Volume 1, Chapter 6: Your Majesty, Times Have Changed

Wang Yuanya: "???"

The young lady looked at her father, Wang Zhishang, with a helpless expression, a wave of self-doubt washing over her.

Had she been "ugly" for so long that her own father had lost confidence in her? Did he think just any person would satisfy her?

At this thought, Wang Yuanya took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and said, "Fine! Father, tell me! Who exactly has the Emperor betrothed me to? Let me make this clear: my future husband must be a man of great stature and..."

"The Prince of Qin! Li Jize!"

"Pfft! *Cough, cough*..."

Before Wang Yuanya could finish, the moment her father uttered the name, she nearly choked to death on her own saliva.

"Who did you say? The Great Qi’s Grand Marshal of Heavenly Strategy!"

Wang Yuanya was stunned.

The Prince of Qin, Li Jize, a man second only to the Emperor and above all others? The most powerful and formidable man in all of Great Qi was to be her future husband?

Her father, as if anticipating her reaction, remained seated, motionless, and gave a silent nod.

Wang Yuanya looked at him suspiciously. "That’s not right! Father, have you gone mad hoping to marry me off? Doesn't the Prince of Qin already have a betrothal to the Empress? How could she decree a marriage to me?"

Helpless, Wang Zhishang had no choice but to recount the events of the imperial court that day from start to finish.

After listening, Wang Yuanya sat there, stunned and motionless.

So, she was merely a substitute for the Empress, an excuse for her to break off the engagement!

"That woman is venomous. Killing two birds with one stone—not only did she strip Li Jize of his military power, but she also used this as a pretext to cancel the betrothal, all without leaving a single handle for criticism."

Wang Yuanya rubbed her delicate chin, lost in thought, muttering to herself.

Wang Zhishang watched his daughter with a strange expression, then, biting the bullet, he tentatively asked, "Yuanya, so what is your intention..."

Wang Yuanya continued to stroke her chin, her eyes darting around.

After a long while, having weighed the pros and cons, she lowered her head and sighed. "Since it is the Emperor's decree, I have no choice but to obey!"

Wang Zhishang: "..."

He felt utterly helpless. Because he had been soft-hearted and helped the Prince of Qin once, his own daughter had become the Empress's "scapegoat"!

If this were the Prince of Qin of the past, it would be fine. But now... Li Jize was viewed by the Empress as a thorn in her side. If he were only feigning madness, the Empress would surely move to eliminate him. Conversely, if he were truly a fool, then his daughter’s future...

*Sigh! My poor daughter!*

***

In a dilapidated wayside shrine, rain drizzled outside. Huang Suqiu leaned against a pillar by the entrance, her head bobbing as she drifted in and out of sleep.

She had been watching her "foolish son," Li Jize, for two full hours.

First, he had bought a large amount of firecrackers. Instead of lighting them, he had taken them apart one by one to collect the gunpowder inside. Now, he was holding a small knife and a piece of wood, whittling away at something unknown.

Seeing her son no longer studying or practicing martial arts, but instead silently tinkering with these "useless trifles" and refusing to speak to her, Huang Suqiu felt as if she were being sliced to ribbons.

She had become convinced that her son was truly simple-minded—he seemed like a completely different person! Thinking of how much her son had sacrificed for Great Qi and the Empress, only to end up in such a state, she was consumed with grief.

Unknowingly, exhausted and heartbroken, she fell asleep leaning against the pillar.

The depth of a mother's love!

Huang Suqiu did not notice that after she fell asleep, her "foolish son" walked over and crouched down to cover her with his own coat.

She had guessed right! This "Li Jize" was indeed a different person.

Although Li Jize possessed the memories of his predecessor, he was an orphan in his past life. His parents had died in a car accident when he was very young, and he had been raised by his grandmother. Being clung to by this "mother" and brought all the way here, Li Jize felt conflicted.

He didn't know how to interact with her, and coupled with his "unfilial father," he dared not tell his mother that he wasn't actually a fool—that he was a normal, rational person. Who knew if someone would leak this news and cause him to die a second time?

Therefore, the only thing Li Jize could do was focus on building something to ensure his survival. He had the gunpowder. By carving the gun stock, creating the barrel, and assembling the projectiles, the world's first firearm was about to be born.

The Empress had already killed him once; Li Jize did not intend to die again just after transmigrating.

She was wary of him and suspicious of him? Very well! Li Jize was prepared to teach the Empress a lesson: "Your Majesty, the times have changed!"

Unbeknownst to him, he had worked all night. The rain stopped, and the sky began to brighten.

"Hah..."

Huang Suqiu raised her hands, let out a yawn, and slowly woke up.

In her dream, she was still the Lady of the Li household, waking up in a comfortable bed with servants attending to her. But in reality, her waist was sore, her legs were cramping, and as she stretched, the pain caused her to gasp.

Rubbing her numbed limbs, she froze. She noticed the coat covering her and was overjoyed. She looked toward her son, but Li Jize was nowhere to be seen. Panic-stricken, she stood up and began to search for him.

Finally, in the corner of the courtyard, she found Li Jize fast asleep, clutching something tightly to his chest.

Huang Suqiu approached and took a look. The object was strange—smooth, curved, and unrecognizable. She had assumed that since her son was busy carving wood yesterday, he was making dolls or perhaps a wooden sword or spear. But this object was baffling.

Just as Huang Suqiu leaned in closer, wanting to get a better look...

*BANG!*

A loud noise suddenly erupted from the entrance of the shrine, startling her. Li Jize, who had been sleeping while holding the "gun stock," was jolted awake by the blast.

Mother and son looked toward the door in unison. They heard a flurry of footsteps. When the leader stepped into the shrine, Li Jize frowned, while Huang Suqiu’s eyes filled with panic.

The person who had arrived was none other than her husband and his father, Li Jin!

He had not come alone; he brought a massive group of soldiers clad in armor into the shrine. The already rotten door collapsed with a deafening crash as he pushed it open with force.

Seeing so many soldiers, Li Jize’s first instinct was to grip the handle in his hand—but as he felt it, he realized it was just a wooden stock.

Huang Suqiu was the first to react, stepping forward to shield her son. "Jin, what... what are you doing? Why have you brought soldiers here?"

Li Jin said nothing, only looking with a complex expression at his wife and then at the "unfilial son," Li Jize, who lay motionless on the ground.

Then, with a cold snort, he turned around and cupped his hands.

"Receive the Imperial Decree!"