Chapter Forty

The main gate of the Prince's mansion was tightly closed.

In the middle of the night, Vice Minister Xia, accompanied by several attendants, rode out in plain clothes and quietly arrived at the Prince's residence. The Prince's steward, seeing the group in plain clothes, assumed they were just another group of refugees causing trouble for the Prince's residence and was about to send them away when he heard Vice Minister Xia's voice. He immediately went to greet them respectfully.

"Your Excellency, my old eyes were failing me just now, I didn't recognize you, please forgive me." The steward of the Prince's mansion apologized as he led the way.

Minister Wu tightened his sleeve with one hand and chuckled softly, "Understood. The Prince's mansion is often visited by poor people from all over who come begging for food and money. It must be hard for you to deal with these every day."

Upon hearing this, the steward of the Prince's mansion immediately launched into a long, impassioned eulogy of their highly respected prince, "It's all because our prince is so compassionate, welcoming all who come. They all say they are subjects of Yunxiu Kingdom, and we can't just stand by and watch them die; they also say that when they are in the court, they inevitably overlook the suffering of the common people, but now that the people have come to our door, they naturally cannot refuse... Amitabha! Our prince also frequently goes to Jietai Temple to donate incense money, and every year, after deducting the mansion's expenses, the rest of his salary is either given to the people who come to our door or donated entirely to Jietai Temple... Amitabha..."

With his belly full of river water, the steward seemed to have finally found someone to listen to him. His tongue was rolling up and down, almost as if he was about to erect a monument for his master.

Fortunately, this steward of the Prince's mansion had long since mastered the art of singing praises and leading guests around, managing to do both without any mishap. Otherwise, given the temperament of the Vice Minister of War, he would surely have been sharpening his sword a few times to signal his impatience. The Vice Minister of War patiently listened to the words that the steward had almost memorized by heart, and suddenly asked, "Head Steward, were you a monk before?"

The steward of the Prince's mansion was taken aback by his question, completely bewildered, and asked in confusion, "No. Why does the Vice Minister ask such a question?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just feel that you are radiating a Buddha-like aura. Who knows, one day Buddha might take you into the Buddhist order." Xia Guan Shilang was actually a little sleepy because he kept chanting "Amitabha" after every compliment, so he asked on purpose.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency. It's all thanks to my master's influence. Amitabha... We've arrived. Please come in, Your Excellency. The master is inside." The steward of the Prince's residence gestured for them to enter.

The Vice Minister of Summer Affairs looked at his entourage and ordered, "You few, stay here and keep watch."

"Your Highness." Upon entering the room, Minister Wu saw that the First Prince was already standing inside, waiting for him.

Upon seeing him, the First Prince quickly stepped forward with a smile and asked kindly, "Lord Wu, there are no outsiders here, so please don't stand on ceremony. By the way, how is your father's health?"

Minister Wu said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Highness. The imperial physician visited last time, and my father is much better. However, my father is getting old..."

The First Prince nodded slightly, understanding the implication, and said, "Fortunately, the Minister's son is capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility."

Suddenly, Vice Minister Wu took out a small packet wrapped in paper from his bosom, carefully placed it on the table, and then slowly opened it. The First Prince frowned, walked closer, and saw that the yellow paper contained black powder.

"This is..." the prince asked.

Wu Shilang lowered his voice, "Your Highness, smell it."

The prince leaned closer, took a sniff, and his gentle face immediately turned tense and uneasy. "This is powder used to make drugs."

Minister Wu: "The Prince is right. These powders are sulfur, realgar and saltpeter. Heating these powders with honey will produce [illegible]."

The prince stood up and asked sternly, "Where did you get these things?"

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War was naturally aware of the Prince's concerns.

In the Kingdom of Yunxiu, during the reign of Emperor Lizhao, an incident occurred in which civilians secretly manufactured gunpowder and plotted to blow up the royal palace.

Of course, the matter eventually came to light, but fortunately, the Ministry of War discovered it early. They only shook the palace gates before sending the officials to prison with seven cuts and six swords. Afterwards, Emperor Lizhao strictly forbade royal family members and officials from privately manufacturing gunpowder; anyone found doing so would be punished for treason. The only authority in Yunxiu Kingdom authorized to manufacture gunpowder was the Ministry of War.

