Chapter 166: Volume 1, Chapter 166 — Noble Consort Rong Is Indeed a Femme Fatale

After finishing those two matters, Rong Luoge then brought up the matter of Song Hui and the others entering the palace.

Han Xinglan was so tired he kept pinching the bridge of his nose, no longer having any mind to think about such things, and only said, "If they behave themselves, then let it be; if anyone does not, you handle it as you see fit."

Rong Luoge smiled softly at Han Xinglan's words, and seeing him like this could not help but feel her heart ache. "Settle down to rest early. You've been busy all day and it's been too exhausting."

Han Xinglan nodded. He was indeed very tired, to the point that even speaking felt like an effort.

During the great mourning period, the two of them could not do anything. After washing up, Han Xinglan drew Rong Luoge into his arms and lay down, and Rong Luoge soon heard light snoring beside her ear.

Han Xinglan very rarely snored; only when he was utterly exhausted would he do so.

Being emperor was not easy. Others saw the glory, but behind it lay who knows how much hardship.

Before dawn, Shi An came hurriedly knocking on the door, calling out through the door panels, "Your Majesty, urgent military intelligence from the north."

Rong Luoge slept lightly and opened her eyes almost the instant she heard the sound, immediately followed by sensing the person beside her sit up at once.

She hurried to rise as well, taking an outer robe and putting it on Han Xinglan. As he put on the robe, Han Xinglan slipped into his shoes and strode quickly outward.

Seeing this, Rong Luoge felt a bad premonition in her heart. She too hurriedly put on her clothes and went out.

Before she had even stepped out, she heard Shi An's words coming through: "Your Majesty, urgent report from the border — Qingxuan has violated the border, mustering several thousand cavalry to attack Luyang City."

Rong Luoge's footsteps halted. She had not expected that the civil war in Qingxuan had only just ended, yet they already dared to gather cavalry to attack the Owl Kingdom. It seemed the former Crown Prince, lying dormant for so many years, was no useless figure at all; on the contrary, he might be a master at managing state affairs.

Qingxuan was certainly not peaceful internally right now, but to forcibly suppress that unrest, what could achieve such an effect?

War, of course!

Only a foreign war could make Qingxuan temporarily united as one.

If this battle were won, the new ruler could successfully establish his authority, and the voices of domestic opposition would naturally fall silent.

Rong Luoge had a headache. It seemed this one would be a formidable rival hereafter.

Rong Luoge stood inside the tent and did not go out. She waited until the voices outside fell silent before lifting the curtain and stepping out, looking at Han Xinglan with worry on her face.

Han Xinglan turned to look at her, strode over, and took her hand. "Don't worry. I think those weapons we've been accumulating can finally be put to use. This time, without using the pretext of border patrol, I intend to have Xiao Shen as commander-in-chief and Liao Weijing as deputy general, leading the army on campaign."

Rong Luoge's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Han Xinglan and said, "Don't forget, Di Yue Nu stayed in the Owl Kingdom for so long and also knows about some of the weapons. I fear Qingxuan will be prepared as well."

Han Xinglan nodded. "I naturally know that. But war is always about whose abilities are greater. Moreover, this battle must be fought."

Rong Luoge understood. If they did not fight, it would not be good for Han Xinglan's prestige as a new ruler — a newly enthroned emperor who shrank from Qingxuan's provocation. And Qingxuan's ruler was likewise a newly enthroned former Crown Prince. Comparing the two, Han Xinglan naturally could not retreat.

"I understand. Go attend to your affairs; don't worry about me," Rong Luoge said.

Han Xinglan nodded. "Go back and sleep a while longer. Don't wait for me."

Watching Han Xinglan leave, Rong Luoge had no sleepiness left at all. She washed her face to refresh herself and went straight to the study.

The Late Emperor in his later years lusted after immortality and was debauched and incompetent; the national treasury had long since run dry. If the army were to march on campaign this time, military pay alone would be a tremendous headache.

Rong Luoge knew that the attrition of weapons on the battlefield was also a very great loss. She had no better solution for weapons — this was hard attrition.

But there was one thing she could help with, and that was armor.

The armor used by soldiers nowadays was all forged from copper and iron. The cost was relatively high, and on the battlefield, where blades and spears had no eyes, wear and tear was also quite rapid.

She knew of a kind of paper armor that was low in cost, and when paper was folded into armor, even strong arrows could not penetrate. If this paper armor were made well, even powerful arrows could not shoot through it.

Moreover, due to the nature of the materials, paper armor was certainly much lighter than iron armor. Comfort would also be far ahead. In our modern terms, the user experience was quite good, and importantly, it could save soldiers a great deal of stamina during combat.

In a war, if both sides were evenly matched in strength, then what they ultimately competed in was endurance.

In this way, soldiers with lighter personal weight would naturally have the advantage over those bearing heavier burdens.

Rong Luoge's mind raced. The brush in her hand constantly sketched, drew, and revised. There were some parts she could only describe in general terms, because she could not fully detail every aspect; a paper craftsman would need to carefully refine them later.

Paper armor was made by folding paper and a small amount of fabric to a certain thickness, then pounding it firm with a hammer. The thickness was approximately three inches, and then through a series of cuts and stitches, solid armor was obtained. When soaked in water, this armor could withstand bows, arrows, and even flamethrowers.

This was not nonsense. According to historical records, when Qi Jiguang of the Ming dynasty fought against the allied forces, because the southern climate was humid and armor easily deteriorated, soldiers mostly wore leather armor. However, they frequently used muskets and other more advanced weapons, making it difficult for troops in leather armor to hold out for long. Later, General Qi Jiguang resolutely adopted paper armor to solve this problem. Paper armor processed through special techniques possessed considerable resistance to fire and blasts.

This thing was indeed good, mainly because the cost was low. For Han Xinglan, who urgently needed to conserve funds, this was a matter of great relief.

Rong Luoge drew out the entire process, then re-traced the draft once more so it looked neat and easy to understand. Only then did she let out a long breath of relief.

She stood up and stretched, only then noticing that her shoulders were stiff — she had been sitting for too long.

Some of the figures and processes inside still needed adjustment by a paper craftsman; she annotated them one by one at the end.

She carefully checked it once more and, finding no flaws, called Yuan Bao in, placed the item in an envelope, and handed it to him. "Present this to His Majesty."

Yuan Bao took it and hurriedly bowed and withdrew. His Majesty held Noble Consort Rong dear to his heart; he dared not delay anything Noble Consort Rong instructed in the slightest.

Yuan Bao ran all the way to the front court and saw his master standing outside the great hall with a troubled expression. He immediately went over. "Master."

Seeing Yuan Bao arrive, Shi An said, "How come you're here, boy? Does the Noble Consort have some matter?"

Yuan Bao hurriedly handed over the letter in his hand. "Master, the Consort says to present this letter to His Majesty."

Looking at the envelope, Shi An suddenly recalled the previous occasions when Noble Consort Rong had presented treasures to His Majesty. His eyes instantly lit up, and he immediately and carefully received it with both hands, then turned and walked toward the hall.

Shi An saw the several ministers inside the hall arguing until their faces were red and their necks swollen. He lowered his head without a word, walked quickly to His Majesty's side, presented the letter, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Noble Consort had Yuan Bao deliver this."

When Shi An mentioned the Noble Consort, the several ministers who had been arguing nearly stopped talking at the same time, all wearing expressions of displeasure. At a time like this, the Noble Consort still wanted to bother His Majesty with private matters?

Indeed a femme fatale!