Chapter 407: Improved Mingguang Armor Comes Off the Forge

"You......"

Gao Yang rose up in one breath, but thinking of her current situation, she ultimately didn't keep arguing with Chen Yan and simply gave up.

"Right, right, this princess is being tsundere, what can you do about it?"

"See, the princess is at it again," Chen Yan teased, then stood up. "Fine, you rest a while. If anything, have Xiang Lan call me, and I'll go have a bite."

Eat a meal?

Gao Yang blinked slightly, nodded and said, "You go ahead, I can take care of myself."

"Enough already, if I'm not watching you, I'm afraid you'll choke on water."

Leaving those words, Chen Yan turned and left, leaving the dark‑faced Princess Gao Yang behind.

She stared at her swollen belly in silence for a moment, then cursed, "Your father really is no good."

"......"

Chen Yan had Qing'er bring the dishes, and while he was eating, Xiao Shunzi suddenly came over.

"Lord Bo, per your request, the improved Mingguang Armor and all the weapons, horseshoes, masks, etc., have been forged, but if we want to equip the entire Wujing Cavalry, we're short of iron."

"Already forged?" Chen Yan asked in surprise. "Weren't we expecting the first set only by mid‑April? Why is it early?"

"Also, have all the forged gear been tested? Do they meet my requirements?"

"They've already been tested," Xiao Shunzi replied. "The reason we could finish early is that Prince of Yue helped, offering many useful suggestions."

"Unfortunately, Prince of Yue spent most of his energy on the hot‑air balloon, otherwise we could have finished even faster."

He paused, then said, "As for the test results, they fully meet your requirements, and per your design we altered the Mingguang Armor's color and some structure; outwardly it now looks completely different from the original Mingguang Armor."

"I see..." Chen Yan mused. "Bring everything to the backyard, then go to the Mediation Office and summon Uncle Niu, the Grand Historian, the National Teacher, Su Dingfang, and Cheng Chu Mo."

"Also... have Xue Li take the Imperial Token to the palace and invite His Majesty over."

Xiao Shunzi looked up in surprise, but when Chen Yan handed over the token, he immediately understood Chen Yan wasn't joking.

He quickly took it and agreed.

Chen Yan continued to eat his meal at a leisurely pace.

Qing'er couldn't help but say, "Young master, didn't you just say you'd invite Uncle Niu and the others? Even His Majesty—aren't you going to prepare in advance?"

"Prepare what?" Chen Yan replied indifferently. "They're all old acquaintances; what's there to prepare?"

"Besides, the world is vast, eating is the biggest, any matter can wait until after the meal."

Qing'er twitched the corner of her mouth, "Young master, you really have a great attitude."

"It's not about attitude," Chen Yan said without turning his head. "Xiao Shunzi told Uncle Niu they need time, and Uncle Niu needs time to hurry over; during that interval, besides eating, what else can I do?"

"Moreover, I invited them to discuss official matters, not to be guests, so there's nothing to prepare; after the talks they'll leave anyway."

"Don't worry so much; I have my own pace."

Qing'er: "......"

After the meal, Chen Yan, still idle, went to chat with Gao Yang; once Niu Jinda and the others arrived, he first had them sit in the living room for a while, sip tea, and chat.

"Kid, why did you summon us all here today?" Niu Jinda asked after a long pause, a bit impatiently. "If you only wanted us to have tea, that's unnecessary; I still have to go back watch those little brats."

Chen Yan smiled lightly. "What if I invited you for wine?"

"That's also not..." Niu Jinda at first didn't know how to respond, instinctively starting to say "That's not allowed," but after regaining composure he hesitated, "It's not that it's not allowed."

Everyone: "......"

Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang were in no hurry, leisurely sipping tea; after all, they'd already been roped onto Chen Yan's rogue vessel, so they went along.

Whatever he says is that.

"May I ask the Marquis of Weinan, why you summoned us today—do you have urgent business?" Su Dingfang said, bowing.

Chen Yan stopped joking and explained, "That's correct, but please wait a moment; I've already sent someone to invite His Majesty. The journey from Weinan County to Chang'an shouldn't take long."

"Specifically it concerns the Wujing Cavalry's weapons and armor issue; please hold on for now."

Wujing Cavalry's weapons and armor?

The few heard this and their eyes instantly lit up.

From the start, Chen Yan had said the Wujing Cavalry's weapons and armor must be the best, surpassing the current finest.

But some issues had prevented them from being forged yet.

They had long been anticipating what equipment Chen Yan claimed would be better than the current finest weapons and armor, and today they finally got to see it.

"Fine, I want to see what you've been keeping secret all this time—what weapons and armor you can actually produce!" Niu Jinda said.

With that said, no one pressed further; they turned to idle chatter.

After a while, Li Shimin entered hands behind his back, followed by Xue Li.

"You stinky brat! Aren't you aware the Empress's birthday is near and palace affairs are countless? Summoning me here in such a rush—if your reason doesn't satisfy me, watch your backside!"

Chen Yan smiled confidently, bowing, "Your Majesty, rest assured; I guarantee you won't have come here in vain."

He stepped aside, gesturing, "Everyone, follow me to the backyard for a look."

The group followed Chen Yan through the hall into the spacious courtyard.

They saw Xiao Shunzi had already brought people and prepared everything.

And everyone's gaze, in the first instant, was locked onto the black armor on the wooden frame, its deep cold glint flashing in the sunlight, unable to look away.

"This..." Niu Jinda was the first to stride forward, his rough palm barely daring to touch the smooth, icy plates, "Is this the Mingguang Armor? Why is it so... so different?"

Even the composed commander Su Dingfang couldn't help but step forward, tapping his finger on the breastplate, which produced a dull, solid echo unlike any armor sound he knew.

"The material seems superior, and this structure..."

He examined the cleverly jointed sections between plates, "Seems to balance protection and flexibility?"

Li Shimin said nothing, standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes like torches, scanning from helmet, shoulder guards, breastplate to greaves inch by inch, his surprise gradually turning into awe.

He, the soon‑to‑be emperor, was intimately familiar with armaments; at a glance he recognized the armor's extraordinary quality.

"Zi An!" he finally spoke, his voice carrying a barely perceptible excitement, "Is this something you modified using the Bright Light Armor I gave you?"

"......"