89 Zhao Zhao
◎“I am yours, don’t you want to?”◎
Xiao Pingchuan dismissed the others in the tent, took one last look at the letter in his hand, and then burned it on the fire.
After scattering the ashes, he raised his arm, beckoned with his finger, and said in a deep voice, "Come out."
As soon as he finished speaking, a slender figure silently slipped into the tent and knelt on one knee before him. "General."
"Report all the major and minor events that have occurred in Ningyuan in the past ten days."
"Yes," the visitor said, pulling a thin booklet from his robes and unfolding it. "Yan Lin, the manager of Xingyuan Restaurant, secretly entered the pass... A loud noise was heard in the suburbs of Ningyuan City, which was explained as a landslide; Laomaoling is under complete martial law, and no one is allowed to enter or leave..."
The visitor reported everything in great detail, even recording how many bowls of rice Shen Suqin ate at each meal, who he met, and what he said.
"Alright, keep an eye on it."
It seemed the explosives were truly ready. Xiao Pingchuan suppressed his excitement and hurriedly set off with Xu Youcai and the others before noon.
Shen Suqin has been in a good mood these past two days, and she's even enjoying shopping.
Ningyuan City is quite different from last year. Not only has the population increased significantly, but the houses and streets are also being renovated and rebuilt. Small stalls selling food and beaded flowers have gradually appeared on the streets, and all kinds of shops have opened, giving it a rather prosperous appearance.
That day, Shen Suqin returned from the prefectural government office.
She went to the government office to discuss gunpowder with Shi Ye.
Although the gunpowder she has produced can be ignited remotely and has considerable power, it is still far from the effect she desires.
She wanted throwing-type, striking-type, and even more powerful ones, but the experienced fireworks makers couldn't make them; she'd have to ask the Capital Armory for help.
She went to Shi Ye to ask if it was possible to transfer a few experienced gunpowder makers from the capital to help the master craftsmen improve the gunpowder.
Shi Ye readily agreed, adding that he would go with Xiao Pingchuan to see the power of gunpowder when Xiao Pingchuan returned.
Shen Suqin sat in the carriage, pondering the various details about gunpowder. Suddenly, a sweet aroma wafted past her nose.
She lifted the curtain and saw a small stall selling cloud cakes by the roadside.
This cloud cake looks very similar to the ones from the capital, and Shen's parents often buy it for her.
"Stop the car, I want to buy something," she said after a long silence.
The coachman stopped the carriage and helped her lift the curtain. "You could have just given the order, Madam. Why did you have to get down yourself?"
“I want to buy this myself,” Shen Suqin said. “Boss, how much is the cloud cake?”
The shopkeeper quickly stood up. "Madam, take it if you want to eat it. It's free."
"It won't work without money."
"Giving you money would be a slap in the face. You've brought us a good life, and now I'm asking you for money if I want a piece of sweet cake? That would just make people talk behind my back."
The boss's words were so heartfelt that Shen Suqin was momentarily speechless.
The two were at an impasse when suddenly an unfamiliar man approached them.
Shen Suqin initially thought he was a customer, so she stepped aside.
The man's eyes were indeed fixed on the cloud cake, but unexpectedly, he suddenly sprang up, pulled a knife from his sleeve, and stabbed it at Shen Suqin.
Shen Suqin, being skilled in martial arts, immediately put her hands together to block his wrists, leaned back, and avoided the blade.
"Who are you?" she asked in a cold voice.
The other party remained silent, twisted his wrist to break free from her control, and stabbed at her again.
Shen Suqin retreated repeatedly, knocking over the stall and startling the crowd into scattering.
When the crowd becomes chaotic, there are more people trying to take advantage of the situation.
Soon, Shen Suqin found herself surrounded by many unfamiliar people. They faced outwards, forming a circle and protecting her firmly in the middle. It was clear that they were there to protect her.
The assassin failed in his first attack and, finding it difficult to strike again, immediately tried to flee.
