Chapter 93 In a terrible mood
At this moment, only Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were inside the hall.
After Qin Xiao asked that question, the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Chu Jiubian stared at Qin Xiao. The man's face was expressionless, and his deep eyes revealed no particular emotion, as if he was simply curious about the relationship between Chu Jiubian, Jiang Shuoye, and the High Priest.
But Chu Jiubian looked at his slightly tense jaw and his hands that were unconsciously clenched into fists.
The other party did not appear as calm as they did.
Strangely, Chu Jiubian did not feel that Qin Xiao was testing him.
Or rather, probing his relationship with Mobei and the High Priest was not Qin Xiao's primary objective at this moment.
What exactly did Qin Xiao want to know?
Chu Jiubian wondered if he should take this opportunity to reveal some of his trump cards.
Although he did not respond to Qin Xiao's words to him on the Star Gazing Platform, he still harbored some secret feelings in his heart, making him no longer as wary of Qin Xiao as he had been at the beginning.
But he still couldn't bring himself to reveal all his secrets.
Even if that person is Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao kept his eyes fixed on Chu Jiubian.
The young man's eyes were distant and indifferent, as if he were deep in thought, considering something.
In that instant, Qin Xiao suddenly felt as if he had returned to the time when he first met Chu Jiubian, and it seemed as if an invisible wall had been erected between them once again.
"Alright," Qin Xiao said, his tone lazy and smiling. "It was just a casual question; you don't have to answer."
Chu Jiubian spoke up, saying, "They're all the same."
Qin Xiao was taken aback.
Chu Jiubian answered the question he had asked earlier: who is trustworthy, Jiang Shuoye or the High Priest?
The answer is that Chu Jiubian considered both of them equally trustworthy.
Qin Xiao had long known that Chu Jiubian was connected to Mobei, and also knew that the other party must have some special connection with that high priest.
So Qin Xiao was not surprised at all by this answer.
Chu Jiubian didn't know what was going through his mind, but by the time he realized what was happening, he had already uttered those three words, revealing some of his trump cards.
He looked at Qin Xiao, and the atmosphere in the room fell into a stagnant state once again.
This felt strange, unlike any previous silence, making Chu Jiubian somewhat uneasy.
But seeing Qin Xiao's expression, Chu Jiubian didn't want to break the awkward atmosphere, so he remained silent.
After a long pause, Qin Xiao suddenly chuckled and looked at Chu Jiu with a strange expression, asking, "Are you two very close?"
Chu Jiubian thought about it carefully and said, "I guess so."
Qin Xiao chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?"
"nothing."
He said it was nothing, but Qin Xiao had already gotten up from his seat and strode over to Chu Jiubian.
In front of Chu Jiubian was a table piled high with memorials.
Qin Xiao leaned down, supporting himself on the table with one hand, and placed the other hand on the back of Chu Jiubian's neck, pulling him slightly forward to get closer.
The man's hot breath touched her lips, and Chu Jiubian narrowed her eyes.
The next moment, the man's forceful kiss landed on her.
Chu Jiubian wanted to dodge, but the hand behind his neck gave him no chance to back away.
After an unknown amount of time, the man finally released his grip, and Chu Jiubian immediately stepped back, leaning against the backrest.
Qin Xiao also stood up straight.
He raised his hand to wipe the water from the corner of his lips and smiled, "I'm going to train the troops. I'll be back later."
Many soldiers have been recruited recently and have all been placed in military camps outside the city, where they train every day.
Qin Xiao would go there almost every two days to personally oversee the progress.
But the other party just went there yesterday afternoon, so I shouldn't have gone today.
Chu Jiubian watched his departing figure, raised his hand to wipe his lips, which felt slightly numb.
He thought about it for a moment, but still couldn't figure out why Qin Xiao suddenly came over and kissed him while he was talking.
However, given that the other person is always infatuated, it's not surprising that they would do something like this.
Chu Jiubian stopped thinking about it and lowered his head to review the memorials.
There haven't been any major events lately, so most of the memorials submitted are just greetings or reports on the progress of spring plowing.
