Hearing his brother say this, Hua Yang felt more confident.
However, they did not directly present such a massive crossbow to their father and mother.
Instead, he took advantage of the Lantern Festival to show his father and mother the immense power of the crossbow.
Gu Jiangli and the emperor sat on the high platform where the emperor and empress were, and witnessed the arrow, as sharp as the wind, pierce through the wooden puppet standing a hundred paces away.
The arrow pierced the air, bringing with it a deafening whistling sound.
Hua Yang and Chen'er stood next to the large crossbow and effortlessly tore a large hole in the puppet's body.
Gu Jiangli and the emperor stood up at the same time, looking at the scene before them in disbelief.
The emperor could not hide his delight.
Gu Jiangli was pleasantly surprised, yet felt that all of this was within expectations.
Hua Yang is a lively person who has loved making all sorts of things since she was a child.
She had already learned to make little boats out of leaves before she had even fully learned to run.
Her hands-on skills are innate.
So over the years, she must have secretly made a lot of progress, but she just never told them.
Gu Jiangli knew what Hua Yang had been secretly doing all this time, but she didn't bother to find out.
She knew that Huayang would one day reveal her hidden secret to her father and mother.
Now, she finally dares to show her abilities in front of everyone.
Gu Jiangli was filled with joy.
The emperor had always doted on Huayang, and was amazed to see how Huayang handled this amazing object with such skill and grace.
"What amazing power! Huayang, did you make this crossbow?"
Hua Yang scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said:
"Father, it's not perfect yet. My brother said this is just a sample, and there are still many things that need improvement."
"My elder brother thinks Huayang shouldn't have secretly completed this crossbow; he should have told Father and Mother, so they could be happy too..."
As she said this, she glanced at her father and mother in front of her with her doe-like eyes.
"Father, Mother, are you happy to see what Huayang made?"
The emperor strode over to Huayang, admiring the crossbow with eyes full of appreciation.
"Of course I'm happy. It's a blessing for Father Emperor and Mother Empress that Huayang was able to personally craft this incredibly powerful crossbow, and even more so for Da Jiang. How could I not be happy?"
Hua Yang couldn't hide the joy on his face.
"If Father Emperor is pleased, then Huayang will make even more perfect crossbows as soon as possible and place them on the border city walls. If any foreign enemies come to invade, they will flee in panic upon seeing these crossbows."
"Huayang will definitely work with his brother to protect the people of Dajiang and our father and mother!"
She clenched her fist and spoke with vigor and power.
There was a slight tension in the corners of her eyes.
She was also somewhat worried, afraid that her father would think she had done something a woman shouldn't have done.
But her brother secretly patted her back, giving her a lot of strength.
The Empress Dowager, watching from afar, looked at her with tenderness, showing no sign of scolding her.
Just when she thought her father would be like her mother, she noticed a hint of regret in his eyes.
This feeling stirred up a deep sense of worry in Huayang.
"Father? Did Huayang say something wrong?" Huayang withdrew his ambitious spirit and asked somewhat cautiously.
The emperor touched the crossbow helplessly and shook his head.
Just as they seemed about to say something, Gu Jiangli walked towards them with a light smile and said teasingly:
"Your father is sad because he lost the bet."
Hua Yang and Chen'er asked in unison, "A bet? What kind of bet?"
Neither of them expected that their father, such a serious and steady man, would actually make a bet with their mother.
They initially thought it was a joke from their mother, but seeing their father silently touching the bow and crossbow, looking heartbroken, they had no choice but to believe her explanation.
Gu Jiangli, holding the emperor's hand, said with a carefree expression, "It's a bet about Huayang."
"Hua Yang has been lively and enthusiastic since childhood, which, in the eyes of outsiders, is indeed unbecoming of a princess of a great nation."
"Your father believes that Huayang may appear to be carefree and ill-mannered on the surface, but deep down she still has the demeanor of a charming young woman."
At this point, Gu Jiangli bent down, shielding his eyes with one hand, and said to the two children:
"Maybe he thinks Huayang is like me."
After saying that, she straightened up again and continued:
"But I think Huayang is not an ordinary woman. She has the same ambitions as men. Like Chen'er, Huayang's true heart is to bring peace and stability to the country."
"We disagreed, so we decided to make a bet to prove who was right."
Gu Jiangli bent down, cupped Hua Yang's face in her hands, and praised her:
"Huayang has not disappointed Mother at all, he is truly wonderful!"
Hua Yang felt his blood boil as he looked at his mother's boastful expression.
She didn't expect that her thoughts wouldn't be criticized by her mother.
Moreover, in her heart from the beginning, the Empress Dowager believed that she would be a man with the same ambitions as men.
"Mother...did you know what I was thinking all along?" she asked incredulously.
Gu Jiangli nodded, "Of course, you are the child that the Empress carried for ten months and gave birth to. Of course the Empress knows what Huayang is thinking."
"The reason I haven't said it before is so that Huayang can understand this principle himself."
"If you believe something is right, then do it. Your father and mother can offer advice, but they cannot tell you the path you should take."
"Your father and mother have always respected your ideas. All you need to do is follow your heart."
Hua Yang's eyes welled up with tears again.
"Mother, even if I can't be a proper young lady or a well-mannered princess, will you still love me the same?"
Gu Jiangli patted her head. "Of course, silly child. Having a passionate heart is never a mistake. The palace is not your prison, nor is it a place to suppress your nature."
"Whether it's Huayang or Chen'er, they both have the right to follow their own hearts."
"If someone questions your choices, what you should do is not doubt yourself, but strengthen your resolve to refute those doubting words."
"Chen'er has already done this once before."
“Huayang, you can do it too.”
Hua Yang was greatly encouraged and nodded earnestly.
But then he saw his father's heartbroken expression.
He immediately thought of the bet his father and mother had made.
"But Father...he thinks I should be a woman of intelligence and elegance like Mother...but I..."
Gu Jiangli chuckled softly, "Don't worry about Huayang. Father is not upset because you didn't live up to his expectations, but because he doesn't understand Huayang as well as Mother does."
"It's okay, Huayang, just go and hug him."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
