Chapter 158: The empress is overjoyed, off to give Lu Yuan some money~

These days, regarding Lu Yuan's memorials, Gu Qingwan still looks at them every day.

Naturally she also knows that before the grain control order was issued, Lu Yuan bought a lot himself and also had his second uncle buy a lot.

Regarding Lu Yuan's such behavior, Gu Qingwan didn't say much.

As for Lu Yuan, he hasn't broken the law, nor done anything wrong—on what grounds punish him?

His money is honestly earned by his own wits, his wife is also pregnant—is it wrong to take some money to buy food for his wife?

What's the big deal!

Right!

Moreover, Lu Yuan didn't tell anyone else about this; he just bought it for himself and his family, not in large amounts, just enough to eat for this period.

And it didn't cause any disturbance.

On what grounds punish him?!

Gu Qingwan also feels that Lu Yuan's behavior is very good!

Lu Yuan is really family-oriented!

Letting the people around him live well, such a person who thinks of his own relatives—why punish him?

She, Gu Qingwan, even wants to reward Lu Yuan!!

Hmm... rewarding would be too exaggerated.

Anyway, Gu Qingwan won't punish Lu Yuan for this.

This matter, Gu Qingwan basically pretends not to have seen it.

Now, Gu Qingwan actually wants to meet Lu Yuan...

Hmm... no other thoughts... just that Lu Yuan isn't busy with potatoes, is he?

What's the situation with those potatoes?

Whether they can be planted in the greenhouse, she, Gu Qingwan, also doesn't know.

As the emperor of a nation, this is a major matter concerning the livelihood of the people at daybreak!

I'll go take a look, go see—what's wrong with that?

Besides...

Don't I still have to reward Lu Yuan with those five hundred units of money!!

Right.

I am the emperor, I am the one whose words are gold and jade.

How can I go back on my word!

Definitely I have to go.

However...

What Gu Qingwan is worried about is... how I should go...

In the past... my younger brother loved to go find Lu Yuan...

But these days, my younger brother goes to the camp day after day, even staying there directly.

My younger brother not going...

Then how am I supposed to go...

Gu Qingwan leaned sideways on the dragon throne, holding a small spoon and eating silver ear soup while thinking.

Not long after, Gu Qingwan put on a solemn expression and said:

"Go, summon Gu Lie."

The chief eunuch promptly replied:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

About an hour later, Gu Qingwan was pacing expressionlessly in the hall.

A sound came from outside the door.

Gu Qingwan's face lit up with joy, and she immediately looked toward the door.

However, the person who came was not Gu Lie, but merely an Imperial Guard.

Gu Qingwan was startled, then she slightly raised her eyebrows and said:

"Where is Gu Lie?"

Upon seeing Gu Qingwan, the Imperial Guard immediately bowed and said:

"Your Majesty... the prince... the prince..."

Gu Qingwan's face turned strange and she said:

"What?"

"Speak!"

Then the Imperial Guard immediately said:

"The prince's original words... let Your Majesty not look for him lately... he's busy."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingwan's face immediately fell.

About half an hour later, Gu Qingwan took a carriage to the military camp outside Huangcheng.

The dynasty's military camp is at the foot of a mountain.

At this moment, here is a series of booming explosion sounds.

Gu Lie was leading a group of people in training mortars.

On the distant hillside, a large circle was painted in white lacquer.

A volley of simultaneous fire, a thunderous explosion.

Most of the explosions were within the circle, but three or five landed outside.

Immediately, Gu Lie began shouting:

"Who the hell!! Who are the three that missed!!

"It's been days!! How can you still miss!!

Gu Lie, in armor and wielding a long sword, shouted left and right, looking extremely imposing.

These days, Gu Lie has become quite pleased with himself.

Although he is a deputy general, Gu Lie also told his older sister.

Now I can train others to use mortars!

Gu Lie first selected several hundred capable people here in Huangcheng and trained them for half a month.

After half a month, Gu Lie will lead this group straight south.

Then these trained individuals, upon joining the local armies, will teach those armies to use mortars.

In this way, during the first three months, we can wait for mass production of mortars while training troops.

After three months, we will begin the actual mop‑up.

Gu Lie is really busy these days.

At this moment, Gu Qingwan entered the camp, saw Gu Lie among the crowd, and immediately walked over.

"You're so stupid, I'll give you one last chance—if you miss again, get out of here, don't waste time!"

Gu Lie was crouching beside a person, with a mortar between them, and nearby there was a wooden box loaded with several explosive shells.

"Gu Lie!"

Gu Qingwan stood behind Gu Lie and suddenly called out.

Gu Lie startled, immediately turned his head, and then said somewhat bewildered:

"Sister? How did you come here?"

