Chapter 894

Luo Zhenjiang replied: "This is what Ye the shopkeeper insisted on letting us take when we left the inn this morning, saying it's for Tuan Tuan to eat."

"Even this rice he scooped from his own rice bin; I didn't spend a single copper coin."

"Shopkeeper Ye is thoughtful." Xiao Ze, hearing this, was slightly moved; this is the people's heart!

"That's only natural!" Luo Zhenjiang interjected, "The common folk know best who treats them well; you all go back and sit, we'll start the meal right away!"

Everyone nodded silently, smiling as they left the kitchen and returned to the hall to reseat themselves.

Soon, several steaming large clay basins were brought up.

One basin held a pile of braised pork with pointed tips, the soy‑colored skin glistening with oil.

Another basin contained stewed fish, the tender white flesh lying in milky broth, topped with a handful of bright green scallions.

The steamer was also brought over; when the lid was lifted, the fragrant aroma of rice filled the room.

The soldier also brought over a jar of wine.

Xiao Ningxun asked, "Where did this wine come from? The red‑haired devils don't drink our liquor; their sweet water is kept in glass bottles."

The soldier laughed, "Early this morning, several wine jars and plenty of rice and vegetables were piled at the gate."

"The sentry said they were all sent by nearby villagers, who didn't dare enter, just left them at the gate and ran off."

"We couldn't stop them, we don't know who sent them, and we can't send them back, so we had to keep them."

Everyone's hearts warmed involuntarily.

Xiao Ningyuan sighed, "The Seventh Prince did the right thing."

Luo Zhenjiang carried in a clay basin full of greens, set it on the table, plopped down beside Tuan Tuan, and said, "Come on, try my cooking!"

He picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of braised pork in Tuan Tuan's small bowl.

Tuan Tuan scooped it up with a small wooden spoon and shoved it into her mouth.

As she ate, she mumbled, "It's so delicious! Uncle Luo is awesome!"

Luo Zhenjiang added another tender piece of fish belly to her bowl: "Eat a bit more; I built this stove especially for you today."

"After you return to the capital, it won't be so easy to get Luo Uncle's cooking."

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance, both hearing the reluctance in his words.

The two said nothing, picked up the wine jar, and filled everyone's cups and bowls to the brim.

Lu Qi recalled Tuan Tuan's expression when he said he would leave the capital, and couldn't help sighing—who could bear to part with the miss?

Tuan Tuan, however, was unfazed: "What's the difficulty? I'll just go to Jiangzhou to find you; I even want to go play with Sister Luo!"

Luo Zhenjiang exclaimed happily, "You said it, little Tuan Tuan—from now on you must stay at my place for at least one month each year—no, two months!"

"All right!" Tuan Tuan agreed crisply.

The three brothers glanced at each other.

Xiao Ningyuan held up three fingers and waved them twice, then held up two fingers and waved them once.

He whispered, "From now on, Tuan Tuan will spend three months each year at Jifeng, another three months in the Western Regions, and now an additional two months in Jiangzhou."

Xiao Ningxun nodded, "Fortunately the chief of the Northwestern Horse Gang, Xie, hasn't spoken up; otherwise, Tuan Tuan would have no time to stay at home!"

Xiao Yuanhang glared at his sons, lifted his wine cup, and raised it toward Luo Zhenjiang: "Chief Luo, thank you for protecting Tuan Tuan all the way and letting us enjoy a meal of Central Plains cuisine."

"This cup, this prince toasts you."

Luo Zhenjiang hastily lifted his clay bowl and drained it in one gulp: "Your Highness, I cannot bear such praise!"

"Guarding Tuan Tuan is my own pleasure; building the stove and lighting the fire is merely a laborious task—nothing worth mentioning."

Xiao Ze also raised his wine cup, his gaze sweeping over everyone at the long table: "Gentlemen, this fortress from now on shall be the provincial headquarters of Taiyuan Province of our Lie Kingdom."

"Taiyuan Province will henceforth be part of the Lie Kingdom's territory! Let's drain this cup, honoring all who have contributed to this land."

