"My lord, Shangmu Zhong has developed a repeating crossbow, please take a look." Fu Yashi rushed to call for a voyage early in the morning, with an unconcealable joy on his face.

"Really?" The voyage was also overjoyed. This guy really didn't disappoint himself, the war with the Qi State was imminent, and if he had a repeater crossbow in hand, the victory over the Qi State would be just around the corner.

Fu Yashi nodded with a smile.

Yuanhang hurriedly changed his clothes and walked briskly towards Shang Mu Zhong with Fu Yashi.

When he sailed out of Saiwai, he gave the general appearance of the drawings to Shang Mu Zhong. Yuanhang only knows the theory, but cannot put it into practice. On the contrary, after nearly half a year of repeated production, the first continuous short crossbow was finally built.

Yuanhang pushed the door in with great interest, and Shang Mu Zhong looked sideways in the house, and smiled comfortably when he saw Yuanhang.

"Good fellow, how can you be so sloppy." The business clock in front of Yuanhang has changed. The clothes were stained with sawdust and dirty and shiny. The beard has also grown long, and it seems that it has not been tidied up for a long time.

"Your Excellency, you're here." Shang Mu Zhong simply said hello, turned around and walked to the table next to the window, took an item and walked back, and handed it to Yuanhang.

Yuanhang looked closely, and it was a miniature version of the mighty bow in his hand. It is no more than one foot two inches long and about eight inches high. There is a handle similar to the handle of the gun at the bottom, and a crossbow box at the top, which can store five crossbow arrows at once. Stuck on it with shrapnel, it can be opened and removed. The crossbow string is slightly wider, about one foot eight inches. There is a bend under the string, and when the first crossbow is hit, the bolt in the box will fall and fall right into the crossbow. Simply pull the right hand of the crossbow and the string will be pulled from the lower bend to the back of the crossbow lane, where you can continue to shoot a second bolt.

"Yes, yes, we need to try it." Yuanhang was still very satisfied with the appearance of the repeater, and walked out of the door to see its speed and power.

The three of them came to the courtyard, and the voyage selected a small tree and aimed at it twenty meters away. With a "bang", the crossbow arrow shot out, hitting more than two inches into the tree.

"Good!" Yuanhang let out a loud shout, pulled the slipper, filled the crossbow string, and shot all five crossbow arrows in the crossbow box in a row. The force is so strong that the branches sink into the tree.

Flicked the crossbow in his hand, Yuanhang turned around and smiled at Shang Mu Zhong. "Very good crossbow bolts, just a little lacking."

"Your Excellency, please speak." Shang Mu Zhong hurriedly asked.

"This glider should not be designed on the right side, most soldiers are mainly right-handed, if the glider is on the right side, you need to hold the crossbow in your left hand and pull it with your right hand, which is inconvenient to aim." Yuanhang handed the repeater to Shang Mu Zhong, and then said: "Change to the left side, and then make less of the right side and make good use of the left-handed soldiers." ”

Shang Mu Zhong nodded yes and said, "This is easy to do, it can be built in two days." ”

"Okay, you as soon as possible, I will go back to the back hall in the next few days, and I will take it to the emperor just in time, so that the crossbows can be manufactured in large quantities."

Leaving the small courtyard, Fu Yashi accompanied the voyage on the path leading to the back garden.

"My lord, you are going to the back hall at this time, but are you ready to attack the Qi country?" Fu Yashi didn't know the purpose of sailing to the back hall, but he felt that there were still more than a month before the time of meeting Nubei at this time, so it was too early.

"It's still early, it's still a month before Nubei takes the city, and we won't be able to attack until at least two months later. I'm going for something else. "There is only one last mystery left in Yuanhang's heart, as long as it is solved, Chen Fu can be eliminated. I just don't know if I have the ability to unravel it.

Yuanhang sat in the hall, sipping tea. Qinglian came in from outside the door and walked into the hall to salute the voyage. "My lord, is there something wrong with you calling me?"

Yuanhang looked up, nodded and placed the teacup on the table.

"The ninth princess is about to give birth, I hope you can take good care of her." The words were very light, and even Yuanhang himself felt strange why he would whisper to Qinglian like this.

Qinglian smiled lightly, "My lord, although Princess Pingyao was still in swaddling clothes when I left the palace, I felt very kind when I saw her, how could I not treat her child well?" ”

"That's for the best." Yuanhang looked at Qinglian with a smile. In fact, he was still a little worried in his heart, he was going to see the Queen Mother, Qinglian was the Queen Mother's confidant, would she agree to go by himself? Once things develop in a bad direction, will she threaten herself with the mother and son of the Ninth Princess in order to protect the Queen Mother.

"I'll go back to the back hall in a few days, you know why I'm going back, so I'm going to borrow your jade pendant." The voice was still very soft, light and faint, but Qinglian felt her body tremble, and her heart sank unnaturally.

"My lord, the queen mother lives in the palace and has not asked about the old things for a long time, can you ......" Qinglian means that the past should not be investigated, even if it is investigated, it will not involve the queen mother.

