Inside the courtyard, Zhu Juan was beside Gu Xiaoran. Seeing that he was in a bad mood, she stepped forward and said:
"Young master, shall we go for a walk outside?"
She was out buying food for Gu Xiaoran when the fight broke out outside the courtyard, so she was not inside. Therefore, she was understandably shocked to see Shandian injured.
Gu Xiaoran sniffled, "I'm not going. You go by yourself."
Zhu Juan stopped talking and silently stayed by Gu Xiaoran's side.
When Gu Qian returned to the courtyard, he first glanced at the sullen Xiao Ran, and then walked towards Qiu Yan's room.
Seeing Qiu Yan sketching on rice paper, Gu Qian looked on with curiosity and went over to take a look.
"Yan Yan, what are you drawing?"
"A gun," Qiu Yan answered succinctly. She knew Gu Qian wouldn't make things up.
Gu Qian, however, was full of suspicion.
“A spear isn’t like this.” Is his Yan Yan worried that he doesn’t have enough weapons? Does she want to make weapons for him? “Yan Yan, Shangjin City has a special armory.”
“This is no ordinary spear, it’s called… a musket, also known as a firearm.”
"Musketeers?" Gu Qian was hearing this name for the first time.
Qiu Yan stopped talking about it.
"Regarding the gunpowder formula I wrote for you last time, have you had someone search for the raw materials?"
At this point, Gu Qian frowned: "I have already secretly sent people to search for a lot of saltpeter, sulfur and other such substances."
However, what I made wasn't powerful enough to destroy Northern Qi. Gu Qian regretted that he should have brought some raw materials with him this time.
Last time we did some work, but one of our tents was accidentally burned down.
"Not powerful enough? It must be your recipe that's wrong. One part sulfur, one-fifth charcoal, seven-five parts saltpeter... Did you do it the way I told you?"
Gu Qian said, "We don't have enough saltpeter. My men are still searching in secret." Mining and collecting is one thing, but acquiring it is another.
Speaking of saltpeter, Qiu Yan thought of another use for it: making ice.
“Salt water is produced by both Chinese and barbarians. Gu Qian, you can send someone to the Western Regions to take a look; perhaps we can find raw saltpeter ore.”
Gu Qian nodded, and said he would send someone to him once he returned to the military camp.
"Yan Yan, have you ever made gunpowder yourself?"
"I did it." Qiu Yan didn't hide anything from Gu Qian.
Gu Qian smiled and said, "I'll bring some raw materials when I come back next time." Gu Qian trusted Qiu Yan more than his own people.
Qiu Yan nodded to him. Although she thought the method was simple, she was happy to help with military matters.
At this moment, Qiu Yan suddenly thought of something.
"Guess who I saw that day in Huaiyuan?"
"Who is it?" Gu Qian stepped forward and sat down next to Qiu Yan.
“A woman,” Qiu Yan said, continuing to draw the prototype of a musket on the paper. “The woman claimed to be your fiancée.”
Gu Qian immediately guessed who it was upon hearing it.
He snatched the calligraphy brush from Qiu Yan's hand, stroked her hair with both hands, turned her to face him, and said earnestly, "My fiancée can only be you!"
Qiu Yan took back the brush and continued with her work.
"She didn't hurt you, did she?" Gu Qian asked, then immediately realized it was a redundant question.
Regardless of Qiu Yan's own abilities, Ling Qi and Ling Ba are sure to protect her.
Qiu Yan shook her head, "She doesn't even know where I am."
"How did you run into her?" Gu Qian felt disgusted just thinking about that woman.
“She openly beat up a resident of Dongjin in Huaiyuan Street, and was imprisoned by your two subordinates.”
Although Qiu Yan didn't know much about this Northern Qi princess, she could tell that the woman was very arrogant.
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