Chapter 1111 A Slap in the Face

However, in February, Du Qingtang sent an urgent letter to Xiajing, presenting the glass-making method to Emperor Qingyuan.

Emperor Qingyuan immediately summoned Minister Qi and ordered him to make the glass as soon as possible.

With the precedent of Ningxiang Tower, Minister Qi was full of confidence and high morale. He summoned craftsmen as soon as he returned to the Ministry of Revenue.

"Liulifang will open in April and will be making a fortune in May!"

Minister Zhao and another Minister Wang were equally confident.

"Your Excellency is absolutely right."

"It's not bad to make a fortune every day."

Then they suffered a terrible setback.

The craftsmen hired by Minister Qi were all skilled in firing porcelain, but they did not know that glass required a higher firing temperature than porcelain, and the raw materials and production process were more complicated.

At first, the craftsmen did not control the temperature well. Too low a temperature caused impurities and bubbles to appear in the glass, while too high a temperature caused the glass to deform and crack.

Minister Qi waited patiently for five days and excitedly took his colleagues to see the finished product.

"According to Lord Du's description, the glass is crystal clear and extremely beautiful. I've been imagining what it looks like in my dreams these past few days, and today I can finally see it."

Then he saw a large number of failed glass products.

Minister Qi was like a piece of glass just taken out of the kiln. With a crisp "crack" sound, his whole body slowly cracked.

Minister Qi's mind went blank for a moment, and he was in disbelief: "What, what is going on?"

The craftsman was so ashamed that he explained the situation in detail.

Minister Qi wiped his face vigorously and muttered to himself, "At this rate, it looks like it won't be possible next month."

The craftsmen felt more and more ashamed, but they did not dare to promise the Shangshu that they would be able to make perfect glass next month.

After much hesitation, the craftsman said, "I will do my best."

Minister Qi also knew that this matter could not be rushed. He sighed silently, "No rush, take your time, and put quality first."

Your Majesty is a wise ruler, and I believe he can understand the difficulties of these people.

The craftsman nodded in agreement, and after seeing Minister Qi off, he rolled up his sleeves and declared, "I've been making porcelain for decades and have never made a mistake. I don't believe I can't handle a small piece of glass!"

After saying that, he waved his hand and started a new round of attempts.

Seeing this, the other craftsmen tried to regain their confidence and went to prepare the materials for making glass.

After half a month of unremitting efforts and hundreds of failures, the craftsmen finally fired a piece of perfect glass.

Looking at the crystal clear glass shining brightly in the sun, everyone cried with joy.

“Finally succeeded!”

"Hurry up and write it down. I'll bake another batch according to this standard and see how it turns out."

"Okay!"

Four hours later, another batch of glass came out of the kiln.

There are no impurities, no pores, and no cracks.

The craftsman was overjoyed: "Hurry up and inform the Minister!"

When Minister Qi heard the news, he was checking last month's accounts. He rushed over without stopping after hearing the news.

Minister Zhao and Minister Wang were traveling together.

The three of them rushed to the Imperial Kiln Factory built near the Imperial Manor, and were immediately amazed when they saw the pieces of glass displayed outdoors.

Minister Qi stepped forward quickly and almost tripped over a stone.

"Sir, be careful!" the craftsman exclaimed.

Minister Qi waved his hand, his eyes glued to the glittering glass, and murmured, "Such a dazzling brilliance, truly exquisite!"

Minister Zhao slowly closed his gaping mouth, eyes filled with amazement: "I have lived for decades and have never seen such an exquisite object."

Minister Wang had never worked with the previous Minister Du, but the legend about Minister Du had been circulating in the capital, so he had certainly heard of it.

Regardless of whether it is right for women to serve as officials, the fact that she passed the imperial examination at the age of 18 and achieved the third-rank official position at the age of 19 is enough to make her a role model for our generation and an example to learn from.

Looking at the glass again now, Minister Wang could not help but sigh, "Master Du truly possesses extraordinary talent."

Minister Qi and Minister Zhao remained silent. Minister Qi smiled and said, "I have never seen anyone like Lord Du. He has so many brilliant ideas popping up in his head from time to time, and they are all good ideas for enriching the country and strengthening the army."

When talking about a strong army, they inevitably think of the Battle of Loushan Pass.

Minister Zhao's face showed a hint of worry: "The Qi thieves are greedy and treacherous. I hope the war will end soon, so that the people of Loushan Pass can suffer less."

Minister Qi suppressed his smile and said, "The Qi bandits are determined to attack Xia. Now that Great Xia has a firearms battalion, their gunpowder and muskets are like divine weapons. They will surely unite with the soldiers at Loushan Pass to repel the Qi bandits and ensure peace and tranquility for Great Xia."

"Yes, Daxia will win this time!"

