King Xuan respectfully kowtowed three times and said, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."
Emperor Yan felt uneasy upon hearing the way King Xuan addressed him, and said, "Fine."
Seeing that there was nothing else, King Xuan left. But as he reached the door, he turned to look at Emperor Yan, who was sitting on the dragon throne, and said, "Brother, please take good care of yourself."
Emperor Yan felt a warmth in his heart and said, "Alright."
King Xuan then departed, and Zhao Zhong personally saw him off.
Zhao Zhong escorted the man to the palace gate and said, "Your Highness, I wish you a safe journey in advance."
King Xuan smiled upon hearing this and said, "I also wish Eunuch Zhao a bright future."
Zhao Zhong bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Inside the Princess's residence in Fuzhou, Yan Shujin looked at the map in her hand, her expression changed, and she said, "Who knows about this?"
Sun Qiao said respectfully, "I only have one subordinate."
This thing was found in Yan Shujin's hometown. It was because of the Empress's letter that Yan Shujin sent people there and drew several maps, which have now been sent to the capital. The map was found under the tree that Yan Jiawang and Yan Shujin used to climb when they were children.
No one knows when Empress Chen hid such a thing, and how she kept it until Yan Shujin retrieved it.
It's a map of the capital city, and also of the imperial palace. The palace has many secret passages, and each one is clearly marked.
Yan Shujin swallowed hard and said, "It must be kept a secret."
Sun Qiao also knew the importance of this thing: "Yes."
Yan Shujin stared at the map. She had a feeling that even Emperor Yan probably didn't have something like this. So when did Empress Chen discover it and when did she hide it under the tree in her hometown? "I'm afraid Auntie knew about it earlier than we guessed."
Sun Qiao didn't understand what Yan Shujin was saying; in fact, Yan Shujin wasn't telling him anything.
Yan Shujin swallowed hard. It should be said that her aunt's desire for revenge and even her plans for it started much earlier than they thought.
If Emperor Yan were to discover something like this, even the Empress would likely remain unaware, unless Empress Chen found it first and concealed it.
Yan Shujin reached out and rubbed her face vigorously, saying, "You should carefully memorize all these maps, and then... besides the palace maps, find a few reliable maps of the capital city and memorize them as well."
Sun Qiao didn't ask why, he just said, "Yes."
Yan Shujin looked at Sun Qiao and said, "These may never be needed in a lifetime, but... just in case."
Sun Qiao laughed instead and said, "Princess, I used to think you'd be a bandit in the capital your whole life. Who would have thought this day would come?"
Yan Shujin was amused and gently touched the map with her fingers, saying, "Yes, who could have imagined today?"
It's likely that Emperor Yan will never know what he missed or lost.
Sun Qiao said solemnly, "Princess, we have already tried the things in that book."
Yan Shujin looked at Sun Qiao, whose booklet was the culmination of Mr. Chu's life's work.
“Following the method in the booklet, the swords are much sharper than those sent by the Ministry of Works. With full force, three strikes in the same spot can cut through the Ministry of Works' weapons, while the swords in the booklet will only leave a nick.” Sun Qiao was particularly excited: “Most importantly, you can also change the color of the sword. If it turns black, it will be very dangerous at night…”
Yan Shujin nodded and said, "In that case, we'll gradually replace the private soldiers, but we must keep it a secret."
Sun Qiao sighed and said, "It's just too difficult, and there are too few craftsmen. They can only make a few hundred a month, which is really not enough."
Yan Shujin thought for a moment and said, "Since we haven't been able to find a reliable craftsman yet, let's slowly replace them as needed."
Sun Qiao knew there was no other way, and said, "Yes."
Yan Shujin asked, "I remember there was also something about armor."
“Yes, it makes soldiers more flexible in their clothing,” Sun Qiao said. “And the colors are less noticeable.”
Before Yan Shujin could speak, Sun Qiao continued, "Unfortunately, this thing is even more complicated than weapons, so very few can be made."
Yan Shujin sighed and said, "Take it slow."
Sun Qiao hesitated for a moment and then said, "Should we select another batch of people?"
Yan Shujin frowned and said, "I'm afraid it's not a safe bet."
These craftsmen all have apprentices, most of whom were selected and sent by Yan Shujin and others, but they are not yet able to stand on their own.
Sun Qiao knew that there was no time to rush things, so he said, "Yes, then I'll keep an eye on it."
Yan Shujin nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Sun Qiao didn't find it tiring; these were things he enjoyed doing. Moreover, he had a premonition that peace wouldn't last long, and who knew…
Yan Shujin hesitated for a moment and asked, "Sister Cheng went to Nanzhong, you..."
Sun Qiao thought for a moment and said, "I think it's a pity, but you can't force these things."
Seeing that Sun Qiao had figured things out on his own, Yan Shujin didn't try to persuade him any further.
Sun Qiao said, "Princess, there is no need to worry. Marrying and having children is not a necessity for me. If I don't like someone, I don't need to think about these things."
Author's Note: Empress: Though I am dead, my legend lives on everywhere. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the [nutrient solution]:
65 bottles of Identity V; 15 bottles of Soft and Cute Bunny; 10 bottles of Paper Kite and Idle; 5 bottles of Green Tea 2011; 1 bottle of xfkl;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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