Chapter 28: Is This Person Crazy?

"Troops and horses move, but grain and fodder go first"—a truth that has remained unchanged since ancient times.

Especially in the era of cold steel, logistics and supplies are the absolute priority for any military campaign. A single battle might involve only tens of thousands of frontline soldiers, yet the logistical support required can climb into the hundreds of thousands.

The reason is simple. The distances are vast, and the logistical personnel are human, too; they consume food. Should they encounter natural disasters like heavy rain or snow during transport, another massive quantity of provisions would be lost. Consequently, the size of the supply train must increase exponentially.

"Hurry up and get to work!"

"The main army will arrive at Fengxi County in five days at the latest. That is the final staging ground for the three armies."

"Only when the soldiers are well-fed can they fight."

"If our supplies don't arrive on time, the soldiers go hungry and the horses lack sufficient fodder, we cannot defeat Northern Qi."

"If something goes wrong with the war in the Northern Frontier, no one here can bear the Emperor's wrath."

"When your heads roll, don't blame me for not warning you!"

At the city gate, a young man was shouting at the top of his lungs. Before the gate, piles of grain and hay were stacked high, and wagon after wagon of supplies was being dispatched toward the north.

"Yunyan greets you, cousin!"

Just then, a voice as melodious as a silver bell rang out from behind Wang Yong.

Wang Yong, who had been fierce and menacing just a moment ago, immediately beamed with joy. He turned around hastily to look at Chu Yunyan. However, he simultaneously noticed a man standing beside her. The man was dressed in magnificent attire and possessed an extraordinary bearing; one could tell at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

"He is..."

Wang Yong’s smile vanished instantly, as if the man before him had snatched away something he held dear.

"Brother Wang, may we step aside to speak?" Gao Changsheng said with a faint smile.

He had originally assumed Wang Yong and Chu Yunyan were merely distant relatives. He had not expected this fellow to harbor romantic feelings for her. As a transmigrator, Gao Changsheng found such notions difficult to accept, but in this ancient world, it was an entirely common occurrence.

"Then, please." Wang Yong looked at Chu Yunyan and replied, albeit reluctantly.

The three of them moved to an open area beneath the gate tower.

"Cousin, this is His Highness, the Sixth Prince!" Chu Yunyan immediately revealed Gao Changsheng’s identity. She feared that Wang Yong might act foolishly and accidentally offend him.

"The Sixth Prince?" Wang Yong arched an eyebrow and began to size Gao Changsheng up again. It seemed he, too, had heard of Gao Changsheng’s "glorious achievements."

"I wonder why the noble Sixth Prince would go out of his way to visit a small fry like me?" Wang Yong asked with a flippant air.

Gao Changsheng never expected his first meeting with Wang Yong to go so poorly. It seemed persuading Wang Yong to serve him would be no easy task.

"Though an insect is small, if utilized properly, it can benefit mankind. Though a viper is venomous, if one is capable enough, they can extract its venom for medicine and use its meat for soup," Gao Changsheng said, his expression emotionless. "In my eyes, both insects and vipers have their uses. Does the Director mean to suggest he is inferior to a bug or a snake?"

"You!" Wang Yong’s face flushed red. He had not expected a dignified prince to be so insulting in the middle of the street. But even more shocking was how blunt Gao Changsheng was.

Even Chu Yunyan, standing to the side, was at a loss. Gao Changsheng was the one seeking Wang Yong’s help—how could he expect to gain anything with such a confrontational opening?

"Your Highness may be a prince, but I, Wang Yong, am no idiot to be toyed with. I have imperial orders to fulfill, so I shall take my leave!" Having said this, Wang Yong turned to depart.

Seeing this, Chu Yunyan became truly anxious. Without Wang Yong, she had no idea who else could help Gao Changsheng mobilize the supply train.

"You were quite right earlier," Gao Changsheng said, offering a calm, cold smile. "If something goes wrong with these supplies and affects the battle against Northern Qi, everyone will lose their heads. As the Director of the Provisions Bureau, you are in charge of recording the quantities and are responsible for their security. If the supply train fails, you will be the first to suffer."

"In other words, you are a dead man."

*Thump!*

Wang Yong, having just lifted his foot to leave, set it back down heavily. "What do you mean? Why would you say that?!"

He was clearly flustered. Although Wang Yong had entered officialdom as a relative of Chu Jiangnian, his low rank of eighth grade meant he was not yet qualified to understand the darkness of the bureaucracy. Compared to a prince like Gao Changsheng, he was nothing more than a small shrimp. If those above decided to scheme against someone like him, he would likely die without ever knowing why.

"How many men do you have under your command?" Gao Changsheng ignored his question. He never intended to truly bring Wang Yong into his fold; to put it bluntly, he intended to exploit him.

"About eight hundred," Wang Yong said, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "However, the imperial army has mobilized a massive force for this campaign, and the soldiers in the barracks alone aren't enough to support the logistics. Therefore, the court has recruited a large number of commoners to handle the transport. Ninety percent of the eight hundred men I oversee are ordinary civilians; they lack any effective combat capability."

The man wasn't entirely stupid; he had guessed that Gao Changsheng wanted to use him for combat. But at the same time, Wang Yong was a coward. He worried that the eight hundred men under his control wouldn't be enough to save his own skin.

"No matter," Gao Changsheng said, secretly feeling relieved. "If my calculations are correct, you won't be facing soldiers. As long as those eight hundred men are armed, that will be enough."

"Armed?" Wang Yong cried out in agitation. "Where am I supposed to find that many weapons?"

"That is easy to solve," Chu Yunyan interjected. "Although the Ministry of War has full responsibility for these supplies, the Ministry of Works is also involved. This first shipment includes weapons and armor from the Ministry of Works; it’s just that you aren't the one assigned to oversee them, cousin. Once I return to the Ministry of War and consult with my father, changing the transfer orders will be a simple matter."

Across the entire Great Yong Dynasty, few people understood the internal affairs of the Ministry of War better than Chu Yunyan. Furthermore, adjusting transfer orders was well within the purview of the Minister of War and would not require bothering the Emperor. Therefore, it could not be considered forging an imperial decree.

It must be said that gaining Chu Yunyan’s unexpected help was a massive boon for Gao Changsheng.

"Cousin, I believe in you," Wang Yong said. "If I can make it back alive from this, I will..."

He swallowed the rest of his words, for he felt the icy gaze of Gao Changsheng. This... this wasn't right. The rumors about the Sixth Prince being the biggest coward in Jinyong City—were they all lies? Was this terrifying man before him the true face of the Sixth Prince?

"Oh, cousin! My dear cousin! How will I ever survive without you?"

"Waaaah!" Wang Yong cast one last lingering glance at Chu Yunyan and then ran off in tears.

"Is that man insane?" Gao Changsheng muttered, looking utterly bewildered.