Chapter 86 There's another trick to the gift.

Jiang Chen was right after all.

No sooner had the farcical arranged marriage on the first day of the lunar month ended than the princes began to "present their treasures" the very next day.

First, the King of Tai and the King of Wu led their soldiers to present a formation outside the banquet hall. The soldiers gave a live demonstration for the emperor, showcasing how powerful the military of the Great Xia Dynasty was.

This was perfect for the emperor, who had always wanted to strengthen his army. Overjoyed, the King of Tai and the King of Wu each commanded an army in a remote region, though they held no real power, they were honorary governors.

The King of Han, together with the King of Wei, presented a literary work compiled by the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites. This work included all the articles and poems written by the emperor in his early years, which were then bound together with the revised works of wise and virtuous rulers from the founding of the dynasty to the present.

The thick book encapsulates most of the emperors' hard work since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty. The emperor was very satisfied with it and planned to build another library for the Hanlin Academy next year.

The last to appear was King Huan, who, with the assistance of King Zhao, rewrote a detailed set of rules for evaluating officials. He modified the rules based on those of previous years, not only filling in the previous loopholes but also refining many aspects of the rules. The emperor was very satisfied.

Last year, the case of Zhu Tongtong made him realize that the reform of the bureaucracy was imminent. The gifts from King Huan and King Zhao were exactly what he wanted. He did not give them any empty titles, but only bestowed gold as a reward. However, in addition, he ordered King Huan to enter the imperial study for a talk after the banquet. This was far more than the rewards given in the open.

During the New Year, almost all the princes were busy. When it came time to enter the palace for an audience, they all showed off their skills. The competition was more exciting than the last. In the end, everyone's attention fell on the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince closed his doors to visitors and simply enjoyed the New Year. This was hardly news in the politically sensitive capital of Xia, as everyone knew that the Crown Prince had not been involved in such matters since returning to the capital from the north. Therefore, he was absent from the presentation of treasures by the princes.

"Each of the princes has their own strengths. King Huan, King Han, and King Tai are currently rivals, each vying for power and possessing unique advantages. But the Crown Prince..."

"The Crown Prince resolved a major threat in the north last year. Isn't he worthy of being mentioned alongside him?"

"What you say is true, but after the Crown Prince returned, the Ninth Prince was granted a title, officials in the Ministry of Works were promoted, and the three prefectures in the North received pensions. Only the Crown Prince was not rewarded. This shows that His Majesty still showed favor to the Crown Prince along the way..."

The crowd whispered among themselves. Jiang Chen sat in the first seat next to the emperor, his expression unchanged. He would even nod slightly when he ate his favorite dishes, seemingly very satisfied with the food at today's palace banquet. It wasn't until the emperor looked over that his eyes were full of curiosity and inquiry: "Has the Crown Prince prepared anything?"

“Your Majesty,” Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks and walked to the emperor, saying, “There were gifts, but the gifts that my brothers presented to Your Majesty were all too precious. If I were to offer another gift now, it would seem rather inadequate.”

"Oh? What has the Crown Prince prepared? It's alright, just take it out and let me see. I'm looking forward to it."

"As you command, Your Majesty. In that case, please follow me to the front of the main hall."

Facing the expectant or disdainful gazes of the crowd, Jiang Chen respectfully led the emperor outside the main hall. Seeing that the area outside the hall was empty and there was no enormous figure waiting, the crowd couldn't help but look at him with a hint of amusement.

Jiang Chen glanced around, then clapped his hands in the open space. Several eunuchs then carried over some bundles of straw from a distance. A man stood in the distance, nocked an arrow, and shot down the straw target with a single arrow. The distance showed how powerful the shot was.

"Your Highness! Weapons are not allowed in the palace without permission. What are you doing?"

“Lord Zhou, please calm down,” Jiang Chen bowed to the emperor. “Father, I will stand here to ensure that you are not in danger.”

