Chapter 35: Plans and Sugar-Making

After staying at the Sixteenth Prince’s residence for a while, one morning, a hint of autumn lingered in the breeze.

Wu Yue Ling had just risen, washed, and dressed herself in a blue ruqun. After listening to Wan’er relay some messages, she stepped out of the pavilion and entered the main hall.

Inside, the hall was crowded with boxes stretching all the way outside, even filling the small garden beyond. There were many soldiers, attendants, and palace maids bustling about.

Wu Yue Ling glanced around as she entered, spotting Gao Lishi at once. “Chamberlain Gao, thank you for your efforts.”

“Haha, no need for courtesy. These are rewards from His Majesty: ten thousand taels of gold, a hundred pieces of silverware, a thousand strings of copper coins, a thousand bushels of rice, a thousand bolts of fabric, a hundred chickens, geese, and sheep each. Three servants skilled in various tasks have been assigned to Your Highness, along with a squad of soldiers as your personal guard, and your own carriage for outings,” Gao Lishi replied, hands clasped, smiling fluently. He dared not slight Wu Yue Ling, for she had saved the emperor’s life.

Wu Yue Ling paused, gazing incredulously at the plump-faced Gao Lishi. Soon, she heard the clucking and bleating from outside and smiled, “Thank you, Chamberlain Gao. Please, have a seat.”

Soon, tea and pastries were served. Their conversation was polite but brief; Wu Yue Ling was not used to such social exchanges, though her college days had prepared her well enough for gatherings.

Gao Lishi rose and had someone open a box containing the silverware, proudly naming each piece and explaining the meaning of the engravings and decorative motifs. When they came to a silver basin adorned with peonies, Gao Lishi lingered, introducing it in much greater detail than the others.

Wu Yue Ling listened attentively, noticing Gao Lishi’s fondness for this particular silverware. She gifted it to him on the spot. Gao Lishi feigned reluctance but could not hide his delight; finally, he accepted it, his face beaming.

Wu Yue Ling then packed up several other exquisite pieces and presented them to Gao Lishi before he left.

Gao Lishi departed with his entourage, clutching the beautiful silverware, especially the peony-adorned basin he had coveted for so long. He had never dared ask for it; now the Protector Princess had given it to him unbidden. His heart soared with joy, and all previous jealousy vanished.

Within the residence, Wu Yue Ling instructed her personal guards to move all the gold, silver, coins, silk, and rice to other empty pavilions. Hua Chuer had already joined in, helping to carry the silverware—what thief doesn’t love wealth, especially when it belonged to the young lady herself? Taking one or two pieces surely wouldn’t matter.

Wu Yue Ling looked at the three servants standing obediently in the hall: one man and two women, all young, around twenty.

She turned to the man first, asking, “What’s your name?”

“Your servant is a eunuch, named Yu Chao En. Greetings, Princess.” Yu Chao En knelt and replied quickly, his voice full of humility.

Wu Yue Ling answered indifferently; she had no impression of him. She only recognized Yang Guozhong, An Lushan, and Shi Siming, those three notorious figures. This minor eunuch was unfamiliar, but he was now assigned to her service—so be it.

The other two, originally palace maids from the Imperial Harem, had been chosen to serve the princess and assist her with various matters. Wu Yue Ling learned their names: the round-faced, adorably chubby one was Xiao Chun; the more voluptuous, mature-looking one was Xiao Mi.

She immediately dispatched Yu Chao En to the palace to find sugar-makers and bring back some sugarcane.

That afternoon, three venerable sugar craftsmen arrived in the small garden, bowing respectfully to the princess.

Wu Yue Ling wasted no words, stating her needs directly and asking them to explain their sugar-making methods. She repeated her queries several times, but the leader, an elder surnamed Ma, insisted they could only produce syrup and sugar blocks, both impure in color, and had no means to create white sugar powder.

Once certain, Wu Yue Ling had them bring over sugar-making tools. They crushed the semi-ripe sugarcane into sweet water, boiled it into dark syrup, then poured it into jars to solidify.

The elder Ma was puzzled—he had never seen such sugar-making methods before.

That night, the three craftsmen gathered in their room to discuss.

“If the princess wants sugar, she could simply have us bring some. Why ask us for the method?”

