Chapter Fifty-Three: Sled Transport Team
Qin Mo ordered his five hundred cavalrymen to line up along one side of the city gate, waiting for Li Zinian's men to inspect their respective garrisons. He then began to sleepwalk, to avoid showing any unfriendly expression due to annoyance and causing unnecessary trouble. Ulan City had been garrisoned for many years, with too many garrisons; Qin Mo's ten thousand men were scattered haphazardly, and he hadn't even finished inspecting half of them. Qin Mo almost fell asleep while waiting.
"The young master's entourage is truly extraordinary!" Li Zinian's words pulled Qin Mo back from her reverie.
Among Qin Mo's entourage were dozens of his personal guards, mostly high-ranking officials, veterans, and their sons; the rest were elves and half-elves who had accompanied him north. They all wore well-fitting light leather armor, the steel fittings of which were artistically carved, eye-catching in their own way. Their exquisite deerskin boots and gloves were even more distinctive. To avoid trouble, Qin Mo had them all wear windproof masks of his own design. However, the shape of their eyes and their alluring figures alone were enough for discerning individuals to guess that they were elven warriors from Qin Mo's territory.
"It's just a little capital left to me by my parents. I hope you won't laugh at me, Governor." A look of longing appeared on Qin Mo's face.
Li Zinian's heart tightened, realizing she had overlooked something. Qin Lan was dead, but Qin Mo's mother, Luna, was not so certain! Luna had gone out to train, and after many years, her fate was uncertain. No one could be sure she wouldn't return; she was a Saint-level expert! Was Qin Mo reminding her of this?
Why haven't the city gates been opened yet?
"The city will open when it's time, what's with all the fuss? If you disturb your superior, you're not leaving!"
A discordant commotion arose, attracting Qin Mo's attention. A warrior clad in full iron armor was confronting the city gate official. The official, having spent so much time with Qin Mo and the others in the snowstorm, was in a bad mood. When questioned, he snapped out of his anger.
The armored warrior's eyes, hidden behind his helmet visor, coldly stared at the city gate officer, radiating a chilling aura. The irritable gate officer found himself speechless. "Tap tap," Qin Mo heard two soft sounds, then saw the warrior abandon the gate officer and turn to leave.
Perhaps due to the strengthening of his internal organs and body by the Nirvana Flame, Qin Mo's hearing had become incredibly sensitive, almost on par with Allen's. He noticed the faint "tinkling" sound that almost no one else heard, and looked in the direction of the sound. On the other side of the city gate, a carriage stood alone, occupying a small space. The armored warrior walked to the carriage, whispered a few words, and then sat in the driver's seat; it turned out she was a coachman.
The carriage looked very old, but it was pulled by four horses. Qin Mo knew some of the empire's regulations; a four-horse carriage must belong to a noble family, at least a viscount, or even an earl. Commoners could only use single-horse carriages, while only gentry of a certain status could use two. Judging from the carriage's old and shabby appearance, it must belong to a declining family. After all, many nobles in the empire held titles but lacked real power and influence.
At this moment, the official from the Governor's Office who had gone to check on Qin Mo's residence returned. He hurriedly walked to Li Zinian's side and reported to her in a low voice. Li Zinian's expression gradually changed, showing some shock, but more confusion.
"Governor Li, it's getting late. Let my men leave the city first, and I will depart after the inspection is complete. What do you think?"
"Very well! I'll trouble you to wait a little longer, Your Highness!" A dark cloud was gathering on Li Zinian's face again. He had witnessed the conflict between the city gate official and the carriage driver. Although the Wei family, the Marquis of Boyang, to which the carriage belonged, had long been in decline and he could ignore them, they were still registered nobles of the empire. Back in the capital, they could easily spread false rumors about making things difficult for passionate patriotic youths.
"Open the city gate..." The gatekeeper's booming voice carried far. Dozens of soldiers split into two teams, laboriously turning the winches on both sides of the city gate. The thick iron chains rubbed against the winches, producing a grating, ear-piercing creaking sound. The towering city gate, seven zhang high, slowly opened, revealing an endless expanse of white snow outside.
A strange horse pulling a carriage emerged from the snowstorm, followed closely by another horse and a similarly strange carriage. Ten carriages, linked end to end with ropes, sped out of the city gate, dazzling the eyes of many in the governor's mansion.
They looked at these novel "carriages," none of which had wheels. Instead, there were two long, wide wooden planks in the place where the wheels used to be, with both ends raised. They were pulled by horses on the snow, sliding quickly and effortlessly. Each carriage had a senior soldier on it, holding the reins tightly in his hands, his movements stiff, clearly a novice driver.
Qin Mo had no choice. Driving is a skill, and where did he find nearly ten thousand experienced drivers overnight? He had no choice but to link the sleds together in groups of ten or twenty. This way, a lead horse could control the direction and pace, and in case the snowstorm was too severe and visibility was poor, some people would fall behind.
"Young Master...you really are...so cunning..." Li Zinian gritted her teeth, her face contorted with hatred, and her words were filled with resentment.
"Why do you say that, Commander? Many of my men have fought against the orcs in the north. They find it difficult to travel through the northern winters. I created this 'sled' for the use of the empire, not seeking any merit... Do you expect me to have any faults?"
"Merit...of course, merit. This commander will definitely write to the court and request commendation for the heir apparent...hehehe." Li Zinian watched the sleds continuously driving out of the city gate, his heart bleeding. At least the first sleds were converted from horse-drawn carts with the wheels removed, but the later sleds were simply seven or eight planks, wooden strips, or even branches tied together. Almost every soldier in the Dayuan Army had a sled, all loaded with supplies, lined up in a long, mighty procession into the snowfield.
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