Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 44: The Great Zhao Court Has a Way to Succeed

Cars rattled and horses rustled.

The official road from Yecheng to Xiangguo was extremely crowded with people shouting and horses neighing.

People and cars were traveling from north to south, as if all the men of the Great Zhao had gathered here.

"Mercy, mercy~~~"

A group of ragged people were kneeling on the roadside, kowtowed and begged.

"We didn't want to, but we encountered a rainstorm on the way and the bridge was broken. We weren't late on purpose~"

“There’s really no way to cross the river~~”

'Clang~~~'

In response to them, the Jiehu pulled out their ring-handled swords.

'puff! '

The Jiehu swung his sword skillfully, and the blade flashed like a white silk thread.

The next moment, the headless corpse fell to the ground and blood gushed out.

More Jiehu came forward and killed these late civilians one by one.

There are those who are unwilling to die, so they get up and try their best to escape into the distance.

Wang Meng, who witnessed the whole process, shook his head slightly.

"Stupid! Go into the crowd!"

"Running across the wilderness, no matter how fast you run, can you really outrun a horse?"

The Jiehu rushed out of the road on their tall war horses.

The Jie cavalry on horseback shouted and held the ring-handled sword in their hands backwards, placing it flat in front of their legs.

The sound of horse hooves was heavy, and the war horses exhaled white air and galloped forward with all their might.

The warhorse galloped past the civilian, and the horizontal ring-handled sword swept across the back of his neck.

Use the horse's power to easily cut through, without the need to expend energy swinging and chopping.

With such outstanding skills, I think he does this often.

The laborer, with blood spurting from the back of his neck, fell forward to the ground.

The Jie cavalry turned their horses around and trampled over its twitching body.

The whip landed on his back, bringing a burning pain.

The stinging feeling made Wang Meng raise his head and shrink his back, grimacing.

The roar of the Jiankun people came from behind.

Wang Meng gritted his teeth and followed the civilians in his team forward.

When they arrived at the roadside, amid the shouting of the Jiankun people, the laborers came forward and dragged away the laborer who had been beheaded.

Providing them with a cemetery? That would be foolish.

These days, what kind of person can own a cemetery?

Digging a hole and filling it? That would only bring suffering upon yourself.

I'm already tired and hungry, and I still want to dig a hole?

Could it be that he wants to work himself to death and be buried in the pit with me?

Wrapping oneself in a reed mat is too luxurious.

Along the way, even the weeds had been pulled out, so where did the reed mat come from?

The only way to deal with it was to drag it to the roadside in the wilderness and just leave it there.

After dark, hungry wolves, wild dogs, vultures and rotten insects will devour you.

Looking at the corpse that he had dragged into the wilderness with his own hands, Wang Meng was slightly distracted.

Since when did the lives of Han people become so worthless?

Not only did he die like a blade of grass, but he didn't even have a reed mat to wrap himself in after death!
Those Hu people who were once as lowly as pigs and dogs were now arrogant and domineering, and their lives and deaths were in their hands.

Wang Meng fell into deep thought.

The whip whistled as it hit his back.

The severe pain made Wang Meng jump up with a ferocious look on his face.

The Jiankun people were chattering in strange voices, urging everyone to go back and continue moving forward, pushing the carts filled with supplies.

The red clouds faded and the sun was approaching dusk.

Wang Meng and others were finally ordered to rest.

In the wilderness far away from the main road, Wang Meng took out a flint and made a fire.

The laborers from the same team gathered around and said, "Sir, what should we do if we have fire but no wood?"

Wang Meng looked up at the camp in the distance, which was the camp of Crown Prince Shi Xuan.

The siege was re-formed, and thousands of fires lit up the entire huge camp, as if it were daytime.

Wang Meng and his companions did not see any firewood along the way.

All the large trees were taken to the artisan camp to be used to make siege weapons.

All the miscellaneous trees, dead branches, dry grass and even tree stumps were pulled out and burned by the troops advancing.

Wang Meng looked around and saw all sorts of laborers transporting food and supplies, huddled together for warmth in the night.

"Everyone," he lowered his voice, "take the wood off the carts and burn it."

The laborers were shocked. "Dismantling the cart? We'll be killed."

Wang Meng shook his head. "The court only wants food and supplies, not carts."

"We only need to remove a few from each truck, which is enough for us to survive tonight."

During the Little Ice Age, the nights in early spring were still bitterly cold.

My clothes were already tattered and could not keep me warm.

If we can no longer light a fire to keep warm, we will surely freeze to death overnight.

Everyone believed him and took down a few pieces of wood from the carts they were transporting.

