Chapter 54: Snow Blankets the Bow and Blade, the Chanyu Flees into the Night!

"Twenty-nine, thirty..."

"Alright, that's enough pretending!"

Soon enough, the boat was loaded with thirty full sandbags before the Yang brothers finally called a halt.

Without delay, the two men—bare-chested—stood one behind the other at the bow, rowing straight into the churning depths of the Yi River.

Not long after, a low, excited murmur rose from the crowd.

The grain transport boat, now bearing thirty sandbags, encountered no trouble. The Yang brothers rowed steadily to the river's center and returned with ease.

The old village chief was so overcome with excitement that he could hardly speak, gripping Li Yuanjing's hand as he trembled and exclaimed, "Yuanjing, it's done! It's done!"

A faint smile finally appeared at the corner of Li Yuanjing's lips. If even this overwhelming advantage had run into problems, he might as well have given up.

However, the joy was short-lived. The Yang brothers hurried over to inform Li Yuanjing of an important issue: because the boat's base and sides were pieced together from small planks, while its buoyancy and sturdiness were sufficient, it did leak a bit. The sandbags on board were already damp.

This startled Li Yuanjing—he was planning to transport grain, after all. If the grain got wet, it would spell disaster.

But after a brief consideration, Li Yuanjing devised a solution. He summoned Zhao Zengjin and the other carpenters to line the boat with several layers of waterproof oilcloth, then reinforce the structure with more planks.

Though this reduced the boat's carrying capacity a little, safety was paramount. As long as the boat was serviceable, a few extra trips would suffice.

…

By the time Li Yuanjing and the others returned to Quanzi Village, it was nearly dawn.

According to his agreement with Wang Youdao, tonight was the night they would collect the grain near Dazigou Village.

After treating the men to a hearty breakfast and paying each of them one hundred large coins, he sent everyone home to rest and recover their strength.

Li Yuanjing also returned to sleep, embracing Yu Niang.

Though he had grown somewhat suspicious of Madam Wang and her daughter, he chose not to act rashly. Instead, he instructed Chen Chunyan to keep a close but discreet watch on the two women.

Li Yuanjing felt confident in Quanzi Village's strength. Even if the two women harbored ulterior motives, he doubted they could stir up much trouble. He had seen enough of thankless wretches in his later life and was well-versed in dealing with such matters.

Yet, something occurred that Li Yuanjing did not expect.

Around noon, as he slept soundly, Wang Youdao suddenly sent someone to inform him: "—there's a change of plan; action will have to wait until the night after tomorrow."

Li Yuanjing snapped awake, sensing something amiss. He quickly ordered Zhang Kun to discreetly investigate the situation near Dazigou.

When Li Yuanjing awoke, it was already dark outside, and Zhang Kun and the others had returned. They reported that nothing unusual was happening in Dazigou Village, though rumors suggested that Wang Youdao had fallen out with Lord Dong.

Suddenly, everything became clear to Li Yuanjing.

The reason for Wang Youdao's urgency, his loss of composure, and his secretive behavior was that his foundational interests in Dazigou Village had been threatened.

A mere merchant, however wealthy, was no match for Lord Dong—a blacksmith whose followers were all desperate men.

Yet, for Wang Youdao to remain in Dazigou despite this danger, instead of fleeing, revealed a core truth: he had vital interests there that prevented him from abandoning the village.

Li Yuanjing couldn't discern precisely what these interests were.

Still, he had already accepted payment. The proverb "take a man's money, help him ward off disaster" applied; he simply needed to do his part. Whatever conflict existed between Wang Youdao and Lord Dong was none of his business.

If anyone interfered and made things difficult for him, he would not hesitate to return the favor.

…

Over the next two days, Li Yuanjing made no rash moves. Instead, he meticulously prepared everything necessary.

Even his trusted aide Zhao Zengjin learned to use hand grenades.

As for Madam Wang and her daughter, Li Yuanjing did not act hastily. The two women behaved normally, mastering the new weaving machine and working diligently.

Li Yuanjing did sense that Chen Chuxue wanted to speak with him but was hesitant. Yet, with so many pressing matters, he had no time for such trifling concerns. The grain transport took priority.

Finally, on the evening of the eighth day, Wang Youdao's men arrived to inform Li Yuanjing that operations would commence later that night.

Li Yuanjing was invigorated. He summoned the old village chief, assembled the men, and prepared to set out.

After some deliberation, he decided to bring Madam Wang along as well—but under strict supervision, never letting her out of his sight.

…

Just after the hour of the Dog—around seven o'clock in the evening—the sky was pitch-black, and thick snowflakes fell heavily.

Yet the weather did nothing to dampen the group's spirits.

At Li Yuanjing's command, more than forty sturdy young men, each carrying clubs and machetes, set off for Dazigou, accompanied only by Madam Wang, who was disguised as a man.

Upon reaching a sheltered spot beneath a small hill near Dazigou Village, they found sixteen handcarts loaded with grain and fodder waiting for them.

As expected, Wang Youdao himself did not appear that night.

After carefully inspecting the goods with one of Wang Youdao's trusted men to ensure everything was in order, Li Yuanjing wasted no time. He led the group, pushing the sixteen carts into the snowy darkness.

Though he had planned and prepared meticulously, the night's ordeal was still intense.

The journey from Quanzi Village to Dazigou was over ten miles. After collecting the goods, they faced nearly thirty miles to the banks of the Yi River. Once across, there was another ten miles or so to go.

All told, even discounting the first leg from Quanzi to Dazigou, the trek was roughly forty miles—forty miles, and all while hauling heavy loads.

It was no trivial task.

Fortunately, Li Yuanjing's thorough preparations paid off. The men were all robust and well-fed, their energy reserves replenished, and the grueling march did not overwhelm them.

The snow, too, made the rough country tracks a little easier to traverse. Judging by the snowfall, it might not stop by morning, affording them cover even if daylight broke as they crossed the river, giving them time to reach Huangniwa without being discovered.

On such a stormy night, no ordinary villagers would venture out.

Moreover, the snow would help conceal their cart tracks—a nearly perfect situation.

The journey proceeded smoothly.

By about one thirty in the morning, the group reached the rolling banks of the Yi River and began the crossing.

The grain boat, now thoroughly tested, performed flawlessly. After three round trips, the entire party had crossed.

Guided by Liu Gang and Madam Wang, they pressed on through the darkness toward the unfamiliar village of Huangniwa.

Along the way, Li Yuanjing keenly noticed that Madam Wang seemed tense—though she tried to hide it, she could not escape his sharp gaze.

After some thought, Li Yuanjing called her to his side, assigning her to "command the center" and lead the way.

Surprisingly, this seemed to put Madam Wang at ease; instead of growing more nervous, she visibly relaxed.

This left Li Yuanjing somewhat perplexed. What exactly was going on with Madam Wang?

Nonetheless, a cold, sharp smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Snow covers the curved bow, and the Chanyu flees by night!"

Tonight, even if the gods themselves tried to interfere, Li Yuanjing would crush all opposition beneath his heel.