Armor Wasn't Forbidden

As the laughter at the table gradually subsided, Shen Jingchuan, his fingertips resting on the rim of his glass, said that he was going on a long trip.

He recalled the recent disastrous incident where the Lin Household Escort Agency was intercepted while on a mission, and after a moment's thought, he asked:

"Second Brother Lin, I have a question. Last time I saw you on a mission, you were only wearing a leather armor. Does the Great Qian Dynasty prohibit civilians from possessing armor?"

Lin Yue put the wine bowl on the table, waved his hand, and laughed:

"Hey, what kind of rule is that! In our Great Qian Dynasty, let alone leather armor, even iron armor, shields, powerful bows and crossbows, you can use them as you please, as long as you can afford them, and the government won't say a word."

Shen Jingchuan feigned surprise:

"They won't even ban iron armor and crossbows? Isn't the imperial court afraid of unrest in the provinces?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Lin Yue scoffed.

"The imperial guards and border troops are equipped with proper military equipment. The scattered and piecemeal armed forces of the common people are simply no match for the main army. Besides, real iron armor is extremely heavy, weighing fifty or sixty pounds per set. Ordinary people can barely walk in it, let alone fight."

He leaned forward and said, "The most crucial point is that just having armor on a person is useless. If a real battle breaks out, the enemy will shoot at the horse first. Once the horse falls, no matter how thick your armor is, it's all for nothing."

But if even the horses are armored, the weight becomes unpredictable. An ordinary horse carrying a person, armor, and over a hundred pounds of armor would be worn out after only ten or twenty miles. It would only be able to charge into battle once, making it unusable for long-distance escort missions.

So our escort agency only wears leather armor to protect against stray arrows; we wouldn't even dare to think about having both men and horses fully armored."

Lin Yue waved his hand again, looking helpless:

"Besides, even if you have a full set of iron armor, it won't be of much use. If you really encounter bandits robbing you, they'll suddenly jump out of the forest. You're going to put on armor now? It would take you half a quarter of an hour to get yourself and your horse fully armored. By the time you're all dressed, they'll already have a knife to your throat."

"If you were to wear these armors from head to toe from the moment you set off on your mission, let alone whether an ordinary horse could handle the weight, a person wrapped in dozens of kilograms of iron plates would be exhausted after only half a day."

Especially during the hottest days of summer, after being exposed to the sun for two hours, the armor plates become so hot they could be used to make pancakes. The inside is like a steamer; before the enemy can even make a move, they've already cooked themselves into a delicious meal, no different from roasting a whole lamb.

Lin Shan nodded beside him, picked up the conversation, and said in a steady tone:

"My second brother's words may be rough, but they make sense. Only the real imperial army can use full heavy armor. When two armies are facing each other, scouts will gather information from afar and prepare half an hour in advance, donning their armor and forming ranks so that they can charge into battle just as the enemy arrives."

How can we escorts be so calm? On mountain roads and wild areas, bandits may spring out from behind some slopes. By the time you see someone wearing armor, it will be too late. Therefore, even if people have iron armor, they mostly keep it at home, and no one really wears it for escorts."

Shen Jingchuan understood immediately.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the craftsmanship of armor making. According to them, a human armor weighs fifty or sixty pounds, while a vest weighs over a hundred pounds. They are thick, bulky, and cumbersome to put on and take off, making them unsuitable for long journeys or unexpected situations.

These thoughts raced through his mind, but he showed no emotion on his face, only nodding slightly and smiling, "I see. I underestimated things before."

At this point, he slapped his thigh, looking at Shen Jingchuan with a regretful expression:

"Young Master Shen, you don't know how lucky you are! Your three Whirlwind Horses are extraordinary, especially Big Black. Their speed and stamina are unparalleled in the world! If it were a matter of both rider and horse being heavily armored, only the Whirlwind Horses could withstand it. Let alone charging into battle, they could even accompany a caravan on a long journey for ten days or half a month without getting out of breath."

"If I had one of those, I would have clad it in a full set of iron armor long ago. How could I let them pull a cart like you have them? Those are Heavenly Horses! It's a complete waste of their resources!"

Lin Yue clicked his tongue:

"If there were one or two heavily armored knights standing in front of the caravan, they would be a living wall! No one could cut you down, and you could pierce through them with a single spear thrust. One of them would be worth more than ten. Last time we were robbed while on our caravan, if we had had two or three heavily armored knights like these to hold the line, we wouldn't have lost so many brothers. The bandits would have run away long ago."