The sweet potatoes in Hexi County have already been planted. After a bumper harvest in the first half of the year, Han Yuandao, the county magistrate, can be promoted to county governor as a matter of course.
In addition, there was Lu Yao's memorial.
Although he reported his progress to Chu Jiubian in the Divine Realm almost every day, he still had to write memorials and send one back every now and then so that Qin Xiao and others in the court would also know about his progress.
Lu Yao has now traveled almost all over the Central Plains and is heading south. He has also discovered two mineable iron mines.
Qin Xiao has already sent people to mine the iron ore locally and has also formed a special escort team to transport the mined iron ore to the capital in batches.
This shows the advantage of Qin Xiao having a large number of soldiers; it's perfect to entrust such rough and dangerous tasks to them.
Chu Jiubian also ordered the students of the Engineering Department of the Imperial Academy to take the lead in establishing a special blacksmithing training ground, located outside the capital, very close to Qin Xiao's military camp, which was safe enough.
Currently, all the blacksmiths in the capital with a clean background have been selected by Chu Jiubian to enter the training ground.
He also shared the updated iron-making methods with the craftsmen; if he had the strength, he would have demonstrated them himself.
However, he did not tell these people the method of steelmaking. It was not because he was stingy, but because this thing could not be made overnight. Even Jiang Shuoye spent a long time to refine the first batch of steel, but he still could not increase the output.
What Chu Jiubian and his group need now is enough weapons; strength is secondary. So, forging iron weapons that are strong and hard is sufficient.
Engineering students have a different kind of work than these blacksmiths.
Chu Jiubian gave them some blueprints for weapons, such as small repeating crossbows and ballistae.
Of course, he also gave the blueprints to Si Tu Zhaoling and asked her to take them to Xiao Yao.
Si Tu Zhaoyao is more capable than these students. He might be the first to develop these weapons single-handedly. Then we can have him set up a military factory there and transport those weapons directly to the capital through the Divine Realm.
In addition, Chu Jiubian also made gunpowder himself. After testing it, he found that the power was not strong enough, so he kept improving it.
He didn't actually intend to use gunpowder for anything; it was just a precaution.
Firearms are expensive in the system's store, and even the guns he bought before required him to buy bullets separately, which he simply couldn't afford.
Therefore, it's safer to prepare some gunpowder yourself, so that you can make bombs when needed and let these people experience the power of this "divine weapon".
However, he felt it was inappropriate to produce gunpowder so early, so he only made a small quantity and did not actually build a factory.
Perhaps in the future, Chu Jiubian will change his mind...
==
The news of Qin Xiao's recruitment and training of soldiers had already reached the ears of various parties, and these people were naturally restless.
However, they were still vassal kings after all, and they knew that "there must be a legitimate reason for their actions," so they did not dare to act openly and honestly like the imperial court, but instead secretly expanded their power.
Everyone is waiting, waiting for the right opportunity.
In this tense situation, the King of Huguang received news that the usually docile Northern Desert Army had begun to recruit soldiers in secret.
Previously, the Wang family sent a letter saying that they had reached a cooperation agreement with the Jurchens and also reached an agreement with the Northeast Army.
As long as the King of Huguang and others guarantee that the position of the Northeast Army's commander-in-chief will remain in the hands of Nie Xian and his descendants, they will open the door wide for the Jurchens.
They might even cooperate with them to delay the court's progress, just like the Dingbei King and the Northwest Army did before.
However, Nie Xian also said that he could not allow the Jurchens to invade Da Ning, so even if he could endure it for a while, he would definitely drive the Jurchens out of Da Ning later.
Therefore, just in case, the Northeast Army was also secretly recruiting and training soldiers.
This was understandable, and the King of Huguang and others did not care. In any case, even if someone else came to power, they would not allow the Jurchens to invade. Therefore, it was not wrong for the Northeast Army to be a little more assertive at the moment.
However, the Northern Desert Army never expected that Jiang Shuoye would also make a move.
