The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Outside Bianjing city, the official road stretched like a dragon, winding northward.

The autumn wind swirled withered leaves, howling across the desolate wilderness.

The convoy moved slowly forward, with the lead carriage attracting particular attention—if you don't count the twenty supply wagons bearing the "Wang Family Donation" banner.

This carriage is really too "bad".

The paint was mottled, like it had some kind of skin disease, revealing the blackened wood underneath; the wheels were covered with years of grime, making a "creaking" sound as it drove, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

"Tsk tsk, Jiang Shanchang, I'm not trying to be mean."

Xue Gang, the head of the guards, riding a tall horse, glanced sideways at the dilapidated carriage, his mouth almost reaching his ears in a grin. "The court must have given him a considerable amount of money for settling down, right? Why is this the only thing they give the top scholar to ride in? If the wheels fly off halfway and our Lord Su gets seriously injured, we can't afford to take the blame."

Xue Gang was a bodyguard kept by the Wang family. He had a face full of scars and a sinister look in his eyes. Before he left, the master specifically instructed him to take good care of Su Shi on the way, and preferably leave him with only half a breath left before he reached Zhengding.

Jiang Lin rode a donkey slowly alongside, and upon hearing this, wiped away non-existent tears: "Commander Xue, you don't know, the academy is poor... This carriage may be a bit old, but it's well-ventilated, which is good."

"Breathable?" Xue Gang scoffed, cursing inwardly: Idiot, with this north wind blowing, is that breathable? That's deadly!

He cracked his whip and gave a loud whistle in the air: "Brothers, give it your all! If we don't reach the post station before dark, we'll have to spend the night in the wilderness! Giddy up!"

The caravan suddenly accelerated, dragging the dilapidated carriage up the gravel-strewn road.

The car shook violently, like a small boat on the sea.

"Ouch--!"

Inside the carriage, Su Shi's pitiful cries immediately rang out, his voice rising and falling with the jolting, "Slow...slow down! My back...ouch! My kidneys!"

Hearing the melodious scream, Xue Gang's smile deepened.

Shout all you want! This is nothing. When you reach the truly harsh and cold land, you'll have your day.

……

However, the scene inside the carriage was quite different.

Su Shi was sprawled out on a soft couch covered with a thick cashmere blanket, a freshly peeled orange in his hand. He was stuffing it into his mouth while shouting out the carriage window, "Ouch...it hurts so much...ouch..."

After shouting, he turned to Jiang Lin and Zhao Lingjun sitting opposite him and asked cheerfully, "Headmaster, how was that 'vibrating voice' just now? Did it feel like your internal organs were shifting?"

Jiang Lin was holding an exquisite Ding kiln teacup, the tea rippled slightly in the cup, and not a single drop spilled.

He took a sip of tea and said calmly, "It's alright, but the emotions could be a bit richer. After all, our current setting is 'terminally ill'."

Sitting in the corner, Zhao Lingjun stared wide-eyed at the interior of the carriage in disbelief.

It looks dilapidated on the outside, but it's a hidden gem inside.

The carriage walls were covered with thick brocade, which felt soft to the touch and not only blocked out the wind but also kept out the cold. Several glass lamps were lit in the four corners of the carriage, casting a soft light.

The most outrageous thing is that this car... actually doesn't bounce at all!

I could clearly feel the wheels rolling over the gravel, but when it reached my bottom, all I felt was a slight, rhythmic thud, like... lying in a cradle.

"How...how did you do that?" Zhao Lingjun couldn't help but reach out and press the soft cushion beneath him. "Is this what you call 'breathable'?"

"This is science."

Shen Kuo looked up from a pile of blueprints, his eyes gleaming with dark circles, and excitedly pointed to the ground below:

"I installed eight sets of 'spiral high-carbon steel' between the axle and the frame. Although our current furnace temperature is not high enough, the steel produced is not tough enough, but it is barely enough to make shock absorber springs."

"And this carriage wall," Shen Kuo tapped the brocade, "is sandwiched with cotton and charcoal powder, which can both keep it warm and absorb sound."

Zhao Lingjun was completely confused, but that didn't stop her from appreciating how awesome the car was.

