Chapter 224 Western Artillery
Lu Zhiran knew about this matter first. Everything was as expected and she was not surprised.
In the evening, Yaoguang Pavilion welcomed an uninvited guest.
Zijuan is here.
She stroked her belly, her face filled with worry. "Miss, have you heard? The master wants to bring his wife back home. What should we do?"
She had betrayed Fang in the past, and given Fang's personality, she would definitely not let her go.
Lu Zhiran calmly soothed her, "Don't worry, Aunt Zijuan. Father brought Fang back because Fang Chengcai got promoted. He had no choice. In fact, father has not forgiven her. The child in your belly is what father is most worried about and cares about. If you have any concerns, please tell me. I will protect you."
Zijuan still frowned, "Master is a man after all, he doesn't often walk around the inner house..."
"I will be getting married soon. I can protect you for a while, but I can't protect you forever."
Zijuan was speechless.
Lu Zhiran looked at her and said, "Only when you stand up on your own can you protect yourself."
"I know this truth, but not everyone has your skills and abilities."
Lu Zhiran said calmly, "My abilities and methods are not innate. Instead of being nervous, why not take the initiative and kill your opponent? Then you will be safe."
Zijuan's expression paused slightly, "But, how easy is this?"
Fang is a scheming person and has been running the government for many years. Even if he loses power temporarily, he will not be easy to deal with.
She looked at Lu Zhiran eagerly, "Miss, do you have any ideas?"
Lu Zhiran looked at her with a half-smile, "Aunt Zijuan has been with Fang for over twenty years and knows her much better than I do. If we talk about Dharma, Aunt Zijuan should also know much more than I do."
Zijuan looked thoughtful.
"Aunt Zijuan, go back and think about it carefully. If you need me, just ask. I will definitely not refuse."
After sending Zijuan away, Cuifu couldn't help but say, "Aunt Zijuan is really smart. She even wants to use the young lady to help her deal with the lady."
Lu Zhiran smiled faintly.
She was not an ordinary person as she was able to secretly get pregnant with Lu Guanxuan's child without Fang's knowledge and secretly spy for him.
"She wants to use me, and I also have places where I need her. Her being smarter isn't a bad thing for me."
If she was too stupid, Lu Zhiran would worry that she would hold him back.
Fang is not a concern, Lu Zhiran is always thinking about Xiao Yanci.
According to the time calculation, he has already arrived in Xiping. I wonder what the situation is like there? Is everything still under control?
His letter should be delivered in some time.
Lu Zhiran went to bed with worry, and that night she had a dream. In the dream, Xiao Yanci was lying in a pool of blood, with arrows all over his body, like a hedgehog.
Lu Zhiran woke up in fright, his back covered in cold sweat.
She didn't fall asleep in the second half of the night. As soon as she closed her eyes, the image of Xiao Yanci covered in blood appeared in her mind.
The next day, a dark shadow appeared under Lu Zhiran's eyes, and he looked not in good spirits.
What did that dream portend? Could something have happened to Xiao Yanci?
This thought echoed in my mind for a long time.
"Miss, Zhang De'an is back and he brought you good news."
Zhang De'an is Tan Xulin's right-hand man. She sent him to Lingnan to be responsible for many matters such as sea transportation and stocking. In addition, he also inquired about another important matter.
Now he suddenly came to the capital and brought back good news. Lu Zhiran was alert and stood up immediately.
"Hurry, change my clothes."
Lu Zhiran met Zhang De'an at the old place, Shufangzhai. He was in his early thirties, had a short beard, a dark face, and looked very capable.
"My humble servant greets you, young lady. I have already found out the details of the matter you asked me to investigate."
Lu Zhiran looked serious.
"I've been hanging around the Lingnan docks for a while now. Just over half a month ago, the Hengrui Trading Company's merchant ships returned, bringing back a large batch of foreign goods. I noticed that one of the ships hadn't unloaded its cargo yet, and it had a very deep draft. When the boatmen disembarked, they still smelled of gunpowder. I spent a few days getting to know them, and one of them got drunk and accidentally let something slip. I can basically conclude that their ship was probably carrying cannons purchased from foreigners."
When Lu Zhiran heard this, a look of joy immediately appeared on her face.
What she was looking for was the batch of artillery purchased from the barbarians.
In the previous life, a businessman bought a batch of artillery and sold it to Xiao Yanqing at a high price. Xiao Yanqing then presented the artillery to Emperor Defeng, and was increasingly valued by Emperor Defeng.
It is said that those artillery pieces were so powerful that the Great Qi Dynasty later relied on them to directly conquer the small countries on the southern border, and the reputation of the Great Qi spread far and wide.
If this batch of artillery can be transported to Xiping, then what is there to fear from the small Qiang flute?
This time, when her merchant ship went out to sea, she specifically gave instructions on this matter, asking them to seize the opportunity to purchase a batch of firearms.
However, it takes at least half a year for a merchant ship to go out to sea and return to Beijing.
Not to mention that they might not be able to purchase suitable firearms, even if they did, it would be too late.
That's why she asked Zhang De'an to inquire about the artillery in Lingnan.
But she didn't know when the caravan bought the artillery, so she didn't dare to hold out much hope.
Unexpectedly, Zhang De'an actually brought back good news.
In her previous life, since the wealthy businessman was willing to sell the cannon to Xiao Yanqing, in this life, as long as she offered enough chips, she would be able to buy it from him.
Lu Zhiran asked hurriedly, "What's the origin of Hengrui Commercial Bank? Do you know who their owner is?"
Zhang De'an said, "Hengrui Trading Company was originally unknown until one of their merchant ships sailed overseas, opened up a new shipping route, and brought back over a dozen ships of rare treasures, making a killing. That's when they became known to the public. As for the owner behind them, they've never revealed their identity."
It turns out that Hengrui Trading Company was the first to try this out.
Merchant ships had suffered shipwrecks one after another, and no one dared to take risks again. Only Hengrui Trading Company was skilled and courageous, and opened up a new route.
Her caravan also followed the trend of Hengrui Trading Company.
Lu Zhiran slowly calmed down and asked, "Do you have a way to contact the owner of Hengrui Commercial Bank?"
Zhang De'an nodded. "I came to Beijing with the manager of Hengrui Commercial Bank. I guess the Dong family member is probably in Beijing, and he is here to tell the Dong family the good news."
This time, Hengrui Trading Company brought back a lot of rare treasures, and they could make a lot of money from this batch of goods.
Lu Zhiran was overjoyed. "Okay, Zhang Dean, I'll leave this matter to you. I'm determined to get those artillery pieces. If you can help me get this done, I'll reward you handsomely!"
"I will live up to everyone's expectations and get this done!"
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