Chapter 167 Keeping him around will be very useful. ...
"Princess." Xingzhi, holding an umbrella, was about to follow.
"Don't come any closer."
Xingzhi stood there, looking at Xiao Qiluo with a worried expression. The rain was heavy, and the princess would get sick if she got wet.
She turned her head and glanced at Qiu Yan, who had followed her. Qiu Yan shook her head at her, and then both of their gazes fell on Xiao Qiluo.
She stood before the dark, massive rock, raised her sword, and tapped it twice; the sound was exactly the same.
I bent down and picked up a palm-sized piece of rock from the ground. When I held it, I was surprised to find that it was unusually heavy.
"Could these stones be the rare iron that the Empress Dowager has been searching for all this time?"
[It's indeed made of the same material as the sword in your hand.]
Xiao Qiluo clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding rapidly; this time, she was excited.
As a child, she often heard her father talk about her grandmother. She heard that her grandmother was the daughter of a military general and grew up with her father on the frontier. She happened to obtain a piece of rare iron and forged it into the sword she holds today.
This sword was so sharp that it made my grandmother invincible on the battlefield.
Later, the Emperor's great-grandfather arranged a marriage for the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager married the Emperor's grandfather. The sword was then sealed away until the Empress Dowager passed it on to the Emperor before her death.
She had heard the story of this strange iron since she was a child.
The Empress Dowager had always longed to find a large quantity of rare iron. She couldn't even imagine how valiant the soldiers would be if they were forged with it to make weapons and armor.
Xiao Qiluo held the strange iron in her hand. She never imagined that the strange iron that her grandmother had been searching for all her life actually came from the sky.
When Xiang Bei first saw it, she was worried that it might have radiation. After the system tested it, she found that the data of this thing was the same as that of the sword in Xiao Qiluo's hand.
Not only is it harmless, it also has many benefits.
This is a natural raw material for weapons.
Only then did he remind Xiao Qiluo to go down and check. Seeing that she also knew about this, he helped her confirm her suspicions.
This isn't a meteorite, it's meteorite iron, which can be used to forge weapons.
Xiao Qiluo held the palm-sized piece of meteorite iron she had just picked up tightly in her hand. She looked around the entire courtyard and found dozens of pieces of meteorite iron, large and small.
For her, this was not divine retribution at all.
She even felt that it wasn't enough, still not enough.
As dawn approached, Xiao Qiluo changed into dry clothes and went back to the palace. She found the best blacksmith in the palace, gave him the meteorite iron, and asked him to forge a dagger.
Many people witnessed the meteorite falling to the ground; it didn't land anywhere else, but only in the backyard of the princess's residence.
Many people are saying that there are unusual signs in the sky.
There are even rumors that the princess must have done something to anger the heavens.
But Xiao Qiluo was standing there alive, and no one in the princess's mansion was injured or killed, which made them wonder again whether this divine retribution was real or not.
Even the emperor summoned the Imperial Observatory to inquire about the situation, but no conclusion was reached.
The heavy rain lasted for three days before stopping. The moment Xiao Qiluo received the dagger, she couldn't help but smile.
It really does resemble her sword.
Looking at the meteorite iron in her hand, Xiao Qiluo fell into deep thought. All the meteorite iron in the backyard had been cleared out and temporarily piled up there.
Afterwards, she also asked her secret guards about the situation. The meteorite fell around the time of the earthquake. It fell along with the heavy rain.
It was a coincidence that it landed in this uninhabited area.
At the time, a bodyguard was patrolling the mansion when a meteorite grazed his body and hit the ground.
Xiao Qiluo looked around the courtyard and saw the Cui family mother and her two children trembling.
She had been so busy these past few days that she had completely forgotten about these people. It was only after someone reminded her that she remembered that the mother and her two children were now living next to the courtyard that had been destroyed by the meteorite.
Xiao Qiluo looked at the mother and her two children, then at the meteorite iron in her hand. She was thinking about how to get more of this meteorite iron.
Cui Fang was the key figure in attracting the meteorite.
He looked up at the sky, then at the Cui family mother and her two children.
The news of the meteorite falling into the princess's residence caused a great stir in the capital. Xiao Qiluo knew about it, but she didn't reveal a single word.
She didn't know anything about Cui Fang's so-called guardian spirit, and after thinking it over, she decided to test it again.
"Take these people away and keep a close watch on them."
Several bodyguards immediately appeared and gagged the Cui mother and son before taking them away.
