Jie Du drank heavily for two consecutive days, feeling depressed.
The man, heartbroken, was utterly dejected, especially after Zhan Qin's words—that he couldn't give Chu Jinjin happiness.
Old Hei, at his wit's end, said: "Chief, you're stinking, you know that?"
He used to be indifferent, and it was normal for him not to shower for several days. But since getting married, he has not only become cleaner, but he also can't stand seeing others dirty.
Jiedu glanced at him: "So what?"
“There are more than just Miss Chu in the world, there are also Miss Zhang and Miss Wang. Of course, I understand that you, Chief, have never experienced love between men and women.” Old Hei said, trying to persuade her with all his heart. “But if you do this, it will only make Miss Jinjin even more unhappy. Chief, you must cheer up. If it really doesn’t work, we can gather all our troops and tie her up. Then we can make it a fait accompli.”
Jie Du smiled bitterly: "You don't understand."
Only Zhan Qin understood what he was saying.
Even if he conquered the world, he couldn't give Chu Jinjin the happiness of a lifetime with only one person. That position meant he would have to have many women for the sake of power.
In this life, the two are destined to be apart.
As evening approached, someone gently knocked on the door.
Old Hei opened the door and said urgently, "Miss Qingxiao, you've come at the right time. Quickly persuade the chieftain."
He was truly at his wit's end; he spoke until his throat was hoarse, but the chieftain wouldn't listen to a word he said.
"This servant greets the chieftain." Qingxiao's eyes held an unconcealable sadness. She took out a blueprint and said respectfully, "This was sent by Miss Jinjin."
The name "Jinjin" seemed to possess some kind of magic; Jie Du's eyes immediately lit up, and he almost couldn't wait to take it, then paused, asking, "What is this?"
It's a ball on top and a basket on the bottom; I've never seen anything like it before.
Old Hei leaned closer and boldly guessed, "Could it be that you're invited to admire the moon tonight?"
Qingxiao: "......."
Whose moon looks like this?
Jie Du frowned: "Can it fly in the sky?"
“Miss Jinjin says this is called a hot air balloon.” Qingxiao maintained a respectful tone, pointing to the diagram as she explained, “The balloon on top can fly, and the bamboo basket below can carry people.”
Similar to when she first saw the blueprints, Jie Du suddenly stood up, her fingers trembling slightly: "Really?"
Qingxiao nodded gently.
Needless to say, the explosive power of these few words is beyond description.
“Miss Jinjin said that the heat from the flames below can lift people into the air, and if it’s big enough, it can carry several people.” Qingxiao paused here, her tone seemingly both light and heavy, “as well as weapons of equal weight.”
She knew about Jiedu's obsession.
She was also well-versed in military strategy.
No matter how strong Black Hawk Mountain Stronghold is, it can only dominate a small area at most. In terms of real strength, it is nothing, even with its carefully trained archers.
In real wars, quantity is more important than quality.
If this hot air balloon could actually be made, I can't even imagine what it would be like.
The best bows and arrows can only shoot a few hundred meters upwards; heavy siege engines can shoot even higher, but their accuracy is poor.
Jie Du seemed to have been baptized by something, and all his dejection vanished instantly. He stared at Qing Xiao and asked, word by word, "What else did Miss Jin Jin tell us?"
“First, Miss Jinjin said that this is her master’s secret technique, passed down only to women, not men, otherwise it will ruin their eyes.” Qingxiao lowered his head. “The specific production process must be kept secret and can only be taught to me.”
She is a woman, a woman with someone in her heart.
The hatred had lingered for so long that she longed for a home even more.
The importance of the hot air balloon is self-evident, so important that she might have to leave the garden and come to that man's side.
Qingxiao tried to calm herself down: "I've thought about it. We can go to the Chu residence when it's late at night and won't delay the chieftain's grand plan."
She yearns for it, but she also understands how to make choices.
Jie Du didn't answer directly: "Anything else?"
Qingxiao raised his head: "Secondly, Miss Jinjin said that she has other blueprints to exchange for the agreement between the chieftain and Boss Chu."
As originally agreed, Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold would send people to follow Chu Zujian on trade routes until they had thoroughly figured out the trade route leading to the Northern Desert.
Qingxiao felt there must be another reason, but what it was seemed rather complicated.
Her feeling was right.
Chu Jinjin was very frustrated. Zhou Guoshou's matter seemed to be temporarily resolved, but the price was that the gold mine mining rights were gone. She couldn't think of any other way to get her deposit back, or when.
All she wanted was to have food and drink and live a peaceful life, but the Imperial Concubine insisted on causing trouble.
This is just the beginning. Who knows what other underhanded tricks she might pull? Most importantly, what will happen to the Chu family if this wicked woman ever reaches that position and has no more scruples?
At the mercy of others.
For the first time, Chu Jinjin had the idea of changing the dynasty.
By bringing out a hot air balloon that has had a significant impact on this era, they can cause some trouble for the royal family and also establish a good relationship in advance.
What if Xie Du actually succeeds?
She'll be considered a hero then.
In the next few days, Chu Jinjin started getting busy.
Hot air balloons are very simple to modern people; kindergartens even have craft classes based on them. The principle is very simple: it's just the physical phenomenon of thermal expansion and contraction. When the air inside the balloon gets heated, it expands, which in turn reduces the density and generates buoyancy.
However, when applied to warfare, it cannot be done in a simple way.
Ensuring stability and security is a major challenge.
Chu Jinjin decided to start with something simple.
Fearing that it would attract unnecessary attention, he took his maid Xia Feng to the estate in the suburbs.
The materials used are all available in this era.
Xia Feng had no idea what was going to happen. Following the instructions, he sewed a piece of coarse cloth with poor ventilation into a pouch, then covered it with oiled paper and used a frog button for the seam.
The first attempt failed.
The fire was not controlled and the wood caught fire as soon as it was placed on the stove.
After several attempts, a miracle occurred. DouDou seemed to be supported by something and slowly floated up. As the wind rose higher, it eventually disappeared into the vast night sky.
Xia Feng was stunned and speechless.
Chu Jinjin was also very excited, which meant it would work, but the trouble had only just begun. Controlling the direction was easy enough, but what would be used to replace the fuel?
I don't know if high-quality charcoal will do.
Before we could continue our research, something else happened.
The princess whom Prince Consort Zheng married sent an invitation to Chu Jinjin to a banquet a few days later.
This is an invitation I can't refuse.
Even if she's not particularly favored, she's still a princess, a member of the royal family. Not going would be tantamount to slapping the royal family in the face.
Secondly, the theme of the dinner.
This year, northern China is experiencing a severe drought. It is said that nothing grows there, and even rats have become infertile from hunger.
The princess sent out invitations to almost all the noble ladies in the capital, calling on everyone to donate money and goods to help the displaced people.
As one of the ten wealthiest families in the capital, the Chu family should have been duty-bound to help in the face of such a national crisis.
"Third Miss, Master's intention is that if you don't want to go, you don't have to go. We can just donate money." The servant who came to report carefully relayed the original words, "The princess is not like an ordinary family, she cannot be beaten."
The voiceover is that they're worried Chu Jinjin will beat up the princess.
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