Chapter 75: Birthday Party Asked Me to Help Him Out
Afterward, Lu Tingwan's visits to the military camp became less frequent. She used her position as the Protector General to enter the palace and visit the library, where she consulted numerous texts on crafting instruments. Feng Xin wondered why she had become so obsessed with fine instruments. She could previously ignore external affairs for days and nights to develop the Jade Dew Cream, and even in the dead of night, she would devise endless business ideas.
Although she can no longer do business, she can still find something to do for herself.
Xie Zhao was busy with training all day and didn't spend much time studying bows and arrows. Lu Tingwan asked him for the blueprint of the Sunset Bow.
Cheng Xianzhi's target was moved to Yansheng Hall by Cangshu. The wooden stake was still the same wooden stake, but the target had been changed many times.
Spring was about to take hold in Yansheng Hall, and the previously dry vines were sprouting many tender leaves. She sat in the courtyard, enjoying the cool breeze and the lush greenery. The mahogany table was engraved with many knife marks of varying depths, all of which were left by her disassembling and assembling the crossbow.
The remaining sawdust was stuck to my clothes, and when the wind blew, the whole garden was filled with tiny pieces of sawdust.
Yansheng Hall also welcomed long-lost people in a quiet and comfortable atmosphere.
A pair of black boots embroidered with gold patterns, and a long robe caught in the debris, entering Lu Tingwan's eyes, blocking the original light. Lu Tingwan then reluctantly raised his eyes.
Just then, a beam of warm sunlight shone from behind him, and the light that luckily penetrated through dazzled her starry eyes. The man bathed in the light, staring down at her intently, and the three-dimensionality of his facial features was clearly visible despite his coldness.
She was stunned for a moment, raised her hand as if in disdain, pushed the person away and said, "You're blocking my light."
This time when she returned to Kyoto, Lu Tingwan seemed no longer so afraid of Cheng Xianzhi. If he felt that she was disrespectful, he would have to forgive her. If he couldn't forgive her, she would not be as servile and flattering as Gongsun Xue.
Because of this, her words and actions seemed more casual. Cheng Xianzhi didn't care about her changes, as long as she behaved herself.
He didn't rush to speak. He took the crossbow from her hand, looked it over, and then said calmly, "If we ask the Ministry of Industry to mass-produce this crossbow, do you think it would be feasible?"
"Are you talking to me?" Lu Tingwan looked around and asked.
"Is there anyone else here?" Cheng Xianzhi asked patiently.
"How would I know if the Ministry of Industry can forge it?" Lu Tingwan swept the debris off the wooden table. "You should ask the people in the Ministry of Industry about this."
Besides, the Ministry of Industry was staffed by skilled craftsmen. If Xie Zhao could make something with limited resources, how could the Ministry of Industry not be able to make it? As long as the blueprints were given, it would be a natural thing to complete in time.
"I didn't know you were so talented with these tools." Cheng Xianzhi looked at the arrow feathers on the target and asked casually.
"There are still many things that your Excellency doesn't know." Lu Tingwan didn't have much energy to talk to him.
She had no idea what to do with the Sunset Bow blueprint. Seeing her feeling bored, Cheng Xianzhi asked, "Xie Zhao knows about mechanical devices. You could go look for him in the barracks. If you can't figure it out by yourself in the courtyard, take your anger out on others."
Lu Tingwan finally understood what he meant. He was blaming himself for his bad tone and his bad face towards him.
She said nonchalantly with a hint of lethargy in her heart: "I went there today. I'm afraid Xie Zhao has no time to care about me now."
What Cheng Xianzhi heard was her tone full of regret.
"Why?" Cheng Xianzhi knew that the military's training schedule had not been intensive recently.
Lu Tingwan sighed heavily. "Xie Zhao had an argument with someone in the army. It turns out that person was the son of the Minister of Works. Xie Zhao has no power or influence, and that person relied on his status to suppress him. Now he is in trouble and has no time to care about me."
"So," Cheng Xianzhi seemed to have caught the opportunity, "Do you want to beg me for mercy? Perhaps I can still..."
