Chapter 3, Deceiving the Sovereign

Moreover, Li Fei took the opportunity to sit in Ji Wu Jiu's embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and gently leaning against him. "Your Majesty, you toil daily for the affairs of the state, which is truly arduous. Your Majesty, although state matters are important, you must also take care of your health"

"Your drawing is incorrect," Ji Wujiao suddenly said

Ji Wujiao pressed his lips together, averted his gaze, and said, "Many places"

In fact, even without the influence of General Su, Lady Li, solely based on her beauty, possesses the qualifications to become a favored concubine

"It is not a copy; I stole a bird gun from my cousin and disassembled it myself," Ye Zhenzhen paused, noticing Ji Wujiao's slightly narrowed, dangerous gaze. "I later secretly returned it!"

I still have to review the memorials, my beloved consort, please return for now. Ji Wujiao pushed away the soft and beautiful woman in his arms

Ji Wujiao looked down at Ye Zhenzhen from a high position, and her submission pleased him. He raised his eyebrows and coldly snorted, "So where did this blueprint come from? Don't tell me you drew it yourself."

Ji Wujiao watched as the beautiful woman Qiao Xiaoqian walked in, placing the tray in her hand on the table. Every movement she made exuded a natural elegance, and each frown and smile revealed a hint of flirtation and charm

Feng Youde bent over and respectfully said, "Your Highness, the Emperor is currently reviewing the memorials. Please hand the items over to this servant." Then you may leave.

Li Fei hurriedly knelt down, and when she raised her head again, tears had already welled up in her eyes. "Your Majesty, what have I done wrong? I humbly request Your Majesty to clarify."

How did you draw this, and from where did you copy the image?

Oh? Where is it

Ji Wujiao held Li Fei's hand for a moment, his expression still calm, "I understand."

How could Lady Li leave just like that? She had originally intended to go to the Empress to show off her power today, but unexpectedly suffered a great loss in Kun Ning Palace. When she came out, she was even mocked by that wretched Concubine Xi. How could she possibly endure this grievance? Therefore, she decided to come to the Emperor to lodge a complaint.

Picked up

Ye Zhenzhen sat opposite him, unsure of what scheme he was concocting. She looked at him with concern. He was slightly bowing his head, and from her angle, she could see his straight nose, clear brows, and bright eyes, along with a high and broad forehead, presenting an extraordinarily noble appearance; his eyes blinked occasionally, with long and thick eyelashes that fluttered like butterfly wings as his eyelids rose and fell; his skin was as beautiful as jade, fair and delicate.

At that moment, a sharp and high shout came from outside, "The Emperor has arrived!" As soon as the words fell, Ji Wujiao strode in with an air of confidence. He was dressed in a bright yellow robe, with intricate and elaborate embroidery of a dragon riding the clouds on his chest and the edges of his garment; his jade belt was fastened slightly tighter at the waist, accentuating his broad shoulders and long legs, giving him a tall and upright figure; his entire demeanor was as elegant as a rare orchid or a jade tree, illuminating the whole room.

Moreover, she is very adept at pleasing Ji Wujiao

Ji Wujiao narrowed his eyes and said, "Where did the queen obtain this blueprint?"

"What place?" Ye Zhenzhen leaned forward, furrowing her brows as she examined the blueprint. The curve of her chest accidentally brushed against the paperweight, causing it to shift an inch, yet she remained unaware.

Ji Wujiao spoke in a gentle tone, "It is alright, I have accurate blueprints here."

Su Feng pressed down the four corners of the blueprint with a paperweight and asked with concern, "Your Highness, are you not afraid that Consort Li will report you to the Emperor?"

Ji Wujiao, however, did not intend to let her off easily. His long fingers gently tapped the blueprint on the table, "So, you indeed deceived me."

Ji Wujiao took a sip while holding her hand, his face showing no trace of a smile, "My beloved consort, you have worked hard."

Ji Wujiao replied with a smile, "Of course not"

"Your Majesty?" The Empress was somewhat taken aback, not understanding what was happening; this was completely contrary to her expected outcome

Ye Zhenzhen was completely unconcerned, "Report? I haven't done anything wrong."

Ye Zhenzhen, with a sorrowful expression, said, "It is indeed drawn by me."

Ji Wujiao nodded, appearing quite serious, "Since the Empress has said so, it is likely not to be wrong. That group of useless officials in the Ministry of Works indeed needs to be rectified. I will issue an edict to deal with them severely right away"

Ji Wujiao looked at her coldly, "It seems that I have indeed spoiled you too much"

"Doing these things for His Majesty makes me feel very happy," said Consort Li, her voice soft enough to penetrate to the very bones of a person

Ye Zhenzhen felt somewhat discouraged. She had revised this drawing many times before feeling satisfied, and now she thought she could finally start working on it, but little did she know that it was still far from being complete

Moreover," she withdrew her gaze and looked up at Su Feng, "even if she doesn't report me, the Emperor still dislikes me.

