"What?" Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng frowned slightly. She had never expected that Concubine Yuande would go this far for Prince Chen.

However, on second thought, Prince Chen was Concubine Yuande's biological son, and only maternal love could have allowed her to do this. Furthermore, judging by the course of events, it would be best for Concubine Yuande to refuse the imperial edict. However, even if Concubine Yuande disobeyed the edict, would Emperor Yugan be able to pass up this opportunity?

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Just as I was thinking about this, I heard the sound of maids paying their respects outside.

Before Yun Qianmeng could stand up, she saw Chu Feiyang striding into the inner room. His face was calm with a faint smile, but his eyes were filled with a bit of solemnity. As soon as he entered the inner room, he waved his hand and asked Mu Chunyingxia to leave.

"You've heard about it all!" From the surprise in Yun Qianmeng's eyes that she couldn't hide in time, Chu Feiyang guessed that she had heard about what happened in Prince Chen's Mansion. He sat down with a faint smile, poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip.

"Yes!" Yun Qianmeng nodded, then stood up, wrung out a towel in a copper basin, and handed it to him to wipe his hands. Then she spoke again, "This is truly unexpected! Does the emperor want to take revenge on Prince Chen, or take advantage of this opportunity to attack Prince Chen? Or perhaps, he wants to find out if there is any connection between the various princely palaces?"

"These are not impossible!" After wiping his hands, Chu Feiyang turned around and dropped the handkerchief accurately into the copper basin. He pulled Yun Qianmeng to sit beside him and continued, "The Dowager Concubine Yuande has already boarded the carriage and went to the imperial mausoleum with only a personal maid! I think the emperor also wants to use this matter to control the Dowager Concubine Yuande in his own hands. That way, even if Prince Chen makes any moves, he won't dare to be too presumptuous! After all, the Dowager Concubine Yuande is Prince Chen's biological mother. How could he not have any scruples?"

Hearing Chu Feiyang's words, Yun Qianmeng's expression gradually grew serious. With a hint of heaviness, she spoke, "Have you heard any rumors?"

Seeing Yun Qianmeng also start to worry, Chu Feiyang hid the solemnity in his eyes and smiled lightly, "It's not a big deal. I just heard that Prince Chen mobilized the city defense troops during the time we were away from the capital, and he frequently changed the deployment of the city defense troops! However, when the emperor asked him about this, he replied that everything was done for the safety of the people in the capital and the emperor, to prevent another incident like Qi Jingyuan. That's why he frequently changed the deployment of the city defense troops, and this layout was only known to his close associates!"

But Yun Qianmeng's expression did not soften even though Chu Feiyang seemed relaxed. It was as heavy as ever, and she half-lowered her eyes, pondering the message revealed in this. After a while, Yun Qianmeng slowly raised her head and asked in a voice that only she and Chu Feiyang could hear, "Are you saying that Prince Chen has already started a mutiny?"

Could it be that it was because of this incident that Emperor Yugan felt the crisis, so he took this opportunity to separate Prince Chen and his mother. It was also a wake-up call to Prince Chen, asking him to stop, otherwise Concubine Yuande's life would be in danger.

After hearing Yun Qianmeng's question, Chu Feiyang simply curled his lips into a smile, then shook his head and went on to express his own opinion, "I don't think so! Just because he changed the city defense layout doesn't mean that Prince Chen has any intention of mutiny! After all, in everyone's eyes, Prince Chen has nothing but the city defense army to rely on. If the emperor punishes him for this, it would make the emperor appear narrow-minded! Moreover, Prince Chen has sufficient reasons. Everything is for the safety of the emperor and the people! The ministers all live in the capital. Who doesn't want the capital to be as strong as an iron wall? If the emperor rebels, I'm afraid these ministers will not agree! Besides, Prince Chen is also a shrewd man. If he mutinies now, he will definitely be surrounded and suppressed by everyone. Wouldn't that be making wedding dresses for others in vain? When I came back just now, I saw Prince Chen personally escorting Concubine Yuande to the carriage. Everything was normal. I think he knows that now is not the time!"