Lu Tingwan felt that Cheng Xianzhi was more talkative than before, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
"What favor do you want?"
"Please ask me to help Xie Zhao settle this matter."
Lu Tingwan put on a sly smile and said proudly, "Then there's no need to trouble our Minister Cheng. Xie Zhao is capable and can bring that man under his control."
Lu Tingwan witnessed that scene in the military camp and still felt a bit unsatisfied when thinking about it. "That kid overestimated his own abilities and came to provoke Xie Zhao. Xie Zhao let him go with one hand, and he was defeated in just three moves. It turns out that the skills practiced by the Imperial Guards are all fake."
She was talking to herself, speaking excitedly, completely unaware of the gradual change in the expression of the person beside her. To say that the Imperial Guards were practicing fake tricks was to question Cheng Xianzhi's incompetence in training soldiers.
Xie Zhao had not undergone strict and regular training, but he was able to easily subdue his well-trained soldiers. This praise and killing made him really unhappy, but for the sake of face, as a minister and the governor of the imperial guards, he could only pretend to be calm.
"Then he boasted that Xie Zhao had the advantage in size and challenged him to an archery competition. Guess what?"
Lu Tingwan was still curiously interested in making Cheng Xianzhi guess, but Cheng Xianzhi had already quietly sat down on the wooden chair next to her.
Lu Tingwan didn't notice it at first, but when she turned around, she found a cold silhouette like a jade plate staring at her.
She was stunned at first, then distanced herself from him. Seeing that Cheng Xianzhi didn't respond, she continued, "Xie Zhao shot all the arrows on his target."
After saying that, she held her stomach and laughed non-stop.
"Now, he's pestering Xie Zhao to teach him archery and martial arts, and he even boasted in the army that he was his master. He's so busy teaching others skills that he has no time to care about me."
"But it's true. Xie Zhao is so amazing, with amazing skills, proficient in machinery, knowledgeable and humble. I wonder from whom he inherited his talent. If he was a child of an aristocratic family, he would have already become a shining star in the court." Lu Tingwan was never stingy with his praise for Xie Zhao.
Little did he know that the person behind him had a gloomy brow.
"So what you're saying is that even though the people in my camp are from aristocratic families and have the most abundant resources in all of Dalan, they're no match for Xie Zhao?"
"I didn't say that." Lu Tingwan spread his arms on the wooden table, not caring how many crumbs were stuck on his sleeves. The rolled-up sleeves revealed his white wrist bones, and his slender wrists were clearly visible.
The fingertips were just broken in a few places from dismantling the arm crossbow, and they were wrapped with gauze and rubbed with dust to give them a dark color.
"Minister Cheng is the most outstanding young man in Dalan. At such a young age, he holds the positions of minister of six ministries and supervises the governor of the imperial guards. In terms of style and talent, no one can compare to him." Her tone of exaggeration was completely empty and inconsistent.
"How can you compare yourself to others?"
Cheng Xianzhi regained his dignity, but still felt sour, "I am handsome and elegant, so I can't compare with others."
Lu Tingwan couldn't help but sneer, secretly laughing at this man for being so thick-skinned. Even though he was good-looking, it was okay if others said this, but it was funny when he said it himself.
Lu Tingwan sneered disdainfully: "Shh!"
Cheng Xianzhi on the other end was unhappy and asked with a slanted glance, "What are you yelling about?"
"Is it difficult to admit that others are better than you?" Lu Tingwan held up the part and squinted one eye to look at it through the light.
Suddenly, she felt a sinister aura coming from behind her, and she immediately changed her words: "Yes, yes, my lady is truly too beautiful." Lu Tingwan took the disassembled parts and pondered them carefully, "But I have beauty, but I don't have the talent like Xie Zhao."
"Of course, I don't have the calculations and strategies that you can use to control everything."
Cheng Xianzhi stood up and moved away, saying solemnly, "I plan to let Xie Zhao work in the Ministry of Works for a while."
"Why?" Lu Tingwan decisively put down the parts in his hand and stood up.
"Didn't you say he has refined forging skills and is quite knowledgeable about machinery? Sending him to the Ministry of Industry would be a perfect match for his abilities," Cheng Xianzhi said. "Why, are you unhappy?"
