Chapter 79 "Between me and your cousin, which do you prefer..."
If Ji Chengning had ears, they would probably be standing up on his head by now.
Seeing him proudly raising his chin, looking like a puppy displaying its trophy, Cui Yao couldn't help but smile and ask, "General, what are you doing?"
Ji Chengning was walking forward with his head held high when he suddenly heard Cui Yao's voice. He turned his head and saw his cousin and Li Bi standing not far away, with a helpless smile on their faces.
Ji Chengnin replied seriously, "Ayao, how did you know that some people sent me dried fish?"
Li Bi: "..."
Who asked you!
Who exactly asked the general that question?!
But Mr. Cui seemed quite eager to find talent, saying, "Yes, I understand now."
Ji Chengnin chuckled and said, "How did you know it was only delivered to me?"
Li Bi's lips twitched slightly.
The general is so naive. It's just dried fish; he doesn't want it at all—at worst, he'll steal the general's dried fish!
Ji Chengning put the dog down, covered his mouth with one hand, and grinned so wide his eyes disappeared. "A-Yao, do you perhaps have some kind of divination ability, knowing that there are as many as seventeen sticks inside?"
Cui Yao said, "I not only know that there are seventeen pieces inside, but I also know that each piece of dried fish is made with great care, and is salty and fragrant. It can be said to be a top-quality product among top-quality products, which shows the thoughtfulness of the person who gave the gift to the general." After speaking, he suppressed a laugh and asked, "General, are you going to get lost for a while?"
Ji Chengnin held up a finger and waved it in front of him. "Give me one more time, no, give me half an hour more, and I'll be able to find my way back to the study."
Cui Yao chuckled, "Yes, subordinate understands."
Half an hour later, General Ji indeed brought his good nephew back to his study. As for the bag of dried fish, he stir-fried it with chili peppers and green garlic at dinner.
Ji Chengning ate two extra bowls of rice.
He was a young man with a high level of physical activity. Although he ate a lot at each meal, he did not gain weight. He was just a step further away from the sickly beauty that was currently popular in the capital, who was as delicate as a willow in the wind and as elegant as the moon.
She's still good-looking, but when she turns cold, she exudes a menacing aura, looking like she could tear someone's head off with her bare hands.
After dinner, I continued working on paperwork as usual.
Half a month later, the decree spread throughout Yan County. The people found it unbelievable that the government wanted to exchange grain for locusts that had not yet matured. For the past two days, everyone had been whispering and watching, fearing that some whimsical official was just playing with them. They thought that with all that time, the heavy rains of the past two days would have made the rice grow and the weeds in the fields grow. They might as well go and pull some weeds!
On the third day, several boys around twelve or thirteen years old carried baskets of locust larvae to the government office. After weighing them, they found three liters of larvae and immediately exchanged them for three liters of rice.
Not only were the onlookers stunned, but even the young men who brought the larvae were speechless for a long time. "These, are they really for us?"
The soldiers who exchanged grain were specially selected; they all had kind faces, and when they smiled, they had dimples. They were very approachable, just like the eldest brother in an ordinary family.
The boys looked at each other, staring in disbelief, until a soldier asked, "Young men, would you like me to carry the rice back for you?"
The group finally realized what was happening, and their faces lit up with undisguised joy. They chuckled and said, "Thank you, sir! We can carry it back!"
As if afraid the soldier would change his mind, he picked up the basket containing the rice bag and skipped away.
As the group took the rice home, those who had laughed at them for being silly were dumbfounded—how could anyone actually exchange rice for this inedible and unfit thing?
After confirming the locusts, the people would go to the fields during the day, and before sunset, they would take their families to dig up locust eggs and larvae.
The larvae and eggs sent to the government office were burned completely.
Thus, a locust plague that could have easily become a disaster due to years of drought was quietly and silently averted by this action.
At the same time, the first batch of food and medicinal herbs for disease prevention were delivered to Yan County.
Ji Chengnin wrote to Ji Lin to let her know he was safe, and Ji Lin's reply arrived in the next two days.
He simply wrote: "Understood." He added: "Everything is fine at home, don't worry."
Apart from that, they offered no advice whatsoever, and showed no intention whatsoever of intervening or commenting.
He only included a box of dried meat that had been stored for a long time and some pastries that Ji Chengning often ate in Beijing with the letter.
Along with Ji Lin's reply, a letter from Shen Ying, the director of the Ministry of Works, was also sent, along with two large boxes of heavy items.
Ji Chengning opened the box.
Upon opening the box, a strange smell of tung oil and sulfur wafted out. After being sealed for dozens of days, the smell was so strong that it almost became tangible. Ji Chengnin was choked and vomited. He held his breath and bent down to look.
