Chapter 38: Conferred the Fief of Qingping County, Status Equal to that of a Princess

Everyone felt a chill rise from their spines, their gazes fixed squarely on the figure not far ahead.

Quan Aoyu stood there quietly; the sunlight spilling onto him failed to dispel the icy aura radiating from his body. That face, usually extraordinarily handsome, was now covered in frost, expressionless, his majesty and dominance making others tremble with fear.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's sweeping over the two pairs of mothers and daughters, frightening them into immediately lowering their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"Do you need me to invite you out? Get out!" Before the two pairs of mothers and daughters could recover, Quan Aoyu's icy voice rang out again.

Startled, the group jumped; the First Lady hurried to retreat. Jun Yiyi and Jun Zhidie were reluctant to leave just like that, but seeing the Crown Prince was truly angry, they weighed the situation and ran off clutching their skirts. Li Shi was stunned for a long while, and upon coming to her senses, she scrambled away on all fours. None of them retained even half of their usual poised image.

The medicine Quan Aoyu brought back to the palace was eyed by Bai Yu. These pills were far better than those bowls of bitter medicinal soup, and as for their efficacy, anything belonging to the Crown Prince was surely the best. The boy risked a beating to swipe a few. Quan Aoyu cursed him as a "stinking brat" under his breath, feeling a pang of heartache, thinking he should come earlier today to change his dressing and ask that girl for more pills to take back.

The Old Lady was still asleep. Jun Zijin finished tidying up and instructed Xiao He to take good care of her. Today, seeing everyone causing a scene, Xiao He had been a bit flustered at first, but she quickly calmed down; overall, her performance was quite good.

Jun Zijin gave Xiao He an appreciative look and went off on her own to change Quan Aoyu's dressing.

Jun Zijin gently unwound the gauze from Quan Aoyu's wound, her movements soft and practiced. Her slightly furrowed brows relaxed:

"Your Highness, this wound is healing faster than I imagined," Jun Zijin said in a low voice.

Quan Aoyu chuckled and asked:

"Aren't you curious about how I got this wound?"

"Then how did you get this wound, Your Highness?" Jun Zijin asked with a smile.

"Come to think of it, this wound has something to do with you."

"Tell me about it, Your Highness." Jun Zijin did not stop the movements of her hands.

"Following the formula you provided, after many attempts and refinements by the craftsmen, my Tianqi has finally successfully smelted the first batch of stainless steel! When this batch of stainless steel was presented before my eyes, its luster and texture were truly breathtaking. After testing, as expected, even after being soaked in water all day, it remained as bright as new, without a single speck of rust."

Quan Aoyu looked pleasantly surprised, not sparing any praise. Such an excellent material would surely have extensive and important uses in the future. Whether used for the manufacture of military equipment or the production of various everyday objects, it would bring great benefits. And if made into daily utensils like pots, bowls, and ladles, it would certainly be durable, adding much convenience to the lives of the common people.

"That day, I went to the palace to report the results to the Emperor, when experts snuck into the workshop. Fortunately, it was discovered in time and the formula was not stolen, but two craftsmen in the workshop were killed. I followed the trail and was ambushed at a residence." Quan Aoyu frowned slightly.

"It really does have to do with me," Jun Zijin laughed.

After Quan Aoyu finished speaking, Jun Zijin had already finished changing the dressing:

"Your Highness, your wound is healing extremely well. You won't need to come again after one more dressing change."

A sense of loss washed over Quan Aoyu, but he remembered he had serious business to attend to today:

"I came today with another request."

Jun Zijin turned back in confusion, "What is it, Your Highness?"

"Those pills are very effective; I wonder if you could give me some more?"

Jun Zijin rolled her eyes at him, "Those pills are not easy to make; use them sparingly, Your Highness. I have some here; I'll have them ready for you in a moment."

"Once my grandmother recovers and I have some free time, I will open a finished medicine processing workshop, and I will sell them in the pharmacy then."

Quan Aoyu rubbed his nose. Since his goal was achieved, he didn't mind the awkwardness, hurriedly thanked her, and left, feeling satisfied.

In the magnificent imperial palace, in the resplendent Great Hall, the Emperor sat on the dragon throne carved with exquisite patterns, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe. He sat tall and straight, his face solemn and grave, commanding respect without anger, his entire being radiating a powerful aura that made people afraid to look directly at him.