But their later actions were even more ruthless. Some protected Shen Suqin from others getting close, while others specifically pursued the assassins, aiming to capture them alive.
"Whose people are you?" Shen Suqin asked.
"Don't worry, Madam, the General ordered us to protect you closely."
"Hmm?" Shen Suqin asked in confusion, "When did he arrange for you to come?"
"It was after you returned from Liangzhou."
Since the incident in Liangzhou, Xiao Pingchuan felt that if the Shatuo had infiltrated Liangzhou, then Jinzhou must also be in great danger.
They then arranged for people to investigate secretly, and also placed bodyguards around Shen Suqin and Shi Ye to protect their safety.
Unexpectedly, this arrangement actually came in handy.
Soon, the assassin was captured alive. The guards said that the general was on his way back to Ningyuan and that he should be left to be interrogated.
Shen Suqin nodded and did not interfere.
Upon returning to the Shen residence, she had barely stepped across the threshold when Yan Lin, Shi Ye, and Su Yubai arrived one after another.
"I heard you were stabbed in the street. Are you hurt?" Su Yubai called out before even getting inside.
Yan Lin also said, "I brought a doctor with me."
Shi Ye was accompanied by people, but he didn't say a word and silently walked inside.
When Shen Suqin saw the three of them appear together, she was completely bewildered.
“I’m fine,” she said, turning around in place. “You all know how skilled I am. No ordinary person could hurt me.”
Su Yubai looked you up and down for a while to make sure there was no problem before saying, "You have no idea how scary the rumors are. By now, they're probably saying you were stabbed to death in the street."
"Let the doctor take your pulse," Yan Lin said.
Shen Suqin obediently extended her hand to the doctor.
"Please sit down, Your Highness. What are you standing for? Please sit down as well."
Shi Ye had never seen Yan Lin before, and asked, "And who is this?"
Shen Suqin introduced: "Yan Lin is the rightful owner of Xingyuan Restaurant, my elder brother, who has taken good care of me since I was a child."
"Brother Yan, this is His Highness the Crown Prince."
Yan Lin bowed respectfully: "Your Highness."
“Brother, there’s no need for such formalities,” Shi Ye said. “Since the Shatuo came to Daliang last year, they’ve left behind quite a few hidden dangers. The city isn’t safe now either, so you should stay home as much as possible.”
"I understand," Shen Suqin said. "I don't know why they came after me. If we're talking about assassination, you're the one who should be the most targeted, aren't you?"
Shi Ye felt a pang of sadness: "You're actually hoping something happens to me?"
"No, that's not it, it's just strange."
"It's probably because word got out about what happened at Old Cat Ridge, and they're worried that you'll be able to build even more powerful firearms."
The next day, when Shen Suqin woke up, Ningyuan City was under martial law, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.
"What's going on?" she called for her personal guards.
The guard replied, "The Shatuo assassin has confessed; they came for you."
Shen Suqin's face darkened: "There's a soap workshop over at Laomaoling. Send a few people over there to keep an eye on it, and don't let the Shatuo people get in."
"The general has already made the arrangements."
"The general has arrived?"
"He arrived in the early morning. He wasn't the only one; he brought a full 70,000 men into the city. At daybreak, the general issued a general's order, commanding all counties and prefectures within Jinzhou to conduct self-inspections and report any suspicious individuals within ten days. The 70,000 Black Flag Army soldiers were to personally go to deal with the situation."
Shen Suqin looked displeased: "Why make such a big fuss?"
The nationwide manhunt for Shatuo spies demonstrates that Jinzhou is not an impenetrable fortress. If the people become panicked, who knows how many more troubles will arise.
"This assassin is after you; the general must be worried."
Where is he?
"Old Cat Ridge".
Shen Suqin packed up and rode her horse to Laomaoling.
Upon arrival, the entire gunpowder workshop was placed under strict lockdown, with a dense circle of people standing around the perimeter.
