Ten Thousand Books, But Only One You

17 Many Calculations To Win A Battle

Chapter 17: Many Calculations To Win A Battle[1]

In the two weeks that followed the Moon Festival, Fu Wanxi visited Prince Jing's Mansion almost every single day. What started as an invitation from the junzhu to sample new snacks from the South together became an invitation to visit the royal family's vacation home in Fanzhou City. Enticed by the junzhu's promises of the city's famous barbecued marinated meat skewers, pomegranate juice, and the royal family's exclusively-owned hot springs, Fu Wanxi decisively agreed to her new best friend's invitation without hesitation.

Of course, we had already expected such a scenario to play out.

"Miss Fang, are you satisfied with the horse carriage?" The master carpenter waiting outside the carriage asked expectantly.

Although I was on tenterhooks preparing for the fated crash, the special design and good workmanship offered some level of mental relief. Before we entered the book, members of the Library Association had engaged professionals to design and build the carriage with materials that would be crash-proof to protect any passengers. Multiple trials were also conducted at the crash site as part of a due diligence exercise.

I took a final look at the unique interior of the customised horse carriage before ending my inspection. Jumping off the carriage, I dusted my hands and nodded approvingly. "Yes, it does look sturdy. But is what kind of seatbelt is that?"

The carpenter who was actually a member of the Library Association replied with a sense of pride in his team's work. "That's a vest harness, like an over-the-shoulder-restraint. It's what you will find on roller coasters. It's very safe."

"I see. I don't ride roller coasters so I didn't know."

He walked over to the entrance of the carriage and lifted up the curtains. Pointing at the black harness, he further explained, "you put your head through the hole, then strap the harness over your shoulder and body, then you connect the buckle clip on the harness to the buckle clip attached to the straps on the chair. Remember to take the seat on the right side—facing the horse—when you are setting off tomorrow. That will you will be suspended in the air instead of falling onto your back. That could be quite dangerous."

Feeling the blood draining from my face, I gulped as dread twisted in my gut. "I really hate roller coasters."

"The carriage is designed to only have two openings, the entrance and the window at the back. We have also padded the walls and the seats with memory foam which will help to absorb any impact. Finally, we have prepared two helmets for you. To help make all these blend in with the setting in the world, we have especially made them look like they are made from more primitive materials."

The Library Association uncle suddenly pulled out two safety helmets before handing one to me. At the sight of this familiar modern innovation making its grand appearance in the ancient world, my mental state crumbled. As he droned on about how to go about wearing it, I was struggling to produce explanations which I would have to give to Fu Wanxi as regards these strange inventions.

"So you're saying that I wouldn't even suffer a single bruise from the supposedly minor accident?" I was still very much unconvinced. There was a constant feeling of uneasiness that had dwelled within me ever since I read that part of the novel. Maybe it was fiction logic that Fu Wanxi managed to escape the overturned carriage unscathed—but I was not a fictional character.

Was I being overly paranoid or was my feelings of anxiousness valid?

"Before coming here, I did some research online on horse-drawn carriage accidents. Even an overturned carriage as a result of a spooked horse had resulted in fractures and open wounds, not to mention a carriage that rolls down a hill! In one such incident, the passenger actually suffered a waist injury." Massaging my temples with my index finger and thumb, I continued while gritting my teeth. "Is there any way that I can avoid this scene?"