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Upon hearing this, Yingluo quickly responded, "I understand. I'll go right away."
As she spoke, Yingluo looked at Xiangling and snorted, "You too, you were so engrossed in your book that you didn't even bother to prepare breakfast."
Maids like them had to consider everything for their masters in advance. For someone like Shui Rong who needed to be on duty, they should order breakfast to be prepared while he was taking a bath, in case there was not enough time.
Xiangling stuck out her tongue in dismay and said, "Sister Yingluo, I was wrong. I won't do it again."
Yingluo snorted and spat, "You admit your mistakes every time, but you just won't change. You're such a fool. Fortunately, we're in the palace. If we were somewhere else, we would be punished to death."
Seeing Ying Luo was not giving in, Shui Rong said, "Okay, I'm hungry. Go prepare breakfast."
Yingluo pursed her lips when she heard that, muttered something, and turned around to get ready.
Shui Rong didn't care when he saw this. Even though this girl was merciless when scolding, as she said, Xiangling had been stupid for many times, but she had never been punished. Although Shui Rong was indulgent, her attitude was clear from the fact that Xiangling was not afraid of Ying Luo.
Glancing at Xiangling who looked serious, Shui Rong said with a smile: "Don't pay attention to her, just read your book."
Xiangling was delighted when she heard that, and her eyes were as clear as water as she looked at the prince. The prince treated her so well, and she would definitely follow Sister Yingluo's example and serve the prince well in the future. But, could she not learn some things from Sister Yingluo, with her cherry lips, she was a little afraid!
Chapter 160 Yuanchun: Never do this again
On the embroidered couch with a long curtain, a beautiful lady with stunning beauty was lying on her back. Her eyelashes trembled slightly. She moaned and slowly opened her starry eyes. There was confusion in her eyes. When she saw a familiar pretty face, her mind gradually came back to normal, and then she felt shy.
The scene of last night lingered in Yuanchun's mind, making her cheeks flushed for a moment.
What happened to her yesterday that made her husband so annoyed? It must be that her husband's sweet words had bewitched her mind and made her lose her composure.
But that's the freedom without any restraint.
Yuanchun felt ashamed and angry, and she spat secretly. She made up her mind that she would never do this again.
But my husband was not here, so I guess he got up, and I don’t know who was serving him.
At this moment, Baoqin on the side slowly woke up. Her beautiful eyes were confused as she saw a shy and angry face. The two pairs of bright eyes looked at each other. After all, their master and servant relationship became closer yesterday, so how could they not have some inexplicable emotions.
Baoqin came back to his senses and hurriedly supported himself with his arms to stand up, but he pulled too much, causing the beauty to frown and cry out softly.
Yuanchun understood what was happening. She had seen the scene last night with her own eyes. Her husband was in high spirits, which pales in comparison to the tenderness he had shown on their wedding night.
However, Yuanchun did not say much about this. Although they were master and servant and were as close as sisters, there were still hierarchies. It was a blessing that she was the only one who could enjoy her husband's tenderness. At least it proved her position in her husband's heart.
Although she had feelings that were difficult to express in words at the moment, Yuanchun was the Princess of Beijing, so how could she show her fear? Moreover, her hand under the brocade quilt couldn't help but touch her belly. It was all here for her, and everything else was not worth mentioning.
It’s enough, and I have a vague illusion of being full. I guess I’m going to have a baby!
So Yuanchun said generously: "Okay, you and I are like sisters, no need to be so polite."
In the past, they were close friends, but now the role of the secondary has become the primary one.
Baoqin's cheeks were slightly drunk when she heard this. She had never thought that the prince would want her yesterday. Now she was the one he was counting on. She nodded slightly, pursed her lips, and said in a clear voice, "I will help the young lady to get up."
Now that she is awake, how can a maid not serve her master? Even if she feels a little unwell, it is not a reason for her to be lazy.