This would naturally be the best. If Xie Zhao had no objection, Cheng Xianzhi's arrangement would be more appropriate.
"Did you come here specifically to tell me this?" Lu Tingwan asked warily.
Cheng Xianzhi didn't deny it. "There's a birthday banquet for Concubine Rong being held in the harem in three days. Gongsun Xue has accepted the invitation, so of course she'll go. But since you've already returned to the capital and been granted the title of Marquis of Hudu, it's not very popular to stay in your house all day. It might be a good idea to go to the palace for a walk."
It turned out that he was waiting for her here. Lu Tingwan was not stupid. How could he have hinted at her to enter the palace just for her?
"What do you want me to do? So you want Xie Zhao to join the Ministry of Works on the condition that I go to the palace to attend this banquet? Is that right?" Lu Tingwan looked up at him.
"I guess so." Cheng Xianzhi said sternly.
"Why do you think that with Xie Zhao's future, he can make me work for you? Cheng Xianzhi." Lu Tingwan opened his almond-shaped eyes and looked at him motionlessly.
Cheng Xianzhi was speechless. He had assumed that she valued Xie Zhao and would naturally be willing to agree to his conditions.
"You don't want to?"
"You don't need to do anything, just attend. Rongpin is the most favored concubine in His Majesty's harem. If you can win Rongpin's favor at the Favored Concubine's birthday banquet, your future actions will be much smoother."
"Princess Rong?" Lu Tingwan was not familiar with this person. She didn't want to get involved in the disputes among the women in the mansion, let alone the women in the harem. Since she was the emperor's favorite, could the empress dowager tolerate her?
"Shouldn't you let Gongsun Xue do this for you? She would definitely be willing to die for you." Lu Tingwan ignored her, leaving only the lingering fragrance of her hair.
"Of course," Cheng Xianzhi smiled. "It's okay if you don't want to. If you don't want the divorce papers, my Shangshu Mansion can still provide for you."
"you……"
Cheng Xianzhi seemed to have understood her thoroughly. He tilted his head, a smile came over him, and his eyes were full of pride. That smile was so bright that it could make people hate him but also want to look at him a few more times. Lu Tingwan secretly promised herself that one day she would make him taste her power.
"Get out of here." She finally agreed reluctantly. Facing Cheng Xianzhi's naked threat, she was filled with anger. She couldn't stand looking at him anymore. She shouted to a remote place, "Feng Xin, get him out."
Cheng Xianzhi came back to the study from Yansheng Hall. Cang Shu saw him smiling all day long. Their master was usually serious and always looked cold. Only Han Zhou could talk to him for a few words.
"Master, is there any happy news today?" Cang Shu asked tentatively. Not to mention a happy news, even on the day of his wedding, Cang Shu had never seen him smile like this.
"Nothing." Cheng Xianzhi suppressed his smile and focused on replying to the official documents.
Xie Zhao wanted to join the Ministry of Works in preparation for improving the armed forces of the Imperial Guards, and he also had to promote the people he brought with him in the Imperial Guards.
Three days later, Rongpin's birthday banquet was held in Yongle Palace. Lu Tingwan attended in her best attire. This was her first appearance in a formal occasion after returning to Kyoto. She was not familiar with the etiquette she had learned before, so she asked Feng Xin to review it for her the night before.
Now I walk with my head held high and my chest puffed out, full of confidence.
The birthday banquet in Yongle Palace was full of dazzling items. The gorgeous curtains surrounded the banquet, making it look like a grand feast. Rongpin was wearing a bright and colorful dress embroidered with a lifelike peacock. The peacock's eyes were outlined and decorated with red coral and agate. As Rongpin walked, the peacock on the dress seemed to come alive, shining brightly.
However, no matter how knowledgeable and talented Lu Tingwan was about dressing up, she still felt overshadowed by Rongpin.
She sat behind Cheng Xianzhi and Gongsun Xue, and couldn't help but sigh that the favored concubine's status could be so grand.
But after a moment, she sighed inwardly, realizing that such glory had come at the cost of so much freedom and happiness.
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