“It’s alright,” the emperor waved his hand at the crowd, then gave Jiang Chen a look: “Continue.”

The grassy dam below was carried down, and in its place came a wooden figurine. These things were not uncommon; they were almost everywhere in the training ground. The arrows in the hands of the person below the stage were replaced with crossbow bolts. The person aimed at the figurine and shot an arrow, piercing through the solid wood figurine.

Such archery skills astonished everyone present. Even the King of Thailand, standing above, couldn't help but take it seriously. Rather than the Crown Prince's charade, he was more curious about the archer below. Could there really be someone in the capital with such superb archery skills?

The terracotta figure was carried away as usual, but this time, a thick wooden board took center stage.

Its thickness far exceeded that of the terracotta warriors from before. Among those present were many skilled archers, and the experienced archers immediately estimated that it was something that could not be penetrated by bows or crossbows. However, the behavior of the people below the stage just now clearly indicated what was about to happen.

At this moment, even those who had just been watching the spectacle became serious, their hearts gradually tightening as they gazed at the figure below the stage.

The man below the stage then switched to a different weapon. He raised his right hand to shoulder level, aimed at the wooden board in front of him, and after a brief moment of charging, a loud "bang" resounded throughout the arena, shocking everyone present.

The wooden plank didn't hit the ground with a thud, but instead emitted wisps of black smoke. With a wave of Jiang Chen's hand, a young eunuch brought the large plank to the crowd. Upon seeing it, everyone was so astonished they were speechless—

On that thick wooden board, there was a hole in the center that had been pierced through, and the area around the hole was charred black, which showed how powerful the penetration was.

"This, this is—"

Even seasoned veterans were stunned by what they saw, and it was at this moment that Jiang Chen stepped forward.

"Father, this is the gift I present to you. This weapon is called a firearm. I developed it by referring to the ancient books studied by the Crown Princess and through several tests by the officials of the Ministry of Works. The archer today is General He Zhiju of the Cloud Cavalry. He has been on the border for many years and is skilled in riding and archery, which is why you see it today, Father."

His words were like a boulder that stirred up a thousand waves, and low murmurs rose and fell all around. The emperor looked at Jiang Chen with full approval, while the princes behind him had different expressions.

Jiang Chen knelt on one knee before the emperor, outwardly appearing as a respectful crown prince who did not seek rewards, but in reality, his gaze was deep and his thoughts had already drifted to the north.

That was when they were trapped in a mountain inn due to a snowstorm. Under natural disasters, there is nothing that human power can do to fight them. Although Jiang Chen was anxious, there was nothing he could do. It was Shen Yujiao's idea of ​​having Chu Rou make a whistle that gave him inspiration. If they could not prepare for a rainy day, they would be helpless when the storm came.

On the way back to Beijing, Jiang Chen summoned Xu Zhiyuan alone. He showed Xu Zhiyuan the rough sketch drawn by Shen Yujiao. In terms of drawing skills, Shen Yujiao and Xu Zhiyuan were indeed better, but in this era, no one was more familiar with the structure of a gun than him.

He tried his best to recall what the musket barrels looked like during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and then explained the intricacies to Xu Zhiyuan one by one, part by part. The carriage returned to Beijing, and on the day they arrived at the outskirts of the capital, Xu Zhiyuan managed to make a model out of wood.

Jiang Chen disassembled and reassembled the model, explaining in detail to Xu Zhiyuan the areas that needed improvement. The day after they returned to the capital, the first successfully manufactured musket was delivered to the Eastern Palace.

From that day on, Jiang Chen and He Zhiju arrived at the training ground on time every morning. He Zhiju trained his body's physical fitness and martial arts skills, while he instructed He Zhiju on how to use a gun. Fortunately, both of them had a foundation in martial arts, which enabled them to master the skills in just a few days.

On the surface, the Crown Prince did indeed spend the New Year peacefully in his residence, but behind closed doors, the Eastern Palace, amidst the frequent firecrackers during the festival, produced a musket that was currently unmatched by the army.

