spoiled brat

Chapter 111 110. It’s hard to calm down (10)
The Prince of Ning's mansion decided to borrow grain.

The steward of the manor went to the northern camp to discuss and settle accounts, taking stock of the grain needed for the soldiers, their families, and servants to get through the winter. He then went to collect rent from the various estates. After deducting the necessary expenses, all the remaining grain was loaded onto carts and transported north in batches.

Due to the unpredictable troop movements, the grain carts of the Prince of Ning's mansion only needed to be escorted to the border of Yunzhou, where the grain transport troops would take over and transport them to the front lines.

This task had nothing to do with Zhao Zhao, so she was happy to be free and take care of the winter preparations at the mansion.

But fate had other plans. One day, before dawn, Yuan Zhen dragged her out of bed and sighed, "Let's go, let's go escort the grain. From now on, we'll have to deal with those bastards."

In the freezing weather, Zhao Zhao was wearing two layers of coats but still felt cold. After getting into the carriage, she wished she could hug the stove and take another nap. Rubbing her eyes, she asked, "Why are we going?"

Yuan Zhen was also cold, so he reached out to warm himself by the fire and cursed, "Who told those grain transport soldiers to be Wu's personal guards? Originally, both sides could just stamp their seals on the grain delivery documents. If we were wronged, we could vent our anger and throw a tantrum, and they could just accept it. But they insisted that they were serving the country and that no one owed anyone anything, and they didn't feel indebted to anyone for taking a bribe."

He added a piece of charcoal to the stove and continued, "They were clashing and bumping into each other, both sides had dropped their weapons and armor, and were fighting with their bare hands. At this time, at this juncture, it would be really ugly if things got out of hand, and neither side would have any face left."

Zhao Zhao pushed open the window and looked out. The dozens of grain carts behind her were all driven by familiar faces from the mansion. She said knowingly, "The camp can't control the soldiers. They have to be frugal and endure humiliation. So this task has fallen to us."

Yuan Zhen nodded, and Zhao Zhao asked in surprise, "Such an important matter as transporting grain, why doesn't the young master come in person?"

“We don’t have the energy to care.” Yuan Zhen sighed. “Those Wu Party bastards have lost battle after battle. Even if they take our grain, they probably won’t be able to do anything. For the long term, the Prince and the Heir Apparent are both in the camp mobilizing troops. If there is a loss at the front, we must immediately break camp and head north.”

Transporting grain was a tough job. The roads outside the city were completely frozen, and the deep snow made travel difficult, requiring them to stop frequently to clear the road. The supply caravan moved slowly and stopped intermittently, and it was three days later when they reached the banks of the Pingjiang River on the border of Yunzhou.

At dawn, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the snow was steep and the wind was fierce along the riverbank.

Just then, a voice called out from outside, "We've arrived!" Yuan Zhen and Zhao Zhao pulled their robes tighter as they stepped off the carriage, shivering in the river wind. Several young men held up large umbrellas to shield them from the wind and offered them piping hot hot water bottles. Only then did the two of them walk closely together toward the dock.

Pingjiang is wide and deep, with a slow current. The middle of the river is still passable as long as it is not frozen. Near the shore, the ice is thick, making it impossible for grain boats to approach the dock. Grain can only be transported up by people pulling wooden sleds.

The head of the canal transport army had received the news half a day earlier and had prepared manpower and equipment in advance, waiting at the dock for a long time. When he saw that the two young girls who had come from the Prince of Ning's mansion were slightly taken aback, he cupped his hands and said, "It is cold and the road is frozen. I am sorry to trouble you two to make this trip."

He was dark-skinned and hoarse, wearing iron armor and a felt robe, with a knife at his waist; though not on the battlefield, he was dressed like a soldier.

Zhao Zhao observed that he had a rather upright demeanor and did not seem like a general who would allow his troops to fight. Logically speaking, he should not have started the fight in the first place.

But then a hand landed on the shoulder of the canal garrison commander with a "thud," shoving him aside. A noble young man dressed in brocade robes with arrow-sleeved sleeves and a cloak squeezed out, looking impatient from the cold, and said, "In this freezing weather, stop with the formalities and get down to business."

The other grain officials also agreed and urged Yuan Zhen to release the grain quickly, acting as if they were collecting debts.

Zhao Zhao had a bad feeling. Knowing Yuan Zhen's personality, he was afraid he would drag these people into the cold wind.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Zhen merely twitched the corner of his mouth, suppressing his displeasure. He pulled out the handover documents from his sleeve and said in a businesslike manner, "1,500 shi of fine millet, 300 shi of salted soybeans, and 200 shi of rice, totaling 2,000 shi..."

