Chapter 178: This dream is quite crowded

Having obtained Princess Consort of Qi's permission, Marquis Protecting the State then squatted down and softly asked Sui Sui: "Sui Sui, can you tell Uncle which older sister said that?"

The older sister who told the story was already from many days ago.

Sui Sui no longer remembers the other person's name at all; she only recalls that she was a lively and gentle older sister, with a pleasant voice, a kind person, and she would pat her head.

Sui Sui thought for a long time, then shook her head: "I forgot the older sister's name, sorry."

I didn't remember the name.

Hearing this, Marquis Protecting the State felt a bit disappointed, but not too much; after thinking, he asked again: "Then Sui Sui, do you still remember where that older sister is?"

Regarding this question, Sui Sui, who had just been feeling down, immediately replied happily: "I know, I know, it's in my mind!"

Princess Consort of Qi: ……!

This damned, familiar, heart-pounding feeling is back again!

It's either in the dream or in the mind.

So, Old Heaven!

For such a young child, if you keep stuffing other things into his mind every day, won't it hurt the child's brain?

Princess Consort of Qi couldn't help but worry.

Marquis Protecting the State didn't quite understand, laughing as he said: "Uncle knows, the older sister's words, Sui Sui keeps them in her mind; Uncle wants to ask, where does that older sister live? In Jing Cheng, outside the city, or somewhere else?"

Sui Sui didn't understand that.

She tilted her head, looked doubtfully at Marquis Protecting the State, thought for a moment, and still insisted on her original statement: "It's in the mind."

The child couldn't explain this matter clearly, and Marquis Protecting the State also didn't understand.

However, the child is still young, so he could understand.

Marquis Protecting the State thought, since he couldn't get an answer from the child, he would ask Princess Consort of Qi.

After figuring it out, Marquis Protecting the State gently touched Sui Sui's little cap to comfort her, then stood up and asked Princess Consort of Qi: "May I ask, Princess Consort, do you know where that older sister comes from?"

Regarding this question, Princess Consort of Qi had already been thinking about it since Sui Sui spoke.

Upon hearing Marquis Protecting the State's question, Princess Consort of Qi pondered and said: "Perhaps it's really in the mind, or perhaps it's in a dream?"

Afraid Marquis Protecting the State wouldn't understand, Princess Consort of Qi quickly added: "After Sui Sui returned to Jing, aside from the day I entered the palace, she stayed at the mansion; most of the time she never left my side—where could that older sister have come from?"

Not in reality?

Or is it really in the mind?

Or perhaps it's in a dream?

Marquis Protecting the State also felt confused.

However, he wasn't the type to dwell on things; he quickly set the question aside and asked Sui Sui: "Do you know the benefits of this coal briquette, Sui Sui?"

Sui Sui obviously knew this as well, so when she answered, her voice was crisp and full of confidence: "I know, it burns for a long time, allowing many children to stay warm in winter!"

The little girl knows!

Upon further reflection, when they first met, he had also curiously asked why holes were poked in the coal briquette.

At that time, Sui Sui's answer was simply to let the coal briquette burn more thoroughly.

This child knows all that!

Although we don't know where that so-called older sister is, we can't find her in reality either.

Marquis Protecting the State thought, then the credit belongs to Sui Sui.

Thinking of these, Marquis Protecting the State touched Sui Sui's little cap again, smiling and said: "All right, Uncle Su knows, thank you, Sui Sui."

Marquis Protecting the State is still quite skilled at coaxing the child; Sui Sui was made to smile with joy, and if she weren't unable to actually make a small landmine, she would really want to demonstrate publicly, teaching Uncle Su how to make landmines.

Too bad, she forgot.

However, she still remembers that coal and sulfur seem to be important components of a small landmine.

Thinking of these, Sui Sui said again: "You're welcome, Uncle Su; coal briquettes are very important, and when placed together with sulfur, they can also explode things~"

The little girl used her most innocent smile and purest language to speak of especially cruel consequences.

Upon hearing this, Marquis Protecting the State instinctively shuddered.

His great-grandnephew has a talent for researching gunpowder.

Not long ago, he just blew up his home.

Now, upon hearing the word "explode," he even has a somewhat stress reaction.

However, after the stress, it becomes a complex and excited feeling.

He glanced at Princess Consort of Qi, seeing her dazed, apparently also unaware that Sui Sui would know these things; Marquis Protecting the State wanted to ask, but feared startling the child, so he could only use a universal compliment for kids: "Sui Sui is really amazing!"

Sui Sui, having been praised, proudly lifted her head and also cautiously glanced at Mother Consort.

Princess Consort of Qi truly felt worried in her heart.

She thought, what on earth is Old Heaven up to?

Even if you mean to pamper your dear daughter, please slow down; shoving everything in at once, aren't you afraid Sui Sui will overstep and do the splits?

However, in front of Marquis Protecting the State, she still had to pretend to be completely calm.

After Marquis Protecting the State praised Sui Sui, he softly asked again: "Is this also something the older sister said?"

Upon hearing his question, Sui Sui immediately shook her head: "No, it's an uncle."

Marquis Protecting the State:?

He reckoned in his mind, this child's dream is quite crowded.

It's either an older sister or an uncle.

It's either coal briquette or gunpowder.

Marquis Protecting the State's attitude toward gunpowder is that he wants to research it, but fears encountering danger.

After all, it's his own grandnephews who are going to research it.

It really blew up, and now everything's over.

However, His Majesty intends to study this, Mother also does not object, so he can only grit his teeth and support his grandnephews.

Because of this, Marquis Protecting the State once, on countless sleepless nights, recalled the names of those emperors of the previous dynasty in his mind and then gritted his teeth, cursing them from start to finish!

The reason is simple: the previous dynasty esteemed literature and did not value military strength at all; even when repeatedly harassed by barbarian states, ceding territory, and forming marriage alliances, their attitude toward military strength remained indifferent, even suppressive.

Because of this, many gunpowder-related documents were destroyed in succession, and talented individuals were also killed.

As a result, gunpowder had clearly still been a fairly prevalent weapon on the battlefield even before the previous dynasty.

As a result, after the previous dynasty, in their Great Summer, gunpowder technology was almost lost.

Nowadays, all they have are just some surviving pages and such; otherwise, why would they need to re-research something that's already fine?

Now Marquis Protecting the State discovers that Sui Sui seems to know something, and Princess Consort of Qi also does not seem opposed, so he tentatively asks: "Sui Sui, do you still remember what the proportion of this explosive is?"

As for this question, Sui Sui truly does not know.

When he first heard it, he didn't understand.

Various chemical formulas come one after another; even a top student needs time to react.

What's more, what about an illiterate child?

So, now when Marquis Protecting the State asks, Sui Sui honestly shakes his head: "I can't remember; there's too much; I don't understand."

As for this answer, Marquis Protecting the State is not surprised.

What can you expect a four- or five-year-old to understand?

His five-year-old grandnephew nowadays isn't looked after properly; all he thinks about is urinating and playing in mud.

Sui Sui being able to understand this much is already impressive!

Not wanting to dampen the child's enthusiasm, for if in someone's dream the aim is just to squeeze in, they could still squeeze in something else later; but if I discourage them like this, the child loses interest—then what can be said?

Thinking of this, Marquis Protecting the State, his smile unchanged, stroked Sui Sui's little hat and praised: "Sui Sui is also impressive; other little kids your age can't remember this much."

The second watch is at 19:00.