Chapter 97097 Survival from Despair
Seeing the ghost-head knife about to fall, Commander Wang's eyes were bloodshot and he shouted loudly: "Spare his life!"
As he shouted, he jumped off his horse, pushed through the bustling crowd and rushed forward.
"Spare his life!"
"Spare his life!"
Three consecutive sounds were deafening, like piercing the clouds and splitting the rocks.
The executioner's body shook, and the ghost-head knife stopped just above his neck.
The sharp blade was only inches away from the back of the neck. The wind from the knife scraped across the skin, causing a slight stinging sensation and making the whole body feel cold.
Fu Ci shuddered and suddenly opened his eyes.
Du Qingtang slowly curled his lips, his eyes filled with a faint smile of confidence.
In an instant, Commander Wang rushed over, took out the Imperial Guards' token, and shouted in a voice as loud as a bell: "Pass on His Majesty's oral order. Summon Du Qingtang and Fu Ci to see you immediately!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
"What do you mean? No more beheading?"
"Your Majesty, why do you go back on your word?"
"Great! Master Du and Master Fu don't have to die!"
Amidst the clamor, the Vice Minister of Justice stepped down from the platform. After confirming the token's authenticity, he bowed to Commander Wang and said, "Since His Majesty has summoned you, Commander Wang, please bring them to the palace immediately."
Commander Wang personally untied Du Qingtang and Fu Ci, his rough voice barely concealing his gentleness: "You two, follow me."
Du Qingtang rubbed his wrists, which were sore from being restrained for so long, and stood up slowly. "Thank you, Commander Wang."
Fu Ci also stood up slowly.
After kneeling at Caishikou for more than half an hour, his legs had already become numb and lost sensation. Fu Ci lost his balance and almost fell down with a stumble.
"Be careful."
Du Qingtang was quick to act and supported Fu Ci's arm.
Fu Ci's legs were as soft as noodles. He leaned on Du Qingtang with rapid breathing, his mind in a trance and his eyes blank.
"Xianyu, did we survive?"
"Um."
"Xianyu, we won't be beheaded?"
"Um."
"Wow..."
Fu Ci choked with a sob, and his thin body trembled slightly.
“It’s great to be alive.”
"Yes, it's great to be alive."
Commander Wang couldn't help but laugh as he watched them speak and answer one another, the former weeping with joy while the latter remained calm and composed.
These two are still young, three or five years younger than his daughter.
Commander Wang sighed inwardly and repeated, "Please follow me into the palace."
Du Qingtang responded with "OK" and suddenly felt warmth on his hands.
Looking down, Fu Ci was holding her hand tightly.
Fu Ci's eyes were blazing, even hotter than the sun in the sky. He shook their clasped hands and said briskly, "Let's go."
Du Qingtang's eyebrows showed a smile: "Okay."
......
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci boarded the carriage and left Caishikou for the palace.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice stood still, watching the three people go away. He twirled his beard and sighed, "After today, I'm afraid the court will be bustling."
But this has nothing to do with him. The turmoil in the court rarely affects the Ministry of Justice.
Your Majesty has revoked the order, and it is time for him, the executioner, to leave.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice and the executioner left one after another, but the people were reluctant to leave.
"Your Majesty, why does he allow such a woman to continue living?"
"If we forgive them today, more and more women will have wild ideas in the future. Wouldn't the world be in chaos then?"
"Your Majesty is a wise ruler and will not spare them for no reason."
"As long as he's alive, the Tianju Drink saved my grandson's life. I also hope that Master Du will be fine."
Outside the crowd, the noble ladies of the capital were filled with joy, so excited that they clenched their handkerchiefs or held the hands of those around them.
"So we've turned defeat into victory?"
"That's great! I have to go back quickly and tell the sisters in the literary club this good news!"
The crowds and carriages dispersed, and Caishikou was no longer as noisy as before.
In the teahouse opposite, the fifth prince held a teacup in his hand and two walnuts in his left hand, looking at the empty vegetable market. The gloom between his brows disappeared completely, and was filled with strong sarcasm.
"Father, oh father, you issued an edict to execute them, and then asked Wang Cheng to save them from the sword. You have caused such a big fuss and gone back on your word. Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughing stock?"
There is a long way to go, as long as Du Qingtang is still alive, one day it will be his.
Father's objection is unimportant.
As long as my grandfather agrees, my father will eventually issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage.
The fifth prince made a pleasant clicking sound, drank the tea, put down the teacup, stood up, stretched lazily, and went home with a walnut in his mouth.
-
After Du Qingtang and Fu Ci entered the palace, they did not go to see Emperor Qingyuan immediately, but went to a palace under the guidance of Yu Jue.
"I have prepared clothes for you two. Please bathe and change first, then go and see His Majesty."