Inside the box were hundreds of parts made of fine iron, some no bigger than the palm of a hand, others as tall as half the height of an adult man.
His eyes widened instantly.
Yes, artillery parts!
Ji Chengning hurriedly tore open Chen Ying's letter and took out a thick stack of papers.
Shen Ying's letter was more like a note than a letter, briefly telling Ji Chengning: This is a new type of cannon. His Majesty has not yet decided on its name. It has a longer range and greater power than the old cannons. However, there is a small problem that the Ministry of Works has not yet figured out. I am sending you two boxes of parts. If they are of any use to you, the Ministry of Works will be extremely honored.
Additionally: The total cost of this new type of cannon is 1,500 taels of silver. Please send it to the Ministry of Works upon your return to the capital.
Ji Chengning laughed angrily.
"You bastard Chen Ying," Ji Chengning casually tossed the letter aside, picked up the thick, bulging document, and glanced at it briefly—it was the blueprints for the new cannon. "You've made money off me."
He muttered to himself.
Do you really think he doesn't know? Building an old cannon only costs a maximum of eight hundred taels of silver. Could it be that Shen Ying is including his own salary in the calculation?
Despite his inner grumbling, General Ji was extremely interested in the parts in front of him. He changed into a smart short-sleeved outfit, found a quiet spot, and began to assemble them.
By sunset, Ji Chengning had finally assembled the cannon for the main gate.
Every part of the cannon was oiled, and in the sunlight, the cannon barrel's smooth lines exuded a powerful and fierce aura.
The shells were secondhand items found in the government warehouse.
Before igniting it, Ji Chengning was worried that the gunpowder inside the shell might get damp.
But after the fuse crackled and sparked, Ji Chengnin realized that his worries were completely unnecessary.
He held his breath, staring intently at the cannon before him, hoping it would unleash a deafening roar, blasting through the brick wall fifty feet away—BOOM!
"Crack crack crack crack crack!"
It wasn't the powerful cannonball that Ji Chengning had imagined, like divine punishment descending from heaven. Instead, the entire cannon barrel visibly cracked, bursting open like a chrysanthemum in full bloom right before Ji Chengning's eyes!
Ji Chengnin: "???"
Ji Chengnin: "!"
"Smack!"
A piece of debris fell and landed squarely on Ji Chengning's boot.
Ji Chengnin jerked away as if someone had grabbed his tail.
What happened? Did he install it incorrectly?
Ji Chengnin was filled with anxiety. Seeing a brand-new cannon shatter into iron slag, the young marquis felt more heartbroken than seeing a peerless beauty turn into bones in an instant. He immediately urged all the craftsmen in the army to carefully examine the cannon and find out where the problem was.
Dozens of craftsmen disassembled the cannon and inspected it several times. They finally confirmed that the cannon barrel broke because the iron used to make the cannon was not hard enough and could not withstand the powerful force of the cannonball!
In other words, it's fortunate that Ji Chengning was lucky that the cannon barrel only shattered right in front of him; if the entire cannon had exploded, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
In short, this is a piece of junk that kills one enemy but also inflicts a thousand casualties on yourself!
Ji Chengnin remained silent.
His face remained solemn and calm, but in reality, he really wanted to drag Shen Ying over and give him a good beating. This damn thing called having a "small problem"?!
If he hadn't been lucky, he might have been blown to bits by his own people.
So Ji Chengning rushed back to his study and wrote back to Shen Ying. In the letter, he praised Director Shen's ingenious ideas and unique craftsmanship, saying that it was truly for the country and the people, and that such a thing should only exist in heaven—because everything that people have used has gone to heaven!
Finally, Ji Chengnin cursed: If you wanted to kill me, you didn't need to go through all this trouble!
You still owe me 1,500 taels? Not a single coin! Bah! Shen Ying, you should just step down as the Director of the Ministry of Works!
Cui Yao, who was calculating the supplies and provisions, looked up when she heard Ji Chengning crumpling up a letter. Her eyes were full of doubt. "Young Master, what's wrong?"
Just as Ji Chengning was about to answer, he heard a commotion outside.
"Hurry, hurry!"
"Don't push me, I can move by myself!"
Ji Chengnin was still immersed in the grief of the new cannon being blown to scrap metal when the noise made his head explode. He grabbed an outer robe and put it on, then pushed open the door and went out.
He raised his long eyebrows. "What's wrong?"
A soldier immediately replied, "General, we caught a man carrying a sword outside. He was sneaking around the camp. We suspected he was a spy, so we brought him here for questioning!"
Ji Chengning looked over.
