Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 491 Crimson Flame and Vermilion Goose: A Grand Spectacle and an Outing
Just as Han Shuang and Xia Yuyao were talking in their boudoir.

Han Yue and Xia Yusheng, who were at the entrance of the Lord's Hall, had already boarded a carriage and, under the protection of three hundred Dragon Guards, left the Xia Palace. They headed west along the main road of the inner city, towards the inner city gate.

Human-powered wagons are nothing new in the southern foothills; they are commonly found in the camps of even large or giant lords.

For small, weak camps with no infrastructure whatsoever, an extremely cold environment like the Ice Abyss is not a time-saving or labor-saving option; it is simply a luxury item for enjoyment and a symbol of status and prestige.

However, the situation is slightly different for town-level camps. Town-level camps already have a considerable territory, and for the sake of camp security and the transportation of supplies, they will generally put effort into building roads.

With the help of roads, the role of vans becomes much greater.

Firstly, for those with lower cultivation levels, saving time is definitely achievable;
Furthermore, most people who haven't broken through to the cold resistance level cannot be exposed to cold sunlight during the day, and enclosed vans can solve their travel problems;

Finally, in such an extremely cold environment as the Ice Abyss, it is difficult for some elderly, weak, women and children to endure long journeys, so sitting in a carriage is naturally much more comfortable.

The towns on the southern slope had long had rickshaws, but Daxia only started using them last year. It's worth mentioning that, despite starting the latest, Daxia's rickshaws have become the most popular in the entire southern slope area, far surpassing those of other towns.

The Daxia box carriage has three unique features.

First, it integrates perfectly with the road, resulting in extremely high operating efficiency:

The roads throughout the Great Xia territory can be roughly divided into two types. The first type is called Xia City Road, which, as the name suggests, is the internal road of all cities in the Great Xia. The second type is called Xia Straight Road, which was first proposed by Yue Feng. It is all located outside the city and is responsible for connecting all the outposts and cities throughout the Great Xia territory.

In the early days of the construction of the Xiazhi Road, in order to improve the efficiency of material transportation, the craftsmen department used cast iron to cut grooves in the ground of all the Xiazhi Roads. They then standardized the wheel track and the width of the iron wheels of all the freight cars. In this way, no matter how heavy the freight cars were, they could run quickly in the special grooves with just a little manpower. The more people pulling and pushing the cars, the faster they could go.

With this experience, when human-powered vans became popular last year, people naturally followed suit. Freight trucks can carry tens of millions of kilometers, while human-powered vans are mainly for carrying people. The specifications of the two are naturally different. Therefore, the craftsmen department specially formulated standard wheel track and tire width for the vans. Then, a lot of manpower was spent to re-carry out special road grooves for van operation on all city roads and straight roads.

In this way, as long as the standard vans are made according to the specifications of Daxia, they can run very fast within Daxia territory with very little manpower, and their operating efficiency far exceeds that of other towns.
The second point is the manufacturing of the van itself:

The Xia-style carriages made by the Daxia workshops are not only unique in appearance and highly sealed, but also have excellent shock absorption and unparalleled comfort. They are currently considered extremely scarce resources in the southern foothills. However, they are also incredibly expensive. Even the worst carriage without Daxia standard iron wheels costs as much as 3 taels of silver.

Thirdly, there are the strict regulations that Daxia has for the equipment of its vans:

Ultimately, vans are designed for personal enjoyment, so they can only be considered a luxury rather than a necessity. In addition, they have a strong status symbol attribute and also waste a certain amount of human resources. Therefore, when Daxia launched vans last year, it immediately made strict regulations.

Firstly, since the Xia-style van could save time and effort, everyone could enjoy it, so it naturally became a profession. The Great Xia stipulated that people who wanted to engage in this profession had to spend money to obtain the corresponding business license from the Ministry of Commerce before they could officially operate a van dealership in various cities.

Secondly, there are the specifications of the carriages. The Xia Li (a book on rituals) stipulates that ordinary carriages operated by carriage companies can only be painted in vermilion and yellow, can be driven by two drivers, and must display the carriage company's mark above the front of the carriage. Only those who have been granted titles can be equipped with private carriages. The color, size, style of the carriage, and the number of drivers are all clearly stipulated according to the title level.

With these three advantages, the Xia-style van not only ensured extremely high operating efficiency, but also took into account comfort and prestige. As soon as it was launched, it naturally attracted enthusiastic support from everyone in the southern foothills region.

Not to mention within the Great Xia, many high-ranking figures in the five northern towns are proud to own a Xia-style van. Anyone who manages to purchase a top-of-the-line Xia-style van through special channels has something to brag about.