After hearing Chu Feiyang's analysis, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but nod, "Indeed! Since he's not afraid of others knowing about the changes to the city's defense layout, then he naturally doesn't have such an intention!"

As she spoke, Yun Qianmeng recalled the two invitations that Nanny Shangguan had sent her earlier, and she smiled and said to Chu Feiyang, "I accepted both the first birthday banquet for Prince Lin'er of the Sea Palace and the housewarming banquet for Prime Minister Han's residence! However, I didn't expect Prime Minister Han to gradually integrate into the officialdom now!"

After saying that, Yun Qianmeng pushed the two invitations in front of Chu Feiyang.

Opening the invitation and glancing at it, Chu Feiyang recalled the scene at the morning court session and smiled as he told Yun Qianmeng, "People always change! Today in the court, when the Emperor and Prince Chen were arguing with each other, only Han Che dared to bring a memorial to the Emperor for his review! He resolved the dispute in an instant!"

Although he was the one who spoke first, only Han Che stood up. The rest of the ministers pretended to be deaf and dumb, fearing that Emperor Yu Gan would vent his anger on them.

Seeing Chu Feiyang say this, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but nod. If Emperor Yugan really wanted to win over Han Che, he would naturally not embarrass him too much. "Have the people we sent out responded? It's been so long, I think they've all returned!"

Although she didn't specify what it was, Chu Feiyang knew what Yun Qianmeng was referring to. He smiled faintly and shook his head, a hint of admiration in his eyes as he said, "He's back, but we haven't heard anything yet! It seems Han Che is quite capable, to be able to protect his parents so well. He's a man of character and cunning. The Emperor does have a good eye for people!"

Yun Qianmeng saw Chu Feiyang showing some admiration for Han Che, and nodded as well. However, she still felt a little worried when she thought of Concubine Rong. "Although the Emperor has punished Concubine Rong to go to the ancestral temple, I'm afraid Concubine Rong will have to endure some hardship this time!"

This is different from being in Puguo Temple. Although only vegetarian meals can be served in Puguo Temple, three meals a day and daily life are all taken care of by the palace maids. Concubine Rong only needs to concentrate on praying for Old Lady Chen.

The ancestral temple within the palace, located on a hill behind the harem, housed the imperial family's tablets. Only a few eunuchs maintained it year-round, and outside of important festivals, few visited to pay their respects. Now, Emperor Yugan had ordered Concubine Rong to go to the temple. While it might seem like she was temporarily escaping the emperor, she remained within the palace, and the danger remained undiminished. Furthermore, Emperor Yugan had even stipulated that Concubine Rong could only eat one meal a day. Presumably, she was under constant surveillance, making it difficult for them to intervene even if they wished.

Chu Feiyang patted her hand on the table, his eyes fixed on the scenery outside the window, and said softly: "This is enough to tell Qi Jingyuan that not everything can be done as he pleases! This time he couldn't help but go to see Concubine Rong, which relieved his lovesickness, but also hurt Concubine Rong badly! This is the best ending! If it weren't for the consideration of the Rong family, I'm afraid Concubine Rong would be even more miserable now!"

"Noble Concubine Rong is intelligent, but even a woman like her has her own pride! They say a tiger in troubled waters is bullied by a dog, and I'm afraid this harem feud will not spare even a single person!" Yun Qianmeng didn't name anyone, but she expressed her deepest concerns. A woman like Noble Concubine Rong, born to heaven's favor and nurtured by the upright and righteous Old Madam Chen, must have inherited her personality. However, this personality also makes her vulnerable to harm; a strong character can be easily broken!

"Do we still need to worry about this? Although Qi Jingyuan has returned to Northern Qi, Ke Xin stayed here. He will never let Concubine Rong suffer any loss! Don't worry, besides, this may also be an opportunity!" After talking about Concubine Rong, Chu Feiyang stopped discussing this topic. He looked at Yun Qianmeng with a hint of joy in his eyes, as if he was a child asking for a reward.