*
Xingzhi stood aside helping to grind the ink, watching the princess write and draw on the paper with a brush. She couldn't read, but she thought the princess's drawings looked very strange.
When the princess rests at night, she doesn't like to be served, so she and her sister Qiuyan go back to rest.
He would still get up in the middle of the night to check on the princess, so that he could know in time if she needed anything.
Xingzhi had visited several times and always saw the princess reading at night, completely absorbed in her books. Xingzhi was illiterate, but the princess didn't try to avoid her. She only noticed some strange patterns on the books the princess was holding.
Even when she changed the princess's tea, the princess didn't notice, and she just stayed by her side.
Xiao Qiluo put down the book in her hand and stretched.
She learned a lot from Master Jiu. Horse riding and archery were fine, but as for the novel things she had never seen before, Xiao Qiluo couldn't wait to figure them out.
After returning from Master Jiu's place, she couldn't sleep, so she got up, lit a lamp, and started reading. Before she knew it, it was dawn.
Her mother often urges her to rest, but she really can't fall asleep. Now, her mother lets her stay with Master Jiu to rest, and only sends her back after she has taken a nap.
She had no idea what kind of magical place it was. She had stayed there for a long time, but only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed after she came out.
With enough rest time, Xiao Qiluo spent the rest of her time either thinking about acquiring more meteorite iron or reading various books she had borrowed from Master Jiu.
Turning her head, she saw Xingzhi and felt somewhat helpless. She advised Xingzhi to go back and rest, but Xingzhi was very stubborn and would stay with her as long as she saw her standing there.
Xiao Qiluo looked at Xingzhi and asked, "Xingzhi, do you want to learn to read?"
This is something Xingzhi never dared to think about before.
She knew that Sister Qiuyan was literate; she used to serve the Empress.
Now that she's with the princess, Qiu Yan's condition has improved a lot, but she still occasionally loses control of her emotions. The princess will advise Qiu Yan to rest more, and at these times, Qiu Yan will teach her many things.
After thinking about it carefully, Xingzhi nodded, "This servant thinks..."
Knowing more characters might be of help to the princess.
Xiao Qiluo looked at Xingzhi and smiled, then picked up a pen and wrote her name on the paper. "Xingzhi, this is your name."
Looking at his own name, Xingzhi smiled wryly, "This looks really hard to write."
Xiao Qiluo then took her hand and taught her to write her name stroke by stroke.
"You can learn it by writing it more. Look, you already know your own name."
"This servant will definitely study hard."
Xiao Qiluo handed her paper and pen, saying, "Take these back and study. I'm going to test you properly in a few days."
Xingzhi, holding the paper and pen, nodded vigorously.
After everyone left, Xiao Qiluo closed the door, sat cross-legged on the couch, and looked up at the sky. "Mother, if we could get more meteorite iron and forge a complete set of weapons, wouldn't our chances of winning be even greater?"
The so-called complete set includes not only swords, spears, and halberds, but also the soldiers' armor. All things considered, it would require a considerable amount of meteorite iron.
If it were just a meteorite falling, that would be one thing; they could just find a deserted place and half-dead Cui Fang. But the problem is that it's accompanied by heavy rain. Once or twice is fine, but if it happens too often, the rain will be too heavy and cause floods, resulting in disaster for countless innocent people.
This is also why Xiao Qiluo did not take immediate action.
Cui Fang's side has already been kept under surveillance by the secret guards; they will absolutely not let him escape.
After thinking about it for a few days, Xiao Qiluo decided to try again. If she had enough meteorite iron, it wouldn't be a bad thing for her.
As dawn approached, Xiao Qiluo called out to the outside, "Someone come here."
A dark figure suddenly appeared and knelt on one knee. "This subordinate greets the princess."
Xiao Qiluo gave Mo Yi a few instructions, and Mo Yi clasped his hands in a fist salute before disappearing. A short while later, a guard came to report that the matter had been completed.
"What should I do?"
"I used some sleeping pills to knock them out."
"Did nothing happen?"
"Not at all, everything went very smoothly."
Xiao Qiluo frowned. So the meteorite was only targeting her?
He gave a few more instructions, then turned around, changed into some simple clothes, and had a horse prepared to leave the city.
"Does the princess want to go out by herself?" Xingzhi looked at Xiao Qiluo expectantly.
