Chapter 267 Qiu Moyan: "I'm sorry, maybe I came at the wrong time"

Twenty days later.

Capital city, imperial guards camp.

Thirty soldiers wearing standard armor stood in a row, holding percussion rifles made by craftsmen with their bare hands, with a hint of curiosity on their solemn faces.

"Ready, fire!"

Following Zhou Huaian's order, thirty gunmen pulled the trigger and fired the first bullet in their lives.

bang bang bang...

Thirty bullets were shot out horizontally like a rainstorm, and the ten pig targets hanging under the beam had blood holes on their sturdy bodies in an instant, splashing blood.

The seven pigs that were hit in the head by bullets tilted their heads and fell asleep unconscious.

The other three live pigs were howling hysterically, in agony.

"Load and shoot."

"Bang bang bang..."

"Loaded..."

After five times in a row.

The ten pigs that served as living targets were already covered in wounds, with hideous blood holes all over their bodies. The scene was horrific.

Zhou Huaian, Yang Yuxuan, Emperor Jiajing, and the ministers who went to watch saw this scene, and they all felt fear for the musket named "Magic Dragon No. 1".

"Your Majesty, the power of the Magic Dragon No. 1 musket is too great and it is against the harmony of nature. Our Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette and should not manufacture such a cruel and inhumane killing weapon. Please issue an order to ban the manufacturing drawings of the Magic Dragon No. 1 and execute all the craftsmen who participated in the Magic Dragon No. 1 musket."

A corrupt scholar who had become stupid from reading too much came to his senses and actually asked the emperor to ban the Magic Dragon No. 1. Yang Yuxuan, Zhou Huaian and other military officers got furious when they heard this.

Putting aside whether the Magic Dragon No. 1 was against the will of heaven, the subsequent execution of the craftsmen who participated in the manufacture of the Magic Dragon musket was enough to make them furious.

Hundreds of craftsmen were recruited to develop the Magic Dragon No. 1 firing rifle.

The corrupt scholar in front of me wants to execute hundreds of skilled craftsmen with just a few words. How is he different from a cruel and inhumane murderer?

"Li Qing's family is in serious trouble. What harms the world is never weapons, but people! If a person has the intention to kill, even a stone picked up from the roadside can smash the person beyond recognition."

"I don't want to hear similar remarks again. Please be careful with your words and actions!"

In the past month, Emperor Jiajing summoned Cheng Long more than a dozen times, and each time Cheng Long was able to come up with something new to open the eyes of him and the favorite ministers around him.

Especially a few days ago, when Cheng Long brought his maid Aning, Minister of War Yang Yuxuan, Chief Instructor of the Imperial Guard Zhou Huaian, and chivalrous woman Qiu Moyan into the palace, she actually showed him a edited film called The Rise and Fall of China.

In this two-hour film.

Emperor Jiajing saw the Ming dynasty's fallen emperor Chongzhen hanged on Mount Mei, the three massacres in Jiading after the Qing army entered the pass, and the century of humiliation for the descendants of Yan and Huang...

The fundamental reason for all this was that the Qing Dynasty closed its doors to the outside world and viewed all kinds of folk inventions as strange and ingenious skills, so that the great China was easily pried open by Western barbarians with just a few ships and thousands of guns.

The Minister of Rites in front of him asked him to execute hundreds of craftsmen and ban the Magic Dragon No. 1 musket. Isn't that asking him to repeat the same mistake?
Not only did he have to vigorously produce the Magic Dragon No. 1, he also had to research more powerful rifles and artillery, large steel ships that could sail the sea, and plant the Ming flag on every continent.

The film clearly explains why the Ming Dynasty fell: land annexation and official corruption were the root causes.

Isn’t the reason why landlords and officials do this because their families are gradually growing stronger and there are too many new nobles, resulting in uneven distribution of resources and squeezing the living space at the lower levels?

Now he only needs to send people to the super large island under Borneo to find the gold mountain that the magic doctor mentioned, and he can divert the attention of the greedy people in the country to overseas.

The magic doctor also said that he was not afraid of the powerful people in the Ming Dynasty being greedy, but he was afraid that they were not greedy enough. There were many unowned lands overseas. As long as these people were sent out, they could occupy as much land as they wanted. If more people were taken out, the inevitable land annexation when the dynasty developed to a certain extent would be greatly alleviated.

Master Cheng has proposed the development route of Ming Dynasty's navigation and provided the design principles of items such as percussion rifles, rifled guns, and cannons. He only needs to proceed step by step to expand the territory for Ming Dynasty and build a powerful Ming Dynasty.

……

Huashan, Zhengqitang.

Today is the third full month since Yue Buqun castrated himself to practice the Sunflower Manual, and it is also the first day that Linghu Chong was put in solitary confinement and sent to the Cliff of Regret.

