OBS Chapter 1739 A Famous Stubborn and Capable Minister in the Court
Chapter 1739 A Famous Stubborn and Capable Minister in the Court
Jiang Wange was somewhat afraid of Luan Di Yi Tu.
Having been imprisoned for so long, her personality had been suppressed for a long time. Moreover, deep down, she still harbored a sense of superiority as the chosen one.
Otherwise, with so many people in the world who haven't transmigrated into books, why was she the only one who did?
Jiang Wange couldn't help but straighten her thin back and snorted coldly, "How many people were sacrificed is your business."
“I’ve said it before, what I can give you far outweighs those losses.”
"The most powerful gunpowder in the Great Zhou Dynasty was developed by me! As long as the materials are complete and the tools are sufficient, what's so difficult about replicating it on the grasslands?"
"You...you'd better show me some respect!"
Her last sentence sounded fierce on the outside but weak on the inside.
Luan Di Yi Tu smirked: "Respect you?"
"Jiang Wange, you'd better get this straight. You're standing on our grassland right now!"
"You are not a concubine in the Great Zhou Palace, but something I acquired from the Great Zhou at a great cost!"
"If you can't produce the gunpowder I need, or if what you do produce isn't as impressive as you boast..."
At this point, Luan Di Yi Tu's tone suddenly turned cold: "Do I need to remind you what will become of a useless woman from the Great Zhou who knows too many secrets on the grasslands?"
Jiang Wange's face turned completely pale. When she met Luan Di Yi Tu's cold eyes, all the words stuck in her throat.
How...how could this happen?
She desperately escaped from Yawen Garden, thinking that from then on she would have a bright future and could win respect, status and even power in the other world with her knowledge that was ahead of her time!
But why is it that after escaping the Great Zhou Dynasty, her situation seems... seems even worse than when she was imprisoned in the Elegant Garden?
Although she was imprisoned at that time, no one dared to humiliate her at will.
But in the eyes of these Huns, she seemed to be nothing at all...
Luan Di Yi Tu stopped looking at Jiang Wange and instructed the bearded man, "Pass down the order to rest here for a quarter of an hour, feed the horses, and let them eat."
"Send scouts to keep watch."
The man accepted the order, glared fiercely at Jiang Wange, and rode off: "Yes!"
Jiang Wange sat dejectedly in the carriage, her fists clenched.
Do not!
She can't give up!
She, Jiang Wange, is destined to leave a lasting mark on this era!
As long as she replicates gunpowder and lets these barbaric Huns witness true power, they will surely change their attitude and treat her as an honored guest!
It definitely will!
……
By the end of June, Beijing had fully entered the sweltering heat of midsummer.
The palace walls were scorching hot from the blazing sun.
The cicadas' desperate chirping, rising higher and higher, made the summer heat seem even longer.
Under the corridors of Yongshou Palace, a slight chill emanated from the large ice chests placed there.
With her hand supporting her lower abdomen, Shen Zhinian slowly walked out of the hall, aided by Handan and Fuqu.
She was seven months pregnant, and her belly was round and swollen.
Although Shen Zhinian moved more slowly than usual, her complexion was excellent. Her skin had a warm glow, and her eyes held a serene quality befitting a mother.
Just like when she was pregnant with the fourth prince, she would walk around appropriately every day to help with childbirth.
Qiuyue held a round fan in her hand and gently fanned Shen Zhinian, softly advising, "Your Highness, it's hot outside. Why don't you take a walk in the corridor?"
Shen Zhinian shook her head and looked at the few flowers in the courtyard that were being carefully tended by the palace servants: "It's alright. Physician Tang said that I need to walk around properly every day so that my delivery will be smooth."
"Let's take a walk around the Imperial Garden; there's plenty of shade there."
Knowing the Empress's temperament, Qiuyue didn't try to persuade her any further and followed behind the entourage.
Granny Lin followed behind, carrying warm water, a handkerchief, and other items.
Yuanbao had arranged for a sedan chair to be waiting, so that the Empress could ride it whenever she felt tired during the journey.
The Imperial Garden was indeed cooler than other places.
The branches and leaves of the ancient tree overlapped.
A cool breeze wafted from the crevices of the artificial mountain built of stones.
The fresh water that was brought in flows gently around the pavilions and terraces, carrying away some of the summer heat.
Shen Zhinian walked slowly, step by step.
The unborn child in her womb seemed to sense her mother's steady heartbeat, occasionally twitching slightly as a silent response.
After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shen Zhinian's forehead was slightly sweaty, so she sat down to rest in a hexagonal pavilion near the Nine-Bend Bridge.
Summer breeze delivers warm tea.
Granny Lin took a handkerchief and gently wiped away the beads of sweat from her face.
Outside the pavilion, in the lotus pond, early lotus buds have already bloomed, their pink and white blossoms standing gracefully amidst the green leaves.
As Shen Zhinian was looking around, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the cobblestone path outside the pavilion.
She looked up and saw a man dressed in a purple official robe with a jade belt around his waist, who looked like he was about to leave the palace.
He was tall and slender, with a handsome face and a dignified air cultivated by years of etiquette and propriety.
It's Gu Jinxiao.
Shen Zhinian was slightly taken aback.
Gu Jinxiao is the Vice Minister of Rites, favored by the Emperor, and has a bright future ahead of him.
She occasionally heard news about Nangong Xuanyu or from her father's letters, but it was limited to official business.
The last time the two met was a long time ago.
That night of escape in the dense forest, with its flashing swords and the brush with death, feels like a lifetime ago...
Gu Jinxiao had obviously also seen Shen Zhinian in the pavilion.
He stopped in his tracks, standing a few steps away from the pavilion under the weeping willows, at just the right distance.
Gu Jinxiao's gaze lingered on Shen Zhinian for a moment, concealing the fleeting emotion in his eyes. He then lowered his gaze, completely concealing all outward feelings.
He was just a rigid courtier, meeting the noble imperial concubine.
Gu Jinxiao bowed respectfully, his movements meticulous: "Your subject greets Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"
His purple official robe fluttered slightly with his movements, and the jade belt ornaments jingled softly.
There was no other sound.
His expression was both respectful and distant.
Shen Zhinian said calmly, "Lord Gu, you may dispense with the formalities."
Gu Jinxiao straightened up, but did not look at Shen Zhinian. His gaze fell on the ground in front of her: "Your Majesty, I am terrified. I have disturbed you here."
"I was merely taking a casual stroll; why should I be disturbed?"
Shen Zhinian casually remarked, "Judging from the direction, Lord Gu came from the Imperial Study?"
"Yes."
Gu Jinxiao's answer was concise.
Inside and outside the pavilion, the distinction between superiors and inferiors is clear.
He adhered strictly to his duties as a subject and never overstepped his bounds.
Shen Zhinian looked at Gu Jinxiao, whose profile was noticeably thinner than she remembered.
She recalled her father mentioning that the Vice Minister of Rites had become increasingly diligent in recent years. In his spare time, he immersed himself in classical texts and participated in the compilation of the Great Code of Rites and Laws. He was a well-known, rigid, and capable minister in the court.
Not only rigid, but also aloof.
In her mind, she saw Gu Jinxiao's tightly pursed lips in the dense forest after he was injured.
He remained silent as he handed over the water bag.
At the final parting, he stood in the dim light of dawn, his figure upright yet lonely.