Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 343 The Beauty Scheme 4
Qiao Wei was not surprised at all when he heard the announcement that Huang Zhong had come to pay his respects.

Huang Zhong got straight to the point, bringing the parts of Zhennu in a box and placing them in front of Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei didn't move. "The matter I want to discuss today is not something General Huang can decide."

"What does Madam mean?" Huang Zhong raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for Qiao Wei's reply.

Qiao Wei smiled and said, "If General Zuo wants the army to manufacture these kinds of crossbows, then if I manufacture them, I will be serving General Zuo. Shouldn't General Zuo give me some benefits?"

This statement is perfectly reasonable, and Huang Zhong himself acknowledges that it is indeed reasonable.

"But Madam has not yet proven that this item was indeed made by her. Without proof, how can I believe that Madam has the ability to talk with General Zuo?"

Qiao Wei opened the box in front of him, sorted out the parts, and then looked up to meet his scrutinizing gaze. "It seems the general isn't being honest either; two parts are missing!"

Huang Zhong exchanged a glance with the craftsman beside him and confirmed Qiao Wei's identity.

His movements were swift and skillful, and he was very familiar with the structure and function of the parts. Although his method of arranging them was completely different from that of the craftsmen of various schools in Nanyang, it was clear at a glance that he was an expert.

Moreover, the calluses on Qiao Wei's hands are the result of years of working with machinery.

But Huang Zhong still asked very cautiously, "Since you say that two parts are missing, what kind of parts are they?"

Qiao Wei picked up a pen and drew the shape of the parts on the paper, even marking the dimensions clearly.

Unless one is someone who deals with such equipment year-round, it is impossible for an ordinary person to know these details and be familiar with them.

"Is this proof enough?"

The drawings on the paper also follow the standard drawing method, and the craftsmen can tell the authenticity at a glance.

"General, it is indeed correct."

Although Huang Zhong found it somewhat unbelievable, he had no choice but to concede defeat in the face of the truth.

Unexpectedly, the craftsman he had been searching for for two years turned out to be a woman.

The most absurd answer was presented to him, yet he had no choice but to believe it.

"General Huang, now I should be able to speak with General Zuo, right?"

Huang Zhong sent the craftsmen back to fetch the parts, and also sent Huang Xu to invite Liu Bei.

When Liu Bei heard Huang Xu say that it had been confirmed that Qiao Wei was the maker of the crossbow, he was also somewhat incredulous.

Huang Xu repeatedly assured him that Liu Bei then set off to see Qiao Wei.

The woman sat gracefully at the table, a screen separating them. Judging from the shadows cast on the screen, the tools and instruments he couldn't name flew through her hands. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a crossbow was already formed. Liu Bei hadn't even seen how she operated it.

The craftsmen around Huang Zhong understood the general idea from the movements shown on the screen.

The craftsmen, gathered by Huang Zhong, had long studied this crossbow. It was entirely constructed using mortise and tenon joints, but the structural methods used by different schools varied.

At least these mortise and tenon structures, though seemingly simple, hold a deeper meaning.

Qiao Wei pushed the screen aside, revealing a complete crossbow in his hand. He cocked the crossbow and aimed at Liu Bei.

"My lord!" Guan Yu couldn't help but exclaim, fearing that Qiao Wei would make his next move.

Qiao Wei smiled, shifted the crossbow slightly, pulled the trigger, and the bolt shot out, piercing the door frame and killing a guard standing outside.

Huang Zhong was shocked. Huang Xu immediately went to check on the guard. Qiao Wei's arrow was aimed at his forehead, and he was already dead and beyond saving.

What a brilliant tactic, what terrifying destructive power!

Liu Bei was startled, but the eagerness in his eyes for the crossbows was also evident. No wonder Sun Quan was able to lead his army to such a swift and decisive victory in the three commanderies of Changsha and others. If their navy in Xinye had such powerful weapons, how could they not seize Jingzhou and restore the Han dynasty!
Liu Bei reached out and snatched the crossbow from Qiao Wei's hand, but the crossbow seemed to recognize its master. Just as he was about to test its power, he found that the crossbow suddenly fell apart in his hands and became completely unusable.

His face immediately turned cold, as if he had been tricked by Qiao Wei, and the anger in his eyes was about to burst out.

"What do you mean, ma'am?"

"A little trick to prevent General Zuo from being used as a last resort." Qiao Wei was not intimidated by Liu Bei's anger. "After all, General Zuo has not yet guaranteed my life, so I can't just hand over all my cards!"

"Then what do you want?"

Qiao Wei laughed and said, "The first thing I want to do is kill him!"

Who?
Following Qiao Wei's finger, everyone turned around and saw another guard outside the door.

“Last night, he and the guard I just shot tried to enter my room to humiliate me, but fortunately I was alert and they didn’t succeed. I want General Zuo to personally order his execution in front of the soldiers as punishment.”

The guard whose name was called immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

Liu Bei's face was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water, his brows furrowed around his eyes, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his gaze.

"Other than that?"

“I need someone to protect my absolute safety, instead of yesterday, when everyone coveted me and tried to treat me like any other woman.”

Liu Bei understood Qiao Wei's meaning: "So this soldier is doomed to die today."

Qiao Wei not only wanted him dead, but she wanted him to die clearly and openly in front of everyone in the army. She wanted to use Liu Bei to make an example of him, so that no one would dare to underestimate her, thus protecting her own life and dignity.

After a moment's thought, Liu Bei ordered, "Drag the man away and administer fifty strokes of the cane according to military law. Do not let anyone hold back. Pass the word that anyone who dares to offend Lady Hou again will suffer the same fate!"

The guard begged for mercy, but he was still dragged away, his mouth covered, and thrown onto the training ground.

In the military, fifty strokes of the cane are usually enough to cripple a person, if not kill them. Without the best efforts of a military doctor, they might only survive for a day or two longer, until the wounds fester and become infected, at which point they would die.

"Is Madam satisfied?"

Qiao Wei nodded.

"All the parts of this crossbow can be made in the army. I am only responsible for the final assembly and setup, and I do not allow anyone else to be present."

Liu Bei frowned deeply; Qiao Wei's repeated resistance was gradually making him lose patience.

"Don't you think my request is excessive, Madam?"

Qiao Wei explained, “I am just a weak woman, and the Lord has already regarded me as his wife. Now, this skill is the only thing I can rely on to survive. Once other craftsmen learn this skill, I will be like a fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of General Zuo.”

Last night, even a lowly guard in the army was able to break into my house at will. If I lose this last bit of usefulness to General Zuo, my life will be in danger.

My cousin ran away from the wedding.

I walked over to my childhood friend Lu Cheng and tugged at his sleeve.

"Did you bring the contract?"

"what?"

"Let's take advantage of the situation. If we succeed, we'll be set for life."

My new book, "You Are in My Eyes," was published in Yunqi.

This is a short story I wrote on a whim; I hope you'll all support it.