The mood on the West Slope shifted from the languid pace of summer to the frantic energy of a mobilization. The Imperial Commission wasn't just an order; it was a test. A test of the ranch's logistics, its manpower, and its courage.
Li Wei stood in the center of the pasture, the scroll from General Teng heavy in his hand. Forty days. A thousand *li*. Ten prime cattle.
"We're short," Li Wei said bluntly to Qin Hu and Li Jun. "We have four finished steers ready for slaughter right now. We need six more."
"We have the partners' cattle," Li Jun suggested. "The co-op stock."
"They aren't finished," Li Wei countered. "They're lean. If we send a skinny cow to the Imperial Kitchen, it's an insult to the Emperor. That's a beheading offense."
He turned to the holding pens. There were six young bulls from the spring breeding season—local stock, sired by Hei Feng, but they were only eight months old. Usually, they would need another year.
"System," Li Wei thought, focusing on the young bulls. "Can we finish them in thirty days?"
**[System Analysis: Target Group (6 Young Bulls).]**
**[Current Weight: 280 kg (Average).]**
**[Target Weight: 450 kg.]**
**[Feasibility: Impossible with standard feed.]**
**[Option: Unlock 'Emergency Finishing Formula' (Tier 2).]**
**[Cost: 20 Taels.]**
**[Effect: Increases muscle fiber saturation and water retention using high-density nutrient paste. Requires 24-hour care.]**
Li Wei grimaced. Twenty taels. That was a tenth of the total reward, gone before they even left. But the risk of failure was death.
"Unlock it," Li Wei commanded.
**[Purchase Confirmed. Blueprint Downloaded.]**
"Jun, we're building a 'feed kitchen'," Li Wei said. "Right now. We need soybeans, lots of them. And bone meal. And sugar. We're going to make a paste that turns these boys into giants."
***
**The Feed Kitchen**
The next three days were a blur of steam and grinding.
Li Wei commandeered the village mill. He bought every scrap of soybean residue and wheat gluten he could find. The recipe was complex: ferment the soybeans, boil them into a mash, mix with crushed oyster shells (calcium), bone meal (phosphorus), and a generous helping of the Gen II grass juice concentrate.
The result was a thick, brown paste that smelled like high-protein peanut butter.
"This looks delicious," Li Jun said, dipping a finger in. "Tastes like… dirt and money."
"Don't eat the profits," Li Wei slapped his hand away. "Feed it to the bulls. Small amounts, six times a day. We have to keep their digestion running hot without overloading them."
The effect was visible within days. The young bulls, normally grazing lazily, became energetic. Their coats developed a sheen. Their frames seemed to expand, filling out with a rapidity that defied nature. It was "forced finishing"—risky and expensive, but effective.
***
**The Caravan**
While the cattle were being fattened, Li Wei focused on logistics.
"We can't drive them," Qin Hu said, pointing to the map. "A thousand *li* on hoof? They'll lose all the weight we put on them. They'll arrive looking like skeletons. We need wagons."
"Wagons are slow," Li Wei countered. "And they get stuck in mud."
"We use the heavy transport carts from the quarry," Qin Hu suggested. "Wide wheels. Low center of gravity. We build cages on them. The cattle stand or lie down; they don't walk. We carry feed and water for them."
Li Wei nodded. "We need four carts. Ten cattle. That leaves room for supplies and guards."
"Guards," Qin Hu grunted. "Mo Lie is gone. Da Niu is green. I'm crippled. Who do we have?"
Li Wei looked out at the training yard. Mo Lie had drilled the village youths for weeks. They were still peasants, but they were disciplined peasants.
"We hire them," Li Wei said. "I'll pay them double wages. And I'll arm them."
He walked to the armory (a locked shed). He had the rusty spears from the bandit raid, cleaned and sharpened. He also had the bows.
"We are forming a Convoy," Li Wei announced to the gathered workers that evening. "It's dangerous. Bandits, weather, bad roads. We go to the Capital. I pay five hundred coins to every man who returns alive. Plus, a bonus if we deliver on time."
Five hundred coins. The eyes of the village youths gleamed. That was a year's savings.
"I'm going," Da Niu stepped forward instantly.
"Me too," Li Jun said.
"Me three," a tall, quiet youth named Er-Gou said. He was the best shot with a bow besides Mo Lie.
Within an hour, Li Wei had his team. Twelve men. Four carts. Ten cattle.
***
**The Sisters' Contribution**
The night before departure, Li Hua and Li Mei came to the bunkhouse.
"We aren't coming," Li Hua said, crossing her arms. "Mei gets sick in carts. And Mother needs us here to manage the goats and the dairy. But…"
She held out a crate.
