Chapter 460 Liu Qianrou Goes to the Battlefield
Liu Qianrou retrieved her dowry and rode away amidst the admiring gazes of the crowd.
After this incident, her reputation as the "Queen of Beijing" became even more renowned.
However, just as she was preparing to teach at the academy in peace, a sudden emergency was reported at the border: the barbarian tribes of the northern frontier launched a large-scale invasion, and the Liu family army was surrounded!
Upon hearing the news, Liu Qianrou didn't sleep a wink all night. The next morning, she went to the border region to find Daiyu and Yuan Hongqu: "Sister Yu'er, Mr. Yuan, I want to go to the border."
Yuan Hongqu frowned: "You recently had a miscarriage, and your body hasn't fully recovered yet..."
“That’s precisely why I must go.” Liu Qianrou looked up, tears welling in her eyes. “My father and brothers are fighting valiantly. How can I, as a daughter of the Liu family, remain safely at home? Besides…” She clenched her fists. “I want the whole world to know that every son and daughter of the Liu family is outstanding!”
Daiyu helped her up: "Have you thought this through? The battlefield is dangerous, not a game."
Liu Qianrou nodded firmly: "I've thought it through. These days at the academy, I've not only taught students horseback riding and archery, but I've also picked up my martial arts skills again. Perhaps this is my mission—not to be confined to the inner quarters as a wife and mother, but to protect my country."
Yuan Hongqu and Daiyu exchanged a glance, both seeing the approval in each other's eyes.
“Since you’ve made up your mind, we support you,” Yuan Hongqu said. “The academy will prepare the best equipment and medicine for you.”
Daiyu then wrote a letter: "I ask the Tenth Prince for help so that you can go to the border as a special envoy of the Women's Academy. This way you can join the army without being bound by military regulations."
The news of Liu Qianrou's decision to go to the border was like a boulder thrown into the girls' academy, creating ripples all around.
The day before the expedition, the academy's training ground was filled with farewell gifts prepared spontaneously by the students.
"Teacher Liu, this is a peace charm I embroidered. Wearing it will surely bring you a safe return." A shy little girl handed over a carefully embroidered sachet.
"This is my family's secret recipe for dried meat. It keeps well and keeps you full for a long time." Another student brought over a large bag of dried food.
What moved Liu Qianrou the most was that Daiyu and Yuan Hongqu had a heavy camphor wood box brought over.
"This is a battlefield gift pack specially prepared for you by the academy." Daiyu opened the box, revealing various items neatly arranged inside.
Yuan Hongqu explained one by one: "This set of lightweight armor is specially made, 30% lighter than ordinary armor, but without compromising its protective power; these medicine bottles are labeled, red is for wound medicine, green is for detoxification powder, blue is for fever-reducing pills..."
Liu Qianrou picked up a piece of shimmering silver soft armor. It felt as light as ordinary clothes, yet it was exceptionally tough: "This material is quite special."
“These were specially made by Granny,” Daiyu said with a smile. “And these…” She took out several sealed oil paper packets. “These are compressed rations, one piece is enough for a meal; this is self-heating soup mix, just add water to make soup; this is a glowing waist tag, which can help distinguish friend from foe when moving at night…”
Looking at these thoughtful and practical items, Liu Qianrou's eyes reddened: "This...this is too precious..."
"Compared to your safety, these things are nothing." Yuan Hongqu patted her shoulder. "Remember, the academy will always be your support."
Three days later, Liu Qianrou embarked on her journey with a gift package prepared by the academy.
Upon arriving at the border, she immediately felt the cruelty of the battlefield: food and supplies were scarce, medicines were in short supply, and wounded soldiers often died because they could not receive timely treatment.
On her first battle, Liu Qianrou witnessed the wonderful use of the academy gift pack.
That day, she led her squad on a reconnaissance mission and encountered an enemy ambush.
During the melee, her arm was grazed by an arrow. She immediately took out some wound medicine and sprinkled it on, and the bleeding stopped instantly.
During a nighttime breakout, the glowing waist tags allow team members to look out for each other in the dark;
The food packs allowed them to survive for two more days despite the food shortage.
The most dangerous incident involved the old general being shot by an arrow and falling into a coma, with the army doctor helpless.
Liu Qianrou took out the academy's specially made antidote pills and managed to pull the person back from the brink of death.
After a great victory, Liu Qianrou wrote a letter overnight, detailing the important role of the academy gift pack on the battlefield and earnestly requesting the court to equip the border soldiers with it.
The memorial arrived in the capital during the morning court session. The Minister of War, after reading it, was both surprised and delighted: "Your Majesty! If General Liu's words are true, this battlefield package can greatly enhance our army's combat power!"
But when he saw the cost list, he gasped in shock: "This...this set costs fifty taels of silver? With 100,000 troops on the border, that's five million taels! How can the national treasury afford it?"
The court was immediately abuzz with discussion. Some ministers believed that the entire army should be equipped regardless of cost, while others thought it was simply a pipe dream.
The Emperor handed the memorial to Yuan Hongqu: "What do you think, my dear Minister Yuan?"
After examining them closely, Yuan Hongqu also became troubled: "Your Majesty, these items are expensive because of the fine materials used. It would indeed be difficult to afford to equip them on a large scale."
After the court session, Yuan Hongqu returned to the academy with a troubled expression. Seeing this, Daiyu inquired about the reason and pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "Granny, why don't we make an alternative version?"
"Replacement?"
“Exactly.” Daiyu brought over paper and pen. “Look, the armor can use bamboo strips instead of some iron plates, reducing weight and cost; the medicinal herbs can be slightly less effective but cheaper; the rations can be a mixture of grains…”
She became more and more excited as she spoke, and immediately gathered the students in the academy who were proficient in arithmetic and crafts to form a special group.
After three days and three nights of research, they finally came up with a solution to reduce the cost of the armor from fifty taels to fifteen taels, the medicine pack from ten taels to two taels, and the entire gift set for no more than twenty taels.
Daiyu personally presented the proposal to the Minister of War. After reviewing it, the Minister still found it expensive: "Twenty taels for a set, even for an army of 100,000, it would cost two million taels..."
Daiyu remained calm and composed: "My lord, may I do the math? One set of supplies can increase a soldier's chances of survival by 30%, and reduce the number of casualties, saving the court twenty taels of silver in compensation. If we can win more battles, the spoils of war will amount to far more than two million taels."
She added, "Moreover, we can equip them in batches, starting with elite troops. Once we see results, we can gradually expand the program."
The Minister of War was tempted, but worried about the quality: "Can the effectiveness of this alternative version be guaranteed?"
At this moment, news of another victory arrived from the border: Liu Qianrou, using the items in the gift pack, once again achieved a victory against overwhelming odds. The memorial specifically mentioned that even some simplified versions of the items could play a significant role on the battlefield.
Upon learning of this, the Emperor immediately approved: "Allocate 500,000 taels of silver to equip 25,000 sets! If it proves effective, further funds will be allocated!"
When the news reached the academy, everyone cheered with joy.
But Yuan Hongqu was worried: "Twenty-five thousand sets... I'm afraid the academy's existing workshops won't be able to finish them in half a year."
Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? We can outsource it to other workshops in the capital, and the academy can handle the quality control. It will also create jobs for the people."
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