After Yu Jue finished speaking, he took the palace maid and retreated, not forgetting to close the palace door.
Fu Ci stood in the magnificent palace, still feeling it was unreal. She tugged at her greasy hair, which hadn't been washed in over ten days, and gasped in pain: "Ouch—it hurts!"
Du Qingtang glanced at her: "......"
Fu Ci rubbed his scalp and chuckled softly, dimples appearing faintly. "It feels like a dream. I thought I was dead this time."
"Xianyu, do you know? That ghost-head knife was hanging on my neck at the time. I could even feel the cold touch of the blade against the back of my neck. It gave me goose bumps all over my body."
Thinking about it now, Fu Ci couldn't help but shiver, rubbed his arms vigorously twice, and his lips turned slightly pale.
Du Qingtang had a blank expression on his face: "Wasn't it very brave when you confessed your identity?"
Fu Ci also knew that he was too reckless. Without consulting Yao Jingzhou, he rashly broke into the palace and surrendered to Emperor Qingyuan.
She touched the tip of her nose and said with a certain sense of righteousness, "Confessing one's identity is one thing, but having the will to survive is another."
"I don't want Xianyu to face the storm from the court and the people alone, and I'm not afraid to die with Xianyu, but I still hope that we can both survive and live beautifully, so that everyone knows that we women are no worse than those arrogant men!"
Fu Ci's tone was passionate, his eyes full of longing.
"Actually, I think that when I told His Majesty about my experience that day and appealed to his emotions and reason, His Majesty was momentarily relented. But for some reason, His Majesty changed his mind and ordered our public beheading."
Then she changed the subject: "But no matter what, we all survived. The outcome was good, and the imprisonment was worth it."
Du Qingtang had a vague guess, but she said nothing. Taking advantage of her height advantage, she patted the back of Fu Ci's head and said, "Stop talking for now. You're almost going bad. Go take a shower."
"Huh?" Fu Ci was a little dazed. He lowered his head and sniffed it, looking as if the sky had fallen. "It's really rotten, with a sour smell."
Du Qingtang couldn't help laughing.
After being locked up in the Ministry of Justice's prison for so long, the cell was dirty and smelly, full of rats, cockroaches and fleas, so it was inevitable that I would pick up some smell.
"But offering jade..." Fu Ci came forward and shrugged, "It seems you have some too."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingtang covered Fu Ci's face with his hands, pushed her away, and walked into the room on the left with an expressionless face.
Fu Ci was so happy that his eyes and eyebrows curved to the right.
The two of them took a comfortable bath, changed into clean clothes, and followed Yu Jue to the imperial study.
When he arrived at the imperial study, he was told that Emperor Qingyuan had left the palace and Fu Rui had followed him.
Yu Jue had no choice but to tell the truth: "You two wait in the side hall. When Your Majesty returns, I will come and inform you immediately."
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci went to the side hall, drank tea and ate cakes while waiting for Emperor Qingyuan to return to the palace.
-
However, the urgent memorial submitted to the emperor went through a series of strict inspections and was finally sent to the emperor.
Emperor Qingyuan opened the urgent memorial and saw the scribbled handwriting.
The Great Qi State gathered 100,000 troops and attacked Loushan Pass on the pretext that civilians from Loushan Pass appeared near the Qi camp and were suspected of stealing military secrets.
In an instant, Emperor Qingyuan felt dizzy and dazed.
Everything around him was white, and he could hear nothing except the buzzing in his ears.
Last year during the Wanshou Festival, envoys from the Great Qi visited Xia.
It was said to be a birthday celebration, but in fact it was to gather information.
Emperor Qingyuan knew that the Great Qi was still determined to attack the Xia Dynasty and that the two countries would eventually go to war, but he did not expect that this day would come so soon.
Emperor Qingyuan almost immediately thought of the weapon for strengthening the army presented by Du Qingtang.
With powerful weapons in hand, the Xia army will surely be invincible and victorious!
But the problem is that no one in the Tiger Camp can fully control them at present.
Except Du Qingtang.
And just yesterday, he issued an imperial decree to sentence Du Qingtang to death by beheading.
Internal and external troubles broke out at the same time. The external troubles were urgent while the internal troubles were less urgent. The priority should be to solve the external troubles.
Emperor Qingyuan did not care about the saying that the emperor is not joking. He immediately summoned Wang Cheng and ordered him to go to Caishikou immediately, rescue Du Qingtang and bring him back to the palace.
Wang Cheng took the order and left. Emperor Qingyuan ignored the scattered memorials and said in a deep voice, "Come here, summon Cao Yuan, Shi Zishan, and Yan Tiande... to the audience!"
Emperor Qingyuan named dozens of names in one breath. Regardless of their party affiliation, they were all important officials of the third rank or above in the court.
