"What are you looking at? Don't you want your eyes anymore?"
Xie Lang's attention was constantly focused on Wen Hemian. He frowned and was a little angry at the Imperial Physician's scrutiny.
The Imperial Physician immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Wen Hemian looked at Xie Lang and gently shook her head.
Xie Lang then waved for the person to leave.
"Your Majesty, please don't take your anger out on innocent people. He was just curious." Wen Hemian said calmly. "I'm not that fragile. If I couldn't even bear the gaze of others, how could I have remained in my current position?"
Xie Lang wanted to say that he would overcome all obstacles, but when he met Wen He's gentle and calm gaze, he stopped talking.
The Grand Tutor was not a delicate flower that needed to be protected.
It takes time to brew the medicine, so we can only drink it after they come back.
The two discreetly left the palace in a carriage.
The morning market in the capital was the most lively, with all kinds of things being sold. Along the way, Wen Hemian saw some sweet cakes for sale, so he asked someone to buy a few hot ones to have for breakfast.
The majestic emperor's delighted expression as he munched on a sweet cake was quite amusing.
Wen Hemian shook her head: "Why do you still like sweets so much?"
Xie Lang said righteously, "What you gave me is different."
Wen Hemian glanced at him: "It's more likely that Your Majesty is overthinking things."
He said in a low voice, "When we're outside, Han Shuang should still call me by my courtesy name. People will be frightened if they hear 'Your Majesty'."
Wen Hemian: "You weren't usually this considerate when you first caught me."
Having been away from the capital for three years, the mere mention of the title "Grand Tutor" sent chills down Wen Hemian's spine, allowing him to seize the initiative from the very beginning and enabling Xie Lang to push his luck even further.
Xie Lang smiled calmly, neither denying it.
Wen Hemian took a bite of the sweet cake and was immediately overwhelmed by its sweetness—it was still so sweet.
Xie Lang handed over a cup of tea, which Wen Hemian gulped down in one go.
The carriage finally stopped in front of a jewelry shop.
Zhenbaoge is the largest jewelry shop in the capital. Many high-ranking officials and nobles like to come here to buy jewelry, whether for personal use or as a gift, it is very prestigious.
The key point is that this shop doesn't just cater to the wealthy; the first floor displays jewelry that ordinary people can afford.
Wen Hemian and Xie Lang went straight upstairs. Since it was early, not many people noticed them. As for the tails following behind them, the secret guards would handle them.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Xie Lang had already taken over the shop. They were not there to look at jewelry today. After entering the private room, the manager behind the Treasure Pavilion carefully presented a wooden box. Inside was a flintlock pistol made of iron.
Wen Hemian had read about the structure of a musket in a book. This world also had the initial use of firearms, but the technology was not that advanced. So, before she left three years ago, she also drew a diagram and left it behind. After so much research, Xie Lang's men actually managed to manufacture this new type of musket.
She asked the shopkeeper, "Can this type of musket be mass-produced?"
The shopkeeper, unaware of her identity, cautiously glanced in Xie Lang's direction before saying, "Miss, these muskets are quite difficult to make, and I'm afraid we can't mass-produce them for the time being. We can only try to make as many batches as possible."
Wen Hemian understood: "It's alright, as long as the elite and trusted confidants can use it first."
Xie Lang's trusted men are the Flying Goose Camp. They are skilled rather than numerous. If war breaks out, having such a group of men will be enough to catch people off guard.
"Does Han Shuang want to test the power of this musket?"
Xie Lang asked.
This thing is on par with guns these days, and Wen Hemian was genuinely curious: "Let's try it."
You can try it, but not here. It would be too much of a commotion and hard to keep quiet.
So in the end, they brought the musket back to the palace.
The recoil of the musket was quite strong. Wen Heming only had experience in archery. He put on protective gear in advance and, after listening to the explanation, tried to operate it himself.
"Bang, bang!"
He fired twice, but neither shot hit the bullseye; they barely grazed the edge. His hand was already numb from the impact, but Wen Hemian was not discouraged. He simply said, "I still need to train."
Its power was about what she had imagined; if this thing appeared on the battlefield, it could have a surprising and decisive effect.
Xie Lang also tried it twice, and the result was similar to hers. After all, the improved musket was different from the old one, and he needed to get used to it again.
"Let's leave this musket in the palace for now, and I'll have them send a few more over another day."
After Xie Lang finished speaking, he thought of something else: "We should also equip the people around the Grand Tutor with a few weapons, just in case."
Wen Hemian smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
She understood that Xie Lang meant well.
Xie Lang muttered discontentedly, "Do we even need to say thank you?"
Wen Hemian laughed: "I understand, I won't say that again in the future."
As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, several vassal kings who had been persuaded had already set off to return to their fiefdoms, while the rest continued to linger, some observing and others wanting to leave but not daring to.
The Emperor's birthday celebration was just last month, so Xie Lang ordered that everything be kept simple for the Dragon Boat Festival and that there was no need for any more grand celebrations. As for the princes who were still staying in the capital, they were simply given some gifts as a token of respect.
Before confirming Wen Hemian's situation, the Prince's Mansion did not send a message to the border rashly. Thinking that he would probably not be able to go back to spend the Dragon Boat Festival with his parents this year, Wen Hemian wrote a letter and sent it over after finishing his official duties.
Seeing the slight disappointment on her face, Xie Lang felt guilty and silently went over to hug her: "Next time during the festival, I will accompany the Grand Tutor to visit them, is that alright?"
Wen Hemian thought to herself that she needed to sort out their complicated relationship first: "Let's talk about it later. It's not advisable for you to leave for the time being."
Even emperors sometimes have nothing better to do than run to the border.
However, Wen Hemian thought about it again and realized that her parents were too old to continue fighting on the battlefield for much longer. They had been training successors all these years, and she needed to find a beautiful place for them to live out their old age in peace.
They must be tired of the infighting and constant turmoil in the capital.
Wen Hemian patted his hand, signaling him to let go of her.
It's getting hot, and I'm starting to feel a bit disgusted.
Xie Lang felt that Wen Hemian's words were a bit perfunctory, and grumbled, unwilling to let go: "Does Han Shuang not want me to see them? Am I that unpresentable?"
Wen Hemian calmly replied, "I don't recall I've already agreed to your request, Your Majesty."
Xie Lang is the type who learns one thing and then tries to do a hundred; if you really teach him a lesson, he'll probably try to open a dye shop.
Xie Lang said domineeringly, "Then we can meet them first."
Before Wen Heming could refute, Huo Ping strode in from outside the hall. Seeing the two's intimate behavior, his eyelids twitched, and he quickly lowered his head, his voice cold and hard: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Huailing has arrived in the capital and is currently requesting an audience outside."
Xie Lang: "?"
"Oh."
It's true what they say, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."
Wen Heming smiled insincerely, tilted his head and raised his eyes, looking relaxed: "Didn't His Majesty want to see you? What a coincidence, go ahead."
Xie Lang: "..."
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