Liu Yijin knew that if he told his inner speculation, not only Gong Qingqiu would not believe it, but perhaps even the empress would not believe it.
But what if you believe it?
Liu Yijin didn't dare to imagine this scene.
By then, even if he is a great hero of Da Qian, he will probably be wiped out to the point where not even a dregs will be left.
Moreover, Gong Qingqiu doesn’t know this kind of royal secret, but what about the empress? Where is the Queen Mother?
If it is true as I guessed, what about the relationship between the Queen Mother and the Prime Minister, and the former Emperor?
Is it a love triangle?
Damn it!
This idea frightened Liu Yijin and he jumped up.
"Ouch." Liu Yijin squatted down, holding his head that hurt from the collision, grinning.
Opposite him, Gong Qingqiu, who was closing his eyes to rest, opened his eyes, looked at Liu Yijin in confusion, and couldn't help but laugh: "You look like an idiot, but you don't look like the general who is about to set out to conquer the north!"
Liu Yijin grimaced in pain and said, "I just bumped into it accidentally."
The carriage drove slowly across the avenue and entered the Suzaku Gate. For the first time, Liu Yijin opened the curtain and looked back. Several eunuchs were struggling to slowly close the two Suzaku Gates.
Liu Yijin felt a chill for no reason. He felt as if he had entered the bloody mouth of a beast. There seemed to be a shocking secret waiting for him to slowly unlock it.
"What are you looking at?"
Gong Qingqiu looked at Liu Yijin suspiciously: Why are you so abnormal today?
"No, I just feel like I'm going to the north soon, so I want to see more."
Gong Qingqiu had no doubt about him: "You are really funny. It's not like you won't come back. Besides, you, the general, just went to lead the troops, and I didn't ask you to fight."
The carriage stopped in front of the third palace gate. Liu Yijin followed Gong Qingqiu and walked through two more palace gates. A magnificent black palace appeared in front of Liu Yijin.
"This is Kunning Palace, where my mother lives."
"Oh." Liu Yijin said hesitantly: "Your Majesty is here too?"
"Well, my sister is here too. It's about black powder. My mother must agree to this."
"Does this matter need to be approved by the Queen Mother?" Liu Yijin asked doubtfully.
"Of course. Black gunpowder is the secret of my Daqian Dynasty. Even my sister only knows one-third of the formula. Without my mother's consent, my sister cannot get the gunpowder formula at all."
Liu Yijin hesitated: "But people from Maitreya Buddhism have already prepared black gunpowder. How to explain this?"
Gong Qingqiu looked helpless: "There was once a batch of black powder stored in the palace, but some of it was lost inexplicably in the end. The case was investigated for a long time, but it was not found out."
"Is there such a thing?" Liu Yijin blinked: "What year was the theft?"
"That was the year my brother passed away. It's almost twenty years now."
Liu Yijin's heart skipped a beat: "What a coincidence."
"What's such a coincidence?" Gong Qingqiu glared at Liu Yijin: I feel like you are gloating.
"No no."
As Gong Qingqiu walked to the front of the palace, a maid hurried in to report. After a while, a voice like a clear spring came from inside: "Come in."
Liu Yijin followed Gong Qingqiu and walked in.
The palace is large, but the decoration is mainly black. Only the dragons and phoenixes carved on a few pillars are white. The red carpet stretches under the feet. There are rows of bookshelves on both sides with books and antiquities on them. There are also some strange-shaped stones and some small carved toys.
"Liu Yijin."
The empress's voice came from the front. Liu Yijin hurriedly lowered his head and said respectfully: "I have seen your majesty."
"Long live your majesty!"
The empress coughed lightly: "Raise your head."
Liu Yijin slowly raised his head. The empress was sitting next to her in a black dragon robe. On the large dragon chair in the middle, a woman who seemed to be about the same age as the empress was looking at him with interest.
This woman was also wearing a black robe, but it was slightly shorter. A pair of flawless white feet were exposed in the air. A bell was tied with a red rope on her delicate ankles. As she moved, she occasionally made a crisp tinkling sound.
If the empress' appearance is said to be unparalleled, then this woman's appearance can be described as a monster.
Especially those eyes, which were dark and bright with a hint of pink, and one look at them made one's heart shake.
"Are you Liu Yijin?"
The red lips opened slightly, and the soft voice made Liu Yijin collapse immediately. He hurriedly knelt on the ground: "I have met the Queen Mother, Liu Yijin. She is blessed with great blessings and may live forever!"
A laughter like a silver bell came: "You, my minister, are incredible."
"The Queen Mother doesn't know why this Liu Yijin is so serious."
Liu Yijin said hurriedly: "I have often heard from Your Majesty that the Queen Mother is the Purple Gold Bridge that bridges the sea of the Daqian Dynasty. I am even more frightened when I see Tianyan today."
"Aijia sees that you don't have the slightest fear, but your eyes are full of scrutiny when you look at Aijia."
Liu Yijin hurriedly knelt on the ground: "Wei Chen doesn't dare."
"Get up."
The Queen Mother waved her hand lazily: "I don't often have foreign ministers here, so I didn't prepare a stool."
