Today, Song Jinzhao had just returned from outside when the Minister of Works, Ou Shinian, arrived at her door requesting an audience with a brisk look on his face.
"The hull assembly of the ocean-going sailing ship is currently underway in Mingzhou. The Emperor has ordered me to go to Mingzhou to oversee the construction and complete a seven-day and seven-night sea trial. Would the County Princess like to go together?"
Song Jinzhao was somewhat surprised. "So fast? Did they only build one, or several?"
Ou Shinian replied, "We are building one first. If there are no issues, we can officially begin mass production."
"The maritime information along the coast has been mostly gathered. Once completed, we can sail across the ocean to find new territories. We might even find crops with a higher yield than potatoes."
"Mingzhou is too far. I have just returned to my hometown and do not wish to travel far again. I will pass on the sea trial."
Ou Shinian thought about it and agreed. The round trip would take three months, and the weather was hot. If it hadn't been for the Emperor's decree, he originally planned to send his subordinates over.
"The County Princess deserves the most credit for the creation of this ship. It is truly a pity that you cannot be the first to step onto the deck and sail the seas."
Song Jinzhao curled her lips into a faint smile.
"It doesn't matter. There will always be opportunities in the future."
The day after returning from the County Princess's estate, Ou Shinian packed his bags and prepared to head to Mingzhou.
As he was exiting the city gates, two fast horses brushed past him one after another.
The curtains of his carriage were not drawn, and the kicked-up dust blew right into Ou Shinian's face, making it uncomfortably difficult to open his eyes.
"Who was that? Riding so fast at the city gates."
He complainingly lifted the carriage curtain, but his expression slightly changed when he saw the soldiers on horseback wearing rattan armor.
Red belts, southwestern rattan armor—they were soldiers from the southwest.
Seeing that Ou Shinian hesitated to drop the curtain, his accompanying attendant asked, "Master, are we still leaving today?"
Ou Shinian nodded with a worried look. "We leave."
Not long after dropping the curtain, Ou Shinian poked his head out the window.
"Come here."
A soldier following behind the carriage rode closer and leaned in.
"What are your orders, My Lord?"
Ou Shinian instructed, "Go back to the city and find out if the soldiers who just entered are from the southwest. If something has happened, catch up with me immediately and report back."
The soldier nodded in compliance. "Yes, your subordinate will return at once."
Watching his subordinate turn around and leave, Ou Shinian took a deep breath to suppress the worry in his heart.
Perhaps it was nothing. Maybe he was just overthinking.
On the official path leading to the Imperial Study, the Minister of War, Wu Jianzheng, furrowed his brows deeply, hurrying forward with hasty steps.
Beads of sweat slid down his neck into his collar, and his back and chest were already soaked.
On another path, the Minister of Rites continuously touched the document placed in his sleeve with his right hand, his heart panicking, his hands trembling, and his chest feeling tight.
The two men, coming from the east and west, bumped into each other at the entrance of the Imperial Study. Seeing that the other's complexion was poor, their own moods worsened.
A young eunuch bent his waist and scurried into the inner chamber of the Imperial Study.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Wu, the Minister of War, and Lord Kang, the Minister of Rites, are requesting an audience outside. They are already waiting at the door of the Imperial Study."
Xiao Chengjing, who was reviewing memorials, raised his head, a trace of doubt appearing on his face.
"Why would the two of them come together? Send them in."
Wu Jianzheng and Kang Zhibo walked in side by side, and the urgency with which they knelt down was identical.
"Reporting to Your Majesty," they spoke in unison, then glanced at each other.
"Your Majesty!" their voices rang out again.
Xiao Chengjing frowned in displeasure. "Beloved Subject Wu, you speak first."
Wu Jianzheng offered up the newly received memorial with both hands. "To reply to Your Majesty, a military report has arrived from the southwest. Salt fields have been discovered in Binzhou. The Yang clan of Panzhou and the Mu clan of Ningzhou have gone to war at Ningyuan City to fight over the salt fields."