"The Qi bandits have been rampant for decades, and it's time they were taught a lesson."

The three of them talked about the battle at Loushan Pass for a while. Then Minister Qi got back to the point and told the craftsmen, "Make another batch of glass products as soon as possible."

In addition to presenting it to His Majesty, it must also be delivered to the empresses in the harem and officials from various departments and agencies.

Only by taking advantage of the situation and creating momentum can you achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Even good wine needs no bush. Liulifang’s reputation needs to be spread so that it can sell well after it opens.

Minister Qi rubbed his fingers together, his eyes gleaming.

He had already seen countless gold and silver flying towards him!

......

For the next ten days, the craftsmen worked tirelessly and created a batch of exquisite glass products.

After mastering the method of firing glass, in order to please His Majesty and the nobles from all sides, the craftsmen spent a lot of time on the appearance of the glass products.

Your Majesty loves collecting inkstones very much, so the craftsmen fired a glass inkstone and ingeniously carved exquisite dragon patterns around the inkstone.

The ladies in the harem cherish their appearance, so a glass mirror is the most appropriate gift.

Glass mirrors are much clearer than bronze mirrors. In order to meet the different requirements of the ladies, they are divided into handheld mirrors and full-body mirrors, with various flowers carved on the frames, some of which are graceful and luxurious, while others are elegant and refined.

Most civil servants love to drink tea, so they were given a set of glass tea sets engraved with the four gentlemen: plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum.

Military officers love to wield swords and guns, so I gave them a scimitar made of fired glass. Although it is delicate and fragile, it is beautiful and has great ornamental value.

When Minister Qi saw these glass products, he immediately praised them highly and said, "I will definitely recommend them to His Majesty for your achievements later."

The craftsmen were overjoyed and bowed to express their gratitude.

Minister Qi ordered his men to load the glassware onto a carriage and head straight for the palace.

To prevent the glass from breaking due to bumpy roads, a thick layer of fur was laid on the bottom of the carriage.

After entering the palace, Minister Qi held the wooden box in his own hands, with several imperial guards following behind him.

Some of the imperial guards were carrying wooden boxes, and some were carrying objects that were as tall as a person and covered with red cloth.

As he walked along, he attracted the attention of officials and palace maids, who talked about him a lot.

"This is heading towards the Imperial Study. What new things has the Ministry of Revenue come up with?"

"Isn't it another woman's thing?"

Thinking of the money that the women in their families sent to Ningxiang Tower every month, the officials' faces turned pale and their hearts, livers, spleens, lungs and kidneys ached.

"Just wait, you'll know in less than an hour."

Everyone agreed with this and went their separate ways.

When he arrived at the imperial study, Minister Qi was already panting and sweating profusely.

Upon seeing this, the eunuch hurried inside to pass on the message.

Emperor Qingyuan was busy handling government affairs when he learned that Minister Qi wanted to see him. He immediately thought of Boli and said, "Quickly, call him in!"

Minister Qi tidied up his clothes and made sure they were meticulous before respectfully entering the imperial study.

The eunuch walked behind carrying the wooden box.

"Your humble servant pays respect to Your Majesty."

"No need to be polite." Emperor Qingyuan rested his elbows on the imperial desk, a faint smile on his round and elegant face. "Lord Qi, are you here for the glass?"

Minister Qi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your foresight is brilliant. It is exactly glass."

After saying that, he bent down and opened the wooden box.

There were four wooden boxes inside the wooden box. Minister Qi took out one of them and opened it facing Emperor Qingyuan: "Your Majesty, this is an inkstone made of glass."

Emperor Qingyuan's eyes lit up and his smile widened. It was obvious that this gift touched his heart.

He waved his hand, his tone rather urgent: "Hurry up and bring it up for me to see."

Fu Rui came down, took the wooden box and presented it to Emperor Qingyuan.

Emperor Qingyuan took out a glass inkstone. It felt smooth and glistening in his hand, and a slight coolness seeped into his palm. He examined it carefully, unable to let it go. "Is this glass?"

Compared with the jewels in his private vault, it is even cleaner and more translucent, and one can even see the direction of the palm lines through the inkstone.

He was reluctant to put the inkstone he made from this on the imperial desk for use, for fear that it would be stained by ink and leave flaws.

Perhaps it is best to keep it as a treasure and only take it out to appreciate it occasionally.

"Your Majesty, that's right," Minister Qi replied, then took out a wooden box. "This is a handheld mirror."

The third wooden box.

"This is a glass tea set."

The fourth wooden box.

"This is a glass cutter."

Fu Rui took them one by one and placed them on the imperial desk.

Minister Qi said, "Currently, the craftsmen have only made these few items. In addition to the handheld mirror, there are also four full-length mirrors. The full-length mirrors are about a person's height and slightly larger. They are waiting outside."

