Chapter 31: Forming the Transport Team

Returning to the prince’s residence, Zhao Bin noticed that Cao Li, He Miao, and Yang Guangtai were all present. Recently, these three frequently came to the residence to handle affairs, leaving Old Lin alone to oversee matters at the government office.

They claimed that business at the government office had lessened while the prince’s residence was busier, but the real reason was the heating. The government office used charcoal fires, whereas the prince’s residence burned coal, which made the rooms far warmer and more comfortable than those heated by charcoal.

Zhao Bin entered the main hall. Seeing him return, the three rose quickly and saluted: “Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Oh! All the old fellows are here?” Zhao Bin teased with a smile.

Their faces flushed immediately, a hint of embarrassment flashing across their expressions.

Cao Li stepped forward and said, “Please forgive us, Your Highness. There is a pressing matter today. The imperial court’s salt transport officials have arrived, and I have arranged for them to stay at the government office’s post house.”

“Oh? How many came? Did they bring the silver?” Zhao Bin asked eagerly.

“Not many—only five men, with three thousand taels of silver,” Cao Li replied.

“Only five? What does that mean? Are we responsible for the delivery?” Zhao Bin was surprised.

“That’s right.”

“Damn, I only have five hundred guards, and they’ve all been dispatched. There’s only one squad left now. Who’s going to deliver the goods to them?” Zhao Bin said, speechless.

“Why not assign the government office’s clerks to escort them?” He Miao suggested.

“No, no,” Zhao Bin interrupted decisively. “The clerks have their duties. We will establish a new transport squad, dedicated to handling cargo delivery from now on. He Miao, draft a notice immediately to recruit people skilled in martial arts within Yancheng to escort the fine salt on behalf of the emperor.” Zhao Bin suddenly saw this as a perfect opportunity to expand his manpower.

“How many recruits, Your Highness?” He Miao asked.

“Start with two hundred. If we can’t find that many, choose those who are physically strong.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” He Miao returned to his seat and began drafting the recruitment notice.

Zhao Bin thought for a moment and added, “All recruits must undergo seven days of unified training. Once officially on duty, each will receive a daily salary of three wen, with five wen paid for each mission.”

“Your Highness, who will escort this batch of salt for now?” Cao Li asked.

“Select fifty men from the clerks to escort the shipment, each receiving a daily subsidy of five wen. Convert the three thousand taels of silver into copper coins and distribute them as monthly wages to the local people for this period as well.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The next day, over a dozen carts loaded with fine salt departed Yancheng, heading toward the capital.

For the following three days, crowds gathered daily at the Yancheng government office—many coming from the countryside, all eager to join the transport squad, though not all were needed.

After careful selection, over two hundred men were chosen—either skilled in combat or physically stronger than average.

Zhao Bin selected an open field just outside the city as the training ground. Wang Wu led five guards to conduct short-term drills.

Wang Wu, a military professional familiar with battle formations, trained them in offensive and defensive maneuvers designed to reduce casualties and increase lethality in combat.

On the city walls, Qin Fang’s face darkened. The imperial court forbade vassal princes to maintain private armies, viewing such as treason.

The men recruited by the Prince of Yan were not yet a private army, but should trouble arise, they could immediately become the prince’s personal force.

Qin Fang’s feelings were complex—not out of fear of a private army, but concern that someone might exploit this in the court to cause trouble. He did not wish harm upon the Prince of Yan, who had brought change to Yancheng, yet seemed powerless to intervene. This left him frustrated.

Winter evenings were always bleak. The sun slowly dipped behind the mountains, leaving a blood-red afterglow, as if a fierce battle had just raged in the sky. Qin Fang descended from the wall and headed to his residence.

Zhao Bin was unaware of Qin Fang’s thoughts. He only knew that in such ruthless times, becoming stronger was the best safeguard.

Inside the Prince of Yan’s residence, Zhao Bin used his memory and university knowledge of mechanical theory to design defensive blueprints.

Ling’er, curious, looked at the drawings on the table and asked, “Your Highness, what is this? It looks like a crossbow, but different from the ones before.”

Zhao Bin set down his charcoal brush and said, “This is called the Zhuge repeating crossbow. It allows rapid firing and greatly saves time in shooting. One crossbowman can be as effective as ten archers.”

“Ten archers?” Ling’er exclaimed.

“Yes. Yancheng is too dangerous. The Jie tribe might launch a large-scale attack at any time. The city is small and defenses thin. We must improve combat efficiency with limited manpower.”

“You’re amazing, Your Highness. But why is it called the Zhuge repeating crossbow?”

“Because it was invented by an ancient man named Zhuge Liang.”

“Zhuge Liang?” Ling’er murmured in confusion, “I’ve never heard of him.”

“There are too many ancient figures for you to know them all,” Zhao Bin smiled.

Ling’er raised an eyebrow helplessly. “Alright, what’s this one called?” She pointed to another drawing.

Zhao Bin picked it up. “This is called the triple-layer crossbow. Two bows face forward, one faces backward. Its range is three to four times that of ordinary bows.”

“What? That far?” Ling’er was astonished.

“Hey, why are you so excited? I haven’t finished yet.”

“Oh, please continue, Your Highness.” She sat back on Zhao Bin’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“This crossbow packs great power and long range but is difficult to operate. Even after improvements, it requires several people to assemble and fire. However, it can be used to snipe enemy commanders from afar.”

“Then with these, will Yancheng be safe?”

“Safe? It’s never that simple. The greatest safety isn’t defense but offense,” Zhao Bin said thoughtfully.

“Offense? Attack whom?”

“Whoever attacks us, we attack them back.”

Ling’er said no more. She tightened her hands around Zhao Bin’s neck and buried her head in his embrace. “No matter who attacks us, Ling’er won’t leave Your Highness. I will always stay by your side.”

Zhao Bin gently stroked Ling’er’s delicate frame and whispered, “Don’t worry, I will never let anyone harm us.” With that, he lifted her tender body and slowly walked toward the bed, their lively figures rising and falling behind the curtains.