Ye Zhenzhen rose and bowed to him, feeling puzzled; what could the Emperor possibly want in the Kun Ning Palace at this time

Your Majesty, I have prepared a bowl of ginseng soup for you, and I shall serve it to you now

Thank you, Your Majesty. Ye Zhenzhen gazed up at him with utmost sincerity

Ye Zhenzhen understood that he came here specifically to provoke her

Return to Your Majesty

"Cousin?" Ji Wujiao raised an eyebrow. He naturally knew who Ye Zhenzhen's cousin was, the commander of the imperial guards, Lu Li, who frequently appeared before him, making it difficult to ignore. Lu Li indeed had the ability to handle a bird gun, and with that, Ye Zhenzhen had managed to extricate her second brother, which meant Lu Li would not be held accountable. Regardless of whether Ye Zhenzhen was speaking the truth, she was clever enough.

Your Highness, are you not anxious?

Your Majesty, I acknowledge my mistake! Ye Zhenzhen felt a bit frightened, as she could not bear the crime of deceiving the Emperor

However ... ...

This soup has been personally prepared by me. His Majesty is burdened with state affairs, and I shall certainly serve him with utmost dedication. Your Excellency, there is no need for your concern; I will deliver it myself.

"Alright, stand at ease," Ji Wujiao said, then lowered his head to study the diagram of the bird gun.

"Feng Youde, let Lady Li come in"

Lady Li stood outside the imperial study, while a palace maid behind her held a red lacquered tray adorned with gold, on which rested a covered bowl featuring a Doucai entwined lotus pattern

"I am anxious, I am almost dying of anxiety," Ye Zhenzhen pointed at the blueprint, "I need to finish it quickly!"

By the way, my beloved consort, do not come to the study in the future, as this is not a place for women to be.

Ye Zhenzhen's eyes lit up, "Your Majesty, will you show it to me?"

Li Fei took the tray from the hand of the palace maid, cast a proud glance at Feng Youde, and then gracefully walked into the study. Feng Youde obediently lowered his head and ceased to speak

Seeing Ye Zhenzhen's expression as if she had eaten a fly, Ji Wujiao's mood improved a little

Lady Li presented the medicinal soup before Ji Wujiao, scooped a small spoonful, and said, "Your Majesty, would you like to try it?" Her voice was charming.

Does the term 'Queen' imply that an official from the Ministry of Works intruded into the Imperial Garden with a blueprint for a bird gun and left the blueprint here?

She put on a facade. Ye Zhenzhen curled her lips.

Your Majesty! Ye Zhenzhen hurriedly knelt down, saying, "This matter has nothing to do with the Ministry of Works, nor does it involve my second brother." Her second brother is the Deputy Minister of Works, and if Ji Wujiao were to use this opportunity to rectify the Ministry, her second brother would inevitably be implicated.

Su Yue looked at the two of them and shook her head helplessly

Feng Youde subtly hinted a few words, yet it was unclear whether the beautiful concubine truly did not understand or was pretending not to understand, insisting on entering. Feng Youde found it difficult to directly say that the Emperor was in a bad mood today, and just as they were at a standstill, a cold voice came from the study: "Who is making a commotion outside the door"

Imperial Garden

Ji Wujiao's gaze flickered, and he picked up the blueprint again. Upon closer inspection, he realized that although the drawing of the bird gun was quite well done, the strokes appeared somewhat unskilled, and some details were inaccurately depicted, clearly the work of a novice. However—

Seeing Ye Zhenzhen's fear, Ji Wujiao's mood improved slightly. "Considering this is your first offense, I shall not hold it against you for now. I will make a note of it, and if you offend again in the future, you will be punished for all your crimes together." In Ji Wujiao's little black book, another entry was added next to Ye Zhenzhen's name. At this rate, she might soon surpass her grandfather.

Every word is filled with deep affection, yet Ji Wujiao only heard two words: national affairs. Thus, four words appeared in his mind inappropriately: selling oneself to save the country

If Jing Wujiao was feeling down on a usual day, seeing such a beautiful concubine would likely brighten his mood a little. However, today he was still troubled by a knot in his heart, and upon seeing her, that knot seemed to tighten even more.

Ye Zhenzhen could not help but roll her eyes, thinking to herself, what I mean is that your ability to talk nonsense is far superior to mine

Although Ji Wujiao is unwilling to admit it, in a certain sense, Ye Zhenzhen has indeed uncovered the truth. However, the emperor's pride does not allow Ji Wujiao to acknowledge that he has sold his body for the stability of the border, so he automatically ignores a part of reality

However, reality soon came knocking at the door

Ji Wujiao's gaze swept around the room and finally landed on the blueprints on the table. He initially thought that Ye Zhenzhen was writing or drawing, but upon closer inspection, he found that the paper depicted a bird's beak gun, with all parts marked with dimensions, and several components illustrated beside it. This bird gun was originally seized from pirates and had been modified by the firearms craftsmen of Da Qi. Some had already been trial-produced for the Divine Machine Camp. After six months, the commander of the Divine Machine Camp specifically wrote a memorial praising this weapon, which led to a recent imperial decree ordering the Ministry of Works' Armaments Division to produce another batch.

Inside Kun Ning Palace, Ye Zhenzhen unfolded a blueprint and examined it closely. The blueprint depicted the structure of a firearm, and Ye Zhenzhen became increasingly captivated as she gently traced the lines, her gaze growing brighter.