Chapter 364 Red Jade Bracelet
Chapter 364
The firearms workshop was located in a secluded mountain outside the city, a place known to very few. Jiang Yu was naturally one of these few people, though she had never been there before.
The next day, she went to the government office first, found a reasonable excuse to leave, and then disguised herself and left the city. Two miles outside the city, she met Prince Rui who was waiting for her.
Jiang Yu stepped down from the carriage. She was dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her hair styled in double buns, looking like a common woman. However, her noble and dignified air couldn't be completely concealed for a moment, making her appear unique and refined.
Prince Rui was taken aback when he saw her, and then he couldn't take his eyes off her until Jiang Yu walked up to him.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Jiang Yu bowed to him, and Prince Rui snapped out of his daze, his ears turning bright red. He had been too impetuous; how could he have stared at a woman like that?
"Quickly, no need for formalities," Prince Rui said immediately, then his eyes wandered off to somewhere else.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Yu couldn't help but smile. She asked, "Is anyone else traveling with us today?"
“Yes,” Prince Rui said, trying his best to look at her naturally, “the Marquis of Chengen and Jingwei will also be there.”
“Alright, let’s wait for them at the pavilion ahead.” Jiang Yu pointed to the pavilion not far away. Prince Rui nodded, and the two walked forward side by side.
"How is the investigation into Lu Peichen's death going with the Dali Temple?" Prince Rui asked, starting a conversation.
“All leads have gone cold,” Jiang Yu said.
Prince Rui was not surprised at all; he knew Pei Chengkun was cunning and calculating. He turned to look at Jiang Yu and said, "There will be a result sooner or later."
“Yes, but if it weren’t for the Prince’s suggestion to have the Court of Judicial Review investigate that day, Lu Peichen’s death might have been overlooked,” Jiang Yu said.
That day, Prince Rui's seemingly casual and impatient remark hit the nail on the head. Jiang Yu didn't know what the Emperor was thinking at the time, but she certainly didn't believe he had said it offhand.
Prince Rui smiled upon hearing her words; his words that day were certainly not casual. He saw that Jiang Yu wanted the Court of Judicial Review to continue investigating the case, but couldn't speak out because she couldn't be too confrontational with the Crown Prince. So he spoke up.
As they spoke, they arrived at the pavilion. The attendants who had been accompanying them stood guard outside, while the two sat facing each other inside. With their previous conversation over and no new topics to discuss, their eyes met, creating a somewhat awkward moment.
Prince Rui looked away, his hand reaching into his sleeve and fiddling with something inside, his eyes lowered to conceal his emotions. Jiang Yu didn't know what to say at this moment, so she turned to look at the scenery outside.
The azure sky and verdant fields were a sight to behold, refreshing the mind and spirit. Jiang Yu couldn't help but take a deep breath, unconsciously relaxing her mind.
Prince Rui hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Jiang Yu. Seeing the contented smile on her face, he couldn't help but smile back. Remembering what he needed to do, he coughed lightly, drawing Jiang Yu's attention.
Seeing her gaze fall on him, Prince Rui felt a little hot. He took out a bright red bracelet from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu was taken aback, her gaze falling on his fair and slender hands. The translucent red, like solidified cream, combined with his well-defined, pale fingers, created an indescribably beautiful sight.
Jiang Yu raised her eyes to look into his. Her usually clear and bright eyes were now filled with shyness and determination. But the man just stretched out his arm, without saying a word.
Jiang Yu smiled, "Your Highness wants to give it to me?"
The redness from Prince Rui's ears spread to his cheeks, and he nodded, saying, "This is...this is something I polished myself."
Jiang Yu's gaze fell on the hand holding the bracelet again. After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and took it. Then she put it on her wrist and looked at him, saying, "It fits perfectly."
Her fair wrists paired with the creamy red were so beautiful that it was impossible to look away. Prince Rui somewhat reluctantly averted his gaze and said, "I have measured your size."
Jiang Yu: "......."
"I...I measured your wrist size based on your approximate height," Prince Rui quickly explained, fearing she might misunderstand. Then he realized that what he had just said might not have been quite right.
Jiang Yu smiled again, stroking the jade bracelet with her hand, and said, "Your Highness's craftsmanship is excellent."
Prince Rui grinned, and although he looked a little silly, he was still very handsome. Jiang Yu's heart fluttered.
"Your Highness Prince Rui, Duke of Chu."
The Marquis of Chengen's voice interrupted the ambiguous atmosphere between the two, who then rose and exchanged pleasantries with him as he entered. Just as the three finished their greetings, Prince An arrived. His gaze lingered on Jiang Yu's face for a fleeting moment before he explained his lateness. He had been summoned to the palace by the Emperor.
Everyone understood this, and together they left the pavilion, some riding horses, others taking horse-drawn carriages, and headed into the mountains.
Sitting in the carriage, Jiang Yu looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips again. She had hesitated before accepting the bracelet. Given her and Prince Rui's status, being together would inevitably involve some hardships.
But after a moment's hesitation, she decided to accept the bracelet, wanting to follow her heart. As for the difficulties she might encounter in the future, she would deal with them one by one.
Prince Rui was also traveling by carriage. Prince An hadn't seen him for some time, so he rode up beside his carriage and spoke to him. He said several things, but Prince Rui didn't reply. Prince An frowned, glanced at Prince Rui's absent-minded face, then turned to look at Jiang Yu's carriage behind him, his eyes deepening. Then he spurred his horse and galloped away.
Jiang Yu's carriage traveled for another quarter of an hour before arriving at the foot of a mountain. After disembarking, the group began to walk into the mountains. At first, the three men, mindful that Jiang Yu was a woman, walked slowly. However, seeing her steady gait, they began to stride forward.
Marquis Chengen also asked, "Does the Chu state practice martial arts regularly?"
Jiang Yu smiled and replied, "It's just for improving health."
Marquis Chengen couldn't help but give her a thumbs up; he truly admired this woman. Whether in wisdom or physical strength, she was among the best, even for a man.
After walking for fifteen minutes, they finally arrived at the firearms workshop. The person in charge there warmly introduced them to the operation of the workshop and then led them to the firearms storehouse.
Jiang Yu saw boxes of rockets, explosive packs, and several hand grenades. Prince Rui, noticing her gaze lingering on the grenades, took one out and explained to her:
"This is made of iron mixed with lead shot. Ordinary iron is meant to be hard and wear-resistant, but this iron is more brittle so that it will easily shatter into pieces when it explodes. If ordinary wrought iron were used, it would probably only blast a gash and wouldn't hurt anyone."
Jiang Yu took the hand-held tweezers from his hand and gently tapped the metal casing; it was indeed different from ordinary iron.
At this moment, Prince Rui pointed to the fuse of the hand bullet and said, "This is the fuse. Inside is hemp thread soaked in sulfur. When you pull out the stopper, you can ignite it by rubbing it against the flint on the casing. The time from ignition to explosion is as short as three breaths. However, this time can be controlled, and it can also be three breaths."
"If it explodes in five breaths, how far will it be thrown?" Jiang Yu asked.
Prince Rui: "Trained soldiers can throw it more than twenty meters."
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