Before he could finish speaking, the noble young man interrupted, "Why are you so hesitant? Why did the Prince of Ning's mansion send a woman with a child? They weren't as straightforward as those previous soldiers. We can talk about this later. Let's release the grain and get it onto the boat first."

He disregarded Yuan Zhenzhao and waved to those behind him. The grain transport soldiers immediately swarmed forward, surrounding the Ning Prince's grain carts like ants. They dragged the grain sacks onto wooden sleds, tied them tightly with ropes, and pulled them across the ice, loading them onto the boats moored in the middle of the river. From a distance, they looked like ants returning to their nest.

The head of the canal army bowed to Yuan Zhen in apology, stamped the handover document with the official seal, and said helplessly, "Please forgive me, both of you."

Yuan Zhen sneered and remained silent, picking up a snow-free rock to sit on. He took out a shot of liquor from his pocket and drank it down. His body warmed up, but his eyes turned cold as he stared hatefully at the noble young man's retreating figure.

“Sister Zhen.” Zhao Zhao took a sip of wine from her hand and whispered, “That grandson is acting strange.”

“Something’s not right. He’s such a scoundrel that you just want to punch him. No wonder the leaders of the previous batches of soldiers escorting the grain were so angry that they took action. I’m itching to fight too.”

"That's not it."

"Oh?"

Zhao Zhao glanced to the side, and Yuan Zhen followed her gaze, only to see three grain officials arguing not far away.

Upon closer listening, it turned out that the border was divided into three lines of defense: east, central, and west, and the grain officials on the three lines were vying for the allocation of grain and fodder.

The eastern front is vast but has few cities, making it easy for enemy troops to besiege it, so they want to stockpile more grain.

The western front is a vast wilderness, vulnerable to cavalry raids, so they wanted to allocate more fodder to feed their horses.

The grain officials on the east and west sides each had their reasons, but neither could outweigh the words of the grain official on the central line: "Difficult, difficult, difficult! Who isn't in a difficult situation? You expect me to be understanding, but why don't you understand me! Who's guarding the central line? Do I need to remind you? You get more and I get less. When the higher-ups hold you officers accountable, won't you be the ones taking the blame?"

The grain officials from the east and west sides exchanged a glance, forcibly swallowing their words, and watched helplessly as he directed the grain transport troops to move most of the grain onto their own ships.

"You scoundrel!" Yuan Zhen put down his wine jug and stepped forward to curse.

Zhao Zhao grabbed her: "Don't go."

"Why?" Yuan Zhen said indignantly, "The grain we saved by tightening our belts is transported to the north to feed the big shots! The one holding the central line is none other than Minister Wu's son!"

At the beginning of the war, Minister Wu underestimated the enemy, thinking that he could easily win with his large army and strong city. So he sent his eldest son to lead the army and accumulate military merits and prestige.

Unexpectedly, Wu's eldest son proved to be utterly incompetent. Whenever battle broke out, he would frantically seek reinforcements from both the eastern and western fronts. The enemy exploited this to besiege the city and attack the reinforcements, causing the situation to deteriorate repeatedly.

Zhao Zhao gestured for her not to get angry, and glanced at the shore. She saw the grain officer kneeling in front of the noble young man to report something, his tone and expression very obsequious.

“Look at his winter clothes.”

Yuan Zhen glanced at the young nobleman and noticed that his clothes were much thinner than those of the grain official.

"This bastard didn't come from the border."

Yuan Zhen's eyelids twitched. If he didn't come from the border, he probably had nothing to do with the grain transport. Why would the grain official on the central line be trying to curry favor with him?
Something is fishy.

The two knew something was amiss, but lacking concrete evidence, they had no choice but to leave it at that for the time being.

As the grain supplies were gradually unloaded, the transport troops boarded the ships and set sail.

Zhao Zhao stared intently at the noble young man. Seeing that he was being escorted by his guards and boarded an ordinary-looking boat instead of a large lacquered wooden vessel, her heart sank.

Yuan Zhen spat out the dry grass he was holding in his mouth and sneered, "Let's go, follow them and see what this bastard is up to!"

He then sent the supply train back first, and selected a troop of men to gallop along the river. They braved the wind and snow all the way, following for about twenty or thirty miles. As the river widened, the shadows of the boats became thinner and thinner, and they gradually became invisible.

