novelraw Chapter 709 Traveling Day and Night
Chapter 709 Traveling Day and Night
Chapter 709 Traveling Day and Night
Over the past decade or so, Lanzhou has been severely damaged by that damned imposter, its vitality greatly diminished, and everything that was beneficial to people's livelihoods has become a complete mess.
So, in addition to building a medical clinic, Lu Qing also reminded Chang Yu about the issue of food.
It is said that food is the most important thing for people, and this is absolutely true.
Even without fine silks and satins, coarse cloth and linen can still cover the body. Even with a lack of medical care and medicine, at least some people can rely on their toughness to get through it.
But without food, no one can survive.
At Lu Qing's suggestion, Chang Yu still issued a decree in the name of the Prince of Lan, ordering farmers across the country to be exempt from taxes for five years, encouraging them to focus on planting grain after the spring.
At the same time, Chang Yu also arranged for people to plant various medicinal herbs needed for traditional medicine on a large scale on the land under the name of Prince Lan, so as to ensure that both aspects were taken into account.
After more than a month of busy work inside and out, although I dare not say that Landi has undergone any earth-shattering changes, at least it has begun to show some signs of stabilization.
All the land that had been taken away was returned to the original people, and some of those who had fled famine gradually chose to return to their hometowns.
After achieving some initial success, Chang Yu did not dare to slack off. Together with Lin Kun, he supervised the training of the Lanwang Mansion's personal guards every day. He also planned to select some strong men from the civilian population to expand the currently severely weakened military force after things stabilized for a while.
And so, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu stayed in Lan Di for more than four months, from early winter to early spring. During this time, Lu Qing received some news intermittently, confirming that there were no changes elsewhere, which made him feel more at ease to assist Chang Yu in taking over Lan Di and cleaning up the mess.
Landi has the most pleasant climate among these Brahma kingdoms. In early spring, the cold winds and rains gradually dissipate, the sun shines warmly, and all things flourish. Landi, which was originally gloomy, has regained some vitality.
After nearly locking himself away for more than three months, Mu Hong finally succeeded in concocting an antidote that was completely indistinguishable from the original poison incense in terms of its scent. With the assistance of Situ Jing's subordinates, he began to work day and night to produce it. This was because, according to the agreement in the letter between the imposter Lan Wang and his accomplices in Jin Kingdom, they needed to transport a batch of poison incense to Jin Kingdom next month.
In order to avoid arousing suspicion and to ensure the smooth progress of the entire plan, this batch of goods must not have any problems and must depart on schedule and in full without any delay.
While rushing to prepare the antidote, Mu Hong also made a special trip to visit Lu Qing and Zhu Yu.
"My lord, these are the medicinal herbs necessary to concoct the poison incense." He laboriously carried a dark wooden box to Lu Qing's side. "Although the thief who harmed my entire family is dead, and the new king seems like a good person... I'm still someone who's been bitten once and is now afraid of even a rope..."
I don't trust anyone else, so I can only entrust all these things to you!
These things cannot be kept. People are never satisfied. Even if the new king is a good person, he has so many people under his command. They are all good now, but what about later?
So it's best to leave it to you. It's better to destroy it all later; once it's gone, you won't have to worry about it being targeted by bad people!
Lu Qing understood his concerns. So many people in the Mu family died because they were forced to concoct poison incense. Mu Hong's originally smooth and glorious life became bumpy and miserable because of this. It was perfectly normal for him to have such concerns.
Even if someone is truly determined to commit such a heinous act, destroying the existing ones will not stop them from finding ways to recreate them.
However, Lu Qing did not say anything to make Mu Hong nervous. Instead, she asked Fu Wen to properly store the box of things and promised Mu Hong that she would destroy it all at a suitable time.
Mu Hong was finally relieved.
When the day arrived to depart for the poison incense to the Jin Kingdom, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu made preparations in advance. They covered themselves with fake skin to conceal their true appearances, dressed in the same clothes as the others, and mingled with the transport team. On the day of departure, Chang Yu got up early to see them off.
After months of hard work, he had grown more composed. Once he was sure he had enough men to handle the situation, Lu Qing ordered Situ Jing's men to pack their belongings and head to various passes to meet up with their own brothers, instead of lingering in the capital.
Now that even he and Zhu Yu are preparing to join the transport team to return to Jin Kingdom, Chang Yu still feels somewhat empty.
Over the past few months, he regarded Lu Qing as his benefactor, and even more so as an elder brother and mentor, trusting him implicitly. His initial curiosity about Zhu Yu also turned into greater respect after he learned more about him.
Now that the two of them were leaving, and returning to that dangerous place again, he felt a strange mix of emotions.
"You've made rapid progress lately, and with loyal advisors like Lin Kun and Hong Liu'er by your side, you'll surely become a wise and virtuous ruler in time," Lu Qing said, seeing the complex emotions in his eyes.
“But your departure this time... I’m afraid the road ahead is fraught with danger…” Chang Yu frowned, his expression full of worry. “But… I have no way to help you.”
“No matter how dangerous it is, it’s a necessary path. There’s no reason not to take it.” Lu Qing smiled. “If we were all afraid of death, then the people of the world would only become fish on the chopping block.”
"If you continue to govern Landi well, stabilize this land, guard the passes, and help me firmly defend the borders of Fandi, that will be a tremendous help to me."
Chang Yu nodded repeatedly, watching them leave with reluctance.
This time, the journey was very fast, and because they were transporting a lot of spices, it was not convenient to stay in hotels. They rested almost all of the time in the wild. By the time the group arrived near the capital, everyone looked travel-worn and exhausted.
The good news is that after all this rushing, they are now only three days away from the capital, giving them plenty of time.
So that night, they decided to rest in the woods not far from the official road as soon as it got dark, pack their belongings, and continue their journey the next day.
Zhu Yu, like everyone else, was dressed as a man and traveled on horseback.
At first, she thought riding a horse was much easier than walking, and that riding a horse wouldn't cause her to get eleven blisters on her toes.
As a result, while the feet were no longer in pain, the suffering was transferred elsewhere.
The first few days were alright; at most, when the road was bumpy and uneven, her buttocks would ache from the horse's movements. But in the later days, the journey was long and the pace was fast, so the suffering went far beyond that.
She felt a bit numb while riding the horse, but now that she's dismounted and resting under a tree, she feels a burning pain on the inside of both her thighs from the chafing.
I will start updating only tomorrow, and will take a break on Lunar New Year's Eve. Normal updates will resume after the Spring Festival holiday.
End of story warning! Extra chapters will be delayed and it will be too late to write them later!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!