Xiao Lingyue asked: "Are we leaving? Where are Prince Xiang and the others?"
One of the guards replied respectfully: "His Royal Highness King Xiang and others will arrive in a quarter of an hour."
"It's almost time, so don't delay." Xiao Lingyue said simply and looked at Zhan Beihan again.
"Walk."
Zhan Beihan didn't waste any more nonsense. He walked over, held the horse's rope, and quickly got on the horse.
Xiao Lingyue followed suit.
Ye Yi stayed where he was, and the two horses turned around and galloped away on the official road they came from.
A quarter of an hour later.
The two of them successfully saw the traveling team.
Dozens of guards, also wearing guard uniforms, rode horses on both sides, guarding two carriages, one in front and one behind. Seated in the carriages were Prince Xiang and the accompanying officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Because King Xiang had already taken care of things in advance, Zhan Beihan and Xiao Lingyue did not attract any attention and quietly blended into the team.
The carriage team moved forward along the official road.
Xiao Lingyue sat on the horse, recalling in her mind the route Zhan Beihan told her last night.
"By water?"
Last night, in the study.
Xiao Lingyue looked at the map of the Northern Qin territory spread out on the table and quickly reacted.
"Is it going down the Canglan River?"
Zhan Beihan nodded: "Yes."
Xiao Lingyue pondered for a moment and said: "The capital city is not close to a river. If you want to go down by water from the Canglan River, you have to travel by carriage for two days and then change boats when you reach the river crossing."
But even so, the ship cannot directly reach the location of the imperial mausoleum.
When you reach the downstream town, you still have to disembark and change to a carriage.
Why bother? Who decided the route?"
Zhan Beihan said in a deep voice: "I decided it."
Xiao Lingyue looked at the territory map, pondered for a while, then turned to look at him: "You want to grab time?"
Zhan Beihan raised his eyebrows: "Did you see it?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Xiao Lingyue said speechlessly, pointing to the location of the capital on the territory map, and tracing the official road to the mountain range where the imperial mausoleum is located: "This section of the road, if you travel by carriage, will take at least half a month, not including
Time to enter the mountains.”
She moved her finger and pointed to a long river sloping down not far from the mountain range where the imperial mausoleum was located, passing through many towns on the way.
"If we take the water route instead and go down the river, we can complete the ten-day journey in just two days. Even if we change to a horse-drawn carriage later, the journey time can be shortened by half. If we change to a horse, or just go on the road lightly, the time will still be saved.
It can be shortened.”
This is something Xiao Lingyue can see at a glance.
In the past, in the army, planning a route on a sandy map and calculating the march duration were all basic skills.
But Xiao Lingyue was a little confused: "Your Majesty didn't ask for any length of time to go to the imperial mausoleum this time. Why are you in such a hurry on the way?"
"The document sent from the imperial court to the imperial mausoleum states that the inspection time is twenty days later." Zhan Beihan said.
Xiao Lingyue was startled and seemed to understand something.
"According to past practice, the imperial mausoleum was inspected only once every two or three years, and most of the people in charge were officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs. This time, my father sent Prince Xiang there to clear up the trouble."
Zhan Beihan pointed at the mountain range where the imperial mausoleum is located, "When the grass moves, snakes, insects, rats, and ants will crawl out."
To alert the snake.
Xiao Lingyue narrowed her eyes slightly and showed a subtle smile.
She continued: "In addition, the prince previously seized the wood and stone materials shipped by the Ministry of Revenue, and conducted a high-profile inspection of the Ministry of Household's accounts in the court. Those who colluded with the smuggling may have heard the news and are feeling uneasy.