Chapter 299 Love between a Man and a Concubine

Master Meng was also startled, his face slightly agitated, "What's the reaction from Jinzhou?"

"I'm afraid Jiang Yongkang won't be able to sit still this time. Let's wait and see, they might switch from defense to offense soon!"

Seeing Prince Ming's casual words, Master Meng's heart began to falter. "That's true. The firearms blueprints are extremely important. Now that they're in our hands, they should be extremely anxious. I'm afraid Jiang Yongkang will launch a full-scale offensive against us in the next few days. If that happens, Ezhou and Xiangzhou will be lost."

"So we must create firearms as quickly as possible to turn the tide of war!" A hint of hatred gleamed in Ming Wang's eyes, a look of determination. "Are all the craftsmen in place? As soon as the blueprints arrive, have them start making firearms immediately! Tell them that if they can't make them, no one in their family will be able to leave alive!"

Another general said, "Your Highness, if Jiang Yongkang were to attack, the tens of thousands of troops in the west would be unable to resist!"

"Then draw 50,000 men from the northern battlefield to support us!"

The general continued under pressure: "If Jiang Yongkang uses all ten firearms, our army of more than 100,000 will probably..."

A hint of coldness flashed in the eyes of the Ming King. "Then capture all the civilians in the city and use them as a human wall. Don't the people of Jinzhou Prefecture claim that they never kill the elderly, the weak, women, and children? Then let's capture the elderly, the weak, women, and children to block their firearms. I want to see how many people they have to kill before they can set foot on my territory!"

The general shuddered.

Asking unarmed civilians to resist powerful firearms is simply...

What is the difference between this behavior and that of the Tartars in the north?

Ming Wang...could he have been driven mad by firearms?

Master Meng said, "Even without us, they would have died in war or starvation. These common people died defending their country, and it was a worthy death. Your Highness is a man of great purpose, how can you be so soft-hearted!"

"That's right, as long as we have firearms, everything will be better! All the sacrifices now will be worth it!"

At this moment, Fang Ruyu disguised herself and followed Zhou Ying's troops into several groups to bypass Jiangling Prefecture and enter Xiangzhou.

Once outside the territory of Jinzhou Prefecture, Fang Ruyu realized the difference in the outside world.

It seemed as if the sky had turned gray and the whole earth was depressed.

Time seemed to have stopped outside Jinzhou Prefecture.

The scenery she saw brought her back to Bianjing, the capital of the capital, over three years ago. As she got closer to Jiangling Prefecture, she began to notice the difference between the people of Jinzhou Prefecture and those of Qiongzhou Prefecture.

Even though there was war and the two armies were facing each other, there was no shadow of war in Jiangling Prefecture. The people were eating and drinking as usual, and seemed unaffected by the war. She even heard people in the teahouse talking about the good things that had come from Jinzhou Prefecture.

The people are always concerned about Lan County pigs and universal education.

After this trip, Fang Ruyu was surprised to find that the trend of universal education had already unknowingly reached the outermost part of Jinzhou Prefecture.

Sure enough, as long as we grasp universal education, we will grasp the next generation of the people.

Even among street vendors, the delicious food of Jinzhou Prefecture has quietly spread.

For example, fried chicken, fried spare ribs, double skin milk, mung bean cake, etc. The sizzling Lanxian pork, a bite of it, left a lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth, making her feel as if she was back in Jinzhou Prefecture.

However, once you pass the territory of Jinzhou Prefecture, all you see is desolation.

Groups of refugees, carrying their families, crossed the mountains and fled into the deep forest, just as they had done four years ago.

Zhou Ying was very angry and kept calling them "deserters", angrily accusing these refugees of being ungrateful. Now that they saw their brother in trouble, they ran away and completely forgot the kindness of their brother who had given them porridge.

However, because they were carrying the blueprints of firearms, they had to be cautious and did not dare to reveal their identities. Therefore, they could only watch the refugees, even soldiers from Xiangzhou mixed in with them, fleeing to Jiangling Prefecture with their families.

Zhou Ying kept calling the people of Jinzhou Prefecture despicable.

But there is nothing I can do.