"In addition to these, the Imperial Kiln Factory also has large pieces of glass that can be installed in doors and windows."

Emperor Qingyuan looked at the doors and windows. The sunlight shone into the hall through the silk, casting hazy shadows and revealing some mottled spots.

He couldn't help but imagine that if the doors and windows were replaced with glass, the hall would be much brighter.

Emperor Qingyuan decided to arrange for the doors and windows to be replaced tomorrow. He then picked up a handheld mirror, held it to his face and looked left and right, saying with emotion, "This mirror is much clearer than a bronze mirror. It even reflects the wrinkles and gray hair on my face clearly."

Emperor Qingyuan was not afraid of death, but just felt a little disappointed.

Time is merciless. In a blink of an eye, he is over fifty years old and looks old.

A hundred years later, after going underground, my old friend's face remains the same. I wonder if I can still recognize him.

Minister Qi complimented him, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life. You will surely enjoy a long and prosperous life."

Emperor Qingyuan suppressed his disappointment, looked at the glass tea set and the palm-sized glass cutter, and then asked the imperial guards to bring in a full-length mirror.

He stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself, stroking his abdomen and muttering, "I've been so busy with government affairs lately that I haven't been exercising much. I think I've gained a lot of weight."

Fu Rui took over the conversation: "Being wealthy is a blessing. Besides, Dean Lan just checked your pulse yesterday and said that you are in good health and everything is fine."

Emperor Qingyuan smiled and twirled his beard, then ordered, "Send full-length mirrors to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, and one hand-held mirror for each of the rank of concubine and above."

There was still a full-length mirror left, which was supposed to be given to Concubine Yi.

But the third brother was only good at talking and acted rashly, which led to a big mistake, which made him very unhappy.

Emperor Qingyuan decided to keep them for himself, placing one side in the Imperial Study and the other side in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Fu Rui responded softly, then went back to do it.

Emperor Qingyuan also instructed Minister Qi: "Only officials of the third rank and above can be given gifts, and the female relatives of their families can also be given a few handheld mirrors."

Minister Qi responded respectfully and retreated with the empty wooden box.

That afternoon, officials of the third rank and above in the court received two sets of glass products.

Civil officials were given glass tea sets and hand mirrors, while military officials were given glass cutters and hand mirrors.

The officials were very curious about this and liked it very much. They asked one after another: "Where can I buy this? I want to buy two more sets to give to others."

Especially tea sets, when given as gifts to elders or colleagues, it makes you feel very proud to hold them in your hands.

Minister Qi smiled and said, "The Liuli Workshop will open on April 28th. There will be many glass products on display. You are all welcome to go and buy them."

Since His Majesty named the official store Liulifang, he took the initiative to change the word "glass" to "liuli".

Comparing the two, Liuli sounds better and has more artistic conception and beauty.

Liulifang?

It seems to be another government store.

Someone was quick-witted and asked, "Who made the colored glaze?"

Minister Qi did not hide it and said openly, "It was Lord Du."

The official's eyelids jumped: "Master Du?"

"That's right, Lord Du Qingtang." Minister Qi pretended not to notice the other's fading smile, clapping his hands and sighing, "Lord Du, even though he's far away in Loushan Pass, still cares about the court and offers advice for the prosperity of the country. It's truly rare. I really admire him."

Official: "...I suddenly remembered that the Ministry of Rites has important matters to attend to, so I'll leave first."

Minister Qi looked at his hurriedly departing figure and curled his lips: "You are narrow-minded and short-sighted."

To this day, there are still people in the court who impeach Du Qingtang, using her identity as a woman as an excuse to argue that she should not serve as an official in the court, otherwise she will disrupt the government and shake the foundation of the country.

Fortunately, Your Majesty is a wise ruler. He did not listen to their instigation, but instead reprimanded them severely.

"Lord Du fought for the country, yet you keep attacking her. What is your intention?"

Minister Qi walked down the stairs, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "No matter whether she is a man or a woman, as long as she can make the Great Xia rich and powerful, she will be a capable minister and a role model for officials."

Thanks to Minister Qi's revelation, soon all the civil and military officials in the court knew that Du Qingtang had offered another method to enrich the country.

"Is this Liuli? It's nothing more than this."

"I think it's pretty good. Compared to the things in Ningxiang Tower, Liuli is suitable for everyone, and it can be appreciated by both the elite and the masses."

"Du Qingtang is too greedy. She controls the Firearms Battalion and yet she's meddling in the Ministry of Revenue's affairs. Qi Jiang is also a fool. He actually asked for credit for her."

"The fate of the group at Loushan Pass is uncertain, so she naturally wants to make some noise. She can't let His Majesty forget her."

"I'm only commanding from the rear, so how can I say my life and death are unpredictable? Compared to Loushan Pass, I think Shaoqing Prefecture is more dangerous."

