eurekapd Chapter 77 Miniature Musket
Chapter 77 Miniature Musket
"I'll smile for you when you come back." Shen Li looked at her and said, "Take care."
"I will." Lin Wan'er said, taking a short musket off her waist and handing it to her: "This is a musket that I had a craftsman make. It's more than thirty years ahead of its time. It's much more powerful than a long musket and can fire seven times in a row. Keep it for self-defense."
Shen Li was completely unfamiliar with this, but she could roughly guess that Lin Wan'er had been gone from her previous life for a longer period of time than she had.
"This is good." Shen Li took it, blinking her innocent eyes as she asked, "Can I have two?"
"Do you think this is a cabbage? I'm only using this one myself, and I'm reluctant to use it myself," Lin Wan'er joked. "Kyoto isn't peaceful either; all sides are eyeing it covetously. You should be careful too."
"Don't worry, I can still control this small area." Shen Li carefully wiped the musket in her hand, looking at the copper tube gleaming with metallic luster, and was very pleased.
"I don't need the 100,000 taels, so I don't want it either. Just give me a musket if you have one." She felt that exchanging 100,000 taels for such a musket was worthwhile.
Everyone present except Shen Li had the same thought: this person is so rich and powerful, her words are different. She actually thought it was possible to sell two muskets for 100,000 taels.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Three days later, the army departed the capital with the emperor's farewell. The seventh prince, Li Rui, in golden armor, led the way, followed by his deputy general Xiao Qi and three thousand Shenji Battalion soldiers, along with ten thousand escort troops. A carriage slowly drove through the center of the procession.
Shen Li stood on the second floor of a teahouse, looking at the carriage. She wished she could wear armor like a man, sit on a horse, and receive the admiring gaze of the people.
"This round trip will take more than two months. I wonder if Miss Lin can handle it," Lian Qiao said from the side.
“Sister, have you forgotten that Miss Lin has practiced martial arts since she was a child? The old Duke also said that she is no less capable than a man. I don’t think she’s afraid,” said Peony.
"That would be best, otherwise people will get hurt."
Shen Li did not respond, presumably because the Prince of Yi, who sent Lin Wan'er out of the capital, was unaware that Lin Wan'er would not return until the war was over.
Who knows how long this battle will last?
She went back and sat by the window. It was early winter, and in the north at this time, even fallen leaves could not be seen. There were only withered branches in the yard.
A charcoal fire was lit in the room, and the servants had changed into thicker winter clothes. Only Shen Li was still dressed in thin clothes, but she had put a cloak over her autumn clothes.
When Peony returned with the charcoal, she felt the room was cold. When she went into the inner room, she saw that Shen Li had opened the window and was leaning against it, enjoying the cold wind.
"My goodness, what are we going to do if you catch a cold from the wind?" Peony hurriedly went to close the window: "Where did Sister Forsythia go?"
Shen Li let her close the window and lazily replied, "I told her to go to the study to get the paints. She'll paint here today."
"The Empress Dowager's birthday is in half a month. Will you be able to finish painting the 'Ten Thousand Chrysanthemums'?" Peony asked worriedly.
She didn't understand why her mistress had been painting those strange and unusual pictures all this time, expending so much effort. To say that she could defend the city was a joke.
"Probably." When Shen Li saw those chrysanthemums that day, she already had a picture in mind of what to paint. For her, having the feeling was the hardest part; painting it was not difficult.
After all, she had been practicing her painting skills since she was a child, and she had long since become proficient.
Gu Chang'an has been coming home very late lately. He has to deal with the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue and the Court of Judicial Review. As the highest judicial authority, the Court of Judicial Review receives a large number of cases from various places every day, and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review has to review them quite a bit.
However, Gu Chang'an was a diligent official, and even with the help of several advisors, he would still personally review the important matters.
The Ministry of Revenue is the lifeblood of the entire court and the treasury of the nation. Not to mention the current tax revenue and expenditure, even the old accounts from previous years are piled up like mountains.
Even if Gu Chang'an left early in the morning, he wouldn't return home until late at night. By the time he got home each day, his clothes were covered in dew, and he would only get three hours of sleep before having to go out again.
Shen Li usually waits for him to come back, and today was no exception. She was so sleepy that she kept yawning but refused to go to bed. Instead, she sat on the couch and painted.
"Why are you waiting for me again?" Gu Chang'an had already washed up and changed into a blue robe when she came in. Her clear voice was full of tenderness.
He couldn't bear to see her stay up late.
"I just missed you." Shen Li opened her arms as he came in: "Carry me to bed."
Gu Chang'an was used to her coquettishness, so he smiled, stepped forward, hugged her, and prepared to get up.
"Wait a minute." Shen Li suddenly remembered something, reached for a wooden box on the couch and handed it to him: "Open it and take a look."
Gu Chang'an then put her down, sat down next to her, and opened the door to find an exquisite short gun inside, with a wooden handle and a copper barrel that looked very beautiful.
"Such a small musket?" Gu Chang'an found it quite unusual.
"This is what Wan'er left me before she left. Keep it with you for self-defense." The moment Shen Li saw the musket, she thought of Gu Chang'an.
She didn't need to defend herself, and she remembered that in her previous life, Gu Chang'an was assassinated after taking over the Ministry of Revenue for a period of time.
That time, I was stabbed in the chest and almost died, but even though I survived, I was left with some lingering injuries.
"This is for your self-defense, how can I accept it? Besides, I'm surrounded by so many people every day, there won't be any danger for me." After refusing, Gu Chang'an looked intently at her in his arms, his eyes filled with emotion: "A-Li, you're so good to me."
"No, tell me what you've done since you took office at the Ministry of Revenue?" Shen Li asked.
Upon hearing this, Gu Chang'an placed her on the couch and began pacing in front of her:
"Our dynasty's calendar stipulates that after local governments collect taxes each year, they retain enough for their own use, with only a very small portion going to the Ministry of Revenue. Many local officials have exploited this loophole, delaying payments year after year, causing the Ministry of Revenue's debts to pile up like a small mountain. I will naturally send someone to urge them to pay."
He had only been in office for a little over half a month when he dispatched officials from the Ministry of Revenue and below to various places to collect debts. His documents were sternly worded, leaving no room for local officials to delay payment.
“But my husband should know that this is a very difficult task that will offend people,” Shen Li said. “Did the Ministry of Revenue not urge us in the past because they didn’t want to? It was because they either couldn’t get the money back or they were resented by people, pleasing neither side.”
“I hold the authority of the Dali Temple, so they dare not refuse me. As for incurring their hatred, that’s unavoidable. To do things for the people, you always have to offend some people who want to take advantage of them.” Gu Chang’an took a deep breath and said, “This is what a true man should do, and I have no choice but to do it.”
“I understand you and I won’t stop you, but you have to promise me that the future guard will be reinforced, and you must carry this musket with you at all times.” Shen Li’s attitude was also firm, and she handed the musket forward as she spoke: “You need it.”