Traveling to Daliang Kingdom starts from falling into the water

Despite saying that, Zhou Banxia, ​​who was pretending to be frightened, patted her chest, but in her heart she already completely agreed with the guess that Gu Wenxuan had drawn from his words.

It's hard to say whether the founding Duke of the State was too powerful and overshadowed the ruler, but when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. Who else could be the first to be sacrificed?

Firearms are incredibly powerful weapons, far more so than cold weapons. It is said that even the crown princes of the Liang dynasty did not dare to interfere with the firearms battalion for a hundred years after the founding of the Liang dynasty.

This rumor is quite reliable, since it was said by her uncle.

When her uncle was explaining the history of the successive emperors of the Great Liang Dynasty to her, he once said that one could covet anything, but whoever coveted the throne and the firearms battalion would perish.

Since the first Duke of Protectorate handed over the management of the Firearms Battalion to Emperor Taizu, the actual person in charge of the Firearms Battalion has never been either the Emperor's Dragon Guard or a trusted eunuch of the Emperor.

Like the Dragon Guards, the trusted eunuchs were not the emperor's personal attendants; no one knew which eunuch in the palace was the one until the next emperor ascended the throne.

The late emperor did something bizarre.

During his tenure, the actual person in charge of the firearms battalion was a eunuch, and the last person to take charge of the firearms battalion was a eunuch, who was only a eunuch who carried chamber pots.

Yes!

It wasn't a eunuch who would lift the chamber pot when the late emperor wanted to use the toilet, nor was it the kind of eunuch who would help the late emperor take off his pants and wait by his side.

So be it!
This eunuch in charge of the firearms battalion, who was carrying chamber pots, was not serving the late emperor, but rather the princes and ministers.

For example, a former Grand Secretary who was summoned to the Imperial Study by the late Emperor to discuss important matters, after having a meal in the Imperial Study, would excuse himself to urinate, and it was this person who carried the chamber pot.

This eunuch was the one who followed the late emperor after his death. Her uncle, a very intelligent man, only then realized that this person was the masked man in charge of the firearms battalion.

Of course, even the current emperor who seized the throne only learned about it a little earlier than her uncle, mainly because this person wanted to hand over control of the firearms battalion to the current emperor.

Perhaps to ensure that every emperor had complete control over the imperial power, her uncle once told her that all the emperors' confidants who were in charge of the firearms battalion had no descendants.

If we connect these words with what Xuanzi said, it is quite possible that the Founding Duke of the State did not die young due to injuries from years of fighting and overwork.

Fine, whatever the truth is, let's go along with it.

Although windmills are not firearms, let him be since he repeatedly refuses to take credit for it.

For scholars who entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, most still regarded it as a strange skill or trick, not orthodox, and purely a crooked path.

Well, it won't benefit outsiders anyway.

It's good that this skill is all in her possession, and it also fulfills Qian Huaizhi's wish—her master has indeed taught a prodigy!
Thinking of this, Zhou Qicai, who called himself a genius, chuckled and picked up the crabapple he had put down, offering it with both hands, "Borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha, you sucker!"

Gu, the sucker, was speechless. He bent his finger but couldn't bring himself to give her a good whack on the forehead. "Do you really not know why I don't want this credit?"
Next, in the provincial examination, if I hadn't overestimated myself, I would definitely have been in the top five, and if I was lucky, I would have been the top scholar.

Regardless of whether I am exceptionally talented or not, there has never been a first in literature. However, my writing style already bears the mark of my teacher, making it easy for people to identify whose work it is.

In cases where the examiners had difficulty deciding who was the top scorer among equally qualified candidates, I had a significant advantage and would likely be the top scholar. Firstly, I was a "minor top scholar" (a candidate who achieved the highest score in all three levels of the imperial examinations); secondly, I had a tutor; and thirdly, and most importantly, the examiner for my previous provincial examination was from a different school of thought than my tutor.

Since the examiner at the time did not hesitate to name me as the top candidate in the provincial examination, it is very likely that he will not make things difficult for me in the upcoming provincial examination.

This is the third thing Brother Qian told me today. According to him, with an imperial envoy blocking the way again, Mr. Nian's trip to Jiangnan could no longer be kept secret from those who were interested.

Especially in the past two months, the gentleman seemed to be accompanying his master, who was recovering, to visit friends around the country. However, if you connect the routes the gentleman took, you will definitely see that they are related to the dikes in various places.

Furthermore, although the court has not yet publicly rewarded you for your act of donating grain stored in all your estates in Jiangnan, the ministers in the court are already aware of this matter.

If you put your actions together, the answer becomes clear: which examiner would dare to make things difficult for me during the provincial examination in August?
Brother Qian said that the master's might is still there. As the master's eldest disciple and his proud son-in-law, my lack of arrogance is due to my tolerance.

I think about it and it makes sense. Putting aside who my husband is, who am I? I'm still too particular, always saying that harmony is the most important thing in getting along with others.

Just like Senior Brother Qian said, I am the former Lady of Fu'an County, now posthumously granted the title of Lady of Liang, a first-rank official, and the only son-in-law among the direct descendants of the late Duke of Liang..."

You two are quite something, one dares to speak and the other dares to listen!
“...Nowadays, besides members of the royal family and grandsons with royal blood like Senior Brother Qian, who in the whole world has a more noble status than me…”

You've got an extra layer of ambition, bro!

"...Don't you think that makes sense?"

Zhou Banxia looked like she had a toothache and reached out to touch his forehead. "He's not hot, so he doesn't seem delirious from a fever. That's strange. Could it be that he's talking in his sleep with his eyes open?"

"Hahaha..." Gu Wenxuan grabbed her hand and bit it. "Does it hurt? If it hurts, that's good. I don't talk in my sleep."

Alright, enough joking around. Shall we get up and go make some juice? Oh right, I almost forgot, honey, Brother Qian said his wife has been looking for you these past few days.

Do you know why your cousin-in-law is looking for you? Did she send someone to deliver a message today, or write to you to arrange a meeting at a certain time and place?

"No, I would have told you earlier." After saying that, Zhou Banxia felt much slower to react after Gu Wenxuan helped her up and steady herself.

"I understand. A couple of days ago, I sent someone to ask my cousin-in-law about how to give gifts when my grandmaster's grandson gets married. I suppose my cousin-in-law is looking for me about the same thing."

It was probably around the time she mentioned this to your senior brother Qian that he told you his wife had been looking for him these past few days, and that it wasn't a big deal.

Before you came back, Aunt Lan prepared a gift list. When Mai Qing was copying it, I told Mai Qing to send someone into the city to deliver a copy to my cousin-in-law before dark.

It must be because your senior brother Qian hasn't returned from his official duties yet, and doesn't know that I sent someone to his residence this afternoon. Oh yes, Mai Qing also told me later that my cousin's wife wasn't home.

That's why I said my cousin-in-law neither sent anyone to find me nor wrote me a letter today; her stewardess, however, did mention where she went.

That's the Liao family lady who said she was related to her cousin-in-law. This time, I don't know if she had a fight with Mr. Liao or what, but her cousin-in-law went to visit him in the afternoon.

Upon learning that Mrs. Liao was ill, I asked Mai Huang to prepare gifts first, and then I would tell Mother when Father left tomorrow to see if it would be more appropriate to send them to the Liao family through Da Hua's family. (End of Chapter)