Chapter 292 Conceals a Mystery
The shattered bricks, the indistinguishable fragments, and the deep crater made the eyes of the Marquis of Chengen and his son light up with excitement. The pungent smell of explosives mixed with the stench of decay was so strong that they seemed deaf to it, unable to detect anything.
As Jiang Yu approached, she covered her mouth and nose; the smell was truly awful. She had no idea what was hidden under that pile of things. Before the explosion, there wasn't this putrid stench, but now that it had, the stench had seeped out.
Prince Rui also found the smell unbearable, frowning as he fanned the air in front of his nose. Seeing Jiang Yu cover her nose, he said apologetically, "I should have cleaned up that pile of clutter."
Jiang Yu was taken aback by his explanation, suddenly realizing that Prince Rui seemed somewhat concerned about her feelings. This thought stirred a strange feeling within her. However, she concealed it well, turning to Prince Rui and replying, "This shows that the explosives Your Highness developed are indeed very powerful."
As she spoke, she gave Prince Rui a thumbs-up, which made his ears slightly warm. He had been intelligent since childhood, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager had genuinely treated him well, so they naturally wouldn't hesitate to praise him. But none of the previous compliments seemed to make him as happy as a simple word or a thumbs-up from Jiang Yu.
He felt he was truly trapped.
However, he was also good at keeping his thoughts to himself. After saying thank you to Jiang Yu, he followed her. He had learned the way to say thank you after being praised from Jiang Yu.
The subtle interaction between the two went completely unnoticed by others. The Marquis of Chengen and his son, along with Prince An, were all stunned by the power of the explosive charge. Ignoring the pungent smell, the three of them were digging at the pit filled with debris on the ground, trying to gauge its depth to determine the true power of the explosive charge.
Jiang Yu and Prince Rui watched from the sidelines. Prince Rui already knew the power of the explosive charge, while Jiang Yu only needed to know its approximate power. As for what the explosive charge could damage or how many people it could kill, those were questions that generals on the battlefield had to consider.
After a while, Prince An and the other two finally stopped digging the hole and excitedly walked towards Prince Rui. Marquis Chengen, his eyes gleaming with excitement, asked Prince Rui, "Your Highness, do you have any more explosive charges of different sizes?"
“No, this is the first batch of prototypes. However, I can make different specifications according to your needs,” Prince Rui said.
The initial prototype of the explosive charge has been completed. Making different specifications as needed is not difficult for Prince Rui. In fact, other members of the Imperial Workshop can also experiment with it.
Upon hearing this, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Cheng'en looked at Prince Rui as if he were a precious treasure. In the eyes of military commanders, wasn't a weapons research expert like Prince Rui a real gem?
The Marquis of Chengen and his son were excited for a while, but when they saw that Prince Rui's fair hands were dirty and his silver-gray robe was dusty, they even wanted to clean them for him themselves. However, they restrained themselves, not because they felt their status was inappropriate, but because they were afraid of frightening Prince Rui.
"Hehe, Your Highness, I have already witnessed the power of the explosive charge. Now, please give me your orders." At this moment, where was the cunning and shrewd Marquis of Chengen?
When Prince Rui heard his words, he simply said, "I don't understand matters of the army and the court. Just listen to the Emperor and Prince An's arrangements."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Chengen's eyes darkened slightly. His words, seemingly simple, concealed a deeper meaning. It was natural for them to follow the Emperor's arrangements. However, following Prince An's arrangements seemed somewhat unreasonable.
But would Prince Rui make a slip of the tongue?
No! Marquis Chengen answered with absolute certainty.
Although he had little contact with Prince Rui, he knew that Prince Rui was an exceptionally intelligent and clear-headed person, a rarity in the entire dynasty. He seemed uninvolved in court affairs, but it was impossible that he was truly engrossed in studying them, completely ignorant of human relationships and court intrigues. Otherwise, he couldn't have been favored by the Emperor and Empress Dowager for so many years.
So, does this mean Prince Rui is siding with Prince An? It makes sense. Although Prince Rui and Prince An are uncle and nephew, they are the same age and grew up together. For Prince Rui, who is favored by the Emperor and Empress Dowager, which prince's succession is safer than Prince An's?
Marquis Chengen's gaze swept over Prince Rui, only to find him calm, as if his words had been merely casual remarks. His gaze then fell upon Jiang Yu, whose expression was equally calm, as if she hadn't heard Prince Rui's words at all.
In an instant, Marquis Chengen's mind raced through a hundred and eighty thoughts, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He cupped his hands and said to Prince Rui, "Yes."
"My lord, when can the Rocket Force demonstrate its power?" Prince An asked. His voice was calm, as if he hadn't heard what Prince Rui had just said.
Marquis Chengen thought to himself that they were all shrewd people, but said aloud, "It's almost lunchtime. I'll make arrangements after lunch."
Prince An nodded in agreement, and the group headed towards the camp together. Upon arrival, they naturally tidied up first. The heir of the Marquis of Chengen had intended to arrange a separate tent for Jiang Yu, but then saw Jiang Yu talking with Prince Rui and Prince An before entering the tent together. She then washed her hands while talking to the two men, showing no regard for the proper separation of men and women.
He deeply felt that he had been narrow-minded. The Duke of Chu was no ordinary woman, so naturally she could not be treated like an ordinary woman.
Lunch was served in the Marquis of Chengen's main tent, where Prince Rui naturally received a warm welcome from the Marquis and his son. The two men subtly inquired about Prince Rui's current research. Prince Rui, of course, wouldn't tell them, and the father and son, being astute, refrained from further inquiry. After all, their current rockets and explosives had already increased their strength a hundredfold.
After the meal, Marquis Chengen didn't linger. He led his 600-strong Rocket Force and set off for a place ten miles outside the camp. Upon arrival, Marquis Chengen introduced the group to Jiang Yu and the others:
"The prince has developed two types of rockets: one that cannot explode and one that can explode. These six hundred people are divided into two teams to demonstrate the power of the two types of rockets."
Having said that, he waved his hand, and the heir of the Marquis of Chengen led three hundred soldiers to line up. Jiang Yu could clearly see that among these soldiers, those at the very front were squatting, and the soldiers behind them squatted higher than those in front.
At this moment, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Chengen waved the yellow flag twice with his left hand, and three hundred soldiers drew their bows in perfect unison. Then the heir apparent waved the yellow flag four times and shouted, "Fire!"
Then, swarms of arrows, sparks flying, rained down on the scene, and the straw figures two or three hundred meters away were instantly engulfed in flames.
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