However, none of the imperial physicians dared to guarantee that Consort Lan would see the sun rise tomorrow.
"Your Majesty, I will prescribe some medicine," Physician Jiang said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "As long as Your Majesty can get through tonight, you will be safe and sound."
Meanwhile, in Kunning Shop, the Empress stood there with a stern face, scolding the bowed eunuch before her: "What are you all standing there for? Useless thing, get out of here! Trash!"
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that this eunuch was somewhat different. He had a rugged appearance, a sturdy build, and an expressionless face that gave him a somewhat bloodthirsty look.
He didn't even flinch when the Empress said that, nor did he show any emotion on his face. But after turning around, he frowned, revealing pain, and his clothes were stained with a faint bloodstain, yet he didn't stop walking.
Inside the Light Machinery Department, the weather was fine, the birds were singing, and the flowers were blooming—a scene of peace and harmony.
Jiang Yingxue sat under the shade of a tree, her bright face unusually focused. Zhou Lue could only see this kind of focus when she was looking at Zhang Ziqing.
“Taixi acupoint, Taidun acupoint, Zhaohai acupoint…” Jiang Yingxue pointed at the book with her finger and recited.
Suddenly something bumped into her, and she jolted, her face turning pale. When she turned around, she saw Zhou Lue grinning.
Then Zhou Lue, still injured, was mercilessly beaten and sent flying.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ziqing and Chang Lili had already forged a pile of scrap metal, and the paper on the corner of the table was covered with dense writing.
Chang Lili snapped the newly forged metal strip in two with a crisp snap.
With a dark expression, she tossed the broken metal strip aside and sighed helplessly, "It's still too brittle. Even a little bit of wrought iron and steel won't do."
“Then increase the amount of wrought iron,” Zhang Ziqing said decisively, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
And just like that, the pile of papers on the table grew even thicker.
"This amount is too difficult to control," Chang Lili said weakly.
Zhang Ziqing stared intently at the small piece of iron that had just come out of the furnace in his hand. After carefully hammering it, he put it into the cold water beside him.
Chang Lili had already given up hope.
A cloud of white mist rose up, and after the mist dissipated, Zhang Ziqing still had that focused and solemn expression.
After the metal strip came out of the water, it was as thin as a fingernail.
Zhang Ziqing took the metal sheet and bent it. Chang Lili's face was full of hopelessness, but she couldn't help but feel nervous.
After Zhang Ziqing bent it, the metal strip did not break, and when he let go, the metal strip bounced back.
Chang Lili's eyes lit up. She snatched the metal strip from Zhang Ziqing's hand, twisted it herself, and when she let go, the twisted metal strip not only returned to its original position, but also trembled triumphantly.
"It's not broken...it seems okay?" Chang Lili looked at Zhang Ziqing in disbelief.
A faint smile appeared on Zhang Ziqing's face, but though the smile was faint, her eyes sparkled with light.
"It worked! It worked!" After twisting the metal strip a few more times to make sure it wouldn't break, Chang Li jumped for joy.
After all, this was the umpteenth time he had tried, and his desire for success had been repeatedly thwarted. Now, finally, his hard work had paid off.
"Drunkard Uncle, we did it!" Chang Lili exclaimed excitedly, shouting out the nickname she had given to the Holy Temple.
The sanctuary was genuinely happy for them, raising its wine jar as if waiting for Chang Lili to raise one as well and drink heartily with him. Chang Lili smiled awkwardly and waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need it.
Then she rushed up to Zhou Lue and Jiang Yingxue, held up the metal strip in her hand to show them, and kept talking.
The former had just gotten up from the ground, forcing a smile with a bitter expression.
The latter was startled again, and was stopped by Zhang Ziqing before he could strike out with his palm.
Jiang Yingxue blushed slightly, immediately adopting a gentle, obedient, and shy demeanor as she looked at Zhang Ziqing and asked, "What?"
"We've already made the right materials. How's your medical reading going?" Zhang Ziqing's face still held a smile.
Jiang Yingxue's face immediately turned red. Clutching her book, she ran up to Zhang Ziqing and said shyly, "Really? That's great! Don't worry, I know exactly what a person's leg tendons and ligaments are!"
Zhang Ziqing's clear gaze lingered on Jiang Yingxue, and he said in a deep voice, "Then it's up to you."
After saying that, he turned around to do his work with the students, but Jiang Yingxue held her flushed face in her hands and almost fainted.
Zhang Ziqing had never looked at her with such tenderness before, and stared at her for so long; she was practically smitten.
Everything is ready now, except for starting construction.
Jiang Yingxue had no talent for mechanical arts, which was an open secret. However, she was quite skilled in medicine, learning quickly and becoming very good at it just by reading books.
With the materials prepared, Jiang Yingxue guided them during the production process, and they worked diligently.
"That's right! This is it!"
"Oh no, how could you be so stupid!"
Throughout the journey, Chang Lili listened to Jiang Yingxue's imperious orders with a dark expression, and had to repeatedly tell herself to stay calm.
But with Zhang Ziqing, it was a completely different story.
"Not here, it's here!"
"As expected of Ziqing!"
The production process went smoothly, and within a few days, a mechanical leg that was as flexible as a human leg was born.
Zhou Lue, who had just bumped into the new mechanical legs, was as agile as a monkey with his martial arts skills, leaping and bounding through the woods.
Soon they could no longer see Zhou Lue, but his unrestrained laughter echoed everywhere.
"It looks like it's working! He can climb walls and trees without any problems, so what other problems could there be?" Chang Lili said excitedly. "I think if we can make legs and feet like this now, we can also make hands and arms like this. Soldiers who lost their limbs on the battlefield can be restored to having all four limbs!"
Her eyes were full of anticipation as she spoke animatedly, explaining that the drunkard uncle continued drinking. Zhang Ziqing seemed not to hear her and turned back to the long table.
Seeing this, Jiang Yingxue stuck out her tongue at Chang Lili, and then followed Zhang Ziqing back to the long table.
Chang Lili froze on the spot, unable to understand why no one was interested in something so meaningful.
"You mean, you want to equip those soldiers with similar hands and feet?" Meng Yuxiu asked, pouring Chang Lili a glass of wine.
Chang Lili pursed her lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“Perhaps they think it’s meaningless; Zhang Ziqing is only interested in mechanical arts,” Meng Yuxiu comforted her.
"Only interested in mechanical arts?" Chang Lili looked up at the moon, which was fragmented by branches and leaves, and pondered.
The two sat in the woods, the soft grass gleaming like jade in the moonlight. A white jade wine jug lay beside them, and each held a wine cup, taking a small sip.
The aroma of the wine is irresistible, and the refreshing liquid leaves a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth after swallowing.
Chang Lili licked her lips, and Meng Yuxiu smiled and said, "If you really want to do this, I can help you."
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