Chapter 678: Chapter 674: Armed to the Teeth for Yizhou
"I have to attend an online class now." After spending some time with Lu Shouyue, Lin Wanwan looked up at him and pointed to the laptop beside her, her big eyes sparkling.
Lu Shouyue watched her perform seriously and cooperatively asked, "Oh, until what time?"
Lin Wanwan replied without hesitation, "Until noon."
Lu Shouyue raised an eyebrow slightly, "Alright, then Iâll call you for lunch."
"No!" Lin Wanwan quickly added, "Iâll come out myself, donât worry about me, enjoy yourself. When Iâm in class, I might become completely absorbed, unable to hear knocking. Plus, Iâll shut down to avoid any disturbances."
Lu Shouyue looked at her fixedly, suddenly leaned down, gently bit her earlobe, and whispered a low "Okay" in her ear.
Lin Wanwan blushed, covered her bitten ear, and muttered, "Mr. Lu, youâve changed."
Lu Shouyue observed Lin Wanwanâs expression, seeing that she was more shy than angry, and he instantly felt reassured, smiling as he said, "Wanwan, you just donât understand me yet. Iâll let you unlock that slowly."
After saying this, he let go of her and decisively left.
If he continued sticking to her, she would truly be annoyed. Lu Shouyue was quite clear on that.
"Wanwan, I didnât bring the room card. Remember to bring it out when you leave."
While speaking, Lu Shouyue had already gone downstairs.
"Okay, got it," Lin Wanwan shouted happily downstairs, thrilled by Lu Shouyueâs cooperation.
Not bringing the room card meant he wouldnât interrupt, just perfect.
Lin Wanwan locked the door, secured the latch, and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror.
She only saw the person in the mirror with shimmering eyes and a blush on her cheeks, and couldnât help but slightly frown.
With such a spring-like appearance, it clearly looked improper, making it hard for her to meet people! It was all Lu Shouyueâs fault, constantly showering her with affection!
Lin Wanwan quickly turned on the faucet to cool her face, and after washing, the look still didnât restore.
She pondered for a moment, walked to the bedside table, took out a pair of scissors, and rummaged through her luggage for a silk nightgown.
Anyway, sharing a room with Lu Shouyue at night, she couldnât wear this camisole silk nightgown anymore, just cut it to make a silk scarf to cover her face.
"Uh, such a waste, this is a fine piece handmade by a weaver from the Great Tang!"
Lin Wanwan felt a little heartbroken but decisively cut the dress and then took a triangular scarf to bind it from behind her head.
After preparing, she shouldered a bag containing a modified gunpowder nail gun, opened the Space-Time Gate, and traveled to the Great Tang.
Bringing the nail gun in the suitcase was only possible because she flew private with Lu Shouyue, without any security checks.
If Lin Wanwan flew commercial airlines, she couldnât have brought such a thing.
Hence, having money paid off! Even criminals on the run, with more money, more ease, more options.
Arriving in the fearless Yiwu Region, Lin Wanwan naturally had to bring some self-defense weaponry.
This nail gun, before modification, had a range of five to ten meters. After modification, it could easily reach twenty meters.
This range was nothing compared to real weapons.
Even the Great Tang military bows could shoot five or sixty steps away, and those elite archers had even longer ranges.
But Lin Wanwan used it for self-defense, not for fighting battles. In close range, this nail gun was unbeatable, and any martial arts master faced with her sneak attack would likely struggle.
Moreover, besides the nail gun, Lin Wanwan had a specially designed sleeve crossbow and a military-grade waterproof stun baton. These were all things Lu Shouyue prepared for her after encountering ruthless tomb robbers at home.
How he acquired these, who knows, as these items were considered controlled in the modern era, generally inaccessible to ordinary people.
As soon as she stepped out of the Space-Time Gate, Lin Wanwan heard a loud, robust shout, and a hundred meters ahead, there was a camp stationed on the prairie.
She first took out the stun baton from the bag, testing whether it worked.
Modern technology products had a high failure rate after passing through the Space-Time Gate.
Of the three self-defense weapons Lin Wanwan brought, the stun baton had the most variability. She pressed the switch in her hand, but there was no reaction.
Sure enough, itâs broken!
Lin Wanwan felt a bit heartbroken; Lu Shouyue had given it to her, yet it hadnât been used even once, and now it was broken!
Fortunately, she carried the gunpowder-version nail gun and the purely mechanical sleeve crossbow; these wouldnât break and were sufficient for self-defense.
The location she currently stood at, in the modern era, was Anxiâs second-largest prairie.
A thousand and four hundred years ago, it belonged to Yiwu City. Until the fourth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin, even when his people were struggling, resolutely dispatched the Northwest pacifying envoy Li Daliang, to bring grain to recruit people in Yiwu Region, winning their hearts.
This strategic move and exemplary political wisdom of Li Shimin soon led, in September of Zhenguanâs fourth year, to Yiwu Cityâs ruler, Shi Wannian, unable to withstand pressure surrendering Yiwu and six other cities to the Tang.
The Great Tang expanded its territory without a single soldier lost, indeed reflecting top-level strategy.
Of course, Shi Wannianâs easy surrender was also influenced by the victorious war led by Military God Li Jing, who crushed the Eastern Turks with minimal cost.
In summary, this area now belonged to the Great Tang Territory.
Li Shimin established Yizhou here, governing three counties: Yiwu, Nazhi, and Rouyuan.
The location where Lin Wanwan now was expectedly belonged to Yiwu County in the middle area.
After acquiring Yizhou, the Great Tang didnât immediately expand outward. Instead, it utilized Huaxiaâs infrastructure prowess, building towns, forts, stations, beacons, and of course, implementing farming settlements.
The major advantage Central Plains had over nomadic tribes was agriculture, so in Yizhou, farming settlements were essential to integrate the locals.
Prior to her arrival, Lin Wanwan extensively researched and consulted with the knowledgeable Lu Shouyue, so sheâs rather informed about this period.
Anyhow, until Zhenguanâs fourteenth year, when Li Shimin gave orders to target the Gaochang Kingdom, three hundred kilometers away from Yizhou, initial harmony and strategic development preceded.
Lin Wanwan should avoid war, unless she was exceptionally unlucky.
Historically recorded resident composition here was diverse, including Han, Western Turks, and various clans.
The Han naturally mostly resided in towns; the camp Lin Wanwan stayed at likely belonged to either mixed Hu or Uighur assembly.
So, despite historic assurances of this landâs peace, Lin Wanwan wouldnât be reckless since the culture on horseback was notably fierce.
No war did not mean no bandits or brigands!
Plus, those Hu merchants dealing in goods and human trafficking from the Silk Road, appearing as merchants in the city, were defacto bandits along the way, characteristically habitual.
Without a touch of violence, how could they traverse mountains and waters to do business in Changâan?