“Yes, it’s more convenient for me to go by myself. You stay home and practice writing. If you don’t know how, Qiuyan will teach you. I’ll come back when I do.”
Xiao Qiluo rode away on her horse.
Xingzhi stood at the door watching Xiao Qiluo leave. Turning her head, she looked at Qiuyan, who had appeared out of nowhere, and couldn't help but sigh, "Now the princess does everything herself. I don't know what use I am to her."
Watching Xiao Qiluo's departing figure, Qiu Yan also said, "The princess has indeed changed a lot."
Now, the princess is used to doing many things herself, and they can't help her with anything.
"Let's go, the princess wants you to write your name down properly," Qiu Yan said to Xing Zhi.
Xiao Qiluo rode her horse straight out of the city.
When she arrived, Cui Fang was being held by Mo San. Xiao Qiluo used her sword to lift his face and examine him; it was indeed Cui Fang. He was still alive. Before, she had always thought about how to kill Cui Fang, but now that she had discovered his usefulness, she couldn't let him die so easily.
Keeping him around will be very useful.
Looking at the unconscious Cui Fang, Xiao Qiluo clicked her tongue before looking up at the guards, "Have you checked the area? Are you sure no one's there?"
"Yes, my subordinates have checked the area, and there is indeed no one there."
Another female bodyguard was carrying Ruan Rou'er, Cui Fang's imposter benefactor. Xiao Qiluo glanced at her and then looked away.
She looked around, and coincidentally, this place was somewhat similar to the place where she had saved Cui Fang before.
If it weren't for the meteorite, this place would be perfect for Cui Fang to spend his final days.
"Put them down, you can go back first." Xiao Qiluo couldn't have predicted the situation when the meteorite fell.
She herself wasn't afraid; her mother had said she would protect her. She just didn't want to implicate these guards.
She had previously considered that the meteorite only landed at the princess's residence, which was very likely aimed at her. If she wanted to kill Cui Fang, the meteorite would most likely land near her. That's why she came to this somewhat desolate place in the west of the city to test her suspicions.
"My duty is to protect the princess."
"In that case, obey my orders. I command you all to leave."
The guards exchanged glances, genuinely worried about leaving the princess alone here.
But the princess insisted that they leave, and that they absolutely had to leave.
The guards exchanged glances, and in the end, they could only obey orders and leave, waiting for the princess's signal before they could come over.
After everyone left, Xiao Qiluo looked around and made a visual assessment, confirming that even if a meteorite had indeed fallen, it wouldn't be a big problem.
The Empress Dowager also said that she would help check the surrounding situation to ensure that no one is accidentally hurt.
Soon after, there was some activity from Cui Fang's side.
It turned out that Ruan Rou'er was the first to wake up.
Xiao Qiluo didn't go directly over, but instead found a tree, jumped up in a few steps, and concealed herself.
Ruan Rou'er opened her eyes and looked around. When she saw Cui Fang unconscious beside her, her first reaction was to push him away with a look of disgust.
Witnessing all this, Xiao Qiluo raised her eyebrows in surprise, put away her sword, and crossed her arms to look at it.
It seems that Ruan Rou'er is not as weak as Cui Fang said. She looked around warily, and when she swept her gaze over the place where Xiao Qiluo was hiding, her eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
As she spoke, Ruan Rou'er raised her hand and shot something in their direction.
Xiang Bei helped conceal her figure, and Xiao Qiluo jumped to another tree. On the trunk where she had been standing, there were three silver needles that gleamed with a ghostly light.
The needle was poisoned.
The system simulated releasing several birds using data, and only then did the wariness in Ruan Rou'er's eyes ease slightly.
"She knows martial arts?" Xiao Qiluo asked in surprise.
This person is not simple; be careful.
The original text didn't mention any of this, and Xiang Bei only just learned that Ruan Rou'er was also skilled in martial arts. She was also very vigilant, even managing to detect Xiao Qiluo's hiding place.
Ruan Rou'er glanced around at the situation, her expression momentarily flustered, but quickly turned somber. She got up to leave, but after walking a short distance, she stopped, lost in thought.
He turned to look at Cui Fang, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped back.
She knelt down beside Cui Fang, blinked, and her expression changed instantly. She reached out and nudged Cui Fang, saying softly, "Husband, husband, please wake up."
Looking at Cui Fang's face, one could not hide the disgust.
I was talking to Cui Fang just now when I smelled a drug. If her heart condition hadn't suddenly flared up, she wouldn't have been affected.
