Chapter 155 Why thank me for his kindness? She truly deserves it at this moment…
And so, they succeeded.
This victory seemed to have come after a long and arduous journey, yet it also seemed to arrive in an instant.
Before Yu Nie could even express his feelings, he immediately sent someone to secretly invite Xu Cai to his residence, hoping to ask him to tell Lang Xi and Qi Xun the news that gunpowder had been successfully produced.
Upon hearing that gunpowder had been successfully developed, Xu Cai was overjoyed and kept saying "That's great!" while pacing around in circles.
The creation of this crucial item that could halt the war meant not only a turning point for Xu Cai, but also brought Langxi one step closer to escaping the clutches of evil.
No one knows how he got through that period; whenever he thought of Zhao Yunfu, he felt an intense hatred.
With half the mission accomplished, it was time for them to split up and take action.
With Langxi and Qixun in charge of the court, and Xu Cai in control of the Martial Guard with the support of the royal family, Yu Nie could finally rest easy with trustworthy people in the rear.
Her next goal was to carry the gunpowder formula and ride at full speed to Jinzhou to meet Huan Xun and prepare to manufacture firearms.
However, before she could set off, she had to find a way to persuade Zhao Yunfu to retract his order, lift the ban on her, and allow her to travel to Jinzhou.
If this matter is to be accomplished, Lang Xi's efforts and mediation will be indispensable. As for Qi Xun, being a person outside the secular world, it is not appropriate for him to speak too much about this matter.
But before Xu Cai could send the message out, the loud explosion attracted the Imperial Guards and also alerted Gu Xiangzhi, who was at the Imperial Horse Stables.
She managed to brush off the Imperial Guards with the excuse that the alchemy furnace had accidentally exploded, but Gu Xiangzhi was not easily fooled.
He immediately realized that the sound must be related to gunpowder.
Yu Nie had no intention of hiding this.
Inside Xianliu Pavilion, Gu Xiangzhi learned that his guess had come true.
He gazed into her slightly tired yet exceptionally bright eyes and congratulated her: "Congratulations, Princess. Your tireless efforts over these past few days and nights have finally paid off."
Including the time she spent researching gunpowder in Huaiyuan, she has spent almost six years on this project.
Yu Nie smiled brightly and sincerely: "Thank you for your congratulations, Junior Supervisor. To be honest, this is also my good fortune. Originally, I was prepared to spend several more days working hard, but I didn't expect the success to come much faster than I expected."
"Fortunately, the Three Pure Ones blessed me, allowing me to achieve my wish." Her tone was cheerful and full of gratitude, with a sense of relief and lightness.
Hearing her words, Gu Xiangzhi turned his gaze to the half-embankment lake outside the window, as if remembering something, and asked, "So, the princess is going to Jinzhou?"
She had told him to his face that once things were done, she would personally go to Jinzhou to help establish Leiyaofang.
With her around, the progress of developing firearms will be greatly accelerated.
Yu Nie said softly, "Yes, I have to go to Jinzhou, and you know why."
He turned around, his deep brown pupils reflecting her face.
He knew perfectly well that he had neither the right nor the reason to stop her.
The success or failure of firearms determined the lives of thousands of soldiers on the front lines and affected the safety of the people. This responsibility, heavier than a thousand pounds, was enough to outweigh all personal feelings.
After a moment of silence, he nodded slightly, indicating that he understood her decision.
"But the most urgent task is to get the Emperor to lift my confinement order as soon as possible," she said.
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. This matter needs to be delayed for a few days and handled more thoroughly so as to avoid unnecessary complications from the Wang family."
After hearing what he said, Yu Nie realized that this matter could not be rushed.
Fortunately, the preliminary blueprints for establishing the gunpowder workshop had been secretly sent out, and the people in Jinzhou could start construction according to the blueprints, so it should not delay the overall construction schedule.
Gu Xiangzhi usually spoke coldly, but in front of her, his voice had a calming power as he said, "Don't worry, I will plead your case before His Majesty. You don't need to worry too much."
"Thank you for your persistence."
There is no need for thanks between us.
The more frank and sincere he was in speaking, the heavier her guilt became, spreading densely in her heart and pressing down on her chest.
She felt truly unworthy of his kindness at that moment.
The manufacture of gunpowder undoubtedly hastened Zhao Yunfu's death.
Zhao Yunfu is the lord he serves. She will do things to harm him later.
In that instant, she even considered revealing her true purpose for wanting to kill Zhao Yunfu.
But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she stopped herself.
He frankly admitted that, given his keen insight and loyalty, there was no way he could stand idly by. Otherwise, it would implicate Langxi and his other allies.
She could put herself in danger, but she would never gamble with the lives of her companions.