Lin Weiyuan, stroking his beard, nodded slowly and added:

"It's not that the imperial court forbids it, it's that ordinary people can neither afford to buy nor use them. If you want both men and horses to be fully equipped, they must all be Whirlwind Horses. You know the qualities of these horses. Ordinary merchants and escort agencies are considered to have top-notch resources if they have one or two."

Shen Jingchuan nodded slightly upon hearing this, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said nothing more.

As night fell, Shen Jingchuan moved swiftly, returning from the backyard of the escort agency in Yuxi Prefecture to his bedroom in the courtyard house in the modern West Mountain.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, took out his phone, opened a shopping app, and searched repeatedly using keywords such as "ancient armor," "human and horse armor," and "horse armor." The results were either cosplay props made of EVA foam that would crumble at the slightest touch, or imitation ancient forged steel armor, with a single set of human armor weighing fifty or sixty pounds and the horse armor being ridiculously heavy. Not a single piece was suitable for actual combat in another world, which made him frown more and more.

After tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning, he simply threw away his phone, took a shower, and went straight to bed.

The next morning, he first sent Meng Ke a message to ask how she was doing, then turned around and continued searching with his phone. After searching all morning, he had no clue whatsoever.

He suddenly remembered Professor Wen.

The old man himself said that the wild ginseng he had sent over the previous times was for important people above him, and that he owed him a favor.

This protective gear is just protective gear, not controlled firearms or ammunition. Asking the old man to make a connection and find a factory with military qualifications to customize it shouldn't be difficult.

He'd already come up with an excuse.

He pulled out his contacts and dialed Professor Wen's number.

The phone was answered after only two rings, and Professor Wen's voice on the other end was filled with obvious joy:

"Little Shen? Why are you calling at this hour? Is there news from the ginseng side?"

Shen Jingchuan paused, not responding directly, but instead speaking first:

"Yes, there's progress, don't worry. By the way, Professor Wen, you said before that I could ask you for help if needed. I have something to ask you, but I'm not sure if it's convenient for you, so I thought I'd ask you first."

"Hey, don't be so polite with me!"

When Professor Wen heard that he wanted to help, his tone became even more enthusiastic, as if he couldn't wait to repay the favor.

"Just tell me, I'll handle what I can, and if I can't, I'll find the right person for you."

"Well, I have a friend who spends his days venturing into remote, uninhabited mountains to search for wild ginseng. As you know, the best ginseng is found in the most dangerous places."

Shen Jingchuan spoke calmly, reciting his prepared statement in a gentle and measured tone:

"That place is not only prone to rockfalls, but you can also encounter wild boars and black bears in the forest, and occasionally poachers. It's extremely dangerous. He wanted to have several sets of reliable protective gear made, one for each person, and protective gear for the packhorses as well. He contacted several civilian suppliers, but the gear was either too heavy to cross the mountain or too thin to stop a knife; it was completely useless."

He paused, his tone slightly tentative:

"I was thinking you have a lot of connections, could you help me pull some strings and find a factory with military qualifications to customize a few sets of military-grade protective gear? The most important thing is that it needs to be lightweight, so it won't interfere with long journeys. It's not some kind of controlled product, just protective gear. Would it be convenient for you to add some wiring?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Professor Wen's chuckle, which sounded somewhat disappointed—he had thought it was some major, difficult matter, but it turned out to be such a trivial thing.

"Hey, I thought it was something really difficult! It's nothing, easy to handle."

Professor Wen readily agreed, his tone relaxed.

"I have a friend who is the general manager of a protective equipment factory that supplies the military and police. Their processes are all military-grade."

It's just a few sets of protective gear, not like firearms. It's fine for people and horses. I'll talk to him and get you the highest level of protection for melee weapons, and I can even keep the weight down to the lightest possible, so it won't delay your journey over the mountains."

"I'll talk to him in a bit and have him call you. You can discuss the specific dimensions and requirements directly with him."

Finally, he changed the subject, returning to what he cared about most, his tone filled with expectation:

"Don't worry about such a small thing. I already owe you a huge favor. By the way, you mentioned there was progress with the ginseng? What exactly happened?"