]
After Tang Pu left, Cui Yunshu did not take any immediate action. She simply returned to her room and took a peaceful nap.
It wasn't until the next morning, when the first rays of sunlight shone into Qing Shu Courtyard, that she, the mastermind behind it all, quietly started up a terrifying commercial machine that would sweep across the entire Qin Dynasty.
“Atao.”
"This servant is here."
"Pass on my order, using the highest-level red secret mail, through all the secret relay stations of 'Yunjian Pavilion' across the country, to the five main warehouses in Beiping, Taiyuan, Jinan, Luoyang, and Chengdu!"
"yes!"
"Order contents: Effective immediately, requisition all top-grade medicinal materials in the warehouse—especially wound medicine, hemostatic powder, typhoid medicine, as well as all thick winter clothing, cotton cloth, and furs! Regardless of cost or quantity, requisition as much as you have!"
"Stone."
"Yes, sir!"
"Send orders to the 'Wind Horse Caravan'! Have them immediately assemble their five most elite caravans, each with three hundred men and equipped with the best horses, and dispatch them to the five main warehouses. After loading the supplies, they must not linger for a moment, but travel day and night straight to Yanmen Pass!"
The Fengma Caravan was a rapid transport force secretly established by Cui Yunshu at great expense, exclusively for her own use. Every member of this caravan was hired at high salaries from retired border soldiers or traveling镖师 (bodyguards/escorts). They were not only familiar with the terrain, but also possessed physiques and perseverance far exceeding those of ordinary people. Their transport efficiency was unmatched by any official post station in the Qin Dynasty.
One command after another was swiftly issued from the small courtyard of Qing Shu Yuan.
An invisible commercial network covering the entire Qin Dynasty was fully activated at this moment. Like a sleeping giant suddenly opening its eyes, it began to operate at an astonishing and terrifying speed!
From the bustling Jiangnan region to the treacherous Sichuan and then to the prosperous Central Plains, secret warehouses disguised as ordinary rice shops and cloth stores simultaneously opened their long-sealed doors.
Boxes of pre-packaged, top-quality wound medicine were quickly moved out.
Bundles of thick, warm cotton cloth and fur were neatly loaded onto the horse-drawn carriage.
Five caravans, as black as the wind, set off simultaneously from five different directions, like five arrows released from a bow. They avoided the official roads, taking shortcuts instead. Their horses' hooves flew, raising clouds of dust, and under the starry night, they carved five lifelines toward the northern border!
All of this was done quietly, so quietly that even the officials in the capital who were still arguing about "procedures" and "rules" were unaware of it.
Three days later, at Yanmen Pass.
Yanmen Pass, majestically situated amidst the towering mountains of the northern border, is now a scene of desolation and bleakness.
On the city walls, exhausted soldiers, wrapped in thin clothes, shivered in the biting wind. Below, in the wounded soldiers' camp, cries of agony filled the air. Lacking sufficient medicine, many wounds that were not initially fatal began to fester and ulcerate, mercilessly devouring each and every precious life.
General Zhao Dequan, a tough man who had been stationed at the border for twenty years, was now looking at his suffering soldiers with bloodshot eyes and a heart full of anguish. He sent three urgent letters for help in one day, but there was still no response from the capital.
Despair, like the harsh winter of the North, slowly erodes the hearts of everyone.
Just then, the lookout on the city wall suddenly let out a startled and uncertain shout:
"General! Look! To the south... there's a large army to the south!"
Zhao Dequan felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly ran up the city wall to look out into the distance.
On the southern horizon, billowing dust and fluttering banners marked the five massive caravans speeding toward Yanmen Pass with unstoppable momentum!
They did not use any official banners; their flags were simply embroidered with a simple yet elegant cloud pattern—the symbol of "Yunjian Pavilion."
"Open the city gates! Open the city gates now!" Zhao Dequan was stunned at first, then reacted, his face bursting with joy as he roared the order.
When the first carriage rushed into the pass, the curtain was lifted to reveal a carriage full of wound medicine that exuded a strong medicinal aroma, the entire Yanmen Pass was in an uproar!
Three days!
Just three days!
It was more than ten days faster than the fastest military post station of the imperial court!
When boxes of precious medicinal herbs and bundles of thick winter clothing were unloaded and distributed to every soldier and wounded, countless tough men couldn't help but shed hot tears.
Looking at the mountain of supplies piled up before him, Zhao Dequan was so moved that his hands trembled. He personally picked up a pen and wrote a letter of thanks in the simplest and most sincere language, expressing his highest respect and gratitude to this unknown "community businessman" who had provided timely help.
This letter, along with the good news of the border crisis being resolved, was once again delivered to the capital at the fastest speed possible.
When the letter was read aloud in the Taiji Hall, the entire court fell into a deathly silence.
Those officials who had been arguing incessantly about "procedures" and "rules" just days before were now flushed red with embarrassment, wishing they could disappear into the ground. Zhou Xian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was particularly pale, looking as if he had lost his parents.
On the dragon throne, the emperor listened to the report and remained silent for a long time. He simply picked up the letter of thanks from the border, stroking the small cloud-patterned seal on it, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng stood below the throne, a huge weight lifted from his heart. He looked at Cui Yuanjue, who stood calmly beside him, his eyes filled with admiration and trust.
Tang Pu, on the other hand, was already utterly shocked by this earth-shattering result.
He witnessed it with his own eyes.
He witnessed firsthand just how terrifyingly efficient and powerful the "logistics network" built by Cui Yunshu was, capable of turning the tide of battle!
This has completely transcended the realm of business!
This is clearly a sophisticated, efficient, and incredibly powerful war machine born for war!
Looking at the ashen-faced Second Prince's henchmen around him, and recalling Cui Yunshu's calm and composed gaze that night, and her nonchalant "Wait for my news," an unprecedented, fervent passion and confidence instantly filled his chest.
He knew he hadn't followed the wrong person.
What they are doing is the right thing, and an incredibly great thing.
His confidence in their "great cause" was higher than ever before!
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