Chapter 294 Slaves
"Father, I'm not completely overwhelmed. I've come to apologize." Prince Yu, in agony, pressed his hand to his chest, his voice weak and weak. "After five years, I've finally succeeded in developing the crossbow. Upon regaining consciousness and hearing this good news, I came to apologize and report this joyful event to you. I never expected you to know about the weapons workshop in advance."
There was a flash of surprise in Emperor Jing'an's eyes, but he also felt it was within his expectations.
If Prince Yu had no plans, why would he blow up his weapons workshop and take the initiative to apologize?
"I previously developed a giant crossbow that fired spears, capable of piercing shields and breastplates. Today, I successfully tested a crossbow that fired stone and gunpowder shells, capable of crushing enemy troops hundreds of feet away."
Prince Yu introduced the power of the crossbow, and then suggested: "Father, the Northern Qi envoys are in the Great Zhou. You can arrange a military exercise and invite them to watch."
For today's move, he increased the chips he could use layer by layer, and then played his last trump card, handing over the weapons workshop to the court, thus clearing himself of the charge of privately manufacturing weapons.
All this must be based on his successful research and development, only then can his merits be used to atone for his sins.
Emperor Jing'an looked through the crossbow cannon's blueprints and the records of each test. As Prince Yu had said, possessing such a powerful weapon was truly a powerful addition.
Whether the Ministry of War’s case will be investigated or not depends entirely on his attitude.
The envoys of Northern Qi in the Great Zhou will definitely take advantage of the situation, add fuel to the fire, and cause civil unrest in the Great Zhou.
Even if Prince Yu's guilt is discovered, he will suppress it and not punish him severely in order to avoid unrest.
I didn't let Zhao Yi participate in it just now.
Otherwise, saving Prince Yu would damage Zhao Yi's reputation. If he didn't, Prince Yu would be unable to recover, and the balance would be lost. Prince Rui's power would grow, which would be another problem in the future.
At least we have to wait until Zhao Yi has power and the third brother can stand on his own.
The reason why Prince Rui was asked to investigate the case was to use this incident to investigate how deeply Prince Yu's power was rooted, and then eliminate those people one by one when the time was right.
After all, if Prince Yu wants to cover up his crimes, he will definitely use his power.
As a result, it involved the illegal manufacture of weapons.
Prince Yu possesses magical weapons. If he were to rebel, the capital would be flooded with blood.
"According to the laws of the Great Zhou, those who privately possess military weapons will be punished with eighty strokes of the cane for each weapon, with an additional penalty for each additional weapon. Those who privately manufacture weapons will be punished with an additional penalty for the crime of private possession, with each penalty limited to one hundred strokes of the cane and exile three thousand miles."
Emperor Jing'an made up his mind: "I consider that you have risked your life to manufacture weapons for the sake of our country, so I will not punish you. The weapons workshop will be handed over to Prince Rui, and you can rest assured and recuperate."
Prince Yu was stunned. He had specifically led Prince Rui to Fengxing Mountain because he wanted Emperor Jing'an to anger Prince Rui.
But instead of punishing Prince Rui, my father actually handed over his weapons workshop to Prince Rui?
His expression changed for a moment, and he understood that this was his father's checks and balances. He kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."
Emperor Jing'an ordered the eunuchs: "Help your master return home to recuperate."
The eunuch quickly helped Prince Yu leave.
King Rui lowered his eyelids to hide the darkness that flashed across his eyes.
The case of the Ministry of War was picked up heavily and then put down lightly.
He never expected that Prince Yu would be able to cut off the source of the problem and escape unscathed.
But when he thought about his father handing over Prince Yu's weapons workshop to him, most of his unhappiness disappeared.
He had previously thought that his father would punish him, but now that he had handed the weapons workshop over to him, it was a signal that he would not be punished.
Prince Rui knelt on the ground and apologized: "Father, I have failed to perform my duties properly this time. Please punish me."
"This matter is not entirely your fault, so I will not punish you. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself and make meritorious contributions." Emperor Jing'an picked up a list of names and gestured to Eunuch Cao to pass it to Prince Rui. "The people on this list are involved in the smuggling of salt. I will hand them over to you to handle."
When Prince Rui received the list, which contained seven or eight names, he was secretly surprised to find that almost all of the people on the list held real power and important positions.
One of them has close ties with the Ling family.
Almost in an instant, a thought flashed through Prince Rui's mind: Are the people on the list Prince Yu's minions?
Thinking of this, King Rui seemed to have received some kind of hint.
Does the fact that my father wants to eliminate Prince Yu's power mean that he has no intention of making Prince Yu the crown prince?
Prince Rui seemed to be reassured and secretly made a decision to make the case of smuggled salt a solid case in order to gain his father's approval.
"Father, I will not let you down."
Prince Rui collected the list and left.
Everyone in the palace dispersed, and Eunuch Deng, who had been waiting outside, came in and announced, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess is waiting for you in the Yangxin Palace."
Emperor Jing'an calmed himself down and headed for the Yangxin Palace.
The eldest princess was dressed in gorgeous clothes, sitting upright on the couch, holding a portrait in her hand.
Emperor Jing'an stood beside the eldest princess, his eyes fixed on the portrait. It showed a fifteen-year-old girl sitting on a swing, a bright smile on her face.
This is the picture he drew of Yizhen when she was fifteen years old.
On the day of Yizhen's coming-of-age ceremony, he specially built a swing as a gift for her.
When Yizhen saw the swing, she was surprised and couldn't wait to experience it.
The moment she sat on the swing, it seemed as if all the suffering had left them. She smiled very happily, like a carefree princess raised in the deep palace.
That day, she prepared a sumptuous dinner and shared the good news: "Royal brother, I was bullied a few days ago, and the Crown Prince came to my rescue. He sympathized with our plight and was willing to lend a hand and send you back to the Great Zhou."
They endured humiliation and tried hard to survive, just hoping to return home.
When this day really came, it felt like a dream and it was unreal.
There was a glimmer in his silent eyes, which was the desire and joy to escape from the enemy country.
This meant that their suffering was about to end.
The next moment, he pursed his lips and asked, "Only me?"
"Royal brother, we are both hostages. If we leave together, it will only implicate the Crown Prince. You should return to the country first to retrieve your belongings, and then come to take me back."
Yizhen's eyes were filled with longing for the future, and her tone was more relaxed than ever before: "You don't have to worry about me. The prince is a gentle and generous man. With him protecting me, those powerful children will not bully me anymore."
The Crown Prince of Northern Qi had an excellent reputation. He had a rare innocent heart and was kind and generous.
He returned to the Great Zhou with Yizhen's hopes. When he successfully inherited the throne and went to pick up Yizhen, he found out that she had died, leaving only a child.
It was she who gave herself to the prince in exchange for his chance to return to the country.
She followed the prince without even a title, and was completely reduced to a slave, a plaything in the prince's hands. Her life was even more difficult than when she was a hostage princess.
P.S. It’s over, darlings. There is still one card to be reviewed. It will probably be released when the editor goes to work the next morning o(╥﹏╥)o
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