It happened to be a ten-day holiday, and the imperial guards were ordered to leave the palace and convey the emperor's instructions door to door.
The officials who were urgently summoned did not dare to delay and hurriedly changed into their official robes and rushed to the palace.
Half an hour later, the important officials of the court gathered in the imperial study, with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right.
Cao Yuan stood at the head of the civil officials and bowed slightly. "I wonder what important matter Your Majesty has summoned me for?"
No one missed the solemn expression on Emperor Qingyuan's face. They all pricked up their ears and their minds raced.
Emperor Qingyuan said solemnly, "I just received an urgent report from Loushan Pass that the Great Qi army is invading."
There was a sudden silence in the imperial study.
After a brief silence, like a drop of cold water dropped into a hot oil pan, the officials exploded.
"In the ninth month of the sixteenth year of Qi, the bandits launched an invasion. General Pei led his troops to repel them. How long has it been since then, and they've returned again?"
"Despicable and shameless, extremely hateful!"
"Your Majesty, it's only been a year since the last battle. The soldiers at Loushan Pass are exhausted and need time to recuperate. How can we continue to fight the enemy? I suggest negotiating peace with Da Qi to give the soldiers at Loushan Pass some time to catch their breath!"
"I second the motion!"
Minister Qi stepped forward and objected sternly, "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable! If we negotiate peace, Daxia will have to cede territory and pay tribute and indemnity. The national treasury is already scarce, how can we afford an indemnity of millions of taels?"
"Master Qi, this is wrong. Doesn't war also cost money?"
Shi Zishan stepped out and said indignantly, "Your Majesty, I believe that peace cannot be negotiated!"
"The Qi bandits are shameless. They have plundered and extorted time and again, gnawing at the flesh and blood of Daxia. Daxia is now on the verge of collapse. If we continue to show weakness and negotiate peace, it will only whet their appetite."
"Master Shi is absolutely right. The Qi bandits are sending out troops so frequently, clearly hoping to wear Daxia out. We must not kneel down and take the beating. Doing so will only make the Qi bandits even more rampant, Your Majesty!"
"I'll fight!"
"On behalf of Your Majesty and the people, I am willing to go to Loushan Pass and cooperate with General Tian to repel the Qi bandits!"
Several military officers stepped forward, all of them with their hair standing on end, and volunteered.
At this moment, regardless of party affiliation, everyone was thinking about how to deal with this battle.
Most people advocated war, and only a small number of stubbornly conservative officials advocated peace.
The imperial study was in chaos with noises so deafening that they almost blew the roof off.
Cao Yuan remained silent throughout the entire conversation, observing their heated argument with a cold gaze. He then raised his head and looked at Emperor Qingyuan, "I dare to ask, Your Majesty, whether you favor war or peace."
The noise stopped abruptly, and dozens of eyes fell on the dragon pattern on the side of the imperial desk facing the palace door.
Emperor Qingyuan answered irrelevantly: "I summoned you all, my dear ministers, for one, the battle at Loushan Pass, and second,..."
He paused, then stood up and walked out.
The officials were confused. Where was His Majesty going?
Cao Yuan raised his eyebrows and followed.
Fu Rui flicked his whisk, a smile on his plump face: "My Lords, please come in."
Everyone suddenly realized and hurriedly followed.
The group left the palace and headed straight out of the city under the escort of the imperial guards.
"Your Majesty, what are you up to? Why did you go outside the city?"
"Looking at this direction, it should be the Tiger Camp."
"The Tiger Guards? Could it be that Yang Zhen has created some powerful military weapon?"
They couldn't think of any other possibility except this.
Cao Yuan looked at the bright yellow dragon chariot in front of him, and somehow, he thought of Du Qingtang.
Before Du Qingtang was imprisoned, he was secretly working in the Huben Camp under the emperor's order.
Your Majesty, what did you ask Du Qingtang to do?
What secrets are hidden in the Huben Camp?
What do you want us to see?
Everyone, with their own secret thoughts in mind, walked west along the official road, and saw in the distance the mountains and forests covered with fresh green in early spring.
After driving for a while, the mountains and forests became clearer.
Located at the foot of the mountain was one of the three major camps with numerous tents and fluttering military flags - the Huben Camp.
At the gate of Huben Camp, Commander Yang had been waiting for a long time.
When Emperor Qingyuan appeared, he stepped forward to greet him and exchanged greetings with the officials.
"Your Majesty, it has been arranged."
Emperor Qingyuan nodded slightly and entered the Huben Camp first.
When the officials saw that His Majesty and the commander of the Tiger Guard Camp were playing a game of guessing, they felt like a cat scratching their heads and were extremely curious. They hurried to follow them.
The Tiger Guards were training. When they saw the leader dressed in bright yellow, they immediately understood his identity and knelt on the ground in large numbers.