Zhou Ying could only hold Fang Ruyu's hand and say, "Sister Ruyu, we have to make firearms as soon as possible to save my brother. Otherwise, the people near Qiongzhou will all run to that female traitor!"

Fang Ruyu sighed, "The people don't care who's the emperor; they only care about how good their lives are. Right now, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is at the height of his popularity, especially with that newspaper coming out. The Propaganda Department is distributing it nationwide at no expense. Who doesn't know that the people of Jinzhou Prefecture are living a life of luxury? Just wait and see, Jinzhou Prefecture will absorb even more people from the surrounding areas—"

Zhou Ying frowned slightly, feeling unhappy but not showing it. Instead, she smiled and said, "Sister, why are you siding with that female traitor?"

"I'm not on anyone's side. She's strong, that's a fact. You've also been to Jinzhou Prefecture. You should know what Jinzhou Prefecture is like. Otherwise, you wouldn't have bought so many books there."

Zhou Ying was silent.

She even kept wavering.

Before coming to Jinzhou Prefecture, she might have held the belief that she would win, but since she went to Jinzhou Prefecture, she has been uneasy and felt an unprecedented fear, and even a hint of despair.

Zhou Ying didn’t know the word dimension yet.

If she knew, she would definitely say it was a dimensionality reduction attack.

"Sister Ruyu, what do you think...can we promote universal education in Qiongzhou as well?"

Fang Ruyu was silent for a long moment, then her eyes seemed to light up. "Your Highness always said that we should learn from the foreigners to defeat them. If we go back now, we can manufacture firearms and promote comprehensive education. Princess, I have worked in the education department of Jinzhou for two years, and you have the firearms blueprints. One of us will be responsible for universal education, and the other for military training. We will be Her Highness's right-hand men in the future. In a few years, we may be able to compete with her!"

Zhou Ying's eyes lit up with joy. "If that's really possible, then we'd be the first in the world! No... then we'd be like Xu Zhenying!"

Then she didn't know what she was thinking about, and the light in her eyes became dim.

My brother will not allow a woman to take power.

Although Zhou Ying is young, she has never been favored since childhood and has learned to read people's expressions very early.

Women who grew up in the deep palace have their own set of survival wisdom.

For example, this time, she proposed to use Fang Ruyu to steal confidential information from Jinzhou Prefecture, and her brother reluctantly looked at her with respect.

She originally thought that if she had more love from her brother, she would have more choices in choosing a son-in-law in the future.

But after going to Jinzhou Prefecture, I don’t know why I felt a little uncomfortable.

The woman over there doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get married.

Rather than getting married, they care more about their academic performance, what to do after graduation, and how much money they can earn.

It is even said that they are preparing to compile a Marriage Law to protect women's rights and encourage more women to go out of their homes and realize their self-worth.

Self-worth?

These four words sounded beautiful, but Zhou Ying sensed Xu Zhenying's arrogance.

Why does Xu Zhenying think that having children and managing the backyard are not valuable?

If everyone advocated women's liberation and equality for all like Xu Zhenying, how could people like them in the upper class live a life of ordering slaves around?

What's more, they are of pure bloodline and are the real royal bloodline, which is completely different from this group of untouchables!

Xu Zhenying wants to overthrow the imperial power, which is against the will of heaven!

Zhou Ying tried her best to ignore the strangeness and vague uneasiness in her heart.

As long as she brings the firearm blueprint back, her brother will definitely treat her differently, and may even make her a princess who protects the country.

As soon as Fang Ruyu arrived in Qiongzhou, he smelled a faint salty and damp smell in the air.

This place is close to the sea, and the scenery is completely different from that of Jinzhou Prefecture in the inland.

Zhou Ying took Fang Ruyu and crossed mountains and rivers, and had to avoid being tracked by Jinzhou Prefecture. They stopped and walked along the way, and it took more than two months to reach Qiongzhou.

It was cold December when we arrived.

Qiongzhou is very poor.

This was Fang Ruyu’s first impression.

Unlike the vibrant Jinzhou Prefecture, the people here were gaunt and numb, rarely showing any lively or vivid expressions. They were more like walking corpses, their eyes devoid of any spirit, as they walked the streets blankly and numbly.