Upon seeing her arrive, the guards all clasped their hands in greeting: "Madam!"
Shen Suqin nodded in return: "Where is the general?"
"Reporting to Madam, this is the training ground on the back hill."
"Um."
When Shen Suqin arrived at the training ground, she saw that not only Xiao Pingchuan was there, but also Shi Ye, Xu Youcai, Chai Shun and the others.
Xiao Pingchuan was dressed in a black outfit, wearing a large cloak, with a gloomy expression, and he looked unapproachable.
However, upon seeing Shen Suqin arrive, his aura softened instantly, and he said gently, "Awake?"
Shen Suqin nodded: "Why don't you rest for a bit before coming over?"
They arrived in the early hours of the morning, interrogated the assassin, issued a general's order, and then rushed to Laomaoling.
“Shatuo has his eye on you, how can he sleep?” Shi Ye said.
Shen Suqin: "I'm fine."
Xiao Pingchuan sighed, gently rubbed her head, pulled her back a bit, and said to Lian Guoxi, "Let's begin."
In advance, thick walls, low mounds of earth, and deep trenches were erected in the open space in the middle of the training ground, and explosives were buried. They were just waiting for the order to ignite the fuse.
Shi Ye looked at the city wall in the distance. The old master craftsman had just said that the city wall was made of bluestone and lime mortar mixed with glutinous rice. Even if ten strong men worked together, they might not be able to break through it.
He had some doubts about whether the so-called explosive could really be that powerful.
At this moment, Lian Guoxi waved a flag in the distance.
As the flag fell, he took a few steps back and returned to his bunker.
Then came a silence. No one spoke; everyone held their breath and waited. The loudest sound was the whistling wind.
Xiao Pingchuan turned to look at Shen Suqin and saw that she was staring intently ahead, her whole body enveloped in a vibrant energy. Looking at her seemed to give him the boundless courage to fight against heaven and earth.
With a loud bang, he instinctively reached out and covered her ears.
Shen Suqin looked at him with a puzzled expression. In front of the two of them was a huge explosion of soil, a towering blast of air and dust, and also the earth-shattering weapon that ended the war.
The dust that had blanketed everything settled, and the once towering city walls were gone, leaving behind a wide-open road.
Shi Ye stared wide-eyed, stunned by what he saw.
If they hadn't heard beforehand that this explosive had the power to move mountains and fill seas, they would have really suspected that it was the work of gods.
"Jin, Jin'an! Did you see it?" Shi Ye asked Xiao Pingchuan excitedly.
Xiao Pingchuan had witnessed its power before, so he was alright at this moment.
"Gentlemen, there's more," Lian Guoxi reminded them.
"boom!"
A boulder half a person's height was hurled into the air, shattering into small pieces before it even hit the ground, falling like a torrential, noisy rain. There was also a trench ten feet deep, blasted out with explosives, and half a hilltop collapsed...
This was the first time Shi Ye had witnessed the immense power of a weapon, and the shock he felt was beyond words.
Such weapons, such power... who in the world could withstand them!
If these weapons were assigned to the Black Flag Army, the divine soldiers would be equipped with powerful tools, and wherever the Great Liang army went, the people would surely submit.
"Good!" His chest felt like it was on fire. "General Xiao, tell me, with this, can you still march into the Shatuo royal court?"
"I can."
The resounding success of the explosives filled Ningyuan with a high-spirited and cheerful atmosphere.
People like Xu Youcai and Chai Shun, who had witnessed the power of explosives up close, wished they could offer three sticks of incense a day to Shen Suqin as a sacred offering.
However, one person was unhappy, and that was Xiao Pingchuan.
Because Shen Suqin was avoiding him.
Why are you avoiding me?
That day, he blocked Shen Suqin's way and asked her directly.
They couldn't return to Shule River yet because they had to wait for a batch of explosives to be manufactured at Laomaoling so they could take them back.
"Why would I hide from you?" she asked without looking up.
She's currently writing something at her desk in the study.
