That cup of cold wine
A woman dressed in a neat and stylish outfit, with a beautiful face, named Yun Ni, was looking at Gu Jinghong with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Grand Secretary!" she called out again, hurrying forward.
Gu Jinghong smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping over the busy yet still rough workshop. The incessant clanging of hammers filled the air, though the rhythm was not yet smooth. “Jinghongwu has taken its first step. You’ve worked hard.”
"Everything is just beginning to take shape, all thanks to the Grand Secretary's planning." Yun Ni led her inside, her voice low but her pace slightly faster.
"The design of the new repeating crossbow has been revised more than a dozen times. Now its range and stability are finally taking shape, but it is still far from what we expected. The method for making armor-piercing arrows has just been figured out, and the production is still unstable."
She pointed to a specially cleared stone platform in the corner, where there were some burn marks and sporadic cracks: "As for the 'earth fire thunder' you mentioned... its power is indeed terrifying, but we tried it three times. Twice it failed to ignite, and once it almost went out of control and nearly injured someone. The method of controlling the detonation is still the biggest challenge."
Gu Jinghong reached out and looked at the prepared explosives back and forth, then casually picked up a relatively small one.
As she walked, she listened quietly, her fingertips brushing against the rough wooden frame beside her: "The foundation is not yet solid, so there's no need to rush. Safety is paramount, power is secondary. What we seek is surprise, but even more so, precise control. For those vehicles, protection is fundamental; they may be the only thing our brothers rely on to save their lives in the future. In terms of materials and structure, it's better to be slower but more stable."
Yunni nodded and remembered.
Gu Jinghong sat down in a small cubicle and casually flipped through the blueprints piled on the desk.
Those blueprints were kept by Yunni because problems arose during the actual production process.
Gu Jinghong picked up a pen and flipped through the drawings one by one, annotating them bit by bit.
Gu Jinghong finally finished reviewing the stack of papers when the red candle on his desk was almost burned out.
Yun Ni served Gu Jinghong a cup of tea at the right moment.
“Your Excellency, it’s not safe to go to the capital. I was thinking of suggesting that you take refuge in the southwest,” Yun Ni said tentatively.
Gu Jinghong suddenly remembered the note, one side facing forward and the other backward.
Yunni advised her to stay in the southwest, while Qingwu advised her to return.
As expected, Qingwu had followed her for so many years and understood her very well. It was just a pity that she was too stubborn and had even had a falling out with her. Her mind was not firm enough, but fortunately, that was in the past.
Yun Ni was different; although she might not fully understand her deeper meaning, she was unwaveringly loyal.
Moreover, this woman is proud and aloof, and extremely good at hiding her true feelings.
She held the top spot at Zhuoyue Tower, posing no threat yet proving quite useful, so the tower owner naturally didn't make things difficult for her.
Yet she willingly came to this "Jinghong Pavilion," shedding her finery and donning ordinary clothes—this was not only out of trust in Gu Jinghong himself, but also showed that Yun Ni did not regard the empty fame in the world of pleasure as any honor worth relying on.
He is clearly a discerning person—his appearance will eventually fade, but his ability to manage affairs and his vision will only become more profound with each passing day.
Coincidentally, Gu Jinghong enjoyed teaching a smart and beautiful woman.
She took a sip of tea and looked at Yun Ni: "I know what you mean, but you should also know that I must return to the capital. The best way to get out of a predicament is to face it head-on, isn't it? Just like us martial artists, if we want to avoid being hit, we must keep our eyes open, otherwise we will only suffer more serious injuries."
Yunni listened and expressed her deep agreement.
Gu Jinghong then said, "Tell me in detail what happened at Zhuoyue Tower after I left."
"yes……"
It turned out that the landlord discovered the problem two months after Gu Jinghong left. For some reason, he suddenly became convinced that Gu Jinghong must have opened the South Wind Secret Box and issued a kill order.
Quite a few people were sent out, but in the past few months, Gu Jinghong and Xiao Chengyan have been inseparable, and as the prince leading the army in the southwest, the guards around him are very vigilant, which is why they have not been able to break through smoothly.
As for Xie Yan, he is probably still safe until now.
Gu Jinghong realized that the person in charge must have assumed she had seen the purge list, and since Xie Yan was on the list, it was assumed that Gu Jinghong would consider Xie Yan as an "enemy".
Even so, the host still didn't entrust this task to Xie Yan, who was originally responsible for assassination. This shows that he didn't really trust Xie Yan, but rather didn't want Xie Yan and Gu Jinghong to be forced into the same corner, where they would just stick together for warmth.
...So, the mere presence of Zhuangmu Pavilion and Quanzuo Pavilion is enough to make the Lord feel somewhat wary? What if they were to gain the support of another senior brother?
I wonder how things are going on Qingwu's side.
...
Jiangnan, Night, "Beaded Curtain Rolled Up" Painted Boat
Inside the boat, a warm fragrance filled the air, pearls hung high, and the melodious sounds of string and bamboo instruments lingered like lovers whispering.
Wen Linchuan leaned lazily against the window couch covered with soft satin, his moon-white robe slightly open, his long black hair tied up with a few strands falling in front of his forehead, adding to his unrestrained and dashing demeanor.
He toyed with a crystal-clear glass cup filled with amber-colored nectar between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the girl opposite him with a half-smile.
The girl's name is Liu Yiyi, and she is the "prey" that Wen Linchuan has recently been eyeing.
The Liu family was a well-known merchant family in Jiangnan, and Liu Yiyi was the only precious daughter of Master Liu.
She wore a wide-sleeved fairy dress made of pale yellow brocade, and a set of exquisite red gold and kingfisher feather headdress. Her makeup was delicate, and her eyes were full of spring.