Zhao Zhao reined in his horse and stopped. He took out the telescope from his saddlebag and looked into the distance through the vast snowstorm. He frowned and said, "They've split into two groups. Several grain officials' large boats are heading north on the East Fork River, while that bastard's boat has entered the West Fork River."

Pingjiang flows from south to north, and when it leaves Yunzhou, the water splits into two branches. The East Branch River is the only way to transport grain northward, while the West Branch River meanders westward and can never bypass the front line.

"Which prefecture is to the west?" Yuan Zhen asked. The servant behind her replied, "Sister Zhen, it's Xiangzhou. Above Xiangzhou is Yongzhou."

"Ha, isn't that the hometown of the Wu family?" Yuan Zhen gripped his riding whip and sneered, "I was wondering why that bastard acted so arrogantly. Turns out he's related to Minister Wu. He's reaching into the coffin for money, and he even dares to embezzle the grain meant to save the country! We're trying to fix things after the fact, but they're taking advantage of the chaos!"

Since agreeing to lend grain, the entire Ning Prince's mansion has tightened its belt, keeping all expenses to a minimum, and even the New Year was celebrated in a perfunctory and frugal manner.

Even so, the grain they could scrape together was only enough for the border army's needs for a month. Xiu Ning was worried about the situation at the front, so he had Zhao Zhao inventory the jewels in the treasury and sell them all to officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants in Yunzhou. The money obtained was used to buy grain.

The thought that Xiu Ning's kindness had been wasted on these bastards filled Zhao Zhao with murderous hatred. She slung her bow over her shoulder, pointed at the fleet that was almost out of sight, and said, "Sister Zhen, do you dare to chase after them and kill that bastard?"

Yuan Zhen laughed and said, "What's there to be afraid of? He's just unlucky to have met us. Let's go! Tie him up and take him back!" With that, he turned his horse around and took a detour to pursue them.

As night fell, the sky darkened and the snow fell like cotton wool.

Thin ice had formed in the middle of the river, with countless ice floes and reefs, making it impossible for the Wu family's fleet to move forward. They had no choice but to lower their anchor and sails, waiting for the river to thaw after sunrise before continuing their journey.

Perhaps feeling guilty, none of the boats lit candles, disappearing silently into the night.

A hundred paces away from the fleet, in the withered woods on the shore, Yuan Zhen and his group had not lit a fire and were shivering from the cold wind.

The two men still harbored lofty ambitions, but their bodies trembled like leaves.

Yuan Zhen cursed, "We were careless. It seems we're the unlucky ones now; we don't even have a place to hide from the wind in the middle of the night."

They were so angry when they arrived that they forgot everything. Now, when they counted the number of people accompanying them, they realized that it was less than half of the guards on the Wu family's ship.

How can a small force possibly gain the upper hand against a weaker one?
But since things had come to this point, the group was unwilling to give up and sat down to discuss the matter in the cold wind.

Some suggested reporting to the authorities and stopping the boat; others suggested capturing the ringleader and rushing forward to seize the noble young man; still others suggested hiring bandits to fight evil with evil...

There were many opinions, and all sorts of bizarre and outlandish methods were proposed. It seemed like a gathering of heroes, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, but in reality, it was like a hundred ghosts walking at night, none of which were usable.

Yuan Zhen denied them all, then turned to look at the silent Zhao Zhao: "You're the most cunning when it comes to playing tricks, why are you mute?"

Zhao Zhao huddled under the horse's belly to avoid the wind, and when she opened her mouth, her teeth chattered: "...I'm freezing to death."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? What are you pretending to be all high and mighty for?"

Yuan Zhen pulled Zhao Zhao into his arms, brushed the snow off her head, wrapped her tightly in his robe, and then took out a wine flask from his waist and poured a large gulp into Zhao Zhao's mouth.

"Think of a way quickly. This section of the river is narrow, making it easier to catch people. If we go any further, we'll be out of reach."

With her in her arms and the strong liquor down her throat, Zhao Zhao felt a little warmer and was able to manage to utter a complete sentence: "...Did you bring any ointment?"

Yunzhou winters are damp and cold. Oil is needed to help with snow removal, starting fires, and building bonfires, and people usually carry it with them when traveling.

Yuan Zhen answered yes, and the others nodded in agreement. Zhao Zhao noticed that everyone had quivers and bows on their horses and said, "Use fire to light the arrows and set their boats on fire."

She nestled in Yuan Zhen's arms, her face still showing a hint of childishness: "If the boat catches fire, won't they just come down? There are no banks on either side, they can jump into the river and freeze half to death, while we wait for them on the bank. How could we not defeat them?"

