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墨書 Inktalez
On the twenty-seventh of late December, the commanders of the Qin Zhao armies indeed met. The details of their discussions were unknown to the outside world. When this news reached Luzi in Lightwolf Fortress, he merely smiled and dismissed it.
With the head of the current intelligence department denying it, the rumor quickly fell apart. As for whether there was any truth to it, only a few individuals involved at the time would know. Luzi, being one of those in the know, had no intention of telling anyone, so naturally, this matter would not exist.
As for those who reported it, they could be completely ignored. You need evidence to report back to the old man; otherwise, if you speak without proof, it could be seen as an attempt to frame loyal subjects. Even if King Qin was magnanimous and chose not to pursue the matter, Luzi would find a way to handle it. It is easy to get into this circle, but once you are out, returning would be nearly impossible.
Due to heavy snowfall blocking the mountains at that time, the Qin Zhao armies ceased hostilities. Under a temporary atmosphere of peace, those involved in the conflict spent a safe and harmonious New Year amidst the harsh winds and snow. Living in the moment was their motto; it was important to cherish each day. As for whether the two armies would resume fighting after spring next year, that was something to discuss when the time came. If one only thought about life and death, what motivation would there be to live?
With letters exchanged, Wang He was summoned back to his country by King Qin for a report. This was actually his original intention since both countries' main forces were stuck in Shangdang and unable to retreat. Without a thorough solution, not only would Zhao be dragged down, but even Qin State, which currently had sufficient logistical support, would also be thoroughly exhausted.
The supply consumption for hundreds of thousands of troops outside was astronomical, not counting the logistics teams responsible for transportation. Due to the heavy snow, construction on Heavenly Road was forced to halt. This led to delays in delivering supplies to the front lines. The resulting consumption increased daily, with instances where supplies were consumed before reaching their destination.
As frontline troops with significant consumption still had a fixed number of supplies needed per person each day; this would only decrease rather than increase over time. In contrast, the logistics teams responsible for transportation faced greater consumption.
For example, if a military worker was tasked with transporting one hundred pounds of grain to the front lines, he would also need food along the way to ensure he had enough strength to push his cart or carry his load. The food he consumed could not be carried separately since an individual's carrying capacity is limited. Thus, his meals came from that one hundred pounds of grain.
If he were not far from the frontline troops, his consumption would be minimal and most of the grain could be delivered on time. However, if the distance exceeded a certain range, his consumption would surpass the amount he was supposed to deliver.
By the time these supplies reached their destination, there might be less than fifty pounds left due to consumption along the way. That would be fortunate; if weather conditions worsened or roads became impassable, it was very likely that only twenty pounds would remain upon arrival at the front lines.
This was the actual situation at that time; it was not an isolated case. Whenever a nation engaged in foreign warfare, all Feudal States faced similar issues regarding transportation-related consumption. The reason Qin State invested heavily in manpower and resources to establish Engineering Corps capable of building roads through mountains and bridges over water was precisely to minimize unavoidable losses during transport as much as possible. Consequently, straight roads extending from Capital Xianyang in all directions were designed—what people referred to as Heavenly Road.
This highway ensured that transportation teams minimized their consumption on route. A journey that previously took a month now only required a week using the newly constructed Heavenly Road. Another benefit was that domestic forces organized and sent to support frontline operations could arrive in an extremely short time.
The importance of speed in warfare is exemplified to the utmost by Heavenly Road.
The Wei Kingdom has stationed fifty thousand main troops in the Boundary region. Even so, they are already feeling overwhelmed. Just as they entered Late December, King Wei received news of the ceasefire between Qin and Zhao, and immediately ordered the military department to notify General Jin Bi at the border to adjust the troops for rotation. The order requested that ideally, they could rotate in three shifts, leaving only fifteen thousand troops stationed at a time.
If fifty thousand troops are feeling this strain, one can only imagine the consumption required to support one hundred thousand horses. There is no need to list any calculation formulas here, such as how much food each person consumes daily multiplied by the total number of people. Similarly, there’s no need to calculate how many acres yield how many bushels of grain, and then determine how much grain the national granary needs to avoid shortages at the front lines. Let those who enjoy mathematics worry about these matters.
As the New Year approaches, China is blanketed in auspicious snow. This signifies that the coming year will also be a bountiful one, bringing joy to farmers everywhere. Various regions are organizing celebrations of all sizes to express gratitude for Heavenly Will’s favor upon the descendants of Huaxia.
The public takes these celebrations quite seriously; even the government refrains from demanding debts during these days. No matter how poor a farmer may be, even if their family skips a couple of meals, they will still gather a few coins to show their gratitude to heaven. This is also a way to seek good fortune, hoping for favorable weather and good harvests year after year.
People back then revered the deities and firmly believed that sincere prayers would be heard by them.
The military and civilians of Lightwolf Fortress were no exception; they earnestly organized a large-scale sacrificial event. The three offerings used were of the highest quality and had been prepared months in advance, indicating their significance.
Lu Zizheng was at Lord Han Yongcheng's residence and joined everyone in their busy preparations. He experienced firsthand the people's beautiful aspirations for future life, which naturally created a joyful atmosphere. As night fell, he participated for the first time in a dance of prayer around a huge bonfire. The movements were extremely simple yet filled with boundless enthusiasm, making it an exhilarating experience that left him captivated.
That night, the beautiful sky was adorned with countless stars. The bright moonlight illuminated the earth and the dancing people. In that moment, it felt as if the legendary deities truly descended to earth, gently soothing worldly pains and extinguishing the flames of war. With an infinite passion full of tension, they embraced their people warmly.
Luzi comfortably closed his eyes amidst it all, fully enjoying this warm sensation. He looked up at the beautiful Moon Palace above Lightwolf Fortress and felt embraced by heaven and earth. His heart settled into a familiar emotion that brought tears to his eyes unexpectedly.
Could this be the feeling of being in his mother's embrace? How wonderful...
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