"Master Zheng is absolutely right. Without the Firearms Army, Du Qingtang is nothing. Once she enters Shaoqing Mansion, she will become a piece of fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others."

"I bet she won't live more than a month."

"You overestimate her. I bet... Your humble servant greets the Fifth Prince!"

Everyone was startled and turned around to find the Fifth Prince standing at the door. He had been listening for an unknown amount of time.

"Meet the Fifth Prince."

Everyone suppressed their uneasiness and bowed.

Fortunately, the Fifth Prince did not care about their dereliction of duty. He just nodded slightly and left in silence.

"Phew—I was scared to death!"

"No more talking, let's get back to work."

Everyone was still frightened and did not dare to gather together to discuss the matter. They all scattered like birds and beasts.

On the other side, the fifth prince had nothing to do, so he wandered to Kunning Palace.

The palace has strict rules and princes are not allowed to enter or leave the harem at will after they reach adulthood.

But since Empress Cao was the mistress of the harem, the imperial guards saw the Fifth Prince entering the harem but did not dare to stop him.

Entering Kunning Palace, the fifth prince bowed and said, "Your son pays his respects to the Queen Mother."

Empress Cao was sitting in front of the dressing table while a palace maid was removing her makeup.

Just now, the concubines from all the palaces came to pay their respects. In order to show the majesty of the central palace, Empress Cao wore a phoenix robe, a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin on her head, and her makeup showed her dignified and graceful appearance.

Now that I'm gone, I can do whatever I want as I feel comfortable.

Another palace maid held up a hand-held mirror, and Empress Cao examined her face in the mirror.

After removing her makeup, the glass mirror was like a magic mirror, revealing the fine lines on her forehead and the corners of her eyes with incredible clarity.

Empress Cao pursed her lips, her eyes darkening slightly. She placed the hand mirror upside down on the dressing table and dismissed the palace maid. "Why are you here?"

The Fifth Prince stepped forward, picked up the handheld mirror, and stroked the peony flowers on the frame with his fingertips. "I have some free time today, so I came to have dinner with my mother."

Empress Cao was delighted and was about to say something when she turned her eyes and noticed that the Fifth Prince was looking at the handheld mirror with an ambiguous look.

Empress Cao narrowed her eyes and said, "You're not still thinking about Du Qingtang, are you?"

The Fifth Prince tapped the frame with his finger and said calmly, "She's fine, isn't she?"

Empress Cao frowned. "She is your father's person. Even if she stands on our side, she will never be able to enter the Fifth Prince's residence. I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible."

The fifth prince smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey you."

Empress Cao was still worried.

Others may not know, but as a mother, she must know it.

The fifth prince has been domineering since he was young. Whatever he sets his eyes on, he must get it.

At all costs.

Empress Cao's thoughts raced as she looked at herself in the bronze mirror. The reflection was hazy and illusory, not revealing her ugly appearance. "Your fourth brother is having a hard time at court. Don't cause him any trouble."

The fifth prince put down the handheld mirror and responded with a smile.

-

On April 28, Liulifang opened.

Liulifang is located across the street from Ningxianglou. All its doors and windows are made of fully transparent glass, which is crystal clear and spotless. Standing outside, you can have a clear view of the store's furnishings.

The Liulifang is divided into two floors. The lobby on the first floor is filled with relatively affordable glass products, such as glass cups, glass bowls, glass tea sets, glass handheld mirrors and various glass ornaments.

The glassware on the second floor is more expensive and correspondingly more exquisite.

In addition, some larger glass products are placed on the second floor, such as glass screens, glass tea tables, glass wardrobes, and glass full-length mirrors.

With the previous hype, Liuli was snapped up as soon as it was released.

Men buy glass products mostly for show or as gifts to others. They can buy a glass tea set worth five hundred taels without hesitation, and even take a glass tea table worth three thousand taels home to make a set.

Most of the women came for handheld mirrors and full-length mirrors. They were loyal customers of Ningxiang Tower and wealthy ladies in Beijing. They were so wealthy that even if a full-length mirror was worth two thousand taels, they would take it away without blinking an eye.

It’s a pity that full-length mirrors are limited to ten per day, and each person is limited to one. Otherwise, they would definitely buy a few more to keep as spares or as gifts.

Minister Qi imitated Ningxiang Tower and also established a membership and recharge system in Liulifang.

On the first day of opening, including the recharge amount, the total profit was 68,000 taels.

Minister Qi was so happy looking at the long list of numbers in the account book that he almost went crazy. He rushed out of the Ministry of Revenue with a loud laugh and went straight to the imperial study.

The officials looked at his back with a look of surprise and confusion on their faces.

"Is he crazy?"

"Most likely, the Liulifang is making good profits."