Although he had good intentions, his whole body was soft, and his slender arms were trembling slightly. Suddenly he couldn't exert any strength, and the discomfort in his body made him frown.
Yuanchun frowned slightly when she saw this and asked, "Are you okay?"
She is also an experienced person. Her husband is arrogant, but he is also a man who knows what he is doing. Although he may feel a little uncomfortable, it is not to this extent.
Baoqin rubbed Xuebai's face and said crisply, "Maybe it was because of the pressure yesterday. I feel a little uncomfortable all over."
"Pressure..."
Yuanchun recalled something, her rouge became brighter, her eyes sparkled, she glared at Baoqin and spat, "You silly girl, don't say such nonsense in the future."
She had originally complied with her husband's wishes, but he became even more naughty and she wanted to refuse him, but she was weak and powerless at that time and could only allow herself to be bullied.
Baoqin was speechless when she heard that. What nonsense did she say? God has mercy on her. It was the prince's request, and she was the one who made the cushion. She didn't say anything, but the girl blamed her instead. It was really unreasonable.
But then again, I didn't care about it in the past, but now after experiencing it myself, my girl seems to be too plump and quite oppressive!
A close friend can tell what Baoqin is thinking with just one look. Yuanchun saw that Baoqin was complaining, so she stretched out her snow-white arm and poked her with a finger, saying, "You silly girl, don't think I don't know what you are thinking. You are just a fool. You just do whatever your husband tells you to do. You have no opinion at all."
Baoqin felt wronged when she heard this. The prince had given the order, so what could a maid do? Seeing Yuanchun putting all the responsibility on her, Baoqin couldn't help but mutter, "It's not my fault alone. Didn't the young lady also call me?"
"Bah, you stupid girl, if you dare to say something like that again, I'll tear your mouth to pieces."
At this moment, Yuanchun's cheeks were rosy and her eyes were as bright as water. It was obvious that she was recalling something. This person was most afraid of someone helping her recall the moment of her social death.
Baoqin pouted her pink lips and whispered, "Hey, you are the master, so naturally I have to listen to whatever the lady says."
Yuanchun looked at Baoqin's aggrieved expression and knew in her heart that the fault was not hers but her husband's. Alas, she was confused for a moment and fell into the trap of sweet words.
Pursing her lips, Yuanchun turned her eyes away and changed the subject, "Well, you can take a day off today. You won't need to serve me."
As the Princess of Beijing, she has more than a dozen maids serving her, but Baoqin is the one she likes the most, so she has always been the one serving her personally. Now that she is ill, it won't be a problem if she is absent for a day or two.
Baoqin nodded slightly when she heard that. She was indeed feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment, so it would be good for her to take a rest. So Baoqin said softly, "Then I will go to the side room."
This embroidered couch belongs to the girl. It's ok to use it to sleep with her and relieve her boredom, but it's not appropriate to occupy her nest now.
Yuanchun didn't care about it. They grew up together and slept in the same bed many times, especially in the deep palace. It was a relief for the two of them to huddle together for warmth. Seeing that Baoqin was unable to move, she said, "You can rest here!"
Baoqin didn't show any joy when she heard this, but instead showed some strangeness. She pursed her lips, opened the brocade quilt, lowered her eyes and said, "Miss, how can I rest like this?"
I don’t mind falling asleep due to exhaustion, but how can I rest well now?
Yuanchun lowered her head, and her ears were flushed. The brocade quilt and bed sheets were in a mess, and they needed to be changed. She spat in her heart and called out, "Jinchuan'er, Yuchuan'er."
Jinchuan'er, who was wearing a green bodice, and Yuchuan'er, who was wearing a light brown bodice, walked in. When they saw the harp on the embroidered couch, they felt extremely envious. They were going to be concubines!
Yuanchun didn't care about it and ordered, "Go prepare some warm water. Baoqin and I will take a bath later."
It was okay when I didn't pay attention to it before, but now I just feel weak inside and out, and I guess it's the same when I hold the zither.
