Chapter 305: Volume 1, Chapter 305: If They Want War, Then War It Shall Be

Rong Luoge was not someone powerless to truss a chicken; seeing the wet nurse suddenly charge over, she immediately rose and kicked her right back.

It seemed this person had resolved to repay the one behind the scenes with death, and would absolutely never confess.

Kicked by that blow, the wet nurse's face turned livid; she curled into a ball from the pain and could not help groaning aloud.

"Drag her away, and await His Majesty's judgment," Rong Luoge said in a low voice. "Make sure she does not die."

"Yes." Yuan Bao, his face covered in cold sweat, immediately had someone come over and gag the wet nurse first, then bound her and dragged her away.

"Your Ladyship, are you all right?"

It happened so suddenly that neither Rong Xin nor Que Cai had been able to react in time, and both were truly filled with guilt at this moment.

"I'm fine." Rong Luoge waved her hand and looked at the two, saying, "Keep a close watch on the remaining two wet nurses."

Pausing here, Rong Luoge shook her head. "Immediately bring the wet nurses' sons into the palace. Tell the wet nurses that as long as they faithfully look after the First Prince, their sons will be safe. If anything happens to the First Prince, their sons will not escape either."

Rong Luoge had no milk of her own and could not watch over the child every single moment; she had no choice but to resort to this expedient.

Though such a method could not bear the light of day, as long as the wet nurses had no ulterior motives, their sons raised in the palace would have food, clothing, and provisions far better than outside—it could not be called mistreating them. Once Kangkang was weaned in the future, she would naturally give them a sum of reward silver so they could return home in glory.

"This servant will go attend to it at once," Rong Xin said immediately.

Before dark, both wet nurses' children had been brought in. Rong Luoge looked them over—they were a little older than Kangkang and already able to walk. They appeared somewhat timid; though young, children could still sense whether the atmosphere around them was good or bad, and were very keen.

The two wet nurses watched from the side, not daring to so much as breathe heavily. In their hearts they hated the one who had caused the incident for implicating their children to suffer along with them.

Rong Luoge looked at the two wet nurses. "I will not mistreat your children. They both look quite spirited—they shall be raised alongside the First Prince. If they prove capable, they shall serve as the First Prince's study companions in the future. I promise them a future."

The two wet nurses' eyes instantly lit up?

Study companions for the First Prince?

This... this was a blessing they could not have begged for. How could the two dare think of anything else? They immediately knelt to express their gratitude and pledge their loyalty.

Rong Luoge had not originally intended this, but upon seeing the two children and noticing they both looked quite spirited, and since being raised alongside her son would make them his playmates, she could not truly treat others' sons as servants—she could not bring herself to do such a thing. Raising them as her son's study companions so they could become his right-hand men in the future could be considered making it up to the two children.

As long as they did not stray from this path, a lifetime's future would be in their hands.

Even if they truly had no aptitude for study, they could still serve as her son's guards.

"What are their names?" Rong Luoge looked at the two and asked.

Wet Nurse Zhao immediately said, "To answer Your Ladyship, this is my son's good fortune. He is my second son, named Zhao Ping."

Wet Nurse Xu also hurriedly added, "To answer Your Ladyship, my son is my eldest, named Xu Shu."

Rong Luoge committed them to memory and looked at them, offering reassurance: "Do not be afraid. As long as you look after the First Prince well, I will not wrong you when I send you out of the palace in the future."

The two women's earlier unease and terror were, at this moment, struck by an enormous windfall; they trembled with joyful surprise.

They wanted no reward—so long as their sons could have a good future, they were willing to serve the First Prince as oxen and horses for the rest of their lives.

Rong Luoge dismissed the two and specially assigned people to look after the two children, putting the two wet nurses at ease.

By the time she finished dealing with all this, Han Xinglan from the front court finally returned traveling by starlight. He came in, took one look at Rong Luoge, and said, "That wet nurse surnamed He has already bitten her tongue and taken her own life, but I have already sent people to arrest her family. She dared do such a thing—her family cannot have been completely ignorant. Rest assured, I will certainly investigate further."

Rong Luoge stepped forward and embraced Han Xinglan, pressing close to his chest.

Han Xinglan drew her into his arms. For a moment he did not know what to say, and only after a long while did he speak: "It is all my fault. I should have been more careful when selecting people back then."

Rong Luoge shook her head. "Others had been plotting for a long time. You already investigated very strictly back then. One can only say that Wet Nurse He was prepared for us from the very beginning—the scheme was long premeditated. How could it have been prevented? At least the Imperial Physician examined Kangkang and found nothing wrong. Otherwise, I would certainly drag out those two palace attendants from that day."

"Have you found out which two people it was?" Han Xinglan asked with a dark expression.

"Yuan Bao is already investigating, and there will be leads very soon. The number of people who could have gone there that day was limited—as long as they are slowly screened, they will be found. If not for not wanting to alert the enemy, it would be even faster," Rong Luoge said.

After speaking, Rong Luoge also told him about the arrangements made for the two wet nurses.

Han Xinglan led Rong Luoge to sit down. "This method is good. By tying their children together with Kangkang, we need not fear their disloyalty."

"I thought the same," Rong Luoge said, looking up at Han Xinglan. "If this investigation reveals that the matter is connected to Su Ying and Song Huihe, what do you plan to do?"

Han Xinglan held Rong Luoge's hand. "This time I will not show leniency again. Rest assured."

Rong Luoge's surging anger gradually subsided upon hearing these words, and her reason began to return. She looked at Han Xinglan and asked, "How is Xiao Shen's military expansion coming along?"

Han Xinglan, hearing Luoge rarely ask about this, knew she was not merely angry but truly furious. He said gently, "Following what we originally discussed, all the money earned has been put into expanding the Divine Machine Camp. The entire Divine Machine Camp now numbers thirty thousand men, fully equipped with firearms, and already has the strength to fight a battle."

Rong Luoge had not expected Han Xinglan to move this fast and looked at him with considerable surprise. "I thought it would take at least until next year."

"That is because you helped me earn more than enough. Moreover, the firearms produced by our own Ordnance Bureau this time are managed by Kang Jinsi. Since Kang Shufei has been living comfortably under your care, Kang Jinsi naturally must pledge loyalty to me."

Rong Luoge relaxed and looked at Han Xinglan, saying, "Do you still remember the cannon I spoke to you about that year? I think we should give it a try."

"But didn't you say you feared it might not necessarily succeed?"

"How will we know without trying?" Rong Luoge looked at Han Xinglan. "Once this matter with Kangkang is thoroughly investigated, if you move against the noble families behind it, they will likely rebel immediately. In this battle, we must fight with the majesty of you as emperor, and let the people of the world see who the true master is."

The two of them as husband and wife had schemed for so long—Han Xinglan swallowing his pride in the court, Rong Luoge dealing deceitfully with those people in the Hou Gong—for what purpose?

For the purpose of sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall, to astonish the world with a single cry!

This time the wet nurse incident had thoroughly enraged Rong Luoge. If the noble families wanted war, then war it would be!