“Indeed, Brother Ma, can you fathom her intentions?”

Ma Liu shook his head, staring at the pale yellow candlelight, sipping his wine. “I don’t know. She mentioned a method using clay water—I’ve never heard of it. Our sugar-making comes from India, and our blocks are already the most advanced. What does the princess aim to do? Who can tell!”

“Exactly. Even His Majesty praises our sugar, rewarding us handsomely. Could the princess, a mere woman, really produce the colorless sugar she speaks of?”

“Ah, who cares. The princess’s residence treats us well—good food and drink. Why not enjoy it, right?”

“Hahaha, well said!” Ma Liu stroked his long beard and laughed.

That night, Wu Yue Ling sat by her window desk in the pavilion, pen in hand. Ever since the water demon attack in Xiang County, her papers had been ruined, her inkstone lost, and she hadn’t written since.

The yellow candlelight shone through the white paper lantern, making the glow brighter. Wu Yue Ling found it insufficient and took out her tactical flashlight for extra light.

The little white tiger curled up beside the desk, eyes closed, resting.

The young lynx sat on the windowsill, back to its mistress, stretching in the cool night breeze, yawning widely.

Hua Chuer watched the young lady writing, feeling a little sleepy herself. But when she saw a sheet of xuan paper marked with assassination targets, she was startled—wasn’t the young lady supposed to be sketching?

She stepped closer: assassination targets—Yang Guozhong? An Lushan? Shi Siming?

Wu Yue Ling sensed Hua Chuer’s gaze, turning her head to see her expression shift from shock to confusion.

“What is it?” Wu Yue Ling stretched her arms, her joints cracking.

The lynx, hearing the sound, jumped from the windowsill onto the desk, accidentally knocking over the inkstone. Ink splattered everywhere, and the inkstone landed upside-down atop the lynx. Hua Chuer reacted swiftly, gathering the papers before they could be ruined by the ink.

However, the white lantern and the little white tiger were drenched in ink, Wu Yue Ling’s face was smeared black, and her blue dress stained through.

The white tiger awoke, shook itself, sending ink flying, making Wu Yue Ling’s face even blacker...

Wan’er rushed in to clean up, instructing Xiao Chun and Xiao Mi to heat water and prepare a large wooden tub behind the screen, adding freshly picked flower petals to the hot water. After checking the temperature, they assisted Wu Yue Ling in bathing.

Wu Yue Ling insisted on bathing alone, sending everyone out—after all, having people watch you bathe was uncomfortable...

The lynx and white tiger were taken out by Wan’er and Hua Chuer to be cleaned. Wu Yue Ling soaked in the warm water, holding the fragment of the Tear Star around her neck. She sighed that she couldn’t store it away, inhaling the fragrance of petals and thinking how lavish it was. Yet, it was truly comfortable, and she closed her eyes to enjoy it.

She opened her inventory interface, seeing two damaged weapons. Glancing at the forging platform, she was still forging the mechanical box, with no chance to make new weapons or repair the two rifles.

For now, she must avoid damaging the usable weapons, relying on the design system to draft blueprints, which theoretically could produce real items.

After washing and dressing in blue, Wu Yue Ling resumed writing, jotting down everything she had previously envisioned.

Hua Chuer paced back and forth with the sheet listing assassination targets, recognizing none of the names, wondering what the young lady needed them for.

Wu Yue Ling merely smiled mysteriously, telling Hua Chuer it was a secret to be revealed later.

Late at night, the sky was clear, and the stars shone brightly.

The prince sat in his tent, listening to the report from the eagle-eyed scout, his expression dark. Zang Batou was dead—their brave warrior of Tibet was gone, and what was that explosion?

The prince sliced off a piece of roast meat to feed his gyrfalcon, murmuring, “I hope Father can withstand Gao Xianzhi’s assault. If the assassination had succeeded, it would have eased Father’s burden. Then we could sway the border commanders of Tang, since most are not Han…”

That same night, the old general Chen Xuanli removed his armor. His hair was white, his beard unkempt, age showing in every line. He wondered how the assassin had died—only the Protector Princess could answer that.

The night wind was strong; his concubine Ren draped a coat over him as he sat awake. Chen Xuanli held Ren’s hand and sighed, gazing at the myriad stars above. He was old…