Chapter 299: Chapter 174: Brother, I’ve Taken a Fall Today

Lu Yuan rode his modified bicycle, leading Su Liyan and a dozen or so Personal Guards as they chugged toward the North.

Now that it was powered by a Spirit Stone, the modified bicycle no longer needed to rely on human power.

’Can this even be called a bicycle anymore?’

It was basically a rudimentary motorcycle now.

Ordinarily, Lu Yuan preferred riding horses to bicycles.

A galloping horse’s speed was more or less the same as a regular bicycle’s.

The reason bicycles were so popular was simply the scarcity of horses.

Most horses had been requisitioned by the Court, while the few that remained belonged to wealthy households.

Furthermore, mares had to bear foals, and you couldn’t ride a foal.

Some horses had stubborn tempers and were difficult to tame.

As a result, a horse was much more expensive than a bicycle.

Bicycles were a product of technology. As production efficiency improved, their price would become more and more accessible.

For the common person, besides traveling on their own two feet, it was practically impossible to own a horse.

Now that Lu Yuan’s factory could produce bicycles, what commoner wouldn’t covet such a device?

Once you bought one, it was yours for good. No need to feed it, no need to shovel its dung...

If someone in the neighborhood owned a bicycle, it was tantamount to a person in modern times owning a luxury car.

Wouldn’t you look impressive riding that bicycle during New Year’s and other festivals?

The Zhao Mansion was such a large estate that it had its own stables, with Grooms dedicated to caring for the horses.

Whenever Lu Yuan went out, he chose to ride a horse.

But not this time. Gu Gaoxu’s situation was too critical.

If Lu Yuan were to ride a horse, pushing it to its limits day and night...

The horse’s gallop would be a constant, jarring bounce.

’After such a long time in the saddle, even with the best one, a long-distance, high-speed ride would probably chafe your ass raw.’

Putting that aside, even if a person could endure it, a horse certainly couldn’t handle a journey of eight or nine hundred miles.

Horses aren’t like oxen; they’re fast, but they have poor stamina.

Considering the practicalities of the situation, Lu Yuan had been forced to upgrade the bicycle by adding a drive mechanism powered by a Spirit Stone.

This way, Lu Yuan could make it there in two days.

In less than half a day, Lu Yuan and his group of a dozen or so riders had left the fifty to sixty retainers on horseback far behind.

Further back, Gu Ziye and four Personal Guards were galloping along, furtively tailing the main procession.

A sharp girl like Gu Ziye could naturally put two and two together; she had a pretty good idea of what Lu Yuan was planning to do.

Don’t be fooled by her youth—Gu Ziye possessed immense courage and insight, surpassing even her old man in that respect.

As Su Liyan and Lu Yuan rode side-by-side, Lu Yuan explained the situation in detail, not forgetting to grumble about Gu Gaoxu a little.

The common folk on the official road stopped in their tracks to stare at the vehicles Lu Yuan and his group were riding.

They looked like bicycles, but not quite.

"So, the Zhao Mansion’s factory in Taiping City is making this kind of bicycle now?" an old man carrying a bundle of firewood asked the youth beside him.

The young man, with a hoe on one shoulder, slapped the dirt from his clothes with a coarse cloth. "Could be," he said. "Once I’ve saved up enough money, I’m buying a bicycle, too. Just to show off a little."

In the time it took for them to speak, Lu Yuan and his group had already vanished from sight.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor bellowed, slamming the report from the Jinyi Guard down on his desk.

"Damn it all! That reckless grandson of mine is arrogant beyond belief, daring to lead his troops into such a foolhardy advance." The Grand Ancestor Emperor let out a string of curses.

The Jinyi Guard below him trembled, too frightened to make a sound.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Jinyi Guard. "Where’s the Commander-in-Chief?"

"Your Majesty, the Commander-in-Chief was occupied with official duties and could not come for an audience," the Jinyi Guard said, his voice trembling slightly.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor’s imposing presence made it difficult for him to breathe.

"Hah. That boy is a slippery one, sending you this time. You may go." The Grand Ancestor Emperor scoffed.

The Jinyi Guard acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Once outside the Imperial Study, he straightened his Flying Fish Suit, feeling his back was soaked through with sweat.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor summoned a nearby eunuch. "Relay my order: command the Minister of War to come see me here. Immediately. Right now. At once."

After receiving the order, the eunuch hurried out.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor picked up the report from his desk and read it once more.

Although Gu Gaoxu was frivolous in his speech and conduct and disliked his studies, he was a prodigy in military strategy and Martial Arts among the grandchildren’s generation.

After receiving the Emperor’s summons, the Minister of War hastily strode into the Imperial Study.

He dropped to the floor with a THUD and performed the ritual kowtow.

Although the Grand Ancestor Emperor had abolished the kowtow ritual, his subjects still performed it upon seeing him.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor told the Minister of War to rise and speak.

"The matter I assigned to you a few days ago—how are the preparations?"

The Minister of War replied, "Your Majesty, two days ago, the Ministry of War followed your decree and notified King Jin, Prince Ning, King Qi, and several other Vassal Kings to dispatch troops to support King Yan."

The Minister of War paused, then continued, "The Celestial Dynasty Palace and Le Shen Temple will also dispatch Grand Celestial Masters to assist King Yan. They will certainly be able to take down the Ancient Poison Scorpion."

The name "Celestial Dynasty Palace" had been bestowed by the Grand Ancestor Emperor himself through an imperial edict. The Royal Family and nobles often chose to burn incense and pray for blessings at the Celestial Dynasty Palace.

The Celestial Masters and Grand Celestial Masters of the Celestial Dynasty Palace were all exceptional.

Le Shen Temple, along with the Celestial Dynasty Palace, was one of the highest-ranking Royal Daoist Temples in the Divine Ling Empire.

The Celestial Dynasty Palace and Le Shen Temple enjoyed the Court’s patronage year-round.

The Minister of War had not expected that the Grand Ancestor Emperor would go so far as to order the Celestial Dynasty Palace and Le Shen Temple to support King Yan this time.

Upon hearing this, the Grand Ancestor Emperor said, "Tell them that if they assist King Yan in exterminating the Ancient Poison Scorpion, I will reward them handsomely."