Cotton Warm Border
The cold wind whipped up snowflakes that lashed against the windowpanes.
Inside the workshop, Shen Yan was finalizing the details of transporting cotton-padded clothes to the border with several core craftsmen, Ling Zhan, and Su Wan.
In the corner, Hu Zi was deftly stuffing several thick fur coats into a worn-out satchel.
He was sturdy, and his eyes and brows showed a youthful vigor and eagerness to try.
After the New Year, he will be fifteen.
"Father, everything's packed!"
Tiger slung the satchel over his shoulder, his voice booming with barely suppressed excitement.
"This time when we go to Yingchou Pass, we must see the real border troops!"
Ling Zhan was wiping his short sword when he heard this. He looked up and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.
He cautioned, "The borderlands are bitterly cold, and arrows and swords have no eyes; it's no joke."
"I'm not afraid!" Tiger puffed out his chest. "I'll give those fist and knife skills I've learned over the past two years a try!"
Shen Yan stopped what she was doing, looked at her son, and had a complicated look in her eyes.
Tiger was, after all, the first little beggar he had ever adopted.
Back then, I was just a teenager, a child who sometimes didn't have enough to eat.
He wanted Tiger to call him "brother," but the little guy insisted on calling him "father."
The young boy, Chen Yan, has now become the father of more and more children.
And it got out of control.
He was firmly opposed to taking Hu Zi to that harsh and dangerous place.
But ever since Tiger started learning martial arts from Ling Zhan, he's become as stubborn as a calf, pestering him for a full half month.
They even brought up the idea that "a man's ambition lies in all directions; if he doesn't see the border with his own eyes, how will he protect his country in the future?"
In the end, Shen Yan relented.
Perhaps it would be good to let this kid suffer a bit and temper his temper.
"Stay with the captain and don't leave his side."
Shen Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight: "Observe more, listen more, and speak less. The border isn't like the streets; your life is in danger at any moment."
"Understood, Dad!" Tiger nodded vigorously, his eyes shining like cold stars.
At Yingchou Pass, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a blizzard struck.
The sentries on the gate were wrapped in old, worn-out coats with stiff, matted cotton wadding, their teeth chattering from the cold, their eyebrows and beards covered in frost. In previous years, frostbite casualties at this time often exceeded 30%, morale plummeted, and patrols and vigilance were greatly hampered.
Inside the simple barracks at the pass, the soldiers, who had just changed into new cotton-padded clothes, huddled together, feeling an unprecedented warmth.
"Hey! This new coat is fucking warm!"
An old soldier with a full beard patted his thick cotton-padded coat vigorously, his voice booming, "The cotton stuffing inside is really good! And so soft! Unlike those old lousy things, which were like iron plates!"
"Yes! And it's nimble! It won't get in the way when patrolling!"
"It smells like medicine? They say it's to repel insects and prevent mold?"
"I heard it was donated by a wealthy merchant surnamed Shen from Qingzhou? What a kind person!"
Li Mang, the commander of the border defense force, was a burly man as imposing as an iron tower. Wearing a thick new cotton coat, he lifted the heavy windproof curtain and entered the barracks. His face was still streaked with blood from the cuts caused by the cold wind, but he was full of energy. He looked around at the group of soldiers who were finally no longer shivering from the cold, and listened to their energetic discussions. A barely perceptible hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Stop fucking worrying about staying warm!"
Li Mang roared, his voice ringing out loudly in the warm barracks, "Those Northern Barbarian bastards don't care if we wear new or old coats! The snow's heavy tonight, perfect for them to sneak up the wall! Everyone, get your spirits up! Double the manpower for the scouts, keep your eyes wide open! Those on duty, hug your new coats and get a good night's sleep! Get plenty of rest, so if you see any of those Barbarian dogs tomorrow, give them a good beating!"
"Here you go!"
The soldiers responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, their morale high.
The fighting spirit that had been dampened by the cold in previous years was now ignited by the warmth on my body.
That night, at midnight.
In a blizzard.
As expected, a small squad of elite Northern Di soldiers took advantage of the bad weather to attempt to climb a secluded ice cliff at Yingchou Pass and launch a surprise attack.
However, tonight is different from any other night.
Thanks to the ample rest and abundant energy brought by their new cotton-padded clothes, the sentries at the pass were extremely vigilant.
The scouts spotted unusual activity when the Di soldiers were still a mile from the city wall! The warning horn instantly tore through the wind and snow!
Li Mang reacted extremely quickly and immediately organized a defense.
Wearing thick, warm cotton-padded coats, the soldiers moved quickly into their combat positions, no longer stiff and sluggish from the cold.
Rolling logs and stones, boiling molten gold, and scalding oil mixed with excrement and other filth poured down!
The Northern Di soldiers, already struggling against the wind, snow, and steep ice cliffs, had their advantage of a surprise attack vanished. They were then met with a swift and precise counterattack from the defending forces, suffering heavy casualties and retreating in disarray, leaving behind more than a dozen corpses. Eagle's Sorrow Pass, however, remained unscathed on this stormy night!
