HLnovel Chapter 275 Confession
Chapter 275 Confession
“Your Highness, I’m not mistaken. It’s the smell of gunpowder. I was just trying to remind you about gunpowder in the palace.”
In his previous life, Xiao Yuheng used gunpowder to force the emperor to abdicate and directly blew up the Imperial Guards protecting him. The soldiers in the western suburbs camp dared not make any rash moves when they saw that Xiao Yuheng had such a powerful weapon. In particular, when they saw that thing explode, a person was blown to pieces, and it was impossible to piece together a complete image.
The explosive in Xiao Yuheng's hand is called Iron Meteor. This Iron Meteor was designed by Gu Hanjiao behind the scenes. Gu Qingwan had advised Xiao Yuheng not to use such a vicious thing, but Xiao Yuheng was like a madman. How could he give up something that was so economical in terms of manpower and resources and so effective?
Gu Qingwan was unwilling to use it on the battlefield, for which Xiao Yuheng held a grudge and imprisoned her in the harem, preventing her from leaving. As a result, she eventually died in that filthy place.
"Your Highness, this thing is extremely powerful. Are the fireworks that are transported in every year not allowed to be stored with open flames?"
"Yes, that's to prevent premature setting off."
"Another reason is that if so many fireworks are placed together, they will explode if they come into contact with an open flame. Fortunately, the technology for making fireworks is not very mature, so only a small amount can be produced for viewing purposes."
"We don't know who this fireworks manufacturer is. If he hasn't discovered it, that's fine. But if he discovers the trick and sells it to someone else, that would be terrible. We have to find a way to find out who this manufacturer is."
Gu Qingwan spoke very carefully, but as she continued, she felt something was amiss. Suddenly, the King of Chu stared at her without saying a word.
Gu Qingwan felt uneasy under his gaze, so she tugged at his ear and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What if I said... what if the manufacturer is myself..."
Gu Qingwan also fell silent. She never expected that the owner of the fireworks would be her own prince.
"Your Highness, you're not joking, are you?"
"Uh... I'm not kidding, this firework was indeed invented by one of my people, and you know him too, he's Yin Ping, the proprietress of Fireworks Alley."
Gu Qingwan fell silent this time; she never imagined it would be her own family business.
“Yin Ping once told me that this thing was very powerful and could only be sold in a small number of timed and limited quantities. Moreover, the right to sell this thing must be in my hands. But she didn’t say that this thing was so powerful.”
"Yin Ping?"
Gu Qingwan was extremely curious. She had always thought that Yin Ping was just a brothel madam, but she never expected that she was the most capable subordinate of the King of Chu, who turned the brothel into a place for gathering intelligence. Now she was even more surprised that she was the one who created fireworks.
But if she created it, how did Gu Hanjiao know about it in her previous life? Did Gu Hanjiao know first, or did Yin Ping know first? Or did Yin Ping betray the King of Chu?
"What's wrong?" Xiao Jingchen asked, puzzled.
"Your Highness, how trustworthy is this Yin Ping really?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchen knew that Gu Qingwan had developed suspicions about Yin Ping. Although he didn't know where these suspicions came from, he was still certain that Yin Ping would not betray him.
"Yin Ping is trustworthy."
Gu Qingwan stared at him for a long time, and from those four words, she knew he wasn't lying to her.
"Then, Your Highness, let's go to the brothel alley."
Xiao Jingchen knew that Wanwan had something to say to him, so he said, "I'll do whatever you say."
The wheels chug along the road, but Gu Qingwan's thoughts never stopped.
Fireworks Lane.
"What! The princess is talking about explosives!" Yin Ping was very surprised. How could Gu Qingwan know about explosives? You know, only modern people know about this stuff. Even if you go back in time, it only appears in official historical records, not in this fictional dynasty.
Could it be that the princess was also a time traveler?
Yin Ping probed, "Would the Princess like to try some pizza?"
"What pizza?" Gu Qingwan frowned. Weren't we talking about fireworks and gunpowder? Why did pizza suddenly come up?
Yin Ping could tell that the princess was not pretending, and knew that the princess was not from the past. So how did she know that?
"How did the princess know that a large quantity of gunpowder had been delivered?"
"Your Highness, do you remember the tangerines we ate in the Empress Dowager's palace today? I said they had a strange smell, and that smell was like gunpowder."
"It's not impossible that merchant ships were also bringing fireworks to the capital at the same time. After all, it's almost the end of the year, and many merchants have already started ordering and stockpiling goods in advance."
“Yin Ping is right, but even fireworks shouldn’t leave such a strong mark on a strongly scented orange, unless a lot of gunpowder was placed under the orange.”
After thinking for a while, the King of Chu said, "If the Queen Consort's guess is correct, then such a large shipment of gunpowder into the capital must be for some purpose."
Yin Ping said, "Your Highness and Your Highness need not worry too much. I am certain that we have complete control over the production of gunpowder. Even if someone has ulterior motives and wants to hoard it to make explosives, it is unlikely. The gunpowder in fireworks contains too many impurities, and it can barely be used as fireworks. To make something like what Your Highness said, we need a lot of raw materials and purification. This is a very technical job."
"But what if someone else knows this technology just like you?"
"Impossible!" Yin Ping blurted out without thinking, but a moment later she thought of someone else, someone who had also traveled from another time. Could it be that the princess was talking about her?
Gu Qingwan could tell that Yin Ping seemed to have an answer in mind, so she stopped beating around the bush.
