Chapter 287 Deserter
His tone was flat, revealing no emotion.
Jiang Ling remained silent and did not respond.
Qin Zhao continued, "My elder brother is resolute and brave, a rare talent for military command. However... sometimes too much rigidity can lead to failure. The court is a place of unpredictable intrigue, not just the open battles on the battlefield."
Jiang Ling was as clear-headed as a mirror and knew that he meant something.
Her expression remained unchanged as she reiterated her stance: "Your Highness, I am merely a merchant, seeking only to run my small shop and live a peaceful life with those around me. My dealings with His Highness the First Prince are limited to business matters. I do my best to procure the supplies he needs, and all transactions are completed on a cash-and-carry basis. I am ignorant of court affairs and have no intention of getting involved in any disputes."
Qin Zhao stared at her, seemingly trying to find a trace of pretense in her eyes, but he found none.
Finally, he nodded slightly, his voice lowering slightly.
"Many people sit in that position, but few can hold onto it. All I think about is the country and its people. I believe I can do better than my elder brother. War will cause many people to bleed, and I believe you, my dear, would not want to see that either."
The struggle for the crown prince position is bound to result in bloodshed.
Jiang Ling remained silent for a moment, then asked directly, "What exactly does Your Highness want to say? Please speak plainly."
Qin Zhao turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Ling, and clearly stated the purpose of his trip:
"I will grant you the highest position that no woman in this world can attain."
"I only hope that one day you will stand shoulder to shoulder with me and share this vast land. Let us join hands and make the people of the Great Yu Dynasty truly live in peace and prosperity and share in the glory of this great era."
"Now that Miss Jiang has entered the mortal world, within this Great Yu Dynasty, you can only choose me."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a metallic quality, striking Jiang Ling's heart heavily.
The shop fell silent for a moment, with only the soft chirping of swallows on the door lintel.
Jiang Ling stood at the shop entrance, the bright summer sun shining on her, yet she felt a chill.
She remained stagnant, confined to her own little world, guarding only her small grocery store, all to avoid these conflicts.
However, he still got caught up in it.
Qin Zhao is right. If she wants to stay in the Great Yu Dynasty, she must choose a side; otherwise, she should disappear forever.
Now that things have come to this, she is too deeply entangled with the two princes and has long lost the option of remaining neutral.
Upon waking up, Jiang Ling did not open the wooden door. Instead, she turned around and went to the back of the warehouse, where she opened the iron gate.
The sun is shining brightly here, with a cool autumn breeze.
She wanted to calm down for a while and temporarily withdraw from the complicated affairs of Daewoo.
It was also because the fireworks factory had something to deal with.
The fireworks factory has already opened, but she, the rightful owner, has never shown up even once. This is unreasonable both emotionally and logically.
Changing into light, modern summer clothes, Jiang Ling glanced at her phone. The message Xie Penghui had sent earlier was still on the screen. It was a brief report on the recent progress of the fireworks factory and a polite inquiry about when it would be convenient for her to come and take a look.
She replied, "Senior, I'll go there this morning."
On the way to the suburbs by taxi, Jiang Ling looked at the bustling street scene rushing past the window. The glass curtain walls of the high-rise buildings reflected the dazzling sunlight, which made her feel dazed for a moment.
It's just a doorway away, yet it spans a thousand years of time and space. This intense sense of separation takes time to adjust to each time.
The car stopped again at that familiar street intersection.
Unlike the desolate scene she witnessed on her last visit, this time Jiang Ling saw the brand-new signboard of "Lingyan Fireworks Co., Ltd." from afar.
The walls surrounding the factory area have been repainted, and the overgrown weeds have been cleared away, revealing a smooth ground.
The door was wide open, and you could see figures moving around inside, and you could faintly hear the sounds of machines being adjusted.
She took a deep breath and stepped inside.
"Who are you looking for?" A middle-aged man in blue overalls approached, his attitude was fairly polite, but his eyes held a scrutinizing look.
The factory had just reopened, and unfamiliar faces always attracted attention.
"Hello, I'm looking for Mr. Xie Penghui, or Manager Liu who is in charge of production. I'm Jiang Ling."
"Jiang Ling?" The gatekeeper paused for a moment, then seemed to remember something, and his face immediately broke into a warm and respectful smile.
"Oh! It's President Jiang! You've finally arrived! Mr. Xie and Manager Liu are inside, let me show you over!"
"No need to trouble yourself, I know the way, I can get there by myself." Jiang Ling smiled and declined his offer.
She knew this place very well; every factory building and every alleyway was imprinted with memories of her childhood and adolescence.
Walking on the familiar factory roads, although the buildings remain the same, the brand-new equipment inside and the occasional unfamiliar faces of employees remind her that this place has bid farewell to the past and started a new chapter.
Jiang Ling felt somewhat downcast, but quickly accepted reality.
I walked straight to the largest general office, the door of which was ajar.
She knocked gently on the door, then pushed it open.
In the office, Xie Penghui was standing in front of a desk covered with blueprints, discussing something with a slightly overweight man in his fifties who wore glasses.
Hearing the noise, the two of them looked up at the same time.
"Jiang Ling? Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I could have met you at the door." Xie Penghui's eyes flashed with surprise, and he greeted her with a smile.
The slightly overweight man immediately realized what was happening, his face showing an excited yet somewhat flustered expression: "President Jiang! You've arrived! I'm Liu Ming, I used to work for Factory Director Jiang, and I'm currently in charge of production."
"Uncle Liu, don't be so polite, just call me Jiang Ling. Thank you for your hard work. The factory was able to get back up and running so quickly thanks to you and all the experienced workers." Jiang Ling recognized him; she had seen him a few times when she visited the factory before.
In retrospect, he was lucky in that explosion, only suffering minor abrasions.
Liu Ming waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes reddening slightly, "It's no trouble at all! Seeing the factory back up makes us old folks happier than anything! Director Jiang can rest in peace now..."
The atmosphere became somewhat somber when their father was mentioned.
Xie Penghui broke the silence at the opportune moment: "Jiang Ling, you've come at the right time. We're currently checking the commissioning of the newly purchased mixing and pressing machines, and there are some details of the safety production process that need final confirmation. Would you like to come and oversee everything?"
"Okay." Jiang Ling nodded, suppressing her emotions, and walked to her desk.
The drawings show the equipment layout of the factory area and the new safety production standard flowchart.
Xie Penghui pointed to several key points and clearly explained the current progress to Jiang Ling:
"As per your previous suggestion, we have eliminated all outdated and potentially hazardous equipment, and the newly purchased equipment consists of the most advanced and safest models currently available in China. Installation and initial commissioning have been completed, and the next step is trial operation with materials and worker training."
Liu Ming added, "We absolutely dare not be careless when it comes to safety. All operating procedures have been revised and are stricter than national standards. Responsibility is assigned to each person at every stage, and regular inspections are conducted. All fire-fighting facilities have also been upgraded, and the first emergency response drill is scheduled for next week."
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