noveltune Chapter 5478 Weak and Helpless
Chapter 5478 Weak and Helpless
Chapter 5478 Weak and Helpless
Outside the study, tensions were high.
Outside the mountain gate, they were already surrounded by a group of skilled warriors from the "Hundred Riders Division".
Li Jingye came on the emperor's orders to "invite" Princess Jinyang back to the palace; how could he return empty-handed?
However, the two Fang Jun henchmen at the door, armed with knives and exuding a murderous aura, made him feel troubled.
These two were trusted confidants who were ordered by Fang Jun to stay here to protect Princess Jinyang. If they were killed, it would be inevitable that they would become enemies with Fang Jun.
He was naturally not afraid of making enemies with Fang Jun. As the commander of the "Hundred Cavalry Division", a henchman of the emperor, and a descendant of the Duke of England, how could he not have this much responsibility?
But is it worth it?
But His Majesty's imperial decree is as imposing as a mountain and as firm as a mountain; once issued, it must be obeyed without question. Even if it means going through fire and water, it must be carried out.
Weighing the pros and cons in an instant, Li Jingye waved his hand and said, "Tie up these two unruly scoundrels!"
"Here!"
More than ten skilled "Hundred Cavalrymen" put down their swords and rushed forward in a swarm. Before the two retainers could decide whether to draw their swords against the unarmed enemy, they were tackled to the ground and pinned down and bound by more than ten burly men.
The two sergeants were so angry that they screamed, but they couldn't break free.
Princess Jinyang finally lost her temper. Her small face hardened, and she slammed her snow-white hand on the coffee table with a "bang," shouting, "Li Jingye, do you want to rebel? Release him immediately!"
Li Jingye remained unmoved and bowed, saying, "His Majesty has ordered that Prince Jinyang be invited to the palace."
Princess Jinyang's beautiful face was frosty: "I can go whenever I want, you don't need to bother me!"
Li Jingye took a deep breath: "Please, Your Highness, enter the palace!"
Princess Jinyang pursed her lips, her chest heaving as she glared angrily.
Li Jingye repeated in a deep voice, "Please, Your Highness, enter the palace!"
Princess Jinyang stared at Li Jingye for a long while before calmly saying, "Prepare the carriage!"
……
The Imperial Study.
After Princess Jinyang entered, she stood there with a sullen face and did not say a word.
Li Chengqian, who was behind his desk, had prepared a bellyful of complaints and reprimands, but upon seeing this scene, he couldn't utter a single word.
What's going on here?
You're the one who made a mistake, and you're still giving me attitude?
But since she was his favorite younger sister, Li Chengqian couldn't bear to be too harsh on her even though she had made a mistake.
He stepped out from behind his desk, looked Princess Jinyang up and down, and frowned, saying, "Who are you arguing with? You're so lawless!"
Princess Jinyang did not answer, but asked in return: "Is it because His Majesty is so short of a sister for marriage alliances that he insists on marrying me off to a family that can be of use to you, the emperor?"
Li Chengqian felt utterly wronged: "From beginning to end, I have always been open to your marriage. Regardless of the man's family background, character, or education, the most important thing is that you are satisfied with him! When have I ever said I would force you to marry any particular man?"
Princess Jinyang answered decisively: "I've taken a liking to my brother-in-law!"
Li Chengqian was furious: "You know that's your brother-in-law? Such a morally reprehensible act is intolerable!"
Princess Jinyang snorted coldly: "As expected, in His Majesty's eyes I am a person who has violated morality and should be boiled in oil and drowned in a pig cage. Therefore, the 'Hundred Cavalry Division' was sent to arrest this traitor!"
Li Chengqian was taken aback for a moment before realizing that his casual order to Li Jingye to invite Jinyang back to the palace was indeed inappropriate. The "Hundred Cavalry Division" was the emperor's henchman, responsible for purging all rebellions and eliminating all illegal activities. Moreover, the entire "Hundred Cavalry Division" consisted of able-bodied men, and it was inevitable that there would be a sense of disrespect...
He immediately felt a headache coming on, and his momentum weakened by three points: "Sister, don't be angry. This was indeed my oversight."
He was furious and enraged at the time, and without thinking, he ordered Li Jingye to bring Jinyang back for a scolding without considering the consequences...
Princess Jinyang gently shook her head, looking pitiful, weak and helpless: "Your Majesty, there is no need to blame yourself. It was my mistake that I brought upon myself. I will go to Zhaoling to kneel before the spirit tablets of my father and mother to repent, and I will never return to Taiji Palace. Your Majesty, please pretend that you do not have a sister like me."
Li Chengqian's anger flared up instantly, and he roared, "Li Mingda, what exactly do you want? As your elder brother, I can spoil you and indulge you, but that doesn't mean I can let you do whatever you want! Now you've trampled my dignity as the emperor on the ground, the whole world is laughing at me, and even the imperial authority has plummeted! I only said a few words to you and you can't stand it, so you run to the coffins of Father and Mother to complain? This is simply outrageous!"
Are you a child?
They actually wanted to complain to their deceased parents!
Princess Jinyang lowered her head, looking aggrieved: "It's already like this, what do you suggest we do?"
Li Chengqian clutched his chest, so angry he could hardly breathe and his vision blurred.
Knowing full well that their affair was unacceptable according to reason and emotion, they still insisted on going their own way, and now they're doing this again?
However, despite my anger, I have to admit there's some truth to that: no matter what, the deed is done...
"You just stay obediently in the palace, and we'll see what happens next!"