However, since Emperor Zhaoming ascended the throne, he has carried out sweeping reforms, and the lives of the people have improved day by day, with a growing variety of folk activities for leisure and entertainment.

Among them, the most popular folk activities in Yunxiu Kingdom are various kinds of puppet shows, such as string puppets, pillow puppets, glove puppets, etc. These puppet shows are performed by folk artists who use various techniques to directly manipulate the puppets, thus staging wonderful puppet shows that are met with continuous applause.

Ordinary people are content with having something to do in their daily lives, but the wealthy young men and sons of officials in the capital have long been tired of these puppet shows. Someone noticed something amiss and invented a kind of drug-powered puppet.

The term "firework puppetry" itself implies fireworks, and naturally, setting off fireworks privately was forbidden in the common people. In Yunxiu Kingdom, a fireworks display was only held annually on the Lantern Festival, approved by the Emperor and overseen by the Ministry of War. As the name suggests, firework puppetry involved incorporating gunpowder into puppets for performance. During the performance, fireworks were the primary element, unlike other puppet shows where the performers did not directly control the puppets; it was not a purely puppet show.

However, Yunxiu Kingdom strictly prohibits the private manufacture of gunpowder, so in principle, while gunpowder-powered puppet shows are interesting and fun, they are impossible to implement. However, throughout the world, there are wealthy young masters and sons of stewards, as well as poor commoners and extraordinary talents; there is no problem that money cannot solve.

Therefore, some people risked their lives to stage several drug-induced puppet shows.

However, while this drug-powered puppet was indeed peculiar, it didn't require an open space to perform like other puppet shows. As a result, word quickly leaked out, and officials from the Ministry of War arrived at the scene immediately. Once something is started, it's very difficult to stop.

As spring breezes bring life back to life and people's lives improve day by day, some acrobatic programs, such as gong-carrying, ghost-walking, and pantomime, have also learned from puppet shows and devised new ways to perform, resulting in novel techniques such as firecrackers and fire-breathing to create a magical atmosphere.

This exhausted the officials in the Ministry of War.

During that period, the Yunzhao Army swept through the borders of Yunxiu Kingdom, defeating the enemy forces with lightning speed. Meanwhile, the Ministry of War was in the capital, engaging in a battle of wits and courage with the folk artists of Yunxiu Kingdom. Not only were they exhausted, but they also sometimes complained to the government on behalf of the people, saying that the Ministry of War was wantonly disturbing the peaceful lives of the people.

Everyone in the Ministry of War was gritting their teeth; they felt it would have been better to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy, at least earning the title of loyal patriots. The Minister and Vice Ministers of War were united like never before, submitting memorials one after another.

Emperor Zhaoming had actually wanted to relax the control over gunpowder since his ascension to the throne, so that ordinary people could also enjoy the benefits of this invention. However, due to the ban issued by the previous emperor and the previous palace bombing incident, he had been delaying the matter until now.

After the Ministry of War submitted its memorial, Emperor Zhaoming immediately revised the ban on gunpowder management.

While the unauthorized use of gunpowder was still strictly prohibited, an additional clause was added: civilians wishing to use gunpowder for acrobatic performances could apply to the Ministry of War for approval, after which they could purchase it from the Ministry. The Ministry of War, ironically, benefited greatly from this gunpowder issue, effectively becoming Yunxiu Kingdom's second "Ministry of Revenue," controlling both gunpowder production and openly selling it—profiting from both power and wealth.

She's truly become a respected elder, bringing honor to her family.

This morning, a soldier suddenly reported to Vice Minister Wu of the Ministry of War that a place had been illegally manufacturing gunpowder had been discovered. Normally, when Ministry of War personnel discovered gunpowder manufacturing during patrols, they would immediately arrest the person before reporting, to prevent the site from being destroyed. This time, however, the soldier reported first. But when Vice Minister Wu learned who was involved in the gunpowder manufacturing, he immediately understood.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War leaned closer to the First Prince and whispered, "Your Highness, it was discovered in an abandoned courtyard. The courtyard belongs to the Eldest Princess."

The First Prince's face suddenly turned deathly pale. He frowned, then relaxed, and asked, "Are you sure it belongs to the Eldest Princess?"