A young man was bound hand and foot, his skin tanned bronze, but his eyes were bright, and two sharp canine teeth were visible in his mouth. He struggled and defiantly said, "I'm not a spy, I came here, I came here..."
The hemp rope was tied around his chest and abdomen, making his muscles bulge outwards, revealing his well-proportioned and tall figure.
One of the soldiers laughed and said, "You're not going to say you're going to offer up the knife, are you?"
“It’s about offering a knife,” the young man replied, clearly not understanding the deeper meaning in the other person’s words, his voice choked with emotion. “What? You’re not allowed?!”
Ji Chengning pressed his temples. "Shut up."
The four soldiers immediately fell silent, holding their breath and staring intently at Ji Chengnin.
The young man looked up angrily.
But his breath hitched.
The young general removed his armor, revealing only a plain everyday robe with a light purple overcoat. He raised his long eyebrows, and although his arrogant and beautiful eyes showed signs of weariness, they held a very disdainful air.
Her beauty surpasses that of peach and plum blossoms.
The young man stared blankly at Ji Chengnin, somewhat stunned.
Rumor has it that General Ji is not very old, but he is decisive and efficient. He has only been in Yan County for a few days, and he has already killed all the corrupt and incompetent officials. In his imagination, General Ji should be nine feet tall, as tall and strong as an iron tower, and imposing. He could scare people to the point of wetting their pants with just one glare.
It's still impressive, but...
How could a man be born looking like this?
This gorgeous and alluring appearance.
Ji Chengnin asked, "A spy?"
The young man's neck veins bulged with anger, whether from being wrongly accused or for some other reason, his handsome face turned bright red, though fortunately his dark complexion made it less noticeable. "I'm not a spy!"
He said angrily, "I really came to give the general a knife." Ji Chengnin hummed in response, his voice becoming noticeably softer for some reason.
Ji Chengnin ordered, "Untie him."
"General?" the subordinate asked, puzzled.
"Untie it."
The young man rubbed his numb arm and said rudely to the soldier who had just tied him up, "Give me back my knife!"
The soldier hesitated and looked at Ji Chengnin.
Ji Chengning nodded slightly, and the soldier immediately presented the long sword with both hands.
The young man grabbed the knife.
The knife had no scabbard; it was wrapped in oilcloth and looked like nothing more than a long strip.
Ji Chengnin asked gently, "What is your name, young master?"
The young man stared intently at Ji Chengnin, thinking to himself that although he was a few years younger than him, he had the composure of a great general. On the other hand, he couldn't even speak properly when talking to General Ji.
Suppressing the urge to rub his itchy ears, he raised his voice and replied, "This humble man's name is Meng Qi!"
"You just said you wanted to give this general a knife?"
Meng Qi immediately replied, "Yes, indeed..."
He paused, but ultimately didn't say it aloud. Before coming, he had thought countless times about how to conceal the sharpness of the sword and the excellence of his sword-forging skills from General Ji, so that the general would accept him to serve in the army. But when he looked into the young general's eyes, his mind went blank.
"Please, General, take out a sword and compare it with mine," he said.
Ji Chengnin nodded.
Immediately, soldiers drew their swords.
Meng Qi looked at Ji Chengning.
General Ji stared at him intently, his eyes filled with a smile, as if encouraging him to continue.
Meng Qi's already tense mood became even more excited. He tore off the oilcloth covering the blade and raised the knife to face him.
The cold light was so sharp that Ji Chengnin squinted.
The two blades collided heavily!
"Snap!"
The sound of metal shattering was heard, and sparks flashed as the two blades collided. The next moment, the blade of the soldier's sword, painstakingly forged by the craftsman, was covered with cracks like ice.
Meng Qi's longsword, however, remained intact and sharp.
"A fine knife!"
Ji Chengnin couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Meng Qi blushed even more. "It's just a small skill, I'm making a fool of myself." He scratched his head. "My family has been blacksmiths for four generations. A few days ago, I picked up a knife left behind by a general's subordinate outside the city, and I found," he blurted out, "that it was not as good as the knife that a commoner could make."
Upon hearing this, even the slow-witted Meng Qi realized something was wrong and looked at Ji Chengning uneasily.
Unexpectedly, Ji Chengnin's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Meng Qi's hand, "Young Master Meng, would you be willing to serve under me?"
If Meng Qi's swords are so sturdy, how would he forge cannon parts using the same method?
Ji Chengning became more and more excited as he thought about it, looking at Meng Qi as if he had seen some rare treasure.
Meng Qi was taken aback.
General Ji had a pale, handsome face, but his hands were surprisingly strong.
His hand was being held tightly, and the warmth from the other person's body transmitted through the point where their skin met, making his ears burn even hotter. Not to mention that General Ji was staring at him intently with his naturally affectionate eyes.