At this moment, everyone in the surrounding camp turned, looked at Gu Qingwan, knelt down together, and shouted, "Your Majesty!"

Gu Qingwan didn't look at those people, but simply faced the crowd and said:

"Rise."

After speaking to these people, Gu Qingwan lightly furrowed her brows, looked at Gu Lie, and said:

"Nonsense, I called you, you didn't come, so of course I had to come myself!"

Gu Lie, crouched on the ground, looked somewhat dazed at Gu Qingwan and said:

"Huh? Any urgent matter?"

This remark…

actually left Gu Qingwan a bit at a loss for words…

Um… nothing urgent…

It's just… just that if I want to see Lu Yuan…

I have to go through my younger brother…

I can't just go myself, can I?

It's nameless and status‑less…

kind of weird…

At once, Gu Qingwan paused awkwardly, then pressed her lips and said:

"Um… nothing much, I just came to ask how your mortar training is going."

Gu Lie blinked, then let out a sigh of relief and said:

"Hey, just this little thing—I thought it was some urgent matter."

Having said that, Gu Lie stopped paying attention to Gu Qingwan, turned, and continued adjusting the mortar.

Gu Qingwan, startled, then gritted her teeth and said:

"What do you mean 'just this little thing'? This is of utmost importance—I entrusted you with the responsibility of this training.

"If you don't train well, how can you face me, your older sister!"

Gu Lie, without turning back, said:

"Don't worry, sister, you've seen it yourself—after just one week, almost everyone has got the hang of it, except for a few extremely dull ones.

"Give me another week and I'll have them all trained; then we'll head straight south."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingwan nodded.

Um…

Actually, what Gu Qingwan wanted to say wasn't this.

As for mortars, Gu Qingwan isn't worried at all.

Because Gu Qingwan also came to watch the test firing of the mortar with live powder.

It's not that difficult.

Just needs more practice, and one will pick it up quickly.

As for final accuracy, it depends on each person's own experience.

Moreover, the mortar is mainly used to drive bandits out of their fortified hideouts.

In Lu Yuan's words, just covering the area with firepower is enough.

As long as you don't blast into another hill, anything goes.

So, Gu Qingwan really isn't worried.

Gu Qingwan was thinking……

After a moment of silence, Gu Qingwan, seeing that Gu Lie completely ignored her, stood for a moment and then suddenly coughed and said:

"That…… although you care, you also shouldn't wear yourself out…… I've heard that you've been eating and living here in the camp every day lately

Today, sis, I'm giving you a day off—go out and have fun."

Hah?

Gu Lie turned back with a look of seeing a ghost, staring at his older sister.

Something's not right!

His older sister never used to say such things, letting him go out to play.

Is this really his older sister?

Gu Lie stared at Gu Qingwan, froze for half a second, then suddenly shook his head and said:

"No need, I'm not tired at all—I'm staying right here."

Gu Qingwan: "???"

Gu Qingwan was really furious at this moment, wanting to pull Gu Lie's ear and ask him a question.

You usually love going out to have fun, don't you!!

When I don't tell you to go out and play, you can climb over the imperial palace wall that's over ten meters high every day!

But when I tell you to go out and play, you refuse to go!!

Are you deliberately opposing me!!

Gu Qingwan looked at her younger brother, gritted her teeth, and then suddenly said:

"You…… you don't want to go out and play with your brother Yuan for a while?"

"It's fine, go find your brother Yuan—I won't blame you."

You have to go!!

If you don't go, how can I go!!

But what Gu Qingwan didn't expect was that Gu Lie, who usually goes crazy at the chance to go out and play,

today is deliberately opposing her!

Immediately, Gu Lie turned away without looking back and said:

"No way, Brother Yuan went through great trouble to send me to the south to suppress bandits—I owe it to Brother Yuan, I absolutely can't just goof off."

"After I finish training soon, I still have to study—I'm not going."

Gu Qingwan: "…………"

This……

You never even read a book normally!

And now you suddenly want to read a book!

I think you're deliberately coming here to oppose me!!

Gu Qingwan gritted her teeth slightly and said:

"Oh well, just go now—the other day Brother Yuan said he wanted a five-hundred-dollar reward for this thing.

"I haven't sent it to him yet—hurry up and deliver it, so he doesn't get anxious waiting."

Gu Lie, meanwhile, was speechless and said:

"It's just five hundred dollars—Brother Yuan isn't short of money, and besides, when you go doesn't matter.

"Besides, you could just ask anyone to deliver it."

After saying that, Gu Lie glanced at the person in front of him, curled his lip, and said:

"It's you—you're hopelessly stupid; don't even bother learning to fire that mortar. After you deliver the money to my brother, just go back where you came from!"