Yun Qianmeng listened to this and couldn't help but curiously want to ask Chu Feiyang why he called this an 'opportunity', but she found that Chu Feiyang's eyes were full of smiles, and there was a hint of mystery between his brows, which made Yun Qianmeng a little confused. She couldn't help but glance at Chu Feiyang, and seeing that he was the same as usual, she smiled and asked, "What good news makes you so happy?"

Seeing Yun Qianmeng discover his hidden expression, Chu Feiyang couldn't help but reach out and touch her nose, then shouted outside: "Xi Lin, bring the things in!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Xi Lin's voice came from outside the door. After a while, Xi Lin walked in with a paper box in his hand. He placed the box respectfully on the table and then quietly left.

"What is it?" Seeing Chu Feiyang pretending to be mysterious, Yun Qianmeng did not open it immediately. She wanted to see what good things Chu Feiyang brought back.

Seeing Yun Qianmeng's unwillingness to admit defeat, Chu Feiyang was not in a hurry. He held up the teacup in front of him with his slender fingers and sipped it slowly, muttering a few words from time to time, "You had been longing for it before... and now you won't open it... It's a waste of my leaving the palace early today to get it for you... It really let me down... It's so heartbreaking..."

After hearing the last word "heartbreaking", even though Yun Qianmeng didn't want to be kept in suspense by Chu Feiyang, she could only lower her head and take the paper box. She opened the lid with a slight sigh in her heart, and her eyes suddenly lit up. What else could it be but a musket neatly placed in the paper box?

"This... I didn't expect it to be a real musket!" Yun Qianmeng's eyes were full of joy. She quickly reached out and took out the musket that was polished to a shine. She couldn't let it go and checked its performance in all aspects, completely leaving Chu Feiyang aside.

"If it's not a musket, could it be an emerald green bean cake?" Chu Feiyang snorted, looking at Yun Qianmeng's expression of contentment with the gun, and felt a surge of resentment. If he had known this thing would steal Yun Qianmeng's attention, he should have taken it out early tomorrow morning. That way, she would have used it to kill time while he was in court, and her interest would have faded by the time he returned home. Alas, what a mistake, what a miscalculation! Knowing earlier would be worth a fortune!

Hearing Chu Feiyang's dissatisfaction, Yun Qianmeng glared at him, but she was already standing up eagerly. Her eyes scanned the inner room for anything she could use for shooting. Then, she lowered her head to look at the musket in her hand, filled with admiration. The two people Chu Feiyang had recommended were indeed right. Not only had they created a musket in such a short time, but they had also modified it, transforming the originally bulky object into a very compact one, not much larger than a modern pistol, making it extremely convenient to use. However, thinking that she wanted to test the range and power of the musket, Yun Qianmeng worried that the smaller size would affect these two. After all, heavy industry had not yet emerged in ancient times, and all they had was extremely crude processing technology. Creating a sophisticated weapon would be difficult.

However, even under such conditions, Yun Qianmeng was extremely happy to see such an exquisite musket and couldn't wait to try it out.

Chu Feiyang saw the unprecedented enthusiasm in her eyes and sighed inwardly. Then he reached out and forcefully pulled her to sit down. He said with some dissatisfaction, "My lady, is this musket the only thing you have eyes for?"

Fortunately, he ran all the way back to the prime minister's residence with the paper box in his arms, but he didn't expect that his wife would lose him after getting a musket. His eyes and heart were completely occupied by the musket, how hateful!

"Be good, I'll show you your wife's superb spearmanship!" Yun Qianmeng, finally getting the chance to show off, was already feeling a bit impatient. She'd always felt inferior to Chu Feiyang and the others as they scaled rooftops and walls, and she knew she couldn't possibly match them even if she learned the art. So, she focused all her energy on this musket. She had to at least show Chu Feiyang her spearmanship, to intimidate these ancients who lived in the age of cold weapons.

"My wife, are you showing off?" Chu Feiyang was dissatisfied. After all, he was a well-educated man, but he didn't expect that he would accidentally fall at the feet of his wife. From then on, he could only accept the new ideas and things that his wife brought to him. Apart from keeping a close eye on her, he had no other choice. A feeling of powerlessness suddenly crept into his heart, and his eyes were filled with hatred as he looked at the musket.