This guy is a restless person, although many plots have been messed up by Cheng Long beyond recognition.

But the little nun Yilin inevitably fell in love with him.

Dongfang Bai tried to persuade his sister several times but failed to change her mind and finally he could only let her do what she wanted.

However, Linghu Chong’s confinement had nothing to do with Yi Lin. Instead, he was curious because he noticed that his master’s beard was falling off badly and he was becoming more and more feminine.

So while I was having a meal, I couldn't help but mention it.

The next day, Linghu Chong was caught by Yue Buqun and scolded for not concentrating on practicing sword skills. He was then sent to the Cliff of Regret and sentenced to one year of confinement.

At noon, Yue Lingshan carried a basket and climbed up the cliff panting. She pouted and complained, "Daddy is really a jerk. He actually wants Senior Brother to be locked up in the cliff for a year and wants me to bring you food every day. Is this a punishment for you or for me? I didn't say anything bad about him to his face!"

"You didn't say it to my face, but you said more behind my back than I did."

Linghu Chong picked up the large porcelain bowl, took a few bites and couldn't help complaining. It was after listening to his junior sister's complaints that he noticed the changes in his master in the past two months. The more he looked at him, the more he looked like a eunuch who was neither male nor female.

"Humph~~ It's all because of you. Just eat, why am I asking why my dad lost his beard?"

"Aren't you curious?"

"..."

Yue Lingshan was speechless for a moment, and said: "Big Brother, what happened to my father? Not to mention that he lost his beard, his voice is also weird, and he often hides away to practice martial arts. Once I secretly followed him, and he grabbed my ears and scolded me."

"If I had known that I wouldn't have put him in detention."

Linghu Chong shrugged dejectedly and lowered his head to eat his meal, as if trying to turn his grief and anger into appetite.

"If only mom were here!"

Yue Lingshan sighed quietly.

As Yue Buqun's behavior became more and more strange, her longing for her mother became stronger and stronger. She especially wanted to throw herself into her mother's arms and act coquettishly.

Little did they know that her gentle, virtuous, and well-educated mother would follow the witch doctor every day, come into contact with new things, watch wonderful movies and TV series, and have so much fun that she almost forgot about them.

After the entertainment, there are the indispensable and easy-to-understand exchanges every night, and life becomes more and more fulfilling day by day.

With the help of Mr. Cheng, Ning Zhongze even learned Tai Chi swordsmanship, and his strength increased rapidly.

"Master's wife has been gone for more than three months. I wonder if her hidden illness has been cured?"

Although Linghu Chong is regarded as an ungrateful person by many people, he was brought to Huashan since he was a child and grew up as the eldest disciple with Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze. He has great respect for his master and his mistress.

My master's wife has been gone for more than three months. It would be a lie to say that I'm not worried at all.

Without the care of their master's wife, this group of naughty Huashan disciples were often taught a lesson by Yue Buqun, whose temperament was gradually changing.

In the past, even if you played a prank on teachers and scared away the teachers, the master would not make a big fuss. But now, if you make a mistake in swordplay, you will be scolded.

Lu Dayou, Liang Fa and others were severely scolded by Yue Buqun.

But the progress is significant.

The results of the past three months are equivalent to their entire year of practice.

"My mother used to go down the mountain frequently, but she was not injured. How could she have a hidden illness?" Yue Lingshan was skeptical about this. She always felt that something was wrong. For no reason, her mother suddenly stopped going. At first, she thought that she paid too little attention to her mother, so she didn't know that she was sick from overwork. Later, when she returned to Huashan, she thought more and more that something was wrong.

Huashan's internal energy techniques, inherited from the Quanzhen Sect of Taoism, have the effect of cultivating the mind, nourishing the character, and strengthening the body. Even if one has suffered a serious injury, one can slowly recover.

What's more, her mother, Lady Ning, has never suffered a serious injury!
"Next time I meet Brother Cheng, I must ask him clearly."

Yue Lingshan made this decision silently.

There is no other way. Since her parents refused to say anything, she can only place her hopes on Brother Cheng.

……

A teahouse near Zhou Mansion in Beijing.

In the early morning, Qiu Moyan, dressed in a red suit, sat alone at a table, looking at the mansion across the street, with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Today is the last day of the three-month deadline she gave Zhou Huaian.

In half an hour, the deadline will arrive.

She knew that it was foolish of her to do so. She hadn't waited for a reply for so many days, so it was simply wishful thinking to expect one in the last half hour.

But she is such a traditional heroine.

If I say three months, it means three months. Not a day more or half an hour less.

"Zhou Huaian, if you dare to leave this house today, I will take the children and jump into this well..."

In the inner courtyard of the Zhou residence, a woman in her thirties with average looks stood by the well holding a five-year-old girl in her arms, and said hysterically, "When we got married, you told me that you would only marry me in this life. Now you want to marry a wandering woman as your second wife, betraying your oath. Are you still a gentleman who keeps his word?"