Meng Qi felt like he couldn't breathe properly.
He had come to join the army, and upon hearing Ji Chengnin's words, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "I'm willing!"
Inside the study, Cui Yao paused, her hand holding the pen still.
Ji Chengning immediately assigned Meng Qi a position and ordered the soldiers who had mistakenly captured Meng Qi to apologize. He also arranged for Meng Qi to pack up his belongings, inform his family, and come to the military camp the next day.
After settling everything in, they finally saw Meng Qi off.
The young man had been a blacksmith for nearly ten years and was originally a strong man with a very stable lower body.
When I left the military camp, I felt light as a feather, and my feet didn't feel solid on the ground. It was as if I was walking on clouds.
General Ji, still somewhat dazed, agreed just like that?
After seeing Meng Qi off, it was already quite dark. Ji Chengning returned to his study and immediately collapsed onto the mat, his mind and eyes filled with his new cannon, his heart pounding with excitement.
Yet a subtle fragrance wafts over your face.
Suddenly, everything went dark.
A thin veil brushed against his eyes, half-concealing and half-revealing them, making the person in front of him blurry.
When a beauty is viewed under the lamp, her beauty is enhanced even more. Now, the soft light dappling her body, and through the light veil, she appears hazy and ethereal, as if floating on clouds.
Ji Chengning looked up, letting Cui Yao drop her sleeve onto his face, her voice tinged with laughter, "Why didn't you go out just now, Yao?"
Cui Yao explained in a low voice, "I was so focused on the accounts that I didn't hear anything outside."
Ji Chengnin nodded almost imperceptibly.
Cui Yao looked down at him from his high position, but his tone was pitiful and submissive. He asked softly, "If the Crown Prince meets someone more useful than me, will he then despise me?"
His voice was soft, brushing across Ji Chengning's heart like a gentle brush.
It scratches and makes you itch and shiver.
Where does this statement come from?
Ji Chengning laughed and said jokingly, "Therefore you should strive to do your best."
He looked up.
From this angle, his cousin actually looked so beautiful that she seemed like a figure in a painting. Her chin was slightly taut, and the lines of her entire neck were so exquisite that they looked as if they had been carefully and meticulously sculpted by a master craftsman.
Such a rare beauty, with whom he shared a deep affection, looked down at him, asking for a single, insignificant sweet word.
Ji Chengning's heart softened, and he gently hooked Cui Yao's sleeve with his fingers, coaxing her with a smile, "A Yao, there are countless skilled craftsmen in the world, but there is only one cousin."
Cui Yao first obediently smiled.
But he stopped laughing immediately.
But, is she my cousin?
He didn't say whether he was happy or unhappy, he simply calmly moved his sleeve away.
The fabric, as if by accident, gently brushed against Ji Chengning's Adam's apple.
The latter felt a little itchy and made a muffled groan, but her eyes were still full of smiles as she looked at Cui Yao.
Cousin Cui was not in a good mood because she did not get the answer she wanted. So, after nightfall, the evil spirit came to bully her again.
A cool, fishy smell mingled with a delicate jasmine fragrance.
Ji Chengnin: "!"
Caught off guard, he was pinned to the soft bed by that bastard who grabbed his wrists.
Young Master Ji struggled to breathe, his muscular body thrashing about like a fish out of water. Finally managing to get a breath of fresh air, he roared, "What kind of evil wind are you spewing now?"
Before the demon could answer, Ji Chengnin instantly bent his knee and slammed his powerful long leg into the demon's lower abdomen, saying, "If you're sick, go to the doctor..."
"Your Highness," the demon said softly.
Ji Chengning paused for a moment at his soft and coaxing words, then his knees were grabbed and pressed down on both sides with a tricky force.
"throat……"
Ji Chengnin groaned.
A demon descended.
When he was with Ji Chengning, he always let his hair down, his long, soft black hair gently wrapping around every part of the prince's body like a spider web.
Intense, yet tightly sealed.
So, the loose strands of hair stuck to the general's constantly opening and closing lips.
The coolness of his hair, carrying a refreshing, moist scent reminiscent of a recent bath, undeniably assaulted Ji Chengnin's senses.
The demon lowered its head, its icy breath brushing against Ji Chengning's ear.
Despite appearing to be someone who could do whatever he wanted to Ji Chengnin, he deliberately spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone, his voice soft and tender, enveloping Ji Chengnin completely, "Between me and your cousin, which one does the young master prefer?"
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Author's Note: Regarding the locust plague control mentioned in the text, there seems to have been an ancient policy of encouraging people to search for locust larvae and eggs in exchange for food, but I've forgotten the source. *kiss*, my wife.
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