Chang Lili didn't want to have anything to do with Su Ling anymore, but she was the kind of person who would do what she promised.
Furthermore, she discovered that Su Ling was truly an amateur. Despite his noble appearance, she wondered why he didn't hire a master to teach him. Instead, he fiddled around with things on his own, making numerous mistakes that were astonishing.
Chang Lili sighed, finally put down what she was doing, and walked over.
Su Ling was quite unceremonious, and Chang Lili went to help him, teaching him how to do this and how to do that, which he accepted in full.
After a long while, he thanked her in a low voice. After another long while, just as Chang Lili was about to leave, he called her back and asked her many questions.
Chang Lili turned back to teach him this and that, only to find that he knew absolutely nothing about blacksmithing.
"Why do you want to learn these things? Do you really like them?" Chang Lili couldn't help but ask.
Su Ling maintained a detached or distant expression throughout.
"I want to build a weapon myself."
Chang Lili was somewhat surprised, suddenly realizing that Su Ling was not a weak scholar. He seemed frail, but there was a fierce tiger in his heart.
These words, though devoid of emotion, were calm and steady, possessing a surprisingly powerful aura.
She wasn't so averse to him anymore, and she laughed, "But you don't know how to forge iron at all, are you sure you can make it?"
Unexpectedly, the aloof and indifferent Su Ling revealed a half-smile and said jokingly, "I didn't expect it to be this difficult either."
Although he looks delicate, he is not spoiled at all.
Chang Lili suddenly felt that he had some manly ambition, and couldn't help but pat her chest: "You can't do it like this. If I hadn't given you some pointers, you would have been like a blind man swatting a mosquito, wasting your energy."
Su Ling, being quite pragmatic, replied, "Yes, thank you, Miss Chang. I hope you will continue to guide me in the future."
Chang Lili suddenly became interested and teased, "A simple thank you is enough? I've taught you so much today, and you want me to continue teaching you? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
"A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude. Miss Chang, please just ask for whatever you desire." Surprisingly, Su Ling was so understanding and generous.
Chang Lili's eyes lit up, and the words "ask for money" were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.
She thought about it carefully and realized that Su Ling was definitely not short of money. Money was no problem for him. But if she asked him for money directly now, it would be like draining the pond to catch the fish, and she would only get some money as a benefit.
She decided to play the long game, and with a sly smile, she said, "Now that I'm your teacher, it wouldn't be unreasonable for you to become my disciple, would it?"
Su Ling's expression, which was like a snow-capped mountain with only a small part of the iceberg melting, instantly transformed into the coldest part of winter, with ice three feet thick.
Chang Lili seemed to be frozen in place by the chill emanating from him.
She thought with trepidation, "I didn't say anything wrong, so why does Su Ling seem like he's going to kill me?"
"Become an apprentice?" Su Ling's face was as cold as iron, and there was a hint of confusion in his tone.
In his mind, a blood-soaked figure appeared. It was a middle-aged man who looked strong and had an extraordinary temperament, clearly someone with considerable skill in martial arts.
But now he was on the verge of death, blood gushing from his mouth as he opened it, unable to speak. A long sword was stuck in his chest, and his body had more than one bloody hole.
Su Ling closed his eyes, exhaled, and when he opened them again, his expression had softened somewhat.
"Miss, perhaps you should change your request. I will not become your apprentice." The tone was relatively kind, but there was an icy coldness that left no room for argument.
Chang Lili tactfully said, "Then I'll choose something else. However, I can't think of anything right now, so let's talk about it later. How about you owe me a wish?"
“Okay,” Su Ling said calmly.
People from wealthy and powerful families like Chang Lili are known for their extravagance.
She's doing well right now and has plenty of money, but who knows what might happen in the future? This request is definitely worthwhile.
In the study of the general's mansion, Meng Yuxiu frowned, troubled by something.
Ke Shou pushed open the door and entered, bowing respectfully and asking, "General, what's wrong?"
"I'm going to be away for a while, you..."
Before Meng Yuxiu could finish speaking, Ke Shou interrupted and said what was on his mind: "General, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of Miss Chang."
Meng Yuxiu nodded in relief, and the Emperor's words rang in his ears again: "Something has happened at the Imperial Mausoleum. The guards who were guarding the mausoleum have all been killed, and the First Prince is missing. You must go and investigate immediately and bring the First Prince back safely."
Strangely enough, the eldest prince, born to the empress, was not favored.
Moreover, the emperor only has this one prince. It is unknown why, although it is not that no concubines have given birth to princes, but they either die young or die in the womb.
Afterwards, the emperor grew increasingly disliked the eldest prince, Xiao Lingshou, and even sent him to guard the imperial tomb for three years.
Now that the three-year term has ended, it should have been a good day for the eldest prince to return to the palace, but instead, the bloody massacre of the imperial tombs has occurred, and the eldest prince has disappeared without a trace.
The Emperor did not make the matter public, but only ordered Meng Yuxiu to investigate. As a result, Meng Yuxiu had to go to the imperial mausoleum in person to find out the truth.
“General…” Ke Shou, who was usually expressionless, frowned slightly and hesitated.
"Speak your mind."
He then said, "I have noticed something strange lately. There are unfamiliar people loitering around the military manufacturing office, and they seem to have ill intentions. There are also some unfamiliar soldiers coming to the military manufacturing office."
Meng Yuxiu frowned and asked, "Have you found out who sent them?"
"No," Ke Shou said, bowing his head with a look of shame. "I am incompetent. I have not been able to find out their purpose or who sent them."
"Appeared at the Military Manufacturing Department?" Meng Yuxiu frowned in deep thought.
The first person he thought of was Hu Pin. Not long ago, Hu Pin had tried to use Chang Lili in the military manufacturing department to make trouble for him. Now that he had sent someone, it was very likely that Hu Pin was after Chang Lili.
"You protect Chang Lili and continue to investigate the origins of these people, starting with Hu Pin."
Ke Shou was about to leave when Meng Yuxiu added, "By the way, also check on Xiao Shu'er."
After the guard left, a servant came and informed Meng Yuxiu that the carriages and horses for the trip were ready and the luggage was packed.
"Have the carriages and horses go ahead to create the illusion that I have already set off. I will depart in two days," Meng Yuxiu instructed after thinking for a moment.
That night, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and there wasn't a breath of wind.
Chang Lili wiped the sweat from her forehead, let out a long breath, and tidied up her blacksmithing platform.
Then she took a long spear and went into the small warehouse behind her.
Upon entering, one can see long spears piled up like small mountains, reflecting the moonlight.
Three hundred spears! It's finally done! Chang Lili was so happy she almost cried.
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