Everyone knows the relationship between the Northern Desert Army and the Qin Family Army, and Jiang Shuoye is a man who is neither swayed by soft nor hard tactics; no one understands his style of doing things.
Therefore, even though everyone wanted to take advantage of the Northern Desert Army's influence, they did not rashly contact Jiang Shuoye.
Because they didn't know whether the other party was still on the side of the imperial court or the Qin family.
But now it seems that the other side has started recruiting soldiers without the court's permission, which is not something a loyal minister would do.
Therefore, the other party may also be thinking about securing a place for themselves in the chaotic world to come.
"Your Highness, could it be a conspiracy between the imperial court and the Northern Army to deliberately spread false information?" asked the strategist in the camp.
The King of Huguang had many advisors under his command, which gave him more confidence in his actions.
Another strategist said, "No one has ever met Jiang Shuoye, but he does have former Qin family army troops under his command. Even if he wanted to rebel against the court, those soldiers might not agree."
The King of Huguang's desire to cooperate with the other party immediately cooled down.
"Why don't we send someone to sound them out first?" another person said. "The old Qin family army is from eight thousand years ago. Maybe those soldiers are no longer in the army or have lost their will to fight. Then the Mobei Army is still Jiang Shuoye's one-man show."
Immediately, someone else refuted this.
The advisors offered their opinions one after another, some radical, some conservative, and some as mediocre and indecisive as eels.
The advantages and disadvantages of having many strategists are all there. Baili Yue has gotten used to this kind of situation, but he still gets a headache every time.
Fortunately, he was a vassal king with his own opinions; otherwise, he would have been driven to develop decision paralysis by these advisors.
"Alright," he said, and the hall immediately fell silent.
"Let's send someone to sound them out first," Baili Yue said. "But even if Jiang Shuoye agrees to cooperate with us, we can't trust him too easily. We need to contact the prominent families in the capital again."
"Does Your Highness intend to contact the Tatars through their channels?"
"Hmm." Baili Yue nodded, called over his subordinates, personally wrote several letters and handed them to the other party, instructing him to have them delivered to the capital by express courier.
Seeing that he had made a decision, the advisors stopped arguing and bowed, praising His Highness as wise.
Previously, Qin Jingzhao and his wife died in a trap set by the Tatars, firstly because there was a traitor within the Qin family army, and secondly because the powerful families in the capital conspired with Emperor Yingzong to set up that trap.
A doomed situation for the Qin family army.
The most crucial element in this whole affair is the Tatar army.
Although no one had any evidence, the families that were communicating with the Tatar army at that time were the Lu family, who had planted important spies in the Qin family army, and the Qiu family, who were able to do business abroad at that time.
Of course, in addition to these, there were also the Xiao family and Emperor Yingzong, who wielded power in the palace.
A new situation is brewing, with most of the forces in Da Ning preparing to besiege Qin Xiao.
"Your Highness, we cannot focus all our attention on Prince Ning; we must also be wary of other vassal kings," an advisor said.
Their alliance was only temporary. Once Qin Xiao was removed from his horse, the real struggle among these vassal kings would begin.
Whoever seizes the initiative and has the strongest fist will be able to ascend to the highest position.
Therefore, it's possible that some people might secretly engage in some underhanded tactics during this period.
Another strategist said, "Actually, I don't think those vassal kings are anything to worry about. On the contrary, we should be more careful about that Grand Tutor Chu in the capital."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
They had all heard of that deity's formidable reputation. He could summon wind and rain, observe celestial phenomena, and conjure up food out of thin air to save Hexi County and Southern Xinjiang from peril. He also possessed novelties such as ice blocks and fireworks. No one knew how much more he had in his possession.
"These are all just rumors," one advisor said dismissively. "Who has actually seen them with their own eyes?"
“Yes,” another person chimed in, “Even Jiang Shuoye of the Northern Desert Army claimed to have received guidance from an immortal, didn’t he? We could also say that our Highness has been guided by an immortal…”
The man paused suddenly as he spoke.
The others also seemed to have suddenly thought of something and all looked at Baili Yue.
A dark glint flashed in Baili Yue's eyes.
yes.
