The young eunuch felt that Chief Eunuch Li seemed to be implying something, but he couldn't quite understand what he meant. He could only follow behind him and agree, "Yes, Chief Eunuch Li is right. There will always be a time when the storm passes and the sun shines again."
——
Ordnance Bureau
A light drizzle fell from the overcast sky, wetting the loquat trees planted beside the reddish-brown wall. The guard was staring blankly at a puddle in the distance when he suddenly heard a splashing sound. He immediately looked up alertly and saw a woman approaching with an umbrella.
The rain gradually intensified, and everything ahead was shrouded in a gray haze. The rain was blown by the wind into a misty, dusty mist, making even the woman's figure indistinct.
They frowned and shouted, "The Ordnance Bureau is located ahead. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach. Get out of the way immediately!"
This righteous and awe-inspiring voice was meant as a stern warning. If ordinary people heard it, they would surely panic and run away. However, the person seemed not to have heard it and continued to walk straight over, not appearing to have entered by mistake.
Seeing this, the guards at the Armory stopped there.
As the man approached, the guards could see that he was a young woman with her hair styled in a bun. She was holding a white oil-paper umbrella with plum blossom patterns, and she was leaning forward slightly, so they couldn't see her face or hat clearly. However, judging from her clothes, she seemed to have some background. After hesitating for a moment, they asked, "Who are you? State your name."
The woman paused, looked up at the plaque above that read "Arsenal," and rainwater slid down from the umbrella like a curtain, falling behind her and wetting her shoes.
She truthfully identified herself as "Zheng Quchi".
"Zheng Quchi?" This name was completely unfamiliar to them. They went through all the surnames of officials in the court in their minds, but they had never heard of any young lady or lady with this name.
But no matter who she is, she cannot set foot in the "Armor Bureau" at will.
"Madam, please leave immediately. This is a military stronghold, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach. If you insist on not leaving, then we will have no choice but to follow the rules."
They thought that by saying this, the woman would be frightened and leave, but she suddenly asked, "Were the guns in your hands designed by the Ordnance Bureau?"
They were taken aback.
Seemingly disappointed, she added, "The proportions of the blade and handle are wrong. The angle at which the blade reflects light clearly shows that it's not sharp enough. It's blunt but not hard enough either. The gun is made of wood, which lacks strength and toughness, making it impossible to achieve both thrusting and lethality. Couldn't we have chosen a better material to forge the gun?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
