257. Sled
The next day.
Wenhua Hall.
The little dumpling's eyes would occasionally drift towards the window.
The snow has started falling again.
I wonder if Sister Fufu will get cold.
I wonder how Brother Xie is doing.
Qu Zijin slowly walked over and sat down beside her, also looking out the window at the snow.
"Recently, heavy snow has blocked the roads, and communication with Qiuhe City has been cut off. His Majesty is very worried about this..." Qu Zijin started a conversation.
But clearly, this is not a suitable topic.
The little girl had her head down, but for some reason, when she heard the words "heavy snow blocked the roads," she suddenly remembered Lin Fuman's figure as she rode away on a sled.
That wooden frame slid incredibly fast in the snow, unlike a horse-drawn carriage, and it would even get stuck in the snow.
She hesitated before raising her small hand, her voice soft: "Grand Tutor, Yue'er... Yue'er has an idea."
Qu Zijin was regretting that he shouldn't have brought this up and was thinking of a lighter topic to discuss.
Hearing the little dumpling's words, he paused for a moment, then said gently, "Please speak, teacher."
The little dumpling stood up, took a few small steps forward, and tried hard to recall what a sled looked like: "Yue'er has seen something... something made of wood, pulled by dogs, that goes very fast in the snow and doesn't get stuck. If we used that to deliver medicine, could we get across?"
She spoke haltingly, not even uttering the word "sled," only knowing that it was a wooden thing pulled by a dog.
Upon hearing this, Qu Zijin frowned and imagined for a moment: "Teacher, are you talking about the sleds used in the north? The kind with a skid underneath, pulled by dogs, that can move quickly through snow?"
The little dumpling nodded vigorously, her eyes lighting up: "Yes! That's it! Sister Fufu rode this to Qiuhe City, it ran so fast!"
Qu Zijin thought about it more and more and felt it was feasible.
He grabbed the little boy's hand and started walking out, his steps quicker than usual: "Teacher, let's go see His Majesty now! This method might solve our immediate problem!"
The little dumpling was pulled along by him, its short legs quickly keeping up, feeling both nervous and expectant.
If the sled can really help, will the people of Qiuhe City be able to get their medicine sooner? Will she be able to find out about Brother Xie and Sister Fufu again?
Soon, the two arrived at the Imperial Study.
Qu Zijin requested an audience with Wei Xiuming.
The eunuch replied, "His Majesty is currently discussing matters with several ministers and is probably unable to receive them."
"Ah..." The little dumpling looked up at Qu Zijin, bewildered.
Qu Zijin patted her reassuringly: "I have urgent business that may be of great help to Qiuhe City. I beg Your Majesty to grant me an audience."
The eunuch was taken aback, but dared not delay and immediately went in to explain the situation.
Soon, the two children, one big and one small, were brought into the Imperial Study.
Inside the Imperial Study, there were several adults whom the little dumpling didn't recognize, dressed in official robes that were both solemn and magnificent.
They were older than her father. As she and the Grand Tutor entered, their gazes first swept over the Grand Tutor and finally landed on her.
There were scrutinizing, curious, gentle, and dissatisfied...
She was a little nervous.
Wei Xiuming was sitting on the dragon throne, looking at the map with a troubled expression, when he saw Qu Zijin enter with the little dumpling. He asked, "Grand Tutor Qu, what brings you here today with the county princess? Is there something important?"
"Your Majesty, I have come regarding the road closures caused by heavy snow!" Qu Zijin bowed deeply, his voice trembling with excitement. "The county princess has come up with a solution that may resolve the transportation problem!"
Wei Xiuming rubbed his tired and aching temples, exhaled, looked at the little dumpling, forced a smile, and beckoned: "Oh? Does the county princess have any good ideas? Come, come to me, and I'll tell you slowly."
The little dumpling timidly approached Wei Xiuming and whispered, "Your Majesty, I've seen something made of wood called... a sled. It's pulled by dogs and runs really fast in the snow without getting stuck. If we use this to deliver things, we should be able to get to Qiuhe City."
"You mean a sled? The kind used for hauling goods in the north?" Seeing the little dumpling nod, Wei Xiuming thought about it and agreed.
He immediately looked at the ministers: "What do you gentlemen think?"