"Then look up at me now."
Shen Suqin glanced at him perfunctorily, then quickly looked down again.
Xiao Pingchuan was displeased to see that she was still thinking about writing at this time. He snatched her brush and threw it away. He then grabbed her shoulders across the table, lifted her up, and placed her in front of him. He pressed her down onto the table and said, word by word, "Look at me."
“I saw it,” she said.
"I want to kiss you now."
Shen Suqin: "..."
After saying that, his tall figure loomed over her, pressing her tightly against the bookshelf. Then, a deep, husky voice came from above her head: "Today I offer myself as your bedmate, so please accept me, my lady."
As he spoke, the faint sensation from the vibrations in Xiao Pingchuan's chest was like a soft, fluffy duster, brushing against Shen Suqin's ears, stirring her heart.
When Xiao Pingchuan leaned down and lifted her chin, Shen Suqin's fingers gripped the bookshelf tightly.
The touch on her lips was soft and warm. As she moved her fingers around, Shen Suqin would unconsciously clench them again and again.
The clothes on her shoulders loosened, and Shen Suqin shifted uncomfortably, whispering, "It's daytime."
Xiao Pingchuan's voice was hoarse: "I know."
"...Not in the study."
Xiao Pingchuan paused, and after a long while, he released Shen Suqin, buried his head in her neck, and whispered, "Do you know how scared I was when I heard the news of your stabbing yesterday?"
Shen Suqin put her arm around him and said, "I know."
The journey, which would normally take a day and a night, was compressed into one night, which shows how urgent he was.
"Then why are you avoiding me?"
Shen Suqin thought to herself: It's all because of your eyes, they look like you want to eat people. Anyone who sees them can see what you're thinking.
"Alright, there are people outside, stop fooling around." Shen Suqin patted him.
Xiao Pingchuan's eyes were bloodshot as he silently stared at her.
Shen Suqin lowered his head, then quickly raised it again, shifting uncomfortably as he said, "General, you are in excellent health."
"My wound has healed, would you like to take a look?" Xiao Pingchuan said in a low voice.
As he spoke, he lifted his shirt, revealing his well-defined, muscular shoulder. There was a round, pink scar there, standing out starkly against his honey-colored muscles.
Shen Suqin couldn't help but reach out and touch it with her finger. The skin was a little uneven, probably because she had cut it with a knife.
Xiao Pingchuan turned his head and looked down at her fingers, then continued, "The wound on your waist and abdomen has healed as well."
After saying that, he pressed her hand down, lifted her clothes, and stared intently into her eyes, saying, "Madam, we have been married for a long time."
Shen Suqin's fingertips were burning hot; the man in front of her was making such obvious advances that she couldn't help but feel nervous.
"And then what?"
Xiao Pingchuan fiddled with her fingertips, "I'm yours, don't you want to?"
Shen Suqin's rationality collapsed with those words. When she came to her senses, she was already lying on the bedroom bed, her clothes disheveled. The thought of having to pass so many people on the way from the study to the bedroom made Shen Suqin want to bury herself.
Xiao Pingchuan's strong arms enveloped her, and beads of sweat slid down her scarred skin inch by inch, finally dripping onto Shen Suqin's fair and slender collarbone.
"Um... I told them all to leave... um... no one saw," Xiao Pingchuan said, panting heavily.
Shen Suqin closed her eyes, reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her face. She whispered in his ear, "Has the general not eaten?"
The bed curtains swayed gently... the moon cast a slanting shadow... the candlelight in the bedroom burned all night.
The next day, Shen Suqin woke up slowly; the sun was already high in the sky.
Xiao Pingchuan, dressed in his undergarments, sat on the edge of the bed with his long legs dangling over the edge, looking at a stack of papers.
Shen Suqin turned to look at him: "What are you looking at?"
Xiao Pingchuan put the stack of papers aside, leaned over and asked, "You're awake. Is there anything wrong with your body?"