He had witnessed the abilities of Grand Tutor Chu, but all he could do was create some amazing gadgets and possess some unusual skills compared to ordinary people.
Rumors say he can conjure food out of thin air and summon wind and rain, but Baili Yue has never seen it with his own eyes, so it's probably all an exaggeration.
However, the title of "god" is indeed very useful. Even his advisors are wary of him because of it.
So if a "deity" were to speak and make Baili Yue the emperor, wouldn't it be perfectly justifiable for him to launch another war?
There have been previous "miracles" of divine right of kings, but those were just mysterious titles deliberately created by each emperor when he ascended the throne, to let everyone know that his right was legitimate.
There has never been a precedent of a miracle occurring on a vassal king's fiefdom.
If he were to acquire the lands of Huguang, wouldn't that be...?
Baili Yue suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and forced himself to calm down, saying, "Grand Tutor Chu's side is indeed not to be underestimated."
We should find an opportunity, except for the other party.
But he didn't need to do it himself, because his good, unassuming younger brother, the Prince of Dingbei, said that he had a way to restrain Chu Jiubian.
The other party didn't elaborate on how exactly they would exert restraint, but they seemed confident in their abilities.
Let's wait and see what tricks the Prince of Dingbei will have up his sleeve.
Chu Jiubian was unaware that someone had prepared to target him; he had been busy for a long time that afternoon.
After reviewing the memorials, he took Baili Hong to the Imperial Academy, strolled around, listened to the teachers he had trained give lectures to the students for a while, and then went to the military camp on the outskirts of Beijing.
Qin Chaoyang had just finished something and came over. Knowing that they were going to find Qin Xiao, he took the initiative to get on the carriage without asking the driver to take them.
The three of them walked out of the palace gate and then out of the city gate in a very low-key manner, and no one even knew that the current emperor was sitting in the carriage.
The main camp in the suburbs of Beijing was not too far away; it only took a half-hour carriage ride outside the city to see it.
From afar, Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong could hear the soldiers' synchronized footsteps and their earth-shaking momentum.
The repeated shouts of "Kill!" sent chills down one's spine.
"Sir, how majestic!" Baili Hong excitedly peered out the window.
Because it was carrying the Qin family's flag and Qin Chaoyang was driving, the car easily entered the camp and was led by soldiers to the training ground where Qin Xiao was stationed.
Once inside the camp, Baili Hong kept excitedly watching the soldiers training outside, constantly exclaiming "Wow wow wow!"
Chu Jiubian patted his head and looked out the window.
Qin Xiao grew up in the military camp and was already a teenager when he came to the capital. As a result, he learned almost all the skills of Grand Commandant Qin and General Qin and his wife from a young age.
He had previously led his troops to fight in the Northwest and was invincible, so training troops was naturally a piece of cake for him now.
The carriage stopped, and Qin Chaoyang lifted the curtain and said, "Your Majesty, my lord, we have arrived."
Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong got off the car one after the other.
Looking up, one could see that the vast training ground was densely packed with soldiers.
However, they all formed a circle, watching the people fighting inside.
Being far away and blocked by the crowd, Chu Jiubian and the others couldn't see what was going on.
Qin Chaoyang then escorted the two of them to their side.
The soldiers who were nearby saw that it was Qin Chaoyang and quickly made way for him. Then they saw a man dressed in a crimson official robe who looked like an immortal, and a little child who was exquisitely beautiful but already had a lot of presence. They immediately knew who these two were.
Everyone's expression changed, and they wanted to bow, but Chu Jiubian stopped them by raising his hand.
So the soldiers who were nearby quietly made way for Chu Jiubian and his men to walk to the innermost part.
"Wow, it's Uncle!" Baili Hong grabbed Chu Jiubian's sleeve. "Sir, look! Uncle is so amazing!"
Chu Jiubian saw it as soon as he entered.
In the middle of the large open space, Qin Xiao, dressed in a black outfit, held a long spear, while at least seven or eight soldiers around him, also holding weapons, were attacking him together.
