Just watch, my lord

"Changing commanders on the battlefield has always been a taboo in the military. I thought even if Father wanted to help, it would take at least ten days to get the transfer order. Adding the time for Zheng Fang and the others to travel back and forth, it would take over a month. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly," Qing Huai explained. "I suppose the situation with the Iron Forest Army is dire, and Father wants me to return as soon as possible."

When Qing Huai received the transfer order, he was equally surprised. After questioning Zheng Fang in detail, he understood why the Duke of Qing had acted so swiftly. He also knew that his father must have paid a heavy price to secure the order.

Jin Feng didn't dwell on it too much. From what Zhang Liang had told him, the Iron Forest Army was Qing Huai's lifework and the foundation of his standing. He assumed the Duke of Qing simply didn't want the Iron Forest Army to suffer heavy losses, which explained why he had been so accommodating.

Little did Jin Feng know that Zheng Fang had already spilled the beans about him.

"When do we leave?" Jin Feng asked, getting straight to the point.

"The sooner, the better," Qing Huai replied. "Zhong Wu and the others are already packing. I came to inform you to prepare as well. We'll set off tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow? So soon?" Jin Feng's eyebrows shot up. "Why the rush?"

The metallurgical technology of the Great Kang Dynasty was too primitive. Coal had only been transported in a few days ago, and the furnace had been hastily built. Under such conditions, Jin Feng had managed to produce iron wire, which was already quite an achievement. However, the output was disappointingly low. Even now, the amount of wire accumulated fell far short of what was needed.

"Do you have other matters to attend to?" Qing Huai asked.

"Plenty," Jin Feng said. "First, we don't have nearly enough wire. Second, I haven't even finished making a single heavy crossbow yet."

"Hmm..." Qing Huai thought for a moment. "The Iron Forest Army has its own workshop. Once we're there, I'll have them assist you. That should speed things up."

He added reassuringly, "Don't worry, the workshop's captain is someone I personally promoted. I guarantee they won't leak your techniques."

"How many people are in the workshop?" Jin Feng asked, intrigued.

"About fifty."

"Do they have furnaces?"

"Three."

"That'll do," Jin Feng nodded slightly.

Three furnaces and fifty helpers, if utilized properly, would significantly boost efficiency compared to just him and the Zhang brothers working alone. As for Qing Huai's concern about others stealing his techniques, Jin Feng wasn't worried at all.

What was the assembly line for in modern times?

You could spend ten years screwing bolts in an electronics factory and still not know how to build a television.

Just like with the spinning wheel, he could assign the most labor-intensive and least technical tasks to the workshop workers. Each worker would only handle a specific part of the product, while he focused on the critical components and final assembly. This approach would not only improve efficiency but also effectively prevent leaks.

"If you have no further concerns, can we depart tomorrow?" Qing Huai asked again.

"Is tomorrow absolutely necessary?" Jin Feng countered.

"Not necessarily. There are two copies of the transfer order. The other one has to be delivered to the Iron Forest Army, passing through two checkpoints and requiring the seal of the Western Garrison Army's commander. That will take some time. I was thinking of heading over early to assess the situation on the battlefield and make preparations."

Qing Huai paused, then asked, "Why do you ask? Is there something else?"

Jin Feng fell silent.

He was worried about the Cat Cat Mountain bandits.

If he left, what would happen if the bandits found out he had killed Baldhead and came looking for revenge?

But even if he stayed, it would still be a problem if the bandits showed up.

The only permanent solution was to eliminate the bandits altogether.

At this thought, Jin Feng's eyes lit up.

He certainly didn't have the capability to do it himself, but Qing Huai might.

As a marquis, he might be able to pull it off.

At the very least, he could arrange for Guan Xiaorou and the others to stay in Jinchuan County until Jin Feng returned.

With this in mind, Jin Feng explained the situation with Baldhead.

"I've heard of the Cat Cat Mountain bandits. Their core group is only a few dozen strong, but Cat Cat Mountain's terrain is complex, and the bandits know it well. Whenever troops approach, they scatter like rats into the mountains, making them hard to root out. Besides, bandit suppression is the responsibility of the county magistrate and local garrison, so I've never bothered with them," Qing Huai said confidently. "But since they've had the audacity to provoke you, we'll wipe them out."

"Do you have a plan?" Jin Feng asked.

"I didn't have a good plan before, but now that I've met you, I do," Qing Huai smiled. "Don't worry. Before we leave, I'll take care of them."

After leaving the blacksmith shop, Qing Huai called for Zhang Liang and whispered something in his ear. Zhang Liang immediately dropped what he was doing and ran off.

Qing Huai then gave instructions to the steward. Soon, Zhong Wu and five guards entered the courtyard, each carrying a crossbow made by Jin Feng.

Jin Feng had promised to equip each of them with a crossbow, so recently they had borrowed the spare crossbows from Mancang and the others, taking turns to train in the hills.

Seeing the guards arrive with their weapons, leading several horses and a carriage, Jin Feng realized something and stepped forward to ask, "My lord, you're not planning to take just these few men to attack Cat Cat Mountain, are you?"

Qing Huai had only brought six guards. Even with Jin Feng and Zhang Liang, that made only eight people. How could they possibly take on the bandits?

"These few are enough," Qing Huai said with a smile, his tone as casual as if they were going hunting rather than fighting bandits. "Would you like to come along and see?"

"Alright," Jin Feng nodded, seeing that Qing Huai wasn't joking.

He was curious to see how Qing Huai planned to pull this off.

Returning to the blacksmith shop, Jin Feng fetched his own crossbow and a bundle of arrow quivers. He had made these recently, ensuring each crossbow had two quivers. If one was damaged during battle, the other could take its place.

After distributing the quivers to Zhong Wu and the others, Qing Huai and the guards mounted their horses. Jin Feng, who couldn't ride, climbed into the carriage.

Qing Huai didn't seem in a hurry. After leaving the village, they ambled along at a leisurely pace, only reaching Jinchuan County by noon.

They didn't enter the city but instead skirted the walls and continued north.

When they were about two or three miles from Cat Cat Mountain, Qing Huai ordered the group to stop in a grove of trees.

As soon as they halted, Zhang Liang, carrying a crossbow, emerged from the underbrush with a dark-skinned man.

"My lord!" The dark-skinned man knelt and kowtowed, tears streaming down his face.

Jin Feng noticed the man limped on his right leg, likely another veteran injured in battle.

"Enough, get up," Qing Huai said, helping the man to his feet. "Has the message been sent?"

"Yes, my lord. The second-in-command of Cat Cat Mountain should have heard the news by now," the man replied.

"Good," Qing Huai nodded. "Zhong Wu, get ready. The second-in-command might come down the mountain soon."

"Just watch, my lord," Zhong Wu grinned.