This isn't exile; it's like putting wheels on the private rooms of Fanlou!

"If the Wang family knew you were enjoying yourselves like this, they'd be furious." Zhao Lingjun waved his folding fan, looking at Jiang Lin with a half-smile. "Headmaster, wouldn't you call this deceiving the emperor?"

"Watch your words, watch your words." Jiang Lin pulled a porcelain bottle from a hidden compartment behind him and tossed it to Zhao Lingjun. "This is called 'finding joy in hardship.' Besides, we're going to Zhen Ding to do scientific research; we can't afford to ruin the scientists first, can we?"

Zhao Lingjun took the porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and a sweet pear fragrance wafted out.

"This is?"

"Academy Special: Rock Sugar Pear Syrup. It soothes the lungs, relieves coughs, and beautifies the skin." Jiang Lin smiled like a salesman. "A byproduct of oil refining, not yet on the market, a limited edition."

Zhao Lingjun took a small bite, and his eyes lit up instantly.

Sweet but not cloying, with a refreshing taste.

"Alright then." Zhao Lingjun put away the porcelain bottle with satisfaction, leaned back on the soft couch, and said, "For the sake of this bottle of pear syrup, I'll pretend I didn't see it."

……

As the sun sets in the west, the cold wind grows stronger.

The convoy came to a desolate hillside. This place was called "Wolf Slope," a notorious wind gap with sheer cliffs on both sides. The howling wind swept through the valley, producing a sound like the howling of wolves.

"Whoa—"

Xue Gang reined in his horse, glanced at the sky, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

The next post station was only ten miles away, but he refused to go.

"Commander, we're at Wolf Slope just ahead. The wind's too strong. Shall we continue on our way?" one of his men suggested, his neck hunched against the wind.

"What are you rushing us for! Don't the horses need to rest?" Xue Gang lashed out with his whip. "Pass down the order: set up camp right here!"

He was determined to sleep outdoors in this windy spot.

The temperature at Wild Wolf Slope can drop to freezing point at night. That dilapidated carriage is drafty from all sides. If Su Shi, that sickly fellow, doesn't freeze to death tonight, he'll be half-dead.

The camp was set up quickly.

The Wang family guards huddled around the campfire, shivering despite being wrapped in fur coats. Xue Gang warmed himself by the fire, a jug of wine in his hand, his gaze fixed menacingly on the lone, dilapidated carriage parked in the wind.

The car body swayed slightly in the strong wind, looking precarious.

"Let's go and give our top scholar some 'warmth'."

Xue Gang grinned maliciously, picked up his wine jug, and strode toward the carriage with several of his confidants.

The wind howled, masking all other sounds.

Xue Gang walked to the car, pounded on the seemingly rickety door panel, and shouted, "Lord Su! Lord Su? This is the middle of nowhere, without any heating. We were worried you'd get cold, so we brought you some wine to warm you up!"

The car was deathly silent; no one responded.

Xue Gang was overjoyed: Could it be that he had already frozen unconscious?

He gave his subordinate a wink, and the subordinate understood immediately, reaching out to roughly push open the car door.

"Squeak—"

Before my hand even touched the door panel, the car door opened a crack on its own.

A warm, spring-like steam, mixed with a faint aroma of tea and... the smell of braised pork knuckle, instantly burst out from the crack in the door and directly hit Xue Gang's face.

Xue Gang was stunned.

This smell... it's even better than what he smelled at Fanlou.

Through that crack, he saw a scene that made him question the meaning of life.

Inside the brightly lit carriage, Su Shi, wearing only a thin robe and with a ruddy complexion, held a wine cup and, facing the boiling copper hot pot in the center, recited with deep emotion:

"The sky threatens snow this evening; shall we share a cup?"

Hearing the door open, Su Shi turned around and looked at Xue Gang, who was standing in the cold wind with a runny nose, with a surprised and concerned look in his eyes.

"Oh, Commander Xue? Why do you have a runny nose?"

Su Shi picked up a piece of steaming mutton and asked sincerely, "Is it cold outside? Why don't you... come in and squeeze in?"

Xue Gang stood in the wind, looking at the piece of mutton dripping with red oil, and felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

This is exile?!

This is practically a picnic!