The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 276 - 242, Firearms Drill, Great Yu’s Military God has arrived

On that day, quite a while after Zhao Douan left the Heavenly Master Mansion, the senior craftsmen from the Firearms Bureau hurriedly returned to the government office.

And in the following days, within the Firearms Bureau, the production of the new-style muskets began.

Considering the principle of confidentiality, the related news was limited to just a few individuals.

The military officers from the Divine Mechanism Camp, although they knew Zhao Douan had done something at the Firearms Bureau,

due to "avoiding suspicion" and fearing entanglement with the previous case, each of them suppressed their curiosity, not even daring to make any inquiring moves.

They were scared of being targeted by "Yama Zhao" and being slapped with a big charge of "colluding with Prince Jing Mansion" — a lesson learned from the Young Master’s past experience.

Therefore, a strange scene occurred:

The development of firearms was proceeding vigorously.

And the Capital Camp, and even the Privy Council, which should have been well-aware of this, tacitly pretended to be blind.

After all, they adamantly refused to look and left Zhao Douan to his devices.

No one even imagined that the new weapons were being steadily developed.

As for the civil officials like "Young Master," they only knew the outline and thought Zhao Douan was undertaking an investigation.

Even when they learned that the Heavenly Master Mansion seemed to be involved, they just assumed it was the Zhao thief leveraging connections to aid in the investigation — such events had happened more than once before.

And as for Zhao Douan, the focus of countless gazes, his subsequent actions were truly bewildering to the mortal world.

At first, he pretended to work for a few days, then he completely let things slide.

He spent his days drinking and having fun with a group of military officers, often not going to the military camp, and resting at home.

Later on, it was said that Yama Zhao, out of boredom one day, gathered over twenty people in the camp to play Cuju.

Yes, Zhao Douan also ingeniously changed the rules of Cuju,

Commanding the people from the Firearms Bureau to make bizarre "goals" and establish new rules.

Thus, setting an example for others, in a few days, the new way of playing Cuju spread throughout the Capital Camp and then to the entire imperial guard.

Zhao Douan, as a fourth-rank military officer addicted to fun, even the Commander Shi Meng could not stop him.

He could only helplessly allow this perverse trend to spread.

This caused officials observing overtly and covertly to exchange looks of disbelief.

They began to doubt themselves.

Wondering if they had been overthinking it.

Had Zhao Douan entered the Divine Mechanism Camp without any other purpose, and was he simply seeking to gild his position and get promoted?

And for many mid- and lower-ranking military officers, complaints against their "superior," who only knew how to have fun all day, became increasingly loud.

The resentment triggered by the Young Master being dismissed from office continued to ferment.

...

Inside the Privy Council.

Mr. Xue Shence was receiving more and more complaints from the military officers below.

"Heh, Mr. Xue, I heard that Young Master came to find you again today?

At noon, a fifty-something, somewhat thin Second-Rank Chief of the Privy Council chuckled as he stepped into the hall, his face bearing a teasing look.

Mr. Xue Shence, who was resting, glanced at his "colleague":

"Why must Mr. Wang come to tease me?"

Saying so, he motioned for him to sit down and drink tea.

The middle-aged Chief, who seemed more like a civilian official than a military officer, sighed and said:

"These days, Young Master visits every day without fail, almost becoming a part of the scenery.

Every time he comes, it’s only for two things: one is to demand an explanation, asking on what grounds their group violated regulations and demanding reinstatement to their former positions; the other is to file a complaint against Zhao Douan."

The senior member of the Privy Council shook his head:

"Tang Ping is as clear-headed as a mirror, but insists on playing dumb.

Each visit is a slap in the face for us… this is pressuring and demonstrating power. Those critical voices spreading recently in the Capital Camp may also be their handiwork…

With His Majesty remaining silent, you and I end up feeling sandwiched between conflicts."

Hearing this, Mr. Xue Shence sighed lightly, feeling a headache coming on.

If it were anyone else, he could have brushed them off easily.

But with Tang Ping causing trouble, he just had to endure.

Though the Duke was not in the Capital, there was still a group of military meritocrats in the Capital who backed Young Master.

As the top military officer, Mr. Xue Shence still had to consider the sentiments of these military meritocrats.

"Let’s endure it for a bit longer. Once that Zhao’s temporary assignment is over, things will quiet down."

Mr. Xue Shence shook his head, paused, and then added:

"Besides, His Majesty might not continue to tolerate this person’s antics."

But Mr. Wang, the Chief, glanced at him and said:

"Do you think, have we been wrong? Zhao Douan, after joining the Divine Mechanism Camp, doesn’t seem to have the slightest intention of investigating. Apart from initially making a show of going to the Firearms Bureau, all that’s left is indulgence in pleasures."

Mr. Xue Shence hesitated, then said:

"Never underestimate this man; with his past methods, his current behavior may not be genuine."

Chief Wang raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Do you think…"

Mr. Xue Shence shook his head:

"I’m not sure either, but… what if he’s deliberately provoking us?

Dismissing Tang Ping and others was the first step; now, indulging in feasting and causing military discipline to falter is the second… What if he’s waiting for someone to lose patience and act against him, giving His Majesty a reason to intervene? To reorganize the Great Yu military officers?"

Chief Wang also frowned tightly, feeling the situation was thorny:

"If it’s like that, it’s indeed difficult to handle."

These two influential figures, who could make the court tremble with a stomp of their feet, found themselves helpless in front of a mere Commander.

In the midst of their frustration,

suddenly, a message-carrying soldier came rushing in from the courtyard, marching through the autumn breeze and stopping to give a bow:

"Reporting to the two distinguished officials, the Commander from Divine Mechanism Camp, Zhao Douan, has sent an official letter!"

