At the head of these carriages was a massive horse, its entire body blazing red, as if forged from flames. From time to time, puffs of steam rose from its nostrils, accompanied by a low, whimpering sound.

Numerous passengers bustled about, dragging their luggage up and down from the carriages.

Even more astonishingly, these strange carriages were not solitary; there were more than a dozen lined up side by side, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle that left Zhao Feng and the others completely stunned.

"Is this... is this the carriage?"

Zhao Feng and the others were bewildered. Never before had they encountered such a method of transportation—it was utterly unheard of.

"Yes, this is our special mode of transportation in the Tang Dynasty—a carriage," the old master replied proudly.

He elaborated, "Don’t be fooled by its ordinary appearance. Its speed can reach six hundred kilometers per hour. At full throttle, it can even achieve a thousand kilometers per hour, though it typically travels at six hundred kilometers per hour."

Heihe City to the capital, Chang’an, spanned a distance of 20,000 kilometers. Yet, even without running day and night, it was estimated to take only a day and a half to arrive.

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"What?!"

As soon as these words left his lips, Zhao Feng and the third prince, along with the others, were struck dumb with disbelief. Their ears seemed to betray them—covering 20,000 kilometers in just a day and a half? It sounded far too outrageous.

It was so outrageous that they doubted the old man’s claims, suspecting him of exaggeration.

But as they observed the solemn expression on the old master’s face, they realized he wasn’t jesting.

"You must be joking. With such speed, if it’s used for transporting soldiers, doesn’t that mean an army could travel from the capital to the most distant border city in a day and a half?" Zhao Feng exclaimed. "If there’s unrest in the border regions, reinforcements could arrive in no time and suppress it instantly."

The military potential of these railways became clear to everyone.

It was well understood that governing a vast empire was fraught with difficulty, primarily due to its expansive territory. Troops were often scattered, and if a rebellion erupted in a distant region, it was nearly impossible for the central army to arrive promptly.

Without such a railway, it would have taken months, perhaps even a year, for reinforcements to reach certain areas. After all, armies were made up of people who required rest and sustenance. The logistics of transporting an army—food, supplies, and equipment—significantly slowed their march.

But with the advent of these carriages and the railway system, everything had changed. Soldiers and supplies could be loaded onto the carriages and transported across vast distances in just a day and a half. The troops would arrive fully rested and ready for battle.

Without question, this was an epoch-defining mode of transportation.

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such a marvel could exist in the world.