Of course, when it comes to top-of-the-line Xia-style carriages, it goes without saying that they would only appear in the Xia Palace, and would undoubtedly be the exclusive vehicle of Lord Xia Hong.

However, Xia Hong has not shown his face in Xia City for more than four years, so no one knows what his carriage looks like. On the other hand, his wife Li Xuanling's carriage, the Nine-Headed Xuanluan, is currently recognized as the best in Xia City.

Below them are the two princes.

The Crown Prince Xia Yuyao's private carriage is named Blue Jade Phoenix. It has only appeared inside the Xia Palace so far. Since the Three Pavilions are located inside the Xia Palace, many people have already seen it.

As for the Second Prince Xia Yusheng's personal carriage, it is named Chi Yan Zhu Hong. Since the Second Prince often sends out carriages to pick up and drop off his companions, people in the inner city can basically recognize it at a glance.

At this very moment, the carriage named Crimson Flame Zhu Hong was being pulled by five Dragon Guard soldiers clad in black scale armor, and was being escorted by nearly three hundred Dragon Guards on both sides, slowly heading towards the inner city gate.

As its name suggests, the main body of the Crimson Flame Red Goose is red, but it is not an ordinary red, but a bright red that resembles flames; there are many decorations of different colors on both sides of the carriage; a circle of silver bells hangs from the eaves, which jingle in the airflow generated by the forward movement.
At the top of the front of the carriage, there is a statue of Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong is spreading its wings, stretching its sharp beak, and pouncing forward. Its silvery-white pupils are glaring angrily, and it is extremely lifelike.

Between Zhu Hong's eyebrows was a palm-sized golden token, on which were engraved two large, crystal-clear crimson characters: "Great Xia".

"This is... His Highness the Second Prince's carriage?"

"Of course! Haven't we come out before?"

"No wonder the main road in the inner city was blocked today, and even the cars from the car dealerships weren't allowed to pass."

"Is the Second Prince going to invite his friends to the Summer Palace again?"

"Is it really necessary to have so many Imperial Guards to pick someone up?"

"Yes! Second Prince, are we heading out of the city?"

"The lady has finally relented; the Second Prince must have been holding back for too long."

"Haha, I've heard about it before. The Second Prince was clamoring to go out, but the Madam wouldn't allow it. This time, she finally succeeded."

"I've heard my son say that too, hahaha!"

………………

After its expansion, the inner city of the Great Xia Dynasty covered a total area of ​​35 square kilometers, extending seven kilometers from east to west and five kilometers from north to south. The main road of the inner city started from the gate of the Xia Palace and went west to the inner city gate, with a total length of only four kilometers. Those who could live along this four-kilometer stretch were naturally the powerful and wealthy of the Great Xia Dynasty.

These people naturally recognized Chi Yan Zhu Hong and the Dragon Guard at a glance, and quickly deduced that it was the Second Prince who was about to leave the city. While showing surprise, they couldn't help but laugh and chatter, recalling the amusing story of Xia Yusheng being trapped in the Xia Palace by his wife, Li Xuanling. "Ahem... Aunt, has the inner city changed so much?"

Xia Yusheng, who was inside the carriage, was originally looking at the dazzling array of shops on both sides of the main road with great interest through the curtain. Hearing the conversation of the pedestrians, he felt embarrassed and quickly lowered the curtain and coughed twice. Seeing that Han Yue was staring at him mischievously, he quickly pretended to be calm and changed the subject by asking questions.

Han Yue saw through his intention, suppressed a smile, glanced at the shops along the street, and nodded, saying, "Last year, the Ministry of Supply borrowed the carriage company, which opened up many industries and trades. Then, the monetization reform began. Now, except for cultivation resources and special materials, many ordinary people no longer need to exchange with the Ministry of Supply; they can directly buy them with silver..."

The monetization reform of Daxia officially began last year.

Han Yue lived in the Zhaixing Palace, so she was better informed than most people. She had heard that the monetization reform was inspired by the regional military governors, as the Director of the Ministry of War and Qiu Peng were both inspired by the regional military governors.

The monetization reform does not mean the cancellation of contribution points. Currently, both are used in parallel in Great Xia. Moreover, since cultivation resources and the most precious materials in Great Xia can only be exchanged with contribution points, silver and cast iron coins are only used for the circulation of ordinary daily necessities.

The ratio of contribution points to silver remains at 10 points to 1 tael. However, the Great Xia Dynasty maintains strict control over silver. The amount of silver that each person can exchange for with contribution points each year is fixed based on their status, cultivation level, and rank. If they want to obtain more, they can only earn it themselves.