People on the street were wearing thin clothes and walking slowly, and even children with naked buttocks begging could be seen everywhere.

They shivered in the cold wind, chasing their carriage barefoot, begging again and again for some food.

Zhou Ying showed reluctance on her face. After entering Qiongzhou, she seemed to be afraid of nothing. She waved her hand and scattered a string of copper coins. The children scrambled for them and almost fought each other to get their heads broken and bloodied.

Fang Ruyu felt a sharp pain in her chest.

If these children were in Jinzhou Prefecture, she would have taken them to an orphanage long ago.

Look at them, naked, shameless, fighting based on instinct, like unevolved little animals in the mountains.

Even so, Zhou Ying still smiled and talked about how the lives of the people of Qiongzhou had changed dramatically after they and their brother and sister came to Qiongzhou, and how grateful the people of Qiongzhou were to them.

Fang Ruyu just felt nauseous.

It turns out that outside of Jinzhou Prefecture, the people outside live like this -

Zhou Ying had already sent someone to inform Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng was waiting for them at the city gate with a large number of troops. The people were driven away one after another and no one dared to approach. Occasionally, there would be a curious look over, but it would only be a quick glance before the eyes turned away in horror.

The soldiers raised their swords and pointed them at the onlookers, and no one dared to approach the city gate.

Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, the carriage swayed and finally stopped.

Fang Ruyu only felt the sound of hurried footsteps in front of her, and then like the wind, the green curtain in the car was lifted, and Fang Ruyu saw the face that had been haunting her dreams.

She was so startled that she leaned back slightly, and then her fair wrist was grabbed by a pair of hot hands.

When their eyes met, Fang Ruyu was a little stunned.

Then her eyes turned red, her voice was slightly aggrieved, and she stared at the newcomer, "Your Highness, you... have lost weight..."

"Ayu." Zhou Heng's chest rose and fell slightly, and he held her hand tightly, refusing to let go. "You're finally here. Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?"

Zhou Ying coughed softly beside them. She interrupted their affectionate gaze with a smile, then rubbed against Zhou Heng in a feigned affectionate manner, "Why, don't you welcome me back, brother?"

Zhou Heng and Zhou Ying looked at each other. Zhou Heng's surprise flashed away, and he immediately smiled and said, "Bringing Ruyu back this time is a great contribution. How could I not welcome you back?"

There was no mention of firearms.

"Ruyu, I'm glad you're here. How is Mr. Fang? How are your parents?"

Fang Ruyu said in a coquettish tone, "Of course they still blame you."

"It's my fault. I was confused for a moment. I should have come to you earlier. I didn't even know Zhu Kui and Xu Zhenying were secretly colluding, and I repeatedly asked him to deliver letters between you and me. I thought... you were just like everyone else, believing that I, Zhou Heng, was really that cruel and ruthless..." Zhou Heng clutched Fang Ruyu's wrist tightly, his emotions agitated. "It's all my fault. I was deceived by the treacherous person. If I had gone to Jinzhou Prefecture to find you earlier and apologized to the Fang family, maybe you wouldn't have been caught in such a difficult situation."

Fang Ruyu's eyes were slightly red. "It's good that you understand my dilemma. This time, I abandoned the entire Fang family to come to you. You can't let me down."

"Don't worry. When I take over Jinzhou Prefecture, the Fang family will be the first to contribute to my southward march. I will definitely clear the Fang family of all stigma and serve Old Master Fang as my imperial tutor for life. As long as I am here, the Fang family will remain standing. Ah Yu, give me some more time, I will never let you down..."

Fang Ruyu stared at him, her eyes filled with crystal clear tears. She wiped her tears with her handkerchief. "I have nothing now. As a sinner of the Fang family, who else can I rely on except you?"

"Okay, okay. Don't worry, the Fang family will redress their grievances sooner or later. By then, they'll be so respectful and loving of you that they won't even blame you! Ah Yu, your choice is the right one!"

Zhou Heng seemed to be so happy that he was stupid. He pulled her over and hugged her tightly. Fang Ruyu blushed with shame and kept pinching him, "What are you doing? Put me down now! This is so disgraceful!!"