With undercurrents swirling in the capital and all factions vying to expand their power, how could the Crown Prince's Palace possibly be without a backup plan?

You're saying this musket can hit a bullseye from a hundred paces away just by pulling the trigger?

Inside the imperial study, the emperor was looking in astonishment at the musket that had been unloaded of gunpowder and bullets, while Jiang Chen stood beside him explaining the principles behind it.

Upon hearing the emperor's question, he quickly replied, "Yes, but the muskets are not yet perfect. If they could be modified, their power would be more than a hundred times greater than what Father Emperor has seen today."

"Good, good, good! If this gun can be used on the battlefield, then what will our Great Xia have to fear on the battlefield!"

The emperor said "good" three times, his delight at the muskets evident in his words. He immediately promised Jiang Chen that the Ministry of Revenue would allocate 10,000 taels of gold to the Ministry of Works next year, with the Crown Prince and the Ministry of Works taking the lead and the Ministry of War assisting, to ensure that the muskets were improved and perfected in the shortest possible time.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen had a better understanding of the situation. After agreeing to the matter, he left the Imperial Study.

It was still the Spring Festival, and although the sun was still high in the sky, it couldn't dispel the chill in the air. As soon as Jiang Chen went out, he saw Huan Wang, whose face was a little blue from the cold. He smiled slightly at Huan Wang, then nodded and left.

If he hadn't presented the musket today, it would have been Prince Huan in the imperial study just now. But I wonder if the emperor, who has now witnessed the power of the musket, would still be in the mood to listen to Prince Huan explain the details of the official reform.

The palace has always had its own way of celebrating the New Year. Jiang Chen took the lead today, while Shen Yujiao gritted her teeth and endured it in the inner palace. After returning to the East Palace, both of them were exhausted, both physically and mentally.

"It seems the musket matter is going quite smoothly?"

"Yes, the emperor was overjoyed. The Ministry of Works received funding and will begin research and development next year, followed by mass production."

Is war really about to break out?

The emperor's plans were far too hasty, making it difficult for Shen Yujiao not to wonder about the meaning behind his actions.

Jiang Chen went around behind Shen Yujiao and massaged her temples with both hands. The fingertips of a martial artist are slightly rough, but Jiang Chen's strength was just right. The fatigue from the whole day was gradually relieved, and she leaned back into Jiang Chen's arms.

“The inner palace is not peaceful either,” she sighed. “Princess Yongxian intends to become a nun.”

"What?" Jiang Chen paused, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“You heard me right,” Shen Yujiao said, feeling a pang of sympathy for Princess Yongxian as she thought about what had happened during the day. “In front of the Empress and all the concubines and noblewomen, Princess Yongxian said that she did not want to get married and asked the Empress to grant her permission. If she could get the Emperor’s approval, she would marry into a Taoist priesthood and live a life of seclusion, detached from worldly affairs.”

They said they were praying for the royal family's well-being, but everyone knew the real reason behind it.

Shen Yujiao found it hard to describe the shock she felt standing there. Such behavior might not be surprising in modern times, but this was a feudal dynasty bound by etiquette, and Princess Yongxian defied the imperial decree to refuse marriage.

She would rather die than live in dishonor. Shen Yujiao clearly saw this clearly. Princess Yongxian was truly desperate. In the end, it was because she was too disappointed.

She never imagined that her own brother would actually use her marriage as a bargaining chip in a political game. She never imagined that she would actually be sent to her brother's ally as a gift. She never imagined that the person she was marrying would not only not be compatible with her talents, but would even be the person she hated the most.

As Princess Yongxian was being led away by the Empress's orders, she tripped at the doorway due to the strength of the palace maids. Shen Yujiao stepped forward to help her up and asked in a low voice, "Is it worth it?"

But to her surprise, Princess Yongxian's reply shocked her even more: "I have no interest in anything from Yongjia."