"Wei Chen just stands."
Gong Qingqiu, who was on the side, hurriedly stepped forward and snuggled up to the Queen Mother: "Queen Mother, this Liu Yijin is amazing. He was the one who solved the theft case of official banknotes, and also caught so many people from Maitreya Buddhism."
"Oh?" The Queen Mother looked at Liu Yijin with her beautiful eyes: "Aijia heard from His Majesty that you discovered Maitreya Buddhism by chance?"
Liu Yijin hurriedly said: "It was a coincidence, but the thief suddenly fainted. Wei Chen and others couldn't find any reason, so they saw a Maitreya Buddha statue hanging around his neck, so they casually exploded it. Unexpectedly, he was killed. It exploded."
The Queen Mother covered her mouth and chuckled: "It's quite interesting."
The empress glanced at Gong Qingqiu. Gong Qingqiu took the queen's arm and said coquettishly: "Queen mother, you don't know how powerful those Maitreya Buddhists are. They actually blew up the Ministry of Punishment in the imperial capital."
"Well, the Ai family heard about it. They said they used something similar to black powder?"
The empress said: "Returning to my mother, that's right."
"Black gunpowder was invented by Emperor Gaozu. Black gunpowder has always been strictly monitored in the palace. If there hadn't been a small mistake back then, how could there be traces of it among the people now!"
Liu Yijin stood aside silently.
He just glanced at the Queen Mother, but something suddenly occurred to his mind and was discovered by this woman. He didn't dare to have any more thoughts now.
It's just that the Queen Mother is too young, just like the two empress sisters.
"Mother, there is an emergency at the border. I want my mother to agree to release the black powder formula. From now on..."
The Queen Mother sighed: "The black powder formula is not child's play. This matter needs to be discussed by the civil and military officials of the court, but I think it will be difficult to pass."
"Besides, our dynasty has been very strict about gunpowder formulas since Emperor Gaozu. When your father was still alive, he told you that this formula should not be used except when the country is in crisis."
"I have fought so many times with Daxia, but I have never used this black powder formula. Why do I have to use it this time?"
"Mother, the formula of black gunpowder is no longer a secret. If we don't use it, if someone in the Maitreya Buddhism and the Daxia army uses this thing, then our Daqian army will suffer a lot of losses."
The Queen Mother just said lightly, but did not express her position.
The empress looked at Liu Yijin for help.
Liu Yijin was stunned and hurriedly took a step forward: "To inform the Queen Mother, the black powder matter is related to the safety of Daqian. If we remain conservative, the Daqian Dynasty will definitely be seriously provoked in the future!"
The Queen Mother's pretty face suddenly turned cold: "Bold! Liu Yijin, are you questioning me?"
Liu Yijin smiled and said: "The Queen Mother made a strong statement."
"But if the Queen Mother doesn't agree, I have a compromise."
"any solution?"
Liu Yijin considered it for a while and said: "Actually, Wei Chen also knows a little about the preparation method of black powder. But don't worry, Her Majesty, I learned this method from an expert outside the world."
"Yeah?"
The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes slightly: "Then what does the black powder you make look like?"
Liu Yijin laughed and said: "Of course it's not as good as Emperor Gaozu's secret recipe, but it can still fool people."
The empress on the side hurriedly answered: "I have seen the gunpowder made by Liu Yijing. It is indeed full of black smoke and not very explosive. That's why I came to ask my mother for the formula."
The Queen Mother hesitated for a moment and said, "But this goes against the ancestral system."
Seeing that things were a little tense, Gong Qingqiu on the side said hurriedly: "Mother, if we don't violate the father's last wish and don't use the formula hidden in the palace, doesn't it count as violating the ancestral system?"
The Queen Mother nodded, "That's right."
Gong Qingqiu pointed at Liu Yijin: "Then just use Liu Yijin's. Anyway, his recipe is his own and has nothing to do with our Daqian Dynasty."
The Empress also hurriedly said: "Yes, Queen Mother, how about we use Liu Yijin's method. In this way, at least in this way, we will have a little bit of confidence when dealing with Daxia's army."
Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother flatly refused: "That won't work either."
This rejection immediately stunned the three of them, and Liu Yijin was even more shocked: "Queen Mother, why is this?"
The empress also looked incredulous: "Queen mother, why are you doing this?"
The Queen Mother looked at Liu Yijin and said: "Although this recipe does not belong to our Daqian Dynasty, Liu Yijin is a member of the Daqian Dynasty, so his formula is actually the recipe of the Daqian Dynasty."
Liu Yijin was stunned: "Queen Mother, you..."
The empress also hurriedly said: "Mother, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
The Queen Mother's beautiful eyes twinkled, her delicate and upright nose wrinkled slightly, and her smooth face showed a moving luster: "The Emperor's salary naturally has to be shared by Da Qian. Ai Jia just feels that although this formula belongs to Liu Yijin, If it is used in Daqian, it will naturally be Daqian. Besides, can he create gunpowder on his own?"
"Don't you still need to rely on us in the end?"