The biting north wind in the border region was like a knife, stinging people's faces.
The gate towers majestically, bearing the marks of time and dark red hues.
After handing over the cotton-padded clothes, Shen Yan and his party did not leave immediately.
Shen Yan needed to see the actual effect of the cotton-padded clothes with his own eyes, while Hu Zi was deeply shocked by the solemn and majestic scene of the border.
They were led to a barracks.
As soon as the heavy felt curtain was lifted, a strong smell mixed with the stench of sweat, blood, and herbs hit the person in the face.
Inside the barracks, a dozen wounded soldiers lay on the earthen kang (heated brick bed) against the wall, most of them suffering from frostbite.
An old military doctor was carefully untying the dirty cloth binding a young soldier's feet.
The soldier's toes were black and purple, swollen and deformed, and in some places the bone was even visible.
The soldier was in so much pain that his whole body was convulsing and his teeth were grinding together, but he didn't utter a single sound.
The excitement on Tiger's face vanished instantly, turning him deathly pale.
He instinctively gripped the hem of his clothes.
The terrifying memories of being a beggar in my childhood were stirred up, and my stomach churned.
This was the first time he had witnessed the brutal consequences of war up close, and it was far more shocking than he had imagined.
"You saw it?"
A deep, somber voice sounded in his ear, “This is considered mild. Every year, people lose their hands and feet to frostbite, or even freeze to death. The cotton-padded clothes that Father sends can save a few brothers from lying like this.”
Tiger stared intently at the horrific wounded foot, then looked at the newly issued, thick, and sturdy cotton-padded coat piled up in the corner of the barracks.
He swallowed hard, his eyes filled with gratitude: "If it weren't for Dad, the twenty-odd of us would be in even worse shape than them."
For the first time, he truly felt it.
The cloths and seemingly cold machines that my father made were connected to the lives of countless living people.
Something heavy had quietly entered the boy's life.
Shen Yan patted his shoulder with a smile, but didn't say anything.
Tiger was much quieter when he left the barracks.
He followed behind Shen Yan, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers standing solemnly with their spears at the pass.
Those faces, etched with wrinkles by the cold wind yet still resolute, were deeply imprinted in his eyes.
Several days later, in the capital, at the Ministry of War...
On the cold bluestone pavement, the shadows of several hurried black boots were elongated by the candlelight.
A military report, dusty with the winds of the frontier, was passed through layers of bureaucracy and finally landed heavily on the mahogany desk of Wang Chonghuan, the Minister of War.
The military report described the successful defensive battle in detail.
"...In previous years, the severe snow and bitter cold meant that three out of ten soldiers would freeze to death or suffer frostbite. Soldiers huddled together, scouts struggled to reach the front, and night defenses were particularly lax. This year, we received 5,000 new cotton-padded coats made by Shen Ji of Qingzhou. The fabric is fine and durable, and the lining is full and evenly padded, providing far superior protection against the cold compared to the old coats. With these warm coats, the soldiers are full of energy, and scouts can now detect enemy movements in the snowstorm, providing timely warnings. On the night of the fifteenth of the first lunar month, the Di bandits indeed attempted to attack by scaling the icy cliffs under cover of snow. Thanks to the vigilance of the sentries and the bravery of the soldiers, their advance was thwarted, and seventeen enemy heads were taken... The new cotton-padded coats played an indispensable role in this victory! We earnestly request that more winter clothing be quickly distributed to secure the border!"
He scanned it quickly.
My gaze lingered repeatedly on phrases such as "sharp drop in non-combat casualties," "soldiers' gratitude," and "the miraculous effect of cotton-padded clothing."
His knuckles tapped the table unconsciously.
“Eagle Sorrow Pass…remember the cotton-padded clothes…” Minister Wang murmured, then suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, “Guards!”
"My lord!" A steward entered in response.
"Immediately issue a document to the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue!" Minister Wang's voice was resolute. "First, instruct the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to work together to ensure the supply of cotton-padded clothing to all border troops before the beginning of spring. The specifications and quantities should refer to this report! Second," he picked up his pen and circled a name heavily on the document, "Special note—the cotton-padded clothing supplied by 'Qingzhou Chenji' has been remarkably effective. For subsequent military supplies, priority should be given to purchasing from this company!"
"Yes, sir!"
The official in charge, holding the heavy document, quickly retreated, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.
Qingzhou, a post station.
A courier horse, its mouth and nostrils puffing out white steam, galloped into the city, with the courier on its back holding aloft a leather tube adorned with three red-dyed pheasant feathers.
He shouted hoarsely, "Urgent dispatch! Ministry of Works document! Get out of the way!"
The official document, like a hot iron, was passed through layers of bureaucracy and finally reached Special Envoy Qian Shouren, who was temporarily residing in the government office, in the first month of the lunar calendar.
