"Oh dear, be careful! This thing is dangerous. Be careful not to accidentally discharge it! The Princess has rules that you can't mess around with it in the palace. If someone finds out, she'll confiscate it!"
"Hey! I was just gesturing, besides, there's no one else here, right?"
"..."
The soldiers left chatting and laughing. Yin Ruixin heard their conversation but didn't see what they were holding.
She only saw that it was a very small thing, and from what they were saying, it seemed to function similarly to a bow and arrow, and they called it a gun...
Yin Ruixin couldn't understand it more and more. Subconsciously, she felt that something was wrong, so she secretly followed the guards.
After training Cao Lin and his group, Zhong Muyu also taught the guards in the manor how to use guns. Now, with Cao Lin and his men guarding the city gates and the guards guarding the manor, the entire Lingqing can be said to be very safe.
The guards' quarters were right next to the Prince's mansion, with a passageway between them. Yin Ruixin secretly followed them, but sneaking into the guards' quarters would not be easy.
After thinking for a moment, Yin Ruixin pulled down a few strands of her hair to cover her face, lowered her head, and walked over timidly.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
"I...I'm here to deliver something."
Seeing that she was dressed as a servant of the Prince's mansion, the guards relaxed their guard. One of the guards asked, "You're empty-handed, what are you here to deliver?"
Yin Ruixin took out a small purse from her bosom and only showed them a corner of it.
That was a protective sachet given to her by her mother, containing a talisman that could protect her. She always carried it with her, and unexpectedly, it really helped her a lot today.
Although the two guards couldn't see clearly, they smiled knowingly and said, "Got it. Go in, but remember to leave early. It's too cold, so we won't stay up too late."
The other one laughed and said, "If all else fails, we can leave tomorrow morning!"
In the mansions of nobles, it was not uncommon for servants to have secret affairs with each other, or between servants and guards. The two guards simply regarded her as a guard's mistress and did not think much of it.
After thanking her, Yin Ruixin hurriedly went inside.
She found the guards she had been following earlier; they were drinking around a fireplace, their clothes and personal belongings lying elsewhere.
Yin Ruixin was extremely nervous. This was the first time she had done something like this, and her hands were trembling. However, it was too late to back out now, so she could only bite the bullet and sneak into the room to search among the clothes.
The room outside was dimly lit, and the people drinking and making noise inside didn't notice her. The man's clothes reeked, and Yin Ruixin frowned involuntarily. Although flustered, she still managed to grab a gun from one of the jackets, put it in her pocket, and went out.
Excited, she returned to Tingfeng Hall. Qiu Kui was already pacing anxiously. Upon seeing her, she immediately ran over and exclaimed, "Miss, you're finally back!"
"I'm fine, Okra, Xiaomian, thank you for your hard work."
After the two changed their clothes, Xiaomian left, and Qiu Kui asked, "Miss, did you discover anything this time you went out?"
"There is indeed such a thing, but everything still needs to be verified. Okra, I'm tired, you can go out now."
Okra nodded, and only when Yin Ruixin was alone in the room did she take out the item and examine it carefully.
She brazenly stole something that even the guards were wary of; it was quite a risk. If she had to do it again, she might not dare.
She gently stroked the small, cold object, careful not to accidentally bump it. Then, she found a wooden box lined with soft cloth, put the object inside, and secretly hid it in a corner under the bed, intending to take it to the capital later.
...
With the Emperor's passing, all the princes were supposed to attend the funeral. Zhong Muyu had already prepared everything, but then a commotion broke out among the guards.
Hearing the noise unintentionally, Zhong Muyu asked, "What's going on?"
Zhiyu said, "This morning, news came from the guards that a musket is missing. It seems that a guard accidentally lost it. The muskets you gave us are limited in number and extremely precious. The guard captain is very angry right now."
"Was it lost in the Prince's residence?"
"Exactly."
Zhong Muyu frowned slightly: "Then let's search carefully. The craftsmen haven't figured it out yet, and the people in the manor have no idea what this thing is. We can't let anyone pick it up carelessly and accidentally lose their lives."
Zhiyu nodded: "Yes, shall we search the Prince's residence?"
"Don't cause trouble at a time like this... Wait until we leave the palace before having people search. Even if we can't find them, we should still educate them about the dangers of these things and prevent the guards from bringing back weapons without permission in the future."
With these things happening one after another, Zhong Muyu can't even manage the shop, let alone deal with these minor disturbances.
Once everything was settled, they packed their belongings and headed to Yuanjing.
Several more snowfalls occurred along the way, making the road extremely difficult to travel. Zhong Muyu felt deep regret for the Emperor's death, but she quickly thought of something more important.
"So, the crown prince has now ascended the throne?"
That's how it should be, logically speaking.
Lu Ziyuan was still processing the documents in his hands, his face expressionless.
Although the emperor's death was not his fault, he still felt somewhat guilty. To him, it was Lu Ziying who wanted to frame him, but by a twist of fate, the emperor was injured and died.
This is why he felt even more frustrated when he thought about how Lu Ziying's succession was being accelerated.
Zhong Muyu looked thoughtful: "This is troublesome..."
Given Lu Ziying's personality, nothing good will happen during their trip to the capital.
And indeed, their premonition came true.
A few days later, the princes arrived at the palace one after another. The Empress Dowager fell ill due to the shock, and Zhong Muyu took some time to visit her before joining the others in sending off the Emperor's coffin.
Upon returning to the palace and gaining power, Lu Ziying couldn't wait to launch an attack on Lu Ziyuan.
"Father died from severe injuries and a high fever. Only Prince Ling was by Father's side at the time. Prince Ling is largely to blame for Father's death. Prince Ling, do you have any objections?"
Before Lu Ziyuan could speak, Lu Ziqing couldn't wait to interrupt: "What are you saying, Your Majesty? All of you brothers witnessed how heavy the snow was and how dangerous their situation was. If it weren't for Seventh Brother, Father might not have made it out of the mountains. How can you say it's Seventh Brother's fault?"
Upon hearing this, some people, led by Prince Fu, nodded in agreement.
The prince who supported Lu Ziying sneered, "You and Lu Ziyuan are on good terms, so of course you'll make excuses for him. Back then, it was just the Emperor and him in the woods. The Emperor was unconscious, so what happened is based solely on his side of the story. It was his failure to protect the Emperor that led to his death. He knows he's in the wrong, so he's making excuses to exonerate himself!"
Lu Ziqing retorted angrily, "You're spouting nonsense! This is nothing but your imagination! You have no evidence!"
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