However, the man's steps were steady, and the speed and force of his bayonet were both fast and heavy.
Chu Jiubian watched as Qin Xiao barely moved, yet each thrust of his spear nearly cost someone their life.
And each time, he was able to precisely control his strength, simply intimidating the soldier.
The soldiers nearby knew that Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong were there, so they were somewhat reserved, but there were many more people in the distance who did not know, and their cheers and shouts were almost deafening.
Chu Jiubian could hear Baili Hong saying something excitedly, and his sleeves were also tugged.
But he did not lower his head; he simply stared intently at the person in the center of the training ground.
The man had a cold and stern aura, with a sinister look in his eyes, which was very different from the people Chu Jiubian usually met.
At this moment, Qin Xiao seemed to be the ruthless Prince Ning he should be.
Everyone in the arena was knocked to the ground by Qin Xiao, and the soldiers waved their hands to indicate that they could no longer fight back.
Qin Xiao put away his gun, casually straightened his robes, and didn't even break a sweat.
He turned and took two steps, but suddenly stopped. His gloomy eyes fell on Chu Jiubian, and the gloom in his eyes dissipated instantly.
Chu Jiubian blinked, then heard Qin Chaoyang beside him say hesitantly, "My lord is quite magnanimous today."
gas?
Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao and saw him striding towards them.
The soldiers watching followed his gaze and then saw Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong. They were all startled and didn't know whether they should pay their respects.
However, before they could react, Qin Xiao had already walked up to Chu Jiubian and the others, and Qin Chaoyang also told everyone to disperse and rest.
The huge training ground was soon mostly empty.
"Why are you here?" Qin Xiao's gaze remained fixed on Chu Jiubian's face.
The child looked up at his uncle's tall figure and said happily, "Uncle, you're so amazing! You can beat so many people all by yourself."
Qin Xiao then looked down at him and smiled.
He squatted down, looked the child in the eye, and asked, "Do you want to learn?"
"Yes!" Baili Hong nodded vigorously.
"I'll start teaching you next year," Qin Xiao said.
Baili Hong immediately became even more excited: "Then can I be as powerful as my uncle?"
"Yes," Qin Xiao said. "His Majesty will be even more capable than me."
"Wow--"
Chu Jiubian looked down at the little boy who wasn't even as tall as his own legs, a slight smile playing on his lips.
The little boy works hard every day and has indeed grown taller, but it will be a long time before he becomes as powerful as Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao looked up at Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian met his gaze and asked, "Shall we go back together?"
Qin Xiao stood up and said, "No, I have to meet someone later."
Who is it?
Qin Xiao laughed and said, "He's not an important person."
Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything more, while Qin Xiao kept staring at him.
Seeing that he didn't ask any further questions, Qin Xiao seemed to smile slightly.
The subtle atmosphere was palpable, not only to Qin Chaoyang, but also to Baili Hong.
The child looked up at this and then at that, finally fixing his gaze on Qin Chaoyang and blinking twice.
Qin Chaoyang shook his head with a dry laugh.
Perhaps the two masters had a falling out, but then again, it didn't seem so, and he couldn't figure it out.
"Then we'll head back first." Chu Jiubian took Baili Hong's little hand.
Qin Xiao then stood up and watched the three of them leave again.
Before driving away, Qin Chaoyang couldn't help but look back at Qin Xiao. He saw the other man standing there with his spear in hand, looking nonchalant, as if he had returned to the time when the other man was still a "playboy" in the capital.
He lacked the majesty of Prince Ning.
But Qin Chaoyang shuddered.
Others may not know, but those close to him do. Whenever the adult displays this attitude or laughs jokingly, it means he is in a very bad mood.
==
After returning to the palace, Chu Jiubian had dinner with Baili Hong, and then they parted ways.
Then the child pulled him into the main hall and carefully took out a stack of papers for Chu Jiubian to see, pointing to the different characters on them and saying, "Teacher, look, I'm going to have these characters made into seals and then give them to the students of the Imperial Academy."
Chu Jiubian was somewhat surprised: "Why?"