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War nodded vigorously and then said, "The relevant people have been secretly arrested, but the matter has not yet been reported to the court."

The First Prince nodded slightly, his brows furrowed in thought. Although the current emperor had relaxed the control over gunpowder, the rule that privately manufacturing gunpowder should be punished as treason still remained in effect to this day.

However, this princess is clearly fighting on the border, so why is she suddenly involved with gunpowder? If she needs gunpowder for the war, she should report it to the court directly. In recent years, the emperor has relied on and trusted the princess completely, even using his own private money to fund her war efforts. If she needs gunpowder, would the Ministry of War refuse to provide it?

"Do you know what this gunpowder is used for?" the prince asked.

Xia Guanshilang shook his head. "Your Highness, although that courtyard is not large, it has produced a lot of gunpowder. It seems that it has been for at least three years."

"Three years." The First Prince was even more puzzled. "Then why was it only discovered today?"

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War was also puzzled. "The soldiers who patrolled before never noticed it. I don't know why they found it this time. I guess it might be due to their oversight."

The First Prince gently shook his head. He hadn't been negligent for the past three years, but the accident happened right after the Eldest Princess finished dealing with the various countries. However, he only speculated about it to himself and didn't say anything more.

"Your Highness, should this matter be reported to the imperial court?" Xia Guan Shilang asked, bowing respectfully.

The First Prince waved his hand, "Let's not report this for now. We don't know if this matter is related to the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Xia was nearly terrified, secretly relieved that he had quietly told Mo Qiming about it that evening. If this matter were truly related to the Emperor, how could a mere Vice Minister of War have investigated a case that involved the current Emperor? Did he think he was too tough?

“Lord Wu, find a reason to say it’s a misunderstanding and quietly release the people involved,” the First Prince said thoughtfully. “Then, find someone to tell the Imperial Uncle about this. Also, find someone to keep a close eye on the Imperial Uncle and see what really happened.”

Xia Guanshilang nodded admiringly. Wasn't Yu Guojiu always trying to win over the Eldest Princess? Recently, he heard that the Eldest Princess might return to the capital and was planning to marry her adopted son into the Eldest Princess's household. He had revealed the matter of privately manufacturing gunpowder to him, and Guojiu would definitely go to great lengths to investigate.

The next morning, Mo Yinghuo changed into a pink traditional Chinese dress and stepped out of her room, only to find Zhao Shu already waiting at the door.

A gentle breeze blew by. The moon-white silk sash around her waist fluttered in the wind.

"Good morning, Zhao Shu." Mo Yinghuo greeted him with a smile.

"Your Highness, good morning." Zhao Shu quickly turned his head and looked away.

The two walked to the manor's stables and each took a horse. When Granny Shen saw the two, one with delicate features and the other with a resolute and upright appearance, they looked like a young lady and gentleman going out for a spring outing and an autumn hunt, not at all like they had just returned from the battlefield.

"Your Highness, why aren't you wearing your official robes?" Granny Shen asked, pulling on Mo Yinghuo's horse.

Mo Yinghuo adjusted his sleeves. "We're not going to the court. We'll go directly to the Emperor after the court session ends! Those civil and military officials will be talking non-stop again. I don't have time to waste with them."

Granny Shen nodded solemnly, then looked at Zhao Shu beside her, bowed respectfully, and asked, "Lord Zhao, does this outfit fit you?"

Zhao Shu nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, Granny Shen."

Mo Yinghuo, standing to the side, almost vomited blood twice as she watched, and laughed, "Granny Chen, I feel like Lord Zhao is your master. I've never seen you speak to me so politely before."

Granny Shen remained serious, "Your Highness, please don't flatter this old servant. There are many things Your Highness cannot see. If Your Highness is truly concerned with the bigger picture, you should settle down and start a family soon..."

"Giddy up!" Her words were still warm on her lips when Mo Yinghuo flicked his whip, and the man and horse had already galloped more than ten meters away from the palace.

Zhao Shu hesitated for a moment, then cracked his whip and followed.