At this moment, the spacious Great Hall was already filled with high-ranking court officials, each dressed in official robes, holding their tablets, their expressions solemn. The entire hall was filled with a tense atmosphere, everyone holding their breath, waiting for the Emperor to speak.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping slowly over everyone present. After a moment, the Emperor finally spoke:

"Regarding the steel workshop and the attack on the Crown Prince, this matter has significant implications, concerning not only the dignity of the imperial court but also the safety of our nation and state secrets. Do any of you ministers have any latest progress or clues to report?"

The Minister of Justice stepped out and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty, your servant sent people to carefully investigate the place where the Crown Prince was attacked. That private residence seemed to have been deliberately arranged by someone; it must have been premeditated. As for the steel workshop, after verification, it seems there is a mysterious force manipulating things from behind the scenes."

The Emperor nodded slightly, but his gaze fell on the silent Prime Minister Gao. The Emperor suddenly asked:

"Minister Gao, what do you think?"

Prime Minister Gao hurriedly stepped forward:

"Your Majesty, this old servant believes that this matter may be linked to certain forces within the court."

Hearing this, the Emperor's face grew even gloomier: "Hmph! Such things happen right under my nose. As for the steel workshop, have the Ministry of Revenue and the Supreme Court investigate the people behind it immediately and punish them severely. The attack on the Crown Prince is of the utmost importance; the Ministry of Justice must bring the mastermind to justice as soon as possible."

The officials shouted in unison: "As you command."

The Emperor nodded slightly, his expression softening, and then he teased them:

"I believe some of you ministers have already heard that our dynasty has successfully smelted stainless steel. So-called stainless steel, as the name implies, is steel that does not rust. I imagine you ministers have long been curious and can't wait to see it, right?"

The spacious and magnificent Great Hall suddenly fell into a silence. Everyone's gaze focused on the Emperor high above, each person holding their breath, waiting for what the Emperor would say next.

Tianqi had smelted stainless steel; although they had heard of it, they had never seen this miraculous object with their own eyes. At this moment, upon learning they were fortunate enough to see its true form today, they were filled with curiosity, anticipation, nervousness, and excitement.

The reaction of the crowd satisfied the Emperor. He stopped teasing them and clapped his hands. Attendants brought in several exquisite boxes. After opening the boxes, some well-crafted utensils were placed inside, all radiating the unique luster of metal.

"These are items made of stainless steel. I have summoned you ministers today, firstly to inform you of this, and secondly to see if this thing, if promoted, would be beneficial or detrimental to our dynasty."

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works stepped forward to examine them and said: "Your Majesty, these items are incredibly smooth. If used for weapon manufacturing, they would certainly make our weapons more durable and sharp, which would be of great benefit to the military."

Prime Minister Gao, however, shook his head in opposition: "Your Majesty, although this stainless steel is good, the cost must be high. The national treasury is not currently full; if promoted vigorously, I fear it will waste money and labor."

Jun Zhengming carefully picked up a bowl, his gaze focused as if he were holding a rare treasure, examining it thoroughly inside and out, over and over again. He scrutinized the bowl in his hand, lost in thought. After a long while, Jun Zhengming came back to his senses and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty! If we could use that miraculous stainless steel to make tableware, that would be wonderful! This material is incredibly hard; even if it accidentally falls to the ground, it won't easily break. And it doesn't rust; it would remain intact even after years of use! In this way, not only would the people of our Tianqi Kingdom benefit infinitely, but at the same time, selling these stainless steel utensils to other countries could greatly enrich our national treasury!"

Speaking of this, excitement and anticipation shone in Jun Zhengming's eyes, as if he could already see a scene of prosperity unfolding before him.

The Emperor pondered for a moment after hearing this. Jun Zhengming's mind was quite sharp this time. He nodded and said:

"Minister Gao's words are reasonable. Let's proceed with this method. The Ministry of Works will be responsible for crafting the tableware, first for trial use in the inner palace, then for mass production to be sold to various countries. Let this matter be settled as such."

The crowd discussed it in hushed tones. Most people's faces were filled with appreciation and admiration, while those holding opposing views were few and far between. The Emperor looked at the crowd with their varying opinions, his gaze falling on Jun Zhengming, who was picking up another dish to examine closely. Feeling playful, he suddenly said in a cold voice:

"Minister Jun, you have raised a good daughter!"

Jun Zhengming was startled to hear the Emperor call his name. He hurriedly put down the dish in his hand and said with a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty is wise; your servant does not know what you mean."

"You ministers have just seen the items made of stainless steel, but do you know that the formula and smelting method for this stainless steel actually came from the hands of a woman?"