Shen Suqin shook her head, trying to sit up, but found that her waist and legs ached so badly they didn't feel like her own.
She paused for a moment, then lay back down.
Xiao Pingchuan reached out and rubbed her lower back while helping her sit up against his chest. He then took the stack of papers and said, "These are the confessions of the Shatuo spies we've uncovered in various places. Would you like to see them?"
"I won't look." Shen Suqin shook her head.
"How about you sleep a little longer?"
"I'm not going to sleep."
"Then let's do something else."
Xiao Pingchuan threw the confession aside and leaned down to press down on it.
This time he was unusually slow, coaxing Shen Suqin to give him a title and forcing her to call him husband. He didn't leave his room for a whole day and night.
Xiao Pingchuan only stayed in Ningyuan for three days before returning home, taking gunpowder with him.
More guards have been added to Old Cat Ridge; they are active-duty soldiers of the Black Flag Army, and everyone who enters or leaves will be strictly questioned.
Half a month later, shocking news arrived throughout the Great Liang: half of the Shatuo royal court had been destroyed by gunpowder, the gunpowder maker had been killed, the new king was injured, and countless people had died or been injured within the royal court.
Anyone with eyes can see that Xiao Pingchuan did this, and only he has the ability to do so.
As for the reason, it is said that the general's wife was assassinated, and he loved this woman very much. It is understandable that he would act rashly for the sake of his beloved.
After all, as soon as they heard the news of the assassination attempt, the 70,000 Black Flag Army immediately marched eastward and swept through the entire Jinzhou with an absolutely forceful attitude, even dragging out and questioning the rats hiding in the cracks of the bricks.
However, it is still somewhat unbelievable that the bomb could suddenly reach the royal palace. It is unknown how much power General Xiao has hidden behind him.
However, after this incident, Shatuo became much more obedient.
As autumn drew to a close, Shen Suqin officially began his investigation into the coal and iron mines.
Coal is not common in Daliang, and few people know its uses. Shen Suqin herself doesn't know much about it either, only that it can be used as fuel.
The mine at Lao Mao Ling had more coal than iron. After it officially started mining, Shen Suqin ordered some explosives from the gunpowder workshop to carry out targeted blasting, which was much easier than digging by hand. So, before winter even arrived, the mine was almost completely mined.
The iron smelting workshop was originally planned to be located within the ancient ancestral hall, but its location was relatively remote and the walls were built higher than elsewhere. Apart from a few managers and workers inside, few people knew that there was an iron smelting workshop in the ancient ancestral hall.
This was Yan's first time working in iron smelting, and the work he had to do was much more than he had imagined.
They went through several groups of people just to find someone to build the furnace for smelting iron, because there were simply too few people who knew how to smelt iron, or they were restricted by the government mines and not allowed to be sent out.
Yan Lin used his extensive network of connections to find a few knowledgeable people to help.
“We used to use charcoal to burn black gold, but now we’re switching to these black lumps. Will it work?” one of the craftsmen asked.
"I don't know, I've never used it before. But my boss said this stuff burns longer than charcoal. I saw her using this black lump to keep warm yesterday, so it should work."
"How about we give it a try first?"
"Try it, try it, if it doesn't work, we can try the old method again."
And so, the first piece of coal was thrown into the iron furnace, and the bright red flames reflected off the faces of several people.
They were surprised that the ore could be melted into molten iron by this black lump, as they had never achieved this effect with charcoal before. Everyone was shocked and felt that they had encountered something extraordinary.
The iron smelting workshop was operating discreetly, with several pairs of eyes watching them.
According to regulations, finished ironware needs to be registered and reported to the imperial court. Since Shen Suqin's iron smelting workshop was under the jurisdiction of the prefecture, it should also have been reported.
Shi Ye only asked Shen Suqin to make a backup with him, and didn't make any other requests.
"What do you want to do with the ironware?" Shi Ye asked.