"At noon, I went to the Glass Workshop. There were so many different kinds of glassware that I was overwhelmed. I wanted to buy everything, but they were too expensive. The cheapest one was fifty taels. I spent eight hundred taels on a set of glass wine utensils."

"Tsk, Qi Jiang is so lucky. He was originally going to stay in the position of Minister until his death, but he didn't expect that after Wu Guangwu... became the Minister, he would have Du Qingtang's help. Ningxiang Tower and Liulifang are making a fortune every day, and they are deeply valued by His Majesty..."

"A second-rank official reeks of money, what a disgrace."

Minister Qi was unaware of his colleagues' jealousy. Even if he knew, he would only put his hands on his hips and laugh triumphantly, laughing at them for being sour grapes because they couldn't get their hands on them.

"Your Majesty, this is the daily income of Liulifang. Please review it."

It was already evening, but the imperial study was very bright.

The original silk was replaced with glass, and brilliant sunlight streamed in through the windows, dyeing the furnishings in the hall orange-red.

Emperor Qingyuan looked at the account book. Even though he had been mentally prepared, he was still shocked at this moment: "Sixty-eight thousand taels?"

Minister Qi nodded: "This is the profit after deducting the cost."

Emperor Qingyuan's brows relaxed, and he suddenly laughed with an ambiguous meaning, "I never thought that the nobles in the court were so generous, buying tea sets worth 800 taels without hesitation, yet they still couldn't repay the loan from the national treasury."

Minister Qi laughed dryly twice and didn't dare to speak.

During the reign of the previous emperor, he opened the national treasury and allowed officials in the court to borrow money from the national treasury.

No one would let go of the fat meat that was right at their fingertips. During that period, people came to the Ministry of Revenue to borrow money every day, and each person started with 10,000 taels, and the highest was up to 1 million taels.

This is how the national treasury was emptied bit by bit.

Later, when Emperor Qingyuan ascended the throne, he asked all officials to pay back the money, but they cried poor and said they had no money to pay.

To this day, the millions of taels borrowed by the national treasury have not been returned.

Emperor Qingyuan pinched his brows and said, "Send someone to guard the Liuli Square to prevent anyone from taking the risk and stealing."

Minister Qi withdrew in response.

After he left, Emperor Qingyuan dealt with several memorials. A eunuch came to report, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from Loushan Pass."

Emperor Qingyuan was invigorated: "Bring it in quickly!"

The urgent memorials were strictly checked and delivered to the emperor as quickly as possible.

Emperor Qingyuan couldn't wait to open it, and after a moment he clapped his hands and laughed: "Furui, it's done! It's done!"

Fu Rui thought for a moment and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Emperor Qingyuan could not keep smiling. He stood up holding the peace document and paced back and forth excitedly behind the imperial desk.

"I want to announce this good news to the world and enhance the prestige of our Great Xia nation!"

Fu Rui agreed: "We really need to let the people of the world know that Daxia has won the battle."

Before this, Daxia had always been in a state of kneeling and being beaten.

Now that the Great Qi has submitted a letter of peace, it should be announced to the world and celebrated by the whole country.

"Also, send people to replace all the doors and windows in Zhaoyang Mansion with glass ones. Also, replace all the screens and ornaments that can be replaced with glass ones."

Emperor Qingyuan paused, and said in a slightly lower tone: "After all, I owe her."

Fury bowed and retreated quietly.

......

Da Qi submitted a peace agreement, and Da Xia won a great victory. It welcomed back Princess Zhaoyang and recovered the five southwestern cities. As the news spread that it would no longer have to pay tribute, the people ran around to tell each other and cheered.

"That's great! I don't have to worry anymore, fearing that the Great Qi will break through Loushan Pass and march straight into Xiajing."

"If I remember correctly, this is the first time in twenty years that Da Qi has submitted a peace proposal. It feels like a dream."

"Reclaiming the five southwestern cities and refusing tribute are fine, but why bring back Princess Zhaoyang? She's already a concubine of the Qi Emperor. If we rashly return to the court, aren't we afraid she could be persuaded by the Qi Emperor and become a Qi spy planted in Daxia?"

"A married woman is like spilled water, even if it's a marriage for a foreign country. Princess Zhaoyang shouldn't come back."

Not only the common people, but also the civil and military officials thought so.

"Instead of asking Princess Zhaoyang to come back, it would be better to ask Da Qi to pay compensation. At least that's real money. What's the point of Princess Zhaoyang coming back?"

"It is said that Du Qingtang represented Daxia in the negotiations with the Qi people."

"I've always said that women only cause trouble. Tian Xiu is really confused. How could he let Du Qingtang come forward to negotiate?"

"But the matter is settled, and I can only accept it."

"What do you mean by admitting defeat? I can't swallow this anger. I'll write a memorial to impeach her tomorrow!"

