That afternoon, within the Prime Minister's mansion.
Prime Minister Yang had just returned from the palace. Before he could even change out of his official robes, he heard that Commander Kong had arrived…
"Commander Kong, what wind blows you here?" Prime Minister Yang asked.
After all, he was the head of the civil officials and had navigated the court for so many years; he was already a seasoned diplomat…
Commander Kong never came without a reason, which meant his troublesome son had caused him trouble again.
Kong Xingzhuo glanced at Prime Minister Yang and said indifferently, "Prime Minister, you have been in office for many years, enjoying great success and a smooth career. You must have forgotten your place!~"
Prime Minister Yang: "......"
What did that mean?
Why couldn't he understand?
In fact, Prime Minister Yang truly did not know that Yang Jingrui had gone to the Yun Mansion to cause trouble. Otherwise, before Kong Xingzhuo could even find him, he would have whipped Yang Jingrui with a water-soaked whip until he couldn't get out of bed…
"Prime Minister, you might not know, but your good son, with nothing better to do, went to the Yun Mansion to slap the Princess of Dongping. The imposing and arrogant manner he displayed was even more imposing than yours. Humph, if it weren't for Jie Kong protecting the Princess, she would have been disfigured by now…"
Kong Xingzhuo embellished his account, emphasizing the details of Yang Jingrui bullying the young Princess.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Yang stumbled back two steps, clutching his chest, his lips trembling, "Kong, Commander Kong, this is not something to joke about…"
Who in the capital and the palace didn't know that the Princess of Dongping was favored by the Emperor and Empress Xiao?
To dare to cause trouble for her was to openly oppose the Emperor and the Empress…
"Prime Minister, do I look like I'm joking with you?" Kong Xingzhuo asked with a serious expression.
He was swamped with work every day; he didn't have the time to come here and bicker with him.
Prime Minister Yang was filled with trepidation, both anxious and angry.
He thought that after reprimanding his scoundrel son last time, he would have restrained himself. He never expected him to escalate, even daring to provoke the young Princess…
"Commander Kong, rest assured. After you leave, I will definitely hang that unfilial son up and beat him until he realizes his mistake!~" Prime Minister Yang gritted his teeth.
What sins had he committed in his past life to have such a foolish son?
Kong Xingzhuo heard this and curved his lips into a slight smile, "That's not necessary. If he's beaten too badly, my master cannot take responsibility…"
"Then, then what does Commander Kong mean?" Prime Minister Yang was somewhat confused.
Kong Xingzhuo pondered for a moment, stroking his chin. "How about this, have Young Master Yang go to the Yun Mansion and personally apologize to the young Princess. If the Princess does not pursue the matter, then it will be considered over. If the Princess is still unhappy, then you had better prepare Young Master Yang for the consequences…"
After speaking, Kong Xingzhuo swaggered to the door, "It's getting late, I shall take my leave!~"
Prime Minister Yang: "......"
The way he said it made it sound as if the Princess would never let it go unless Jing Rui was killed.
Not long after Kong Xingzhuo left, the mansion was filled with screams like those of a pig being slaughtered, startling the servants who scurvied to hide, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire…
"Oh dear, if this continues, young master will lose his life!~"
"If he loses his life, so be it. Who told him to go out and cause trouble, even daring to bully the young Princess? She's a favored person by the Emperor!"
"It seems Prime Minister is truly angry this time, actually hanging young master up to beat him. After this whipping, young master will surely learn his lesson!"
"......"
The servants gathered and whispered for a while before returning to their work.
Meanwhile, at the Yun Mansion.
"Your Highness, these blueprints were drawn by other craftsmen. Do you see any flaws?"
In the study, Tu Qingdong stood before Xiao Xi Tian and handed her a stack of Xuan paper.
Xiao Xi Tian examined them carefully and sighed slightly, "None of them are quite right. Since these are warships for battle, how can they not have cannons?"
"Wh-what? Can-cannons?" Tu Qingdong was bewildered.
He knew of firecrackers and fireworks, but he had never heard of 'cannons.'
Seeing his confused expression, Xiao Xi Tian chuckled twice, "They are weapons made with gunpowder, with great power. They can not only deter enemies but also exert a suppressive effect…"
She only learned later that although the Daliang Kingdom had invented gunpowder early on, it was almost entirely used for fireworks and firecrackers, not for making cannons.
Among the Five Kingdoms, only Yan Guo had cannons, and they came in many varieties.
Therefore, to improve the combat effectiveness of the army and navy, cannons were indispensable…
"Then, then does Your Highness mean that we should research cannons first, and then build warships?" Tu Qingdong asked.
It seemed he had found the right person; the young Princess was always so professional in every aspect.
Xiao Xi Tian blinked her big eyes, "We can do them concurrently. Lord Tu can stockpile more gunpowder and copper and iron. We cannot make cannons without raw materials…"
She planned to use cast copper or cast iron to forge cannons. Although these materials were ancient, they were very durable.
They wouldn't crack after only a few shots.
Tu Qingdong was overjoyed upon hearing this and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, everything will be as Your Highness arranges. It's just, it's just when will Your Highness be able to design the blueprints for the warships…"
"Don't rush!~" Xiao Xi Tian rested her chin on her hands and glanced at the draft on the table. "Shipbuilding also requires inspiration. Lord Tu, please give me a few more days!"
It was indeed a bit strenuous for her to come up with all the plans and blueprints by herself…
But she had her omnipotent space, which allowed her to easily access information and use advanced design software. She could find a large number of ready-made blueprints and just make a few minor improvements.
"Then I trouble you, young Princess!" Tu Qingdong said gratefully, mumbled a few other things, and then went back to prepare the gunpowder.
Xiao Jin Heng sat at another table, watching Xiao Xi Tian busy herself…
Seeing that Tu Qingdong had already left, he stood up and poured her a cup of water. "If this endeavor truly succeeds, you will be a great contributor to Liang. Your father will not treat you unfairly in the future!~"
Xiao Xi Tian scoffed, her large eyes shining like black grapes. "If I truly cared about merits and rewards, I wouldn't be doing these things…"
Mainly, she enjoyed doing them.
"Then I must still thank you on behalf of the court and the people!" Xiao Jin Heng smiled warmly.
He felt that the most correct thing his father had done in his life was to send him to Da Shui Village for refuge…
If he hadn't gone to the countryside, he wouldn't have met the village child, nor would he have gained so much knowledge.
Just then, Steward Li hurried to the study, "Your Highness, Princess, someone is looking for you outside the door!"