"Madam, Mo Yan and I are in love with each other. She is outside the mansion now. If I don't go out to bring her back, I will regret it for the rest of my life." Zhou Huaian was reluctant to let go and had to beg bitterly.

"You can marry her if you want her, but you can't marry her, you can only take her in as a bride."

"No, Mo Yan must not be my concubine."

Marrying a wife and taking a concubine, different words have different meanings. In ancient times, concubines could be given away. Even if Zhou Huaian agreed for the sake of having two wives, Qiu Moyan would not allow himself to fall.

"If you want her, you can only take her as a concubine. If she doesn't even agree to this, it proves that she doesn't admire you that much." Mrs. Zhou was very determined. She could only be the main wife of the Zhou family.

Qiu Moyan can't do it, and neither can other women.

Any woman who wanted to enter the Zhou Mansion could only be a concubine.

"..."

Zhou Huaian was speechless.

Before the magic doctor appeared, he was somewhat confident that he could convince Qiu Moyan and make him suffer some injustice.

Now I don’t even have the courage to speak.

Time passed in the stalemate between the two. When the three-month period was over and Zhou Huaian walked out of the mansion, Qiu Moyan in the teahouse diagonally opposite had already left.

"Master Zhou, this is the letter that Miss Qiu left for you."

The teahouse waiter quickly came over to read a letter.

Zhou Huaian took the letter and couldn't wait to read it.

[Huai'an, when you receive this letter, I will have already left...]

[Actually, I had already written this letter last night...]

[Because I had already anticipated this scene. Your wife is jealous and cannot stand women who are prettier than her, especially those who are of humble origins...]

[This is the last time I call you 'Huaian'. See you from now on. We are still friends. ]

【Don’t worry——Qiu Moyan! 】

……

half year later.

Siam territory.

Cheng Long and Aning, who travelled all the way south from the capital, doing justice and eliminating violence, appeared in Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya is the oldest and most glorious ancient capital of Siam, existing from 1350 to 1767 AD. It is also the cultural, political and religious center of Siam.

In 1370, the Ming Dynasty sent Lu Zongjun as an envoy to Ayutthaya. The following year, Lu Zongjun followed the Siamese delegation to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. This was an important event in the exchanges between the Siam region and the Ming Dynasty, and it also marked the beginning of the entry of overseas Chinese into Siam.

Because of this mission, Siamese became the most popular foreign language in the Ministry of Rites during the early Ming Dynasty...

There were already many Chinese in Siam during the Jiajing period.

Cheng Long came here mainly for fun, but if he encountered injustice, or if there were bandits who robbed and killed people on the road, he wouldn't mind killing a few more...

"Sir, try the coconut chicken I made. The soup is so sweet."

In a wilderness near Ayutthaya, Ning Zhongze, dressed in black, brought the freshly cooked coconut chicken to Cheng Long as if he was presenting a treasure, and looked at him expectantly.

Cheng Long picked up the soup spoon, scooped some into the bowl, and then scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

"Not bad, the soup is refreshing and much better than before. It's a big improvement."

“It’s a big improvement, but it’s still not good enough. It seems that I still have a long way to go if I want to make delicious food.”

Ning Zhongze seldom cooked in Huashan before. Although Huashan has declined, its heritage is still there, so it is no problem to ask a chef to prepare three meals a day.

Cooking is a hobby I developed slowly after following Cheng Long.

Because she wanted to be a perfect maid who was both talented in literature and martial arts.

In terms of martial arts, Cheng Long has intermittently given her 60 times the blood and essence energy of others, and her normal strength has soared to 5-15 tons, which is even more exaggerated than Captain America.

The improvement of physical fitness also leads to the improvement of intelligence.

She was able to learn the Tai Chi and Tai Chi sword techniques that Cheng Long developed through his study of Tai Chi.

Now I focus on cooking, and the improvement is very significant.

"Don't be discouraged, your cooking skills are actually very good."

Cheng Long took the charming Lady Ning into his arms and said while playing tricks on her: "A Ning, you've been out with me for so long, do you miss your daughter?"

"I don't even think about it."

Ning Zhongze was very conflicted.

She was not mentally prepared to face her daughter's questioning, so when she passed by Huashan on her way south a few months ago, she took the initiative to suggest bypassing Huashan to avoid the embarrassment of running into Yue Buqun, Linghu Chong, Yue Lingshan and others.

"If you want, go back and take a look. I'll be with you. I promise..." Before Cheng Long finished his words, Qiu Moyan, who was exhausted, rushed into the RV happily with a sword in hand.

Qiu Moyan paused when he saw him hugging Aning and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, maybe I came at the wrong time..."

"No, you came at the right time." Cheng Long extended a hand to Qiu Moyan.

(End of this chapter)