Chapter 98: Pregnant

"Your Highness, Yu Yan said that this morning at the court they will bring up the matter of Dadongshan Si, and they will use the chance to push Lord Xiao Shen before His Majesty," Shi An whispered.

Han Xinglan's expression grew serious, "Lord Xiao had been lying low in the Imperial Guard before; this time it must succeed, no mistakes allowed."

Shi An nodded, "Your Highness, Yu Yan said the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Punishments were ineffective, and His Majesty's anger flared. This time Lord Xiao unintentionally uncovered the Dadongshan Si affair, which is tantamount to a great merit. He is young, capable, and the deputy leader of the Imperial Guard. Once he is presented before His Majesty, when the Emperor has no one to use, he will surely be reinstated. However, at the court it is best for Your Highness to show a rather distrustful attitude toward Lord Xiao."

Han Xinglan nodded slightly, Yu Yan's words meant a staged act at the court, and he only needs to show the Emperor his dissatisfaction with Lord Xiao Shen.

What he dislikes, his father the Emperor will surely like.

That will do.

Shi An cautiously watched Your Highness's expression; seeing it calm, he continued, "I have heard that in recent days Consort Ming and Prince Qi also recommended several people before His Majesty, and I hear the Emperor is inclined to act. If this matter lets Prince Qi succeed, Your Highness's position may be in jeopardy…"

Han Xinglan sneered, lightly spitting out, "Fox charms and slanders, that's all this mother and son can do. After all these years, Prince Qi still shows no progress."

But it is precisely these unprogressive tactics that my dear father the Emperor loves. He shields that mother and son, paving a way for them; back then his maternal grandfather was framed, and my dear father forcibly suppressed the decree from the Ministry of Punishments, trying to bring down his grandfather, the powerful Chancellor.

Fortunately his maternal grandfather had prepared early; otherwise his entire maternal family would likely have been wiped out then.

Because of this, over the years he and his maternal family have always seemed distant, which allowed his dear father to relax a bit.

His father's blade is already at his throat; could he still turn his neck and be slaughtered?

Of course not.

Moreover, given Rong Luoge's competitive nature, if she were to be beaten by Prince Qi, then whenever she meets Prince Qi she would have to bow and worship, and she might even be capable of committing regicide.

Thinking of this, Han Xinglan's mood brightened instantly; before he fought for that position merely to survive.

Now, not just to survive, he wishes to give her the most honored position in this era; a person as proud as she is only fits the role of the Empress.

"Send this to Yu Yan: everything must follow the plan without any mistake; Lord Xiao must single‑handedly control a bureau, gain His Majesty's trust, and be able to oppose the Imperial Guard and the Ministry of Punishments."

Shi An, upon hearing this, shivered and immediately said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will deliver the message at once."

Han Xinglan walked forward under the rising morning sun; darkness will eventually pass, and dawn is his future.

Today's court is destined to be turbulent; Rong Luoge, having finished her early meal in Dong Gong, now finds her relationship with Han Xinglan greatly changed, and will naturally devote herself wholeheartedly to assisting him.

Regarding the Dadongshan Si affair, she understands Han Xinglan's intentions, yet it remains somewhat risky; it depends on whether the courtiers can subtly sway the Emperor's thoughts.

Otherwise, if the Emperor harbors even a hint of doubt, all prior achievements would be wasted, and Han Xinglan's situation would become even more difficult.

Thinking of this, she cannot help but consider that if the new bureau can indeed be established and secretly controlled by Han Xinglan, then equipping it with weapons becomes a matter of concern.

Rong Luoge first thought of weapons that are portable yet powerful; heat weapons are the obvious choice, but current casting conditions are far inferior to later eras— even if the schematics are drawn, limited technology renders them useless.

Rong Luoge can sketch a wooden hand‑storehouse, but she knows nothing of metallurgy, so she cannot move this mountain.

Moreover, Han Xinglan now likely cannot take bold action on these; if anyone discovers the trick, it would not be a joke.

Eliminating that option, she must resort to cold weapons, which is a bit of a brain‑teaser.

Rong Luoge sat all morning, her mind aching from thinking; in the end she concluded the wooden hand‑storehouse wouldn't work, but she could first forge a fire‑arm.

This device first appeared in the Yuan dynasty and is currently the most easily adaptable weapon.

Rong Luoge began drafting; the device is cast from copper or iron, consisting of a barrel, a powder chamber, and a rear lock.

There are many classifications; most are familiar with the fire‑arm. Besides the individual hand‑gun, there are large‑bore guns for city defense and water battles, such as the big‑mouth gun and lantern‑mouth gun.

Other types are set aside for now; Rong Luoge focuses on the hand‑gun, as it is lightweight and agile, with a slender barrel, and especially in ancient wide‑sleeved robes it is easy to conceal. She ponders whether the barrel could be made even more compact.

Copying the original model is easy, but refining it requires testing; she wonders whether Han Xinglan's side can accommodate that, and these factors must be considered.

Rong Luoge became so busy she could not attend to anything else, until Rong Xin brought in a bowl of snow‑bird soup; seeing Good Lady still occupied, she placed the bird's nest on the table and softly said, "Good Lady, the kitchen just delivered fresh bird‑nest soup; please have some first."

Rong Luoge wasn't hungry, but she didn't reject Rong Xin's kindness, so she lifted the bowl and sipped it sip by sip.

Rong Xin, after Good Lady had drunk most of it, thought for a moment and said, "Good Lady, I heard Consort Ming had a quarrel with the Empress; would you like to visit the Empress?"

Rong Luoge looked at Rong Xin with surprise; this "heard" must be news delivered by Aunt Yan Yin from the Empress's palace.

Rong Luoge has a good impression of Yan Yin; when she visits the Empress, if the Empress's words are not pleasant, Yan Yin will smooth things over beside her.

"Do you know why?" Rong Luoge decided to ask first; she always felt that the relationship between Han Xinglan and the Empress, mother and son, seemed overly courteous, unlike the relaxed rapport between Prince Qi and Consort Ming.

Moreover, the Empress clearly dislikes her, and Rong Luoge does not wish to read the Empress's mood; if unnecessary, it's better to meet less and preserve some feelings.

Rong Xin indeed nodded, "It's about Lady Zhong; Lady Zhong is pregnant."

Rong Luoge: …

The Emperor truly remains sharp as a treasured sword; even with daily revelry and indulgence, he still has the power to cause a concubine to become pregnant.

However, this makes Consort Ming quite awkward, since she, being the most favored, after giving birth to Prince Qi and Princess Zhaoqing, has no more offspring.

She holds a longstanding grudge against Lady Zhong, so she certainly cannot allow her to bear this child; if the Empress protects Lady Zhong?