Chapter 150: Operation (Part 8) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Slippery ground?
What if the ground slips at this time?
The captain's heart sank, and his face twitched slightly.
"Commander Yang, what has happened?"
Zhai Huan, who was at the back of the tax collection team, noticed that the team had stopped. Since it wasn't time to rest, he spurred his horse forward to inquire.
"The ground ahead is slippery, we can't go any further."
When the captain saw that the visitor was Zhai Huan, he was displeased but did not show it. However, he habitually kept a cold face, and his expression was not very pleasant. Zhai Huan did not pay attention to this detail. He had been "working" with this captain for several days, and the captain's likes and dislikes were of little concern to him.
"Slippery ground?"
Zhai Huan's sensitive nerves were touched.
He turned to the scout and asked, "Any signs of human activity?"
Although slippery ground is a relatively common natural disaster, and it is encountered during military campaigns, it just so happens that it is at this sensitive moment that they have encountered it at this time, which makes him think a lot about it.
The scout glanced at his actual superior out of the corner of his eye, and only after seeing that the latter had no objections did he reply, "We have investigated carefully and found no signs of human intervention."
Zhai Huan frowned.
If there are no signs of human intervention, then it must be a coincidence?
He then asked, "How long will it take to clean up?"
A powerful martial artist can even shake a mountain with their own strength, and clearing a path in a short time is not a problem.
The scout's reply disappointed him; the unstable terrain made it impossible to force a way through, and even half a day was an optimistic estimate. If other unforeseen circumstances arose, it could potentially take a whole day.
This scout was also a native of Sibao County and was very familiar with the terrain and roads throughout the county. According to his experience, if he chose to take a detour, it would only take him an hour at most. This amount of time could be made up for by reducing rest time.
Zhai Huan neither agreed nor disagreed with the suggestion.
The torrential rains of the past few days may have affected more than just this section of the main road. Who knows if taking a detour will lead to the same trouble?
However, he was not a decision-maker.
Zhai Huan asked, "What does Commandant Yang think?"
The captain hesitated.
Wasting half a day clearing the road?
While the route is safe and secure, the scouts also mentioned the possibility of a secondary slippery area, which could be dangerous and cause further delays, potentially missing the handover time. Taking a detour carries unknown risks…
His hesitation lasted for half an hour.
Zhai Huan didn't want to rush him.
Zhai Le, on the other hand, had a slight complaint.
He sat on his horse, leaning slightly towards his cousin, and Zhai Huan, with perfect understanding, cast a spell to prevent outsiders from eavesdropping. Zhai Le reassuredly remarked, "Brother, is that captain really that slow?"
What's there to hesitate about?
Of course, we should send people to clear the road.
As for the detour taking a day or two?
Please, a fake team that's just trying to mislead others, what's wrong with wasting a day or even ten or fifteen days?
detour?
No need!
Zhai Huan's expression changed slightly, and a terrible guess flashed through his mind. His gaze swept over the sealed boxes of tax silver as if by accident, and his chest pounded several times.
He became unusually stern: "Ah Le!"
Zhai Le instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
Ever since he got a proper name, he's been reluctant to be called "Ah Le" anymore. The name sounded too delicate and lacked masculinity. His cousin knew his subtle feelings and rarely called him that, but when he did…
Zhai Le immediately backed down.
He pouted, looking aggrieved, and muttered to himself, "It's not like I offended anyone in front of them... It shouldn't be this bad, right?"
Zhai Huan said solemnly, "Ah Le, be careful from now on."
Zhai Le asked, puzzled, "Something's going on?"
"There is a problem with the tax and silver system."
Zhai Le was startled: "There's a problem? What could be wrong with fake tax money... Ah, brother, do you mean... it's real?"
Zhai Huan responded very softly, "Mm."
It's probably true...
Otherwise, why would Commandant Yang be worried about wasting time?