Jin Chuan'er responded, "Princess, the warm water is ready. You can take a bath directly later."
"Oh"
Yuanchun was a little surprised. She hadn't told him to do that, so why did he prepare warm water?
Seeing this, Jin Chuan Er explained, "When the prince left early in the morning, he told us to prepare warm water, and Sister Baoqin should also have some."
Yuanchun heard this and felt sweet in her heart. Her husband was really considerate and worthy of her.
Bah, what's the point of making amends after the fact? I won't be fooled anymore.
Baoqin, who was standing by, also felt sweet in her heart. She had never expected that she would be remembered by the prince. She secretly made up her mind to serve the prince and the girl more wholeheartedly in the future. It was just a cushion, she didn't care.
Chapter 161 Refinement of Firearms
In the Imperial City, inside the martial arts arena.
Shui Rong took the loaded musket from Feng Ziying and aimed at a wooden straw human-shaped target in the distance. There was a "bang" and smoke filled the air, but the human-shaped target did not move at all, obviously not hit.
The people who followed looked at each other in bewilderment. Liu Fang, the deputy governor, stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, the bird gun has a huge recoil when it is fired. When I used it for the first time, I almost fell over and made a fool of myself."
Shui Rong did not comment upon hearing this. He had nothing to do today, so he took the musket and tried it out. As a person from later generations, he knew the power of firearms, and the future would also be an era of firearms.
However, the firearms of the Daqian Dynasty were not perfect enough. They still used bird guns, which were the so-called matchlock guns. The recoil after firing was huge and it was indeed difficult to control. Not to mention aiming, it was already good enough to be able to keep the body steady. No wonder the soldiers in the firearms camp were all burly men. If they were ordinary people, they would really have some trouble controlling it.
Not only that, Shui Rong had also seen Feng Ziying reloading slowly. According to the speed of the cavalry, perhaps the enemy would be able to rush in front of him after the first shot was fired. Moreover, the range of the bird gun was not far, which was also a big disadvantage.
Considering the many disadvantages, equipping bird guns seemed less important. Although there was a firearms battalion in the army of the Daqian Dynasty, it was not taken seriously.
After a pause, Shui Rong said, "The benefits of firearms are very important to me, but this bird gun is too complicated and must be improved."
According to this timeline, Daqian's firearms have already fallen behind those of the West. This is not a good thing. If we want to make changes, we must study firearms in depth.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fang responded, "I will contact the Military Equipment Bureau, please rest assured, Your Majesty."
"Military weapons are manufactured by the Ministry of Works and distributed by the Ministry of War. The Imperial Guards, internal and external troops all have fixed numbers." In other words, the Ministry of Works was the agency responsible for manufacturing military weapons, and the Governor-General's Office had no authority or responsibility, but it could make demands.
Shui Rong was silent for a moment, then said, "I will ask His Majesty to transfer some military craftsmen to specialize in firearms. You don't need to worry about the firearms issue, just focus on the training of the firearms battalion."
With Shui Rong's status and so-called imperial grace, it would be no problem for him to ask for some military craftsmen, and Emperor Yongkang would not say much. The meticulous research on firearms was extremely important, and he would not borrow it from others.
Moreover, it was not only firearms that needed to be improved, but cannons as well. He believed in the wisdom of the Chinese people. As long as they attached importance to firearms and devoted themselves to research, they would never be worse than the West. Little did he know that China had gone through the industrialization process that took the West 300 years in just sixty years, and that a great Eastern power was rising in the east of the world.
If it really doesn't work, there are still the French. We can find a few people who are proficient in firearms to be our consultants and learn from them.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fang understood how much Shui Rong valued the bird-gun soldiers, so he quickly agreed.
After giving all the instructions, Shui Rong did not stay long and returned to the Governor's Mansion under Feng Ziying's escort.
