Chapter 74 Identity Exposed!

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have let my beloved concubine worry about this."

Sikong Yan remembered that she had asked people to dig clay yesterday, so he changed the subject and said, "I have ordered people to send the clay dug yesterday back to your Feiyan Palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Sikong Yan looked at her curved eyebrows and asked curiously, "What do you want so much clay for?"

Shen Chaoyan blinked at him, "Keep it secret for now. I will tell Your Majesty when I finish it."

"Okay, I'm waiting for my beloved concubine's surprise."

Sikong Yan knew that she had many ideas, so he didn't ask any more questions.

After returning to the palace, Shen Chaoyan found the process steps of ancient movable type printing from the heavenly book, and wrote a letter to Shen Linfeng, and asked the craftsmen of the Shen family to make woodcut characters for her as fonts.

While she was writing a letter to her second brother, her eldest brother did not return home. After returning from Yuhua Temple, he went to Yangxin Palace with Sikong Yan.

"Your Majesty, I have confirmed that the person who shot Xukong with an arrow last night was indeed Qi Yingmo."

When Shen Yushu was in Yuhua Temple, he lived in the same room with Qi Yingmo.

After he went out last night, Qi Yingmo also changed into night clothes, and with the cover of Sikong Yu's group of assassins, he successfully shot Xukong.

Unfortunately, the mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole is behind.

While he succeeded, he also exposed his position, and was injured in the shoulder by Shen Yushu who had been ambushing in the dark.

Qi Yingmo returned to the room with injuries, and in order to cover up the smell of blood on his body, he had to burn incense late at night.

It was precisely because of this that Shen Yushu was more certain that he was the man in black who had fought with him.

Sikong Yan nodded slightly, "We have gained a lot from this trip to Yuhua Temple. Not only did we catch all the forces that King Jing had planted in Yuhua Temple, but we also know some of his cronies in the court. Next, we will start with these cronies and disintegrate his power bit by bit."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Sikong Yan chatted with Shen Yushu for half an hour before leaving.

Not long after he left, Sikong Yan summoned Li Heguang, "Summon Zhang Huaimin and Wen Xingjian to see you."

Many old ministers in the court were supporters of his eldest brother. After his eldest brother died in the battle, they were not optimistic about him, the crown prince who was appointed in times of crisis.

At the beginning, when Sikong Huang ascended the throne, all the civil and military officials had their own plans, and internal and external troubles were piling up. If they were not careful, they would be doomed.

In order to make political achievements, Sikong Huang worked hard to govern the country and eliminated the accumulated problems with thundering means, but because he touched the interests of some people, he offended many people in the court.

Therefore, under the propaganda of some people, he did not have a good reputation among the people.

Even Shen Chaoyan often called him a "tyrant" in his heart.

In the past, he felt that as long as he worked diligently and governed the Great Xia Dynasty well, so that the people could live and work in peace and contentment, what would it matter if his reputation was a little worse?

However, when he went to Yuhua Temple this time and learned that Sikong Yu had been doing his best to ruin his reputation, he realized that while a strong country and a rich people are important, the prestige and reputation of the emperor are equally important.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.

He plans to support newcomers headed by Zhang Huaimin and Wen Xingjian. These people are ambitious and high-spirited. They will definitely not stay under others for long if they make their mark in the court. Their future is limitless.

As a king, why not give them a chance to show their talents and remove all the termites in the Great Xia Dynasty?

Shen Chaoyan does have abilities that are almost like supernatural powers, and she knows many secrets that others cannot pry into.

But he has tested her and found that she is not omniscient.

He cannot rely on her too much. While using her abilities, he must also protect her.

After all, this is a game between him and Sikong Yu.

Shen Chaoyan once predicted in his heart that Sikong Yu and Shen Qingwan would join forces to pull him off the throne.

When he first heard about this, he thought it was ridiculous.

However, as he spent more time with Shen Chaoyan, he realized that Shen Chaoyan was not talking nonsense.

Many of her thoughts were confirmed.

