Over the next few days, after sending someone to the study, Bai Chuxiao slept soundly for several days and got up very early.
In the courtyard, Cui Hao led Xia Fan and Lin Huai into...
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Bai Chuxiao nodded. "Have the arrangements been made with the Azure Dragon Camp?"
Cui Hao smiled and said, "The training venue and personnel have been prepared as the Princess instructed."
Bai Chuxiao pulled out a few sheets of blueprints from her bosom and said with a smile, "Let's follow this as the training plan."
Looking at the blueprints, their eyes lit up. Cui Hao smiled and said, "Your Highness, has what you said about having a new gadget come about?"
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure either. Let's go check out the west side of the city."
Qing Shuang and Qing Zhu gathered around, "Your Highness, we want to go too."
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "Of course I won't leave you two girls behind. Let's go."
The Shen family was panicking when Shen Ru didn't return these past few days. Every day, Madam Shen would bring Shen Xuanxuan to the gate of the Prince of Yan's residence to request an audience, but they were always turned away.
"We wish to see the Princess; please inform her," Madam Shen said politely as always.
The guard at the gate said, "Madam Shen, please don't ask any more questions. The Prince of Yan's residence is not receiving guests these days."
Madam Shen and Shen Xuanxuan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.
Bai Chuxiao changed into a red outfit and left the mansion with Cui Hao and Qing Shuang.
Madam Shen and Shen Xuanxuan, who were just about to leave, were delighted to see the person coming out and quickly stepped forward to say, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Bai Chuxiao frowned and nodded, "What are Madam Shen and the Third Miss doing at the Prince's Mansion so early in the morning?"
Cui Hao, Xia Fan, Lin Huai, and the others exchanged glances. The Prince had specifically ordered that the Shen family not be allowed to disturb the Princess.
Before Madam Shen could speak, Cui Hao immediately interrupted, "Your Highness, we have important matters to attend to. Why don't we talk about it when we get back?"
Just then, the gatekeeper brought in several horses, and Madam Shen immediately knelt down and begged, "Please, Your Highness, spare Ru'er's life!"
Bai Chuxiao frowned. After a few rare days of peace and quiet, hearing this name again couldn't help but make her feel somewhat annoyed.
"Didn't I already let her go back? Madam Shen, please return."
He then decided to ignore it, mounted his horse, and said calmly, "Let's go."
"Yes," Cui Hao and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching the group ride away on horseback, Shen Xuanxuan helped Madam Shen to her feet and said, "Mother, it seems the Princess Consort is unaware of this matter."
Madam Shen was also somewhat puzzled, "What happened? Where is Ru'er?"
Shen Xuanxuan bit her lip and said, "Mother, the Prince had someone take my eldest sister away. I'm afraid it's to avenge the Princess. My eldest sister is now probably..."
Madam Shen's eyes reddened. "Are we just going to stand by and watch Ru'er die? Ru'er just misunderstood for a moment. We'll wait here for the Princess to return. As long as the Princess lets her go, I believe she'll change..."
Shen Xuanxuan said slowly, "His Highness clearly doesn't want us to bother the Princess with this matter. If we plead with the Princess again, it might really displease His Highness. Perhaps we should wait and see what Father says."
Madam Shen was taken aback. "Is Your Highness really that heartless? In what ways is our family inferior to the Murong family...?"
Shen Xuanxuan quickly stopped her, looking around and whispering, "Mother, please don't say such things."
The Shen family's current status is all thanks to the Prince of Yan's promotion. The Prince of Yan's household now has no shortage of capable generals; they certainly don't need just her father.
The eldest sister was in the wrong in this matter, and the Prince of Yan's mansion only dealt with her according to the facts and did not hold a grudge. However, if the Shen family harbors any ill intentions because of this, then we will really be in trouble...
Seeing the situation clearly and fearing that she might say something else, Shen Xuanxuan said softly, "Mother, let's go back first. You've worried enough about eldest sister. Eldest sister's mind is... it's very difficult to change her mind..."
Madam Shen also realized that her words were somewhat inappropriate. If someone with ulterior motives overheard them, it might bring disaster to the Shen family. "Xuan'er is right," she said, "but your eldest sister is still my daughter. No matter what, I don't want to see her die. I don't ask for anything else, I only ask that she can keep her life."
Shen Xuanxuan, however, felt that since the Prince of Yan had secretly brought her eldest sister without the Princess's knowledge, he probably wouldn't let her off the hook. "Mother," she said, "let's discuss this matter later."
Madam Shen nodded
Bai Chuxiao and her group headed west of the city, and after a short while, they stopped at a row of manors.
This area is very open, with only these few villages and nothing else. The villages are inhabited only by some craftsmen and a few guards who stay behind.
Upon seeing them, the group of men in black quickly greeted, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Bai Chuxiao nodded.
In the very center of the room was only a disheveled little old man.
Bai Chuxiao led a few people in quietly, and said with a smile, "Master Hong Tao"
Hong Tao didn't even look up. "You're here. That thing has been modified a few times and is better than before. Go try it out next door yourself."
Bai Chuxiao smiled as she looked at the blueprints he was studying. "Master Hong Tao is still researching this."
Hong Tao sighed softly, "I've forged countless weapons in my life, but I've never heard of anything like this before. Although you explained the principles and general methods to this old man, I still don't know where to begin..."
Bai Chuxiao comforted him, "Master Hongtao, don't be discouraged. Perhaps I was just being wishful."
She had drawn the simplest possible diagrams of the firearm, but without a physical prototype, making one in this era was as difficult as climbing to the heavens…
Hong Tao frowned. "Alright, you don't need to comfort me. What you're saying is clearly feasible. I'll look into it further..."
Bai Chuxiao nodded, "Master, please don't force yourself."
He then turned and went to the next room with his men.
In the next room, there were some boxes. Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Take them out and have a look."
"yes"
Cui Hao, Xia Fan, Lin Huai, and the others carried several boxes and went to the open space outside.
When the box was opened, it contained only a dark, round sphere.
Qing Shuang asked excitedly, "Your Highness, is this the thing we used to bomb the Northern Yan army's food supplies?"
Bai Chuxiao nodded, and Cui Hao and the others also became more excited. They had been quite curious about that thing before, and now this was it?
Qing Shuang raised an eyebrow and said, "The previous one was much smaller than this one, yet it had such power. This one..."
Bai Chuxiao pouted, "Alright, you two can each throw one for fun."
Several people looked excited. Cui Hao rubbed his hands together, "I'll go first."
The places chosen for building these things are all open spaces, which is perfect for experimentation.
Cui Hao tossed one forward, and a loud bang followed. "Your Highness, this gunpowder is incredibly powerful!"
Bai Chuxiao, however, didn't seem to care. The damage was too minor; however, compared to the previous version, these improved versions were already much more powerful.
Cui Hao's eyes gleamed with excitement. These black spheres were far more powerful than any gunpowder he knew. Those gunpowders required an open flame to ignite and weren't particularly lethal. These black spheres, however, were infinitely more powerful.
Then, Xia Fan, Lin Huai, Qing Shuang, Qing Zhu, and the others exchanged glances, each holding a black ball, and simultaneously threw it into the distance.
With several loud "bangs," the scene of four missiles hitting each other was far more shocking than Cui Hao's single missile.
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