"The Mu clan was outmatched and retreated, but the Yang clan pursued them relentlessly, capturing three cities in a row. The Mu clan sent someone to ask the Southwest Provincial Administration Commissioner, Gu Zhongxun, for help, hoping the imperial court would dispatch troops for support. This is the memorial sent by Gu Zhongxun via eight-hundred-li express, along with the handwritten plea for help from Mu Ji'an, the Pacification Commissioner of Ningzhou."
Kang Zhibo, waiting on the side, had his pupils contract sharply. He looked in disbelief at the two memorials stacked in Wu Jianzheng's hands.
Troubles were coming one after another; this was simply adding frost to snow.
Eunuch Zhao hurriedly delivered the two memorials to Xiao Chengjing's side.
Opening the memorial, every word stamped onto Xiao Chengjing's heart, making his chest feel as if it were about to explode.
The Mu clan's handwritten letter even bore bloodstains. The battle must have been fierce, and there was no telling how things were now.
After finishing reading, Xiao Chengjing rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. He felt mentally exhausted, and his mind was a bit chaotic.
Things had finally been peaceful for a while, but now something had happened in the southwest again. It seemed they did not want him, the Emperor, to sit comfortably on his throne at all.
"Summon the Secretariat Director Dongfang Shaoting and Chancellor Gu Qishan for an audience."
Seeing that the Emperor hadn't remembered him, Kang Zhibo hurriedly knelt and cried out, "Your Majesty, this humble subject also has an urgent matter to report."
Xiao Chengjing turned his dark gaze toward him, his tone deep and somewhat impatient. "What is it?"
The Ministry of Rites generally didn't have any major crises.
Kang Zhibo took out the document from his sleeve.
"To reply to Your Majesty, this is a document just sent from the Kingdom of Shuobei. The Emperor of Shuobei wishes to send envoys to the capital to congratulate Your Majesty on your birthday. The diplomatic mission is already waiting at the border."
The air in the Imperial Study suddenly froze. The fly whisk in Eunuch Zhao's hand trembled.
Congratulate him on his birthday! When had the Kingdom of Shuobei ever been this friendly?
It felt somewhat bizarre.
"He didn't come to congratulate me on my fiftieth birthday, so what is he doing here now?"
Kang Zhibo kept his head down. "According to the soldiers escorting the document, the Emperor of Shuobei heard that Your Majesty was blessed with six princes and seven princesses. Coupled with your approaching birthday, it is a double joy. For the sake of harmony between the two nations, he has specially sent envoys for friendly exchanges."
Eunuch Zhao placed the document on the desk in front of Xiao Chengjing.
Upon opening it, the document stamped with the national seal of Shuobei brought Xiao Chengjing immense pressure. He couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't this simple.
"Who is the chief envoy of the mission?"
Kang Zhibo replied, "The Prince of Wei, Gong Linjue."
Xiao Chengjing was confused. "Why isn't his surname He?"
Kang Zhibo raised his head and explained, "To reply to Your Majesty, Gong Linjue is a prince of a different surname newly ennobled by He Mingyuan, the Emperor of Shuobei. He is not a member of the Shuobei royal family."
"I heard that this man possesses formidable martial arts and is highly favored and trusted by He Mingyuan. He also holds command over a hundred thousand troops of Shuobei. I fear his diplomatic mission this time comes with ill intentions."
Sitting on the imperial throne, Xiao Chengjing's hands tightly gripped the dragon-carved armrests. His dark pupils were fixed on the three documents on the desk. After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke.
"Summon Secretariat Director Dongfang Shaoting, Chancellor Gu Qishan, and Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy Fei Yanzhang into the palace for an audience."
Wu Jianzheng and Kang Zhibo silently retreated to the side to wait.
Their stiff spines remained slightly bowed. Coupled with the oppressive atmosphere in the Imperial Study and the possibility of Xiao Chengjing losing his temper at any moment, the two men felt even more uncomfortable than standing outside baking in the sun.