"Your Highness, this batch of oranges came from the cargo ship of the Duke of Wen. We still need to investigate. This Duke of Wen is hiding his true nature quite well. I feel that he is not simple. We also need to investigate the Third Prince's residence, especially the Third Prince's concubine, Gu Hanjiao!"
When Princess Chu mentioned Gu Hanjiao's name, Yin Ping's suspicions were confirmed. Sure enough, this Gu Hanjiao not only plagiarized the works of those great poets, but also wanted to use modern technology to help the Third Prince seize power and consolidate his position?
She glanced at the princess thoughtfully, feeling immense respect for her. If the princess hadn't been a time traveler, and had been able to sense these dangers beforehand, then with her by the prince's side, the prince could have been worry-free in the rear.
“Duke Wen.” Xiao Jingchen pointed at the table. “Heh, Duke Wen is an insatiable wolf. The Emperor and I have never let our guard down around him, but our spies have reported that he has not been getting close to any of the princes.”
"Your Highness, please leave this matter to me. I will definitely investigate such an important matter thoroughly, since the secret shipment of so much gunpowder to the capital poses a threat to Your Highness's safety."
"Very well, I'll leave it to you," said the King of Chu.
Gu Qingwan then gave another instruction, "Yin Ping, you can start with the Third Prince's residence."
Gu Qingwan could have directly said that the Third Prince used this thing to stage a palace coup during the Qingming Festival next spring, but she couldn't say it. What if the prince asked her how she knew? She couldn't very well say that she had the ability to predict the future.
The two did not return to the palace after leaving. Instead, they went to the hot spring resort they had previously bought from Gu Ziming. Since the King of Chu had some matters to attend to, Gu Qingwan went to the hot spring resort by herself. This place had been arranged by her mother and was originally intended as a place for her and Gu Ziming to retire together. Unexpectedly, it became the place where Gu Ziming's despicable pride began.
Soaking her entire body in hot water, Gu Qingwan sighed contentedly and swam for a while. In her previous life, she couldn't swim, but in this life, in order to avoid being schemed against by others through the water and to give herself a way out in the future, she specially learned to swim.
The hot spring room is filled with warmth, so even if it's cold outside, you won't feel cold inside.
"What are you thinking about?" A man's voice rang out from above.
Gu Qingwan exclaimed in surprise, covering her soft breasts with both hands, her long hair obscuring half of her body. "How did Your Highness arrive so quietly? You startled me."
"It's clearly because you're thinking too deeply, and you're blaming me." In the misty fog, Gu Qingwan's body was as white as a beam of light. Xiao Jingchen's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he recalled the image of her begging for mercy beneath him.
He coughed lightly, "The pool is too big. The princess is not a good swimmer, so I should accompany her to protect her safety."
Having said that, he loosened his belt, lifted his outer robe, and stepped into the hot spring with his long legs. He sat down next to Gu Qingwan, leaning comfortably against the edge of the pool, his gaze seemingly falling on Gu Qingwan.
Although she and Xiao Jingchen had become husband and wife, such an open and honest encounter still made her a little flustered. Gu Qingwan walked a little further away and immersed herself in the hot water. Her pretty face was flushed, and her pure and delicate body turned pink, making her exceptionally alluring.
The hot spring is crystal clear under the mist, revealing its alluring beauty.
Xiao Jingchen's eyes were dark as he scooped up the person who had just left and straddled his waist.
The stark contrast between the black hair and white skin was visually striking to Xiao Jingchen.
Gu Qingwan leaned on the man's shoulder and thought to herself, "Men really are animals that think with their lower bodies. Even the usually aloof King Chu is no exception. His self-control, which he was so proud of, crumbled when he met Gu Qingwan."
Gu Qingwan hugged him tightly, as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the world.
Since her rebirth, only Gu Qingwan herself knows how much she truly loves him.
Afterwards, Gu Qingwan nestled in Xiao Jingchen's arms as the two soaked in the hot spring, surrounded by warmth as if in a fairyland.
"Wanwan, I will be going to the Southern Frontier for a while in a short period of time."
Xiao Jingchen felt the soft body in his arms stiffen slightly, and he gently stroked her back with his large hand to comfort her.
"Don't worry, it'll only be a few days. You can come along if you want."
Gu Qingwan thought for a moment and decided that if there was nothing else, she would still like to go with the Prince of Chu. However, her maternal grandfather's side would be hit by a snow disaster soon, and many people would die from the freezing cold. Her help was needed. If she went to the Southern Frontier, she would be unable to help her maternal grandfather's side.
"Your Highness, I have some matters to attend to... I'm afraid I cannot accompany you."
Hearing this, it would be unrealistic for Xiao Jingchen not to feel disappointed, but he still felt it was better for Gu Qingwan to stay in the Prince's mansion.
"It's good that you stay. You'll be riding horses and sleeping in the open on the road, and I can't bear to see you suffer. Just stay home and wait for me."
Gu Qingwan looked at their hair intertwined and suddenly felt like she wanted to be honest with him about something, so she tentatively said...
"Your Highness, may I tell you a story?"
"Mmm." Xiao Jingchen held Gu Qingwan in his arms, gently stroking her jade-like skin.
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived a life of luxury and was loved by her parents. Then one day, the little girl fell into the water, and someone saved her."
Xiao Jingchen raised an eyebrow, without opening his eyes. Wasn't this exactly what happened between the two of them?
"But after the little girl woke up on the shore, she mistook the person for someone else and repaid the wrong favor. She mistook a thief for her mother and married the wrong wolf, causing the death of her entire maternal family and herself. Only at the moment of her death did she realize that the person who had saved her all those years ago was the young man who had always silently stayed by her side!"