Seeing the Emperor's originally pleasant expression suddenly turn cold, some were confused, secretly speculating what had caused the Emperor's wrath; others were gloating. But what did that incredible stainless steel formula have to do with the young lady of the Minister Jun's mansion? Could it be that this formula came from the hand of that eldest daughter of the Jun family, who had been clever since childhood, proficient in all arts, famous in the capital, and praised by everyone?

For a time, there were various opinions, and all kinds of speculations were endless.

Jun Zhengming secretly glanced at the stern-faced Emperor, his legs trembling with fear. His brain wasn't working well enough this time; his first thought was, which wicked daughter in the mansion had caused trouble again?

The Emperor took in the expressions of everyone in the hall. When his gaze fell on Jun Zhengming, the Emperor frowned slightly. He saw Jun Zhengming standing there, his figure hunched, his expression panicked. The Emperor sighed inwardly: Jun Zhengming is not much, completely lacking even half of the backbone his father had back then, yet he could produce such a daughter; it is truly puzzling... Seeing Jun Zhengming scared out of his wits, the Emperor put away his playfulness and said:

"Minister Jun, there is no need to panic." His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying unquestionable authority.

"Your daughter is not a troublemaker, but one who has contributed to the nation," the Emperor said slowly.

The crowd nodded secretly. It seemed the formula undoubtedly came from the eldest daughter of the Jun family. Immediately, voices of envy for Jun Zhengming's good fortune reached his ears. His hanging heart finally settled a little, and he hurriedly thanked the Emperor.

The crowd's thoughts were turning in a thousand ways, which did not escape the Emperor's eyes. The Emperor coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and spoke again:

"Our Tianqi's stainless steel formula and smelting method came precisely from the hands of Minister Jun's second daughter. This is a great merit, and I must reward her heavily. It is truly a fortunate thing that Minister Jun has such a remarkable woman in his mansion. At the palace banquet in two days, I must meet this remarkable woman."

The Emperor praised.

The crowd was in an uproar again. When did the well-known waste of the Jun mansion suddenly transform into the remarkable woman in the Emperor's words! But who would dare to question the words of the current Emperor? Some were jealous, some were envious. Jun Zhengming was even more incredulous at this moment.

At this time, a trace of imperceptible gloom flashed in Prime Minister Gao's eyes. Although Jun Zhengming was not up to the task, and his only son was also useless, posing no threat to him, he was already somewhat wary because the Jun family had the Emperor's protection. Now that the Jun family had produced such a woman who caught the Emperor's eye, it would probably be even harder to keep them in check in the future. If it were the eldest daughter of the Jun family, it would be fine; she was his Gao family's future daughter-in-law. But this was the second girl who had been rejected by his Gao family. He felt both angry and unwilling, and he actually swallowed the old blood that had surged to his throat.

In a short moment, the crowd's thoughts turned in a thousand ways. Jun Zhengming came to his senses and hurriedly replied:

"Your Majesty is wise. That my daughter can be appreciated by Your Majesty is truly the honor of our family. It is just that my daughter grew up in the countryside, and I fear she may lack proper manners before the ministers."

The Emperor laughed: "No matter."

The Emperor waved his hand:

"Pass on my decree: The second daughter of the Minister Jun's mansion is of noble character, pure in heart, and has contributed to the nation; she is truly a model for women. I hereby confer upon the second daughter of the Jun mansion, Jun Zijin, the title of County Princess of Qingping, grant her the fief of Qingping County, a mansion, a carriage, and various treasures. Her status shall be equal to that of a princess."

The Crown Prince had reached the age for marriage. How could the Emperor not know the mind of this son of his? No woman had ever caught his son's eye, but recently the Crown Prince had gained vitality and smiles because of the Jun girl. Come to think of it, this son being able to resolve his long-standing knot with his father had something to do with that Jun girl. That girl had the backbone of her grandfather, was intelligent and courageous, and had excellent medical skills. Such a woman matched with his favorite son would naturally be an asset to his son's future. He had promised the Empress that he would protect their son. However, that girl had no one to rely on, and because of someone's deliberate actions, she still had a bad reputation; the current situation made her unsuitable to be assigned to the Crown Prince. The palace seemed calm, but in reality, undercurrents were surging. Various palaces were eyeing the position of the Crown Prince, and the Empress had not been found yet; the Crown Prince's concubine needed support. It would be better to build this momentum for that girl. Moreover, that girl's contribution to the nation was indeed worthy of the status of a County Princess.

As soon as the Emperor said this, everyone was shocked. The Jun mansion's daughter was conferred the title of County Princess; what an honor this was.