Inside were sealed clay jars.
"Butter," Mei said. "And hard cheese. Wheels of it. We pressed it with salt and herbs. It won't spoil in the heat."
"And yogurt balls," Hua added, pulling out a bag of dried, chalky white spheres. "We strained the yogurt and dried it in the sun. You suck on them or mix with water. It's sour, but it keeps your strength up. The nomads do it."
Li Wei picked up a yogurt ball. It was hard as a rock.
"You made this?"
"We made a lot," Hua grinned. "Sell it to the soldiers in the Capital. Tell them it's 'Scholar's Manna'."
Li Wei laughed. He pulled his sisters into a hug.
"You two are the best. I'll bring you back silk from the Capital. Real silk."
"Just bring yourself back," Mei whispered. "And the money."
***
**The Departure**
Dawn broke with a thunderstorm. The sky was bruised purple, and rain lashed down, turning the road into a river.
"Bad omen," Uncle Zhang muttered, watching the convoy line up.
"No," Li Wei said, pulling his oiled cloak tight. "It's cover. Bandits don't like rain. And the dust settles. We move now."
The convoy rolled out of the gate.
First was the scout cart, driven by Er-Gou, moving ahead to check the road. Then came the four heavy cattle carts, pulled by teams of draft horses Li Wei had rented from the Zhao family at a steep price. The cattle stood in their wooden cages, munching on hay, shielded by tarpaulins.
Behind them rode the guards—Li Jun, Da Niu, and eight village youths on horseback, their spears wrapped in cloth to keep the rust off.
Li Wei rode at the rear, checking the stragglers. Ranger ran alongside him, shaking the water from his fur.
Qin Hu sat on the lead cart, his crossbow across his knees. He couldn't walk the distance, but he could command from the seat.
"Keep the pace!" Qin Hu shouted over the rain. "Don't let the wheels sink! Push if you have to!"
The wheels creaked and groaned. The mud sucked at the wooden spokes. It was back-breaking work from the first step.
Li Wei looked back at the West Slope. It looked small, isolated, safe.
Ahead of them lay the wild, untamed road to the Capital.
"Hyah!" Li Wei spurred his horse.
The Cloud Hill Convoy rolled into the grey curtain of the rain, carrying the weight of the future on wooden wheels.
***
**The First Camp**
By nightfall, they had covered only twenty *li*. The rain had stopped, leaving the air humid and thick with mosquitoes.
They made camp on a raised knoll off the main road.
"Circle the wagons," Li Wei ordered.
They parked the four cattle carts in a square, forming a makeshift wall. The horses were tethered inside. The guards lit a fire in the center, the smoke rising through the gap in the carts.
Li Wei checked on the cattle.
**[System Status Check.]**
**[Stress Level: Moderate.]**
**[Feed Intake: Good.]**
They were eating the protein paste. Good.
"Eat," Li Wei told the men, handing out rations of bread and the dried yogurt balls.
Da Niu bit into a yogurt ball and made a face. "Sour! It's like eating a lemon wrapped in cheese."
"It keeps the cramps away," Li Wei said, chewing his own. "And it doesn't spoil. Get used to it."
Qin Hu sat by the fire, cleaning his crossbow mechanism with a rag.
"We're too slow," Qin Hu said quietly. "At this rate, it will take fifty days. We need to pick up the pace."
"The mud is slowing us," Li Jun said. "Once we hit the stone-paved Imperial Road, we'll fly."
"Assuming the Imperial Road is safe," Qin Hu muttered. "There are rumors that the drought has pushed the mountain tribes down to the lowlands. They're hungry."
"Let them come," Da Niu said, gripping his spear. He was tired of being the victim. He had trained for this.
Li Wei looked at the young faces around the fire. They were scared, but they were trying to hide it.
"Listen," Li Wei said. "We aren't just moving cows. We're moving the Li family's destiny. We get this money, we build a real fortress. We buy more land. We become untouchable. I'm not dying on this road. And neither are you."
He stood up.
"I'll take the first watch. Sleep. We leave at dawn."
He climbed onto the roof of one of the wagons. The night was dark, alive with the sounds of insects and distant wolves. He pulled out the letter from Chen.
*"The Imperial Kitchen is interested."*
Li Wei looked north.
"We're coming, Brother. Just keep the door open."
He patted the purse of gold hidden under his shirt—the emergency fund. He felt the cold metal.
It was going to be a long, hard road. But for the first time, the Li family wasn't walking it alone. They had a convoy.
**[Journey Status: Day 1 / 40.]**
**[Distance Covered: 20 Li.]**
**[Remaining: 980 Li.]**
**[Status: On Schedule (Barely).]**