Xie Yushu knew they were curious, but she couldn't demonstrate it to them. She just told them that this thing must not be subjected to violent vibrations or collisions, must be kept away from fire, and must not get wet, otherwise they would all die a horrible death.
Although Qingfeng and the others verbally acknowledged that they understood, they were unconvinced. They thought to themselves, "What's so great about this thing, just a bag of dust and dirt? We, the Divine Eagle Guards, are all highly skilled in martial arts. Do you think we can be killed by this bag of dirt?"
In the blink of an eye, he can dodge eight and kick two others away.
Although he didn't say it, Qingfeng was quite disappointed with this thing.
In their view, this thing was not as deadly as a repeating crossbow.
Xie Yushu could tell what they were thinking just by looking at their expressions. She was afraid that they wouldn't take her words seriously, wouldn't pay attention to them, and would be too casual about them. If something went wrong, it would be too late. So she emphasized again that they must handle things with care.
Just as they were finishing making the explosives, a messenger came from outside, saying that officials from the imperial court had arrived and were expected to reach Tai'an Prefecture the next day.
This was likely Emperor Qingyuan's way of rewarding Han Zhongyu and Xie Yushu for their efforts in defending the city.
Seeing that everything was almost ready and only the finishing touches were left, Xie Yushu asked Qingfeng to lead the team to clean up the mess and instructed them to make sure that all traces in the courtyard were thoroughly cleaned up.
Then he took Nanxing back to the villa ahead of schedule.
It had been several days since she had seen Han Zhongyu. Of course, they were both very busy during this time, which was a big reason. Another reason was the deaths of Xuan Yuanche and so many of his brothers.
Although nominally master and servant, they were actually family members who had spent a long time together, so you can imagine how they felt.
Therefore, the two tacitly gave each other space to process their emotions and adjust their mindset.
Neither of them could say how long it would take, but it certainly wouldn't be now.
Therefore, the two deliberately avoided seeing each other again.
However, we should at least meet with the officials from the imperial court who have come this time.
Therefore, Xie Yushu took the initiative to go to Han Zhongyu.
She didn't intend to tell Han Zhongyu about her specific actions, but Han Zhongyu did know that she had asked Wang Wu to prepare food and chariots for her back in Tianshui City.
Upon their reunion, Han Zhongyu gave her a brief hug, suppressing the deep longing in his eyes, and said...
"The imperial court sent people this time for two reasons. First, to commend me. Second, my position may be transferred. The emperor has already ordered Pei Jie to attack the Tatars. Originally, I wanted to go with you to avenge Ache, but the imperial order cannot be obeyed. I cannot accompany you, so you should not go and risk your life."
I believe that even if Archer were alive, he wouldn't want you to avenge him!
Xie Yushu didn't want to lie to him, so she said...
"I assure you, I won't personally go into battle, but I will bring the Divine Eagle Guard with me."
Han Zhongyu listened, gave a wry smile, and nodded.
"I understand. Then you must come back safely!"
"Don't worry! You know I have plenty of ideas, I won't be stupid enough to go and die!"
"Okay, then I'll wait for you!"
Xie Yushu nodded and asked.
Where does the Emperor want to transfer you?
"Grandpa guessed that he should have returned to the capital to serve as the Chief Administrator of Grain Supply, a third-rank official, and that he had been transferred from supervision to agricultural development."
"I guess they saw that the development model in Tai'an Prefecture was good and wanted to imitate it throughout the entire Great Qi!"
Xie Yushu nodded after hearing this.
"Very well. You are a civil official, and agriculture is the foundation of the nation. The Emperor entrusting this matter to you is a sign of his trust in you."
Moreover, you've done a great job here and have plenty of experience, so you're definitely suited for this role.
"Only half a rank promotion? That's a bit stingy!"
Xie Yushu said with a hint of teasing.
Han Zhongyu said
"It's already quite high. There's an unwritten rule in the court that a family cannot have two high-ranking officials of the third rank or above. The Emperor has already made an exception for the Han family!"
However, according to my grandfather, once I return to the imperial court to take up my post, he will resign from his official post.
With his elder brother and I in the court, he's considering stepping back.
Xie Yushu nodded, indicating her understanding.
The two chatted casually, neither of them bringing up the topic of parting.
What's meant to happen will happen. The next day, the emperor's edict arrived. One of the edicts was for Han Zhongyu, praising him for his meritorious service in defending the city and promoting him to the rank of Third-Rank Official in charge of grain storage. He was to return to the capital immediately to take up his post.
The second reward was for Xie Yushu. Because of her strategy, Han Zhongyu and his men, with only a few thousand men, were able to defend Tianshui City and avoid greater losses. Xie Yushu was awarded a plaque recognizing her as a heroine and five thousand taels of silver.
He also personally wrote a calligraphy piece for the Heroes' Tomb in Tianshui City and the Yuquan Mountain Villa Mausoleum. The one in Tianshui City reads "Heroes' Tomb of the Great Qi Dynasty," and the one in Yuquan Mountain Villa reads "Heroes' Mausoleum of Yuquan Mountain Villa." He also specially approved the construction of memorial archways for both sites to comfort the spirits of the fallen heroes.
Xie Yushu was still gratified by Emperor Qingyuan's actions, at least Emperor Qingyuan had not forgotten those who died on the battlefield to defend their country.
As for herself, she didn't care whether she received any rewards or not. So, Xie Yushu distributed the five thousand taels of silver she had been given as a reward to the brothers who had gone to Tianshui to defend the city and returned alive.
Early the next morning, Han Zhongyu set off back to the capital. Xie Yushu saw him off outside the territory of Tai'an Prefecture. Before parting, Han Zhongyu tried several times to keep Lanting by her side, but Xie Yushu refused each time.
The Han family were not military families, and even though they had manpower in their mansion, the number was limited. After this battle, Han Zhongyu's secret guards were reduced to only Lanting and three others. If he left Lanting with her, he would have no useful manpower by his side.
It's said that a new broom sweeps clean, but without many capable people at his disposal, how can those three fires be lit? So he said...
"You can rest assured and take Lanting and the others back to their posts. If five hundred Divine Eagle Guards can't protect me, then adding Lanting won't help either."
Don't worry, I'll protect myself.
Helpless, Han Zhongyu could only give Xie Yushu one last hug before reluctantly leaving.
After seeing Han Zhongyu off, Xie Yushu went back to the mountain to find Zheng Dacheng to see how his things were going. Once they were done, she should prepare to secretly travel to the Tatars.
The two parted ways today, one heading south to the capital, the other north to the Tatars, each preparing to embark on the next stage of their respective journeys.
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