The First Lackey Under The Empress

Chapter 245: Reporting to Your Majesty, the Divine Machine Camp...

This is what I do!

Under the awning, the autumn breeze brushed across faces, the air thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder explosions.

The echoes of cannon fire and continuous gunfire still lingered in the eardrums of the assembled officials.

Yet, upon hearing Zhao Du'an's words, none remained unmoved.

At that moment, they suddenly recalled a conversation that had taken place not long ago.

Zhao Du'an had said that he came to the Divine Machine Camp to do things beneficial to the soldiers.

At the time, they had scoffed at this statement, dismissing it as mere platitudes.

But they never expected that, in the blink of an eye, Zhao Du'an's "slap" would land on their faces.

New firearms!

Unprecedented new tactical formations.

All of this greatly exceeded their expectations. They had thought it would be a gilded performance, but unexpectedly, it was so...

"Breathtaking!"

Someone exclaimed, and the sentiment quickly resonated in everyone's hearts.

Frankly speaking, in terms of raw power alone, this seemingly lively demonstration wasn't truly that strong due to its small scale.

But... the scene before them allowed these military generals to glimpse a possibility.

What if... one day, this new weapon were distributed throughout the entire army, and the battle formations were much larger? What would it be like?

One must know that the greatest advantage of firearms compared to bows and arrows lies not in their power, but in their ease of use.

Not every soldier can master archery, but this thing, like crossbows, is relatively easier to learn, and it covers a greater distance than crossbows... Even if they can't aim accurately, as long as they are densely packed, it's enough.

"This... is what you've been doing these past few days?"

Xue Shence stared deeply at this favored subject whom he had once looked down upon, and suddenly understood something.

Zhao Du'an had said before that the stolen firearm blueprints from Jing Wang's mansion were no longer important.

Yes, with this new firearm, what did it matter if the previous fire lances were stolen?

So, he indeed wasn't investigating the case, because he was doing something more important.

It was laughable that everyone had been kept in the dark.

Now, thinking back to the criticisms of Zhao Du'an in the Jing Camp, they suddenly seemed like a joke.

The merit of this new firearm alone was enough to silence everyone.

Who said this newly appointed Vice Commander was inappropriate? Who was unconvinced?

What fourth-rank military officer could compare to such a feat?

"The demonstration is complete. Chen Gui, the chief officer of the Firearms Bureau, is here to report!"

At this time, Chen "Fire God" Gui, with his goatee, also came over, first saluting Zhao Du'an, and then turning to Xue Shence and the others:

"This humble official greets all the esteemed officials!"

Everyone recognized this "God of Firearms." Wang Zhishi couldn't help but ask:

"Chen Gui, what are these two firearms called? And how were they obtained? Why is the樞密院 completely unaware?"

This was also everyone's question.

Chen Gui remained silent.

"..." Wang Zhishi was silent for a moment, then had a flash of inspiration and turned to look at Zhao.

Zhao Du'an smiled and said, "Official Wang is asking you, you should answer truthfully."

"Yes," Chen Gui then held up a gun in his hand:

"This is a matchlock gun, and the one in the distance is called the Fire Cannon Divine Might General. They were not manufactured by my Firearms Bureau, but rather Zhao Vice Commander used his personal connections to enlist the help of Gongshu Tianyuan, a divine official from the Celestial Master's Mansion, and with Zhao Vice Commander's guidance, they were barely able to create these 'experimental' items..."

In Chen Gui's account, he emphasized Gongshu Tianyuan.

He glossed over Zhao Du'an's contribution to the firearm design.

This was deliberately instructed by Zhao Du'an. After all, facilitating this matter was already his merit.

As for the firearm design, instead of fighting for that title and attracting many people's doubts,

it would be better to push it to Chen Gui, which would be more realistic and credible.

Greed for credit... is definitely not a good thing. Sometimes, appropriately reducing one's presence is the way to maximize benefits.

At the same time, giving credit to Gongshu Tianyuan can block many people's questions and investigations, and can also bind Gongshu Tianyuan's name to firearms, helping him to advance better.

Using a false name to exchange for the favor of a true disciple of the Celestial Master, Zhao Du'an's calculations were very shrewd.

After listening to the account, Xue Shence and others looked enlightened and felt that the matter was real.

The Celestial Master's disciple took action, coupled with Chen Gui's half-life of accumulation... and according to what he said, the firearms seen today were made as soon as possible, using alchemical methods to catalyze... It will take at least a year before it can be completely handed over to ordinary craftsmen to manufacture...

Moreover, matchlock guns also have many drawbacks, such as being afraid of rainy days, etc...

This made them feel "reliable" instead.

"Good! Good!"

The old Minister of War was overjoyed, stroking the musket, his eyes full of joy:

"Although it is like this, it is a great leap forward compared to the past!"

He turned his head to look at Zhao Du'an and said solemnly:

"What Vice Commander Zhao has done today is a contribution to the ages and a benefit to the country. This official will personally write a memorial to request credit for you!"