"Your Majesty! Long live His Majesty!"
The sound was like thunder, resounding through the sky.
Emperor Qingyuan and his entourage walked towards the depths of the Huben camp, passing through the Huben soldiers who were prostrating themselves and kneeling, shouting "Long live the emperor" three times.
"Your Majesty, it's just ahead."
Everyone was cheered up and looked forward.
It was a large open space with dozens of scarecrow targets standing in the middle, and surrounded by the Tiger Guards holding spears and wearing black and red armor.
There was a long table in the corner, and on it was a tubular object that no one had ever seen before, reflecting the cold light of metal in the sunlight.
Commander Yang said respectfully, "Your Majesty and the others, please do not move around carelessly. If you accidentally step on something on the ground, your life will be in danger."
After hearing this, everyone became even more curious.
"Could it be some hidden weapon that breaks out of the ground when stepped on?"
"What kind of military weapon is this?"
Many officials did not take it seriously, and their curiosity was largely reduced.
Yan Tiande and Shi Zishan looked at each other and remained silent.
Your Majesty is not the kind of person who makes a fuss about nothing. Such a grand event, inviting important officials from the court to come and watch, is bound to cause a huge sensation as soon as it is released.
Emperor Qingyuan had heard of this and nodded: "I understand. Let's begin."
"yes."
Commander Yang saluted and shouted, "Gunpowder troops, prepare!"
Five Tiger Guards came out with bows and arrows in hand and lined up in a row a hundred steps away from the king and his ministers.
Five other Huben soldiers handed over arrows, and the Huben soldiers drew their bows and aimed at the distance.
An official with sharp eyes spotted something unusual at first glance: "What's that thing tied to the arrow?"
Everyone looked closely and realized that there was a cylindrical object about the length of an adult man's palm tied to the tip of each arrow.
"Master Zhang, you are knowledgeable and experienced. Do you recognize it?"
"I'm ashamed, Zhang, I've never seen this before."
After asking around, no one had seen it.
"Could this be the military weapon His Majesty wants to show us?"
"It's just this little thing? I'm afraid its power is not as strong as those hidden weapons buried in the ground."
"Master Zhu is absolutely right. I think so too."
The officials exchanged glances, showing disappointment and contempt.
Your Majesty is so weak, what can you use to compete with the Prime Minister?
It seems that the original choice was correct. Only by relying on the Prime Minister can they have a smooth career and rise to the top.
A hundred steps away, the Hu Ben soldier responsible for delivering the arrows took out a fire starter and lit the fuse.
Commander Yang waved his hand and said, "Shoot!"
As soon as the Huben Army let go, five arrows shot out like meteors, cutting through the air.
"boom--"
Accompanied by a loud noise like a landslide, a huge fireball rose up.
The officials who were chatting and laughing were startled, and several of them felt their legs go weak and sat down on the ground.
"What's that sound?"
"Fire! What a big fire!"
The fireball burned fiercely and thick smoke billowed up, covering the sky and the sun.
The scene was completely silent. Everyone stared at the scene in amazement, their breathing almost stagnant.
A cold wind blew and the smoke dispersed.
The scarecrow target that originally stood in the open space had long disappeared.
A huge deep pit appeared on the ground, the inside of the pit was charred and emitted a pungent smell.
"That deep pit...how was it created?"
"Didn't the Tiger Guards only shoot a few arrows?"
Everyone looked at each other, an incredible guess came to their mind, and they all cast inquiring glances at Emperor Qingyuan and Commander Yang.
However, Emperor Qingyuan was unaware of anything. He stared at the deep pit in the distance, his fingers hidden in his sleeves trembling slightly, his pupils dilated, and his breathing became rapid.
The sound of the explosion lingered in his ears, making his heart beat like thunder and his head buzz.
The scene of the explosion flashed before Emperor Qingyuan's eyes like a kaleidoscope.
The heat wave is rolling in, and the extreme danger is enough to destroy everything.
It makes people's heart beat faster and blood rush.
Emperor Qingyuan suddenly understood why Du Qingtang called it "a sharp weapon to strengthen the army."
With it, the Xia army will be invincible.
If the Qi army has it, Great Xia will be destroyed.
It can become a weapon for Daxia to remain invincible, and it can also become a weapon for other countries to use against Daxia.
This thing must be firmly controlled in his hands. Once it falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, there will be endless troubles!
"His Majesty?"
Emperor Qingyuan came back to his senses and met Commander Yang's pleading gaze. He swallowed, took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said in a steady voice, "Continue."
"Yes." Commander Yang saluted and then shouted, "Gunpowder Army, prepare!"
Five more Tiger Guards came out.
They walked to the long table in the corner with empty hands and picked up the tubular object on the table.