Zhou Heng chuckled softly, "What do you mean by decorum? In my territory of Qiongzhou, I am the decorum. You are my future wife, and in the future you will be the mistress of the entire Qiongzhou. Who dares to say anything?!"

"That won't do, that won't do—"

Zhou Heng hugged the person in his arms tightly, then supported her waist. The two of them mounted the horses brought by the attendants. "Ayu, sit tight! I will take you to see my kingdom!"

Accompanied by Fang Ruyu's exclamations, the two men were running on the streets of Qiongzhou, and soon a group of guards caught up with them.

It was Zhou Ying who was left behind by the two men.

Zhou Ying suppressed the smile on her lips, but she was thinking in her heart: My brother is being too naughty. After all, this is in the city. If other people see it, there will be rumors.

This hostess of Qiongzhou has no dignity at all. How can she convince the public in the future?

But I think my brother is only concerned about the drawings.

As for this casual flirtation with Fang Ruyu, it only made Fang Ruyu more devoted to him.

My brother... is always good at disguising himself.

But Master Meng had already walked over, quite impatiently, "Princess, did you really get the blueprints for the firearm?"

Zhou Ying was indeed dissatisfied with Master Meng. "Master Meng, you should have reminded my brother that since he's here to pick up Miss Fang today, why is he so covered in cosmetics? If I hadn't thought of something quick, Miss Fang would have discovered right then and there that my brother has a new lover!"

Mr. Meng immediately said, "Actually, several wealthy families sent women to the banquet this morning for marriage proposals. Your Highness couldn't refuse, so he had to attend reluctantly. I'm afraid she might have accidentally gotten stained with cosmetics. However, Miss Fang is simple-minded and probably wouldn't notice. Moreover, now that she's in Qiongzhou Prefecture, she has no way out."

Zhou Ying frowned. "The eldest daughter of the Fang family may be simple-minded, but that doesn't mean she's stupid! She eloped this time, and no one in the Fang family knew about it! She's deeply in love with my brother, and my brother can't let her down!"

Master Meng smiled and said, "His Highness said that if this goes through in the future, he will definitely give Miss Fang the title of Imperial Concubine."

"That's more like it. Have you cleaned up all those girls in my brother's room?"

"We've already taken care of it. We've sent them all to the other courtyard these past few days, so they won't show up in front of Miss Fang. We've also warned the people under our command, so Miss Fang won't even know of their existence."

Zhou Ying nodded. As a woman, she naturally didn't like to provide such cover for her brother.

But she also knew her brother's helplessness.

Zhou Heng wasn't someone obsessed with beauty, but how could there be only one woman beside the emperor's bed? All the forces needed to be balanced, and marriage was naturally the best way to do that.

"You have to know that Miss Fang is different from other women in the backyard. Although she doesn't have her family to rely on, she brought us the firearms blueprints. She also worked under Xu Zhenying in Jinzhou Prefecture for two years and is the person who knows the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture best among us. Perhaps we will have to rely on her for the firearms issue later. Not to mention that if we want to take over Jinzhou Prefecture, Fang Ruyu is the key."

Master Meng quickly expressed his gratitude, but there was a hint of urgency on his face. "Thank you, Princess, for writing in advance to remind me. However... speaking of firearms, His Highness couldn't bring himself to discuss the matter with Miss Fang right away, so he specifically ordered us to—"

"Okay, I know you're anxious. The firearm blueprints are with me—"

Zhou Ying turned around, facing away from everyone, and then carefully took out a roll of paper as thin as a cicada's wing from her arms.

When Master Meng got the paper, his eyes widened immediately.

He didn't see the blueprint, but the moment he touched the paper, he immediately exclaimed, "What kind of paper is this?!"

Zhou Ying sighed slightly. "This paper is called writing paper in Jinzhou Prefecture. It is harder and whiter than the rice paper we usually use, and the ink doesn't smudge easily. Open it and take a look inside—"

Master Meng followed his instructions, then took a deep breath. "Is this a brush? No, a brush can't write such fine characters. The characters are so small, yet so clear. Could it be the legendary pencil?"