"Because they all like me, and I like them too, and I want to do something for them," the child said with a smile.
Chu Jiubian flipped through the papers and could see that the children had put their hearts into writing them, striving for perfection in every stroke.
And all these words are the names of those students.
Chu Jiubian looked up at the child's innocent smile, hesitating to speak.
"Sir?" Baili Hong sensed that he had something to say and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Chu Jiubian reached out his hand to him.
Baili Hong immediately rushed into his arms, hugging him and chuckling.
Chu Jiubian smiled and ruffled his hair, trying to speak in a gentle tone: "It's not wrong for you to love, and it's also good to be able to accept kindness from others and reciprocate with the same kindness."
"Just be prepared." Chu Jiubian's eyes darkened slightly. "Everyone changes. You've put in too much effort now, and you might get hurt in the future."
Baili Hong listened attentively and nodded, saying, "Sir, I understand. However, I am not afraid of getting hurt."
Chu Jiubian looked down at him.
The child looked up at him, his eyes clear and bright: "Uncle said that one should never lose the ability to love others. Even an emperor should retain the ability to believe in and care for others."
Chu Jiubian was taken aback.
"It's a wonderful thing to have someone you care about. No matter what happens in the future, the happiness and warmth in the present are real." Baili Hong said in a childish voice what Qin Xiao had told him. "When I look back on it in the future, I will be happy too."
Chu Jiubian stared at him, somewhat lost in thought.
He felt like he didn't understand what they were saying, yet he also felt like he understood something.
As dusk fell.
After returning from his shift, Hong Fu took Baili Hong to wash up and prepare for bed, while Chu Jiubian also returned to his bedroom.
Xiao Xiangzi and the others no longer serve at Yaotai Residence as often; instead, they spend most of their time in Yangxin Hall.
He had just finished his shift and was helping Chu Jiubian wash up.
As always, Chu Jiubian didn't want anyone to serve him; he waited until everyone had finished washing up before asking them to clean up.
Xiao Xiangzi poured him a glass of water, and together with Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi, they cleaned up the water that had splashed on the ground. They also chatted casually with Chu Jiubian about what happened at the Directorate of Ceremonial that day, their little mouths chattering away quite lively.
Chu Jiubian listened with great interest.
Perhaps influenced by Baili Hong's words, he felt a different way of looking at these familiar people, and even felt closer to them.
"Oh, right," Xiao Xiangzi said, "I just saw the master. He was sitting on the artificial hill in the Imperial Garden, not saying a word. It startled me."
Chu Jiu paused in her hair-drying motion and asked, "Is Qin Xiao in the Imperial Garden?"
“Yes,” Xiao Xiangzi said, puzzled. “At first, the master told me not to tell you where he was, but after I had walked several steps away, he said there was no need to hide it from you.”
Chu Jiubian seemed to be deep in thought.
After Xiao Xiangzi and the others left, the room became quiet.
Chu Jiubian sat in front of the mirror for a long time before getting up and going straight to bed.
Only one lamp was lit inside the room.
After an unknown amount of time, the door to the sleeping quarters finally opened.
Chu Jiubian looked over and saw the man's tall figure.
Qin Xiao first glanced into the inner room and saw that Chu Jiubian seemed to be asleep, so he quietly washed up in the outer room.
After washing up, he went back into the bedroom and carefully lay down on the bed.
Chu Jiubian had his back to him; he wasn't asleep, but he didn't turn around either.
He could feel Qin Xiao looking at him.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he heard Qin Xiao chuckle softly, and then he was pulled into the man's warm embrace.
"Aren't you going to ask me who I met tonight?" Qin Xiao asked.
Chu Jiubian remained silent.
Qin Xiao moved closer to him, propped himself up slightly, and reached out to touch his face.
Chu Jiubian did not dodge.
The man's rough fingertips lingered on his lips for a long while before he whispered, "I haven't seen anyone, and there's no one worth seeing."
Chu Jiubian remained silent.
Qin Xiao continued, "Unlike you, young master, who has so many trustworthy people."
Chu Jiubian: "..."
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