Chapter 173: Volume 1, Chapter 173 — He Wants to Be a Princess's Son

Rong Luoge sent Xu Shuyuan away and breathed a soft sigh of relief. It was true that Xu Shuyuan wanted to pledge herself to her, but pledging allegiance wasn't something that could be accomplished with just lips above and below — it still depended on what she actually did.

Rong Luoge had Xu Shuyuan handle the matter of releasing palace servants from the palace: first, to test her ability; second, to see whether she was genuinely pledging herself or merely trying to use her.

Rong Luoge wanted to find herself an assistant, not an enemy who would endure hardship and bide her time for revenge.

Dealing with the Inner Court Office was no easy matter, but given that she herself had previously clashed with the Empress Dowager and gained the upper hand, if Xu Shuyuan was smart, she would know what to do.

At lunch, to her surprise, Han Xinglan actually found time to come back and eat with her. Rong Luoge looked at him and smiled, "It seems I truly am a mother elevated by her child."

Han Xinglan: …

That remark was somewhat difficult to answer.

He gave a light laugh and said, "I just wanted to see how you're doing. Seeing that you look in good spirits, I can rest easy."

Rong Luoge nodded. "I don't feel much of anything, so you don't need to worry. Are the arrangements for the expedition all settled?"

Because Rong Luoge was now pregnant, she naturally could no longer continue eating vegetarian fare. During the period of grand mourning she wouldn't have lavish meals of fish and meat, but she could eat a little things like dairy and eggs.

He picked up a quail egg and slowly peeled it. After finishing, he placed it in Rong Luoge's bowl and said, "It's mostly ready. The first batch of paper armor is already being rushed through production day and night. Xiao Shen is waiting for this — he wants to form a light cavalry, and paper armor is very attractive to him."

Rong Luoge smiled and said, "The greatest advantages of paper armor are its low cost and light weight, making it indeed more suited for light cavalry assaults. Xiao Shen clearly has a good eye. It's just that the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau has limited personnel, so I'm afraid their speed won't keep up."

At this, Han Xinglan recounted how he had the Ministry of Works oversee the production of paper armor.

Rong Luoge's pace of eating slowed down upon hearing this. She thought it over carefully before saying, "You want the Ministry of Works to compete head-to-head with the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau?"

Han Xinglan nodded. "The Imperial Manufacturing Bureau has long been too big to control, and it's chaotic internally. If I rashly reorganize it, they'll unite against me top to bottom. The main issue is that I simply can't spare the manpower to deal with them right now."

"So rather than entangle yourself with them, it's better to start fresh and elevate the Ministry of Works to compete against them. Whether it's the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau or any other office, what it ultimately comes down to is which one you choose to use. The only reason the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau is so arrogant is that they rely on their monopoly over all manufacturing affairs for the court." Rong Luoge felt that Han Xinglan truly had a way with things — his use of the art of checks and balances was masterful.

"That's exactly the idea." Hearing Rong Luoge put it this way, Han Xinglan felt thoroughly pleased. He loved talking with Rong Luoge precisely because no matter the matter, the two of them always thought along the same lines — that feeling was wonderful.

Rong Luoge laughed. "Now the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau is going to be hopping mad. The quantity of paper armor needed for this army expedition is enormous. As long as the Ministry of Works can complete this assignment in full, they'll have the strength to stand against the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau. With a bit more of your patronage later on, it's only a matter of time before the Ministry of Works overtakes them. By then, it'll be too late for the people at the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau to regret it."

"That assembly-line production method you mentioned — I think it's excellent. I've already had Wu Lu do it that way. If all goes smoothly, paper armor output should keep up with the army's consumption."

"Practice makes perfect. Focusing on one thing is always easier and faster than doing many things at once," Rong Luoge said with a smile. The wisdom and experience of their forebears were not to be underestimated.

After finishing this discussion, the two of them completed their meal and moved to the inner chamber, where Rong Luoge recounted the matter of promoting Xu Shuyuan.

Han Xinglan looked at Rong Luoge and said, "Just handle Hou Gong affairs as you see fit. Once you give birth, whether it's a princess or a prince, I will crown you Empress. If the timing weren't wrong right now, the moment news of your pregnancy got out, you should be made Empress."

Rong Luoge understood Han Xinglan's meaning. The Late Emperor had only recently passed, so she couldn't make a big fuss about her pregnancy, and crowning her Empress couldn't be rushed — lest it provoke resentment among the court's senior ministers and lead them to attack her in force.

"I'm not in a hurry, and you needn't be either. We'll take things slowly," Rong Luoge said, leaning against Han Xinglan's chest. "The army's expedition means overseeing provisions is also very important. I don't know if they can raise enough. You proclaimed a general amnesty upon your enthronement, so naturally taxes can't be increased now."

An army of several hundred thousand plus warhorses all needed to eat and drink — the daily consumption was terrifying.

"The Ministry of Revenue will oversee this matter. The Minister of Revenue hasn't come crying hardship yet, so presumably they can hold out for now," Han Xinglan said.

Hearing the teasing tone in Han Xinglan's words, Rong Luoge knew he most likely already had a plan in mind, so she didn't press further.

It was rare for the two of them to have time to rest together at midday. Han Xinglan lowered the bed curtains, held Rong Luoge, and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, the Zhen Guo Gong Fu was not peaceful. Ever since learning that Qingxuan Nation was attacking Xiao Nation, the Protector Duke had been unable to sleep peacefully day and night, and his temper had grown increasingly volatile.

Chu Ke could no longer bear him and had taken their daughter back to her maiden home for a stay.

Rong Yan simply stayed at his office and didn't go home. He now served as a Colonel in the Imperial Dragon Guard and had his own separate room for his shifts.

The vast Guo Gong Fu suddenly fell quiet. The Protector Duke could only face Rong Lang day after day, and neither father nor son looked well.

Rong Lang was the most anxious of all. His own mother had returned to Qingxuan Nation as a princess, but he was still in Xiao Nation — and now the two nations had gone to war. Fortunately, his mother's identity had not yet been exposed, otherwise he didn't even know if he'd still be standing here talking.

The Prince Qi they relied on was currently escorting the Late Emperor's coffin to the Imperial Mausoleum — a long and arduous journey from which he wouldn't return for three to five months. Father and son were truly anxious day and night, yet still had to put on a show of normalcy before outsiders.

Rong Lang looked at his father, thought for a moment, and said, "Father, is there truly no way to take part in this military campaign?"

The Protector Duke looked at his son upon hearing this. "Don't even think about it. We father and son do nothing. That way, even if your mother's identity is exposed in the future, we can claim we knew nothing. If we get involved now, it'll be hard to extricate ourselves later."

Rong Lang fell silent. "I don't believe Mother won't come back. Father, I want to go find Mother."

What was the point of staying in Xiao Nation? He was only his father's illegitimate son, and the matter of being entered into the family genealogy had been stalled all along.

If he could find his mother — she was a princess of Qingxuan Nation, so he would be a princess's son. How glorious would that be?

Weighing both options, rather than constantly enduring people's displeasure here, he might as well go find his mother.

Naturally, the Protector Duke didn't know what Rong Lang was thinking. Right now, all he feared was that Di Yue Nu's identity would be exposed and implicate him.