"It's a pencil with higher precision." Zhou Ying corrected him. "It's said to be specially supplied by the research institute, specifically for drawing blueprints."

Even as a rival, Master Meng couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder they say the craftsmen in Jinzhou Prefecture are so skilled in unusual and ingenious techniques. Now I see it's true."

Zhou Ying sneered, "If you say pencils are a peculiar skill, that's fine, but Master, do you think firearms are also a peculiar skill?"

Master Meng was immediately speechless.

Zhou Ying was thinking in her heart: If all these people from Qiongzhou were invited to visit Jinzhou Prefecture, the outcome would probably be decided immediately.

If they want to catch up with Jinzhou Prefecture, Fang Ruyu is the key among the keys.

This time, not only does her brother have to coax Fang Ruyu well, but the entire Qiongzhou has to treat her as a guest of honor.

Zhou Heng took Fang Ruyu speeding through the city. Fang Ruyu didn't like to be high-profile. She had just arrived and shouldn't be in the spotlight like that.

Therefore, the horse had not run far when she made an excuse of feeling dizzy and asked Zhou Heng to stop.

Zhou Heng looked remorseful and said, "Ayu, you must be exhausted from the long journey. How about I take you home today so you can have a good rest?"

"That's not necessary. I've had a quick tour of Qiongzhou City, which is enough. My body can still handle it. Your Highness has always been worried about the war ahead, right? Why don't we find the craftsmen to study the firearm blueprints and make the firearms as soon as possible?"

Zhou Heng was very touched. "Ayu, you just came back to me. I can't bear to see you running around so hard for me."

"Your Highness, what you say is truly childish. You and I are an engaged couple, and we share the same honor and disgrace. There's no need to talk about traveling and being tired. Besides, when Your Highness and I passed through Xiangzhou Prefecture, there was already a war going on at the border. The soldiers from Jinzhou Prefecture were almost occupying Xiangzhou Prefecture. The people and their families fled, and even the soldiers mixed in with them, seeking refuge in Jiangling Prefecture. If we don't find a way to solve the firearm crisis, Xiangzhou Prefecture will be lost!"

Zhou Heng said, "This Xu Zhenying is really crazy. A while ago, he only defended and didn't attack. But recently, for some reason, Jiang Yongkang has been advancing towards our Qiongzhou. It feels like a fight to the death. Their firearms are invincible. No matter how strong our city is, it is as fragile as paper in front of them!"

"The Jinzhou government must have discovered the firearms blueprints were stolen!" Fang Ruyu's expression changed slightly, and then he felt very guilty. "It's all my fault! I should have been more careful!"

Then a trace of worry crossed her face again. "I wonder if my family will be implicated. I'm guilty of… treason… Xu Zhenying is vindictive, and she looks down on me and has no tolerance for others. I'm afraid—"

Zhou Heng immediately grabbed her hand. "Ayu, don't worry. I've already asked someone to find out about the Fang family's recent situation. But Xu Zhenying is considered a great hero. Judging from her previous actions, she's not the type to kill everyone. I don't think she'll punish everyone in the Fang family—"

Fang Ruyu's tears fell down, and I felt pity for her.

Zhou Heng couldn't help but feel a little moved. "Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I get any news from Jinzhou Prefecture. If all else fails, I'll send someone to jailbreak... to rob the prisoners, and I'll definitely rescue your parents!"

Fang Ruyu's tears subsided a bit. "At this point, I have no way out. If it weren't for my Fang family's charity during their exile, the Xu family would have starved to death long ago. My Fang family has done the Xu family a favor. If Xu Zhenying dares to kill them all, I will make her ungrateful behavior known to everyone!"

"Don't be afraid, Ah Yu. Your parents are my parents. If Xu Zhenying really dares to attack the rest of the Fang family, I will destroy Jinzhou Prefecture and avenge everyone in the Fang family!"

Fang Ruyu was deeply moved, her voice tinged with tears, her eyelashes stained with crystal clear tears. "Your Highness, now I... only have you to rely on. Please don't let me down."

"Ayu, I swear, I will never let you down in this life."