The person: "……is……Prince……"

But just as that person was about to get up.

Gu Qingwan pressed down on that person's shoulder, gritted her teeth, and forcibly pushed them back down.

Immediately, Gu Qingwan looked at Gu Lie and hurriedly said:

"No way—Brother Yuan isn't unaware of our identities; if we let someone else go and they slip up, what then?

"Hurry, you go!"

Gu Lie is now utterly speechless.

What on earth is wrong with his older sister today!

She's gone crazy!!

Immediately, Gu Lie curled his lip and said:

"What could possibly be leaked about this? You go, hand over the money, then just walk away!"

"Anyway, I'm not going—I'm busy; if you want to go, you go yourself!"

Gu Qingwan was about to grit her teeth and say something, but then suddenly froze.

Half a second later, the corner of Gu Qingwan's mouth inexplicably turned up into a breathtaking arc.

Meanwhile, the Grand Eunuch standing nearby, seeing this, shook his head repeatedly in his heart.

This Prince Gu Lie is really outrageous……

Even though the Emperor is your older sister, you can't do this……

This is the Emperor, the Son of Heaven of today!

The Emperor going to deliver something to someone?

What is this all about?

Of course, this Grand Eunuch also knows that this Your Majesty only has this one younger brother, and the two have depended on each other since childhood.

If it were changed to that kind of normal relationship between Your Majesty and an imperial prince.

Gu Lie truly doesn't know how many heads would be enough to chop off.

Just as this Grand Eunuch was preparing to speak up and advise him.

But Gu Qingwan suddenly exclaimed excitedly:

"Eh, that's what you said, huh? If you don't go, then I will."

Having said that, Gu Qingwan turned and hurriedly left with the Grand Eunuch.

After turning around, Gu Qingwan could no longer hold back, and a hint of an absolutely beautiful smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

Meanwhile, the Grand Eunuch beside her looked somewhat dazed.

Eh??

Something doesn't feel right, huh??

This... this Your Majesty seems...

How does it seem like he really wants to personally deliver money to Lu Yuan?

It seems like Your Majesty really enjoys this errand??

Gu Qingwan, with the Grand Eunuch, exited the military camp while quickly saying:

"Hurry up and bring out that previous outfit."

The Grand Eunuch startled, then hurriedly ordered someone to handle it.

Afterward, Gu Qingwan simply sat in the carriage waiting.

However, at that same moment, Gu Lie hurriedly chased after them.

After his older sister left, Gu Lie had just been pondering.

This matter... I didn't handle it quite right.

No matter what, my older sister is still the emperor.

How can the emperor go and personally deliver money to someone else...

So after thinking it over, Gu Lie chased after them again.

Upon reaching the carriage side, he directly lifted the curtain, just about to say something, but suddenly froze.

Eh?

What is my older sister laughing at through this?

Gu Qingwan was also startled by the sudden lifting of the curtain.

Eh?

Gu Qingwan, having regained her composure, immediately raised an eyebrow and said:

"What are you doing? Why are you here again?"

Gu Lie blinked and said:

"I've thought about it, and I should go; you, sis, return to the palace."

Gu Qingwan blinked, and could no longer hold back.

You're deliberately opposing your sister today, aren't you?!

The next second, Gu Qingwan grabbed the pillow beside her and smashed it onto Gu Lie's head, shouting angrily:

"What are you going for? You've forgotten what you're supposed to do, haven't you?!"

If you don't understand this mortar training, how can you be worthy of your brother Yuan Ge!!

Also, when I come back tonight, I'll check your memorization; if you can't recite those two passages, see how I'll deal with you!!

"Get back here!!"

At this moment, Gu Lie was dazed.

No...

What the heck is this?!!

What's up with my older sister today, changing her mind in a moment!!

She's crazy!!

While Gu Lie was dazed, a coquettish shout from Gu Qingwan immediately came from inside the carriage.

"Hurry up and go!!"

Instantly, Gu Lie shuddered and scrambled, crawling and running toward the military camp.

After about ten or so minutes, Gu Qingwan had changed her clothes in the carriage, and then looked at the Grand Eunuch outside and said:

"No need to follow me anymore; go back."

Having said that, Gu Qingwan sat back in the carriage and said:

"To East Ming Community."

At this moment, Gu Qingwan beamed with delight, off to deliver money to Lu Yuan~

Thanks to brother Zhou's 1666 book coin reward, thank you very much~

Thanks to brother Lamural's 1500 book coin reward, thank you very much~

Thanks to the faster bro's 100 book coin reward, thank you very much~

I'll try to finish the remaining chapter by twelve o'clock.

(End of chapter)