"Count me in."

"And me."

The next day, memorials impeaching Du Qingtang flew to Emperor Qingyuan's desk like snowflakes.

Emperor Qingyuan didn't even look at it and directly asked Fu Rui to use it as a table leg.

Fury: "..."

The officials were unaware that their memorials were being used as table legs and thought that Emperor Qingyuan was keeping them.

They were unwilling to give up and were unwilling to miss this ready-made opportunity. They submitted memorials every day, requesting His Majesty to severely punish Du Qingtang.

A month passed like this.

The memorials impeaching Du Qingtang piled up like a mountain. The imperial study did not have enough table legs to pad out the extra memorials, so Fu Rui picked up all the extra memorials and burned them all in a fire.

Looking at the roiling flames in the copper basin, Fu Rui thought expressionlessly that they were not only impeaching Lord Du, but also expressing their dissatisfaction with the princess's return to the court.

Dragons have reverse scales. Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor, so naturally you also have reverse scales that cannot be touched.

If you want to impeach Lord Du, wait for your next life.

......

In a blink of an eye, it was the end of May.

All the officials waited anxiously for the arrival of the firearms army.

The third prince and Princess Zhaoyang also returned to the court with the firearms army.

On this day, Emperor Qingyuan led all the officials out of the city to welcome him.

June is approaching and the weather is getting hotter. I start sweating after standing in the sun for just a while.

Looking at the bright yellow figure in the front, everyone was puzzled.

"Even if the Firearms Army has achieved merit, there's no need for His Majesty to personally come out of the city to greet them, right?"

"Perhaps it's because of the Third Prince, the Third Prince's military leadership has been meritorious, and in order to be with that person..."

Although the words were vague, everyone understood the deep meaning.

"It must be like this. It can't be for Princess Zhaoyang."

Emperor Qingyuan did not know what his ministers were saying, nor did he care what they were saying.

At this moment, he looked straight ahead, his palms soaked with sweat.

Soon, a dark shadow appeared on the official road in the distance, rolling in like a black cloud.

The horses' hooves kicked up dust.

The fluttering black and red military flags were the firearms army returning victoriously.

When the Firearms Army arrived, five thousand men dismounted, knelt, and chanted in unison, "Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!"

"No need to be polite."

Emperor Qingyuan raised his hand, his eyes fell on the two carriages behind, his throat a little dry.

The third prince appeared first and knelt down at the feet of Emperor Qingyuan: "Father, I am guilty..."

Emperor Qingyuan could not hear anything, his entire attention was occupied by the people in the other carriage.

The curtain of the car was lifted, and a skinny woman appeared in front of people.

The warm wind lifted her hair, and her long black hair was mixed with frost and looked as white as snow.

This scene deeply stung Emperor Qingyuan's eyes and almost made him cry.

"cough--"

Fury coughed lightly.

Emperor Qingyuan clenched his hands in his sleeves, and his round and elegant face was gentle yet majestic.

Only his disordered breathing revealed the true emotions of this emperor.

Princess Zhaoyang stepped forward and bowed slowly: "Your son pays respects to the Emperor."

Emperor Qingyuan smiled and said, "Zhaoyang, there's no need to be so polite. You've been wronged over the years. Now that you're home, I will definitely compensate you."

Princess Zhaoyang lowered her eyes slightly, and said calmly, "Thank you, father."

Emperor Qingyuan opened his mouth, but a thousand words got stuck in his throat, and he swallowed them quietly: "It's hot at noon, let's go back first."

After saying this, he didn't even look at the third prince who was kneeling on the ground to apologize, and got on the dragon sedan chair.

This scene is enough to cause countless people to think deeply.

"Didn't the Third Prince go to supervise the army? What crime did he commit? Why is he apologizing?"

"Just looking at your Majesty's attitude, this must be a serious crime."

"Why does Princess Zhaoyang look so old? If I remember correctly, she's only in her twenties or thirties."

"Who knows, maybe the female Xiao mother's hair will turn white early?"

All the officials followed Emperor Qingyuan back to the city, and Princess Zhaoyang also came to Princess Zhaoyang's mansion in a carriage.

After getting off the carriage, the white-haired nanny came forward, her tone unable to conceal her excitement: "Your Highness!"

Princess Zhaoyang tilted her head, as if recalling something, and said uncertainly, "Madam Fang?"

Nanny Fang burst into tears: "Your Highness, you have suffered!"

Princess Zhaoyang looked at the nanny who had nursed her and smiled faintly: "It's all over."

Nanny Fang wiped her tears and led Princess Zhaoyang into the mansion: "As early as March, His Majesty sent people to clean up the Princess's mansion, and last month he had them replace all the doors and windows with colored glaze..."

Princess Zhaoyang: "Liuli?"

