In the afternoon, Chen Qing returned to his mansion and went directly to his study. They were originally going to move to the island, but it snowed and froze, and the island was too cold, so they had to wait until spring before moving.
As soon as Chen Qing sat down, he heard the sound of warblers and swallows.
"It's obviously unreasonable to write like this. Since the Dinghai Divine Needle, the Dragon King should hide it. How could he take the initiative to send it out?"
"The official told me so."
"Ask me, I must have misunderstood."
While they were talking, three women walked in. At the front was naturally Chen Qingfa's wife Lu Xiu, next to her was Zhao Qiaoyun, and behind her was Zhao Yingluo. She was just here to watch the fun.
Since both Chen Qing and Lu Xiu made it clear that they would accept her into the palace, her personality gradually became more cheerful, and she quietly began to dress herself up. She had a sweet smile in front of Chen Qing.
She has a good personality and gets along well with the Yu sisters. Thanks to her constant persuasion, the conflict between Yu Lian and Zhao Qiaoyun gradually showed signs of easing.
She is like a fresh fish, bringing vitality to this slightly boring big family.
Chen Qing smiled and asked: "Are you arguing about the part where Wukong takes the golden cudgel?"
Lu Xiuxin said bluntly: "Qiaoyun has just finished writing, and I am her first reader. I always feel a bit awkward and unsophisticated."
"What's wrong? Tell us and let's discuss it." Chen Qingxiao asked.
"Then Monkey Sun came here to steal weapons. He is just a robber. According to the worldly wisdom, he should hide the good things at home. Since the golden cudgel is called Dinghai Shenzhen and Shenzhenzhen Iron, it must be the Dragon King's sea-suppressing treasure, but he still returned it.
It’s unreasonable to take Monkey to take it away!”
Chen Qing asked Zhao Qiaoyun again, "Do you think there is a problem?"
Zhao Qiaoyun muttered: "The officials asked me to write like this, so I will write like this!"
"You are worthless, you are the master of Qingyuan Pavilion, okay!" Lu Xiu glared at her dissatisfied.
When Chen Qing saw Zhao Yingluo pouting and snickering, he smiled and asked, "What do you think of Yingluo?"
"I?"
Zhao Yingluo said with some panic in her eyes: "Sister and I have the same idea, and we also feel a little awkward."
Tea hasn't even been served yet! She changed her name to eldest sister, and Chen Qing suddenly felt that the time was ripe to take her as his concubine.
"You guys! I just can't figure it out. The former owner of the Golden Cudgel was Dayu. What did Dayu do? Isn't it to control the water? The purpose of water control is to deal with the Dragon King, so it's called the Dinghai Shenzhen. If you change its name, it's called the Zhenhai Shen.
How about the needle?”
Zhao Qiaoyun's eyes lit up, "I understand. The golden cudgel is actually the thorn on the back of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. The Dragon King of the East China Sea pulled it out with the help of Sun Wukong."
"What's the point of those dragon kings coming over to get a set of armor?" Lu Xiu said unconvinced.
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said: "With the rich treasures in the Dragon Palace, can't you even get out a suit of armor? The Dragon King of the East China Sea wants to find a few witnesses to prove that the Dinghai Divine Needle was forcibly taken away by Monkey King. In the future, the Jade Emperor will ask about this matter.
It’s easy for him to tell me otherwise, this is human nature!”
"What you write is too obscure and will confuse readers. Yingluo, let's go!"
Lu Xiu turned around and took Zhao Yingluo away. Zhao Qiaoyun looked at Chen Qing helplessly, "Official, do you want me to change it?"
Chen Qing waved his hand: "Don't change it, just write it like this and let readers guess."
At night, after two rounds of rain, Chen Qing and his wife Lu Xiu paid homage to the Duke of Zhou. It was too cold outside and they didn't want to wear pajamas, so they just chatted under the thick quilt.
"Husband, can't someone else write the novel for the newspaper? Let Qiaoyun write it. You see, she has been distracted during this period. She is dancing with her chopsticks while eating, as if she is wielding a golden hoop."
"I'm worried about letting someone else write it. I'm afraid the writing will be bad. Otherwise, I'll let Yingluo and Qiaoyun write it together and share half of it."
"What reason do you have for letting Yingluo do things for you?"
"The reason? I took her as my concubine, she is my woman, and I asked her to write, why doesn't she do it?"
"You are becoming more and more domineering now, go to sleep!"
Lu Xiu turned around unhappily, and Chen Qing hugged his wife, constantly coaxing her with nice words, and doing good things to her, and the two gradually became intimate with each other again.
Lu Xiu was exhausted by her husband's torment, so she could only sigh, "I have actually started to prepare. Five days later is an auspicious day, so let's set it on the tenth day of the lunar month! The same treatment as Qiaoyun."