"What is that?"
"It seems to be made of iron."
"It looks more like bronze to me."
"Silence! Watch this thing operate like this!"
The officials fell silent instantly, opened their eyes wide, and stared at the Tiger Guards holding the tubular objects without blinking, for fear of missing another shocking scene.
The Tiger Guards brought out another twenty armored scarecrow targets and stuck them in a very far distance - about two miles away, and then quickly ran away.
The Tiger Guards raised the tubular object in their hands, aimed at the scarecrow target in the distance, and slowly pulled the trigger on the mechanism underneath the tubular object.
"Bang!"
Accompanied by a loud bang, white smoke rose from the tubular object.
Before everyone's eyes moved away from the tubular object, another loud noise was heard in the distance.
Following the sound, I saw that the scarecrow target had fallen to the ground.
The Tiger Guards all took a step to the right, raised the tubular object again, and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
After five consecutive shots, all twenty scarecrow targets in the distance fell to the ground.
Commander Yang raised his hand, and ten Tiger Guards brought a scarecrow target and placed it in front of Emperor Qingyuan.
"Your Majesty, my Lords, please look."
Emperor Qingyuan looked down and saw a round hole in his armor.
Commander Yang took off his armor, and a round hole appeared at the corresponding position on the scarecrow.
Emperor Qingyuan understood: "Can this thing penetrate armor?"
Commander Yang nodded. "Yes, after many tests, it is a specially made armor. As long as it is within the range, it can penetrate."
Everyone understood the implication of Commander Yang's words, and gasps came one after another.
Yan Tiande's usually solemn face was filled with ecstasy. He suddenly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, if this item is used on the battlefield, the Xia army will surely win every battle!"
Emperor Qingyuan remained noncommittal, but at the same time became more resolute in his determination that "gunpowder and muskets should only be controlled by successive emperors."
He turned around, facing the important officials in the court, and said in a loud voice: "My dear ministers, the thing that was shot out with the arrow earlier is called gunpowder, and this tubular object is called a fire gun. Both are powerful weapons that Daxia uses to fight against its enemies!"
There was an uproar at the scene and everyone was ecstatic.
"Your Majesty, I take back what I just said. No need to negotiate peace, just fight! Beat those Qi bandits till they're pissing and crying for their parents!"
"With gunpowder and muskets, why should we fear the Great Qi? We can directly attack the capital of the Great Qi and even capture the imperial palace!"
"Your Majesty, we must not allow the Qi thieves to obtain gunpowder and muskets!"
The Qi army is already strong, if they get these two powerful weapons...
Thinking of a certain possibility, everyone shuddered.
Shi Zishan's face flushed with excitement, and he said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please reward the person who invented gunpowder and muskets. She is a hero of Daxia!"
Yan Tiande agreed: "That's right! We must reward her handsomely!"
Emperor Qingyuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the others: "Do you all think I should reward this man generously?"
"This man has great talent and deserves a generous reward."
"I second the motion!"
"I second the motion!"
Amidst the chorus of seconding voices, Cao Yuan felt a surge of shock in his heart.
Loud noise.
Thick smoke.
It was actually the description of what Du Qingtang had done by his men when they were sent to investigate Du Qingtang!
Emperor Qingyuan twirled his beard and said, "You all know the man who invented gunpowder and the musket."
Everyone looked around and everyone looked like them.
Shi Zishan wiped his sweat and urged, "Your Majesty, please stop keeping us in suspense!"
Emperor Qingyuan agreed with him: "It is Lord Du."
Du Aiqing?
Which Du Aiqing?
As everyone was searching the court for the official surnamed Du, Emperor Qingyuan calmly dropped a thunderous statement: "Du Qingtang."
"What? Du Qingtang?!"
The officials were like chickens with their necks strangled, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets and their mouths wide open enough to fit two eggs.
Alarm bells rang in Cao Yuan's mind, and he felt more solemn than ever before.
It’s her!
"Du Qingtang? But she is not..."
Realizing that the official had not finished speaking, everyone looked up at the sky, and then their faces changed drastically.
"It's past noon!"
"It's over!"
Emperor Qingyuan admired the colorful expressions of his ministers, and his face also felt a little painful.
Who could have thought that he had just made up his mind the day before that even if it violated the rule of not seeing blood in the first month of the year, even if he could not get Du Qingtang, the literary star, he would never give Du Qingtang to the fifth prince to add wings to Cao's party. As a result, an urgent report came from Loushan Pass today, and Qi and Xia started a war again.
For the sake of Loushan Pass, for the sake of gunpowder and muskets, he had to revoke his order.
Emperor Qingyuan was having a headache. What should he say when he returned to the palace to summon Du Aiqing?