“Your Majesty, sleds are indeed suitable for traveling through snow!” The Minister of War immediately stepped forward. “However, civilian sleds have a small carrying capacity and need to be structurally improved. In addition, we need to select cold-resistant dogs from the northern frontier to lead them in order to transport medicine and grain!”
The Minister of Works echoed, "I will immediately send someone to the north to retrieve sled samples, and we will be able to draw up improved blueprints within three days! However, the dogs and manpower will require the Ministry of Revenue's cooperation in preparation, and the transportation route must be determined as soon as possible."
The Minister of Revenue shook his head, thinking it wouldn't work: "Make preparations, but if we do that, when will we ever get there?"
"We've considered this option. But firstly, we don't have any suitable breeds of dogs for sledding."
Secondly, sleds are not suitable for carrying cargo or for long-distance travel.
"Finally, we didn't have any drivers who could drive sleds. So, this plan wouldn't work."
The situation has reached a stalemate again.
"Then what do you suggest we do? Just ignore everything and stand here in a daze?" The Minister of War, known for his fiery temper, immediately retorted.
The little dumpling was very nervous, her face tense, but she still tried to speak loudly: "We can save them first and send the important things... We can use the carriage when the snow gets lighter."
Qu Zijin immediately chimed in: "That's right. We should use sleds to transport the critical supplies first. Although the quantity is small, it can solve the immediate problem."
"As for the driver, the Minister of Revenue also said that the sled is small in size, which means it is easy to drive and should not be difficult to learn."
"As for dog breeds, although we don't have professional sled dogs, we can prepare more dogs and have them take turns working."
"As for the lead dog... Minister of War, I remember you have war dogs?"
The Minister of War nodded repeatedly: "Yes, that's it! Doesn't that solve the problem? If the amount of supplies to be transported is small, then we can prepare more teams and make more round trips. If any team runs into trouble, we can all share the burden. What's so difficult about that?"
He then glared at the Minister of Revenue: "Old Deng, hurry up and hand over the money!"
Upon hearing this, Wei Xiuming nodded, a genuine smile spreading across his face. His eyes were full of admiration as he looked at the little girl: "Your idea is excellent, Princess! It has truly been a great help to me. Tell me, how did you come up with the idea of a sled?"
The little dumpling replied innocently, "It was Yue'er who saw Sister Fufu use it."
"Sister Fufu? Who is that?" Wei Xiuming was taken aback and wanted to ask again.
Qu Zijin quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the most important thing right now is to finalize the improvement plan and make preparations. The transportation route for the medicinal herbs must also be determined as soon as possible; there can be no delay. As for how the county princess came up with the idea, it won't be too late to reward her after the sleds truly solve the problem."
He dared not let His Majesty ask any further questions, after all, Lin Fuman was the daughter of the Duke of Anguo, and His Majesty disliked the Duke of Anguo's lineage.
Furthermore, Duke Anguo has made quite a few enemies, and he would never want his plans to fail because of his dislike for his political enemies.
It would be better to keep it a secret for now, and tell His Majesty the news when the plan succeeds and he is in a good mood.
Wei Xiuming didn't press further: "Grand Tutor Qu is right, I was too hasty. Someone, convey my decree: order the Ministry of Works to complete the improvement of the sleds within three days, the Ministry of War to select elite soldiers and cold-resistant dogs and horses, the Ministry of Revenue to prepare provisions and supplies, and to start the first batch of medicinal herbs transportation within five days!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the ministers replied in unison, and then withdrew to attend to their duties.
Only Wei Xiuming, Qu Zijin, and Xiao Tuanzi remained in the Imperial Study.
Wei Xiuming picked up the little dumpling, placed her on his lap, and patted her little head: "Princess, you have made a great contribution. What reward would you like?"
The little dumpling shook its head, wanting to say it wasn't its doing, but received a look from Qu Zijin.
Is it that we can't mention Sister Fufu's name?
She thought for a moment, then grabbed Wei Xiuming's sleeve with her small hand and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, Yue'er doesn't want any rewards. Yue'er only hopes that the medicinal herbs can be delivered to Qiuhe City as soon as possible, and hopes... hopes that the people Yue'er knows will be safe."
Wei Xiuming felt a warmth in his heart and gently patted her back: "Okay, I promise you, I will make sure the medicine is delivered as soon as possible. Once the plague in Qiuhe City is over, I will personally celebrate your victory."
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