This matter must be suppressed first, and then a suitable family must be found for Jinyang to marry into. Otherwise, once she has children like Chang Le, it will be too late...
Princess Jinyang was gentle and frail, and kept her head down without speaking.
Li Chengqian also felt sorry for her. This was his younger sister whom he had always doted on. Now that she had gone astray and her life was in jeopardy, how could he not be distressed?
It's all that idiot Fang Er's fault!
To appease his sister, he said, "That scoundrel Li Jingye is truly vulgar. Let me teach him a lesson and help you vent your anger!"
Just then, the chief eunuch Wang De rushed in from outside, shouting urgently, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Grand Commandant and Commander Li are fighting!"
Li Chengqian didn't react for a moment: "Who?"
Wang De said, "The Grand Commandant heard that Commander Li was disrespectful to His Highness Prince Jinyang, so he came to the palace to cause trouble for Commander Li!"
"Bastard!"
Li Chengqian was furious and cursed, "Li Jingye is certainly wrong, but he was acting on my imperial orders. What right does Fang Jun have to interfere? He even dared to chase people into the palace to beat them up. Does he want to rebel?"
After saying that, he turned and walked out.
Princess Jinyang followed stealthily behind...
……
Liu Shi, a senior official in the Ministry of War and the director of the Foundry Bureau, visited the Fang residence, where Fang Jun received him in the front hall.
It wasn't anything important, but Fang Jun had been traveling around and even crossing oceans for the past two years, so he hadn't been able to visit the Foundry Bureau much as often. Liu Shi then explained to Fang Jun the difficulties the Foundry Bureau was facing and its many achievements.
Liu Shi knew that Fang Jun was not a power-hungry person, but even though he had been transferred to the Ministry of War for a long time, he had always maintained a firm grip on the Foundry Bureau, which showed how much he valued the Foundry Bureau. He always followed Fang Jun's lead, and no matter who the head of the Ministry of War was, he was still Fang Jun's team, and the Foundry Bureau was always Fang Jun's Foundry Bureau.
Of course, apart from Fang Jun, no one else in the court was capable of leading the Foundry Bureau.
"The research and development of steam engines has continued, and it is now the top priority of the entire foundry. However, neither the airtightness nor the casting materials can be considered perfect. There are always some defects. We still have a long way to go to meet your requirements, Grand Commandant."
Liu Shi felt somewhat ashamed.
Fang Jun attached unparalleled importance to the steam engine, investing countless manpower, material resources, and financial resources in this project. However, although the steam engine has long been finalized and the initial test was successful, it still falls short in terms of pressure, materials, airtightness, and other aspects, and has never truly met Fang Jun's requirements, thus failing to put it into use.
Now, the entire foundry has realized the wonder of the steam engine and firmly believes that once the research and development is completed and it is put into use, it will trigger a revolutionary change, just as Fang Jun said, and even change the whole world.
Fang Jun was not in a hurry and said with a smile, "There is no need to rush. Our goal is not only to develop a qualified steam engine, but also to explore the smelting, manufacturing, heat conversion and other technologies involved. These are all top-notch technologies in the world."
Progress in natural science is never achieved overnight. Before reaching a certain goal, the path taken along the way is also important. Palaces do not rise from nothing; the foundation laid by each stone is of paramount importance.
During this period, every step forward has filled a gap and led the world.
Seeing that Liu Shi still looked depressed and ashamed, he smiled and comforted him, saying, "Everything you do now, every achievement you make, will be marked in history books and shine brightly. All the civil and military officials in the court are mediocre, but only you can leave your name in history."
When it comes to getting people to work, you should not only be generous with money, food, and meat, but also provide them with sufficient emotional support.
Sure enough, Liu Shi perked up as soon as he heard "to be remembered in history"...
Wei Ying called out loudly from outside the door, "Reporting to Erlang, the two brothers who stayed at Xuanqing Temple on duty have returned."
"Ok?"
Fang Jun frowned: "Let them in!"
His own personal guards would certainly not disobey orders. They would stay at Xuanqing Temple to protect Princess Jinyang and would not leave unless something major happened.
Two henchmen walked in from outside, knelt on one knee in front of Fang Jun, too ashamed to raise their heads, and told him everything.
Finally, he muttered, "It's not that we're afraid of death, but His Highness strictly ordered us to leave. Otherwise, we would have fought tooth and nail to protect Erlang's prestige!"
Fang Jun nodded: "There was a reason for this, which is understandable, but you failed to complete the task I assigned you. Go back and receive twenty strokes of the military rod. This is a one-time exception."
"Here!"
After the two retainers left, Fang Jun said to Liu Shi, "If there's nothing else, let's call it a day. I need to go to the palace to talk to Li Jingye, so I won't keep you any longer."
Liu Shi quickly got up to take his leave, and before leaving he advised, "Li Jingye is, after all, the emperor's henchman and the eldest grandson of Duke Ying. You should at least save some face for him. Today, your power and prestige are no longer what they used to be. There is no need to bother with such a junior."
Fang Jun shook his head: "A true man has things he will not do and things he must do. Since he dared to disrespect Jinyang, he must bear the consequences."
He was very angry.
Li Jingye repeatedly displayed an arrogant and disrespectful attitude towards him, but he didn't take it to heart and only gave him a few words of reprimand before letting it go.
But now Princess Jinyang is his woman, yet Li Jingye still acts without any scruples. Can this be explained simply by considering himself the emperor's lackey?
That guy is hostile towards him.