“First and foremost, it must be firearms,” Shen Suqin pushed the blueprints to him. It was a blueprint for a single-shot pistol with a simple design. “Using iron for the gun body and gunpowder for the ammunition, it can injure people from a distance and has enormous destructive power.”
Shi Ye's expression was serious. "Has Xiao Pingchuan seen this before?"
"He reviewed it, and he even helped improve the blueprints."
Shi Ye pushed the blueprints back to her, saying, "You can tell me what kind of people or things you need, and I will fully cooperate."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
“You,” Shi Ye hesitated for a moment, “I’ve always wanted to ask you, why do you know so much about this?”
Shen Suqin was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting him to ask this. After thinking for a moment, she said, "My teacher is Ji Weiya. Is it strange that I know these things?"
"But there are many things that I couldn't find even after searching through all the history books."
"That means you haven't read enough books."
Shi Ye hesitated: "Maybe."
Shen Suqin smiled and said, "Your Highness, you are busy. I will go back first."
"Wait," Shi Ye called out to her.
Shen Suqin turned around, "What?"
"You and Xiao Pingchuan...you guys..."
"What?"
"It's nothing, go ahead."
A pistol—no, in this era it should be called a firearm.
The manufacture of muskets is a delicate craft; at least the craftsmen Yan Lin found could not make such exquisite firearms.
“We can disassemble it, cast it part by part, and then assemble it back together,” Shen Suqin suggested.
"But won't the assembled parts be sturdy?"
"Yes, it'll explode and hurt people."
“That’s the question you all need to consider,” Yan Lin said. “The person in charge is just giving you advice based on experience. Whether to take it or not, and what to do after taking it, is your business. Otherwise, what would I have asked you all to do here?”
After saying that, he added, "If we succeed in making this, we'll all be remembered in history. If we fail, then we'll just have to wait it out. There are millions of people in the Great Liang Dynasty. I refuse to believe that we can't find a single person who knows how to make it. Please be aware of this."
Everyone agreed.
As she left the iron smelting workshop, Shen Suqin looked at the sky. The sky was high and vast. "Winter is almost here," she said.
"Yes, as winter approaches, all things lie dormant, waiting for the spring of next year. I wonder what kind of scenery it will be then."
Ningyuan welcomed guests after the first snowfall of winter.
The other party stood directly in front of the Shen residence with generous gifts, presenting a visiting card to Shen Suqin.
When Shen Suqin received the message, she was in the greenhouse in Guzongfang, discussing the yield of vegetables for this winter with Su Yubai.
Last winter, when the green vegetables were first introduced, not many people knew about them.
After a year of preparation, orders have been pouring in like snowflakes as winter begins this year.
Shen Suqin originally didn't want to put in much effort on this, but she couldn't resist the sheer volume of orders.
"Should we also take over the land east of Ningyuan to build greenhouses?" Su Yubai asked.
Shen Suqin shook her head: "I have other uses for the land in the east. I am now considering whether to move the greenhouse to Yongluo County."
"Yongluo?"
"Yes, the climate is warmer south of Ningyuan, the land is fertile, and the official roads are smooth."
"Didn't Yongluo plan to plant wheat next year?"
“Yongluo is sparsely populated and has a wide land area, so planting both will not interfere with work.”
"Speaking of which, what are you planning to do with that piece of land to the east?" Su Yubai suddenly interjected.
Shen Suqin smiled mysteriously: "Now that the wheat has been grown, it's not too much to set up a flour mill, right? I can then develop some noodles, flatbreads, and the like. They can be sold separately or supplied to the state army together with the meat jerky workshop."
Su Yubai silently gave a thumbs up, "Let's continue talking about vegetables. If we move to Yongluo, I won't be able to take care of them."
"That's alright, just have Commander Zhou find someone else."
"Okay, then let's get them to start construction as soon as possible, before the weather gets too cold and the ground freezes, and try to build a batch of greenhouses in Yongluo before the heavy snow falls."
"Okay, it's up to you now."
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