Yu Shuo wanted to step forward and plead for mercy again, but Qin Su glanced at him and he immediately stopped, inwardly smiling bitterly, but outwardly daring not to complain.

"Okay." He obediently turned around and sighed almost inaudibly.

After washing up, Qin Su went to bed, held Yuanyuan in her arms, her eyes filled with deep love for the child.

"Does Yuanyuan know something?" she asked Yuanyuan with a smile.

Her round, big eyes just stared at her, giggling.

Qin Su gently pinched Yuanyuan's chubby little face, "It's best if Yuanyuan doesn't know anything, and that her mother can handle everything."

She lets her mother do everything, and she lets her mother suffer all the hardships. Her daughter only needs to enjoy life.

Qin Su held Yuanyuan in her arms, her heart brimming with joy.

In the middle of the night, Yu Shuo quietly came out of the study, tiptoed into the main courtyard, carefully picked up Yuanyuan, and was about to put her on the crib when he was caught off guard by his daughter's round eyes, as if she were saying: Wow! Dad, you finally couldn't hold back anymore!

For some reason, Yu Shuo felt embarrassed in front of his young daughter and hurriedly put Yuanyuan on the crib, signaling her not to cry.

Yuanyuan ignored her father, who was acting like a thief, and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

Yu Shuo breathed a sigh of relief. He took off his shoes and socks, got into bed, and carefully held Qin Su in his arms.

If his wife hadn't forbidden him from sleeping in the main courtyard, would he have been able to sneak around like this?

It felt so cold without my wife in the first half of the night.

Where Yu Shuo couldn't see, Qin Su's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't open her eyes.

The next morning, she turned around and didn't see Yu Shuo, but the area to her side was warm.

Qin Su didn't say anything, and went to check on Yuan Yuan immediately. Yuan Yuan was still asleep, so Qin Su went to wash up by herself and came back with a casually tied high ponytail.

I thought I wouldn't have to go out today, and could just stay in the palace and do whatever I wanted.

Just after she finished breakfast, someone from the Cining Palace arrived, so Qin Su had no choice but to have her maid redo her hair.

Fortunately, it wasn't any special occasion, so there was no need to be too formal.

Qin Su guessed that the people from Cining Palace had come about the seeds that Que Gu had sent. Was the Empress Dowager going to share good news? Or was it something else?

You'll find out when you get there.

Upon arriving at Cining Palace, Cheng An was not there, but Emperor Mingyang and Tao Rong were. Neither of them seemed surprised to see Qin Su.

Often, it was only in the Cining Palace that they could truly feel the warmth of family.

"Didn't you bring Yuanyuan today?" The Empress Dowager was somewhat disappointed to see that Qin Su and Lian Tao were empty-handed, but she quickly cheered up again. "Come here quickly, Quegu really does have the seed you're looking for."

Granny Qin brought over a basin containing the samples that Que Gu had sent.

The Empress Dowager put on a pair of gloves and picked up an oval-shaped object that was still covered in dirt.

Emperor Mingyang asked, "Why not have someone wash it clean?"

Taihou immediately glared at him, "What do you know? That's exactly how it should be. I specifically asked the little prince to emphasize in the letter not to wash it clean."

Emperor Mingyang touched his nose, not understanding the reason behind it.

There wasn't much soil; you could vaguely see yellow fruits underneath, and a few dents where they seemed to have sprouted.

"These sprouts can't be eaten, but they can be kept as seeds." The Empress Dowager was very interested, and she handled them very carefully, afraid of knocking off the sprouts.

"They call it taro there, but in my hometown we call it potato. It's a very productive staple food. As for this, I think it's called pepper in Quegu, but we call it chili pepper. It's a kind of seasoning that can also ward off the cold. Actually, it tastes slightly similar to dogwood." The Empress Dowager pointed to the plants in the bowl. "It's wonderful that I can still eat potatoes and chili peppers in my lifetime. Oh, and this too."

She then picked up the long, cylindrical object, parted it, and saw that inside were distinct yellow fruits, though they looked somewhat hard.

"Where we live, we call it corn, maize. In Quegu, I think they call it millet. It's also a staple food. Both of these can greatly increase yields. It's just a pity we couldn't find sweet potatoes. If we had found sweet potatoes, and then tested high-yield varieties, there would definitely be no one starving." The Empress Dowager's tone held undisguised regret, but it quickly brightened. "Having these two is a blessing from heaven, a gift from nature. Emperor, you are a fortunate man."

Emperor Mingyang remained skeptical of the Empress Dowager's words, believing them to some extent, but not much.

After all, his mother was really unreliable in many ways.

"What kind of look is that?" The Empress Dowager glared at Emperor Mingyang, immediately becoming displeased.

Emperor Mingyang coughed a few times and hesitated before saying, "Shouldn't we first cultivate two plots of land as a pilot project?"

Although he could believe his mother's claim of high yield, others might not. Facts were needed to convince people.

"That's natural, we have to test it first. What are you still standing here for? Go and tell people to negotiate trade with Quegu. Buy as many seeds as possible."

Emperor Mingyang could only smile wryly, and had no choice but to get up. "Yes, I will go right away."

He glanced at Tao Rong, his tone softening considerably, "Rong'er, stay here with your mother."

He really should get down to business.

The Empress Dowager took off her gloves and asked Qin Su, "How is the weapon design I gave you coming along?"

Qin Su nodded, "The hidden blade has been made." It was made by Lian Tao and her together.

"As for the muskets, we'll have to wait a bit longer. I've already had my secret guards test the hand grenades; if there are no problems, we can show them to His Majesty first."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "That's good, this way you'll have more security."

Qin Su should indeed put these matters on the agenda. The blueprints for the muskets are with the Ministry of Works, and she shouldn't ask for them herself, as she's worried that Emperor Mingyang might become suspicious.

The Empress Dowager immediately handed her a drawing and said, "This is the blueprint for a musket. Have the Second Prince's secret guards make one too. Whoever makes it first will ultimately be useful."

Qin Su was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head. "The Empress Dowager still won't give it to me. His Majesty can have these blueprints."

The Empress Dowager understood what she meant and stuffed it directly into her hand, saying, "As long as I, this old woman, live, there will be no brothers fighting amongst themselves. Everything you've done is for the good of the nation, and the Emperor is not a fool; he can see it."

Qin Su had no choice but to nod and accept it, but she still planned to talk to Yu Shuo about it later.

Qin Su went back after lunch, just as Xie Yang had given her the experimental results on the hand grenade, which showed remarkable results.

Compared to the Ministry of Works' conservatism, they are much bolder, and their power is terrifying.

When Yu Shuo returned, Qin Su took the initiative to bring up serious matters with him. At this time, there was no time to throw a tantrum. Serious matters were the priority.

Yu Shuo also agreed to send a copy of the grenade to Emperor Mingyang. At least they should act openly, because it would be bad if someone with ulterior motives found out and reported it to Emperor Mingyang.