allonlinenovel Chapter 294 Slave
Chapter 294 Slave
“Father, I did not come to apologize just now because I could not keep this a secret.” Prince Yu was overwhelmed with grief, his hand pressed against his chest, his voice weak and strained. “After five years, I finally succeeded in developing the crossbow. When I awoke and heard this good news, I came to apologize to you and report this joyous event to you. I did not expect that you would have learned of the news from the weapons workshop in advance.”
A look of surprise flashed across Emperor Jing'an's eyes, yet he also felt it was within his expectations.
If Prince Yu hadn't been so naive, why would he have deliberately blown up the weapons workshop and offered his own apology?
"What I developed before was a giant crossbow that fired spears and could penetrate shields and breastplates. Today, I successfully tested a crossbow that fires stone and gunpowder projectiles, which can blast enemy troops hundreds of feet away into complete chaos."
Prince Yu explained the power of the crossbows and then suggested, "Father, the Northern Qi envoys are in the Great Zhou. You could arrange a military exercise and invite them to watch it together."
To achieve this, he layered up all the available resources, then played his final card, handing over the weapons workshop to the imperial court and clearing himself of the charge of manufacturing weapons illegally.
All of this must be based on his successful research and development in order to atone for his mistakes.
Emperor Jing'an reviewed the blueprints for the crossbows and the records of each test. As Prince Yu had said, possessing such a powerful weapon was indeed like adding wings to a tiger.
Whether or not to investigate the Ministry of War's case depends entirely on his attitude.
The Northern Qi envoys, being in the Great Zhou, will surely take advantage of the chaos, stir up trouble, and cause internal strife within the Great Zhou.
Even if Prince Yu's crimes were discovered, to avoid causing unrest, he would suppress them and not punish him severely.
Zhao Yi was not involved earlier.
Otherwise, protecting Prince Yu would damage Zhao Yi's reputation. If he were not protected, Prince Yu would be unable to recover, leading to an imbalance in power, and Prince Rui's influence would grow, becoming another potential threat.
We must wait until Zhao Yi holds power and the third son is able to stand on his own.
The reason for having Prince Rui investigate the case was to use this opportunity to examine how deeply Prince Yu's influence had spread, and then eliminate those people one by one at the right time.
After all, if Prince Yu wanted to cover up his crimes, he would definitely use his influence.
However, this led to the discovery of the illegal manufacture of weapons.
Prince Yu possesses powerful weapons; if he were to rebel, the capital would be plunged into bloodshed.
"According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, anyone who privately possesses military weapons shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane for each weapon, with the punishment increasing by one degree for each additional weapon. Anyone who privately manufactures weapons shall be punished with one degree of punishment for private possession, with each crime limited to one hundred strokes of the cane and exile for three thousand li."
Emperor Jing'an made up his mind: "I will not punish you for your actions in privately manufacturing weapons, which you did for the sake of the country and the people. The weapons workshop will be handed over to Prince Rui. You can rest assured and recuperate."
Prince Yu was taken aback. He had deliberately led Prince Rui to Phoenix Mountain in order to anger Emperor Jing'an.
But instead of punishing Prince Rui, the Emperor actually transferred his weapons workshop to Prince Rui.
His expression shifted for a moment, and he realized it was his father's balancing act. He kowtowed and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace."
Emperor Jing'an instructed the eunuch: "Help your master back to his residence to rest."
The eunuch quickly helped Prince Yu away.
Prince Rui lowered his eyes, concealing the fleeting darkness in them.
The Ministry of War case was taken very seriously, but then put down lightly.
He never expected that Prince Yu would pull a fast one and escape unscathed.
But the thought that his father had entrusted Prince Yu's weapons workshop to him made most of his displeasure dissipate.
He had previously thought that his father would punish him, but now that the armory had been handed over to him, it was a signal that his father would not punish him.
Prince Rui knelt on the ground and begged for forgiveness: "Father, I failed in my duties this time, please punish me."
“This matter is not entirely your fault, so I will not punish you and will give you a chance to redeem yourself.” Emperor Jing’an picked up a list and gestured for Eunuch Cao to hand it to Prince Rui: “The people on the list are involved in the salt smuggling case. I entrust it to you to handle.”
When Prince Rui received the list, it contained the names of seven or eight people. He was secretly surprised; almost all the people on the list held real power and important positions.
One of them had close ties with the Ling family.
Almost instantly, a thought flashed through Prince Rui's mind: were the people on the list Prince Yu's henchmen?
Thinking about this, Prince Rui seemed to have received some kind of hint.
Does the Emperor's desire to eliminate Prince Yu's power mean that he has no intention of making Prince Yu the crown prince?
Prince Rui seemed reassured and secretly resolved to make the salt smuggling case an ironclad one, thereby gaining his father's approval.
"Father, I will certainly not let you down."
Prince Rui carefully put away the list and withdrew.
Everyone in the hall dispersed, and Eunuch Deng, who was waiting outside, came in to announce: "Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess is waiting for you in the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
Emperor Jing'an composed himself and set off for the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The eldest princess, dressed in magnificent robes, sat gracefully on the couch, holding a portrait in her hand.
Emperor Jing'an stood beside the eldest princess, his gaze fixed on the portrait. The painting depicted a fifteen-year-old girl sitting on a swing, her smile radiant.
This is a drawing he made of Yizhen at the age of fifteen.
On the day of Yizhen's coming-of-age ceremony, he specially built a swing as a gift for her.
When Yizhen saw the swing, she was pleasantly surprised and couldn't wait to try it.
The moment she sat on the swing, it was as if all the hardships had left them. She laughed with great joy, like a carefree princess pampered in the deep palace.
That day, she prepared an extremely lavish dinner and shared some good news: "Brother, I was bullied a few days ago, but the Crown Prince came to my rescue. He sympathizes with our plight and is willing to lend us a hand by sending you back to the Great Zhou."
They endured humiliation and hardship, striving to survive, all in the hope of returning home.
When that day finally arrived, it felt like a dream.
A glimmer of light appeared in his usually quiet eyes—a mixture of longing and joy at the prospect of escaping the enemy country.
This means their suffering is about to end.
The next moment, he pursed his lips and asked, "Just me?"
“Brother, we are both hostages. If we leave together, it will only implicate the Crown Prince. You should return to your country first to retrieve what belongs to you, and then come and take me back.”
Yi Zhen's eyes were filled with anticipation for the future, and her tone was more relaxed than ever before: "You don't need to worry about me. The Crown Prince is a gentle and kind person. With his protection, those sons of powerful and wealthy families will no longer bully me."
The Crown Prince of Northern Qi had an excellent reputation, possessed a rare childlike heart, and was charitable.
He returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty carrying the hopes that Yi Zhen had placed in him. Only after he successfully ascended the throne and went to fetch Yi Zhen did he learn that she had died, leaving behind only a child.
She gave herself to the Crown Prince in exchange for his chance to return to the country.
She followed the Crown Prince without any official title, becoming a complete slave and his plaything. Her life was even more difficult than when she was a hostage princess.
P.S.: Oh no, everyone! There's still one card left to be reviewed. It probably won't be released until the editors are at work the next morning. o(╥﹏╥)o