Chapter 23: Dig Deep to Find

After reading all the memorials, the emperor's face remained gloomy. No matter which method was used, it would require a large amount of money. Although the national treasury had been full in recent years, he was unwilling to spend the money on the people.

He knows.

In the eyes of the emperor, the people are only important when they should be important, and it is not impossible for them to disappear completely when necessary.

Therefore, he never expressed any opinion on the memorial from beginning to end, but instead showed some interest in Chu Jiuning's article.

The prince's eyebrows and eyes were cold.

The emperor was very suspicious, and even between father and son, there was a lot of caution and testing. Chu Jiuning came from the richest family and was very talented. If she had not been married, based on his understanding of the emperor, he would probably summon Chu Jiuning into the deep palace immediately.

"Your Highness."

Chu Jiuning raised her eyelashes slightly, and as the moisture in her eyes gradually became apparent, her voice became a little choked.

"My father and mother died in the waters south of Jiangzhou, and I still haven't found their remains."

I searched for fifteen years.

The most painful thing is that every time you have hope, you are disappointed every time.

Even though she knew where they died, she just couldn't find their bodies. They died because they wanted to find a priceless pearl for herself, just to add another dowry to her.

Every time it was their birthday, Grandpa would be depressed and miserable for several days. She could only watch and feel guilty, unable to persuade him.

The prince lowered his dark eyes slightly, looking at her tightly clenched long fingers that almost pinched into the flesh, and handed the tea in his hand to her. Chu Jiuning took it with a pale face.

"No matter how many years pass, I don't want to give up. People must always have hope. What if I really find it one day?"

She was just over one year old when her father and mother left. Although she had no memory of them, she knew that her father and mother must have loved her deeply.

The prince nodded and glanced at Shen Liuguang. Shen Liuguang took the map of Jiangzhou and spread it in front of her. The prince pointed to the waters south of Jiangzhou and said.

"Although this area of ​​water is vast, it is not a necessary route for trade. Why are they here?"

Chu Jiuning's face suddenly turned gloomy. This was where the problem lay.

"Someone told my father there was a chance of finding fist-sized pearls here, so after their business was done, they went back there to look for one for me as a dowry. But after all these years, no one has found one. So I suspect someone, knowing how much my father loved me, bewitched him. I'm afraid their deaths weren't accidental."

"I asked the elders in my family, and they all said that before my father and mother set out, they received a letter and talked about finding the pearl. But that letter disappeared out of thin air after my grandfather had been looking for it for several years."

This shows that there is a traitor in the Chu family!

"Do you have any suspicions in mind?"

"some."

There was lingering hatred in Chu Jiuning's eyes.

"Grandpa only has one son and one daughter. My aunt married far away, which cut off my father's line. It's impossible to say that the side branches don't have any thoughts. It's just that Grandpa's methods are fierce, so he can suppress them temporarily. This is one of the people I suspect. In addition, my father's close friends when he was alive would not go to Jiangzhou if they didn't trust him very much."

The prince listened to her while slowly drinking his tea. After a while, he pointed at one of the mountains and frowned.

"This mountain blocks most of the water flow. If they really fell into the water, their bodies would most likely be found at the foot of this mountain. Furthermore, if we want to permanently eliminate the threat of flooding in Jiangzhou, the only way is to move the mountain. However, hollowing out this mountain is no easy task."

“It’s not that difficult.”

It's easy to do, but it may attract other people's attention and cause unnecessary trouble.

In order to find the remains of her parents, she tried every possible means. Since the rumor was that they fell into this body of water, she would drain the rivers and seas.

But the best way to dry up the water is to modify the river course and remove the mountain.

so……

They have been working hard and making preparations over the years, which is one of the reasons why they agreed to the marriage with Duke Song. With the protection of the official, they can let go and do certain things.

Chu Jiuning raised her tearful eyes and met the cold and sharp eyes of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and her voice was choked with sobs.