Special Envoy Qian was facing the charcoal brazier, slowly trimming his nails with small silver scissors, plotting how to put pressure on the magistrate again tomorrow.
A servant practically stumbled in: "My lord! An urgent dispatch from the Ministry of Works in the capital!"
Special Envoy Qian frowned, took the official document, and opened the sealing wax.
After reading only a few lines, the composure on his face froze instantly, and his fingers began to tremble slightly.
The cold, hard words on the official document were like whips lashing his face:
"...Quickly investigate the details and production capacity of the cotton-padded clothing supplied by 'Qingzhou Chenji'...to ensure a secure supply of military provisions! The promotion of 'Xuanji New Method' is temporarily suspended; ensuring military supplies is the top priority! Any delays will be severely punished!"
"Military supplies... cotton-padded clothes... Shen Ji..."
Envoy Qian muttered to himself, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He suddenly remembered the excuse he had given to the Ministry of Works in order to delay the process and squeeze more blueprints: "The technology still needs to be improved and its promotion should be slowed down"—this was originally his bargaining chip to control Shen Yan, but now it had become the best shield for the other party!
If he dares to demand the blueprints again, he will be openly defying the Ministry of War's orders and disregarding matters of national importance!
"Prepare the sedan chair!"
Special Envoy Qian stood up abruptly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of panic.
"To Shen's Workshop! Now!"
Shen's workshop officially resumed operations after the Lantern Festival.
The workshop was brightly lit.
Even on New Year's Eve, some looms in the core area were still running, rushing to produce the last batch of cotton cloth.
Shen Yan was discussing matters in hushed tones with Ling Zhan and Su Wan in the accounting room.
Old Zhao, the gatekeeper, came running up, panting: "Master! That... that Minister Qian from the Ministry of Works has arrived with his men! He looks... very unwell!"
Shen Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and she exchanged a knowing glance with Ling Zhan: "Please."
Envoy Qian practically barged in, his official robes still damp with the chill of his journey.
He tried to maintain his official demeanor, but the impatience in his eyes was undeniable. He dismissed his attendants, leaving only a trusted follower.
“Master Shen,” Envoy Qian’s voice was somewhat hoarse, “the Ministry of War has ordered you, Shen Ji, to do everything in your power to ensure the supply of cotton-padded clothing for the border troops before spring! This matter concerns the foundation of the nation and cannot be compromised! What is your workshop’s current production capacity? Can you deliver the goods on time and in full?”
Shen Yan remained calm, as if he had expected this all along.
“Reporting to you, sir, the workshop is working day and night, with thirty-eight looms operating at full capacity, producing enough cotton fabric to make approximately three thousand sets of clothing per month. If we need to increase production…” He paused, his gaze sweeping over the covered “Xuanji” looms, “we can only use the new ‘Xuanji machine.’ However, as you know, sir, this machine is still being tested; the process is complex and potentially unstable. If we force it, it might delay the production schedule and affect military supplies…”
Special Envoy Qian choked and turned pale.
Shen Yan's words hit the nail on the head regarding his previous report on "immature technology," leaving him speechless even when he wanted to mention the blueprints!
He suppressed his anger: "'Xuanji' machine... how long will it take to debug?"
"It's hard to say."
Shen Yan shook his head. "The precision requirements for core components are extremely high. The slightest mistake will render the entire machine unusable. To ensure the safety of military supplies, we must prioritize stability for now. Rest assured, sir, I will do my utmost to ensure the supply." He emphasized "military supplies" and "stability" very much.
Envoy Qian's chest heaved as he stared at Shen Yan's calm face. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Alright! Master Shen, military affairs are of utmost importance! You... take care of yourself!"
He turned and left the workshop almost as if fleeing.
That military order from the Ministry of War acted like an invisible shackle, temporarily binding his hand that reached for the blueprints.
At this time, in a secluded mansion somewhere in the capital.
The warm room was filled with the fragrance of incense, which kept out the cold air from outside.
A well-maintained hand, adorned with a jade thumb ring, gently set down the summary of the Ministry of War's official document that it had just copied.
From the shadows, a deep voice rang out: "Qingzhou Chenji? The small workshop that produced that 'Xuanji Loom'?"
"Indeed, sir."
The subordinate, standing respectfully with his hands at his sides, replied, "Lord Wang of the Ministry of War personally selected it, so it seems that the cotton-padded coat is indeed exceptional. Along with the loom... its value is probably far greater than previously estimated."
"oh?"
The person in the shadows seemed intrigued. "To catch Wang Chonghuan's eye... it must be no ordinary item. The border troops produce tens of thousands of cotton-padded coats every year... not to mention the looms themselves..."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the rosewood tabletop, producing a dull sound.
"Keep an eye on them. That Qian guy in the Ministry of Works is probably unreliable. Find an excuse... to send one of our people to Qingzhou to 'take a look' as well."
"Yes, sir." The subordinate withdrew silently.
The warm pavilion returned to silence.
Outside the window, the snow of the first month of the lunar calendar silently covered the glazed tiles of the capital city.
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