in2ebook Chapter 103 Ding'an Repeating Crossbow
Chapter 103 Ding'an Repeating Crossbow
"Sister, you're wrong about that! Everyone in the capital knows that the Marquis of Ding'an is your own brother. How could you be unaware of this?" A strange, shrill voice suddenly rang out.
Upon hearing the voice, Su Nuannuan immediately recognized who it was—it was none other than Consort Su, who had just entered the palace yesterday! However, Su Nuannuan acted as if she hadn't heard Consort Su's provocation and completely ignored her.
Su Nuannuan turned slightly to face the emperor, who was high above her, and respectfully bowed before saying softly, "Your Majesty, I have always kept the precept of 'the empress must not interfere in politics' in mind, and I dare not forget it for a moment, let alone overstep it. Therefore, I really have no idea what my brother presented to Your Majesty."
No sooner had they finished speaking than Consort Su eagerly interjected, her tone still as sarcastic as ever: "Your Majesty, my sister is definitely lying!"
The Empress, seated on her phoenix throne, saw Consort Su's lack of restraint and reckless words. Her eyebrows furrowed, her face darkened, and she coldly rebuked her, "Consort Su, how dare you be so rude! Your words and actions have already overstepped your bounds!"
Consort Su, who was being reprimanded by the Empress in public, seemed to have expected it. Her delicate body trembled, and she feigned a pitiful appearance, like a frightened little white rabbit. She knelt down with a thud and said tremblingly, "I'm sorry, this concubine did not mean to offend you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty." After speaking, she did not forget to steal a glance at the Emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, trying to gain his sympathy.
Seeing this, the Empress merely snorted softly, then turned to the Emperor and called out, "Your Majesty..."
The meaning was as if it were a soft whisper asking, "You don't necessarily like this kind of thing, do you?"
At this moment, the Empress Dowager sat high on her phoenix throne, her cold gaze fixed on Consort Su kneeling below. Her well-preserved face was filled with deep displeasure, making no attempt to conceal her disgust and aversion towards Consort Su. However, despite her dissatisfaction, the Empress Dowager knew that Consort Su was one of the Emperor's concubines, and even if she disliked her, she did not intend to interfere in the matter easily.
After all, as long as the bottom line of deposing the empress and the crown prince is not touched, the empress dowager decided to let the emperor do whatever he wanted with his concubines, no matter how much he pampered or indulged them.
At the same time, the Emperor's gaze fell on Consort Su, whose behavior was somewhat affected. He frowned slightly, and his face revealed a hint of displeasure that was hard to conceal.
Before anyone could hear the Emperor speak, a series of steady, powerful footsteps sounded outside the door. Then, Marquis Ding'an, Su Heng, appeared at the entrance of Xuanhua Hall. He carried a large wooden box steadily in his arms and walked slowly and calmly into the hall.
Upon entering the main hall, Su Heng did not delay, walking directly to the Emperor and stopping before him. Then, with utmost respect, he held the heavy wooden box and performed a standard courtly salute, proclaiming loudly, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!" After the salute, the Emperor, with interest, turned his gaze to the object held by Su Heng and asked with a puzzled expression, "My dear minister, please rise. Is this the item you specially intended to present to me?"
"Your Majesty, this contains a repeating crossbow that I have meticulously designed. This crossbow is incredibly powerful and can fire a full ten arrows in succession." Su Heng respectfully held the huge wooden box with both hands, carefully took a step forward, and then respectfully presented it to the Emperor, speaking as he did so.
Upon seeing this, Li Desheng, who was standing to the side, hurriedly stepped forward, stretched out his hands to take the heavy wooden box, and quickly turned back to the emperor's side.
Li Desheng, taking the large wooden box, muttered to himself: "Hey, I just said I could carry this box myself to save me the trouble of making another trip to get it, but this Marquis of Ding'an absolutely refused, insisting on carrying it himself. Hmph, I really don't know what he's thinking. Now look what's happened, I still have to present it to the Emperor again. What was the point?"
At this moment, the Emperor's gaze fell on the large wooden box placed on the dragon table. He nodded slightly and gave Li Desheng a knowing look.
Li Desheng understood immediately and quickly stepped forward, gently and cautiously opening the large wooden box. In an instant, a finely crafted and uniquely designed Zhuge Repeating Crossbow was revealed to the emperor without reservation.
The emperor stared intently at the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow lying quietly in the large wooden box, a hint of surprise and curiosity flashing in his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he reached out his right hand, gently took it out of the box, and began to carefully examine this novel weapon.
After a long while, the emperor suddenly raised his voice and ordered, "Someone, quickly bring me the target." His loud voice echoed in the spacious palace, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
Before long, a group of strong and sturdy guards carried in a huge archery target, which was more than a meter tall. As they carefully placed it in the right spot, the whole scene became exceptionally solemn and serious.
The Emperor took a deep breath, focused his gaze intently on the distant target, and then pulled the trigger without hesitation. In an instant, a sharp "whoosh" pierced the air, and a sharp arrow shot out like lightning, flying straight towards the target. Amazingly, the arrow struck the bullseye with perfect accuracy, embedding itself deeply within.
However, the Emperor did not stop there. He gripped the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow tightly, his fingers swiftly and smoothly pulling the trigger again. Immediately afterward, another burst of rapid bowstring twanged, and the remaining nine arrows flew out in quick succession. These arrows, like shooting stars, drew graceful arcs through the air, each striking its target. In an instant, ten arrows appeared on the target, and every single one hit the bullseye.
The civil officials standing by and watching didn't seem to have any particular thoughts; they only noticed the emperor's superb archery skills. In contrast, the seasoned military generals, who had seen countless battles and faced death many times, were far less composed. Their eyes widened, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
If this repeating crossbow were deployed on the battlefield, it would be a deadly weapon!
The Emperor looked at his achievement with satisfaction, gently put down the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow in his hand, and exclaimed loudly, "Excellent! Truly superb!" His voice was filled with joy and pride. Then, the Emperor turned to Su Heng and asked, "My dear minister, I wonder how much this exquisite repeating crossbow cost?"
Su Heng quickly bowed and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, this repeating crossbow is mainly made of high-quality wood and is equipped with several ingenious mechanisms. Its cost is similar to that of ordinary crossbow bolts, and because of its simple structure and ease of operation, it is very suitable for large-scale deployment in military camps. However, this crossbow is currently unnamed, and we request Your Majesty to bestow a name upon it."
The Emperor nodded slightly, and after a moment's thought, said, "Since this crossbow was created by you, my esteemed minister, let it be named after your title. From this day forward, it shall be called the 'Ding'an Repeating Crossbow.' May our soldiers rely on this powerful weapon to protect our homes and country and bring peace to the world!"
Su Heng was about to refuse this favor, but just as he was about to speak, he caught a glimpse of Su Nuannuan gently shaking her head in a gesture of acknowledgment. That slight head movement seemed to convey a silent message, which Su Heng instantly understood.
So he quickly changed his tune, adjusting his expression and tone, and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor!"