Qi Ji was surprised: “So much trouble?”

“Trouble?” Lu Guanyi glanced at him sideways, “When you went to Xinping before, didn’t you suffer quite a bit on the road?”

“What journey doesn’t involve hardship?” Qi Ji replied.

Although he traveled by carriage, “eating in the wind and sleeping in the dew” was the norm for travelers.

He brought enough guards to ensure safety. But when passing through uninhabited areas with no places to stop for meals or lodging, they had no choice but to camp in the wilderness, finding random spots to set up cooking pots.

However, Qi Ji caught the implication in Lu Guanyi’s words and asked with surprise: “You don’t believe that with Miss Ye’s arrangements, we won’t have to endure any hardships on this journey, do you?”

Lu Guanyi said, “I’ve heard their itinerary arrangements and they seem reasonable. We shouldn’t suffer too much.”

Qi Ji remained noncommittal, tossing a piece of pastry into his mouth: “We’ll see as we go.”

Chewing on the snack, he pointed to the carriages behind them: “But what I meant earlier wasn’t about the itinerary, but about how much stuff there is.”

“The carriages behind are for the guards and escorts to rest,” Lu Guanyi explained. “In this cold weather, riding on horseback is uncomfortable. After about half an hour, they’ll rotate, with one group returning to the carriages to warm up.”

Qi Ji was surprised: “Is this also Miss Ye’s idea?”

Lu Guanyi nodded: “That’s what the Ye family said.”

Qi Ji shook his head and said nothing more.

Born into wealth and privilege, though they considered themselves masters who cared for their servants, guards, and escorts earned their living by protecting their masters. They might be well-fed and cared for normally, but when traveling, even in cold weather with makeshift meals and lodging, they were expected to endure.

They had never made a habit of specifically preparing extra carriages for guards and escorts.

Qi Ji interpreted Ye Yaming’s actions as a girl being too soft-hearted and kind, but he felt it unnecessary.

However, in the following days, Qi Ji began to appreciate the benefits.

With extra carriages following them, his servants could also go rest there when space was available, allowing him more room to stretch out in his carriage, making the journey much more comfortable.

And since the guards and escorts weren’t as exhausted, their spirits and moods remained good. They were more diligent in their duties, often going ahead to arrange food and lodging at the next rest stop, so that hot water, hot meals, or clean rooms would be ready upon arrival.

Additionally, with the itinerary that Ye Yaming had them prepare in advance, although sometimes the rest stops were difficult to arrange—requiring departures before dawn and arrivals after dark—they never encountered places where they needed to camp in the open.

Besides this, Qi Ji also discovered that Ye Yaming’s modified carriage was an excellent innovation.

In this era without rubber, and with ironworking skills insufficient to produce springs or shock absorbers, she had devised a simple solution: placing a rattan and bamboo mat, like a mattress, on the carriage floor, covered with thick blankets.

This significantly reduced the jolting.

However, both the rattan mat and wool blankets were flammable. When traveling in winter, the carriage needed a stove. Using charcoal as fuel meant sparks might fly out, compromising safety.

Ye Yaming had recently ordered fire-resistant cloth, not only laying a layer over the wool blankets but also lining the four walls of the carriage.

Fire-resistant cloth was made from asbestos, which was widely known for its fire-retardant properties.

In addition, the table fixed to the carriage was originally wooden, but for safety, she had replaced it with iron, and in the middle was an iron stove.

Combined with rattan couches on both sides that could be used for sitting or lying down, covered with layers of cushions, the comfort level of Ye Yaming’s carriage could be said to have reached the highest standards possible in ancient times.

Ye Hongrong was someone who loved comfort, and to win him over, Ye Yaming had arranged an identical carriage for him when outfitting her own.

Therefore, when Qi Ji stepped out of the carriage for the first rest stop and noticed that the uncle and niece from the Ye family weren’t complaining about aching backs and waists as he was, he became suspicious.

It should be noted that he had practiced martial arts with Lu Guanyi. Though not particularly skilled, he was at least physically fit, stronger than the average person.

Ye Hongrong, a pampered young master, and Ye Yaming, a secluded young lady, had spent a whole day in their carriages yet seemed more relaxed than—he couldn’t understand it.

Due to propriety between men and women, Ye Yaming didn’t dine at the same table with them, but had meals brought to her room, where she ate with Bai Rui, Lu’E, and Guan Ting.

Qi Ji asked Ye Hongrong at the dining table downstairs.

Upon hearing this, Ye Hongrong immediately became proud, taking Qi Ji and Lu Guanyi to see his carriage, saying: “It’s especially comfortable, not bumpy at all, and very warm.”

He patted the couch: “Lying on this is even more comfortable than sleeping in a bed at home. I spent half the journey sleeping.”

Born into noble families, Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji’s carriages used very expensive wood and textiles, and they even had magnetic chess pieces and boards made of iron. These items were costly, but in terms of comfort, they couldn’t compare to the Ye family’s carriages.

Qi Ji marveled at this, and after returning to their room, privately said to Lu Guanyi: “I am genuinely impressed by this Third Miss Ye. How does her mind work? How can she be so clever?”

Lu Guanyi glanced at him: “Weren’t all those previous events enough to demonstrate this? You’re only convinced now?”

“I am, I am. I was already impressed, but now I’m even more so.” Qi Ji shook his head, his face full of admiration.

From Lin’an to Xin’an county—the modern-day equivalent of Hangzhou to Huangshan city, just over 200 kilometers or a three-hour drive in modern times—took Ye Yaming a full six days in ancient times.

Fortunately, there were no problems along the way, and they arrived smoothly in Xin’an city.

“We’ll rest in Xin’an city for a day tomorrow, and the day after we’ll head to Yi Mountain early in the morning,” Ye Yaming said.

Yi Mountain was modern-day Huangshan.

Qi Ji was surprised and asked, “Shouldn’t we first visit the local government office to inquire about the mountain areas in Huizhou?”

Lu Guanyi also looked at Ye Yaming.

This was how they had purchased tea mountains before.

If one didn’t understand the situation, the two men’s approach would be correct. Getting clear information before making a move was certainly better than buzzing around aimlessly like headless flies. After all, some places might become excellent tea mountains in the future, but were currently covered with towering trees and wilderness, their value impossible to discern.

In her previous life, Ye Yaming had visited Huangshan many times and was familiar with the tea gardens there. Moreover, she had read in the Great Jin Dynasty’s travel records and miscellaneous books that people were already growing tea there. She felt it would be more direct to go see the actual sites rather than waste time here.

She said, “The reason we’re staying here for a day is to gather this information. If we could get a map of Huizhou or Yi Mountain, that would be even better. But since our time is tight, it’s best to make haste and not linger here too long. Is one day enough?”

Qi Ji turned to look at Lu Guanyi.

Lu Guanyi pondered for a moment, then said, “Alright.”