Nanny Fang said as she walked, "It is said that Lord Du Qingtang came up with it and handed it over to the Ministry of Revenue to sell in the official store. I passed by Liulifang a few days ago and saw that business was very good."

"It turns out to be Lord Du." Princess Zhaoyang murmured.

Back in the main courtyard, hot water was already prepared. Princess Zhaoyang took a bath and changed her clothes. Half an hour later, she sat in front of the dressing table with wet hair.

Nanny Fang wiped her hair and saw the whiteness amidst the black hair. She bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying. After a moment's pause, she spoke, "Eunuch Fu Rui just sent over a lot of things. I've already had them sent to the storehouse."

Princess Zhaoyang nodded.

After drying her hair, Nanny Fang asked the palace maid to come in and put makeup on Princess Zhaoyang, and then she would go to the palace to express her gratitude.

Princess Zhaoyang's personal maids all died in Da Qi, and there was no one to serve her, so Nanny Fang took charge and selected a few maids to serve her.

While putting on makeup, Princess Zhaoyang discovered that there were many things on the dressing table that she couldn't name, and she looked at Nanny Fang with a puzzled look.

Nanny Fang smiled and said, "Your Highness has always loved beauty, so this old servant specially bought a complete set of cosmetics and skin care products from Ningxiang Tower. Please try them first, and if you don't like them, you can try other ones."

Princess Zhaoyang shook her head: "No need, I like it very much."

Nanny Fang wanted to talk to her prince a few more words, so she casually said, "Speaking of Ningxiang Tower, it was also built by Lord Du. Besides the two things you see here, there are many interesting things inside. Your Highness can go and take a look later."

Princess Zhaoyang raised her eyebrows slightly: "Master Du again?"

Nanny Fang nodded: "Yes, this person is quite a remarkable person. Two years ago, he won the sixth place in the imperial examination..."

When Princess Zhaoyang heard Nanny Fang talking about Du Qingtang, her thoughts couldn't help but drift away.

In March, she came to Changping Pass from Qi capital and heard people talking about Daxia on the way.

"If Du Qingtang hadn't threatened the Eighth Prince and insisted on returning Concubine Xia, we wouldn't have to bring such a burden with us."

Only then did Princess Zhaoyang realize that she was able to leave Qi and return to Daxia because of Lord Du Qingtang.

A slight tingling sensation on her scalp brought Princess Zhaoyang back to reality from her memories.

The palace maid was tying her hair to hide the white frost in it.

Princess Zhaoyang said softly, "That's not necessary. Just comb your hair into a bun."

The palace maid didn't understand what he meant. Women cherish their appearance the most, and their gray hair is no exception.

But she didn't dare say much, and she quickly combed a bun for Princess Zhaoyang.

On the other side, in the imperial study.

The third prince knelt in the hall like mud, crying bitterly and begging.

"Father, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time."

Emperor Qingyuan kept writing, and after putting the memorial he had approved aside, he said coldly, "If I forgive you, those ten thousand soldiers who died because of you will probably come to ask for their lives."

The third prince stopped crying.

"I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it."

"Uncle Cheng has no children, I intend to register you under his name..."

"Father! Father, please don't do that!" The Third Prince crawled forward on his knees, his tone filled with fear. "Father, I beg you to reconsider!"

"I have made up my mind. From now on, you are Uncle Cheng's grandson." Emperor Qingyuan didn't even raise his eyes. "Someone, drag him out."

The imperial guards entered and forcibly took the third prince away regardless of his struggles.

There was dead silence in the imperial study. Fu Rui lowered his head and dared not breathe.

After an unknown amount of time, the eunuch came in and reported, "Your Majesty, Princess Zhaoyang requests an audience."

Emperor Qingyuan immediately put down his red brush and said, "Announce!"

Princess Zhaoyang entered and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Father."

From Emperor Qingyuan's perspective, the frosty white in Princess Zhaoyang's hair just caught his eye.

Emperor Qingyuan's pupils trembled slightly, and he looked away in embarrassment: "Zhaoyang, why are you here? You've been so tired from the journey, you should rest well in your mansion."

Princess Zhaoyang stood up and said, "I have come to thank you, father. I like the things you asked Eunuch Furui to send me."

Emperor Qingyuan dug his nails into his palms, smiling: "As long as you like it, just tell me if you need anything, you..."

Princess Zhaoyang bowed and said, "Thank you, father."

Emperor Qingyuan pursed his lips and said, "Next time, there's no need to come to the palace to express your gratitude."

Princess Zhaoyang readily agreed: "I haven't been back to the capital for many years. I want to see my mother and brother."

Emperor Qingyuan was stunned for a moment, then nodded slowly: "Okay, go ahead."

"Then I will not disturb you from handling government affairs. I will take my leave." Princess Zhaoyang bowed and left without looking back.