The Queen Mother said it was a matter of course. Liu Yijin only blinked when he heard it: "Queen Mother, there is actually no need to distinguish it so clearly. This thing of mine will naturally be used in the Daqian Dynasty."
The Queen Mother smiled: "Of course I know that the Ai family is a womanly family, so don't be unhappy if it's inappropriate."
"The Ai family feels that after you come up with such an important formula, the Liu Mansion will naturally become the target of some people, so the safety of the Liu Mansion should be the responsibility of His Majesty's personal guards, and the personal safety of Liu Yijin must be ensured."
"Your Majesty, what do you think of the Aijia's decision?"
The empress looked at Liu Yijin with a troubled expression. Her original intention was to ask Liu Yijin to come over and lobby the Queen Mother. Who knew that in just a few words, Liu Yijin would not only hand over the formula, but even the Liu Mansion would be under guard.
"Mother, this is inappropriate."
The Queen Mother waved her hand and said: "Liu Yijin, what do you think?"
Liu Yijin took a deep breath: "The Queen Mother is right, and I agree."
The empress took Liu Yijin back to the imperial study.
"Liu Yijin, you don't need to pay too much attention to the Queen Mother's words. Her original intention was not like this."
Liu Yijin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen originally intended to give this formula to Your Majesty, but who knew that the Queen Mother and the minister would say it in one step. But Wei Chen still has to thank Your Majesty."
The empress was stunned: "Thank me?"
"Yes, I am about to leave for the Northern Territory, and my family is really worried. If I can be taken care of by Your Majesty, I will naturally be extremely grateful."
The empress looked at Liu Yijin with suspicion: "Is this really what you are saying?"
"It's absolutely true!" Liu Yijin said with a respectful expression: "The Queen Mother has solved a big problem for a minor minister. It's not too late to be grateful."
"It's just that Wei Chen has one more request."
"speak!"
Liu Yijing said: "I have three days to make gunpowder, but I am a bit too nervous. I wonder if Weichen can take some people to the border?"
The empress smiled and said: "Don't worry about this. All the craftsmen above the border are at your disposal. I will fly an eagle to send a message to the eldest princess and ask her to prepare all this for you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Cui Shugong's voice sounded outside the door: "Your Majesty, King Su and the Prime Minister are asking for an audience."
Liu Yijin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I'll take my leave now."
"No need." The empress waved her hand and said, "They are here also for dispatching matters. You are my general in Zhenbei. You can sit down and listen together."
Prime Minister Liu Yong and King Su came in hand in hand. When they saw Liu Yijin, they couldn't help but were stunned: "Why are you here?"
The empress said: "Liu Yijin is the general of Zhenbei, and he is my confidant."
The empress' words immediately made Liu Yong and Prince Su feel a little moved. This was the first time the empress said the word "confidant".
The meaning of this is also very obvious.
Liu Yijin belongs to the empress, and he is protected by the empress in a fair and honest manner.
Liu Yong was an old fox after all, and said hurriedly, "General Liu is planning the Northern Expedition."
Liu Yijin hurriedly smiled and said: "Thanks to your majesty's kindness, I am allowed to serve as the general this time, but everyone knows that I know nothing about military affairs. It still requires the concerted efforts of all the generals in the army."
King Su on the side took the opportunity to say: "I wonder how many routes the general is going to take for this expedition?"
"Naturally, the troops are divided into three groups."
"Three ways?" This was beyond the two people's expectations: "Are you sure the troops are divided into three ways? In fact, according to common sense, it is most appropriate to divide the troops into two ways."
King Su smiled and said: "It seems that the general still doesn't understand the art of war."
"The troops are divided into two groups, each with 50,000 troops. They can take care of each other on the left and right. Moreover, the general is not familiar with the march of troops and horses, so they can naturally be assigned to the left or right. In this way, they can march quickly, and the supplies from the rear do not need to be too troublesome. .”
The empress also nodded: "Uncle Su Wang has a military background and has fought countless battles in his life. He does have true knowledge and insights in this regard."
"But as for the selection of the generals of the left and right route armies?"
As soon as the empress finished speaking, Prime Minister Liu Yong hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I think the general Lu Ziang can serve as the left route army."
"Lu Zi'ang once suppressed the rebellion of the Southern Barbarians. It can be said that he has rich experience in marching and fighting. Moreover, this person is forty-three years old, which is when his military ability is at his best. Moreover, he has a calm personality."
King Su nodded at the side: "I also think that Lu Zi'ang can serve as the general of the left army."
The empress hummed: "What about the right army?"
King Su hurriedly said: "There is a fierce general in the Ministry of War named Han Meng. He is brave and good at fighting and has a good reputation. I think this man is suitable for the right army."
The empress hummed again: "But who will be the supervisor of the army?"
King Su and the Prime Minister looked at each other, and King Su said: "Zuo Xiaoqing, the official, can take up this position."
The empress nodded: "Zuo Xiaoqing once went on an expedition with the army and has rich experience. The two recommended people are quite good."
After the empress finished speaking, she looked at Liu Yijin: "Liu Yijin, what do you think?"