Sikong Yan has not yet figured out why Shen Chaoyan has such magical powers.

But he will not sit and wait for death.

His destiny is in his own hands.

He will not only defend the Great Xia Dynasty, but also create an unprecedented peaceful and prosperous era!

... ...

Busy days always pass quickly.

In order to make letterpress printing, Shen Chaoyan began to carefully study the steps recorded in the heavenly book.

Writing seems simple, but in fact it is very time-consuming and requires sufficient patience.

It takes three or four months from washing mud, saving mud, making pottery, negative molds, positive molds, printing, brushing, drying, and finally framing.

And the preliminary preparation work - [washing mud, refining mud, filtering mud with sand and stone, kneading and aging for more than three months. ]

Just the first half of this sentence took Shen Chaoyan nearly ten days.

After the mud is refined and kneaded into a square shape, then wrap the mud piece by piece with oil paper, put it in the pot, and wait for it to slowly age.

"Okay, you clean up here."

"Yes."

Shen Chaoyan looked at the dozen pots with lids, and directed Fu Lushou, three little eunuchs, and the little palace maids to clean up together.

It was a hot summer day, and even though the sun was about to set, everyone was exhausted and sweating after their work.

Fortunately, Shen Chaoyan had prepared sweet osmanthus and sour plum soup in advance, and the master and servants each had a big bowl and drank it very refreshingly.

Outside the Feiyan Palace, a figure hunched over, hiding by the wall, secretly peeking at the situation inside.

"Empress, someone has been peeping at our courtyard again today."

Xiao Fuzi was the oldest and most stable of the three Fulushou, so Shen Chaoyan made him the chief eunuch.

He was also very useful, and he could always find out that the palace maids and eunuchs were wandering outside the Feiyan Palace in a sneaky manner.

Shen Chaoyan had also caught people several times, but each time the palace maids and eunuchs just said they were passing by.

She knew that these palace maids and eunuchs were sent here by other concubines to gather information.

After all, Sikong Yan always went straight to her every time he came to the harem.

After a long time, Shen Chaoyan was too lazy to care about the little palace maids and eunuchs who came to inquire about the news.

"It doesn't matter, we should do what we should do, and don't pay attention to them."

Even if they chased the people away today, there will be people coming tomorrow.

Anyway, they do things openly and honestly, and there is nothing to hide.

…………

Jinhua Palace.

After listening to the report from the little palace maid, Shen Qingwan couldn't help but have a hint of doubt in her eyes, "You said that Shen Chaoyan has been playing in the mud recently?"

"Yes, I saw it clearly. She and several palace maids and eunuchs mixed mud with water and stepped on the mud with their feet. The scene was really..." It was

unbearable to watch.

Although the little palace maid didn't say the last few words, Shen Qingwan could probably guess it.

She really couldn't guess what tricks Shen Chaoyan was playing.

The last time she came back from Yuhua Temple, she found out that Sikong Yan had brought back several buckets of clay from Yuhua Temple for Shen Chaoyan.

Clay + playing with mud...

isn't that the same as movable type printing? !

A thought flashed through Shen Qingwan's mind.

The next moment, she suddenly stood up from the couch, and her movement was so big that she swept all the teacups on the table to the ground.

Pah!

With a crisp sound, the tea spilled all over the floor.

The little palace maid was frightened and her legs went weak, and she knelt down in front of her, "Your Majesty, calm down!"

She thought Shen Qingwan was angry that she brought back useless news, and she kowtowed to admit her mistake.

Shen Qingwan ignored her and rushed to the bedroom.

She walked to the dressing table and opened the dressing box that she had asked someone to buy from outside the palace.

It contained a set of modern cosmetics.

In addition, Shen Qingwan was holding a long thin pencil in her hand.

The answer that was circling in her mind was about to come out -

when Shen Chaoyan took out the gift at the Queen Mother's birthday banquet, Shen Qingwan had doubts about her identity.

From cosmetics to pencils, and then to movable type printing.

If Shen Qingwan still can't figure it out now, then she has traveled through time in vain!