What?

Both of them were startled, with a look of confusion:

What could this slacker on a temporary assignment want?

And why send it to the Privy Council?

Mr. Xue Shence beckoned, and the soldier presented the official letter. He quickly scanned it, and his expression subtly changed:

"Take a look."

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Chief Wang took it, his face also becoming odd.

The official letter announced that the following day, within Divine Mechanism Camp, Master Zhao would oversee a drill for the soldiers, to demonstrate new military formation tactics.

The Secretariat Envoy specially invited the higher-ranking military officers to observe the exercise.

"What kind of newfangled war tactics? Did Shi Meng report on this?" Mr. Wang couldn’t recall.

Xue Shence hesitated:

"He did send a message before, saying that Zhao Douan did indeed take some soldiers out.

However... it was all in the name of training, going out to play soccer.

In addition, he has been getting cozy with the Firearms Bureau, but because it involved a previous case, Shi Meng deliberately did not investigate further to avoid trouble, so what he knows is also not detailed."

Mr. Wang marveled:

"In that case, it has become interesting, I’m curious what Zhao Douan is really up to."

Xue Shence snorted:

"Showboating."

He suspected that Zhao Douan, knowing that military opinion was unfavorable, was therefore preparing to use the identities of the various generals of the Privy Council to suppress public opinion.

He sighed inwardly but still ordered his soldiers to send back a message:

Tomorrow morning, he himself would lead the generals of the Privy Council there.

After all, His Majesty’s face had to be given.

"By the way, if we go tomorrow morning, won’t our Young Master find the Privy Council empty?" Mr. Wang said in jest.

Xue Shence picked up his teacup and stated indifferently:

"Then, he can just join us, can’t he?"

Mr. Wang was stunned for a moment, looking at him thoughtfully.

...

...

That day, the news that Master Zhao was hosting the training and inviting many important figures to observe spread on a small scale.

Once again it sparked criticism; it became a traditional skill in the military to host a training exercise to gain reputation and gild one’s image.

People speculated with maximum malice that this was another publicity stunt by Zhao Douan.

Only inside the Firearms Bureau, after suffering through half a month, Chen Huoshen stayed up excitedly all night, caressing the finished new-style firearm in his hand, eager for the coming day.

A night without words.

The next morning.

The autumn wind rustled.

When Zhao Douan got up, he felt the autumn in the air had thickened a bit more, and the green and lush trees in his home also seemed desolate in their twilight.

"Such a good autumn with cool weather..."

Muttering to himself, Zhao Douan squinted at the sky, watching the floating clouds and the rustling autumn wind.

He thought: It’s good weather for firearm training.

A few days earlier, he had received the finished firearm, and to his great surprise.

Gongshu Tianyuan truly lived up to his reputation as a genius and innovatively improved upon the matchlock firearms.

Using a Magician’s thought process, he created a batch of "semi-automatic" firearms.

This greatly increased the loading efficiency, which enhanced the performance effects he was originally somewhat dissatisfied with.

It also pushed him to make the decision for today’s exercise.

Zhao Douan dressed neatly.

As usual, he had his meal at home and then left his mansion, riding alone towards the outskirts of the Capital.

Hou Renmeng and Qian Kerou stayed in the Divine Mechanism Camp the night before, preparing today’s exercise with Chen Huoshen.

When Zhao Douan arrived at the Divine Mechanism Camp unhurriedly,

From afar, he could already hear the drums on the training field, and the banners on the wall flapping violently in the autumn wind.

"Mr. Wang, you have arrived."

Qian Kerou was waiting at the entrance of the camp and hurried forward to take his horse.

Zhao Douan smiled:

"How about it, have the people from the Privy Council arrived yet?"

"Not yet, but the officials from the Capital Camp have all arrived," explained the assistant.

Since today’s exercise was attracting the bigwigs of the Privy Council,

The officers from both the "Three Thousand Camp" and the "Five Army Camp" naturally did not neglect to come.

When Zhao Douan entered the training field, he saw that a large tent had already been set up by the side of the field.

Similar to a pavilion, there were tables and chairs underneath.

At the moment, three Commanders from the Capital Camp, along with dozens of senior military officers, were gathered there, chatting with each other.

"Master Zhao, you’ve arrived!"

Shi Meng’s eyes brightened as he stood up and waved him over, introducing the officers by his side to Zhao Douan.

Zhao Douan ignored the rest and only looked at the other two third-rank Commanders.

The Commander of the Five Army Camp was a middle-aged man with the air of a Confucian military officer.

Clad in armor and with a sword at his waist, his attire was quite formal.

The Commander of the Three Thousand Camp, on the other hand, was a tall and lean man with a stern face, looking curiously at him:

"Master Zhao, your reputation precedes you."

Zhao Douan smiled and nodded his head, greeting each one for a moment.

Amidst the conversation, there was a sense of ease.

Far from any humility of a lower-ranking official, he rather had the air of the master of the place.

"Rumor has it that Minister Xue himself is coming today, quite a reputation you have, Master Zhao."

The Confucian Commander of the Five Armies remarked with admiration and then curiously asked:

"Only, I do not know what Master Zhao has prepared for today’s exercise, with such a great display, nearly half of the Capital’s military officials have come?"

Zhao Douan smiled faintly and did not take up his probe, merely saying:

"Soon, gentlemen, you shall see."

At this moment, at the gate of the camp, someone announced loudly:

"Minister Xue has arrived!"

Immediately, everyone on the vast training field stood up solemnly.

They looked towards the gate of the camp with respect, ready to welcome the arrival of Great Yu’s Military God.

Only Zhao Douan remained seated in his original spot, slightly squinting his eyes and muttering softly, "Quite the spectacle."

...

Mistakes to be corrected later.