What he saw today really gave this Minister too many surprises, making the old man's heart surge, and he couldn't help but say:

"Can this musket be brought back by this official to play with?"

Zhao Du'an smiled without saying a word.

The Minister of War suddenly reacted, smiled bitterly, and shook his head:

"This official did not consider it carefully."

Immediately, he reluctantly handed the musket back to Chen Gui.

The other military officers of the Privy Council also woke up.

According to common sense, the blueprints of such important items must be submitted to the Privy Council for preservation.

But it hasn't been long since the last firearm was stolen, so where would anyone dare to take it?

If it is stolen again, who would dare to take this responsibility?

Xue Shence immediately decided:

"The research and development of new firearms is classified as top secret and is under the jurisdiction of the Firearms Bureau. Except for Vice Commander Zhao, all other camps and government offices are prohibited from contacting it, and only full cooperation and defense are provided to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

The generals responded in agreement.

A trace of a smile appeared on Xue Shence's dignified face.

He glanced at Zhao Du'an and said:

"This commissioner will also ask His Majesty for credit for you. In addition, to celebrate, this official will host a celebration banquet in the city tonight to clear your name."

The others were stunned for a moment, looked at each other, and thought that Lord Xue seemed to be in a really good mood.

As long as this celebration banquet is held, the news will surely spread throughout the Imperial Guards and camps tomorrow.

Xue Shence is using his own prestige to resolve those slanders and defamations against Zhao Du'an.

Zhao Du'an was also stunned for a moment, and cupped his fists in salute:

"Thank you, Privy Commissioner."

Xue Shence glanced at him, waved his hand, and said lightly:

"You deserve it, no need to thank me."

After saying that, he turned and left, still looking cold.

This time, Zhao Du'an suddenly realized that he could no longer feel the "pressure" emanating from the other party.

...

The crowd gradually dispersed, each eagerly eager to leave and share the matter with their colleagues.

Young Duke Tang Ping was distraught and walked in the crowd.

Before leaving, he turned his head and glanced at Zhao Du'an's back, and suddenly lost his fighting spirit.

He began to waver.

He doubted whether his doubts and hostility towards Zhao Du'an were really instigated by others.

He pursed his lips, and Tang Ping stepped away.

He secretly decided to investigate carefully which of the words he heard were true and which were false.

...

"Sir? Are you looking for me?"

Under the awning, after the people gradually dispersed, Hou Renmeng came over and asked.

Zhao Du'an narrowed his eyes, did not say anything, but gave a look, and took two direct subordinates of the Pear Blossom Hall back to his own room.

After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he said in a low voice:

"I have something to tell you to do, as soon as possible, and don't alarm outsiders."

Then, he picked up a pen and wrote a line of words on each piece of paper, and handed them to the two.

The two lowered their heads and glanced at it, and were both stunned, somewhat surprised:

"Sir, you are going to..."

Zhao Du'an slowly walked to the window, did not open it, but looked at the group of backs gradually receding at the camp gate through the window seam.

His right hand with well-proportioned knuckles rested on the back of the chair next to him, tapping gently.

His eyes were full of contemplation, and he said softly:

"Who do you think is the mole in Jing Wang's mansion?"

The two were stunned. Qian Kerou subconsciously said:

"Didn't you say you wouldn't investigate..."

Then the round-faced female warrior covered her mouth, realizing something.

Zhao Du'an sighed softly, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up:

"Mole? I've been investigating... The groundwork is almost laid, let's try to close the net... The celebration banquet is just what I want."

Then, he murmured in a barely audible voice:

"I just don't know what the success rate will be."

...

...

The military officers dispersed.

The news of the demonstration also spread like a whirlwind to the desks of various important figures in the capital.

The Imperial Palace.

In the Imperial Garden, when Mo Chou, carrying the hem of her official robe, hurried to the Imperial Garden.

From afar, she saw one attendant standing around.

In the center of the garden, in an open space, a graceful figure like a fairy was dancing with a sword.

When the female emperor dances with a sword, if she unleashes her power, the world will shake.

Therefore, when Xu Zhenguan practices swordsmanship, she often suppresses her cultivation to the mortal level.

But even so, the sword blades that cut through the autumn wind give people an indescribable sense of beauty.

Mo Chou approached in a daze and stopped far away.

There is a kind of tree in the palace called autumn wood, which begins to wither and wither first in early autumn.

At this moment, the female emperor stood in the autumn wood forest, her feet covered with golden fallen leaves, forming a sharp contrast with the still green trees outside.

"Whoosh--"

The sword blade brushed past, and Xu Zhenguan slowly sheathed her sword. The fallen leaves pulled by the sword blade rotated under her feet, slowly winding into a Tai Chi fish pattern.

"What happened?"

The female emperor's voice floated from afar, more refreshing than the autumn wind.

Mo Chou bowed respectfully and said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Ministry of War and the Privy Council have simultaneously submitted memorials, reporting on the firearm demonstration in the Divine Machine Camp today."

"Oh?" Xu Zhenguan raised her eyes and looked over, tilting her head:

"Has he made progress?"