“Mr. Wei, please try this newly brewed ‘Hanxiao’. My father specially transported it from the north using ice. He said it was made with a hundred kinds of flower petals, and he only makes about ten jars a year.”
Wen Linchuan chuckled softly, his expression gentle, but inwardly he couldn't help but feel contempt for Liu Yiyi.
In the past few days, he used the alias Wei Ling to communicate with Liu Yiyi and found that she was a very innocent girl. She must have been well protected by Master Liu and was unaware of the dangers of the world.
But what good is being well protected? She still came to this pleasure boat to keep her appointment, regardless of everything.
He took the wine glass, his fingertips "unintentionally" brushing against Liu Yiyi's hand, feeling her momentary stiffness and the blush rising on her cheeks, but deep in his eyes was a cold calm.
Merchants and their ilk are indeed frivolous.
"Miss Liu is very kind." He took a sip and praised, "It is indeed a fine wine, sweet and mellow on the palate, with an endless aftertaste. The young lady herself is a rare and pure person."
His gaze was intense, and her face flushed.
"Mr. Wen, you flatter me..."
Wen Linchuan looked at Liu Yiyi with great interest, then put down his wine cup and leaned forward slightly. "Fine wine is easy to obtain, but a true friend is hard to find. It is my blessing to be able to drink with Miss Yiyi in this beautiful setting. Those mundane things are merely icing on the cake."
His words were eloquent, but his gaze, seemingly unintentionally, swept over Liu Yiyi's imposing presence and the wealth she represented in the Liu family. In his mind, he was rapidly calculating the astonishing benefits that could be brought to the Accounting Pavilion and even his own private treasury if he could control the Liu family's resources through her.
Liu Yiyi's heart pounded wildly, almost drowning in his seemingly affectionate gaze.
She mustered her courage, her voice trembling slightly: "It is my great fortune to be regarded as a confidant by you, sir... However, you always seem to be troubled by something. Is there any difficulty you are facing? If... if I can help you..."
Wen Linchuan sighed softly and took Liu Yiyi's hand, which was resting on the table, in his other hand.
“Yiyi…” he called her name, his voice hoarse with a hint of helplessness, “You are so pure and kind, I… really can’t bear to tell you about the troubles of the world.”
He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, looking at her with a complicated expression: "To be honest, there are some old customs and rules in my family. If you want to truly establish yourself and achieve something, you need to have enough wealth to attract attention as a foundation before you can gain the family's approval, and only then... only then are you qualified to consider marriage."
Liu Yiyi felt both heartbroken and incredibly excited upon hearing this.
He mentioned "family approval" and "a lifelong commitment"! Isn't this hinting at their future?
“Why be so formal, sir! Since you consider Yiyi a confidante, what difficulties can’t you share? My father loves me the most, and my personal savings, as well as the profits from my shops and estates, can all be given to you for your immediate needs! As long as it can help you achieve your wish, Yiyi is willing to do anything!”
Wen Linchuan was satisfied.
He knew all too well how to deal with these sheltered women; he only needed to offer empty promises and expectations for the future to make these women, secluded in their chambers, give their all.
His eyes glistened, and his voice trembled slightly: "Yiyi...you...you have treated me so well, what have I done to deserve this? I will repay this kindness and this affection..."
The pleasure boat jolted violently!
Unlike the rippling water, it felt more like being hit hard from the bottom of the water by something!
The music abruptly stopped, and several expensive pearls inside the boat mysteriously went out at the same time!
"Ah!" Liu Yiyi screamed, terrified, and instinctively grabbed Wei Ling's arm tightly.
Wen Linchuan's brows furrowed suddenly, and anger at being interrupted surged into his heart. However, he reacted quickly and shouted sharply, "Guards! What's going on?!"
In the darkness, he instinctively tried to circulate his internal energy to protect himself and to probe his surroundings.
However, just as he gathered his inner strength, he felt a very faint click of a mechanism coming from under the seat! It wasn't directed at him, but rather—
"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"
Wen Linchuan was shocked. What precise concealed weapon technique! What ruthless methods!
He immediately turned his gaze and saw that Qingwu had appeared at the bow of the painted boat at some point.
"It's you?!" Wen Linchuan's face was filled with deep mockery and disdain. "Ha! Who do we have here? It's you, the loyal dog who swings between the Pavilion Master and Junior Sister Jinghong! What? You want to attack me? Do you think you can beat me? And who sent you this time?!"
Qingwu ignored his insults, her eyes as calm as still water.
She knew that Wen Linchuan was highly skilled in martial arts, but Gu Gefu had made arrangements in advance, and Wen Gefu was probably already caught in the trap without realizing it.
Just as Wen Linchuan was speaking, Qingwu suddenly pressed the mechanism with his left hand!
"Click!"
The seemingly decorative carved panel behind Wen Linchuan's chair suddenly popped open, and several extremely tough black iron wires, like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, instantly wrapped around his limbs and waist!
Wen Linchuan roared and struggled with all his might, his inner strength surging. The black iron wire rope creaked and almost broke as he struggled!
"You think you can trap me with these?! Qingwu, have you forgotten..." He grinned maliciously, confident that he could escape in just one more breath.
Qingwu remained expressionless and held up three fingers: "Three..."
Wen Linchuan was a little confused about what she wanted to do. In his daze, he had already put down his three fingers one by one.
Qingwu smiled at Liu Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, you did a good job."
Wen Linchuan suddenly realized, but his eyelids were so heavy he couldn't lift them, and he murmured, "That cup of Cold Cloud..."
He only realized after closing his eyes that he had been playing with eagles for many years, and today he had been pecked in the eye by an eagle!
Gu Jinghong's dog...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