She didn't know who did it, but she just needed to pin the blame on the princess in front of Cui Fang. The two of them would kill each other, so she could reap the benefits.
Seeing Cui Fang's bruised and swollen face, Ruan Rou'er couldn't help but feel disgusted. This man has a handsome face, but unfortunately, his personality is terrible.
If it weren't for healing my own heart ailment, why would I have bothered to feign compliance with him for so long?
Originally, the princess's cleverness was within her grasp, but somehow this arrogant fool offended her, beating him into this pig-like state that wouldn't subside for days, forcing her to temporarily change her plans.
Every day when she woke up, she saw a pig's head face to face with her, which almost scared her to death.
She still couldn't understand who had dumped her here, and what their purpose was.
Ruan Rou'er didn't see anyone else, and she couldn't help but feel irritated. She raised her hand and slapped Cui Fang across the face, finally bringing the unconscious man to a stop.
Cui Fang slowly woke up, and the first thing he saw was Ruan Rou'er.
"Rou'er?"
Looking around, I was completely stunned.
"Where is this? How did we get here?"
He clearly remembered being in Plum Blossom Lane, but he had absolutely no recollection of how he ended up here.
Cui Fang still felt lingering fear when he recalled visiting the princess's residence a few days ago.
That poisonous woman Xiao Qiluo actually wanted to kill him. If it weren't for the sudden movement, her sword would probably have already pierced his neck.
Just thinking about that scene made Cui Fang feel a chill down his neck.
But how did he and Rou'er end up here without any reason?
Could it be that Xiao Qi was the one who did it?
She actually chased after him.
Seeing Ruan Rou'er's frightened expression, Cui Fang quickly pulled her into his arms, saying, "Don't be afraid, Rou'er, I will protect you."
Ruan Rou'er leaned against Cui Fang's chest and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Cui Fang looked around warily, convinced that it was Xiao Qi who had done it.
Xiao Qiluo is clearly insane; she even wants to kill her husband.
Looking up and around, Cui Fang was completely dumbfounded.
He recognized this place; it was very similar to the place where Rou'er had saved him. He had discovered it by chance, and before finding Ruan Rou'er, he had often come here to reminisce about his past with her.
After finding Rou'er, he originally planned to bring her along to reminisce about the sweet moments they shared.
Although it wasn't the original place, the similarity was enough to make them nostalgic.
But why are he and Rou'er here?
Seeing Cui Fang looking around, Ruan Rou'er suddenly started sobbing, "Husband, why are we here? Do you think the princess is deliberately taking revenge on us?"
Cui Fang thought so too. Besides Xiao Qiluo, who else had the ability to bring them here so quietly?
I thought I had gotten rid of everyone around Xiao Qiluo, but I didn't expect that she would have helpers.
What Cui Fang couldn't understand was how Xiao Qiluo knew about this place.
Seeing that Cui Fang was suspicious, Ruan Rou'er added fuel to the fire, "Is it because of the heart transplant that the princess is deliberately retaliating against us? Husband, could the princess be hiding somewhere watching us?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiluo, who had just received the bow and arrow from Xiang Bei, couldn't help but look over.
Ruan Rou'er is quite capable; she really guessed correctly.
After testing the bow in her hand, Xiao Qiluo thought that she should shoot Cui Fang's leg first, so that he couldn't run away and she wouldn't miss if he moved around randomly later.
She had to avoid the vital points. Meteorite iron was something that was hard to come by, and it was rare to find a place with a stable supply. If she killed someone in one fell swoop, where would she find another Cui Fang?
Cui Fang looked around but found nothing. However, he was very confident and believed that Xiao Qiluo was doing all this to win back his heart.
It's definitely not true that she wanted to kill him. If Xiao Qiluo had the ability, she could have just dealt with him directly. Why bother bringing him here?
Looking at Ruan Rou'er, who was crying so hard she was about to faint, he gently comforted her for a few moments before pointing to the surrounding scenery and asking, "Rou'er, do you remember this place?"
Ruan Rou'er glanced around, a hint of impatience in her eyes.
How could she possibly remember this desolate wilderness? But she wasn't stupid; judging from Cui Fang's words, she must know something.
Ruan Rou'er remained silent. Having been inexplicably brought here, she was in a bad mood and didn't even want to deal with Cui Fang.
She seemed to hear the sound of a bowstring, but when Ruan Rou'er turned her head, she saw nothing.
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