At this moment, a muffled sound of 'Bang!' was faintly heard. The couple heard it clearly. Lu Xiu asked in surprise: "Husband, what is this sound?"
Chen Qing's expression changed. Of course he knew what the sound was. It was the sound of gunpowder exploding. It was midnight, and there was an explosion of gunpowder. What happened?
Chen Qing said while putting on his clothes: "Maybe someone accidentally detonated a firearm. You can go to sleep! I'll go take a look."
"Maybe it's the New Year and the kids are setting off firecrackers? It's so cold outside, let's watch it tomorrow!"
Chen Qing thought for a while and realized that the sound didn't sound like a child setting off firecrackers.
"I guess someone will report it soon. I have to get dressed too!"
Lu Xiu thought about it and said: "The husband should wear more clothes and be careful!"
"Do not worry!"
Chen Qing stood up, and a little maid came in from outside, put on Chen Qing's shoes, and briefly combed her hair.
Chen Qing walked out of the yard and waved to the rooftop opposite. A female warrior jumped down from the hiding place and bowed: "Please give me the prince's orders!"
"Did you hear the explosion just now?" Chen Qing asked.
"Report to the prince, I heard it very clearly!"
"Where did you hear it coming from?"
"It's coming from the northeast. It should be outside the city. I still saw a faint flash of fire."
Chen Qing nodded. He also felt that it was coming from outside the city. If it was from the northeast, there might be an explosion at the firearms laboratory, but Chen Qing thought it was unlikely. The firearms laboratory was sixty miles away from Jingzhao City!
Can explosions be heard sixty miles away?
"Prepare the carriage for me, I want to go out!"
Not long after, Chen Qing got on the carriage, escorted by hundreds of cavalry guards, and prepared to leave the city.
At this moment, a soldier came to report, "Report to the King of the County, the King of Internal Guards has something urgent to report!"
Chen Qing nodded, "Bring him to see me!"
After a moment, Wang Hao hurriedly ran over, knelt down on one knee and saluted: "I am reporting to the prince, I have just received the news that something happened to the firearms factory, there was a big explosion, and there were heavy casualties."
"I understand, let's go take a look now, and General Wang should go too!"
"I humbly obey orders!"
Wang Hao had already sent the inner guard commander Han Zhengfu to lead 500 soldiers to the firearms station, and he himself followed Chen Qing's team towards the northeast outside the city.
The Western Military Firearms Institute is located sixty miles northeast of Jingzhao City, close to the Wei River and convenient for water transportation. This firearms institute was originally the northwest branch of the Firearms Administration under the Imperial Ordnance Supervision. Simply put, it is the Western Military Firearms Institute.
It covers an area of about fifty acres and has all kinds of facilities. More than 200 firearms craftsmen study and make various firearms here. Chen Qingjun's gunpowder barrels were made here.
There are high walls and sentries surrounding the Firearms Factory, and it is heavily guarded. However, the people around it know that this is a place where firearms are made, and they have lived in peace for decades, and everyone is used to it.
But tonight was no small matter. Something big happened. A craftsman on the night shift accidentally detonated a firearm and blew up a stone house. Three craftsmen and more than a dozen soldiers were killed on the spot. The people around him were also killed.
Alarmed by the huge explosion, many people ran out of their homes.
Five hundred internal guards have arrived and have put a tight seal around the firearms station, preventing people from getting close to it.
It was already the third watch when Chen Qing arrived. There was a huge fire in front of the firearms station's gate. Hundreds of soldiers lit torches, illuminating the gate like daylight. Of course, you were not allowed to take torches when you entered, and you could only hold lanterns at most.
Xie Ying, the manager of the Firearms Institute, looked pale, but there was an indescribable excitement in her eyes.
He stepped forward and bowed: "Improper management of my humble position led to the night explosion. This is a dereliction of duty. I am willing to accept all punishment!"
Chen Qing's concern was not about the responsibility for the explosion, but about the power of the explosion. He asked: "Did a rhinoceros explode?"
Explosive firearms all have code names. Rhino refers to a box-type gunpowder barrel weighing one thousand kilograms, which is their most powerful explosive weapon. When they first attacked Guanzhong, the firearms that destroyed Jinsuoguan were two rhinos.
But the rhino wasted too much. One thousand kilograms at a time was their monthly output of gunpowder, and they couldn't afford it, so the rhinoceros only used it that one time.
Chen Qing judged from experience that an explosion that could be heard sixty miles away could destroy a stone house. Only a rhinoceros could have such power.
Xie Ying shook her head and said in a trembling voice: "It's not a rhinoceros, it's the iron hedgehog that was just successfully developed today."