"I do have a way, but Your Highness must ensure that I am safe."

"Since I have decided to cooperate with you, I will definitely ensure your safety. Chu Jiuning, you don't have to doubt this."

Chu Jiuning's only shortcoming is her status, otherwise she would be a phoenix that has risen from the ashes of fire and would be invaluable.

but.

This is not difficult at all!

Somehow, his eyes fell on her green fingers. Not seeing the jade ring, Chu Jiuning saw that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince suddenly looked cold and thought that he was dissatisfied with what he said. A trace of helplessness appeared in his eyes, and then he continued.

"Moving the mountain is a desperate act, and it would take too long, so I've always wondered, what if I blew up the mountain?"

"Of course you can!"

The prince nodded.

This plan has been considered, but it requires a large amount of explosives.

This thing is regulated. If you do it privately, it is a serious crime. Even if you get the emperor's approval, it requires a huge quantity, and the emperor will definitely be suspicious.

Chu Jiuning pointed at the map.

"To find my father and mother, I once wanted to flatten this stretch of water. This mountain has been holding me back. A year ago, I found a remarkable man who knew how to make gunpowder. Unfortunately, when I was making the last batch, he accidentally blew up everything along with the people and their belongings. Otherwise, I could have had a lot more explosives."

"Your Highness, that's my only batch of explosives. We have to use it sparingly."

Chu Jiuning lied without blushing or getting nervous. The explosives were real, but the story that the master who made the explosives was killed in the explosion was fake.

When she found the master, she immediately spent a large sum of money to train a group of masters, the kind that if one died, there would still be ten more.

"Where is the thing?"

"In a cave two hundred miles from that body of water, I have people guarding it day and night."

After Chu Jiuning finished speaking, she took off a leaf-shaped jade pendant from her neck. When the jade pendant came out, it also brought out the jade ring given by His Highness.

The moment His Royal Highness the Crown Prince saw the jade ring, the gloom in his eyes suddenly disappeared.

"Your Highness, the Emperor will definitely look into this matter. With such a large amount of explosives, I'm afraid..."

Not only would the palace be suspicious, but so would all the officials in the court. Once they knew she was the one behind it, she would become a target for everyone to win over. But what if they couldn't win her over? Then they would have to kill her, and that would bring disaster to the Chu family!

"I have a solution."

Holding the jade pendant that carried Chu Jiuning's body temperature, His Highness felt a burning sensation in his palm.

Her surrender time and time again showed her determination and stance, which he could see and feel.

It is indeed difficult for a woman to struggle out of the mud and create her own world.

After a while, until the jade pendant became cold, he handed it to Shen Liuguang.

"Two things. First, go to the Imperial Observatory and find someone to come over. Have them submit a memorial stating that Jiangzhou has been plagued by floods for years, with too many deaths and widespread resentment. The water is a bad omen and is affecting the Emperor Star. The water must be removed. Then, go to the location she mentioned and check the quantity of explosives. Then, check the mountains in Jiangzhou to see if they can be razed to the ground. Bring some back and hand it over to the people below for study."

If more can be developed, they will be of great use in future border wars, and Chu Jiuning will have made a great contribution.

Then he spoke to Chu Jiuning.

"Don't worry about this matter. It won't affect you. Also, I'll give you a hundred guards. You don't have to return them. It's up to you to decide whether to stay or go."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Chu Jiuning was immediately overjoyed. With these people protecting her grandfather, she didn't have to worry about traitors among them and could do what she wanted with peace of mind.

This life.

She said she would never let her grandfather die.

soon.

One hundred guards were dispatched and waited in the yard.

When Chu Jiuning walked out, the leading guard came forward and although he bowed, his tone did not sound very friendly.

"Miss Chu, although His Highness has assigned his subordinates to you, I have asked them, and they are unwilling to leave the Prince's Mansion, even if it means being punished."