On the corridor, Feng Ziying, who followed closely behind, saw the prince rubbing his waist occasionally. He hesitated for a moment, then approached and asked with concern: "Prince, are you feeling unwell? How about asking the imperial physician to take a look?"
Shui Rong paused when he heard this. He knew his own body well. He had been making a fuss for a long time yesterday, so he was inevitably a little tired. It was not that his body was weak, but he had always paid attention to health preservation in the past, and he usually stopped when he saw the improvement. However, yesterday...
This is just like running. If you are used to jogging and suddenly you start running fast while carrying a load, if you can do it calmly, you are truly a god.
How can I tell these to outsiders?
Facing Feng Ziying's concern, Shui Rong waved his hand and said, "I stretched my waist yesterday. It's just a small matter, nothing serious. There's no need to trouble the doctor."
Feng Ziying frowned upon hearing this and advised, "Your Majesty, your body is precious, how can you neglect it? If Your Majesty does not want to trouble the imperial physician, I have a teacher who I studied with when I was young. His surname is Zhang and his name is Youshi. He is the most learned and has a deep understanding of medical theory. He can also tell whether a person will live or die. This year he went to the capital to donate an official position for his son. He is now living at his home. How about I ask him to come and take a look at Your Majesty?"
Feng Ziying was very concerned about Shui Rong's safety. After all, he was the commander of the guards, so how could he not protect Shui Rong's safety? Moreover, this was also related to the Feng family, so he could not be careless.
Shui Rong knew Feng Ziying's good intentions and wanted to refuse, but when he heard Zhang Youshi's name, he suddenly had an idea. You know, the original book mentioned many doctors, most of them were mediocre doctors, and they were all imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
But this friend is different. When he entered the Ningguo Duke's mansion to treat Keqing, he could accurately describe Keqing's symptoms and pointed out the cause of Keqing's disease by just checking his pulse. This shows that he is really good at it. A man of ability.
Shui Rong now has no worries about food and clothing. He has a lovely wife and countless concubines at home. He is enjoying the happiness of having many wives. He needs to strengthen his physique to avoid being powerless and anxious in the future. Therefore, he also needs to hire a full-time master of medicine.
Although doctors have different specialties, it is not a big problem. You can just seek help from a better doctor. Everyone in the world has three disasters and six diseases, and no one is immune. If you want to be free from disease and disaster, having a miracle doctor by your side can avoid some unnecessary trouble.
Thinking about this, Shui Rong responded: "Okay, then let's ask Divine Doctor Zhang to come over."
Prince Beijing’s Palace, “Feng Yi Courtyard”.
After washing, Yuanchun sat in front of the dressing coffin. Through the bronze mirror, she saw a pretty face. Her eyes were as clear as water, and there was a hint of charm between her eyebrows. Her face, without any makeup, was rosy and breathtakingly beautiful.
Seeing this, Yuanchun felt a little embarrassed, and a faint, imperceptible rouge appeared on her jade cheeks. Since she married into the palace, she became more and more delicate and beautiful day by day. She knew in her heart that the palace was harmonious, and there was no trouble from the mother-in-law or other annoying and dirty things. At most, the affairs in the palace were complicated. However, with the help of several sisters, she felt much more relaxed, and naturally felt relaxed. As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart, and her appearance became more energetic.
In addition, the harmonious relationship between husband and wife is all thanks to the husband.
It just seems a little gaudy, which doesn't suit the princess' temperament.
Thinking of this, Yuanchun said in a clear voice: "Jinchuan'er, there is no need to put on any rouge."
Jin Chuan'er smiled and said, "Princess, you are naturally beautiful. Those vulgar women are not worthy of you. If they put on makeup, you will not be beautiful."
Everyone likes to hear nice words, especially women, who prefer others to compliment their appearance. Yuanchun knew that Jin Chuan'er was a lively person, so she did not blame her for being talkative. However, she was a princess after all, so how could she lose her composure in front of a maid? So she spat in anger, "What nonsense are you talking about, you little girl? Be quicker."