Everyone raised their cups together: "Bottoms up!"

Tuan Tuan held the table, stood on her chair, lifted her small teacup with both tiny hands, held it high, and declared, "I want to drink too!"

Everyone at the table laughed.

Teacups, wine cups, and coarse pottery bowls clinked together, producing a clear sound.

Tuan Tuan looked left and right: "Huh, where's Feng Zhou?"

"He, uh," Xiao Ningchen laughed, "as soon as he entered the fortress he climbed up to look at those cannons, and I handed over all the matchlocks the red‑haired devils left behind to him."

"He loves it to death—he hasn't shown his face all day."

"Someone!" Xiao Yuanhang said, shaking his head with a laugh, "Go find Feng Zhou! Drag him over here for me to eat first!"

"Yes!" A soldier took the order and left.

After a while, the soldier returned: "Reporting to Your Highness, Minister Feng says he's in the midst of something important and refuses to come eat; he also said, after you finish your meal, please come to his place to have a look."

"Feng Zhou must have come up with something good again," Xiao Ze laughed, "All right, leave him a portion of the food; we'll go see him after we finish eating."

Tuan Tuan asked, "Where is he?"

"At the highest point of the fortress, by the cannons."

After everyone finished eating, they all went together to the place on the city wall where the cannons were set up.

There we saw Feng Zhou sitting beside a cannon, his back against the carriage, his legs stretched out flat on the stone slabs, covered head to toe in dust.

His hands and face were streaked black and white, his hair tangled with wood shavings from who knows where, and several sheets of drawings lay spread on the ground before him.

"Feng Zhou!" Tuan Tuan poked her little head out from her father's arms and shouted, "How did you get so dirty!"

Feng Zhou then came to his senses, wondering when so many people had arrived.

He hastily rose to salute; as he stood, his knee knocked the carriage, making him hiss in pain, but he didn't have time to rub it, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness, Prince!"

Xiao Yuanhang raised his hand to indicate: "No need for so much ceremony."

He swept his gaze over the line of cannons before him: "How many cannons are there here?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, this wall has eight cannons, the opposite wall also eight. Each of the four bastion corners has four cannons; adding the two sides gives a total of forty‑eight cannons."

He paused, his tone tinged with regret: "I originally wanted to convert all of these into our Frankish cannons, using the loading method of a small gun."

But after dismantling two, the barrel and bore sizes didn't match; forcing a change would cause trouble, so we can only leave them as is for now.

Xiao Yuanhang nodded: "Don't rush, we still have to wait for the imperial edict here; it's not like we're leaving tomorrow."

"Prince," Feng Zhou crouched, pointing at the drawing on the ground, "our cannons may shoot far and accurately, but they have a shortcoming: they can only fire in one direction."

Xiao Ningchen asked: "Isn't that how cannons are? Could they possibly fire at different places at the same time?"

"Sure!" Feng Zhou's eyes gleamed, "Second Young Master, look, this gun mount is fixed; to change direction you need several people to lift and move it."

"By the time we finally get it moved, the enemy won't just stand still waiting for us to fire; they'd likely have fled long ago."

"So I thought," his eyes shining brightly, "add a rotatable base under the cannon carriage, inset with iron rings, coated with tung oil."

"This way one person can swivel the muzzle to fire in any direction; it's also easy to modify."

Xiao Yuanhang burst into loud laughter after hearing him: "Great! Excellent! I'll immediately order someone to build one according to your idea for a test!"

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands, bouncing twice in her father's arms: "Feng Zhou, you're awesome!"

Everyone also praised Feng Zhou's clever mind.

Feng Zhou, however, seemed not to have heard, lowering his head to stare intently at the drawing, brows furrowed, muttering to himself: "Should we call it a swivel cannon?"

"No, no! It sounds like the sugar figurines spun on the street—totally lacking in grandeur."

"If we must name it, it should be called a rotating cannon; that sounds imposing."

Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Xiao Ningyuan stepped forward and patted Feng Zhou's shoulder: "Feng Zhou, what about that little firearm? It's a fine item personally carried by the red-haired barbarian governor."