Emperor Qingyuan's gaze fell on her thin figure, and his voice was barely audible: "She never called me father before."

After a long while, he added, "She still blames me."

......

About two hours after the Firearms Army returned to the capital, an imperial edict was announced to the world.

Your Majesty, considering that Prince Cheng has no children, has specially adopted the third prince into the lineage of Prince Cheng's mansion.

This edict was like cold water falling into a pot of hot oil, instantly causing the entire Xiajing to explode.

"Why did His Majesty adopt the Third Prince as his grandson?"

"The Third Prince must have made a big mistake."

"That's most likely the case, otherwise the Third Prince wouldn't be kneeling outside the city to apologize."

"So what did the Third Prince do at Loushan Pass to make Your Majesty make this decision?"

Some curious people asked the deputy commander of the Firearms Battalion for information.

Deputy Commander Lu did not hide it and told the truth.

"The Third Prince is being too reckless. Even if he's never been on the battlefield, he should know not to pursue a desperate enemy. He's killed so many people. No wonder His Majesty stripped him of his status as a prince."

"Where is the Third Prince now?"

"The imperial edict did not mention the inheritance of the title. It is very likely that after Prince Cheng passes away, the Third Emperor...he will become a commoner, the same fate as the previous one."

"If it weren't for Tian Xiu's meritorious service in defending Loushan Pass, he wouldn't have survived at all."

At this moment, someone suddenly said, "So Du Qingtang negotiated with the Qi bandits on the premise that the captive was captured, to reclaim the five southwestern cities, cancel the tribute, and let Princess Zhaoyang return?"

"If that's true, she's a great hero of Daxia, but we..."

The officials who had been impeaching Du Qingtang for nearly a month looked at each other in confusion.

hiss--

My face hurts a little, what's going on?

-

Du Qingtang didn't know yet that she had slapped a group of people in the face from a distance.

"Sir, the people have arrived at the government office."

Du Qingtang temporarily put down the official business at hand, stood up and walked out.

More than 10,000 bandits worked day and night to reclaim the wasteland. In just two days, the six wastelands were completely dug up.

The soil in wasteland is poor, so it needs to be fertilized after reclamation so that better crops can be grown.

Yesterday, Du Qingtang ordered the clerk to post a notice to recruit people in the city who were good at farming.

These people have gained farming experience from repeated practice, which is much better and more efficient than her theory-only experience.

When Du Qingtang arrived at the lobby, there were already dozens of people waiting there. They were uneasy, dressed in tattered clothes, and had their heads down, not daring to look around.

"The Lord has arrived."

When the yamen runner spoke, the common people were startled and immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Your humble servants pay their respects to the prefect."

Du Qingtang raised his hand: "Everyone, stand up. No need to be polite."

After they stood still, Du Qingtang stated his intention directly: "...As long as you can improve the fertility of the soil, you can get more land first, and you can even get a position in the government office."

For farmers who work hard in the fields, getting more land is a pleasant surprise.

"Serve? Does it mean to be an official?"

"Is there such a good thing in the world?"

"My Lord, is what you say true?"

"Of course it's true." Du Qingtang said frankly, "In my place, no matter who you are, as long as you have real ability, I can make an exception and appoint you."

One of the women boldly asked, "Sir, can I be a commoner?"

Du Qingtang raised his voice at the end of his voice, his brows sharp, "I am a woman, why can't you?"

The woman grinned.

The others also chuckled, and most of their tension and uneasiness disappeared.

Du Qingtang made the decision and said, "It's settled. I'll take you there first. There are many wastelands. You can try them slowly."

Due to temperature restrictions, rice can only be harvested once a year in Shaoqing Prefecture.

Normally rice is planted in May and harvested in August or September.

Now it is the end of May and June is approaching. It is obviously too late and we can only wait until next year.

During this period they had many opportunities to trial and error.

Du Qingtang personally sent these people to the wasteland. The bandits had already left to open up the next place. Looking around, there was no one living there, it was empty and lonely.

Du Qingtang pointed to a few small huts in the distance and said, "You can sleep there. There are ready-made quilts and all kinds of farm tools. I will have people send you food regularly."

"Thank you, Mr. T!"

After settling the people down, Du Qingtang left.

When she was almost at the city gate, she faintly heard someone calling her courtesy name: "Xianyu! Xianyu!"

One sound after another, crisp and melodious.

Du Qingtang turned around as if he had been electrocuted. In the carriage not far behind him, Du Qingzhu was smiling and waving.

“Whoa—”

Du Qingtang turned over and got off the horse.

Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju jumped off the carriage and ran towards her.

"Offer jade!"

"I miss you so much, come and give me a hug!"

Du Qingtang opened her arms and was hugged tightly by her sisters.