"So what?" Holding the musket in one hand, Yun Qianmeng looked at Chu Feiyang confidently, and her excited expression immediately caught Chu Feiyang's attention.

Yun Qianmeng, who was so happy, so confident, and so proud, had never been shown to anyone before. Now that he saw her so happy because of a musket, Chu Feiyang felt very satisfied.

He immediately stood up, took Yun Qianmeng's hand, and walked out with her with a smile on his face, "Let's go and see how powerful my wife is! Let me be envious!"

Having said that, he asked Xi Lin to immediately set up an archery target in the yard of Mengxin Cottage, and temporarily drove everyone except his confidants out of Mengxin Cottage, waiting for Yun Qianmeng to show her talent.

Yun Qianmeng repeatedly pondered the musket in his hand, feeling out every component on it, then took out the prepared gunpowder from the paper box and put it in. He held it in his hand to test the weight of the musket, and also tried to find the feeling of holding a gun in the past.

Trainee Lin had already prepared everything according to Chu Feiyang's request. She asked everyone to step aside and stood ten feet away from the target. She held the musket in her right hand, while her left hand supported it to prevent it from shaking. She narrowed her left eye slightly and aimed forward with her right eye along the curve of the musket until the musket and the target were in a straight line. Only then did she pull the trigger...

"Bang!" With a deafening sound, everyone immediately covered their ears, and then they smelled a strong smell of gunpowder...

"How is it?" Chu Feiyang spoke first. He put down his hands that were covering Yun Qianmeng's ears and asked Xi Lin, who was closest to the target.

"Your Highness, the princess hit the bull's eye!" Xi Lin stepped forward and took a closer look. He saw that the bull's eye of the target had long been pierced by the object shot from the musket, and black smoke was now coming out of it.

Upon hearing this, Yun Qianmeng and Chu Feiyang exchanged a glance. They walked over to the target and took a look. They saw that the musket was indeed much more powerful than a bow and arrow. Even Chu Feiyang took it from Yun Qianmeng's hand curiously, weighing it in his hand and examining it carefully. He couldn't help but mutter in surprise, "It's so powerful! I just saw the gunpowder inside shoot out at a speed many times faster than a bow and arrow. If you didn't have good eyesight, you wouldn't be able to see it clearly!"

Seeing Chu Feiyang was also amazed, Yun Qianmeng did not show any pride. She only smiled and shook Chu Feiyang's hand, asking him to hold the musket correctly. Then she taught him to get into the right shooting position, pointing the musket at a deserted place, and slowly said, "It was precisely because it is easier to use than a bow and arrow that I thought of asking you to find someone to supervise its manufacture! I didn't expect it to be successful! Moreover, it is fast and its lethality is several times greater than that of a bow and arrow. If used on the battlefield, it will surely shock the enemy! However, this musket has a fatal flaw!"

After saying that, Yun Qianmeng looked at the black hole in the bull's eye that was burned, and sighed inwardly. This fatal flaw was probably something that could not be compensated in ancient times.

"What's lacking?" Chu Feiyang held the musket in his hand, his eyes showing an eager look, especially when he saw Yun Qianmeng straightening her posture to shoot. She was so heroic and had a unique style that made him unforgettable.

"This musket won't work in the rain! The gunpowder won't ignite if it gets damp! This is a fatal flaw, and it can't be remedied right now!" Ancient alchemy had only developed to this point, and I, not having a background in heavy industry, was completely powerless in this area. Furthermore, the development of dynasties and societies was gradual. If I were to rashly break with this convention, I'm afraid it wouldn't be a good thing for future generations.

After hearing Yun Qianmeng's words, Chu Feiyang nodded in understanding and took Yun Qianmeng's hand as they walked towards the direction where they had just stood. "It's already incredible that we can now build a musket according to your concept. Since there's nothing irreparable, we can also pay attention to other aspects! As long as we store the gunpowder carefully and keep it away from moisture, I believe there won't be any major problems!"

As they spoke, the two of them had already stood still. Chu Feiyang imitated Yun Qianmeng's previous posture, looking at her with a studious glint in his eyes, and urged, "Meng'er, help me check, is this posture correct?"