Thinking of this, she suppressed all her surging emotions and showed no sign of anything amiss on her face.
Fine, she still didn't want to use him, and she didn't want to wait until the truth was revealed and everything was settled, only to let him feel deceived.
After struggling internally, she looked up at him and said, "Thank you for your persistence..." She thanked him again and said, "I appreciate your kindness. But after thinking it over, I think you should not interfere in this matter."
"His Majesty has always disliked close relationships between court officials and members of the imperial family. You and I have no personal relationship. If you were to speak on my behalf now, it would only arouse suspicion in the eyes of those with ulterior motives."
He clearly heard her concerns for his own good in her words, and he had already roughly figured out the source of her refusal.
His keen senses, honed from his time in the Imperial Horse Administration, allowed him to see things that ordinary people would overlook.
He had previously learned from Chang Yushan that Xu Cai's elder brother was among those who died in the undeserved disaster that struck the Secretariat a while ago.
Based on his interactions with Xu Cai, he did not believe that Xu Cai was someone who could easily put aside a deep-seated blood feud.
What's even more intriguing is that his spies witnessed Xu Cai meeting privately with Langxi's father on several occasions, indicating that the two were far from casual acquaintances.
However, Langxi and Xu Cai were like strangers in the palace.
This overly deliberate aloofness made him sense something unusual.
Therefore, he personally followed them and confirmed that the two did indeed have contact.
A concubine and a minister burdened with a blood feud, both by the emperor's side, yet they concealed their true identities... A thought lingered in his mind.
He guessed that Langxi's willingness to enter the palace was probably related to Xu Cai's unjustly killed elder brother.
Therefore, a few days ago he ordered his trusted confidant to secretly go to Langxi's hometown to investigate, and the news that his confidant sent a message back by carrier pigeon confirmed his guess.
At this moment, seeing how eager she was to distance herself from him, and recalling her cryptic words at the palace gate, everything finally connected.
What they are planning, and what their ultimate goal is, is already clear.
He looked deeply into her eyes, his voice betraying no emotion: "Since you've thought it through, I won't say any more."
That was the end of his sentence; he didn't say anything more.
Xu Cai, who had been silent all along, saw that the two of them had finished talking and was eager to tell Lang Xi the news of the successful gunpowder production.
So he said, "Qiqi, if there's nothing else here, I have to leave as soon as possible."
Knowing he was eager to go to the palace, Yu Nie didn't say much, but nodded and said, "Okay, then be careful on your journey, and remember to let me know if anything happens."
Xu Cai agreed, said no more, and turned to leave.
In no time, his figure disappeared into the night.
Watching his disappearing figure, Yu Nie suddenly remembered another important matter.
She turned to Gu Xiangzhi beside her, her expression slightly serious: "Xiangzhi, there is one more thing I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Han Jie has arrived."
*
The explosive force of the gunpowder left Han Jie, who was in the inner courtyard room, stunned and unable to recover for a long time.
The booming sound still vibrated in his ears. He stared at the completely dark sky outside the window and realized that if this thing were allowed to go to the battlefield, Nan Yin's grand plan to conquer the world would become an empty dream.
We must never let this happen.
He had to do something...
"Han Jinshi?"
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Yu Nie's voice, accompanied by a knock on the door, interrupted his disordered reverie.
Han Jie looked at the wooden door, his thoughts still lingering in his eyes. He propped himself up on the edge of the bed, walked to the door, and opened it.
As the door was opened, Han Jie's gaze first fell on Yu Nie standing in front of the door, then swept over her shoulder and looked at Gu Xiangzhi, who was right behind her. The latter's expression was as indifferent as a thin layer of frost.
Han Jie didn't exchange a single pleasantry; he simply turned around and sat back down in his round chair.
Seeing his aloof demeanor, Yu Nie turned her head and glanced at Gu Xiangzhi.
Then, the two stepped over the threshold and went inside.
Yu Nie walked up to Han Jie and told him about what he had discussed with Gu Xiangzhi in Xianliu Pavilion: "Attendant Han, Xiangzhi and I have reached an agreement. At the latest, the day after tomorrow, we will find the safest time to send you out of the city."
Upon hearing this, Han Jie picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of tea.
His gaze swept over her, finally landing on Gu Xiangzhi behind her: "Are you going to send me away?"
Sensing his distrust, Yu Nie explained, "This is a promise I made to Cheng Yan, so I will definitely send you away from Jian'an."
Suddenly, Han Jie chuckled, his gaze fixed on Gu Xiangzhi: "He's from the Imperial Horse Administration, the blood on his hands could probably soak the entire Jin Yue River red, would he be so kind as to let me go?"
