in2ebook Chapter 300 Then I, the Empress, will give it a try.
Chapter 300 Then I, the Empress, will give it a try.
“As long as he has a clean background and likes her, it’s not impossible for a commoner like me. But if he marries a commoner like me as a concubine, then he should never return to the capital for the rest of his life,” Su Nuannuan said earnestly.
Upon hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "Look at what you're saying. You just don't agree with Jingcheng marrying a commoner as his concubine in the future."
Su Nuannuan quickly shook her head and explained, "No, I absolutely did not mean that."
Seeing this, the Empress asked curiously, "Then why did you say such a thing?"
Su Nuannuan hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "The reason why I said that if he were to marry a commoner as his concubine, he should never return to the capital in this lifetime is because a commoner's status would prevent her from integrating into the circles of the capital."
She paused, then continued, "The circles in the capital are full of high-ranking officials and noble families. They have complex interpersonal relationships and various rules. It would be difficult for a commoner like me to adapt to such an environment. Rather than letting her feel inferior, depressed, and suspicious in the circles of the capital, it would be better to let her live in the border town."
Su Nuannuan took a deep breath and continued, "At least in the border town, she is free, without so many rules to bind her. She can live her life the way she wants without feeling inferior. Without feeling inferior, she won't be depressed, and she won't be suspicious for no reason."
The Empress nodded thoughtfully and said, "What you said makes sense."
Su Nuannuan smiled slightly and continued, "Your Majesty, as you know, the most important thing for a couple to live together is mutual trust. Once suspicion arises, they can't continue living together. Therefore, I hope they can live in a relatively simple environment, which will also be good for their relationship."
Upon hearing Su Nuannuan's explanation, the Empress couldn't help but laugh and praised her, "You've certainly thought things through for your future daughter-in-law."
"What else can we do? If the future princess is a noblewoman, that's fine. But if she's just an ordinary commoner, then this is probably all we can do." Su Nuannuan shook her head helplessly and sighed.
"As the saying goes, children and grandchildren have their own blessings, so don't worry about them too much. However, how many mothers can truly put their minds at ease?" the Empress said with deep emotion.
“That’s absolutely right,” Su Nuannuan agreed wholeheartedly. “How can we completely wash our hands of it?”
The Empress remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then suddenly asked, "And what about Jianping? What are your plans for her?"
Su Nuannuan hesitated for a moment before replying, "As for Jianping, I would like to keep her for two more years, so she can enjoy two more years of freedom. After all, being a young girl is the most carefree and relaxed time. But once she becomes a wife, it's completely different. She has to be filial to her parents-in-law, take care of the children, and serve her husband. Where is there any time for herself to be herself?"
The Empress nodded, saying with deep feeling, "Yes, it's true that being a young girl is the most carefree time." But then she changed the subject, asking with concern, "However, aren't you worried that the Emperor will send Jianping to marry a foreign ruler in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan curled her lips slightly, revealing a disdainful expression, and said, "Marriage alliance? Unless the Emperor has lost his mind, he would never do such an absurd thing."
Hearing Su Nuannuan speak so recklessly about the Emperor, the Empress felt a surge of helplessness. After all, in the palace, a single careless word could lead to death. Fortunately, someone was out guarding the palace; otherwise, if these treasonous words had reached the Emperor's ears, he would likely have been severely punished, if not beheaded, perhaps even skinned alive.
Su Nuannuan seemed oblivious to the inappropriateness of her words, continuing, "Your Majesty, the military strength of our Canglan Kingdom is truly vastly different from what it used to be. If it were before, I might have been genuinely worried and hastily arranged a husband for Jianping. But now, I have absolutely no worries."
Then, Su Nuannuan proudly introduced, "The Ding'an Marquis's firearms battalion is really amazing. Not only did they successfully develop explosives, but they also manufactured hand cannons and muskets. Moreover, these firearms have already been deployed in various border cities."
It is said that a single shot from that cannon could level a hilltop.
The Empress's eyes widened, and she asked with a look of suspicion, "Is this cannon really that powerful?"
Seeing this, Su Nuannuan quickly smiled and explained, "I've only heard about it, but since everyone is saying this, it must be true."
"Well, I can't get my hands on a cannon, but I can have the Marquis of Ding'an send a musket to Her Majesty the Empress for self-defense. I happen to want one myself!" With that, she winked playfully at the Empress.
She secretly thought to herself that she absolutely could not let the Empress know that she had a musket, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable! After all, although the Empress seemed to be a Buddhist, she was still a human being, and who is without temper? Even Buddha had times when he was angry, let alone the Empress, a mere mortal.
Moreover, now is the perfect opportunity to make it public that I own a musket, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble and misunderstandings in the future.
"I don't know how to use that thing, so what use is it to me?" the Empress said calmly.
However, Su Nuannuan quickly replied, "Your Majesty, you're mistaken! It's okay if we don't know how to use it, we can learn!"
The method of using these muskets shouldn't be too difficult, otherwise the imperial court wouldn't have distributed them so quickly.
After hearing this, the Empress seemed somewhat tempted and asked hesitantly, "Then... shall I give it a try?"
“That’s more like it! Not only does the Empress need one, but the Crown Prince also needs one, and with my own, that makes a total of three muskets. I’m sure His Majesty will agree.” Su Nuannuan said, counting on her fingers as she spoke.
Upon seeing this, the Empress couldn't help but be amused by Su Nuannuan's appearance and burst out laughing.
"You're such a grown-up, and you're so good at math, why are you still counting on your fingers like a little kid?" the Empress asked with a smile.
Upon hearing the Empress's words, Su Nuannuan not only didn't feel embarrassed, but instead earnestly explained, "Your Majesty, this isn't childish behavior; it's called a sense of ritual!"
After saying that, Su Nuannuan lowered her hand and a faint smile appeared on her face.
There's nothing she can do; it's just her habit, and she can never change it in her lifetime.