Yuanhang nodded and said, "Don't worry, I have my own measure." ”

Qinglian only hesitated slightly, took the jade pendant from her body, clenched it in her hand, and handed it over. Because she believed in the voyage, and believed that his eyes would not deceive her.

Yuanhang stretched out his hand to take it and said to her lightly: "Don't tell the ninth princess anything, wait for me to come back." ”

"Yes." Qinghe responded with a salute. The voyage turned around and went back to the inner house.

Birou has already cut a lot of small clothes and held them in her hands for the ninth princess to see.

"Zhiqiu and Nianlan's little clothes, didn't the sisters all send them, why bother to do it again." The ninth princess raised her hand and flipped through the small clothes made by Birou.

Birou pursed her lips, reached out and touched her clothes, and said, "Those have been used, you are a princess, how can children use those." ”

The ninth princess has raised her clear eyes, with no makeup, but she is gorgeous. Reprimanded Birou. "Xianggong has said many times that you can't claim to be a princess, and since you enter the Ye Mansion, you should be respectful and orderly."

"Princess...... The slave and maid can't see that you are wronged. Birou pursed her lips and twisted in dissatisfaction.

"What grievances do I have? Treat us equally......"

"Why not, I haven't heard of a princess marrying once, but she can't even do it."

The ninth princess smiled indifferently and said lightly: "Xianggong is right, the name is not important, love is the true meaning." What is the use of believing that I am great, and yet I am always in an empty room? ”

"I don't see adults coming to you often now......

Before Birou's voice fell, the voice of the voyage sounded outside the door. "Who said I wasn't coming, it's not coming." Yuanhang smiled and pushed open the door and walked in, so frightened that Birou bent back, for fear that what he had just said would be heard by Yuanhang.

"Xianggong." The ninth princess held on to the table and was about to get up, but Yuanhang hurriedly stepped forward and pressed her shoulder.

"Sit down, don't run into it again." Yuanhang pushed her back to the stool, crouched down on his own, and pressed his head to her stomach to listen.

Birou took a few steps back, exited the room, and closed the door with her hand.

"Can you hear me?" The Ninth Princess hugged Yuanhang's head, lowered her head and asked with a smile.

"I heard it, there's a child in my belly." Yuanhang looked up and smiled, and the ninth princess reached out and slapped him.

"I want you to say it, and it's a little boy." The ninth princess smiled even sweeter.

Yuanhang got up and sat down, thought for a moment and said, "I'm going back to the back hall once, and I'll leave in a few days, do you have a letter to take it?" ”

The ninth princess's face gradually faded into a smile, and asked, "I am about to give birth, why did Xianggong leave at this time?" ”

"A very important thing." Yuanhang replied solemnly, looked at the ninth princess with some guilt, and said, "I'm afraid that when you give birth, you won't be able to accompany each other." ”

The Ninth Princess was gloomy and lowered her head to look at her pot-bellied belly.

"Do you have to go?" The ninth princess raised her head again, her face was full of anticipation, and the corners of her eyes were already a little crystalline.

"Hmm." Yuanhang nodded his head. The ninth princess suddenly laughed, and said politely: "Xianggong has your own reasons for going, I won't stop you, I just hope that you will come back as soon as possible and take a look at our children." The ninth princess smiled, but tears slid down her face.

"Yes, I'm going to see the Queen Mother, don't you send a letter to the past?"

The ninth princess shook her head lightly and said, "No, the princess can greet the queen mother on my behalf, Ping Yao is not filial, and he can't accompany him, please don't blame the queen mother." ”

That night, Yuanhang stayed in the princess's room. Looking at her with a smile on the corner of her mouth, sleeping soundly in her arms, she looked so well-behaved and quiet.

Three days later, on August 28 of the third year of Yinwen, Shangmu Zhong handed over the repeater to Yuanhang after the restructuring. After Yuanhang explained the Fuzhong, he took Dao Zi, Ah Jin and Wu Ying, and the group of four people left Jiangzhou and galloped all the way to the back hall.

Fuxi Palace, the dormitory of the current Queen Mother. Emperor Yin Wen sat on the sidelines, chatting with a noblewoman with a white face who looked no more than in her early fifties.

"Your Majesty, Ping Yao has been gone for a long time and there has been no news, you see if you can call her back to the palace." This woman is the queen mother, the biological mother of the ninth princess, and the concubine Shugui back then.

Emperor Yin Wen twisted a string of beads in his hand, and thought about it: "Queen Mother, I have promised Ye Yuanhang the ninth sister, and I will marry them in a few days, if I recall it at this time, I am afraid it will be inappropriate." ”

"What's wrong, even if you get married, won't you come back to see me?" The queen mother seemed to be dissatisfied, shook the brocade handkerchief in her hand, and put her hands together on her lap.