Before Yu Nie could speak, Gu Xiangzhi's voice was icy and devoid of warmth: "Keeping you here is useless to me, and of no benefit to Bei Ye. Xiao Daozun's path of conquest will not be halted by the life or death of a prisoner. Therefore, whether I let you go or not is meaningless to me."
These words were so blunt they were almost harsh, and Han Jie gripped his teacup with displeasure.
He suppressed a cold snort from his throat and turned to look at Yu Nie.
He paused, then asked, "That thing in the lake just now, is it the weapon that Beiye is so proud of, the one you mentioned earlier?" He needed to confirm whether this world-shaking object, capable of turning the tide of the battle, was truly Beiye's greatest asset.
Yu Nie did not deny this.
Sometimes, a thousand words are not as effective as a single, concrete demonstration.
Earlier in the bedchamber, she tried to persuade him through peace talks, not expecting a mere attendant to change the emperor's ambitions with words.
Her true intention was simply to make Han Jie a seed, so that he could bring back to his master the shock he had witnessed and felt firsthand.
She hoped to use Han Jie's words to convey her thoughts and the news that Bei Ye possessed a "divine artifact" to Xiao Daozun, thereby influencing him.
The reason she asked Xiao Chengyan to take the unsuccessful gunpowder back was for the same reason.
Han Jie lowered his head and remained silent. His gaze wandered around the room for a while, as if he had made a new decision. He then tilted his head back and drank the tea in his cup in one gulp, swallowing down the words he hadn't yet spoken.
He put down his white porcelain teacup and said calmly, "Then I'll do as you say. Whenever you say when to leave, I'll leave."
Seeing that he did not object but instead complied with them.
After nodding and saying a few more words of advice, De Yu Nie left the room with Gu Xiangzhi.
For the next two days, the entire princess's residence remained peaceful.
Han Jie locked himself in his room, never venturing out of the main gate or the inner gate, and even had his meals delivered to his door.
Occasionally, someone passing by could hear faint noises inside, like objects being moved around repeatedly, or like someone practicing kung fu.
Nobody knows what he's doing.
Yu Nie didn't pay much attention to Han Jie either.
She has more important things to do.
In the incense-filled bedroom, she meticulously recorded the entire gunpowder-making process, from material selection, proportioning, grinding methods to final packaging and preservation, including many details and every single step. She didn't use regular script for her records of gunpowder, but rather small seal script, so that the craftsmen in Jinzhou who were making firearms could easily understand them.
After all, a bad pen is worse than a good memory. She was worried that she might forget something, and she had to make sure that even if she forgot something one day, or... passed away, someone would be able to pass on this skill and influence future generations.
She even made a special note that the book should not be banned under any circumstances, and all her descendants should study it; otherwise, it would be a betrayal of heaven and earth and the gods, and disrespect for her ancestors.
The candlelight on the table flickered, illuminating her focused profile.
After a long while, Yu Nie fanned the ink stains on the paper with his hand and was making the final proofreading.
Outside the window, a white dove landed on the edge.
"Princess, Master Shen has sent a letter," Cuiwei, who was standing to the side, reminded her in a low voice. She was already familiar with this pigeon.
As she spoke, she walked to the window, skillfully caught the obedient carrier pigeon, untied the small note tied to its tiny ankle, and presented it to Yu Nie.
Yu Nie did not look up immediately, his gaze still fixed on the key proportion figures, as he took the slip of paper.
She unfolded the note, and Langxi's handwriting came into view.
Her thoughts, which had been preoccupied with the matter of gunpowder, were gradually drawn back to the news before her.
The letter stated that Zhao Yunfu's attitude towards lifting her confinement order was ambiguous, suggesting that she should be confined for at least another half month.
However, half a month is good too, after all, every day less is a day less.
Langxi told her to be patient and reminded her that the day she could leave the cage wouldn't be too far off.
At the end of the note was a message that finally put Yu Nie's mind at ease: the military report from Lingnan had reached Dongguan Pavilion. It said that although Huan Xun had encountered some setbacks along the way, he had safely arrived in Lingnan and was currently secretly crossing the plank road to attack the flank of Nan Yin, disrupt their plans, and burn some of their supplies.
At least for now, he was safe. This eased her tense nerves a little.
After repeatedly reading the news about Huan Xun, she moved closer to the candle and held a corner of the note in her hand close to the flickering flame.
The red flames licked at it, and the thin paper instantly curled up, charred black, and turned into a few ashes that fell to the ground.
She picked up the gunpowder book that had just been completed and whose ink had dried, closed it, and carefully sealed it away.
However, neither her expression when reading the secret letter, nor her resolute burning of the paper notes, nor her carefulness in sealing the gunpowder register could escape the eyes hidden in the shadows.
Under the dim moonlight, a shadowy figure, almost blending into the shadows, remained motionless, watching every move within the bedchamber.
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