Zhai Huan patted his cousin on the shoulder and reminded him, "Always be vigilant, guard against sneak attacks, and your own safety is the most important thing."
As for taxes?
It would be best if we could save it, but if we can't, it's fate.
After all, he didn't know it was real tax money, did he?
If they really encounter a formidable enemy, why risk their lives for a batch of fake tax money, putting themselves and Ah Le in danger?
The only thing I didn't expect was that the prefect was a ruthless man.
They actually dared to take this risk.
Even someone as aloof as Zhai Huan felt a hint of anger.
After a short while, Commandant Yang finally made up his mind. He gritted his teeth and decided to take the risk of detouring and taking a more secluded path. This path was almost deserted, consisting mostly of narrow mountain trails that could only accommodate one carriage at a time.
The mountain path is lined with dense forests on both sides.
The uneven, still-dampened muddy mountain path added considerable difficulty for the team. Even for ordinary people traveling light, walking was strenuous, let alone pushing vehicles laden with heavy boxes. Within half an hour, soldiers were already panting heavily.
It's already autumn, but I'm sweating profusely from the heat.
"Hurry up! What are you doing stopping?" Commander Yang, riding his horse with a stern face, saw the soldiers slowing down and his temper flared. He shouted gruffly, "How far have you gone and you're already this exhausted? You'd better get up even if you have to crawl! How many heads do you have to pay for this delay?"
The soldiers dared not speak.
Even Yang Duwei's deputy and subordinates only dared to watch.
So the soldiers gritted their teeth and marched for another half hour.
Finally, unable to endure it any longer, the soldier who had been whipped by Commandant Yang begged for mercy, saying, "It's not that we don't want to move, it's just that this road is too difficult to walk on. Let alone a person, even a mule would be exhausted. General, please have mercy and let us stop and rest for a while."
How long has it been?
His clothes were completely soaked with sweat, and he looked as if he had been pulled out of the water, drenched in sweat. His limbs were exhausted, swollen, and sore. Let alone pushing the tax cart, even walking a few more steps would cause his chest to burn and make it hard to breathe.
They had practiced martial arts, but their skills and strength were only slightly better than ordinary people. They weren't even low-ranking officials. The cart and the load on it weighed five or six hundred pounds. Even with a division of labor, one person pushing and the other pulling, they couldn't withstand the muddy and bumpy road.
Upon hearing this, Commandant Yang's face darkened.
Zhai Le, who was behind him, disliked Yang's behavior of frequently scolding and whipping his subordinates, but upon seeing this scene, he suddenly burst out laughing for some reason. Although he quickly realized what he had done, he still let the noise out, which earned him an unfriendly glare from Commandant Yang.
Zhai Huan asked helplessly, "What are you laughing at?"
Zhai Le: "I laughed because I suddenly thought of something funny."
Zhai Huan asked him again, "What's so funny?"
"Brother, doesn't this look just like the Liangshan heroes who cleverly seized the birthday gifts? And what's more, this captain's surname is Yang..."
Zhai Huan: "..."
The fragments of the Thief Star contain countless contents, including powerful and unpredictable literary and martial arts, as well as novels from the marketplace, such as "Water Margin," which Zhai Le greatly admires, but Zhai Huan dislikes, so he can't make his cousin laugh.
Zhai Le couldn't help but chuckle and whisper, "If a group of date and wine sellers show up later, that would be really interesting..."
|ω)
To extend her manicure time, Shiitake is deciding to forgo the laptop's on-screen keyboard and switch to an external mechanical keyboard.
I dug out the keyboard from the February monthly pass lottery (I heard the red switches are quite good for typing) and connected it to the docking station.
I'm used to laptop keyboards, so I wasn't used to mechanical keyboards at first. I kept pressing the wrong keys and making typos, and the feel was a bit strange, but the clicking sound of typing is really satisfying. I should be fine after a few days of getting used to it, hehe.
(End of this chapter)
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