The exchange between the two has been completely liberalized, but since the contribution value ledger records are all kept in the Department of Operations and Supply and the Operations and Supply Divisions of each district, any large exchange records are basically within the scope of monitoring.

In short, the Ministry of Supply and Marketing generally does not impose any restrictions on the buying, selling, and exchanging of ordinary daily necessities. However, the control over materials related to cultivation is still quite strict. If it is discovered without prior notification, it is a serious crime. The punishment ranges from six months to a year of forced labor to imprisonment, which will affect the ennoblement of future generations. In the most serious cases, such as a person who has been ennobled breaking the law, the title will be revoked and the person will be demoted to a commoner.

These regulations are all clearly stipulated in the Xia Law. It must be said that the cohesion of the Great Xia is indeed quite good. More than a year has passed since the monetization reform, but so far no one has dared to violate this law.

The monetization reform and the rise of various industries occurred simultaneously, which is not hard to understand. With more industries, there is a natural need for sufficient currency circulation to maintain them. Relying solely on contribution value is certainly not enough.

Han Yue suddenly thought of something, looked at Xia Yusheng, and said with a mischievous smile, "Second Prince, the shops along the streets of the inner city are basically for those who have been granted titles and the families of officials from the Eight Ministries. They sell rare and precious items, focusing on quality rather than quantity. Once we leave the inner city and get to the outer city, that's when things really get lively, especially in the north..."

Within a four-kilometer radius of the inner city, there are nearly five or six hundred shops lining the streets!

Aunt Hanyue actually said that this is about quality over quantity, and that it's actually a small amount?

Upon hearing this, Xia Yusheng, who had been imprisoned in the Summer Palace for four years, was instantly stunned. He then pulled back the curtain of the carriage and saw the inner city gate that was just a stone's throw away. His eyes were filled with excitement and curiosity.

Seeing Xia Yusheng in this state, Han Yue couldn't help but feel sorry for him again, and quickly and patiently told him about the outer city.

The opportunity for the lady to agree is too rare. The Second Prince has finally been able to come out once in a while, so she can't waste this chance. She has to tell him everything that happened in the inner and outer city.

"The outer city of the Great Xia is divided into four cities: east, south, west, and north. The east and north cities are already full, each with 18 districts. Currently, it has been expanded to include 4 districts in the south city. Once we exit the inner city gate, we will be in the east city. Then, the Imperial Guard will lead us towards the north city. We can see the 18 districts of the north city by following the main road..."

As Xia Yusheng listened to Han Yue's explanation, he pulled back the curtain and looked at the outside world with curiosity and excitement in his eyes. He even wanted to get out of the car several times, which showed how excited he was.

The Imperial Guards had blocked the roads ahead of time today, but not completely. They only blocked the route that the carriages had to take, and the road was reopened immediately after the carriages passed through. This shows that the management of the various districts in Xia City is now quite comprehensive.

Of course, the so-called road closure refers to closing the van lanes. Pedestrians along the street are not restricted. The Imperial Guards escorted the vans northward, and many people could see them.

Given Chi Yan Zhu Hong's appearance and the reputation of the Dragon Guard, many people in the outer city, even if they didn't know who was sitting in the carriage, could at least conclude that he was either rich or noble.

Some smarter people can actually guess it quite easily.

When the van passed through the North Fifth District, the area where the Great Xia Dynasty was used to settle outsiders, it caused quite a stir.

"Whose car is this? It's so flashy!"

"Being escorted by the Imperial Guard, that's what you call ostentatious. What do you know?"

"Even the last time the Chief Executive went out, this level of protocol was not used! It's really scary."

"Could these be the two princes?"

"It's highly likely that, apart from them, no one else has this level of qualification."

"The Dragon Guard is the lord's close attendant! What are you plotting?"

“It must be His Highness. I’ve heard that the Second Prince Xia Yusheng’s carriage is called Chi Yan Zhu Hong. It must be this carriage.”

Where are we going?

"Judging by the direction, it's the Tiger Breeding Forest!"

"The Second Prince is going out for trials."

"Didn't they say the Second Prince is only nine years old?"

"Can I live like a normal person?"

………………

In a corner of the main road in the North Fifth District, a man in black heard the discussion of the crowd in front of him. Looking at Chi Yan Zhu Hong and the three hundred Dragon Guards around him, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he quickly retreated.

　It's Tiger Forest. I made a mistake yesterday. I'll start adding more chapters tomorrow. I've been a bit sluggish these past two days, sorry. Some people said I was expanding on the story, which is a bit too far-fetched. In four years, the camp has changed a lot. I can only pick out the important parts and give a general overview. If I really wanted to fill in the gaps, I could fill in the gaps endlessly. And all of these introductions are useful. You'll see as you read on!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)