jdhmnovel Chapter 160 Firearms Battalion
Chapter 160 Firearms Battalion
If Princess Qi dared to utter the slightest complaint or attempt to defend herself, Consort Jiang would immediately adopt a righteous and indignant demeanor, solemnly accusing, "Look at your Qi Prince's Mansion! How dare you be so indifferent to the Emperor's favor! Do you not even respect the Emperor?"
Anyone would find it hard to accept such a statement!
As the days went by, Princess Qi began to break down. She told Prince Qi about it, but he said she was making a mountain out of a molehill and ignored her.
As a result, he eventually developed a chronic illness and had to rely on medication to recuperate.
However, this act of taking the medicine inadvertently gave Consort Jiang an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
She secretly instructed her spies planted in the Prince Qi's residence to secretly mix in some cold-natured medicinal herbs when the person in charge of decocting the medicine was not paying attention. The amount was small each time, but the Princess Qi drank it every day.
It is important to know that these cold-natured medicinal herbs can be extremely harmful to a woman's body, especially her uterus. Long-term use will inevitably lead to conditions such as uterine coldness.
Sure enough, not long after, the physician of the Prince Qi's residence, after a careful diagnosis, said to the Princess Qi with great concern, "Your Highness, you are suffering from uterine cold. If you want to conceive successfully, you must first regulate your body."
Unfortunately, just as Princess Qi was diligently taking her medicine as prescribed, Consort Jiang had already made arrangements and ordered her henchmen, who were lurking in the Qi Prince's residence, to seize the opportunity to secretly administer more medicine to Princess Qi.
Thus, Princess Qi's condition became increasingly complex amidst this back-and-forth struggle—sometimes improving, sometimes suddenly worsening, fluctuating endlessly. Ultimately, Princess Qi was unable to conceive and remained childless.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, they are all well-behaved," Li Quan replied respectfully.
Li Quan had also returned to the palace not long ago. After returning to the palace, he went straight to the Ministry of Works with the blueprints for the climbing frame in his hand.
When the Minister of Works caught sight of the blueprint in his hand, a flash of surprise and excitement crossed his eyes. Without hesitation, he immediately ordered the mobilization of numerous skilled craftsmen, and the entire Ministry of Works sprang into action. Some were responsible for searching for the necessary materials; others focused on precisely measuring every dimension, ensuring absolute accuracy.
Once everything was ready, the Minister of Works personally led a team of experienced craftsmen to Cuiwei Palace to carry out the installation work.
So, what exactly made the Minister of Works attach such importance to this matter?
It turns out that Marquis Ding'an had recently joined a brand-new department under the Ministry of Works—the Firearms Battalion. This Firearms Battalion was specially established by the current emperor based on the books containing knowledge about weapon manufacturing that were presented by the Duke of Zhenguo.
The Emperor eagerly anticipated witnessing firsthand the legendary powerful firearms: such as the incredibly powerful cannons, the firing muskets, the extremely destructive gunpowder, and the terrifying hand grenades, etc.
Possessing these advanced firearms would not only help a nation expand its territory, but also play a crucial role in defending cities. Furthermore, they would undoubtedly be powerful weapons to deter neighboring hostile forces.
However, the manufacturing technology of these firearms was highly classified and could not be easily exposed. After all, every country secretly sends spies to infiltrate other countries to steal intelligence, and the emperor could not be sure whether there were spies from enemy countries lurking within his own Ministry of Works. Therefore, the research and development and production of firearms had to be handled with utmost care and kept strictly secret.
Therefore, such a crucial item required a completely new department to manage it properly, and thus the "Firearms Battalion" came into being. Moreover, this department had to be established in secret; apart from the Minister of Works, everyone else was kept in the dark.
The newly established firearms battalion was entirely entrusted to the Marquis of Ding'an for management. The recruitment of personnel was also personally handled by the Marquis of Ding'an.
To be honest, if the firearms were accidentally leaked, then Marquis Ding'an would certainly be held responsible.
However, how could the Marquis of Ding'an be an ordinary person? How could he easily allow such a thing to happen?
Let's look at the location he chose. It is located in a secluded valley deep in a majestic mountain. The place is surrounded by mountains and has a treacherous terrain. What's even more wonderful is that there is a thick layer of miasma outside the valley, which acts as a natural barrier to protect it.
Anyone wishing to enter or leave this place must first obtain a pill specifically designed to ward off this miasma; otherwise, there is absolutely no way to pass through unimpeded.
Looking at the people recruited by the Marquis of Ding'an, they were all elites from the mysterious and unpredictable secret guard battalion of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. To put it bluntly, these people were actually his own people. He just used the name of the firearms battalion to incorporate these people into the imperial court's system, thus giving them legitimate official status.
At the same time, this change has not only greatly benefited the individuals involved, but also brought countless conveniences and advantages to their families. The days of walking on thin ice and living in constant fear are now a thing of the past. They can finally let go of their burdens, relax their tense nerves, and live a carefree life like ordinary people.
When Li Quan arrived at the imperial palace, he couldn't wait to share this good news with Su Nuannuan. However, as we mentioned before, apart from the high-ranking Minister of Works, no one else knew that the Marquis of Ding'an had already joined the Ministry of Works' firearms battalion. So how did Li Quan learn of this secret?
The answer was actually not complicated; it was precisely what the Duke of Zhenguo told him.
After all, the matter of the firearms battalion was something he discussed with the emperor.
The intention behind the Duke of Zhenguo's actions is obvious—he wanted to convey two important things to Su Nuannuan through Li Quan: first, the Emperor had already accepted the crucial item; second, her elder brother, the Marquis of Ding'an, had also been taken away by the Emperor.
Upon learning of this, Su Nuannuan's expression instantly turned serious. She stared intently at Li Quan and instructed him, word by word, "Li Quan, you must keep this matter a secret from everyone. Never let anyone know! Not only that, but you must not utter a single word about it, not even in your sleep!"
Upon hearing Su Nuannuan's instructions, Li Quan hurriedly nodded in agreement, indicating that he knew nothing about it. He bowed humbly and said with trepidation, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I am just an insignificant servant."
However, when Su Nuannuan heard Li Quan's words, she couldn't help but secretly complain in her heart: "How dare you call yourself a servant? Now all my spies are under your command. Do you really think of yourself as an ordinary servant?" However, she naturally wouldn't say these thoughts out loud.
Putting aside these distracting thoughts for now, let's get back to the main topic—Princess Qi has passed away.
After Li Quan solemnly made his promise, Su Nuannuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then said, "There is one more thing I need you to do. When the time is right, ask those women in private. If they are unwilling to become concubines of Prince Qi, then I will find a way to arrange for them to leave Prince Qi's residence and find another way out. Remember, this matter must be done in secrecy, and you must not let a word of it leak out."