Chapter 412 Wang Yushi's Difficulties
Qingning and Suyu chatted happily with Qin Mo in the living room of the Prince's mansion, and neither of them showed any sign of leaving until lunchtime, acting like unwelcome guests who wouldn't leave unless they were served a meal.
"Your Highness, there are some things I need to discuss with you privately!"
As soon as Qing Ning opened her mouth, Qin Mo knew that the real business was about to begin. He actually hated this kind of superficial bickering, but as the leader of a powerful force, he had no choice but to face all sorts of unpleasant things.
Qin Mo's study was the quietest and most secluded place in the Prince Heng's mansion, because he often wrote development outlines for major armies or drew up military blueprints there.
Looking at the elegant calligraphy and paintings on the study wall, Qing Ning was quite impressed with this young prince. Four or five years ago, she had seen Qin Mo's handwritten letter, and the handwriting was simply unbearable. Now, however, it had become quite respectable.
"Sit down! Tell me what your master sent you here to ask?"
Once they arrived at this point, Qin Mo stopped being polite. Qing Ning should know her place; she wasn't entitled to speak to her alone. It must be Wang Yushi who had something to ask.
After Qing Ning sat down, she said, "My master asked me to ask Your Highness about what she said in her letter. What is Your Highness's opinion?"
Qin Mo was stunned for a moment and said, "Which letter? I haven't received any letters from her in the last two years!"
"Last year, Her Majesty sent someone to Xizhou to look for you... Didn't you meet him?" Qing Ning was also a little embarrassed. Qin Mo's appearance clearly showed that she hadn't met Tong Wenlin, who was delivering the message.
"No, I didn't stay in the temple for long. Later I went to the north to fight the orcs. What did the letter say at that time?"
"I don't know what was written in Her Majesty's letter, but there was a message to be delivered to you: the Temple was plotting to steal the cannons, and you should be careful of their seduction!"
"Wow, how did she guess?"
Qing Ning's casual remark sent a chill down Qin Mo's spine. He had no idea that Heather had burned his original drawing and only given the temple a simplified copy. He had always thought he had fallen for her charms, and that it was just a matter of mutual consent.
"I didn't receive the letter... so I can't answer your master's question!" Qin Mo spread his hands, changing the subject.
"I will consult the Lord about this matter. Before I left, the Lord asked me to ask him one more thing..."
Qing Ning glanced at Qin Mo and asked somewhat nervously, "Your Highness's army is currently equipped with a type of weapon called a 'rifle,' and the Lord has asked me to inquire with Your Highness... whether the Royal Workshop... can replicate it?"
"Counterfeit?" Qin Mo didn't get angry as Qing Ning had expected. He simply asked her, "Did you get a sample?"
"Your Highness, it wasn't us who obtained the sample, but rather some scoundrel who got hold of it and presented it to His Majesty. His Majesty then passed it on to the Ministry of Works and the Empress, instructing us to make copies."
"Has the Ministry of Works started copying it yet?"
"The Ministry of Works has been trying to replicate it for half a year, but it seems to be going very poorly..."
Qing Ning looked at Qin Mo, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.
"You are a messenger. Your master should speak plainly and not try to be clever!"
Qin Mo's face turned cold, and she said unhappily, "Does she want the detailed manufacturing method for the rifle? Sending you to talk to me about something so important? What an airs!"
Qing Ning suddenly stood up, her face darkening as she rebuked, "Your Highness, what is the status of the Empress? How could she tolerate such humiliation?"
Qin Mo slammed her hand on the table and shouted angrily, "Who do you think you are to dare to be so disrespectful to me? You can tell your master what I say. Just do your job and don't delay your master's business!"
Qing Ning glared at Qin Mo for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying, "The Empress doesn't want your rifle manufacturing method. She just wants to buy a batch of cannons from you. You can name your price, and she won't haggle!"
After finishing her sentence, Qing Ning turned and left. Wang Yushi held a position in Qing Ning's heart that far surpassed that of Emperor Zhaowu. She absolutely could not tolerate Qin Mo's arrogant words, but she dared not do anything to Qin Mo. In the past few years, she had been treated with great respect wherever she went, and now that she had been wronged and could not retaliate, she simply had no face to stay any longer.
"stop!"
"What? Does Your Highness Prince Heng intend to keep me here?" Qing Ning turned around and adopted a fierce and menacing stance.
"Why does your mistress want to buy cannons? Is there a problem with her workshop?" Qin Mo asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.
Wang Yushi's royal workshop is already skilled at making cannons, so the fact that she wants to buy them from me must mean there's some compelling reason.
Qing Ning gritted her teeth and said resentfully, "His Majesty did not instruct me to tell Prince Heng the reason."
Qin Mo said angrily, "But you know the reason, don't you? If she hadn't encountered difficulties, would she have come to me to buy cannons? Who instructed you to dare to sow discord between the high-ranking official and your master?"
Qing Ning's chest heaved violently, clearly she was furious, but Wang Yushi was indeed in trouble. She hesitated for a long time before revealing the truth.
Wang Yushi's birth mother, Lady Xu, came from a prominent family in the Western Regions. After Wang Yushi's father, Duke Wuwei, Wang Xuanye, took Lady Mounan as a concubine, she angrily left and returned to her family home, seeking refuge with her younger brother, Marquis Xu Jian'an of Zhangye, who was also Wang Yushi's maternal uncle.
Xu Jian'an's territory of Zhangye City and Wang Xuanye's territory of Wuwei City are not far apart. The two cities were originally important towns on the Silk Road and were related by marriage, so they had a very good relationship. However, due to the reason of the Lady of Munan County, they began to have a rift with each other.
After Wang Yushi became empress, Xu Shi put her worries aside. Fearing that staying at her brother's house would affect the relationship between Zhangye City and Wuwei City, she returned to Anxi, the place where the Xu family had risen to prominence.
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