The morning court session had just ended, and the civil and military officials came out. They saw the Princess, dressed in sky blue, her robes fluttering as she passed by. Under the blazing sun, all the officials thought they were seeing things, that they were seeing some unclean ghost who looked remarkably like the Princess, and cold sweat broke out on their backs.

Mo Yinghuo, however, remained calm and composed, exchanging glances with the officials who saw him as if he had been in the capital for hundreds of years. With a carefree smile on his lips, he waved affectionately and then led Zhao Shu toward Shuqing Hall.

Unlike the Seventh Prince, even though the Eldest Princess hadn't returned to the capital for five years, her military exploits in conquering five kingdoms made her known to everyone in the court and the country.

Yu Guojiu was the quickest to react. He nimbly leaped over the officials like a dumpling and arrived in front of the princess with a beaming smile, saying, "Princess, you've returned to the capital."

Empress Yu entered the palace during the Zhaoming era, so Mo Yinghuo naturally had never met this imperial brother-in-law. However, Granny Shen also used her old-fashioned motherly heart to inform Mo Yinghuo. Whenever a new important official was appointed, she would considerately ask an artist to paint a portrait of the person and include it in a letter to be sent to the battlefield.

The Imperial Uncle, a prominent figure in the court, would naturally not miss this opportunity, except for the Empress. After all, sending a blueprint of the Empress all the way to the battlefield, only to have it fall into the hands of a dignified princess, would be utterly disgraceful! Was he harboring lustful thoughts towards the Empress of Yunxiu Kingdom, or her own brother's wife, or simply wanted to recognize her?

Who would believe that!

Granny Shen, being shrewd and calculating, would never make such a mistake.

However, when the Imperial Uncle suddenly appeared before her, Mo Yinghuo couldn't help but gasp, her vision blurring as she stared incredulously at the unusually round-faced Imperial Uncle. She thought to herself, "This man is much rounder than in the drawings." What almost made her lose her composure wasn't his size; after all, even cooks could be as thin as chopsticks.

With different times and places, people strive to grow in different directions.

The key point is that, although Granny Shen dared not draw Empress Yu's appearance, she mentioned in her letters that Empress Yu bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to the Emperor's brother-in-law.

Mo Yinghuo's lips twitched, thinking to herself, "I didn't expect my brother to have this kind of taste." Lost in thought, she nodded to the Imperial Uncle and smiled, "Yes, Imperial Uncle, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please give me your guidance."

Yu Guojiu smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. If it weren't for Your Highness, how could Yunxiu Kingdom have subdued several small border countries in just five years? By the way, who is this gentleman...?"

The emperor's brother-in-law noticed Zhao Shu standing to the side. Dressed in pure black, his waist was perfectly fitted, the cuffs slightly tight, and his skin was bronze. Standing next to the princess, he looked more like a great general returning from the battlefield. He couldn't help but sigh, having never seen such a dignified and composed person before, while glancing out of the corner of his eye at his own round belly.

Mo Yinghuo smiled and said, "This is a good friend of mine."

"Oh." Yu Guojiu glanced at Zhao Shu again.

Zhao Shu glanced at Yu Guojiu indifferently, and immediately felt a chill, so he withdrew his gaze.

Mo Yinghuo smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has something to discuss with me. I must take my leave now."

Yu Guojiu quickly replied, "I will visit Your Highness another day."

The head steward was standing at the entrance of Shuqing Palace. When he saw the Princess walking over, he excitedly scurried over and bowed respectfully, saying, "Princess, you've finally returned to the capital."

Mo Yinghuo nodded and helped him up. To this eunuch who had watched her younger brother grow up since childhood, and indirectly watched her grow up as well, he was more like an old man in her heart.

"Master Zhao, you're back too." Steward Pang looked at Zhao Shu with utmost respect and said politely.

Mo Yinghuo was completely bewildered. Abbot Zhao! When did Zhao Shu become a monk at the temple? Wasn't he always with her? Mo Yinghuo's pleading gaze fell gently on Zhao Shu's impeccably black attire. Zhao Shu simply nodded slightly to the head steward, and then, as if returning to his own palace, stepped into the Shuqing Hall, leaving Mo Yinghuo stunned and the head steward, who was smiling bewilderedly at the princess.

Will it be me, the eldest princess, who brings you into the palace, or will you, Zhao Shu, return to the palace?