The burning flames brought warmth, attracting the laborers to come closer.

The rumbling sounds coming from the stomachs came one after another, and some people complained that they were not even given porridge to eat.

Many civilians turned their eyes to the food and fodder they were transporting.

"No."

Wang Meng stopped everyone from moving. "The carts can be dismantled, but the food and fodder cannot be moved."

"If there is insufficient food during the handover, everyone will die!"

Wang Meng saw clearly that in the eyes of the barbarians, these people were not even as good as cattle and sheep.

Transport teams like theirs were scattered throughout the surrounding wilderness.

Everyone was short of food and firewood, and had to endure hunger and the cold wind.

However, in Wang Meng's view, although the wilderness is cold, it is full of sparks.

That was the anger that continued to burn in the hearts of the civilians.

"Everyone," Wang Meng instructed, "please inform the workers transporting grain to various places to dismantle the carts to keep warm."

He knew very well that if he wanted to take action, relying solely on his own strength was not enough.

Need to gain more people's trust and following.

Only in this way can we have a greater chance of saving our lives.

In the distant camp, the faint aroma of food and meat came, which aroused the anger of the civilians.

"The Great Zhao court has already met its end."

Listening to the faint music and laughter coming from the camp, Wang Meng's eyes became colder.

"If we lose this battle, the imperial court will perish!"

His gaze looked beyond the camp into the distance.

There is the direction of Xiangguo City.

"Beggar Army~~~"

Xiangguo City, parade ground.

"Everyone, keep your hands steady!"

Lin Dao carefully watched the laborers dismantling the firecrackers with their bare hands, "Handle them with care and avoid vibration."

Turn around and look around to see if there is any fire source approaching.

"Making gunpowder yourself is such a hassle. Using someone else's already made gunpowder is so much easier."

"The quality is guaranteed, the quantity is guaranteed, and we can just dismantle and reinstall it."

"No one will come to check yet."

“It’s really better to buy than to make.”

His original plan was to make his own homemade explosives.

After inquiring online, it was met with unanimous opposition from netizens.

Netizens said that it is really cruel for you to have such an idea.

Not to mention manufacturing, even buying raw materials requires attention.

Lin Dao is not worried about anything else, the only thing he is worried about is being noticed.

The goods in his warehouse have been declared, booked, and have transportation records.

But basically it was all in vain, with returns and cancellations and so on.

The number is small and the types are so common that no one pays attention to them.

But once you investigate it carefully, it will definitely not stand up to scrutiny.

This thought naturally dissipated.

Afterwards, when Lin Dao saw the fireworks, he immediately had an idea in his mind.

"If I can't make it myself, then I can use what others have made. That should be ok, right?"

This is how the scene came about: in Yonghe time and space, a group of people were dismantling firecrackers with their bare hands.

"Lord~~~"

Jinlian and Sun Rong each came with a group of women.

They all held clay basins in their hands.

"My dear," Jinlian quickly stepped forward, standing in front of Sun Rong and raising the pottery basin in her hand, she said, "I have already separated the egg whites according to my dear's wishes."

Lin Dao glanced at the egg white in the ceramic basin and nodded, "Well done."

Jinlian was overjoyed at the praise and continued to block Sun Rong and Lin Dao's conversation.

"Master, why do you want to separate such a good chicken? Are you going to make a new dish?"

Lin Dao shook his head. "It's useful."

Sun Rong, gritting her teeth, stepped forward and pushed Jin Lian aside.

He held up the pottery basin in his hand and showed it to Lin Dao, "Master, the snow sugar has been brought out. Please tell me what to do with it."

The so-called snow sugar is the white sugar bought from Lin Dao.

It was originally used to make sugar water for the wounded.

Because it is as white as snow, the beggars in the army call it snow sugar.

This is the highest quality supply, usually only available to the wounded.

"Wait a minute."

Lin Dao instructed, "Wait for them and finish the job first."

The black powder separated from the firecrackers was collected and placed in a ceramic jar.

Lin Dao checked it out and expressed satisfaction.

"Industrial products are easy to use. You don't have to carry saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal and take the risk of rubbing them yourself. You can just buy them and use them right away."

He turned and called out, "Those who are careful and skillful come forward."

"Move slowly and be gentle."

"Add the egg white and mix carefully until combined."

"Gluing the powder into granules."

"Dissolve some of the sugar and add it in slowly."

"Be careful when stirring, do it gently~~~"

The finished product is granular black powder.

Lin Dao, who had pulled away, called out again, "Pour these pellets gently into these cylinders and long tubes."

"Again, you must move slowly and don't be impatient."

(End of this chapter)