"My dear ministers, please rest assured. As soon as I received the urgent report, I sent Wang Cheng to Caishikou to rescue Lord Du."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but then their hearts began to lift again.
Du Qingtang has made such great contributions. What if His Majesty makes an exception and allows her to continue serving as an official?
It is inappropriate for women to go into politics as it goes against the principles of yin and yang!
"Lord Du invented gunpowder and the musket, and so far, no one else has been able to create a musket of comparable power."
"No one other than Lord Du can shoulder this responsibility. Do you understand?"
An ominous premonition surged in everyone's mind, their eyelids twitched wildly, and they wished they could rush up and cover Emperor Qingyuan's mouth.
But they didn't dare and could only watch Emperor Qingyuan continue speaking.
"With Lord Du's ability, no matter which country he goes to, he will be treated as a guest of honor."
"If other nations possess gunpowder and muskets, the ones who will suffer most will be the soldiers and civilians of Great Xia."
"So..." Emperor Qingyuan said with a deep gaze, emphasizing, "It's not that Du Qingtang can't leave Daxia, but that Daxia can't leave Du Qingtang. Do you understand what I mean?"
Yan Tiande suppressed his joy and was the first to speak out: "Your humble servant understands that, regardless of gender, as long as they can serve Your Majesty, strengthen the army and enrich the country, and benefit the people, they are all good ministers of Daxia."
Some people were unwilling to accept this. How could a woman be on equal footing with a man? "But Du Qingtang deceived the emperor and should be executed according to the law. Your Majesty has shown mercy by not exterminating her entire clan. How can she continue to serve in the court?"
Shi Zishan said without hesitation: "Du Qingtang deceived the emperor and her superiors, which is a serious offense. Then let her perform a great merit, and the merit and demerit will be offset, right?"
Everyone: “…”
You are worthy of being the number one sophist in Daxia!
Emperor Qingyuan's gaze swept across the faces of the officials present one by one, taking in their reluctance and approval.
"That's a good idea." Emperor Qingyuan pondered for a moment. "Then let Minister Du lead the gunpowder army to Loushan Pass and cooperate with the soldiers at Loushan Pass to repel the Qi army."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Tiande said loudly: "Your Majesty is wise!"
Everyone: “…”
If it weren't for the difference between the emperor and his subjects, they really wanted to grab Emperor Qingyuan's shoulders and shake him hard.
Your Majesty, please wake up!
No matter how capable Du Qingtang is, she is still a woman after all!
How can a woman become an official?
How can a woman lead an army?
Women should stay at home, give birth to children for men, and take care of the house!
Emperor Qingyuan looked at Cao Yuan, a smile spreading across his round, elegant face. "What do you think, my dear Lord Cao?"
Cao Yuan smiled faintly, his smile not reaching his eyes. "Although Lady Du made mistakes first, she is a talented woman who can handle important responsibilities. It is not a bad idea to make meritorious contributions while serving her sentence."
The corners of Emperor Qingyuan's mouth curled up as he looked at the others: "Do you have any objections, my dear ministers?"
Among the dozens of important officials present, some were loyal to Emperor Qingyuan, some were loyal to Cao Yuan, and some remained neutral, neither leaning towards either side.
Emperor Qingyuan and Cao Yuan reached a consensus, so naturally their respective people would not have any objections, and those who stood neutral would not have any objections either.
So, everyone said in unison: "I have no objection."
"Good!" Emperor Qingyuan clapped his hands.
Emperor Qingyuan laughed, and everyone else laughed too.
In fact, many people felt sick to their stomachs and wished they could cut the damn Du Qingtang into pieces so that she, a woman, would not stand in the court with them.
But they also knew that Du Qingtang and the Huben Camp's gunpowder army might be the key to Daxia's defeat of Daqi.
Even though they hated Du Qingtang so much that they wanted to replace the executioner with their own bodies and chop off her head before Wang Cheng arrived, so that she would die early and be reborn, they had to agree to His Majesty's proposal at this moment.
Who made her so capable?
It’s so infuriating!
-
The purpose of this trip had been achieved, and Emperor Qingyuan set off to return to the palace, while the officials returned to their homes.
Emperor Qingyuan returned to the imperial study, and Yu Jue came to greet him: "Your Majesty, those two are waiting in the side hall now."
Emperor Qingyuan coughed lightly and said, "Let Du Aiqing come to see me first."
Yu Jue responded and left.
"Master Du, His Majesty invites you over."
Du Qingtang swallowed the pastry in his mouth, gave Fu Ci a soothing look, and followed Yu Jue to the main hall.
After entering the imperial study, Du Qingtang bowed and greeted.
"Your humble servant pays respect to Your Majesty."
