Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 53

The news of Qi Dong’s exile spreads, and while everyone knows he has been exiled, few know exactly where he has been sent. Many wonder, what place could be more suitable for exile than Lingnan?

In any case, the man is no longer in Luzhou, and his family leaves with him, leaving those who want to find him with nowhere to search. With such an example, all the overseers become more cautious.

Zhang Xiaobao, seeing that things are progressing smoothly, takes fifty-six members of the No. 0 Seedling Protection Team for training, along with Wang Juan. This time, the location chosen is a bit farther from the capital, deep in the Shiwan Mountains, to hunt and, more importantly, to train for jungle warfare, with Zhang Xiaobao personally in charge.

Although Wang Juan comes from a professional background, her jungle warfare skills are not as good as Zhang Xiaobao’s. Back in the country, Zhang Xiaobao learns some skills in prison, and later, in foreign lands, he seeks out jungle areas to train intensively, enlisting instructors from various special forces units from different countries. Each country’s forces have their own specialties.

Especially in the still-wild parts of Africa, some of the instructors grow up in the jungle, which teaches Zhang Xiaobao a great deal. Even though at the time, he is not yet as skilled as those who have spent most of their lives in the jungle, he still gains valuable experience.

Seeing this opportunity, Li Xun decides to join in. When he learns that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan are taking people into the mountains, he carefully packs his backpack with survival training gear, including supplies for the fifty guards from the Wang family, each with their own backpack.

But when he reaches the meeting point and is about to join Zhang Xiaobao and the others, he discovers that they aren’t carrying backpacks at all. Their clothes are different—yellow and green patches, many pockets stuffed with things, but not much in them. Each person has a black machete in hand.

That’s all; there are no other supplies, certainly nothing like his own crossbow.

“Xiaobao, this isn’t right. Where are the backpacks? Shouldn’t we be preparing everything for survival beforehand? How are you planning to eat out there?” Li Xun pulls Zhang Xiaobao aside to ask.

“Who says survival requires everything to be prepared beforehand? If you have time to prepare, sure. But without it, where would you get the stuff from? This is how it is. Tie your leg bindings and let’s go. We’ll be moving fast. It’s 320 miles to the mountain range, and we need to reach it in three days and two nights, which means 30 hours. Young Master Li, if you can’t keep up later, you’ll have to ride with me and Juanjuan.”

Zhang Xiaobao begins tying his leg bindings. Li Xun doesn’t say anything but waves to his guards, who also start tying their leg bindings. Li Xun regularly trains them, following Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan’s methods. The fifty selected individuals hear the distance and time estimates and feel it’s an impossible task.

After securing their leg bindings, the Seedling Protection Team stows their machetes on their backs, stretches their legs, and forms two rows to start running.

Zhang Xiaobao, Wang Juan, and Li Xun follow behind them, while around ten horses trot along beside. Li Xun’s guards bring up the rear, ensuring that the three leaders are protected.

Li Xun soon realizes that this outdoor survival training is unlike anything he has done before. As they run, he is able to keep up at first but doesn’t dare speak. He uses the breathing and pacing techniques he has learned from Zhang Xiaobao.

The speed is manageable for adults, but for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, it is challenging. After fifteen minutes, they run almost seven miles, then dismount and mount horses. This pace is too slow for adults; after fifteen minutes, they have only covered about three kilometers.

For Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, however, this is their limit. Even though they have been diligently training and improving, they still cannot run farther or reduce their pace to under three minutes per kilometer without exhaustion.

Li Xun is already gasping for air after running just three miles and has to sit down on a horse, regretting carrying the heavy backpack.

The Royal Guards are also struggling. In addition to the backpacks, they have knives and crossbows, all of which are heavy. The Seedling Protection Team, however, is accustomed to running with added weight, and now that they’re not carrying extra gear, they are not as tired.

“Slow down, don’t run so fast. Run for fifteen minutes to feel the comfort of running without weight. Do you think you can keep going? Seven miles in one hour, twenty-eight miles in four hours—can you do 140 miles in five hours? We need to cover a hundred miles in seven hours today. Adjust as needed, and take breaks along the way,” Wang Juan shouts from horseback, seeing that the guards are eager to compete with the Royal Guards.

She calculates in her mind. One hundred miles in seven hours isn’t too bad. Referring to historical records, the fastest military marches, like those of the PLA, can cover a hundred miles in fourteen hours while carrying heavy equipment. With a bit of rest, they’re ready for combat. It’s those kinds of feats that inspire her to join military school.

The current distance is 320 miles, similar to the 345 miles of the original plan. With three days of food, a knife, and light rope and salt, it should be an easy trip.

The Seedling Protection Team is accustomed to strict orders, so when they hear Wang Juan’s command, they adjust accordingly. The Royal Guards, who have been lagging behind, see an opportunity and surge ahead, overtaking the Seedling Protection Team.

Li Xun initially wants to slow them down, but after thinking for a moment, he decides to let them run. If they can’t keep up later, he’ll deal with it then to prevent further issues.

“Go, go! Faster! Overtake their boat, then overtake another!” shouts Xin’er excitedly from the bow of the ship.

As the ship sails rapidly down the canal from Chuzhou to Hangzhou, its sails full and wheels turning, the crew pushes the boat to its limits. It moves so fast that the water behind the ship splashes up.

Xin’er, standing at the bow, cheers excitedly, her guards puzzled by the shout. “Miss, what does ‘add oil’ mean?”

“Don’t you know what ‘add oil’ means? Xiaobao and Juanjuan often shout like this. The propellers behind need to turn like axle wheels, and we need to add some oil, or else they won’t turn,” Xin’er explains seriously.

The boat overtakes another vessel, causing those on the slower boat to look on in surprise. They only realize it’s a ship from Shuiyunjian after seeing the rice seedling flag, a type of ship capable of easily navigating the sea.

The human-powered propellers have been working for three hours without failure. The Ministry of Works crafts this equipment much better than the ones Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan’s family had made. The Zhang family’s equipment is too unreliable, meant only as emergency backup, usually lasting about an hour.

Despite using propellers, the speed still can’t compare to diesel-powered boats. However, when combined with the sails and wheels, it shows some effectiveness.

Today, the good winds align, and the ship sails swiftly. Xin’er is eager to reach their destination, and the old man wants to see the ship’s full speed. The wheels and propellers turn faster.

The ship overtakes other boats, and some boats attempt to keep up, using both sails and paddles, but they are left behind.

“Faster, faster! Two more ships ahead, let’s overtake them!” Xin’er shouts, enjoying the thrill.

The two ships ahead try to speed up, but the distance between them continues to shrink. In no time, the ship catches up to one of them. The crew on the overtaken boat seems to panic, and suddenly, the boat ahead veers to the side, slowing down.

If the ship continues on its course, it will collide with the side of the boat. Even if it were a regular boat, there would be no time to change course. Lowering the sails or flattening the oars won’t help.

Standing on the deck, the old man curses, “Whose boat is this, so reckless? Trying to risk their lives? Drop the sails, stop the propellers, reverse the wheels, and brace the rudder!”

At his command, the sails drop quickly, the propellers stop, and the crew begins struggling to reverse the wheels. The ship slows, but it’s still too late to stop the collision. The other boat suddenly speeds up, leaving the ship behind.

The old man realizes that the other boat’s crew intentionally makes that maneuver to scare them. Furious, he orders, “Chase after them! If they slow down again, ram them!”

Just as the order is given, the wind suddenly changes direction, and before the old man can speak, Xin’er shouts, “Raise the triangle sail, chase after them! Let’s see if they can keep up with us!”