Shao Yunduan couldn’t linger in Anze Province for long; he planned to depart in three days. Consequently, Qiao Xuan remained behind to oversee matters.

Anan hadn’t accompanied them this time; he was engrossed in his studies at the college. Qiao Xuan dearly missed her son during their stay in Anze Province. Before Shao Yunduan departed, he repeatedly offered reminders for their son.

After two weeks, Qi led over 3,000 individuals to Huaixi province.

During Shao Yunduan’s procurement of grains for them, they had agreed to only bring horses for future grain transportation, with the grain carts ready for use.

Given the abundance of wood in Anze Province, crafting food trucks was a straightforward task.

Considering the size of their group, their progress seemed sluggish. Shao Yunduan had anticipated their arrival within three to five days.

With a tinge of concern, Shao Yunduan inquired of Dao Seeking, “Did the journey not proceed smoothly? Has something occurred?”

Qi grinned. “I knew you’d ask. After all, you care about me!”

Shao Yunduan chuckled. “You’re quite mischievous, aren’t you?”

Qi let out a laugh, then continued, “Most of the areas we passed through belong to the Second Prince. Though there are some bandits who fancy themselves as mountain princes, kings, and monarchs, they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on us. But the Sun family demanded tolls!”

“Tolls?” Shao Yunduan’s brow furrowed. “That’s absurd! The Northwest Army is defending the Great Qin Empire, allowing the three Emperors to focus on their battles without worry. The Second Prince must be out of his mind!”

Not to mention Beihu, perpetually at odds with Great Qin, even Qingdi might be tempted to exploit the situation. Without the Northwest Army securing the north, Beihu’s cavalry would have stormed in long ago.

Yet, despite the Northwest Army’s clashes with Beihu over the past year, even Shao Yunduan was aware of the situation. Hence, the Second Prince must have known as well. Shao Yunduan couldn’t help but question the Second Prince’s audacity and lack of foresight in demanding tolls.

Qi shrugged. “The Second Prince didn’t personally make the demand. He wouldn’t dare. But the Sun family did. Whether they acted as the Second Prince’s agents, I can’t say. Their obstruction caused several days of delay after multiple rounds of negotiations. Thankfully, the northwest isn’t lacking in food. General Feng and the others are merely being cautious, urging me to hasten the food transport. Otherwise, we’d be in trouble if a food shortage occurred midway through such a long journey…”

Firstly, the journey was lengthy, requiring considerable time for transportation back and forth. Secondly, with winter prevailing and temperatures expected to rise only in March, it wasn’t conducive for extended-distance supply transport. While not impossible, it was inconvenient and would demand more manpower and resources.

Thirdly, Beihu’s covetous gaze loomed over them, leaving uncertainty about when hostilities might erupt again.

Drawing from his experience, Shao Yunduan anticipated a significant battle come the spring. By then, mobilizing anyone would prove difficult.

Hence, he sought to capitalize on this period to settle matters, preferring preparedness over last-minute scrambling, as the saying goes, “Fair-weather atheists turn to God in a pinch.”

Moreover, Shao Yunduan remained uncertain about the Second Prince’s intentions. While he wouldn’t outright demand tolls, he might turn a blind eye to them.