Emperor Qingyuan looked at the dark hair of the man below him and said bluntly without further ado, "The Great Qi has assembled a hundred thousand troops to attack Loushan Pass. I intend to withdraw five thousand from the Huben Battalion to form an additional Firearms Battalion. You will be the commander of the Firearms Battalion for the time being."
"You must lead the Firearms Battalion to Loushan Pass and cooperate with Tian Xiu and others to repel the Qi army."
Du Qingtang was not surprised by this.
In modern times, her parents were both researchers. Du Qingtang had lived in a military compound for a long time and was very familiar with firearms and other firearms.
Now in Daxia, no one is more suitable to be the leader of the Firearms Battalion than her.
"Yes, I will obey your majesty's wishes."
Emperor Qingyuan frowned and suddenly said, "I sent people to Qingyuan County to investigate and discovered that as early as eleven years ago, your cousin had reported you for disguising yourself as a man to take the imperial examination. Why didn't the county magistrate at the time discover that you were a woman?"
Du Qingtang said frankly, "I am an old acquaintance of the doctor the county magistrate has sent for the physical examination."
Emperor Qingyuan understood. So that's what it was.
He traced the dragon pattern on the edge of the imperial desk with his fingertips and returned to the subject: "Although I have entrusted you with an important task, the crime of deceiving the emperor is true. While the death penalty may be waived, the punishment for living cannot be escaped."
"Also, I haven't come to you to settle the score for your previous scheme against the Second Brother."
"Your Majesty, I will do whatever you want." Du Qingtang raised his head slightly, "Your Majesty, I just don't want to die."
Meeting Du Qingtang's calm eyes, Emperor Qingyuan recalled what the secret guards had discovered about Du Qingtang's life, and the discomfort and anger of being deceived and used in his heart strangely disappeared.
Du Qingtang paused for a moment and then continued, "Your Majesty, the crime of deceiving the emperor lies solely with me. It has nothing to do with my family, the officials of Northern Zhili, the examiners, and the prosecutors. I beg you not to implicate others."
Emperor Qingyuan was not expecting her to say that and was quite surprised: "Do they know you are a woman disguised as a man?"
Du Qingtang shook his head: "Except for my mother and Doctor Qu, no one knows that I am a woman."
Emperor Qingyuan tapped the imperial desk with his fingers and said with interest, "But your mother said that the reason she came to Xiajing and beat the drum to file a complaint was because someone instructed her to do so."
Du Qingtang's eyes flashed with surprise: "...This is impossible."
"That's what your mother said anyway." Emperor Qingyuan paused. "Do you have any grudges with the Duke of Changguo's Mansion?"
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment, then spoke uncertainly, "Your Majesty should know that my nephew was once the eldest grandson of the Duke of Changguo's family. Perhaps it's because of this relationship?"
She suddenly realized something, and her eyes widened for a moment: "Your Majesty, are you saying...it was the Duke of Changguo's Mansion who ordered my mother to do this?"
Emperor Qingyuan nodded.
After Yuan confessed, he also sent people to investigate the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, and unexpectedly discovered that the original wife of the second son of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, Xue's niece, had been entangled with Du Qingtang.
In addition, as Du Qingtang said, Yao Jingzhou is the eldest grandson of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, and his father died at the hands of the second prince.
Qi Lianmao wanted Yao Jingzhou to return to his ancestral home, but Yao Jingzhou sternly refused.
Perhaps out of anger and shame, Qi Lianmao began to suppress Yao Jingzhou in official circles.
Given Qi Lianmao's vindictive nature, it's not impossible that he would vent his anger on Du Qingtang.
"I was just asking casually. If you don't know, forget it. I agree to your request."
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "I would like to ask Your Majesty how you intend to deal with Fu Ci."
Emperor Qingyuan did not answer but asked, "Lord Du, how do you think I should deal with her?"
Du Qingtang lowered his brows and eyes: "Why not let Fu Ci go to Hangzhou Prefecture and take charge of shipbuilding? After the seagoing vessel is built, he can go out to sea with the fleet."
That day, Du Qingtang presented two drawings to Emperor Qingyuan.
One is gunpowder and muskets.
The second is sea vessels.
The fleet went out to sea and visited various countries to deepen ties with overseas countries and establish diplomatic and trade exchanges.
Daxia’s goods can be exported, and goods from other countries can also be imported.
Daha can make a lot of money just from tariffs and imported goods, not to mention the profits from exporting goods.
Du Qingtang is about to go to Loushan Pass, and her return date is uncertain. She is worried about Fu Ci being alone in Xiajing, facing so many jackals, tigers and leopards.
After much thought, it was decided to send her to Hangzhou Prefecture to build a ship.
Building a ship is hard work and going to sea is full of dangers, but at least you can make a contribution.
When Fu Ci returns, he will definitely be promoted.
Emperor Qingyuan didn't say yes or no, he just said: "I need to think about it carefully, you go back first."