Yuan Zhen laughed and rubbed Zhao Zhao's head: "Little darling, you're the best!"

The group cut strips of cloth, soaked them in ointment, wrapped them around arrows, and each prepared a quiver of arrows. Under cover of darkness, they made their way to the riverbank.

To avoid alerting the enemy, they only lit a fire behind a large rock on the riverbank. The group then set fire to the tarpaulin at the tip of the tarpaulin, coldly staring at the row of boats in the middle of the river in the chilly wind.

The tarpaulin won't go out anytime soon, but the bank is quite far from the center of the river, at least a hundred paces. Normally, shooting a hundred paces away wouldn't be difficult, but right now the wind is blowing hard, and the arrows will drift and the fire will go out. We'll have to wait for the wind to calm down.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, for the wind blew for a while and then calmed down.

A thick mist rose all around, and the flame at the arrowhead shrank. Yuan Zhen raised his hand and calmly said, "Mysterious."

The group nocked their arrows, and dozens of clusters of flames floated in the air.

“Ying”.

The bowstrings were taut, and all eyes were fixed on the fleet of boats in the middle of the river.

"break!"

The whooshing sound of wind cutting through the air filled the air, and Zhao Zhao followed suit, releasing her arrow. Dozens of streaks of fire pierced the night, as dazzling as falling stars, striking the fleet and silencing it for a moment before bursting into flames!

In a matter of moments, the fleet of boats crowded in the middle of the river burst into flames, shooting into the sky! A quick-thinking Wu family servant shouted, "The river is flowing! The river is flowing!"

The others were all awakened and hurriedly ran onto the deck. Seeing the raging fire, they disregarded everything and jumped into the water without hesitation.

In the dead of winter night, thick ice had formed on both sides of the river, and the river itself was nearing freezing. The moment someone jumped in, their heavy coat instantly absorbed the icy water, pulling them down relentlessly.

Some unlucky ones sank and could never climb back onto the ice, simply freezing to death. Others were lucky enough to struggle to the edge of the ice, their hands and feet numb and cold, and just as they were marveling at their miraculous survival, they were knocked unconscious with a blow to the head.

Some, caught in a dilemma, stood in the icy river water, looking at the dozens of people lying in wait on the ice, and said in panic, "The people from the Prince of Ning's mansion have followed us!"

Yuan Zhen was too lazy to catch these small fry, so she ordered her men to scoop them up and knock them unconscious. What she wanted to catch was that grandson, dressed in fine clothes and acting arrogantly. He was obviously a relative of Minister Wu. She would take him back to the Prince's Mansion and then send him to the capital so that the court would know what good things those grandsons of the Wu family had done.

As her gaze swept across the river, a crackling sound came from the middle of the river. Zhao Zhao shouted, "Oh no!"

In the heart of the river, flames raged fiercely, melting even the floating ice blocking the way. A small boat, half-burnt, somehow managed to extinguish the fire, weighed anchor, raised its sails, and headed downstream.

Zhao Zhao took out her binoculars and looked. Who else could it be but that grandson directing the servants to row hard on the bottom of the boat?

"He's going to run!"

The ship was quite fast, and in just a short moment it had sped over a hundred paces, beyond the reach of the rockets and beyond the reach of the Prince Ning's mansion.

How can we let him escape like this?

Zhao Zhao pulled on her bow and ran after them, but the ice was cold and slippery. She slipped and fell eight out of ten steps, and didn't get very far.

Just as she was getting so angry that her teeth were itching, she suddenly heard a clattering sound behind her. Zhao Zhao felt a chill in her heart. Could it be that the ice had cracked?

Looking back, she saw Yuan Zhen riding his horse across the ice, and like a gust of wind, he lifted Zhao Zhao onto his horse!
Even someone as audacious as Zhao Zhao was startled by Yuan Zhen's lawless behavior. She looked down and saw that the ground beneath the horse's hooves was cracking! The ice on the river was like a transparent piece of glass, completely unable to support the two people and the horse galloping at high speed. Who knew if they would fall into the river and drown at any moment!
"Are you out of your mind?!" Zhao Zhao's voice was ripped apart by the cold wind.

"What's the point of going to the Prince of Ning's mansion if you're afraid of dying?" Yuan Zhen whipped his horse faster, and even managed to laugh: "I'll take you after them. I just hope your archery skills haven't been wasted these past few months! Quickly set the boat on fire!"