"That's not it." Emperor Yin Wen waved his hand and said: "Er is preparing to use troops against the country, the voyage is being carefully prepared, and after this period of time, Er will order him to bring Ping Yao back." ”

The Empress Dowager raised her hand and touched the golden hairpin on her head, and said slowly: "Speaking of this Ye Yuanhang, I really want to see it, I often hear you talk about being a handsome among people, and I don't know if it's true or not, but it's really worthy of Ping Yao?" ”

Emperor Yin Wen nodded and replied: "Don't worry, if the Queen Mother is a vulgar person, how can she mistake the ninth sister." ”

"You said that he may come to the palace in the near future, remember to bring Fuxi Palace to me to see." After speaking, the queen mother beckoned, and the palace maid handed over a plate with several pastries in it.

"Your Majesty, this is a freshly baked snack, can you still taste it?"

"Thank you, Queen Mother." Emperor Yin Wen picked up a piece casually and took a bite. The entrance is sweet and crispy, and I can't help but nod. "The pastries in the Queen Mother's palace are much better than there."

"Really? Then the emperor is going to Concubine Rong more, this is what Concubine Rong just sent someone to send. The Queen Mother also took a piece and put it in her mouth.

"Yes, follow the orders of the Queen Mother." Emperor Yinwen understood that the Empress Dowager was competing for Concubine Rong's favor, and nodded with a smile.

"That's right, Your Majesty." The queen mother ate the pastry, wiped the corners of her mouth with a brocade handkerchief, and then said: "A while ago, Chen Fu came to greet him, and said that several old ministers in the court wanted to tell the old man to return to his hometown, thinking that he had already made an excerpt. ”

Emperor Yin Wen nodded and put back the remaining half of the pastry in his hand. "Yes, it's just that I haven't allowed it, and I want to discuss it next year."

"Chen Fu also said that he was old and wanted to return to the mountain field, but he was afraid that you would not allow it, so he asked me to come." The Queen Mother got to the point.

"Is he going to leave the court too?" Emperor Yin Wen raised his head in disbelief. Chen Fu has always been by his side, but he has never mentioned it, why did he go to the Queen Mother to talk about it?

The Empress Dowager nodded, sighed, and said, "He has also worked hard for half his life, and there are not a few ministers left in the court during the reign of your father, if you can, let him go." ”

Emperor Yin Wen got up and said, "Queen Mother, Rong'er will go back and think about it, and I'll reply to you another day." ”

The Empress Dowager didn't say much, and sent someone to send Emperor Yinwen away.

Emperor Yin Wen came out of Fuxi Palace, and walked to the imperial study with a heavy heart, and the eunuch and palace maid followed behind, not daring to make a sound.

"Your Majesty." A soft call pulled Emperor Yin Wen back from his contemplation.

"Wang Jin, what's the matter?" Emperor Yin Wen stopped, looked sideways at Wang Jin, and asked.

Wang Jin bent forward and whispered beside Emperor Yinwen: "Ye Yuanhang has come to the palace, and the servants have taken him to the imperial study. ”

"Oh? He came back so quickly. Emperor Yinwen's eyes lit up, and he turned to the eunuch behind him and said, "You disperse." With a wink at Wang Jin, the two of them walked quickly towards the imperial study.

"Chenye sails away to see the emperor." Yuanhang saw Emperor Yin Wen in the study, and stepped forward to greet him.

"Hurry up." Emperor Yin Wen turned to Wang Jin and said, "Go and watch outside the door, no one is allowed to enter." ”

After the king went in and out, Emperor Yin Wen asked, "Can you find out?" ”

Yuanhang nodded and said, "Eight or nine is not far from ten." ”

"That'...... The queen mother is ......" Emperor Yin Wen wanted to get the answer, but he didn't want to know. Under the double contradiction, he became nervous, and his fingers were trembling slightly.

"Concubine Zhuang was killed, and the murderer was Chen Fu." The words of the voyage were like a hammer, and they hit Emperor Yinwen hard in the chest. Emperor Yin Wen took a step back and sat down in his chair.

"Are you sure it's him?" Emperor Yin Wen couldn't believe that Chen Fu, who had been by his side, was the murderer of his mother, but he didn't want to believe it.

"Nine times out of ten, it's him, but there is no one to witness, and the only one who knows the truth is the queen mother." Yuanhang paused for a moment, and then said: "Chen Fu has martial arts, do you know the emperor?" ”

"He has martial arts?" Emperor Yin Wen blinked, Chen Fu looked like an old dragon clock, how could he be martial arts? "By the way, I went to the Queen Mother just now, and the Queen Mother said that Chen Fu wanted to hide."

"He wants to go." Yuanhang thought that Chen Fu must have discovered something, maybe the emperor sent an edict to the Ministry to get the flower directory to arouse Chen Fu's vigilance. "Your Majesty, this is also a good opportunity. It's not good to attack him in the palace, if you go out of the back hall, you can take him. ”

"You mean, let me promise him to return home?" Emperor Yin Wen looked up and asked. Yuanhang nodded, and the two of them got together and discussed.