"Yes, I will take my leave."
Du Qingtang bowed and left the imperial study.
Throughout the whole process, they tacitly avoided talking about the imperial decree of death.
Du Qingtang had her reasons, and Emperor Qingyuan also had his reasons.
The so-called harmony between the ruler and his subjects is nothing more than the premise that both sides have what they need.
Du Qingtang needs power, and Emperor Qingyuan just needs a loyal minister who can be used by him.
Du Qingtang is willing to be the knife in his hand and cut through the thorns for him.
......
Du Qingtang left the imperial study and went to the side hall next door.
Fu Ci saw her coming back and quickly stood up to greet her: "Xianyu, how is it?"
Du Qingtang explained the matter of the Firearms Battalion and mentioned Fu Ci's appointment at the end: "I will ask His Majesty for permission to build a ship in Hangzhou Prefecture, and then go out to sea to explore various countries. If you don't want to, I will go and talk to His Majesty again."
Although it might cause displeasure to Emperor Qingyuan, Fu Ci is willing to risk his life for her, so why not ask Emperor Qingyuan for help?
Upon hearing this, Fu Ci not only did not show any reluctance, but was moved beyond words: "Xianyu, you are so kind. You remember me at a time like this."
As she was about to come over and get close to Du Qingtang, Du Qingtang pushed her away with an unbearable look on her face. Fu Ci retreated obediently and said seriously: "After this incident, I found that in the officialdom, you must have power and influence, otherwise you can only be slaughtered by others."
"Shipbuilding and sailing are also achievements, which I would love to have."
Du Qingtang felt relieved: "Let's go home."
Fu Ci was stunned for a moment, the word "go home" rolled over and over on his tongue, and he nodded vigorously: "Okay, go home!"
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci left the palace, and Du Yi had been waiting outside for a long time.
"master!"
After Du Qingtang regained her female identity, they could no longer call her "Young Master", and calling her "Miss" was not appropriate either, so they simply called her "Master".
Back at the Du residence, Yao Jingzhou came forward with the help of a cane: "Uncle Master, Zizhan."
Yao Bo secretly wiped his tears behind him, took out the mugwort he had prepared in advance, and gently brushed it over Du Qingtang and Fu Ci's bodies.
"Please drive away the bad luck. From now on, both of you will have everything go smoothly and live in peace and happiness."
Du Qingtang raised his arms and let Uncle Yao do what he wanted: "Thank you very much."
Fu Ci parroted, "Thank you very much."
Yao Jingzhou watched quietly from the side and couldn't help laughing.
In fact, he was a little uncomfortable at first and didn't know what to say.
But on second thought, my uncle is still my uncle, and Zizhan is still Zizhan.
Whether they are male or female, their friendship will not change.
Yao Jingzhou leaned on his crutches and said with a smile, "I heard that my uncle and Zizhan had entered the palace, so I came here to have the food prepared. It's just time to eat now."
Du Qingtang looked at him with a gentle expression, "Thank you, Wenjing."
Yao Jingzhou waved his hands repeatedly: "Uncle Master, you really embarrass me."
Fu Ci smiled and said, "Then it's my turn to say, thank you Wen Jing."
Yao Jingzhou couldn't help but laugh: "No need to thank me, I couldn't help you."
Du Qingtang shook his head: "Zizhan has already told me that your leg injury has not yet healed. You have been running around for me these days and asking many people for help. How can this not be considered helping me?"
"I've had a good rest these past two days and the pain is gone." Yao Jingzhou comforted him and then asked about the incident of being executed and released today.
Du Qingtang told the truth.
"So gunpowder and muskets are your ultimate bargaining chips." Yao Jingzhou clapped his hands. "Master, your foresight is as accurate as a god, but it's also God's blessing. If you were even a little later, it would be too late."
Du Qingtang remained silent.
But anyway, she won the bet.
The three of them came to the dining room and sat down at the table.
Du Qingtang poured a glass of wine and picked it up: "I'm sorry, I kept it a secret from you before. I should drink a glass as punishment."
After saying that, he raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.
Yao Jingzhou said considerately: "Uncle Master, you have your own difficulties, and so does Zizhan. It's all fate."
My uncle's father died young, and her mother had no choice but to dress her up as a man.
Zizhan had an incompetent pair of parents who forced her to study for the imperial examinations on behalf of her brother.
They did pass the imperial examinations, but the difficulties they faced were unimaginable to ordinary people.
"But I do need to drink a few more glasses today." Yao Jingzhou raised his glass, "To save my life."
Fu Ci also raised his glass: "To turn danger into safety."
Du Qingtang poured another glass of wine and pondered for a moment: "For the new life."
"That's right! For the freshmen!"
The wine ripples in the glass, reflecting three smiling faces.
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